New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
HOLMES ON EMERSON.

DR. iIo,mcas biography OF Emerson IL not only
one Of the most interesting volumes In the series 10
which Il belongs but II ia ono OF the most notaoie
contributions TO the copious literature of when
thc lifo and genus IT Emerson have been made the
theme The author lived near enough to his sub
Scct to feel the influence of his extraordinary per-
sonaliiv. and yet was not SO completely
prostratc at Tho feet OF tho prophet
That he could not calmly look Mt him. Himself
distinguished member of that literary circle which,
half n century or moro ago, frat gave America a
vigorous intellectual life. and In which Emerson
vns tho inspired preacher and singcr. ho has nm
ocengnt, perception Of the circumstances under
which this new voice was heard and tho nature OF
th. effect which it produced. lIc has felt. perhaps
no dooulr 49, ang ma =. Ga, peculiar power of Emer'
son to insrirc oncrs 20 make lifo purer. ioiticr
calmcr. brighter
lie wns tho task and his tho lorty rif
oar eyes, oar hearts bent oarthward. 10 upllft
and tow so think can have answered moro JOY
DUSTY to the Encr,onan mcssagc; Thou rn"l'
NO, p,nf,ss that which thou dos not believer thou
shalt study and obey the laws of the universe ana
thoy win he thy follow servants; thou shalt speak
the truth ~ thou sccst II. without fear, IN tho
spirit ~ kindness to all thy fellow creatures; Thy
life shall be As thy teachings. brave pure, truthful
bencacent hopeful, cheerful hosp,tab'c 10 all
honest belief, all sincere thinkers aud active ac-
cordlug TO thy gifts and opportunities" hut pr'
Holmes is not 10 bee cassed rs one of the disciples
There arc regions of the empyrean INTO winch lie
declined TO follow the ;ranscendental sage ~
Holiness personal admiration and In'ehec'Ia' ~
pafhy were ALWAYS tempered by certain perspica-
CITY which people call hard sense "a gft that cx-
mains how il is that one of the most imaginative
and lyrical Of saans is also of the sanest OF poets
He can say of Emerson's obscurities that "as for
mvs.ics if they understand themselves. il is quite
rs much as can he expected" He Is not afraii to
write of the essay on The Over-Soul that 1t IS
Ihapsodv in which lmerson has attempted The I'M
possibe. and that 9" rne OveT-Soul might almost
be called the Over-for of spiritual Imagination
He pokos a little genial and not irrcverent fun at
several {, the essays and poems. lie says;
Emorson's reflections in the tran cendent2l
mood do hcyond question sometimes lIIrSiSlb.y
suggest the close neighborhnod OF me sH.'lllh W
tie ridiculous. But very near that preclpltouS DOT
der line there Is harmed req n where II Inc .no
siatelier crOWthS OF philosophy dle OUT ana ,ls'Ir
peqr the lowers If poetry next the very eng" oil
III. chasm have a peculiar and mysterious peau'S,
20 the gu.f Of of uusounded O5Scnrlty and ht-,
doubt not. provoked the nIrth OF proiane read'I
but read IN lucid moment II Is Just HpScuLe
enough and just Sgnlhcan' enough 10 We Jnr Nut
tsic thrill which comes from the sudden contacts
o. the highest imaginative conceptions.
Bnt how wise and how Justly apprecative is the
whole temper Of his criticism may be Judged from
the extract which follows:
The hahitnal rea crs If Emerson do not mnd an
occasional oveT-statcm'nf cX rdyI c9nc", pardloN'
scceutucltV: they find ia 'u amusing AMI not mis-
leading. BAT tIr accountants. lor "h"m wv" "'n
two always make four, come uDol one OF 'I'-e
pa--al,.s aud shut the bpo> Wanting IA SANITY
Without % certain sen,Ibility 10 the humorous, ~"
ono should venture upon Luc son; II ne had Seoh
The lecturers s,uIlc a. he delivered one 'i ms play
full statements of a runaway tIuth, lacl u'lhol g,
ly Imagination. sometimes by WI. or huhOi' ne
would hayc found "a mca ing M nus WORDS WIG.
