Presupposing always, to begin with, that the term "philosopher" be not confined to the philosopher who writes books, or even introduces HIS philosophy into books!--Stendhal furnishes a last feature of the portrait of the free-spirited philosopher, which for the sake of German taste I will not omit to underline--for it is OPPOSED to German taste.

"Pour etre bon philosophe," says this last great psychologist, "il faut etre sec, clair, sans illusion.

Un banquier, qui a fait fortune, a une partie du caractere requis pour faire des decouvertes en philosophie, c'est-a-dire pour voir clair dans ce qui est." 40.

Everything that is profound loves the mask: the profoundest things have a hatred even of figure and likeness.

Should not the CONTRARY only be the right disguise for the shame of a God to go about in?
A question worth asking!--it would be strange if some mystic has not already ventured on the same kind of thing.