An experiment with time

Thomas de Quincey, Suspiria de profundis.

Powers from heaven descending upon education and accelerations of the press, powers from hell (as it might seem, but these also celestial) coming round upon artillery and the forces of destruction-the eye of the calmest observer is troubled; the brain is haunted as if by some jealousy of ghostly being moving amongst us; and it becomes too evident that, unless this colossal pace of advance can be retarded, (a thinkg not to be expected) or , which is happily more probable, can be met by counter-forces of corresponding magnitude, forces in the direction of religion or profound philosophy, that shall radiate centrifugally against this storm of life so perilously centripetal towards the vortex of the merely human, left to itself the natural tendency of so chaotic a tumult must be to evil; some mind to lunacy for others to a reagency of fleshly torpo