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

uuconscously cropping ana dumhly yearnng NOT t VIZ
this all. Fontence both brilliant and farsiEntru,
Int he cold, and of those who love east no a.
safe hearth and carefully shun the din turmoil 1 The
front and center Of the fight. His life was NOT I'D
chapter in history OF literature ne never nnnkn
truth treasure 10 he dscrcety hidden IN f an
lie made II perpetual war-cry, and enDazoou r ont of
| banner that was many time rent p"' was n''''
| the field 80,
The comparative place Of the literary ana Oh 'no
scientific element in the mind Of Voltare SUGGESTS
certain admirable reflections the nluehceo Vi i'o
nature in general: -,r-..
Vo,,are was not merely one Of those paper piloso-
piers, whose intrusion mo 'i Hv won 10 resent He
It's professional followers are luslS wo bon one letter
was an active expermenter and more tan O i ~
remains containing instructions to ls agent 10 raris 20
frTari him retorts airpumps, and other Instruments,
with the wise hint place, nlut ny no neas VI
sh"i ALWAYS prefer the good and sound even II little
dear To what is only middng but cheaper HIS CORE
cprty of his interest in science Yet it is toeraby clear
that The man who did much to iamharise France with
true scientific aptitude After long and persevcrng labor
in this region, Votirc consulted Claraut on the pro
rress he had made. The latter, with loyal frank
ness winch Voltaire knew how TO appreciate answered
that even with the most stubborn labor he was not
likely TO attain anything beyond mediocTym science,
and that he would he only throwing away time Whlch
he owed 10 poctrv and philosophy. The advice was
taIcn for rs we have already said Voltares seflove
was atuOuS and the independent search OF phys
zeal truth was given up There is plainly no reason
TO regret the pains which Voare took in this kind of
inquiry not because the study of the sciences eXens
the range Of poetic study and cnrches verso with
fresh images, nut because the number OF SORTS OF
knowledge in which man feels at home and Is intel
gently cognzant of their scope and issues even II he
discovery, increases that intellectual confidence ana
scfrespect OF understanding when SO I9itngs anu
stimulates him in his own special order of work we
cannot precisely contend that this cncycl0pedlc quahy
is an indispensable CONDITION OF such sclleSpect Ill
every kind of temper IL certainly was so with NOtare
After all, my dear friend" ne wrote to Cid"yie II
Is right TO give every possible form TO our SOUL III IL
flame that God has enruStcdto u.s. we are bound To- feed
it with all that find most precious We should intro
GUce into our existence all imaginable modes ana open
every door of the soul all of knowledge aud all
sorts of feelings so long as it docs not all so IN peime
there j. plenty of room for everything
70 u.s. who can be wise after the event, II Is clear
tAat If ever man was called not to science, nor o,
TO poetry, nor TO theology nor 10 ne'apysicS; ou W
Literature, the art so hard to define, OF showing the
ideas of all subjects in the double heht OF me pIacuG
ana the splrlthal reason that man was EoItae' ny
has himself dwelt the vaCueness OF This much
abused term, without contributing anything more
satisfactory toward better account OF than cruho
hint that literature, not being SPECIAL art, may ne
considered KIND OF larger grammar OF hnowleuGe
particular art, it is not the less true that there is
mental constitution particularly ned Tor Its successful
practice Literature is eSscnlIay an aIt vi i9, az
distinguished from those exercises OF intellectual
of acquired knowledge, ana give new forces 70
emotion and original ana definite articulation 10
If shakespeare and Moere Shelley and Hugo, literary,
just ii would be an equally inaccurate though more
ton or Locke literature. TO take another case from Vol
tairc it would not enough to describe Bayle Dcton
airy a literary compilation; 1t would not even he
enough to describe it as work of extreme learning,
because the distinguishing aud superior mark OF tins
"A
What is it, then, that literature brings to us that
place. among the great humanizng artsl Is II not
that this is the master Organon for giving men the two
precious qualities OF breadth Of interest and balance o.
