New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-18

be plainly perceived. alien from his sympathlcs
In truth he is no more able u i've WITHOUT 'nc
aid and comfort Of "dreams" than are his most
orthodox neighbois: only the dreams upon whlch
bc bottens must have the "cachet' Of science :
s, eoe,n to he classifiablc with those excursions
Of tho scientific imagination which are so en-
,iro1,. distinct from unsccntc products of fancy.
VI Roman does rot even feel comfortable in the
reruce Of tLe Inknowabe. lie finds 1t necessary
n his happiness TO hold that there is no IN
movable; that, however bounded may be the
provincr of Science today time VIII come ior
Tho destination of the last cloud that conceals the
secret of the universe. NJ. Renan is not to he
labelled \ Dcist. though he is certainly be-
lever IN Supreme Being, 70 deny whose existence
,yould in his view. be most uascientilc. But he
will not be hampered by definitions, ana whe
this leaves his creed vague and elastic it secures
free play for that vivid ana poetic imagination
which constitutes so grcat1a charm in his writings.
When he wrote "LAvenir de Ia Science he
xros only TWENTY-FIVE. and his style Uniformed.
while his convictions were far too strong and
swcepinc 10 be true Age has mcllowed and
perfected his style, and softcned and modified his
INDICTMENTS He would not now venture TO write
snch n book rs this, and it is even somewhat
singular that he should have been content to let
il 90 forth with all its impcrfections on It's head.
II is only great gcnuscs who can avoid III youth
ful productions that exhibition of absolute as
surance and inCaible omnscence which the jul
dicious reader regards with amused indulgence at
best But perhaps VI. Remains reluctance To sicrI-
flee his juvenile production may he explained by
the circumstance that even after the lapse or
forty wears he remains much more sanguine as to
Tie successful establishment of his iceas than tn
facts appcar 70 warrant. The truth is that the
world has By no means rcconccd itself 10 the
Elimination Of the spiritual from intellectual
life. The struggle is not only unfinished II has
scarcely begun Nor has VI. Rcnan at any stage
of his career appeared to realize hoy lmr"It'h.
a factor temperament is IN the settlement OF TINS
,,re,t question Those who rely wholly upon
rcoson i'm matters of this kind have always Deem
WRONG in their nntcipations through having neg
lcctcd this consideration. Ihey have illcd 10
realize rs W. Rcnan fails TO realize, that tAcIc
is such thing as innate predisp' 5. tioh T. I'm,
spiritual t. the material view OF HE, ana tht'
r'cr. argument can never change views Wlu'h
derive their support from heredlty ana pccuiI"r
mental constitution To some II Is gwen To see
life IN one way TO others the point oi We" Is
wholly different and between these fundamentally
distinct views there can he no Icconcllatloh.
The spiritual aspect being the higher, orcc
given that the course OF humanity Is uP"'i"' J."
follows inevitably that every theory which IN
wolves the Disappearance Of the spiritual mus D.
uusccntic and erroneous. spiritual views may
change. but they VIII continue '" w 9Pi'
views Material views are also ana even more
uutahlc. but tho tendency IN them l. toward
greater spirituality not 10 greater ma'orlahty
il IS impossible TO conceive Of a generally IT.
siructcd and intelligent world resting Si'lNHcd II
n Grass matcriaiism. II II Is e. advance II
must become less earthly. not more 40. Noici
over the search after truth must always rc\e'.
no f,lf,cv Of talking aboat reality though II
were concrete and dcnnahlc. The very dAi'in'
Of the rclativity Of all knowledge slnit'fs me
Foundations Of materinliSm and exposes The Illus -
nature II is trrmlnoogN and Tc.~'ulug VI
Renan appears never - have rraNpcG ms. az
therefore tie surprising crudcncSs oi much IN III
carly work has escaped his observation. or ~
lcas, worn "a much less ohrriion1hc aspect t'Ai
i mus, do e. others. I'm any case the book j.
far too, long for is present Importance ana II =
- behind the times in most respects th'l "h4A
enthusiasts can bc expected - master IT, N".Nrl
nous pages II j. interesting lp ne ways hr'
roiutcd ont hut u is. after ol ~" WORK "l u
Ecn.u whom We do not know, AMI who. had Do
No., grown immensely, woull never have riser
above ncdiocr.ty.