New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-04-04

points with Just and hne discrimination fOr III
stance, the following is suggestive, On
BUDDHis IDEA OF THE ABSOLUTE.
To sticmatizc such man. in the OpprobIious ~
the words, athesc oulogizcr Of nothing god
less uubcevcr, is manifest injustice. Absolute pure
spinoza, with other metaphysical masters before and
after him, has said every determination u being IS
negdtiOu; every attribute quality affirmed of 10 is
limitation. Now Goamas doctrine Of The extinction Of
istence means the removal Of limitations the destruction
Of al obstacles TO return INTO That pure being Whereof
| az indicated by the word Nirwdna, he himself says
I've can affirm noInng neither that 1t ~ nor that IL ~
not, since " mas no quahues II II that eondltohess
state the idea OF which 10 bewilders the faculties Of
thought TO CONCEIVE ana battles the resources OF language
% eNprefs altH0ugh the writings OF every deep specu
latiye philosopher from IIericus 70 Hamilton, deal
! of as pure and mysterious unity - tie Of PaTnen
| idcs II is Monumental mtcger pbcnonenaly dfieren-
tan who asserts that The Uhku0Wahe Cause Of All u
intelligent and affcconatc Father, personal counter
part of himself dlaed 10 immeneity, would brand as an
&tbesc nothr gaIian the scientist who pascs with the
idea Of unit Of loroc and denies substantive validity to
adequately thought his way that conception, with the
| mt emotion, II IS unQucstiOnahy conception Of over
passed measure Of authority and trust Of awe, sweetness,
| and peace.
! The next examples which follow, Confucins, De-
mOShcncS TacituS, Lucrctius, and especially Cicero.
present nothing of special moment, and scarcely seem
in place as Illustrations Of the personal influence of
solitude. The passage quoted from Tactus has ex-
quiste beauty, both of sentiment and language, but
Their it is from work ascrbed 10 tauthor of which
the commences has been called in question. Still
less perhaps Cicero be deemed an instance of de
VOtiOn 10 solitude His senSitivencss Opublc opinion
was proof of his sympathy. His vanity and ego
tSm betTay a nature too genial to thrive in its own
retirement. Like Edward Everett who rescmbed
him strkngly in the character of his eoqnence,
his devotion to letters and his passion for praise, ne
could not find rcposc in his consciousness; an
outward voice wasnocosSay TO his lapprcydl and
the friendship OF his interiors afforded him support
which he did not enjoy in solitary communion with
his own mind. Dante gives more effective illustTa-
ton, of which Mr. Ager makes excellent use After
por;Taying his character as presented IN the Vita
NuOva' touched with feminine softueSs and sad
ness, fun OF youthful ardor. and melting in tcnderost
sympathy, lac offers admirable description of
DANTE IN MANHOOD.
'.'s BhNTE IN MANHOOD.
What an Incredible exterior change when We turn from
this romantic portrait and contemplate the eer Dahie
justice and hardships he endured! Then he bushsd
said My and sghs Of anguish so waste my heart
when am alone thai any one VINO heaiu ins Wo1 ia
shield Of pride he soogRs the shafts OF wrong ana OF rd
ee saying Zee me en- an aes for
humanity; his enthusiasm for the sublime sentiments OF
pOesy and relg on- his vital loyalty to truth, beauty
liberty. But toward the frowns of his foes aud the IN
difference Of the world he put on an adamantlhe sell
he is commonly seen, an unconquerabe pilde lofty as
the top Of Ena hard as IT'S nnaa s' a. moi y as sns
love surprisingly soft and beautiful as though INES
edge of its crater His contemporary. Giovanni Vlan,
describes him "a scholar, naughty, and UsdalnIi
He himself in his great poem. makes his ancestor Cacca
guda foretel, that of all his future caamues what VIII
tiy him most is the vile company amidst which he Will
he thrown" Disgust and scorn OF the plebelan nerds
aimiess, worthless men, however never became an eha
which he protected himself against the wrongs and lack
by which ne kept himself the eminence where God had
set h-saved his nobility and dignity from sinking even
with his fortunes Ihsis what distinguishes the office
Of generous pride from that arrogant and poisonous
egotism which feeds itself with mlsanthropy The pride
which nOuIished the virtue and undying usefulness OF
Dante, which helped to keep his genius from decay and
the stung and exndng cOnee Of selfish men haers This
Is why the hdter grand IN MN wch IN Meneoates
is ludicrous, and in a Swift detestable.
Among the more recent examples Of Loneliness, Mr..
Alger refers tn Shelley, Coeridge Wordsworth, By
ron. Chopin, Schopenhaucr, and misantlropic
coutyman, Henry Thorcau. OF these, Schopen-
hauer, the German philosopher, was perhaps tho
most remarkable as a specimen Of isolation and Gym
icsm carried to the verge Of mOnorania. With an
excessive pride of character curious blending of
selfassurance and timidity, and intellect of Won
derlul subtlety and strength, he shrink hom inter
course with mankind. None of the usual ties OF life
had power to soften his savage and sullen independ
ence He looked upon the earth a desert. Fan
ewing himself one of the intellectual rulers of the
race he chung to solitude as "A refuge from the IL
norance and stupidity of his fcow-mcn. He conSid
cred every contact with his kind as a contamination
In this world says Schopenhauer there's very
much that is very bad but the worst thing in it is
society," The moreI 90 among men the less Of a
man come away Conversation with othersleayes
an unpleasant tang; the employment of the soul in
itself leaves an agreeable echo The abber Of com
panes of men is as profitlcss the idle yepng Of
packs of hounds"
OF a somewhat similar temperament was 1hOreau,
whose genius admirable it was for its eanestneSs
and originality cannot conceal the eXcrescences of
character which made him rude companion and
harsh Judge OF his feow-men. Mr. Alger presents
striking portraitrre of this gifted solitary. which is
! the more impressive from being 10 great degree
| made mp from his confessions.
II any American deserves stand a representative
~ the experience of Tccusenes 1hOTeau IL the man. HIS
feow-feelncs and alliances with few and fee
PRONOUNCED All his life he was distinguished for his
ooness. aUstere scfconmunion, long aud lonely walks
lie separated from ordinary persons IN grain and
Sief and rhrnomena Asa student and lover Of the
material world Be genuine apostle OF solitude, despite
the tans of affecaton inconsistency and inorbidiiy
which ms writings betray AT twenytght, on me shore
of lonely pond he built hut in which he l.yed entirely
by himself for two years And after he returned 10
his fathers house IN the village he was for the chief part
OF the time nearly much alone asbe had been in hs
hermitage by Walden water The coseness Of his eeay,
ing TO the Landscape cannot be questioned: dream OF
looking abroad, summer and Winter; with free gaze
from mountain Sue, iOOhlHH
with such easy sympathy as The bueeyed grass IN the
meadow looks in the faceOf the sky When nc describes
natural scenes, his heart lends sweet charm tothe pages
ne pens Padding up the river to ran iayen Pond as
the sun went down, saw solitary boailnan dspoTtng
the smooth lake. The falling 'dews seemed 10 strain
ana purify the ar and soothed with an infinite
stness. got the world il were by the nape Of the
neck and held it under In the tide OF s own events, Till
il was drowned; and then et II go down like dead
dog Vast hollow chambers OF silence stretched away
every side and my being expanded IN proportion and
filled them"
In his little forest house. Thoreau had three chairs
solitude, two for friendship three for society"
neglhOr H. mile distant. IL Ia solitary
aL.-.l-l 100. a. .aLanI Inn