The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-16
ORR LITERARY BUDGET.
xxxxx rnxrxsxcH PHILOSOPHER
NJ. ~ sns Meet Interesting. Original VT
x,.h and Brilliant Personalities That
Has Figured in Partisan Lifs'


,,ttI,eetual life of Paris for the last forty
or City years. He was a younger m'n
thsu naturally might have been supposed
from the extent and duration of his faioe,
Tar he had not completed his tele OF
tht.e score years aud ten. HIS p'r'n-
Mace was at Tregnier, anl his iatner
was a Breton sailor, while his mother
had in her veins a dash of the GascoI
blood. and the racial characteristics VI
both parents were revealed IN naiNeS
manner in the genius ana dlsPos1iioIn .vs
were passed in hardship, il not III penury,
md his education was entirely IN the
hands of the local priests, who were
onick TO discover the precocity. Oh MS
tajents and to lay plans for insurihg
their employment in the service Oh shc
Church. In fact, the boy, aiready une
latin scholar, decided definitely 10 De
come a priest in 1870, ana ~as oem
the College of St Nicholas du Charuon-
net in Paris. with that object IN view
II was here that he made the acquaihs-
arce III the famous NJ. Dupanloup, VINO
later. as Bishop of Orleans, playeu 80
nroninent a part in French religious ana
noljticol history, and there can be no
doubt that the young Breton stuuene
must have been influenced strongly py
companionship with a man so ponsneu'
versatile and masterful, although the
courses of their after lives were to run
along widely divergent paths. In 1903
Rerin was seat 10 a preparatory Drahch
az thu St. Sulpice Seminary, at lssy, 10
road theology. and two years afterwards
no entered fhe advanced school, and un-
der the direction Of lie Hir began that
study of Hebrew and Syrlac wnlcn WIS
10 SO shake his faith IN Roman Ca'honc
dogma as to make it impossible Tor MN
60 entertain any idea of assuming priest
hood. He made q formal announcement
10 this effect in 1915, and after teach.
inc in n school for three years produced
a memoir on the Semitic languages that
won him the Volney prize. 1t was IN
these days, too, that be began his laDors
upon his Life of Jesus" which at once
made his name known all over me worlo
OF letters. At any time he might nave
aecnred professional appointment I'D tne
country. hut he preferred to remain IN
Pa,is. the centre of thought and society,
md TO try his fortune in literature. he
vrote much for La Liberte de Penses
anJ the Revue des Deux Mondes, and
nublished many essays and TRANSACTIONS:
which steadily increased the brllliancy OF
his reputation. The Academy OF inscrip-
tions and Bellies Lettres sent MN 10
Italy, and on his return ne producea
Vcrroes ct rAyerr6isme,' In when the
Arabian philosopher figured as the chlel
REPRESENTATIVE Of freedom of thought III
the middle ages. This secured hlm an
anno;ntment i'm the Manuscript Depart
mcnt of the National Library, and III
1876 he was elected to the Academy OF
inscriptions. Then he married a daugh,
ter of Henri Scheffer, the painter, anu
almost Immediately published MS gu.
dies of Religious History, an eSSay Of Of
the origin of languages, TRANSACTIONS VI
the Rock of Job and the Song OF SOTO
mon and 1.-THE Character of the Semitic
In 70 this time his renown had been
almost entirely national, but IN lSOO Ma
polen III. sent him on mission 10 we
East for purposes of investigation, WIN
the whole weight of the authority OF ihe
French Government at his back. o'l hls
r,srrn no was decorated with the order of
the Legion of Honor and cppointed pro-
fesor of Hebrew in the College of France.
Soon after this he delivered a lecture on
the psrt played by the Semitic. races III
the history of civilization, in the course
Of which he expressed his disbelief in the
divinity of Christ. This created great
stir in the religious world, and innumer
able protests were made against permit
ting man holding such unorthodoX
views TO ocupy government professor
ship. Renan defended himself with
abundant spirit, but the Government
Thought il best to compr omise by giving
him n lucrative pest in the National la-
brary. 1t was at this juncture that La
Vie de Jesus" appeared, and created an
upnroar in comparison with which the
preceding commotion was insignificant.
While the charm and learning OF the
hook was conceded, the spirit of 1t was
denounced with extreme bitterness by
esery organ of every school OF rehglons
ouinion, and it was said that French
mothers used the nar)e OF Renan as a
sort of 'bogy" to brighten refractory chill
CreL into submission. The work was IN
tended as one of a series on the origins
of Christianity and was succeeded IN due
course by 1.-The Apostles" 'St. Paul,
"Anti-Christ," ''The Christian Church"
and Marcus Aurelius." The fury of
the assaults upon it only the more di-
rtcted public attention TO il, and htted
the author to yet higher pinnacle OF ce-
lehrity,
OF late years Remains name has been
made still more fomiliar to the public by
the newspapers. who found in him an in
sxkaustible source Of anecdote and opin-
ION He was well versed on all topics OF
daily interest, had opinions of his own
about most of them, and expressed nm
self with delightful point and vivacity;
His literary style was charming ana
much Of this was reflected in his CONVEX
sation. For some years his health had
been poor, and the prolongation OF his
life to this time is due In no small degree
TO the devotion of his wife and his sis
ters.-New York Evening Post.
The Literature of the Future.
For the past few years the cry has
been repeated in every key, "Naturalsm
Is dead" But did it ever really live!
The school has undoubtedly created q
stir. and 1t has been very much talked
about. But has it ever found real
friends? We paid altogether too dear fol
the amount of truth 1t mad to offer when
We obtained it at the price of accepting
the works in which it gloried. If som,
Writers of this school have by their MGR
It's aud in spite of all obstacles acquired
great itpute, it is because they have
possessed qualities almost In contradic-
ton to the principles that the school pro
fessed. AS for the crowd of poor little
disciples that applied conscicatiously the
theories their masters preached, l dc
not believe there ever were writers that
produced WEAKNESS anf disgust more