New-York tribune., 1873-05-06

tvpe of Michel Angela as he is here represented, Is
the sin gular union of sweetness and strength. All
true art has certain strangeness exciting surprise
like the bloom of the aloe. But IN Mlchel h"So'o
the strangeness which is one of his cher charac'e'
i,tics is lovely strangeness." an energy VI 0on
ception which seems at any moment ABOUT 10 pio'A
through all the conditions of comely iorln' pu' re
covering touch by touch, the genuine sweetness Vi
simple nature. ,.
NJ med vi art itself IN that which distinguishes 1t most
clearly classical work the presence , o q ~
energy i'm IT. becoming in lower hands uerey
or formddiug felt even In ITS most gr1celu pouuSts
" " e,rdned ,naintness or grOtesQue. Yet those who
oe ms grace or sweetness In Mcheiangeo might nj te
drsl moment be puzzled II they were asked wherein
cisiv the oTatv resided. Men of inventive temper
ment Victor Hugo instance in whom, as in Michel
angelo people for the most part been attracted or
repeed by thc strength, while few have understood his
sVfeetuessl have sometimes relieved conceptions or
merely moral or spiritual greatness but with httle
SessoTies IKE The butterfly which aghts the blood
stained barricadc Lies Mserabes or those sea-brds
for whom the mOnstrOus Giliatt comes 10 be as t0i
wild natural thing, that they are no longer AFRAID OF
HIM In Les TIayailleurs dc la Mer" But the ausere
genius Of MchelangelO VIII not depend tOr lts
on auy mere accessories like these The world of natural
things has almost existence for him " Wneh one
speaks of him." says Grimm, woods, clouds, seas, anu
mountains disappear. ana only what Is FORMED pS o
spirit Of man remains behind; and he quotes lev
slight words from letter OF MS 10 Nassr as to e
I'm all he has left Of feeling Tor Nature, re
has uacedno flowers like those Win wmeh iionar lS ~
stars over lls giOomest rock h0thls INV ~ - 49, II,
OF wings and flames in which Blake frames Irs nos
startling conceptions; no forest-seehery me lita
nils his backgrounds Out oniy balA ranges Ol ho
dim vegetable forms as blauk as lhtS' iS III WI W
fore the creation Of the first five days. IL
or the whole story o. the creation ne has palneu oh3
the creation Of the irst man ana WODaI anu luI u m ~
least feeDlv, the creation oi nsh ~ pIoES si ~
quality Of his genius thus 10 concern tsgl w. yn, "a
cusyely with the creation OF man. fOr nun II 70 no, 90
IN the story itself, the last and GROWING aot o SCI
of developments but the hrst ana unique aCt' tc 40
ton OF lie itself It's supreme form, OHahu anu III IN!
InedIaely, in the cold ard eiess Stone: WIN = l 1
beginning OF lie has all the ch9icltLIStl,s VI ~ nj
uon Is like the recovery OF suspended heath oI n
nation. with It's gratitude It's SiSoh anu , %aTn
Fair as the young men Oh Jne il5Ii Ind s,',n az
of the siste Chapel Is unlike tne IN toal absence o
that balance and completeness winch expresses so wen
t6e sentiment of secOntuned. independent life In
that anguld figure there Is something rJush anu styI
like something akin To the rough hul-slde OH "icn
i,r Ills whole form Is gathered into an expression OI
mere expectation and reception he has hardiy strength
euoug 10 f his finger TO tOuch the Hhger o lHe Vi'"
Tor +; Yet a tOucn Of the finger-tps VIII suihce'
The volume concludes with an application of the
spiri of the Renaissance TO the conduct OF modern
life The service of philosophy, as well as of reil-
gOn and culture the author afins is to startlc the
soul into a sharp and eager observation. Every
moment some form grows perfect III hand or iace
Some tone on the hills or sea is chOcer than the
rest Some mood Of passion or insight is more
rresistibly attractive for than all others. Not
the fruit of experience but experience Itself IS the
end Only counted number of pulses is gwen 10
us of crowded stirring life The great problem is TO
see in them all that can be by the finest senses
How can we pass most swiftly from point to point
and always be present at the focus where the
greatest number of vital forces unite in their pureSt
Iifeg To maintain this ecstasy is success III life.
Failure is to form habits for habit IS only the
roughness of the eye that makes any two persons
or objects seem alike. While all melts under our
feet we may well catch at any exquisite passion,
or any contribution to knowledge that seems Tor
moment to lift the horizon and set the spirit free
Not 10 discriminate every moment some passionate
at ;tude in those about us, and to see some tragic
nav of forces in the spendor OF their gifts, Is Oh
this short day 81 frost and sum- to sleep before
evening With this sense di ir" %.Jfy OF our fSPe-
ricncc and Of its awful brevity, we shall gather az
we are into one desperate effort TO see and touch'
without wasting time in the fomalites of over
curious theories. What we have to do is to court
new impressions and test new opinions without
being slaves to the orthodoxy of Comte or OF
Hegel. or of our own. We have brief interval,
and then our place knows us no more. Some
spend this interval in listessness, some in high
passion. the wiscst in art and song. The poetic
passions the desire of beauty the love of art for the
sake of art is the crown of human wisdom For art
gives nothing but the highest quality to our mo
ments as they pass, and simply for those moments
sake This theory of practical life, as set forth by
the author, may be deemed too fine and subtle for
human natures daily food 1t savors of the
powers Of the world to come,' rather than of the
narrow "pinfold' in which men are here pes
tered.n But it will do no harm to listen for mo-
ment to the haTmonies Of higher sphere. amid the
discordant sounds of material or to spread the
ilvery vail of the ideal over the vulgar realities of
the actual.
TEE CHILDHOOD OF THE WORLD By EDWARD CronD l2mo.
pp. ll8. Macmillan a CO.
very clear account is here given of the
nrogress Of man from the unknown time of his appear
ance upon the earth TO OF historical
writing The book is intended for the use OF schools or
for domestic instruction, aud is Of strictly elementary
character Although primarily intended for the young,
it is adapted to the wants Of mature readers who
wish TO be Informed concerning the light which has been
thrown by modern research the primitive condition
of man. The author first the grounds Of the becf
that man was once wild and naked and arrived by slow
degrees at clothes and civilization. For example,
weapons and tools have been found In all parts OF tine
world which were used by In remote Scs precisely
similar 20 the weapons and tools that arc now used by