New-York tribune., 1877-10-26

af
lectures delivo1cd during the past year in BoSton.a
port Of a course intended 10 present thelatest rNuls
of German English, aud American schola.s ship on
somc of the more important topics eonc'Ening the
relation Of religion aud science. In selecting ms
theme. the author has had refereucc siciiy 70 To-
cent discussions OF the connection between plys'ol-
oyv and psychology, between the rHenomena ot the
nervous and those of intel .geuce and thought
involving the origin OF life, Ito doctrine of Cyolu-
ton. the theory Of material m, the Immortality of
the soul. and the relanOn of the Divine
Ommpoteuce to the oosmic forces Of the
Universe. Not HOLIDAY task 10y any means
was thus presented TO the reverend lecturer.
To set forth the contents Of so many profound and
subtle problems, with the athletic striving tor their
solution, "a a popular audience IN dozen lectures
was an experiment which few persons would viii
Hncly undertake IL reminds one of Che request ot
Madame De StaGl to a German philosopher to eX-
pound the essence Of German speculation for nan
century in the conversation of half an hour MI
Cook, however. seems TO have "snuiicd the baiue
afar of" and to have entered the arena with an
alacrity and confidence which might easily foTebode
the JOY OF triumph.
He was strong in his audience which, we are told,
"ncluded I'm lar c numbers. representatives Of the
broadest scholarship, the profouudCst philosophy,
the acutest scientific research, ana tie Eucst intel
lectual culture Of Boston and New-England, IA
audience which be mOdestly suggests he cannot
cheat and with Gas many brains in II as any otl'r
weekly audience in Amerc9,-One, where IN New
England al least. he would be most likely TO be
trirped up if be were TO make an incorrect state
ment." Nor was his preparation for the work un-
worthy of the transceudeni superiority OF his au-
diencc. He planted himself on the solid rock Of
"ccar ideas" Dsdalning all Illusions all fantastic
notions all specious plausibihties, he stood solely
tba Of
covetng "uo philosophy platform, no
pulrit. no dyiug-pillOw. that does not rest on
rendered reasons" While previous philosophers
have dealt and still deal, in gUeSscs he deals alone
in facts. in firm and everlasting truths. In study
ING the Sis,ue Madonna "day after day for
month" it was the Unseen lneilablc,' the I'M
seen Holy" that impressed his soul more than all the
visible rores of the picture; he always left the con-
temptation in a Hi Il of trance the same state ol
mind was induced in the study of the living cells
Of human ply siology, and he convinced 10y tins
Madonna painting of Almighty God" that it was
"he purpose Of the artist to make the interior sue
gest the ineifable exterior
With the study of the masterpieces of painting as
n apreparation for his lectures, Mr. Cook has COM
bned the study Of the most illustrious living phios
opEers in their published works No abstruseness
Of thought no subtlety of argument, no obNcurty OF
expression has daunted his zeal. He has even found
n a"dclicIous satisfaction IN the hours devoted
Summer pastime to lionel Beae and Hermann
Iotze and other scientific writers, under hc spread
inc shade OF the 3opast Beech IN one Of my groves
near Lake George" OF all the living English biol
oeists Lionel Beale i'm the estimation Of the author
seems TO bearaway the palm. His work on the Micro
scope" though bulky, elaborate, and full of plates,
"worn ragged IN the authors favoTite public Ii
brary with ITS one hundred thousand volumes, its
one hundred magazines and one hundred newspa-
pers and excellent professional collections" and
used by the Summers and Wilson's and
EmeIsons who are not likely to waste
time on rubbish" Bcalcs volumes "are worn elo-
qucntly black" while those of Bastian are hardly
stained lthe iudicous book-buyer. however. we are
advised had better not invest in Beaie quite yet, as
his stupendous work " is gong into the fifth edi-
ton y. Besides this proof Of the prominence of
Mr. Cooks philosopher ana guide, not 10 say friend,
he i. quoted in "a standard German work on physlol
ogy, which the author "boIght when he was IN
Jena aud brought with him across the Atlantic
"altl ough he was a minister, and had 30 right to
know anything on the subject still, as Mr. Cock
plaIntIvely remarks, Beae IS not once mentioned by
Professor Huxley i'll his article on Biology III the
ediiomof the " "Eucyclopedla Britannica now pass
ing through the press.
Another powerful ingredient in the sparkling wine
of these lectures the Carte Blanche" aud Ne
Lotze II living German netaphyslcian. If We look
at this able writer through the purple glasses of the
author Lotze leads the philosophy Of the most
learned land on the glObe' and " is read with the
most enthusiasm by students of religious and pnlO-
sophical science in Germany and England and Scot
land" He has taught Mr.. Cook, among Others to
look at the border land between physiology and
metaphysics with all the reverence with which
we bow down before Almighty God" He is "a
1. 4. Il H.. a oil
German metaphyscal systems, and made Opulent by
all physiological knowledge and building up with
those two sides the colossal arch Of new system.
with many a Christian truth at its summit
His philosophy Is the most brilliant, the
most andaelous the most abreast of the
time, of all the philosophers Of the globe" Ii
any doubt remains to his position among the
lights Of the Universe, Mr.. Cook announces as the
last verdict: Il have some acquaintance with
Hermann LOtzen and, " / am acutely sorry that
YOU have heard of Herbert Spencer whose star
touches the Western pines, and know nothing of
Hermann LOtZc. whose star Is IN the ascendant
IL is certainly remarkable that the most intensely
enlightened audience in ChrstendOm, to which
these lectures were addressed, should never have
heard Of tins rising star, whose brlliancy throws al
other lnminaries INTO the shade; but the crcum-
stance may perhaps be explained, though not eX-
cused bv the fact that no mention is made OF Her
mann Lotze by Professor Bowen in bis copiOus his
tory of Modern Philosopy,' that Ueberweg, IA
his standard History of Philosophy deyotes 70
him less than dozen Ines and that
neither Mr.. William I. Harris nor Professor
Gillett, IN their recent popular eXpositons Of
German philosophy. refers TO Lotze, except ia a sim
gle line on the subject By the first named writer.