, 1872-11-10

cnso Of old Bonard, who died in Now York
year or 30 ago, boqueathlng by Will an immenso
property, amounting to hundreds Of thouoandp,
to the Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty to
Animals, and thereby cutting of horde Of col
lateral relatives who developed IN astonishing
affection for the old gentleman as soon as ho
~as dead. Ho WIS miBer, lived
the necessary things OF life, took no comfort
except in the companionship Of pct animals, and
confirmed the doctrine Of habit being strongest
In death, by leaving a fortune for the benefit Of
tho dumb brutes with which ho Ind alvavs
maintained the closest bonds Of sympathy. OF
course, the will WAS contested. The trial devel-
oped the most extraVagant and ludicrous con-
duct On the part Of the eccentric old man. E7i-
dence was submitted that he believed in
the Pythagorean doctrine OF the tranB-
migration OF souls, and an effort Was
made by those contesting the will to
make this belief the evidence Of insanity upon
which to set aside the legacy. The Surrogate
has just decided that the will shall hold and has
N@Ao1A A4A0 ANS40AOA ueoA ku1 1dEt LQ8V 0&ue1 IN
the transmigration OF souls is no proof Of in
sanity.
It is probable that the surrogate's decision in
this case vas prompted by the lack Of legal
proof that Pythagoras was wrong. It is possi-
BILE, too, that it will meet with approval from
some people on the ground that old
Bonard Was entirely reasonable in his DISPOSE
ton Of souls. A close observation Of
the human race, in theindividual examples which
are encountered in business and society, might
easi1y discover certain afinities with the lower
animals, which would lead to the inference TINT
future association with them would be the most
natural thing in the world, and in
many cases an improvement. follower
Of swedenborg, who thinks that every hu-
man being will find sphere Of future
existence consistent with tho tendencies
and habits developed in this life, would not find
it difficult to believe that the souls of some men
should possess the bodies Of swine,
dogs, monkeys, goats, tigers, and jackals.
1t is also probable that humanitarians could oita
instances in which the lower animals have de-
Veloped human instincts. Mr. Bergh could, in
all likelihood, produce facts and incidents which
would demonstrate that the horses Of New York
City have shown more manliness in the attributes
OF energy and steadfastness than their owners |
and drivers have in charity, mercy, or kindness.
Join together the human tendencies that can |
be found in animals and the animal tendencies t
that ran ha fnrnd in humans .,d a. 3n.A-:
OF Pythagoras will not appear so preposterous
after au. The distinguished French liuerateur,
II. Theophile Gautier, who has just died in
Paris, found the use Of 1t, in hypothetical
way, exceedingly valuable~as q means for por-
traying the characteristics of his friends and
Furnishing the insults Of his enemies.
It may be objected that old Bonard, in his
practical adherence to the doctrine Of the trans
migration Of souls, Was not progressive. He
VAS going back instead of going forward. In
this respect, however, he did not differ
materially from large class Of people in this
world, who style themselves conservative, and
take great credit for it. In clinging tenaciouBly
to the belief that he might como back to earth in
tho shape Of cat, and providing for his future
welfare in this condition, he only demonstrated
The same cautiousness which some people
cherish in joining the church, not be-
cause they love God, but because they
fear the devil There aze many forms Of con-
serVatism that might be brought forward with
Is much evidence Of insanity as that which old
Bonard entertained. One of them is the cen-
eral tendency of very rich men to hold to the be-
'ot that it is their particular fate TO- die in the
ooor-houBe.