New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-17
THE MEDITATIONS CT AMIEL
a MAN OF SHADOWS.


AMIEL'S JOURNAL. The Journal In Time Of Henri
Frederick Amie Translated, With an inirodnc-
ton and notes by Mrs. Humphrey Ward; VIII ,d.,
portrait Two volumes. Pp. kew, 3D. 4o-'
Macmillan & Co.
The writings Of Amiel the literary apotheosiS
of character incapable OF decision. OF the beauty
OF his poshumous records, of his singular acu'eeSS
as a critic OF his mental and spiritual conuSioh
enough has been said But there is occasion ior
word from the platform of common sense, platform
on which neither Amiel nor. 1t may be add'" Ms
admirers have wasted much of their time. The sell
rerroach of his closest friend. Edmond Schercr was
responsible for of the extraordinary thhgS 'n
have been said about him. All through 'he periou
OF intercourse between the two men scherer 'ooh me
attitude of somewhat impatient monitor, urging
Amiel for his credit TO do something In literary
way TO prove his learning by his works. Whenever
Amiel pubishcd some small volume of verse he secins
TO have asked himself not without an accent OF
terror, "What will Scherer think OF ms Al 'he
same time he discounted possible censure by MS sell
depreciation. But the real work OF AmiePs me- MS
Journal was unknown TO Scherer, or went unheedeu'
When the end came and the thousands of pages
- this life record came under Scherers eye he was
struck with something like remorse. lie icit una.
= had been unjust and that he should have pi'ied
QAere he censured But, though he was lace 10 lace
With the volpmnous manuscript which Amiel hau
left at his death, he still persisted In presenting he
view which others also adopted that through some
defect
the essay writing, booE-making or what not when
his natural parts his scholarship and his position as
n professor made incumbent upon him. Inc "ork
which the journal must have cost day by o'S S''"'N
to count for nothing II Is tru" that many q "''"
could have kept journal and lectured 10 ccies'S
and written innumerabe books but II Is CERTAIN mat
the journal would have been from the literary point
~ view no such work as Amcl's. But Ami"l In
his lifetime took much the same View OF hihiSel as
scherer did The careful and finished little pieces Ill
hi, diary were looked upon as the mere apology VI
an dler for not working at some more serious ouS'
ness As a matter OF fact both scherer anu |>'noi'
Ike other human beings, spelled duty" as II IL
zero nronounced "incination"; and Amiel. in his
weakness and ndecision, took the inclinaons OF his
Wig orous ddactic' friend as definition OF te u'9
which he himself neglected No'hlhe co"u W
stranger than his failure 10 penetrate TINS ailosu"
unless 1t be the compassion 'hal mas peen eNp'"D0
an him since his death.
" ONO noint that comes outfit not the first read
inc certainly on repeated perusal Of his Journal.
whether in French or Engsh-is that Amer hau ho
original message the world. He lacked the power
% initiative. In philosophy he takes the coor Vi
the last book he has read. Acutely rs he cruc'S"'
he was dependent on others for material to work upon
Hardly an opinion can be found In any part oil h'9
work which cannot be fatty cOnradiced by some
hit of equally careful composition on ano'hT PAGE
He was BY turns disciple OF HeSel oi 0'noP
hauer of Krause, Of neutrality-suspicious. Vi an
who wrote with skill, with learning vi VIII" 9'N''
A failure In style was more rksome to him 'hah "a
aef4ct In subject matter. He hated dry books. lie
demanded wine where some writers give ON! 'n'"
unstrained unfermented must. But the man WIN
veers about with every wind Of doctrine can never
Ia q teacher of the race He may he able 10 point
ont the limitations Of those whom he fohOws' bo''ri
s,,u he NAV be able to show in the story VI MS
own life n vivid picture Of changes undergone pN
commemorative sou under varied inhuehee9' i"''
Amiel certainly did. His range OF percepuoh was
very wide: his capacity OF putting the impression Vi
q davis reading for example, into single sentence
was remarkable. AS long as the reader SEEKS o''S
such vivid pictures Of mental states, he must saAe
bore with delight. But when he asks what suehs'h
no has gained what conviction In INN mas "ee"
strengthened what errac thought Amleis eAanP'e
or nrecept has enabled him To restr"ih the ais"e'
e none lie has had, he read, fugitive siihpse'
~ his own defects, he has observed innumerape oc
cosons where he could not sympathlze WIN ue
melancholy musings Of Amiel but he rises WIN
vaeue contradictory, shadowy impression Oh All 'nese
,binps and Of the author himself. The oi'eher Nc
roads the more shadowy the Genevan Dreamer oo
,omes man OF flesh and blood feels IN such
oo,. mucb as Odysseus did when he tried TO embrace
Ghost and found that he could not touch H. mat IL
.sy.red ont OF his grasp like the viewless air Se