The New York herald., 1869-06-24
LITERATURE.


Reviews OF New Books.
HISTORY OF EUROPEAN MORALS FROM AUGUSTUS TO
Lecky, N. A. In two volumes. Vols. l. and H.
New York: D. Appleton a co. 1863.
Affecting a kind OF eclecticism In morals, Mr..
Lecky has succeeded in giving to the world two large
volumes containing nearly one thousand printed
pages in which, though ne In main repeats only
what has been said by others before him, there are
some new ideas introduced which give TO the work
certain interest and Will make 1t sought for by all
who delight in philosophical argument. The style is
clear, vivid and happy. Mr. Lecky has carefully
studied his subject negecting nothing which could
contribute to strengthen his argument or illustrate
his ideas. With a fine command Of language, he
writes vigorously though always In calm, digni-
ned manner, which wins for him at once
respectful hearing, even though there
be nothing, or bat little, In his work with
which the reader is not already acquainted.
The only faults we can find with his literary exc
cution lie in a diYuseness tendency to dwell too
long upon single idea, and weakness In iteration
but seldom needed for his purpose. These faults,
however scarcely mar the interest OF the work, 30
that we may, on the whole. credit him with having
produced q book which deserves to hold high
position in English literature.
The History OF European Morals from Augustus
to Cbarlemagne" is really history Of morals ac-
cording TO the peculiar views Of the author. from
the earliest ages to the present time. 1t is divided
into five chapters, the first Of which emD0dies .
sharp attack upon the utllitarian and q vigorous
defence OF the intutive school OF morals, together
with review Of each as reated to the general con.
ditOn OF society,"" and closing with statement OF
1.-The order in which moral feelings are developed"
The second chapter Is devoted to the Pagan Empire,
a sketch of morals from constantine to Charlemagne
and the fifth and last TO 1.-The position OF woman"
Here the work closes with partial promise OF some
thing more on the same subject IN the future.
To begin with, Mr.. Lecky severely condemns the
utilitarian school Of morals Of which John Stuart
Mill is distinguished teacher. On the other hand he
gives his support to the nurve school. Morality, he
claims, cannot depend solely upon its usefulness TO
benefit humanity It. Impossible for virtue to bring
pleasure If practised only with that end. 'f virtues
are only good because they promote and vices only
evil because they impair, the happiness Of mankind,
the degrees OF excellence or criminality must be
strictly proportoned to the degrees OF utility or the
reverse.' No school OF morals can exist II founded
solely on the principle ol pgashmept f9r CIV deeds
morals the goodness or Godn Is made an unmean-
ing term the chief argument for future life is de-
school OF Intuition ali morals are founded on obpa.
ton, And II Is Just here tnat Mr. Lecky falls into the
Same iffe q afTdmehf followed by ali other moral.
own nature and thence TO mankind to society-not
TO divine principle. The assertion Of a moral, re.
r. roht according to orr ntntion is IN no way as
far as we can Understand him. fnlallinp an oblga-
80 -. CoS rncaoI ha rnd. fout ,,,,S ,ha ins,,;
st .V W uT hooauae .not @ nain caar o and I'm
Wv rse = Stan6ard hos nen Sr"vad somewnat
!laple W ass,ase WIN auu us
" " peSoo . ,u0, % ho au ,hn ancra
too great prominence to interest, and only accepts
ta M so ht M ,h 1hiipae mst nnt ne
' an 4r h e t vta s,h uuS. % o' @ De
aeu WIN .ne s IL ~ o.S. w We
must nos Ds sis"ous, oeoau,U , m % oSme VIC Vu1y
sne 6iea.or anu @ 1 ohigatinn
wora We uss uo "sd " sHcesv naro ,nnro
we owe 10 ourselves ana 10 society: Ieners mora, Sa
prInGpes are ieveaeu , . sunc " ys ,nou w. ts eu
nothing % of " the S supernafaraI or divine. !" ''
10 snueIs.ahu oIe nj; Levy auea VIC nav nav
ony 10 turh " .ne a'isn prasH nc % oesoms sm,r urn
Iutufe woriu, tney weie te ues. eAa"R,es T y, @
a t ,c & hr ~ hrac,ar the Sena
ITS fits Christianity conferred upon the world was in
,Sa sSa1s , nH ;s seoo n,,"n ,ba, h hasy ,ormed ~
,ha ~ hoI Sn ,Sa % nrotec,;"n af ,nfancy
the th O nd ra e " the ssys
tne eieVation anu mna. enanC.pasUm VI ,ne sisse N
C,assss te M % @ .,m ~, 'n r
charity and the education Of the imaginaon by the
,yp SIs.an type n ha % ,oSerneI s oa,ad or
Pnsnhpjm n wnon rh a nan ,rerd 60 ar as ne can
approacnea H. ~ .ie paSan M ., i Al, % 20" ,raat
nuueistanu @ LIS iuea rs u,on o az snu s,va
mora M oa nd ,,ah anu -, U rn W
tnaa MI ~ Lec reeSts G0S or S even d3uo,s @ .ne
n,,as S,,,ra,o poi,,., Snt ha n,tarv ionores tSe
agency of the s1pernaturai o m the formation Of
ntv. h,t ~ xhn pe oxa snch % dn,v NE ~
learn from him The fact of an obli1atton o xsfinv
imniIos a denendence I'm whom then are we de-
nepdentS Ts n on onr fellow man, Snch denend-
ence wond make mankind mIserable HOW often
does onr moral prncinle or Intuition force ma no per
form an act winch though intrinsically right and
therefore performed comes in direct contac. with
what annears to our fellow man his best interestY
Rnt aside from these cOnsideratOns the moral
IDEAS Of the Stoics were limited to hut a compara.
lively few men The great body OF the paQans w, re
more or less moral because they felt an obligation to
their gods To he so They no more shared IN the
PHILOSOPHY OF the Stoics than do the great body OF
thr,stans share m the rationalIstic views OF
Mr.. Lecky. With them, as with US, morals
were realized as an obligation which was
ntultively felt to belong TO an immortal being; and
the benent humanity derives t.om virtue ~ Ss Oe VIZ
EMPLOYS In carving out the great work OF creation
Mr. Lecky, however, does notregard morals as being
GepenGen. upon ohy amy ,,s nra,s srs SIi
the results OF such philosophy. His lie what he
terms natural relgion,n something allied TO,
put not sprlnRlng from, Gou. ne praises Catnoif