New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-30

A SUGGESTIVE VOLUME or HIS SHORT
WRITINGS

EssAYs from 9T IA Ss FisdS :,
jas,row Fitted. with an inroluc'oTy M Hniyer
By Morrl. Jas,row jr rTofsv'o5 so ," III Houshton.
Mlirn co.
Tho most significant thing about these essays ''
parm-ic,er collected az tribute 70 ms memory
f. the breadth 81 view shown In them. he h"n HOT
mile Of The versatility Of R'nan. the man "ho''
-. c,uel master. and he had also fund OF common
.,,.e which enabled him 10 write well on subjects
,r ,eroved from his special lines OF scholarship
u. lacked his masters humor. he could not easily
nut himself In that attitude so characteristics "'
nenan when he argued 10 one conclusion IN o'ner
really 10 enforce another. noteworthy 'Nhmp'" ~
his IN Renan was his showing Of Hebrew history
with It's narrow deals. lie depicted the jewish ma
,ion as a practical failure but he was all the while
ar,y the reader 10 the conclusion that this nation
nj failure was kind Of international success. lie
rldiculei the prophets and by That methon Nh''
Gated for them n place more potent IMAM "al'''"
had accorded them. Darmsteter. himself Jew.
took such matters more seriously. II" mas refhl-
nsccnce Of his youthful reverence Tor the Scriptures
md while he no longer comedies 10 the prophets
the nspration which was claimed for them. he
often writes In way quit" In harmony Win Il"
orthodox theory OF Inspiration lie sezes every 'ae'
recovered from antiquity 70 show that the mys'eri-
Gus illusions Of the prophets were to events IN ther
own lifetime: but after all he analyses jewish MS
,o,v with 40 definite a scheme 81 nna cause In his
mind that It's results "a important for him as
for those who believe that this history was dvineiy
directed and that the prophets were IN" voice 81
power which could anticipate the "hoie iuturc OF
humanity. This makes his essay on the prophets
and that on Jewish history deeply interesting read
ing even for one who believes that the usual
method OF writing Jewish history. with an eye all
the while on coming events is radically wrong. Al
mos, all works on this subject. Renons included
have the vice Of being prophecies after the fact
| pnrmsictcr's essays Illustrate an important thing
| namely. the breadth OF the French definition Of
science compared with tho one usual In English and
| American books The latter usually mean natural
| science even when using the unrestricted term
] while parmsicicr ccntemplai"s the whole realm ID
| which scientific methods can be applied He mani
| fes'ly deems his critical study 81 the Ienda-
| yesia with good reg son much a matter Of sci
| ence as q botanical inquiry would be which had
for i,s object Ia. Identification OF tho soma pant
For the narrower view that science consists wholly
| In working out the doctrine Of evolution. he has
| only the sympathy which is due 10 hxed belief
| that the movement OF humanity Is always onward
| and upward. His science like Remains. Is there
fore really a sort OF positvism broader than that
OF Comtc. II Is A historical philosophy In which he
| thinks should be included all the elements Of hui
man knowledge. II is also a religion which must
In the outcome explain all the Ideals and aspirations
OF man Darmstcter apparently did not believe In n
| Deity who created man but he spoke with almost
| His most enthusiastic praise for the speculative
works Of Renan was reserved for that almost mysu-
| cal production The Future ~ Science" in which
the notion OF science religion CO ms the crea or
| OF religion Is elaborated He uses II 10 show that
the fundamental ideas In Remains philosophy under
went little change In the passage from youth to age
| Perhaps he conscious that the same criticism
applied to himself Though he died at the early age
OF forty-five the number OF his works gave him the
right TO say that he had already lived long lie
But at the heart OF all his achievements Will be
found the thoughts of his youth modified by wha
at superficial glance may seem to be scepticlsm
but which IL really only the effort Of the mature
scholar to give a for the faith that Is In him
Even In the perusal OF this small volume one Is
struck by the variety Of Darmsteters learning. The
principal study OF his life the religion and th'
sacred literature OF the old Iranians. but he wal
equally Mt home In the comparative study OF th'
whole field OF Indo- European mythology. Thos'
who wish for a comprehensive estimate OF all thu
ancient Aryan religions within the limit OF n few
pages cannot do better than to read the last pape
In this book. The Supreme God In lndo-E European
Mythology" Nor was he less thorough In his &C
QuainIance with Semitic lore. He learned language