The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-30
SOME NEW BOOKS.
coru.c,uon. or the REV. Joseph Cook.

striking phrnomcuoh H'Ehruou WITHOUT
reference e. h'. ethical intentions and purely
o. ana intellectual curiosity. he may bc not I'M
rrontibly studied in the volr'ucs lately pub
lishcd under the titlc Of Losion Morddv Leo
lures; ]. B,oio0v; II. characterization %. Il.
Osgood X Coz But his extraordinary sway
over an audience commonly supposed to be
emincntly cNntting. cannot DO explained with
out u glance at the peculiar conditions " his
environment Both as novel typo OF mind.
and rs the oracle Of fremont Temple, Mr.
Cook may claim attention.
The intclligcnt reader OF these books finds that
thcac lectures were pronounced under the aus
pieces OF a committee comprising Governors
and cx-Govcrnors. bishops. professors. and
mon eminent in the liberal vocations and that
they we're rapturously welcomed by audiences
representing. according to the statement " the
publishers. the brcadcst scholarship. the pro-
foundest philosophy. the acutcst scientific re-
senrch. aud in general the finest intellectual cul-
mrc Of Boston and New England. Now. ASSUME
Ing substratum Of fact to undorc the forcgo-
Ing assertion. the pertinent and interesting
question s. What does the fact mcna2
Boston il not New England. or rather. rccoc-
niziug the dolorous consciousness Of lesser
worth which Expresses the rural districts, we
should moro correctly say that New England is
not Boston. We might define the state o. Things
still more distinctly hy affirming that Boston is
not Cambridge, nor fremont street Beacon
Hill. That Puritan element in Massachusetts,
which held stcrnly aloof from the Unitarian
schism and which made OF Congrcgationalism
stronghold Of Calvinistic faith-whosc polit-
cal aud sociul convictions have taken shape In
the anti-si"~~--. .r~"asnant and tho anti lunnr
ngitation-has at no time had much in common
with the more highly educated and opulent den
liens OF the metropolis. In all complex COM
munities such divcrgcnces may no doubt
DO remarked. but in this instance It
IA noteworthy that however wide the
gulf and uncompromising the antagonism
between the sections Of society there has boon
on the one side lurking sense OF mental infe
riority. II secret belief In the existence OF
Brahmin caste. which was. so 10 speak. the
brain OF the Commonwealth. and with which
contention might. under certain conditions. be
O duty. yet must always wear the look OF bias
rhemy. In other States and cities variety Of
standards and prizes divide the aims OF men.
but culture IL the supreme object Of worship on
Beacon street and at Harvard College. and ac-
cordngly. culture has become the fetish OF
every village In Massachusetts,. The dominance
Of an intellectual caste used 10 be curiously IL
Illustrated on the occasion OF the Governors visit
90 Cambridge on Commencement Day. In any
other place the presence Of the Chief Magistrate
would doubtless have been esteemed an honor
but here the cortdge OF lancers sour
ried through the streets amid the jeers Of
students. while the llustrous functionary took
his scat unnoticol on the platform. and watched
with ill-concealed bewilderment the linguistic
and dialectc cavortings Of the new-1edged
graduate. In word. no humdrum burgher OF
German university town is so broken in spirit
iya recognition of his scholastic deficiencies
as is the average New Highlander whose oppor-
tunities have been bounded by the common
school In London. sumner tells us. nobody
thought or spoke Of the author Of " Sartor Re-
sartus.' whereas there Is not a politician or a
business man in Massachusetts who is not
wont TO look with awe and hopeless longing to-
ward those o. hills retired" whore the phlos-
ophers of Cambridge and Of Concord are en-
gagged In probing the unknowabe.
Now 1t is not pleasant to be sat upon, whether
tho operation bc performed in Boston or in
Athens. II IL beyond question that Governors
and cX-Goyornors. merchants. railroad men.
and manufacturers. would very much prefer an
upright posture. aud would hail with feryor the
assurance that they were great mon after all.
perhaps even greater than the philosophers.
MN apS lAsR s9iiH s pSsnafSdt o fSsrtfffy the
faithful against dangerous self-distrust and an
eNtravagant reverence for the oracles Of culture
most part through tho manifest insufllcicncy Of
the champion. Yet the shining opportunity
Was not lost sight Of. and many an earnest
youth has Iourncyed from Harvard TO Coffin
gen with the firm resolve Of tempering his
weapon ON the anvil Of German metaphysics
~ i fetching home armor Of proof from the ar
fcual OF scientific Research. But too often these
wel-ini entoned pilgrims have exhausted the
contents of purse and scrip in acquiring the
German language and. what is more have
brought homo a conviction that the thinking
shops Of Germany are by no means bulwarks Of
tn true faith, but. on the contrary hospiiab!e
10 tho hereto and mischievous opinions which
they had purposed to uproot. Returning 10
their native land with their illusions thus dis
PEELED. these young men have sadly re-
nounced the project OF ministry mil
liant have Withdrawn In meekness 10
rural congregation. or even ventured
a. shock the maiden ladies who had furnished
their travelling outfit by embracing more
worldly profession. Such has been the untoward
result II not II few pious experiments. while n
deyOut but restless population, watching with
dark forebodngs the cloud OF unorthodox
speculation drifting down from the high places
over the face Of the whole land. has waited and
listened for tho coming OF a prophet in Israel.
When would the Christian warrior grid on the
sword Of Greatheart and 20 forth 10 meet
Apollyonf What wise man from the East en-
riched with the massive spells of German psy-
chology, and stepped in biological knowledge
should build up anew with these two sides the
colossal arch OF the old religion? And finally who
should deliver the South End from the tnraldom
ui Beacon street, and rchahiltate the business
man III the face Of the man Of culture? Tothcse
questions the audiences which thronged tho
fremont Temple during the winter OF '76-'7I
replied with thundcrous accord-tho Rev
Joseph Cook.
There Is no doubt that the Boston apostle was
we'll equipped for his undertaking. To the ma
lority Of his hearers his attainments may
well have seemed iustrous and OVERFLOW
oring. He had talked with German pro-
iessors, and could preface his lectures
with appropriate citations from German
books, He could draw on the black boar
diagrams illustrating with clearncss the rudi
mentary data Of physiology, lie could con
thuat VAN astonishing celebrity syllogsmi
which would be impregnable but for a trivia
defect in tho major premise. He could refer
with the air Of an adept 10 the masters Of Ger
man philosophy. and ascribo what principles
ia