New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-23

think | right in saying tnat lNt EI'al Pi'"
lens OF metaphysics and OF man HrSll.s nm Sa'n
origin occupied "A larger share of his thoughts IMAM
heretofore during The last ten or tWeV ~ \hngS,
his life But indications OF the trains OF tho 'a
which ne aftcrward maturcd arc to be iounH COIL
uaratiyelv carly | asked him which was the earl
rsi poem in which ne had begun scriouslE to con
slider these problems and hc said the Two
IN nearly ali his great metaphy sicai poems.
As far as might w. to carve out
That he whole mind might orb about
To search ,hro' ell 1 felt or san
Ana reach the law within the law.
II was by allowing the free and explicit voice
10 doubt that he gradually worked furlh'r ana
life and of tho world. lie was q thorough-gons
ideaIis' and his conclusions recall in SOM respects
Kant. Bcrkeiey ana Father Maehranche.
His method consisted in the presentation of two
on IN, one hand and of instructive assurance
The otheT Each line Of thought is given it's weight
sequenc" of the speculative doubt, nor l. l. al
Hgcon 10 has srandiy described that attitude of
humility and sensiveness 70 ar Facts whIcn Is IN
had this humility prominently IN metaphysics.
Bacons bugbears the ntellectus sihi permis sIs.
mere speculation mere prejudice when lead TO me
ignoring of facts which do not square WIZ pre-
cOncevd theories. nave their counterlarl In the
uphodcrs of doemauc metaphysical systems Te3-
nyson. the contrary, showed a passionate yearn-
pride. no dogmatisn, but the simplicity OF a
child of "an infant crying for the lsht'-aong-
nature. To the very end h. had the teachabic-
ness of greatness. and his views seemed 10
And here we have think the quality when
made his conversation ON these subjects 50 pecn.
truthfulness I the word intense" adviscdly.
With many man one knows that on such subjects
there is no lack Of ability or sincerity. But he Is
ready TO thcorise and to develop theory with in
genuity and wha' began candid attempt to
untrue fact Tcnnyson. on the other hand.
tested every step. questioned and questioned again
leas, shbn 80, Oh pr in h pb IF fur
fbnr exnrrienc" He seemed TO be- ever looking up
ward AT the mysteries OF he world behind tho
Of light however momcniary. which might break
through the clouds and reveal the heavens beyond
His accuracy as TO quite tryi9i matters was even
scrlnulous If a story told with the slightest
inaccuracies OF detail he would spoil It 10y repeated
intc,ruDtons. rather than let them pass ~" wds
rnuaily severe with himself If memory trpped in
ne smallest degree In his An Along the Valley"
the opening lines run mus
Al along the valley. stream that nashest white.
i ,f pin W. liz wSere INV s.,fer- fo~
wak'd with loved two and thirty years ago.
one day he discovered that he was wrong by
year-that only thirty-One years had passed when
he wrote the poem He was much voNed. ana talked
seriously OF changing the line so TOO ia Sledklns
were always prominent and always accurate Talk
ing of Buddhism and its later division into so many
secs ne gave 1T once with perfect eXacncss. their
number and the dates and circun stances OF the
chief scisms And above all h. remembered and
delighted in the facts Of astronomy Such a book
as Balls Astronomy" filed his imagination lie
would point to fixed star and tell one the eNa't
pace al witch fl was moving and give the distance
from Of each planet. and calculate the tiihe nc
suns light takes reach rs. and make MS nsur"S
still more vivid by comparing them with IN" speed
Of things familiar % Oh our own earth
The problems Of the physical universe and OF
mans physcal lifc alternatcd . theme OF con
versation with metaphysics themselves. ana mus
claim their share Ia my notes.
lie spoke OF the mysteries of metaphysics. AFTER
religion" hc said. metaphysics are the great nope
for mankind They must stem the TOE OF ma
terialism. They show ma;crialists TIM You can
escape from mystery by escaping from religion.
He insisted strongly misuses OF the word
God and often condemned the lminOIhnty OF rk-
IRENE CalVini-m one could not but trace 10 the
memories OF the Calvnistic surroundings OF his
hoy hood the deep feeling evident In such poems
despair and "Demeter" against the concep-
ton OF a vindctivc Deity Il remember one Wo-
man who used TO weep for hours because God
infinitely good He had predesned (she said
most OF her friends TO damnation and herself. who
was no better than they. 10 salvation. She shook
her head at sadly and sad, Alfred Alfred.