Much has been said, and said truly, of the monkish morbidity, of the hysteria which as oftengone with the visions of hermits or nuns. But let us never forget that this visionary religion is, in onesense, necessarily more wholesome than our modern and reasonable morality. It is more wholesomefor this reason, that it can contemplate the idea of success or triumph in the hopeless fight towardsthe ethical ideal, in what Stevenson called, with his usual startling felicity, "the lost fight of virtue." Amodern morality, on the other hand, can only point with absolute conviction to the horrors thatfollow breaches of law; its only certainty is a certainty of ill. It can only point to imperfection. It hasno perfection to point to. But the monk meditating upon Christ or Buddha has in his mind an imageof perfect health, a thing of clear colours and clean air. He may contemplate this ideal wholeness andhappiness far more than he ought; he may contemplate it to the neglect of exclusion of essentialTHINGS; he may contemplate it until he has become a dreamer or a driveller; but still it iswholeness and happiness that he is contemplating. He may even go mad; but he is going mad for thelove of sanity. But the modern student of ethics, even if he remains sane, remains sane from aninsane dread of insanity.The anchorite rolling on the stones in a frenzy of submission is a healthier person fundamentallythan many a sober man in a silk hat who is walking down Cheapside. For many such are good onlythrough a withering knowledge of evil. I am not at this moment claiming for the devotee anythingmore than this primary advantage, that though he may be making himself personally weak andmiserable, he is still fixing his thoughts largely on gigantic strength and happiness, on a strength thathas no limits, and a happiness that has no end. Doubtless there are other objections which can beurged without unreason against the influence of gods and visions in morality, whether in the cell orstreet. But this advantage the mystic morality must always have-it is always jollier. A young manmay keep himself from vice by continually thinking of disease. He may keep himself from it also bycontinually thinking of the Virgin Mary. There may be question about which method is the morereasonable, or even about which is the more efficient. But surely there can be no question aboutwhich is the more wholesome.