New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MORLEYS vOLTARE

,s,o Is hest known TO the public by an admirable
monograph on the genius of Edmund Burke, pub
Iished about four years since, and by his elaborate
contributions TO the higher periodical literature
Of the dav Combining the advantages of the
most thorough education which the English
seats of learning afford with rare aptitude for
stndy and research he is even less conspicuous for
scholarship than for the power of reflection and
reasoning His tone Of thought is grave, almost
pcrhaps to excess his style is marked by dignity
and force rather than brilhanCy he never affects
the use Of rhetorical arts and trusts TO the ccarness
and weight of his statements, rather than to any
kind Of popular attractions There is no sensational
element in his writings. and he finds his audience
amOng the thinking classes who are on the watch
for new developments of ideas, and not among
the readers who are in pursuit OF @sIhe-
tic emotion. Although inclined to the philosophy
of Comte especially as interpreted by Mr.. john
Stuart Mill Mr.. Morley is neither partisan, nor
bgot. He is too earnestly intent upon the acQnsl-
ton of truth to search for il in any exclusive drec
ton He calls man master hut is supremacy loydl
10 the authority of truth Hence his productions
nre always of decidedly individual cast
and often show marked originality. Less am
btiOus of effect than of soundness OF preSehtaoh'
his work NAV not always be rated in proportion 10
its intrinsic excellence But careful student OF
his writings-and they both require ana deserve
careful study-can fail to be impressed with Their
sobriety of Judgment their afluence of suggestion
and their copiouS fund of genuine common sense
which often indeed rpenS into the utterance OF pro-
found wisdom.
The present volume, we think, more completely
illustrates the qualities 10 which we have referred
than any former production of the author. Com
pared with the two most prominent writers who, OF
late wears have made the character of Nolaire the
r. 81 Mr. Morley mOuOpTaOb
shows less splendor of d-panting than the cleo
tric coruscations of Carlyle and fewer subtetes of
couception than the ingenious analysis and artistic
portraitures of Strauss. The image of Noltaire
which he presents to his readers is the fruit of ac-
onIate observation, clear deductions from estab-
ishcd facts, and q broad sympathy with human
nature even in characteristic phases which find no
counterpart in the habits opinions of the writer
According to Mr.. Morley, the name of Noltaire
stands for movement less decisive in the history
Of European progress than the Reformation OF the
Revival of Learning
The existence character and 81 this eXtraodi
nary person constituted in themselves new and most
prOdgous era The pecu1riue OF his individual genus
changed the mind aud spiritual conformation Of the
West with as farspread ing and nvnchle effect II
the work had been wholly done, as 1t was actually aided
10y the sweep Of deeplyng collective forces; new
type Of belief, ana of its shadow disbelief was
stamped bv the imnresson Of ms character ana
work into the intelligence and feeling OF ms o".
Hnd the following times; tr may ca n1K
ar the Renaissance or Calvinlsn II was one OF the
cardinal alterations of the growing race, one ~ the EN-
pbac manifestations Of some portions OF the minds OF
men. which an Immediately foregoing system ana creed
had either ignored or outraged.
Christianity, originally and genercuy. al once aWoSe
and satisfied spiritual craving for higher. purer, less
torn and racentary being than permitted TO sons OF
the troubled and corrupt earth. II disclosed TO
them gracious benevolent. and allpoweriul being who
would day redress all wrongs and recomenSe all
pain and who asked no more for them meanwhile, than
that they should prove their love of him whom they had
by OF their brothers whom they had seen
glory have raised the moral dignity and
sefrespect of the many to level which had hitherto
sone and austere sepson OF the Christian God
Sese OF his fathers house With word power
t free all those souls at %srs S aSd @ Snd
ment fun the face, than 10 reconcile them with any
theory of the infinite mercy and loving kindness OF
n supreme creator. Men who had been enervated
or heplessly perplexed by creed that mad sunk
into ignoble optimism and sehindugence, became
conscious Of new fiber in their moral structure,
when they realized Gas as a. long wr SectiG1 a1d
1Oredestiny, the agencies OF being whose ways and
thee and loving vindicveness ii not for man. who is
~ worm and the son OF worm to reconcile with the
puDy logic OF human words the shallow consistency
ofhuman ideas. Catholicism was movement of myst-
tisn and in darker regions the Calvuism which
In so many important societies displaced IT, Each did
much 10 raise the of worth aud purify the spr
Itna selrespect Of mankind. and each also discouraged
and depressed the liberal play OF intelligence the cheer
full enerGznc Of reason, the bright and many-slded
workings OF fancy and Imagination HuInannatme hap
PLY for against this system or mat and
forces escape for freedom and light The
tcehtlhc reason urgently seeks hsruulchts anu VOICE
the creative imagination uneonscionsy takes form Ia
ilN'i III iudnoiu ways, OF All " Ni'i
civ" good account 10 the UNDERSTANDING Hence the
glorious suifusion OF light which The ardent desire OF
The aeenth cennTy Before LgtHGr ana GaIHn In the
new ideas OF moral order more than two generations OF
men had almost ceased TO care whether there be any
moral order or not and had plunged with the delight OF
enchantment among ideas of grace and beauty,
whose forms were old on the earth hut
which were full OF seemingly heXhausuble nov
city and freshness to men who bad once begun
living gifts OF Grecian art and architecture and letters
~ the Reformation the great revival of northern
from bondage 10 collective religious tradition that
had lost virtue the Renaissance, the earlier aud
20 participate in the uohlest collective tradition of
fire. intellect which the achievements Of the race could
vol'ain.m may stand for The name, Of the Renais-
of the eighteenth century for that name takes
in al the serious haltings and shortcomings of this
strange movement as wen as all IT'S terrible fire,
Voltairc's burning and far-shinlng spirit no sooner
sirueR upon the genius OF ne time seated dark and
cang OF The breaking chord heard through Europe,
and men awokc in new day and more spacious AR
The seutlmcualist has proclaimed him a mere
mocker. To the critic Of the schools, ready with
r0mpendiOus label be the revolutionary destruc-
tve To each alike OF the countless orthodox sects
his name s the symbol for the prevailing of the gates
bifer; culture condemns him for pushing his hatred
of spiritual falsehood much 100 seriously; Christian
charity feels constrained TO unnask demon from the
depths Of the PIT. The plain Of the earth, who
arc apt TO measure the merits Of philosopher by the
strength OF his sympathy with existing sources of
comfort, would generally approve the saying OF Dr.
johnson. that he would sooner sign q sentence for
had gone from the Old Bailey these many years, and
that the diff renee between him and VOltaire so
slight that II would be difficult TO settle the proportion
of niqujty between them" Those OF all schools and
pTOitsso who have the temperament which mistakes
strong expression for strong Judgment and violent
phrase for grounded conviction have been stimulated by
nudpahy against Voltaire 10 degree that in OF
them with latent for humOr must and then
have even stirred a,lind OF redctng sympathy. The
rank vocabulary OF malice and hate. DOisOme fringe OF
the history opinion has received many of its most ul
Ininant tcrme from critics Of Votaire along with some
from VOltarc himself, who unwisely did refuse
FOLLOW an adversary bad example
Yet Ntltairc 20 v of modern illumination.