New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-12-27
PROM nARfs.
Literary Gessips
From Our owa Correspondents
pIR,S Nov. 10 1884.

"Thore e-s those who thrk th,t what passing ~ 'ne
,ho. rerioua i Of today Is but tic haiiuger OF set
arr ceiling change; Of the dissolution Of That system oil le
4eval th-ocYacy, which ns e5eoed 10. ho'"d yeIi.
T., rs,sns Many ofth- ghcne minds Of tis az
fled ain e,en;'set o. an sgpioaet'hs 80, % a
GOrsh W ufe ~ abe ~ pIe eit 20 i2irs'e W
r-st eccests revolution of wah The AL Of tis tein
y power IF the roy wOaa probably De the 'sss sst
10 ignore that IN European ooun!ys strong religious
nOvsnous is taAbs ? ice.'
An epieroph, like an cpitaph, has, among o'her
eur oses tho: Of helping 70 make the reader charitable
AR whot lies beneath have taken wine to-day ron
tie last number Of The Edinburgh RerieriTcn en- afn
Gle on these two famous Religious novels lie MARCH,
and LA ReIigicase." Ii is not inappropriate 10
never 80 impel feet notice Of French books The
Uae that IL for the moment attracting most atch''oh
bears the anJscious tile OF "Bibe dc lllumsnte" II
Il impossible TO convey upon "a narrow po''oo1 SS
ay be shut up within tie compass Of tins letter more
than very Imperfect notion of tbs strange voinno
"oaikened with Motto inspiTation-of its earnest
dent almost fcversh pages TO which the frssnentdry
form of STYLE and the mysticism OF thought lend sort
81 sihylline character" The Bi6le Of Humanity a.
eordng to Il. Aichclct, is the expression ef tho re-
hgious sentiments Of all peoples Of all agee, the Ra
msyana Of Indio the Zenda,ese OF Persia the sculp
srod symbols Of Egypt he graceful myths end beautiful
Statues ard temples OF Greece che Hebrew Scriptures
chapters and verses.
The soul Of humanity rema,uing IN all its efforts
70 comprehend itself and reconcile itself with surround
ing nature gives unity to this immense and Yared
record of ts aspirations l changeful trinmrhs and
dofests--now risen " high harmony with nature IN
serene Brahuiuic parthCisn; sunk 10 sweaty As
syrian debauchery Of nature; in ascetic Christian
revolt warning against WHAT'S called National
character; what gots TO make and mark National cha
racier laws uaurers, customs, pubic works, even
the climate the faula anG fora and hole physical geo
eraphy of countrythese rightly stnd!ec snd com
pretended in the explanatory notes of tbs Bible. NJ
Eichelet under TO present summary Of texts ana
notes in one little isDo yoiume-e work somewhat
beyond the compass Of one human intellect AID any
rumber of vogmesit is necessarily failure certainly
brilliant failure. Els first chcptors are tie best: he
hes lbs with India and tie Romoyana as the most Char
scteriie expression Of its religion. lie leads, with
historic hand 70 the birth place of our civilizations
With the breath Of poetic inspiration teammates that
primal Hudoo life AID nuses with his sympathy
Tor it-now rectes TO C. a passage CHOSEN here and
there from his elder brother poet Vlalih Illustrating
and illnuinrti.g it with his rlnnrg-no, corTus
eating commentary. His heated sgination WATTS one
With reflected glow, till seem 70 assist" ut tho
simple household Offices the fire worship around the house
hearth Of those early olks born Of nature and still
% their mother loving her In the simple devotion
aad intimacy of lovsble child.lise innocence Il is
Assgtfu ideally so; but learned critics say falsely
Despite NJ SclU'ets frequent reference TO az Iorss
a. 1T least. 10 authoritative names
The book sbounds 10 generous sentiments. is hard
% define the authors critical method D this swceping
review Of the igions Of TIE world He would
% teach that the true religion Of is sentimental
a 81. t-y1I rt~l nf
sreeds I'll his heart with love and his soul with
high purpose that lis moral pereo0 will result from
faithful kindly study aud resultant harmony Of his
soul and Of surrounding nature, not from scared listen
ipg priesty voices. the pretended echoes OF Divine
words. Quoted AZ the outset q few words nom an
impartial critic briefly chsracteriing features Of
Aichelet's book. Another says: "Never, perhaps,
Nss the author OF L. and La Sorc,Te moro freely
thrown tie ieias 70 his vast and sometimes eXravsgan
Imagination" Yet another and, BY virtue Of his IA
yorte studies and profession-to say nothing Of his
astive fsculty-a perhaps more competent but more
preludiced critic than either Of the first quoted-in
brief very notice OF the Bible de FHu'nhn
speaking In equal and anger. denies tho sound
ness Of it, show Of erudion and asserts its amenta
Bic blasphemy. much poorer Christian than the Rev
Ed. de PTepente might well be offended by NchcletS
chapters on THE Hebrew and Christian b0Ok Of tie
"Bhe Of Humanity" The most philosopbcaly indifer
en heather would tax them with unfarness aid be eI
- sBspect something Of personal hostility, amounting
almost TO Yirricnce in their suth0r Prepcnse defines
the book chaos illuminated With transient flashes Of
bsiance" defar. o; scientific method and of bis
tnricsl honesty. at is sgue1" be says. with The
nnme Of man endowed with historic insight ard the
anesI Imagination, bu. who uantony perverted these
noble gifts by making himself the apostle Of ardent
sad mystic naturalism." He closes lis notice thus:
I'VE should blush TO refnte 81 only point it out in
order that il sy he that such shameless mad i'm
yety Is appropriate to excite repuson the spec
sAcle Of disgusting cbriey which Sparta presented to
it, young citizens"
Wherever be the light end error Of author end critics
here lies the fact that tie book is largely circulated
eagerly read, and Is noteworthy phenomena in this
strong religious movement OF Europe which one
should ignore.
N Prepense himself has lately published interest
ing volume lie PAYS de lEvangile, his notes OF 70
cent travein Palestine lie went u the Holy Land 20
collect uew to complete and verify material previously
gathered from Paris likewise, for his promised work on
thu Life Of Christ. Tie Able Mcbon-to whom at one
tins attributed (crroneogsly, but not quite imp-oba
bly, the authorship OF lie Maudi." and LA Re. |
haieuse"-who returned from similar journey. under
taken for like purpose last year. ia abont 70 send TO
press bis version OF La Vie de Jesus; he has delayed
It's publication in order TO add literal translation OF
the Greek ts1t Of the Gospels with accompaniment
Of parallel various readings and Of pathological topo-
graphical and archaeological commentary. These two
york; ono by liberal and learned orthodox Protestant
che other by liberal euspectedly liberal but orthodox
Roman Catholic divine will be doubtless the ab!est
competitions and corrections Of the celebrated frJ vol
ume Of Remains "Or;gines de Chrstianesine.' Yenan
hes lust returned to the East to study up the local ma
Esria and color for LA Vie do ST. Paul which wiz