Durant spoke of Spinoza yesterday

And I sat list’ning, feeling, meditating.

And now and ever afterwards will feel

And live and think more deeply than before,

For having heard Durant speak of Spinoza.

Spinoza! what a mighty, mighty name!

All Alexanders, Caesars and Napoleons—

Mere specks of dust upon a polished lense,

Compared to that poor polisher of lenses.

He polished lenses for myopic eyes,

The world’s myopic eyes hath need of them—

And long will need them,—poor myopic world.

My own sight seems improved since I have heard

Durant speak of Spinoza yesterday.