The icatulClcs~ pru ed page could never snow NM
Emerson has never been discussed before IN
spirit which seems - rclact at once the s'date
estimates of po,tority all he flash Of personal
fuo.d-b1r. We dare say that 70 the cNes
Of few thinkers aud poets some
a these pages viii sparkle too coldy' but
les partial wor,hppcrs Will see IN them the brill
iaucv of pure truth and >ingalarly carcihl AM
prc,is, stlt,n'lt Of En'rson's ultimate place In
the movement Of the American intellect No one
bas expressed more clog emily than DR.. Holmes the
value OF Emerson's work IN emancipation ana
insp.rcr Of the mind. AMI no one thcseforc. has
hotter riglt & draw .hlrp distinctions between TIE
general tendency OF ms teachings and the fallacie'
anl iupcrf.ci1ns of particular uttcranccs. ono
Of thc caTllcs, OF his eater dcliv'idhccS
w.s the Phi Beta Kappa Grafton of
1897. on The American scholar. Of which Mr.
Lowell says that II was can event without any
former parallel IN our Literary annals an address
~ which Emerson cXhortcd his listeners to plant
themselves on their instincts, and there ABIDE TIL
IL huge world came around to thcin,-to walk on
then own feet TO work with their own hands, 10
,pcak their own minds, believing themscve in
tprcdbv the Divine soul. which irsI ircs ali men
- tins address Dr. Holmes pays the following
tnhute:
This Grand Grafton was or intellectual Declare
fiol of Iudcpcudcncc. Nothing like II had been
heard In the halls OF Harvard since Samuel Adams
,upuor.cd the affirmative OF the question,
" Whether il hc lawful to trust the CHIEF Nagi>-
tratc # the Commonwealth cannot otherwise
he prc.crvcd.' IL was easy to hnd iauit WIN
an expression here and there. HE Ugnt', h"'
10 .aV the fnrmIiitv OF an Academic assembly was
startled by the realism that looked Tor tlr hlml'g
T. "tuc meal IN the hrkln the mix IN tue pan.
Iley could understand tine deep thoughts suggest
al by The mcducst flower that blows, but THESE
domestic Illustrations had KIND of nursery home
Illness about them which the grave professors ana
telafe c,crgYmen were unused To expect on 80
stately an occasion. But the young men went out
from It if a prophet had been proclaimlhg TO
them " nus saith the Lord No listener ever ioI-
GOT that address. and among all the noble utter
auccs If the speaker II may be questioned II one
ever coutamci more truth IN language more lAc
That of immediate inspiration.
But m summngup the effects ofTmerson's teach
ing. he makes the following sensible observations:
/, may well be mag ned that when Emerson
proclaimed the new d0ctrne.-neW 10 his young
.opes OF planting tlem>e YES on their Instincts,
consulting Their own spiritual tight for guidance
trusting 20 neutrality-suspicious. reference 10 any
other autbOrty, bee opened the door to extraya-
e;,nce. in any unbalanced minds If such there
were winch listened to his teachings. Too much
e,a> expected Ouf of the mouth. of babes and suck
lug- Tine children shut up by Psamuetcbus got
q. lar a. one word IN their evolution OF an original
Language. but bekhOs was very small contribution
o. s., ard, "A complete vocabulary. Il" he Dial was
wei charged with IntuItiOn-. but there was too
much Vdgueness, lncoheTence, aspiration without
energy etort without inspiration 10 satisfy those
vh0 were looking IOT u new revelation. .
4 he gospel of intuition proved 10 be practically
IA It~ Iii
q Intellectual and spiritual Independence. IL was
n great discovery that we see many things as
truths which we cannot prove. But IL was great
impulse T. thought. great advance IN the atu-
1uAn OF thinking community. Whom the pro-