judgments multiplicity OF sympathies and steadness OF
scht4 Unhappiy literature has too often been idcnti
fled with the snrks and aectations Of elegant dis
persveness with the hollow niceness Of the virnoso
thing ot G V,e o as spero 9y1 e born rms min
lister of literature What we mean Is that while lie had
NOT e oftier endowment of the highest poetic concep
fioO
ant scientific power he possessed superb
Intelligence of vigorous and exact receptyity,
native inclination 10 candor and justice, ana
prominent mastery over wide range in the arr OF
expression Literature being concerned to impose form,
diuse the light by which common men are ae 70 see
the great host of ideas and facts that do not SHINE IN me
brightness of their own atmosphere II Is clear what
striking gifts Voltaire had IN tins way he had gTeat
increase and broaden his stock and what %as s bet
it beneath write on Heustichs for the Encyclo
d rernrT s P 9Sc src R be u,ca to mSa
! Of letters and amateursi "one should disdaln
choose" He was very catholic III taste, beng ape 10
love Racine without Ignoring the lofty stature of SHAKE
spearc. And he free from the weakness which SO
often attends catholicy, when il Is not supported
by strength and independence OF understanding ne
did not shut his eyes to the SHORTCOMINGS OF ne great
While loving Moerc he aware OF the ncOmpleenesS
farce To which tlat IanOCs writer .Uo olsGii
His respect for the sublnity and path0s OF Cofne Gid
not hinder him from noting both his violence ana ms
| frigid augmentation
In regard to Voltaires attacks upon religion, Mr.
Morley argues that they were prompted in the iiet
instance, and afterward greatly embittered by his
antipathy to the prevailing ecclesiastical organiza-
ton They proceeded not merely from disbelief in
creed but from evaporation against church. The
Christianity which he asSailed was not that of The
Sermon on the Mount, for there was not a man then
alive moro kcenly sensible of the generous hu-
manity which forms the spirit OF that sublime dis
course.
If any one had maintained with yotaire that the
aspirations after future lfe the longing for some
token lndt tle uS! "a't V5 oS vi NE @
spiritual desires alleged TO he instructive III men, cOnst-
tite as trustworthy and firm a guide 10 truth ms the
loncal reason we NAV he sure that he would have
forgiven what he must have considered an cncrvang
If not very actively improving course of life to which
! this Kind Of pletism rs wont 10 lead lie might
perhaps have entertained little contempt for them,
but it would have been guielconcmpt and unspolen.
| There is Of yoltare moclung at any set Of
English QuaLers Tie doubtless attacked many Of III.
beliefs winch good men hold sacred, bur il sood men
take up their abode under the same root which she rs
the children Of darkness and wrong is not the fault
Of Voltarc il they hit by the smooth stones shot
from his sing against ther unworthy comrades. Inc
Object Of his assault that amalCam OF mctaphvSl,
dcpraving conceptions Of divine government which
made the starting point and vantage ground of those
designated the enemies of the human The evil
and the good the Old purity and the superadded cOrup
csm Of the eighteenth century that IL impossible 10
deaf blow 10 the one without risk Of harm to the other
The method desperate, but then the a
true Chimeri, monster sodden in black corruption
with whom In the breast of humane man there could
be 10 terms.
The cardinal falling in VOltaire's nature as "A
writer on religious thence is forcibly presented 10y
Mr.. Morley.
Ills necessary admit from the point OF view Of i'm
partial criticism. that Votare had defect Of charac-
OF extreme Importance in leader OF this memorable
and direct attack with all lns enthusiasm for things
noble and lofty, generous aud compassionate he missed
the pecuar emotion of holiness, the soul and life alike of
the words OF Christ andt SAINT Paul. that lndehnaDe Sc
crct the long hold Of mystic superstition over many
high natures otherwise entirely prepared for the bright
OF the rational day From tins impapabe essence
which magcally surrounds with the mysterious and
atm nf fhe II