The Worthington advance., 1876-07-06
M1CHELET.
His Early Faith and Latter Unbelief-Last
Moments Of His Life -"

The public at large has been very
much more pre-occupied with the
name and life of Michelet on the re.
cent occasion of his final burial in
Pere la Chaise than it was on that of
his death, which took place at Hyeres
on the 9th of February, 1874. His
widow directed every detail of the
funeral, and it was in great measure
due to her that everything passed of
so quietly. True, the police had taken
Ieyery precaution, and it-was generally
feared the radicals would seize this
occasion for riot, or at leat I; mani.
fostation, but NM. Beriot, president of
the Academy of Moral Sciences, La.
boulaye, Herve, Quicheret, and Chal.
leme Lacour took their last farewell of
Michelet and addressed the two thous.
and republicans present in such moder.
ate language that Nine. Mechelet just
ly observed SIN seeing the crowd
conduct itself so properly, this day of
mourning had become day of fete. -
Poor woman how could she feel
peace with no hope of the hereafter
Their little boy, 10 years of age, had
followed the hearse,. bearing the
wreath of immortelles, on which was
inscribed ''aMichelet, liberte de
Conscience Poor boy and we may
we'll add, poor France! when most Of
her great men have what are called
civil burials. My object in writing of
Michelet to-day is to prove that he has
not always been free-thinker. for the
purity and goodness of his life natural.
ly make one hope that, at the last mo.
ment, a ray of the divine light he had
often sought in early life may have
shone upon his soul.
Michelet was born in l708. His
father was a good-natured, jovial man,
treating everything lightly and easily,
and imposing but one command upon
his son-that the name of God should
never pass his lips
Free-thinkers of to-day have their
children baptized on the ground that
| it can do no harm, and the want of it
sometimes stands in the way of world.
ly advancement !; the want of an act of
baptism is very troublesome in France
Michelet's father did not admit even
this, and absolutely refused to hear q
word on the subject, and it was not
until 1916 that Michelet-th Is years
of age-repa1red the fault of his par
ents and was baptized. of his first
marriage I know but little, beyond his
constant attendance ut divine service,
sending his children to catechism and
assisting at their first communions.
Toward 1880 Michelet and Guizot be.
came intimate friends, and when in
1883 the latter became minister, he
chose Michelet for substitute ut the
Faculte des Lettres. but they soon
quarrelled, and in 1885 Charles Lenor-
mant took his place. "Your audacity
|frightens me-, said Guizot, s'and NJ.
Lenormant seems to me better
Christian than you.'' ''What do you
know about it p replied Michelet 81
am as good, and perhaps even better
Christian, than either of you.''
From that day the two men were
always at variance, and OH one Occ:,-
sion, in the academy discussing the
appreciation of the Indian poetry.
Guizot terminated long speech with
these words "This poetry displeases
me. l cannot too severely condemn
it's exuberance.'
care you capable of camprellending
such sublimity % cried Michelet exas.
perated,-''you who have always hated
life!''
In early life three books fell into
his hands. The Mythology, which dis.
pleased him--he had heard enough
of Jupiter, Apollo, and Venus from
his father, who never spoke to him of
God; Beileau, which touched his mind
more than his heart, and last though
not least, ''L'Imitation dc Jesus
Christi In his own words, "This
wonderful book fell by accident into
my hands. found it in 4 pile of
dusty, worm-eaten volumes, in great,
cold, unfurnished room. l read first
carefully, then attentively, and at last
ardently, and that dull, dusty room re.
turns ever to my memory, warmed
with celestial light, in the midst Of
which felt God.''
This initiation into religion explains
the almost inspired eloquence with
which he wrote the lives of St. Their.
esa and St. Ignace de Loyale, his ad-
mirable Interpretation of St. Louis
social role, and his touching portrayal
of Jeanne d Arc.
In 1888 the first volume of his s'His-
tory of France" was published; the
sixth in l843, closing with the death of
Louis XI, and these six volumes will
stand as the best, the most conscien.
tious, and the most eloquent of his
works. In them the historian traces
with respect and admiration the effects
of Christianity upon the world, and
grandly developes the history of the
middle age, that "Mother of the Mod
ern World"
At this epoch the love of God, and
love of country, had perfect union in
his mind he declared that to be an
enemy of the church, was in q certain
extent to own ones self to be the ene-
my of France. He wrote upon Gothic
architecture, and dwelt upon the pious
lives of King Robert and St. Louis with
Incompatible eloquence. He loved the
church with tilial affection, and wrote
pages which Chateaubriand might have
signed.
The appearance of the 7th volume of
his history of France was a painful
surprise. He came back upon every
sentiment he had ever expressed. The
middle age, which he had so eloquent.
ly glorifed, now became the object of
his crosses, insult. and religion. which
he had hitherto 3venerated, became the
subject of bitterest .sarcasn,. His
enemies had called him with some
justice) the renegade historian, and
certainly no weather-cock ever turned
more completely than he in every ap: