New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
AJITERARY PIONEER.
LES ,NDs ECRIVAINS FRANCAIS. BcFnardin
- L. Ini,t piorrc Pr ArVelr IaInc. PARIS

,r,b the oreot French writer's For of all the
nrcducts Of his pen one volume alone survives and
sti wins the admiration Of readers. and even that
romance is founded upon philosophy which the
world has agreed TO consider equally false and
fantastic, and is marred by the admiNture OF
ddacticsm alike intrusive and absurd. But IN
trutb the author of Paul and VIRGINIA possesses
n better claim to remembrance and recognition
than can be dcduced from the enduring popularity
Of his famous tale 1t is as a literary pioneer
as the introducer Of broader frecr. more artistic
and interesting ways of writing. that he must he
regarded: and apart from all questions of literary
rank he also claims attention as the type Oh
necnlinr and almost extinct class Of thinkers. In
the monograph before us the distinctive traits OF
this really remarkable individuality are very
closely and impresSively exhibited, and the fcader
is enabled to understand. even better than couId
be done from the exhaustive biography of Alnse-
Martin, how it was that at the close Of the 'lSH-
teenth century this visionary, this dreamer OIL
dreams was the most popular author Ia france
Bernardin dc Saint-Pierrc possessed from carry
youth a singularly powerful Imaglnauoh' in"'
facultv was developed in the line of religious faith
and facile credulty by association with priests anu
monks At one time the lad had resolved to he
Capuchin. but he was persuaded to rennquish tliaV
career: and presently book fell in his way when
book was Robinson Crusoe," and it may he said
10 have entered into his blood, and to have planted
the germs of his island romance. While stu IN
mis- teens he evolved philosophy which was part
" based upon Rousseau and was in part his OWL
His theory of life was that of good World IL
habited by bad men. Man. however, had not, nc
cording to his ideas, been created evil ne h'u
become wicked in trying to clvllize himself ->ll
the methods of civilization tended 10 the culture
of vice and the suppression OF virtue. INC insu-
tuition of property brought into play SclhShncSS,
creod ronacitv inhumanity, injustice, guile OF all
kinds. hardness of heart and all the qu"iiio'
which saparatc men into castes and ranks, produce
moor and rich and generate legal systems oeNlSc"
10 maintain the conditions which favor inc grasp
inc tendencies of the minority. a state oil h"'uio
is in the view of Saint-Pierre the only hea"hS
one and if mankind could be restored 10 'h'' S'''I
all the existing evils would soon disappear an"
tho Golden Acc would return. The young Ici-
hardin conceived the idea OF colony oI SUN"
,ronic isle which should apply these views ana
once he thought himself in far way 10 carry
ont tho scheme. An expedition to Madagascar
,,.os ,roiootad hv the Government, and SAINT
pierre was assured that It's purpose was to 1ouhu
St such y colony as he dreamed OF. lie was
made Joint leader of the expedition, whch pres
only soilcd for its destination. lew udNS o"'
Lie associate in the command coniided TO nm 'il''
tho real object of the undertaking was 70 cs''"-
,sb = system of slavery; to capture ana SUI wv
No,aoosy. in short: whereupon Sain'-ileric W."
en- discustcd that when the vessel put Ill az '-'1
Isle Of France he went on shore ana a"'n"o''T'
tho expeGition. which soon after came 10 s"'s''S
wreck - = ,,no,,oo
rho dreamer remained on the Isle OF france
tor q wear or more, and while there ne maui
creat advance in literary methods Up - "'~'
timo description OF nature had Dcch heIN'"'
The most ambitious authors simply copic" 'I
c,assics The least ambitious authors lSho'o"
nature altogether. As to original ""Sei "'4.'''
No man had thought of it. 1t was reserved i"r
Dernsrdin de Saint Pierre TO introduce tNe iieC"-
ode of the nineteenth century reallsts 10 t'he
- in dctoi1 Of all the phenomena thai came
under his notice: to study climatic. atmosphere
roorino effects. much as a modern painter Goes
IN observe and verify everything TO laihili'"-
;1o himself with all the stages of sunrise ana sun
set rain and sunshine, storm on sea ana I.hu
and "a set down all these minute ana cafeiui o'-
servatjons as documents to he emploNe" S"'se-
oncntly whenever he WAS called on ior ucs'"P-
tion. On returning u Paris he wrote a Jour
ncv TO the Isle Of France, which, though III
many vays inartistic and crude, made sch>'-
linn for il revealed an entirely new way 81
wiring and il showed how interesting the STUDY
NJ nature really was. As compared with mouelh
writers. no doubt Saint-PeTc is crude, but ne
must be allowed all the credit due 10 q pioneer
and il must also be admitted that as REGARDS
description he is head and shoulders aooFe 'hc
clevereSt Of his contemporaries
The work which bought him fame however
ms his studies Of Nature" in which he gave
free play TO his religious views, and challenged
+bc whole Encyclopaedia and all that 1t implied
Here re was in direct opposition TO the SphIl
of the age. and especially 20 science. Bnt ne dld
not CHALLENGE the positions of his antagonists from
their point OF view. lie denied the soundness
If their nrcaises Knowledge, he asserted, was
not tho thing to be put first. Reason was false
and dangerous guide. Feeling was the only true
rule of conduct, and faith was infinitely prefer
able TO science solvent of all dlihcut prop
,oms Fvervtbinc was good in the best Of all
nossible worlds according to this philosopher ana
tho extent of his optimism may be gathered
from the fact that he continued TO argue thus
tbrouchout the Reign of Terror. Some OF his
ra,iocination of which NJ Barne gives ample
extracts. is really quite delightful in its naiVetc
and its innocent audacty. Knowing nothing OF
science, the author argued as though ne had
nothing TO learn. and he disposed of questions,
such as the existence of evil. with celebrity
ard assurance such as no nineteenth century
scholar has dared to initiate. One of his pet no.
tions was that the carnivora were created to act
as scavengers, and so 10 protect humanity
AGAINST disease. As to tie poor animals
upon which they preyed he held that
nature did not intend them 10 live to
old age seeing that they could have no social
system to take care Of them; and the carnlvora IN
destroying them while they were yet vigorous
really did them good turn. He entertained
views about the shape of the earth. the arrange
ment of snow and ice al the poles, and other
points, which were even then in fiat contradiction
TO science: and he had no data to support his
positions. That did not affect him. however, for
what had reason TO do with the case? lmaeina-
ton, in his eye, was far more trustworthy.
Paul and Nirnininn originally nnnenrel in tic