New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-29
NEW BOOKSANDNEW EDITIONS

.nec,a interest because of the relation between these
youthful writings and those which made the author
fame. Both are college themes one The Character
OF Socrates" the ,Bowdoin Prize Dissertation Tor
1920. the other 1.-The Present State OF Ethical Phos-
ophy" the Bowdoin Prize Dissertation for 1871 Both
betray somewhat Of the stiffness natural IN papers
written for the eyes Of an examining committee
There In no hint in them of the aphorismic form
which TO distinguish Emersons mature s'yic.
Colonel Hgginson's suggestion about a string OF
Jewels which would be Just as brilliant II the gems
were disposed In any order different from the CHOSEN
one cannot be applied to these early productions
But It may be seen, particularly IN the essay on
ethics, that Emerson had already anticipated IN
youth lines of thought which have since been caleo
evolutionary DR.. Edward Everett Hale IN geniai
Introduction points also 10 the possible relation De-
tween the prize essay Socrates and the FAR later
study OF Plato which Emerson published IN IS'o'-
While he deprecates his own speculation as ldhci-
full he has probably spoken much less than the
truth Emerson lite likely as any. man
of genius TO forget the serious thinking OF his
youth 1t is amusing now to think that EmeTsons
dissertation on Socrates did not take nrst prize
But the standard OF the committee was high' Iney
did not award first prize to any cornpetitor ~
Hale suggests a reason for the fact that Emerson
success was only partial IN saying that 1.-The boy OF
seventeen eighteen years OF age wrote "hA'
must have surprised and sometimes annoyed the
sort OF men who would be apt 10 be named upon
committee Of award" Besides. there Is more evil
in these papers. The essayist gives an ambiguous.
not to say sceptica air to his discussion Of Ger
tain problems. for example. the daemon OF socrates
He wells reading that was probably extensive on
this tonic by ausion almost contemptuous-t@
discussions that do not lead to truth, but on.y
serve to bewllder"
'Art and Humanity in Homer" by William
Cranston Lawton macmillan Coz. Is q study, or
rather a group Of studies, of this endless theme
opd at
or the analytical point Of view The
author reluctantly agrees with those VINO hoio that
there were Homeric poets rather than Homer.
But this concession does not affect his own task.
The poems stand as they are without reference 70
authorship They also stand on footing OF their
own when subjected to the test Of archaeology. II
Is not real society that is depicted. but society
the meagre realities of which are hidden in maze
of legend. Whatever historical details are given
adds the author. We can never hope to se.ect ana
verify them" But thing is certain. against the
opinions of other times-these poems are not the
product of a primitive age. but Of high civiliza-
ton In alluding to problems that confront trans
iator the author argues in favor OF renewed enorts
to domesticate in English the Greek dactylic mex
ameter. The book is delightful one IN every way
IAN Introduction to Folklore" Imported by
Charles Scribner's sons. by Marian Roalfe Cox.
simply puts a more compendious form the con-
illusions Of folklorists Of the anthropoogcai schoo
carticularly OF the massive work Of DR.. Tylor II
shows with a wealth of instances the bearing OF
popular tradition questions relating 10 the pllmi
tive life Of man. the origin OF the doctrine Oh ."e
soul the belief in descent from anlmais' the HIS.
rlmmerings OF religious thought, the conception Oh
a life beyond the grave, the notion OF superna'ua'
mower lodged In the form Of magic In human hanos'
and 30 on 1t must seem to an outsider as IL INC
snthropoogical school had begun treadins the same
vicious circle In which the philoogists ana Aryah
enthusiasts long ago lost themselves. One wonders
thn 70 lilo
%h.,r .c,ence such as It is. make no progress
except In company with history. That human ms,
tory is fragmentary Is misfortune wnich IL shouiu
he the Office OF tradition when Thoroughly slteo "
remedy at least In part. Meanwhe' pooAs I'm.
tbe one in hand are admirable as giving view OF
~. Ta,d even though their theories be question
able.
.rhe Century Of Sir Thomas More" olThe arena
Publishing Company. by b. o. Flower' iachs oo''.
~sora exclusively and then had drawn together
Uhateyer illustrated his theme. he "ouio nave CIV
.red MANY topics which he has toucheo, ou' "o
gould have given them value which they NJ"
lack r. his group Of essays. Throughout 'ne ea'ne
.rorter. the author of Utopia is only mentioned ih-
.,.,,, Tbcn come chapters In which he occu-
49,, .,o whole field of vision but the background
-. an 70 speak, been painted on another canvas
=. would be hard 10 say whether Brooks Adams
feele
o,ura, cotolary of his theory Of history or mot But
o.. hooks could be more pessmistc than his essay
an history entitled THE Law OF CIVILIZATION anu
Decav' macmillan & Coz. for with MIN clVinzaooh
.eems TO be synonymous with decay HIS ann Is u
.xempify the working OF the law OF energy IN Ma
tona life Rome declined because 1t was oomina'eo
nv the creditor class which gradually destroyed
~. orcen. lighting stock by its exactione and by
cood,nu the western World with the slave aoor OF
the East The materielsm that IL, the weaIth'St'h-
ering force Of the Empire was overwheimee al last
nv the idealsm of the northern races. when cuml-
mated IN the Crusades Then the struggle between
the men OF ascetic ideal turn and those whose
hunger wa. for riches was transferred to the ma
lions Of medieval Europe. The ruin OF the Knights
Templar revealed the dominance OF new race
born of economic competition. as against the
nriests and warriors. The Reformation rselr was
part Of the same struggle. AT rrst this struggle,
especially in England. for the possession OF
md put between those who the land and
became powerful and those who loet 1t and became
worse than slaves there rose another class. when
has since ruled the world
Az the author views the present aspect Of affairs
the force Of this middle class is now approaching us
elimination. It's power is centralized by the Nmita-
tion OF currency While popular government Is pre-
served in appearance. capital is at least az assc
lutte as under the Caesars and debtors are IL
reality powerless because OF the extension OF mat
very system OF credit which they invented to sat
lsfy their needs" Since the Crusades. the facuty
NJ imagination In mankind has gradually weakened
The decay Is visible enough In religion. but even
more visible in art For four hundred years these
phenomena OF degeneracy from the idealists point
of view have become more and mare obvious. and
adds Mr. Adams ''as consolidation apparently nears
its climax art seems to presage approaching dis
integration The architecture. the sculpture and
the coinage OF London the close Of the nineteenth
century when compared with those OF the Paris Of
6t Louis recall the Rome Of Caracalla as con-
thCR
has written we'll in point OF STYLE and he leaves his
readers full Of questions to what is to happen
when capital goes to smash.
The third volume OF The Life and Correspondence
of Rufus King &C. p. Putnams Sons). edited by his
sza ndsan Cha les Il King NJ. D.. comprises the