New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
A STRANGE CHARACTER

SOLOMON MAIMON: An Autobiography. Translated
from the German, with additions and notes. by
J. Clark Murray, Ill. D., +. r. 5. {. limo, PIP
S07. Boston: Cuppics g. Hurd
The autobiography of Solomon Mamon, now for
the first time done into English by Professor Muir
ray Of McGll College, is quaint and curious rec
ord of intellectual development under untowaru
circumstances Maimon was Polish jew born
about the middle Of the eighteenth century. Ills
father was farmer and tavcrn-kccper who was
ruined by the JOINT efforts Of his own impractical
ways and the frauds and expressions practiseu on
him by the stewards of the Polish nobleman whose
tenant he was The boy was reared IN poverty
and educated in the strctest Talmudic FORMS ac-
ourinc at an early age a mass of the most useless
superstition and legend From the study of the
Talmud nc proceeded to that of the kabbaa. lie
was anxious 10 acquire the so-called Practical
Kabbala.s which was supposed to contain direc-
tions by which magic arts could be learned, and
on one occasion having as he thought, mastered
and fully complied with all the forms for making
himself invisible he applied the practical test oil
going to the jewish academy and giving one OF
his comrades a vigorous box on the car 10 MS
astonishment, the blow promptly returned
and he was thus forced to realize that he was not
Invisible.
lie gives curious account of his marriage,
which occurred when he was very young Ills
father had undertaken according to the jewish Gus
tom to make the contract, but bargain WIN
the mother of our girl having encountered htch'
the rabbi went elsewhere. and had nearly ar
ranged marriage, when the party OF the hrst
mart learned what going on and proceeded 10
make trouble. In point of fact, Malmons fathcr
appears 10 have had no scruple III obtaining
doyyrv from two families on behalf of his son, and
Maimon himself seems to see nothing reprehcnsi-
bile In the matter In the end he got a shrcwish
wife, with a mother-in-aw who led him terri
be life, and frequently they came to blows he on
one occasion emptying bowl Of curds and cream
over his mother-in- laws head. lie was, however,
n born philosopher, and evidently never cared much
for either comfort or even dccency. The greater
part of his life Was spent in squalld poverty anu
when he had means he was too careless to take inc
least trouble with his personal appearance Ill
fact he was particularly dirty philosopher &c
minding one of a European version OF those UT
entail gurus, whose bodies are covered with liith
while their minds are absorbed in religious con-
temrlation Having fully qualified himself as Il
rabbi Maimon began to question the GROUNDS Oh
his faith and his native sceptlcsm soon shook MS
faith both in the Ta,mud and kabbaa lie was a
follower of Maimonides, and an enthusiastic one
and later he adopted the Kantian system.
stranger career 1ailS 10 lew HULL h0 WIN w
Germany. After many difficulties and much prl-
yation he reached Berlin, and there made friends
and obtained employment lie was self-taught
and impcrfectly, but his great Quickness OF NINA
enabled him to assmiate new knowledge almost
mechanically, and he made rapid progress
lie had however, no adaptability. What he
held that he would maintain, no matter IN what
COMPANY. He possessed no tact or Judgment IN
worldly affairs and could not earn his own living
single-banded lie broke away from orthodox
Judaism and struck out system Of thought for
himself He did some good translation, but very
little original work, and his mingled independence
and obstinacy clearly made him difficult to get on
with In bis autobiography he sets everything
down frankly and fally, but the book Is much
more O diary of thoughts and feelings than mar
rative Of events AS the history of human mental
prorress it possesses considerable interest and Pro
lessor Murray's introduction and notes add to the
value of the volume.