The sun., 1904-08-21

OF sLeviathan. or the Matter Form ant
Power OF Commonwealth. Ecclesiastical
and Civil"
Before marking the diverse receptions
which this work met with in different quar-
ters. we should point out that during the
years Of its composition the author had
remained in or near Paris, at first in attend
ance as tutor on the young Prince. after
ward King, de jure, Charles H., with whom
he became great favorite. We may point
out in passing that all his life Hobbies was
personally popular, not only among learned
men, but with courtiers and men Of the
world. His ethical theories have been
condemned as egotistical and CYNICAL but
as Sir Leslie Stephen points out, 1t would
be mistake to infer that these unpleasant
qualities were the reflection of his personal
character. 1t would he unjust to set down
Hobbies as man Of cold nature. He may
not have been one to make any romantic
sacrifice to friendship, but everything goes
to show that he was of kindly disposition.
Few men appear to have won so many
friends. or to have kept them so unshaka-
bly,. Though, as philosopher, he was the
target OF repeated and bitter attacks, no
serious imputation was ever made against
him as a man Clarendon. for instance,
even when confuting doctrines which he
deemed abominabe declares that Hobbies
was one of his oldest friends, and asserts
emphatically the esteem entertained by
himself and others for his antagonist.
Hobbies in a word, seems to have been
personally attractive to every one whom
he met. He was pleasant companion, and
had wit enough to be acceptable in every
circle. At the same time, no spiteful say
ings are attributed to him; and, although
he quarrelled with Wallis and others over
geometry and theology, he excited no per-
sonal antipathies. To show how tenacious
his friends were, we may mention that
Selden and Harvey each left Hobbies
legacy of flo, and Godolphin one of f2oo.
".
Although -Leviathan" was written from a
Royalist point of view, yet the conclusion
namely, that it was subjects duty to obey
the ruler de fdcto, without regard to the
question whether he was the de Jure sover-
eign-was not calculated to please those
champions Of divine right who believed
that the assassination of Cromwell would
be an act Of piety. Although the publica-
most Immediately to be more talked of all
over Europe than any other thinker of his
time, it brought about temporary sever
ance of his connection with the Royalist
exiles, and presently compelled him to
seek protection from the Commonwealth
Although he was himself
so little conscious Of disloyalty that he had
fastened to present a manuscript copy of
his work. "engrossed in vellum in marvel
lous fair hand" to Charles H., who, after the
defeat at Worcester, had escaped to Paris,
Hobbies found himself Stunned by his
former associates and was soon shut out
from the royal presence. Not only. too, had
the book excited the enmity of the Anglican
clergy about the young English King who
resented its secularist spirit, but its elabor-
ate attack on the Papal system caused the
writer to be viewed with severe disapproval
BY the French authorities. Under the Cir
a flight from France seemed
Unavoidable. and Hobbies made the best
Of his way to London. where. having sent
n his submission to the Council of State. |
ne was allowed to subside into private life.
Whether Hobbies deserved the acrimonious |
,ensure of the Royalists is open to question. |
Wallis. the geometer. in the hot contro- |
rersy which had with Hobbies after the |
, Jared that the -Leviathan'
vas writ in defence of divers title
Clarendon reports that he talked with |
Hobbies shortly before his book was pub
ished but after some sheets had been shown
o him. He asked the author how he could |
publish such doctrines. After discourse
between Jest and earnest, Hobbies replied:
The truth is l have a mind to go home"
,ir Leslie Stephen deems it more likely that
clarendon failed to see joke than that
Iobbes meant to make such confession.
70 Wallis there was sufficient answer.
'romwell did not become Protector till
653, and it could not be known with GER
ainty in 165O-when the book was finished
hat he was the right person to f1atter. The
1riter of the present biography. moreover,
oints out that the argument Of the "Levia-
han could not have been modified in order
o please either Cromwell or the @Rump"
'ariament Ito which for the moment he
-as subordinate). because the principles
re identical with those of the early treatise
irculated in manuscript in 1910, and with
hose of the DE Give" published in 1847,
ut written long before. Since the princi-
les were not modified at all. they mani
,stly were not modified in order to curry
lvor with anybody 1t is true that the
tuation in England had changed in the
and it might be suggested that
,e defence Of the absolute power of the
,vereign was applicable to Parliament
hen it became sovereign. as it had once
cen applicable to the King. But Parla-
ent would certainly not admit that only
y success were its claims justified.
Sir Leslie comedies that one part of the
.eviathan" might be stumbling block.
oward the close Of the work Hobbies con-
dered the question at what time subject
,came obliged to submit to oonqueror.
he answer was: 1T is when the means Of
/. life are within the guards and garrisons
the enemy" 1t followed that submis-
on to a dc fdcto government was right;
I'd Hobbies went on to argue that such
omission was not even an assistance to
e new power. which otherwise would
'nfiscate an opponents whole property
stead of taking a part. This, as the !
ographer recognizes, was an argument
manifest convenience to Hobbies. In
SO he could take credit for the influence
the "Leviathan" in framing "the minds
a thousand gentlemen to conscientious :