New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-05
U'ALEMBERT.
A NEW BIOGRAPHY.

In writing a popular biography OF D'Aem-
bert. NJ Bertrand had much more difficult under
taking than that which fell to the lot Of his pre-
decessor, NJ de Remusat, in this series The en-
barrassment with such a subject as Theirs is to
get all that needs 10 be said within the given
limits In the case of D'Alembert, the problem
is to find sufficient matter Of a kind interesting
to the average modern reader. For it happens
that D'Alcmbert, TO he really known, must be
studied i'm his writings his life one of 50 little
action and incident that half a dozen pages would
easily contain the record, if undue allowance were
not made for the analysis of his serious love
affair. His writings, moreover, no longer
read, and :cr the most part are, indeed, scarcely
any longer readable. Even his geomctrlcal works
important though they were in his time. have
been ovcrpasscd by the march Of sceace, and the
philosophy cXpOunded by him has come to he
regarded as crude and shallow. Yet it is de
sirablc that something definite should be known
Of a man who justly eminent In his day, and
the least curious should wish TO comprehend the
intellect which produced the famous Preliminary
Discourses to the Encyclopedia, which shared
with Did rot tie immense labor OF preparing that
colossal work, and which far mastered an
nirm body to keep its posscssor In the dan
gerous front rlnk OF the eighteenth century men
of letters who made the pioneer fght for free
thought in Europe
Though his special studies thc mathe
matica! sciences DAlcmbcrt WAS in no sense
narrow He might have said, with lcibnIH, that
he only attributed Importance 10 science because
it enabled him TO speak with authority in PHI
osophy and religion Ills writings ale character
lied by ucidity energy and precision. His choice
OF words was singularly fine and discriminating.
Sainte- Bcuve thought his style inferior to that
Of Vicq- DGzye, but that opinion cannot he con
siGcrcd an accepted among French critics.
In his potential writings modern taste finds many
faults. and is likely to protest especially against
the excess of promise over Performance lie IS
pcrpotualy boastIHg Of what lie will do with his
adycrsarcs when he begins, form OF attack
which irrcsistibly rccns the method of Mr..
Wrinkle In announcing that lac was about TO take
of his coat D'Alcmbcft'S "cru,hcr," n, doubt
appeared terrible enough to his contemporaries.
and he and Didcrot and Voltorc rcloiccd over
them considerably. but We who have seen all the
same questions subjected to a much ripper scholar
ship and a much kccncr analysis. may be cN-
cuscd for feeling that the Encyclopedias were
content with very dubious victories over points
which now appear II quite secondary Importance.
II is DAlcmhcri's greatest distinction that in
On age of patronage he remained independent
The same may he said Of Didcrot. md these two
did almost as much FOR letters by their praci-
cal protest against literary parastism A. hy their
labors on the Encyclopedia D'Alcmbcrt. more
over. gave tho most convincing proof Of his sin
certify. Frederick tie Great imp'rtuned him
- accept the presidency - tho Berlin Academy
of Science vacated by tie death q MlEpertu!s
but lc rc-.l1'c'y refused rhc post 'atlc..
iie Of Russia went much further. Offering m
an income 81 100 600 francs - come and cdu-
cate tic royal dukes Tho philosopher could
not be moved from his purpose which was 20
preserve hi, independence The most he would
do was 70 accept from Frclcr.cl
Ittlc pcrsion of about $50 year and e M
his oGccs-tnc French Academy and tic Academy
If Scicrccs-hc received a, much more once
too. when his doctors had prescribed an Italian
Journey for Him. hc frankly asked Frcdcrick f,r
She mean, - make 1T with. and the kim who
could hc generous AZ iced, rs irnnk.y rem ted
hnn :.c money. Aside from thc~' ms.nn.c'
DAlcubcrt las under no obligations His own
sovereign did not Ike hm-W1s even somewhat
afraid Of him-aud the Pompadour did not smile
mon Lin though sh. too. sea, m war ,.i'h &C
.IcsuitS who sca'cl their f;tr by their mop
portuuc and IL might be said UNPRECEDENTED
scrupulosiry in declining 10 undertake. tie di
rcction Of that powerful womnns ALLEGED con-
science
Both Frederick and Catherine respected the
man ,.,,, 40 r.solut.lv refused ia mt himself
i, tbcir royer and tLc friendship in the co,.. of
,Lo p,,s.i,, ,,o,,,rcL ,.. only. cp,l.d lac Icatb
C,bc,.pc.. LirdIy tecIi,g. l,.,cd until flo nbil -
,,lor ,.c,,,rcd e. solicit her cicmcncr on bcbolf
~ sorne French revolutionary accents who. ar
rce,ed while - ,v.rk i, Pol,rd had been sent
70 Siberia. and were rumorrd 10 have been
treated crucllv Catherine AT first undertook
90 o>,Iain tbc case f. hcr corrcsnondcnt deny
inc he truth Of the rcporfs and allceing that
tbc prisoners were treated with all possible ten
dcrncss As. however D'Acnhcrt renewed his
solicitations she wrote him So shnrp a reply that
Ella ,,,,.io,., .lsod 81 o,,. o,I ,icro Thor,
NV '''' 'P ~ ~ w
Is, Of course. a long story 10 he made "l
Tie Lcspiuassc cplsodc but the facts are simple