The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-29


need the sanction OF his Church before they
could be given to the world. That under such
conditions he should have produced WORK
acceptable at once to students in respect OF
breadth and accuracy OF scholarship. and 70
the imaginative reader by reason OF its vivid
local color. bears signal testimony to the ex-
tent OF the authors requirements and ability.
With IN entire absence Of pretontion. and yet
with tho fulness needed to justlfy hts under
taking. the author himself has In an introduce
tion indicated the pains which he has taken to
prepare for tho composition OF this history.
He feels that his readers have right to know
thnthe comprehcnds the laws. OF historical
portraiture. and above all the fundamental
principle that fact ia altered IL taken away
from It's surroundings; that however perfect
painting may be. II needs ft and harmonious
frame that the scale OF color and tone no not
falsiHed. and that It may gain in force. He has
accordingly endeevored 10 place the life OF Je-
sus lrst In It's proper pictorial and geographical
framework and then in it's social and Jewish
environment. Two extensive journeys en-
ablcd him to study Palestine very closely: he
travelled through II slowly in every direction.
following the traces Of the Master from Bethle-
hem and Hebron to tho boundaries OF Tyre
and Sidon and tho sources Jordan. He stayed
long In tho very places whero Jesus lived the
longest. whero he strove and suffered most
ardently. taught tho most and loved tho most.
He endeavored to see tho places rs thcy were
eighteen hundred years ago: this was a hard
thing TO compass, for their present dcsolation.
their heaps OF ruins. and the buildings raised
BY the piety Of Christisas have left scarcely
anything Of their primitive state. To that end
Father Didon examined ancient traditions In
the place OF their origin, questioned the most
experienced travellers. and above all studied
the Gospels on tho spot: indeed. he deems
himself warranted in saying that he lived
tho story Of the Evangcls In the land whore
the events recounted took place. This scdu-
lous comparison OF the narrative with It's top
ographienl setting planted in the authors
mind the conviction that they who have as
sailed tho reality of tho history Of Jesus can
not have seen Palestine: had they rovcd over
the Holy Land with the Gospel in hand they
would have understood that the Scriptureal
record waa not invcnted. In the view OF the au-
thor. enlightened as he became By q careful
and sympathetic study OF each memorable!o 10
cality. no liic known to us presents closer
harmony with tho land in which it
was spent than that OF Christ In a
few sentences he sums up the impression
made upon his mind as follows: "Galllee.
with the town OF Nazareth, tho Lake OF Tibe-
rias, Tabor with its hills and it's green valleys.
make n fitting frame for Jesus. living for
thirty years unknown. for the apostle. the pop
ular teacher, announcing the Gospel Of the
kingdom. instruoting the crowd in parallels.
leading them into the desert. and revealing in
On the other hand. Judsa. austere and arid.
with It's rocky hills: Jerusalem. with its
valley o. Cedron and gloomy tombs.
harmonize we'll with the Prophet. mis-
G nstrued and rejected. condemned to
an ignominious death. l seemed to have
gained. in contact with Palestine. with it's
ruins and the sacred memories Of which 1t is
full. a profound feeling OF tho Gospel facts and
their truth. their reality and their beauty.
The facts are inseparable from the land. 1t
may become sadder yet, moro desolate. and
more dead. 1t always frames them in its
light. In its valleys and nndulating hills. in
the roads where Jesus passed. and where end
less generations still pass and repass after
Him."
Hard as it Is to reproduce the outer aspect Of
Palestine as it unfolded itself under the eyes
OF Jesus. and to describe as theJ then we're tho
IOCAItleS uSSOClAteu Wlttl tic INCL
dents Of His lfc. 1t is still moro difficult to
constitute His socinl surroundings, the slightly
Romanized largely Hellenized. and yet at bot
tom essentially Jewish society with which He
had to de.L Such resuscitation of social
conditions is PROFESSIONALLY the most COM
pick and arduous task Of the historian. and it
is ono to which ut best only approximations
are possible. A poet will sometimes seize
with startling precision the temper and
posture OF mems minds ut an epoch far distant
from his own. but II no attempt to enter on q
detailed delnention his picture Is almost GER
tain to he marred with ludicrous anachronisms.
Lander s Imaginary Conversations AFRO familiar
examples Of the limits OF a poets achievements
In this direction. Such books as Charicles and
Gallus are equally well-known instances OF the
elaborate mosaics pieccd together by German
scholarship, in which every particular is ac-
curate. but in which the appropriate atmos-
phere. the spirit Of the times, is lacking. Here.
again. Father Didon has shown himself alive
10 the refractory nature Of tho conditions
which confront him. and no has grappled with
them with remarkable measure Of success.
1--WE can attempt" he says. "tho portrait OF
man. but not that Of an age. Q time. a
civilization. at q definite point in its OK
istence: yet it is impossible to under
stand man. above all public man. II We do
not study him In the society to which no be-
longed. Now. society Is made up OF thou
sand elements. which. in spite OF all efforts.
and with tho most varied and exact informR-
tion. 1t Is impossible to reproduce In their
mplexity. their shifting character. and their
activity: and all that the sincere historian can
attempt is to describe tho religious and poiit-
ical organization OF people. to enumerato and
explain the parties which moved within its Or
ganization. to point out its philosophical doc.
trnes and creeds. its prejudices. way OF liio.
morals. and traditional customs. its national
and political passions. However imperfect
this restoration may be. 1t throws much light
upon the life OF q man. Many words OF jesus.
many facts In His life. explain themselves.
without comment, so soon as they arc placed
In their true social surroundings
HI.
When. however. q historian has managed to
replace the facts Of human life In their true
scenio and social Frame no has only gained