Santayana

After years of prompting from John Gray, I have finally started reading George Santayana.

'A creature whose actions were predetermined might have a clearer mind. He might keenly enjoy the momentary scene, never conceiving himself as a separate body, or as anything but the unity of that scene, nor his enjoyment as anything but its beauty: nor would he harbour the least suspicion that it would change or perish, nor any objection to its doing so if it chose. Solipsism would then be selflessness and scepticism simplicity.'

This evokes Edward Thomas's 'short-lived happy seeming things', thus forming one of my previous connections into a satisfactory triad.