And if doubts distract you, in vain will you seek sympathy from your fellow men.

For upon this one theme, not a few of you free- minded mortals, even the otherwise honest and intelligent, are the least frank and friendly.

Discourse with them, and it is mostly formulas, or prevarications, or hollow assumption of philosophical indifference, or urbane hypocrisies, or a cool, civil deference to the dominant belief; or still worse, but less common, a brutality of indiscriminate skepticism.

Furthermore, Babbalanja, on this head, final, last thoughts you mortals have none; nor can have; and, at bottom, your own fleeting fancies are too often secrets to yourselves; and sooner may you get another's secret, than your own.

Thus with the wisest of you all; you are ever unfixed.