The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-05-27


turni sciences that are unmade as fast as
they are made md which will BIO neglected
hundred years hcuce. Indeed. wo can ace an
age dawning when man will no longer attach
much interest to his past. I am afraid that our
exact writings OF tho Academy OF Inscriptions
and Bellies ettres. destined to give some ex-
actitude 70 history. will rot before they have
boon read. 1t IL in chemistry at one end, In
astronomy mt the other. and above nj In gem
eral physiology. that we really have the secret
ing IA you may please to cali II. The regret Of
my lifo In that chose Tor my studies u branch
OF researches which VIII never inpossc ITSELF.
interesting considerations respecting n reality
that has forever d sapponred
and shiftnYness Of M. Kenan's mind. his
sEsR,c'fs his his ,h
OF moral self-anslysis In which N. kenan
speaks Of himself apparently without re-
certify. M. Renan Processes Interchangeable
gratitude to the venerable fnthers who directed
s Sna n M s s"ss
auentiy that their History was sufficient, that
they had no criticism, that their idea of virtue
rial still he held with them that life Is only
worth living II devoted e truth and virtue and
worldly SUCCESSES. But f'uitiui Of Happiness.
Now. tho moral tencbinY Of these pious d..
on ench OF which NJ. Roman proceeds to exam
Inc himself. These points are disinteresied-
r nSs Of morality S On the rcvery
!h,nan attempts In vain 10 doude his readers.
Food lodging. and new suit OF clothes once.
year. such would be his dream. he says.
have never desired anything else for myself.
The ,modest independence that haye cnlne to.
true. M. Roman has feathersd his nest as
warmly and rs wisely as any Of his contempo-
rares, and no one wo1ld think Of reproachlng
suscitation OF seminary tnsincerityS What.
again. are we to say to tn Is statementp Every
where. an interior vote. prevented me. Land
seemed to me material. heavy. and contrary to
the principle non haben'us hic n,anentsm ciri-
tdteIn. Stocks and shares are things moro
ethereal. more fragile they attach one less.
and one runs greater risk 81 losing themi'
has been modest He does not admit that no
has the vanity Of the man OF letters: he has not
exploited his talent as he nigh! have done had
Of ni s, s% M sst Of
NEST CHARACTERISTIC mental attitudes is pride.
BY his INTEL ctual gifts and his immense cul-
turo NJ. eenan Is superior man furthermore.
ha is supremacy conscious Of his superiority.
and he shows II by certain air Of imperceptbe
irony and transcendental disdnin. In all his
gar: the elegance OF his style and the subtlety
q his arguments appeal TO amy but the WI lgnr.
Nay. how. often do we. find such phrases AS
.es FSs' others %iF at daraG% %
thrown by the hazards OF his birth Into a
full democratic current; furthermore. he IL an
aristocrat who combines the pride Of science
qnontiy than. nj. Bennn has celebrated the
qualities Of that Celtic, race OF which he is u
but Il race OF invineibe idealsm. gentle hero
ism. and uncorrupted antiquity? NJ. Remains
procession OF modesty is uncaled for and
On the matter OF po.iteness NJ. Renan may
Justly say that he Is polite. He adds in q note
ceived from the fathers Of Trdguier is such
that it would be impossible for him to be want.
Ing in. respect even toward dog. or to treat
On the point OF chastity NJ. Rsnap declares
thnt after he ceased to be priest he did not
i've in Paris as he had i've at the seminary
virtue as Of ali other virtues; recognized. in
about man Being chaste" st i" he PER- rer
. ,i ID, in the way he had chosen. and lived
further remarks about chastity NJ R"nan has
queer sentence which seems still Gu"erer in
as have ares Ss ss
sympathy that. underie my afrectionate re-
serve. After all have been loved by the four
BY wh mg sse Wife, Ss
daughter. My portion has been goodiy and
shall not DO taken away from me; for often
aAa Va: yll as pasasd
PLAT. will be none other than the judgments Of
women countersigned by the Eternal"
After, this particular confession. M. Renan
n Ranan
says that THANKS to his clerical education. his
friends pardon him a certain apparent want
frss." he continues. in the first part Of my
lie lied often not ont OF interest, but out Of
not think have told a single, lie, excent
naturally JOYOUS lies oiIicious and polite lies.
such IA all cnsuists admit" Is it not curious
how the priest peeps out In this talk about
It nns required much more INDULGENCE on the part Of
tain GOODNESS not in loving them but in serving them,
was to avoid private friendship" Such Friendship. were
. a, s. hs 1T s
IN my mn have H,s sne"ar"ssa fris%i.p Ssse
little the idsa. sha. mos! often have VET" 10
combat TIA. friendship as. i. generally unltr.'"%d
qualities OF person alone aud shuts eyesto the
.atss OF p."sr s TsTfs psssaT % to
ieas Of my old masters that friendship is theft upon
will disappear.
ship with the celebrated chemist Berthelot.
sophi S DaosSss n. R e n"n s "a sHs fH'0
sn. .t ws + y .Ss
s.Ts.: ihs% when they talking q superior ming.
assls. i.mi.r With on. anothsr t' b.. w We :h"Sd
almost blush to ask each other . service even
piece Of advice. To ask service would he In our
eyes M act Of corruption an toward the rest Of
mnnkind II would at least he recognition that at.
tach Importance to somcthing. Hut we know 80 well
oous that we fear to give body to friendship. We
esteem ourpe'ves too much to ninit to another
weakness. Equally convinced Of the insignihcancs VI
neetnx things having the same passion for the eternal
We could not resign ourselves to Avnw willing disrsc
tion toward the tortultous and accidental 1t certain
indeed that ordinary trisnd,hp p,s;uppo.es that We
When ono Is familiar with the unctuous.
smiling. afYab oily. agreeable and corpulent
gentleman who tneks his napkin under his
armmts. crosses It's hands benignly on his
bosom. and throughout the dinner. which he
seems to enjoy uncommOnly. Is invariably OF
the opinion OF his neighbors even II the neigh
Dor on the left maintains views Numerically
opposed to the opinions Of TIM neighbor On the
right: when one IL familiar with the specula-
tive chameleon Of the Philosophical Dialogues"
and tho undulating aristocratic dreamer OF
ProsperO." ono II nottoo ready TO take all these
hne ascetic professions letter for letter. NJ
Remains semblancs of frankness Is never
satisfactory. Indeed. on the whole Wa
may say that the Souvenirs Of Childhood and
YOsath," while giving very high opinion OF NJ.
Remains intellectual sensibility. give us the
poorest opinion OF his moral character. The
book Ia fuit OF Jeauitical insncerity and Of pro-
fessions OF virtue and ascsticism utterly un-
called for. since II has never been NJ. Romans
pretension to preach by example. and since. af
ter reading his confessions. We no more credit