The Express.
London, England, 1857-09-12 00:00:00

AUG VS TB (X),VTE.

The main facts of his history are soon told. Born,
in 1797, of Catholic and rel stint parent., he wile educated at
one of the Bonaparte lyceum+, where ho early distinguiehed
himself by hie love of sieculistion. and his profound diswtie•
fection with the existing philomphic school. and actual Meial
Coll.litioll of his country. On leaving college he became
ariuninted with the celebrated Saint-Simon, and being at-
tracted by his perronal character, and charmed by
the originality of his views, he joined the band of
brilliant disciples which the genius end ambition of
that distinguished racial ref•stmer gathered around
hint. Being the youngest amongst them he was k--icien es
the Ikmjamin of the Saint-Simonion school—a neluiquet
which Lis enemies maliciously mid his subsequent career
fully justified, hie philosophical eystem being, according to
them, a genuine lienjunin's mess. As a favourite pupil of
Saint-Simon, Comte not only assisted Lim in the pre-
position a hie text-Woke, but undertook, in 1820, at tbo
suggestion of the muter, an independent work designed
is an expoeition of the micntific 'Lute of the system.
This work, entitled " SystiMie do Politique Poeitive,"
white *proved of in the main by Saint-Simon, was de-
scribed by him se defective in its espoeili•m of the teligious
and sentimeolsk septet of his views. On the death of its
founder in 18'25, Comte deem ;e4 the Saint-Stmotion school,
to found one of his own ; and during Ow next twenty yeins
dovot d himeef to the elaboration of en 01:0A) system
of ecientilie thought—since known on the " Positive
Philoeophy." The great text-book of hie system, entitled
Coors de rhiluxophie Positite, extending to six tl,ek
volumes, strulually appeared at Mimesis between the
pars 1830 and 1842. During this time he led
• quiet, scientific life, as Professor of Mothernatice
in the Ecolo Pulytechnique ; and almost immediately
after the coueluirien of his great work published two popular
treatises connected with the subject of his cluee-ono en
Analytical Geometry, the other on Astronomy, both of which
were very successful. In 1841 ho issued an outline and de-
fence of hie system in a single volume, emitted Disoeure
our l'Eneenible du Posit IMAMS." Seam after the publication
of this work, on emotional crisis happened in Lis himory,
through which he became enneciou• thus hie own system was
defeetive—oe Miserly expoeition of Saint-Simonism bed been
—on the religious aide. The occasion of this was au ardent
but virtuoso, attachment to a lady named Clotilde, whose
death, a yrur after he bed fleet met her, left him
mieurahle in himself, and diesiatiatiA with Lis philosophy.
Cinte's life divides itself jute three eras; in the Unit, he
is a disciple expending the views of others ; in the mimed a
master, a philosophic legislator, unfoldieg • sytem of his
own;'-' the third en epode, proelnimftig a new religion. la
the iteM period be natneslly accomplished but little, mid his
efforts in the but were, as we have saki, to a great extent
abortive; but in the middle era, that of his plelooopbto
activity, he accomplishes! a scientific reform such as few
men can ever individually achieve. Whatever may be
thought of the positive philosophy either as to the perm-ties
of the pert' or as to its comph•tenru as a whole—and it Is
eadonbmally open to criticism in both respects—it maned be
denied that to Ceintehelonge the honour of being the first who
grasped the true principle for the co-ordination of the science.;
that in en ego of vast speculative and scientific activity be first
fuse from the empirical classification of frets to a genuine
ecienco of pi inciplee. Even his enemies allow that h• pp-
sensed greet general force of intellect, taro epeenlative power,
and that be reaches the happiest generalisation* in every
branch of science he undertake. to expound.—Leader.

A rornecAntEs' HALL,—Names of gentlemen who
peoned their examination in the science and practice of
modieire, and received oertificetee to preetire. on Thursday,
September W.—Sidney Fennell, erectly, Worcestershire;
Win. Edward Bide, Ledbury, Herefordshire; Edward
Sheryl's, Bedford, Beds,