The sun., 1893-06-11
ONE OF THE GREAT MEN.
CEslRE LoMBRoSo
The Great italian Philosopher OF Crime, In
sanity, and Aeuiun.

sanity, and taeuius.
Last year. in the spring. one morning quite
early. do not think II had yet struck y. wal
debating to my secretary when there sud
denly walked into my sitting room In Florence
little roly-poly. good humored looking
elderly gentleman. followed By tall, Apollo.
like younger man. Who on earth are you.
asked myself. for they had not even waited foI
the maid to usher them In in due form. How
ever. I soon learned from their own lips that
the elder was the famous scientist, Cosare
Lombroso, with whom had long been In cor
respondence. but had never before seen face to
face. and the younger his pupil and collabora-
tor. Enrico Ferri. also noted criminal an
thropoloGist. So this was Cesare Lombroso.
the buEbear OF the superstitious. the lauRh-
ing stock OF the small witted the author OF
| the Man OF Genius" and Criminal Man,
| works so greatly misunderstood. 80 super
6cially condemned by pseudo-scientists 30
highly valued by those who are able to follow
their reasoninrs and to understand their
novelty and method Of idea. certainly
had never made to myself fancy picture OF
the man in this guise. II had met him in
the street should certainly never have looked
| around to aee him again. should have taken
| him for some peaceable notary. some Gov
ernment official. or II he were wearing q wide
| brimmed hat, some country proprietor.
Lombroso 10 short and rather stout: a few
| silver threads arc seen among his dark hair.
while his moustache is gray and his imperial
entirely white. But when you come to look at
him moro closely. you see that behind his speo-
tacles shine two exceedingly bright and spark
ling eyes which regard you with great psne-
tration. From his lips flows an avalanche Of
words. which impress and cnptivate. accom-
panied by peculiar lively movement OF the
head. His conversation is simple and pleas
ing. and rendered especially interesting z by his
powerful memory and vast learning. STILL It
cannot be said that his speech is either easy
or elegant It Is rather disiointed. like his
writings. nor Is he particular In his choice OF
phrases. He is q little difficult to understand
at umea as he speaks with pronounced
Venetian accent. for he is Venetian BY birth.
while from his long residence in Turin he
uses many Piedmontese words and turns Of
speech. He discourses in fits and starts.
Sometimes he allows you to talk q long while.
and appears to be paying the greatest atten-
tion to what you are saying. Then all at once
he interrupts you with question or an obser-
vation which you expected as little as you
would to see the sun at midnight The fact is
that while you were intent on what you were
saying. he was stopped BY an idea su &c ested to
him perhaps by something you had said. and
with his vividness OF imagination he had trav-
eled completely away from the subject In
hand and followed out the workings OF his own
brain. Hence the interruption that left you
pen-mouthed with astonishment With this
exception he Is polite to all. There is no traca
OF conceit about him: no hint Of desire to
overawe. In his Judgments he is apt to make
use Of that excess Of praise which Bazac calls
the falsehoods Of good people, or that excess
Of blame which has often been imputed to him
as fault. and which depends in his case upon
anything rather than presumptuous severity
or malicious envy.
The real fact is that Lombroeo. like most
people OF o nervous temperament. cannot
tolerate half measures. and it is owing to his
devotion to his studies and doctrines that
he loves SO intensely both his disciples and
those who uphold his views. and on the other
hand hates his adversaries with equal cor
diality. Whether 1t be from exclusive and
almost psternal tenderness toward his own
theories or from the sincerity with which he
upholds them: whether it be that he has al
ways been combated. and frequently with
anything but courtesy. indeed even attacked
violently and disloyally. certain 1t Is that he
has ended by seeing an enemy in every adver-
sary. AS an instance may be cited the angry
contest between him and Signor Coaianni.
when the latter published his Criminal So
ciology." Lombroso publicly called It book
Of follies Now. 1t was a serious work. thought
out after nine years of close meditation and
study. Its only fault as regards Lombroso
was that 1t subjected his theories to minute
and acute criticism.in or6er to show better the
factor that extreme poverty becomes In the
production Of crime. There followed q dis
courteous controversy which. from opinions. |
descended to personalities OH both sides. and |
lasted far too long for the dignity Of tho par |
ties. But. at least in Colaianni. Lombroso was |
combating with worthy adversary. The |
pity is that the quick irritability of the Pro- |
fessor's mind. and the unbounded sorrow he |
feels when he sees his Intentions and opinions |
make him impatient Of all
criticism. SO that he condescends to hold keen |
controversy oven with the most insignificant
and unknown peGny-a-liner.
The continual subjection to strife and base
aggression has produced in him kind OF
Of persecution. A friend told me
that he was once with him In Turin walking
under the Portici dl Po. Lombroso suddenly
started back and said: II was afraid OF that
man." and pointed out q badly-dressed youth
who had Just passed them. " was afraid he
would give me thrust with knife: you
know have so many enemies" Enemies he
has indeed. and chiefly In the ranks OF the
clergy. Thus three OF the clerical papers in
Turin some time ago seriously proposed that
LON broso should be deprived OF his Profess
sorshlp maintaining that he taught immoral
1t is hardly credible how much he
suffered from this stupid and insignificant at
tack. The women have also to be ranked
among Lombrosos enemies. Not that they
know much about him. Italian ladies have
other things to do than to study or to read.
even for the sake OF curiosity. few OF Lom-
broso's pages: but they know enough about
him by hearsay to inspire them with a