, 1874-01-25

.--S0~~>ec
;ath" in every form, he has venturcd, in
The curious but really admirable review
Of German music which forms the epiloguo
t. the work. to condemn Wagner and NaSner's
compositions, as, in tho body of the work. he
I'D condemned Schopcnhnucr and schopcn-
,tuer's pessi1nistic philosophy This was more
,h.n Strauss former allies cond stand. He might
nv what be pleased against Christianity and the
supposed existence Of Deity but Wagner and
S2Aop enAauer are names
NOT TO EE TAKEN IN VAIN.
One must adore them or remain silent Ac-
,9rdiusly, DR.. Strauss has been cut, and is ben;,
xyerely criticised by men who formerly swore
~ him; aud all because lie has accused Way-
tcr OF n1istakiDS '' the grotesque for tho genial
nd the form1ess for tho sublime" aud be-
cause he has ridiculed pcssnlisn, as his great
literary master |oltaire 1idiculed optimism
Strauss little joke On the subject of Schopen-
1s1er is very harmless one, though the pess1m-
t,bIe Jokes in . world which, according to them,
,. itself joke Of the worst possible kind.
III" eays Strauss, Is the world aud everything
belonging to it are bad, then Sehopenhnuer's
philosophy, must bo bad. But The philosophy
which teaches that tile world is bad il itself bad,
i follows that the world is not Dad, but good"
Yaat in other Words is Strauss more or less
humorous argumcn. but besides disposing of
ressirsn By means Of q comic syllogism he has
da1cd to question the right Of the pessinistic
philosophers to the attitude of intellectual
Superiority assumed by them, as though, IN plain
ruth, the world were not good enough for tren
to i've IN.
l have never been able to fathom
THE afs1Ehlous .-s4saosss eusSEIaos s,.s' ; na
W.g,erlsm-except, indeed, on the pr2nc,plo ito
repeat Dr.. Strauss jest IN another form) that,
IN the worst Of all possible worlds, the music Of
MasaeE - tnu "o.et eaaaif " toI5 go t,,,. ha4.
Ma0-e4' ~" -. t:s1f ua ~ ia- ,,o afi ora-a+;,
lae ulnn T. 70 & .9o1 pas1F - ,sI,s ad
tod71e az u!te5lg uaa' ~ Illus 4; ~" ;+h 80
1peo ~" ~ sn.. +ri;o. -. haTna ~
passage " sotae DeAuty nuaeu' ~ s:,i nAnS
pee'ea ~ ne nas toie oeaas1ol ~ ~ ~ aah aani3
te.'"uns !" 80 ell.' ~ W. W ~. w pa.hsn.
us1eI :" Iue opetn' ,;.t,o ro-nar1.,hia fnr
u those wolks, so nls!e remashaoa9 ma oa9,- Ioa
:naas r. t1'e nr;3 Va he hna 1n,rned ~ rerar1
~ .to ~ 1n,o ~ o-n1ono.;nn nav ha Plat
w., no ha,;rt- nroc1a Imed himself an ardrnt
,.us', ',o;., ~ 6oa I'm fancv nr5or in s,ch
~ Sao;.,1os S1 ~ o cci,n-snhanar who fnrm
~ .,'oo ~ arnn set in Germany.
aa ~ a. ~ ~ thar c,n tn ;ncrease
t1,e tsnne - 90 etninent brother.
'AH 49, an.to W ~ Gowarar If tha stranre accord
hetxeen Wacnerism md pessimis1n. there is this
"''"ssD "Ds rssrST,sI s..,s n1rrrnrncE
h.tr.on rho t,To svslems iLat where Wagner
ses ~ -, s,,hs?tmta for tha worst pnsaibie
ansrot;, ,nns;c a3m;rnb1e oDerntic music OF his
e6r, snnros;eon Schnnen,nnar ciyes nm tho
universe ~ oaa ]ou, m1lps neh ~ noeaH 70 ta
t"ss 4s sn1 10 renr, themselves to The ineyitnblo
ce.r ,r ~ ~ ~ cIancad to ind rnyself At a
nuist German saterinc-place in the centre OF
I;ttle society of nessjmists. and their pessinism
wa4 rea|ir onite as droli as the optimism Of
"Can1i6c." and won1d ho fond 80 by every one
vett there but yoItairo to set it forth. The
f,u If Tho fling consisted in this. tlat, pessim-
i,ts IN theory. nv friends we're optiists in prac-
ire: Or rather pcssimists by the mind, they
xero
Tue first spoEe to struck ,ue with dismay
uhcn. IN answer 10 come ordinary question: he
.s,uIed me that his object iu Life was to get
sh,pueh this miserable world With as little SUI
ips snotber ot nesemist eood night, he complj-
mentcd him on hayins renched tho end Of the
l.V Sitho,,t accident " a. thouch. IN tie natural
cru;sc Of things, be might have expected him to
k.c.l his neck. or. at tile least, an arm or leg
N d.nner, the next afternoon, be recommended
::rlrticular qisl to me as being mot very bad'
.tr said, in regard to some Moselle wine that
l. was drinking: tshapy authorities declare
ilmfesior to Rhine wine; while others, Of equal
teight consider Rhine vino the worst. Aav-
Ae therefore no sure scientific guide on
t. subject i consult nv own personal tastes,
I'D drink the Mosel1e." Only once this phllo-
nnica1 gentleman appeared in the character OF
81, ontiu,ibt when not to have douo 80 would
InsTA1s FROM cosrR Ap1cr1So u1s WIFE,
who herself was pcssimist s'TLis hare, the
LADY in question had observed, in the middle Of
'lnuer. has no Lare's charactcr" 1.-The hare
sa fine hare. the husband replied, and pos
sesEcs the character Of its SPECIES, All I can
sdtnit is that it Is wanting III individuality"
Thai the hare, objectivclv speaking is a bare,
I already knew" returned tue philosophers
wife - What | meant was that to me, eubjec-
lsely considering it. it is as tasteless as NUT
;oa." had never before heard tie language Of
Philosophical criticism applied to cookery, and
it tertnin1v .rn,,ua} ma
Pe.s.mists belnr CONVINCED TINT the world is
a bad as it Gun possibly be, they would be
strangely wanting In good nature, indeed in
osdinsry human feeling, did they not strive,
xi:hn the limited snbore Of their power to
make it q little better. This they can do by
helping ono another without refusing their
goodwill even to those misguided optimlrts
rho, Ike the Rev. CharIes Kingsley, love the
sorheast wind because, il it does not give them
bronchitis it may possible brace up their nerves,
md admire iuuniatlons because, though they