The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-02-18
Literary Notes.

are in the habit of constantly importing. III Is
published in America by this house, but 1t is
printed in London and imported unbound The
most careless reader knows English-printed
book from an American one, not only from the
heavy quality of its linen paper, and Its fault
less proof reading, but from its nicer mechanical
execution, and its uncut pages. which last un
neat custom the New York and Boston publish
ers show little disposition to ape. The title OF
this large, choicely printed volume is Conte"'
porarv Portraits, by E. D. Pressense, ID. D., a
distinguished Protestant minister of Paris, and a
man who has written no little on questions of
indirect political character The work is per-
fectly translated by an English lady-so per-
fectly indeed, that not an echo of Gallicism can
be found DR.. Pressense's literary style is very
charming, very clear and at times most pictur-
esoue His Portraits include Theirs, Strauss,
and Voltaire, Adolphe Monod, Alexandra Vinet
Dupanloup, late Bishop of Orleans, Verny and
Robertson, and there are two or three Essays of
a semi-political character besides
M Theirs was personal friend of the writer
and therefore his picture loses no color in his
hands. The inexhaustible energy of the man is
vividly portrayed from the moment he came up
to Paris from Marseilles, in his twenty first year
to give himself to the writing of this great HIS
tory, all through the troublous times of France
until in his old age he, Ga Monarchist all his
life, saw himself obliged to declare for Repub-
lie in II, (since there was only one throne
and three wanted to sit on it land suddenly to
feel the weight of the ruined Empire let down
upon his shoulders His clear logic, his power
full oratory, his pure patriotism, his high moral
ity, all come in for laudation. In DR.. Pres
senses Comparison Of Voltaire and Strauss, he
would seem to deal too leniently, in his judg
ment of the humanity, the natural kindness and
goodness of heart of the man who wrote of
Christ" Ecra8e infame" He places the De
ism of Voltaire quite above the cold, cruel, dis
ingenious unbelief of the author of The Life. of
Jesus. Voltaire always pretended to shed tears
on st. Bartholomew Day Strauss could take
the Sacrament in priests robes, and laugh at the
folly of such superstition Which hypocrite
was worse2
Of all the Sketches, that Of Adolphe lfonod is
the longest and most interesting. While the
author is evidently in sympathy with the high
spirituality and deep religious fervor which
characterized both the Monods, he thinks
Adolphe laid himself open to blame for pushing
his peculiar views to the extreme point he did,
when pastor of the large church at Lyons The
people were utterly worldly and when Monod
preached to them of sin, of Gods wrath, of re-
pentance, of everlasting ruin, they bitterly
complained that he disturbed their diUine
eGImF Monod would soften nothing, and in
consequence was violently elected Some ex-
tracts of sermons are given as samples, of his
impassioned earnestness. We have never read
book of tenderer solemnity than the sermons
preached on his death bed, and taken down
from his lips.
DIR. Pressens6s sympathy with Frederick W.
Robertson. of Brighton, is very keen. He is a
great admirer of his genius, and touches, with a
light hand, some errors, which to the Presbyte-
rian mind, seem very positive. That his exalt
ed type of piety and conservation could be ex
aggerated, no one who has read his four volumes
of Sermons, and his Life and Letters, will be-
ieve. That sad isolated, melancholy soul will
always appeal through these channels, with a
singular pathos to the heart of all Christians.
The CulturkamPf IN Germany, is an admira-
bic discussion of the Church and State question,
as managed at present by Bismarck DR.. Pres
sense is a terrible hater of Ultramontanism. as it
becomes all Protestants to be-
The life Of Daniel De Foe By William
Mimic. Harper & Brothers, 70 cents) is one
of the latest volumes in Mr.. Morey's Enqlish
Men Of Letters Series For those readers. Gf
there are any such,) who think of the author of
Robinson CTusoe, as mild man. OF innocent
frank child-like character, the disillusionizing
effect Of this Life will be something almost pain.
full. Mr.. Mimic says at the outset. That it is
most difficult to get at the facts of De Foes life
because the photographed matter so fully
enough scattered through his voluminous wri-
ting, is so little to be relied on. and other
sources Of information are not to be found In
other words he says De Foe was such an arrant
story in the strongest sense of the word
that he invented the fashion of living like the
truth This is hard judgment, and we would
fam dissent from it. That he was a man of ex
traordnary genius versatility, intellectual alert
ness, and capability Of every kind is not for a
moment to be doubted. He was well educated
though he never seemed to have gotten over the
taunts some Of his enemies were continually
throwing out--that he was "illterate" simplv
because he never had been at either of the great
Universities. Dean Swift speaks of him as
" that illiterate fellow whose name forget"-
He was educated for Dissenting minister but
refused to follow the PROFESSIONALS shrewdness