New-York tribune., 1906-12-13
Literary .Nesa's and Criticism,

N''u himself a normal youth h1, hating c,bris
0ai'iy FOR its hateful adherents Onco IN chs.
-4Oou' MS natural tendency uould have heer
10 search for substitute for the family religion.
O"I searching was Unnecessary the fateful de-
0lsioas OF his imperial uncle throwing the lad
every step INTO the hands OF teachers secretly
- 1t@hA4y Hellenists. After Constantius had
Ni"eiec Jullans father and brothers he as
S'sHed ms three-year-old nephew to the care
~ 'e blshop Eusebius, who piously committed
4' cilIlu 10 pedagogue enthusiastically pagan
" edr1- Julian learned of Zeus and Jehovah
al" re anne familiar with Plato and Christ At
the age OF seven he was confined in a solitary
iof'ress In Cappadocia and allowed TO associate
only with menials and to read interu1inable
christian treatises until one fine day the Bishop
or Alexandria shipped him a chest of pagan
manuscripts to copy. When twelve years old he
was bundled off to Nicomedia so that the asso-
cations he might already have formed would
De broken. But Nicomedia was the hotbed of
HeAenisnl' the home OF all the leading Neo-
Platonsts Of the day. For eight more years
Julian revelled in the labyrinths of Plotinuss
philosophy and became an ardent Greek AT
last he had found a substitute for Christianity.
But NeSrf does not realize in the least how
much the young mans choice of the cumbrous
mysticism was determined by the kindness and
end listened to. Negri, along with other stu
dents of Julian, attributes to him an interest In
abstract philosophy which in all likelihood he
possessed only after years Of association with
Helenists. He embraced Greek paganism for
the same reason that he scorned Christianity
Judging each as the UNFRAMED mind must by its
human representatives. After events and Ju-
nan's own writings show distinctly that the
Apostate had absolutely no grasp Of the the
oretical problems of Greek philosophy and
Christian theology; they show that he was a
man Of action and an enthusiast, alive with
irrepressible energy, directing armies and state
policy by day and writing satires and epistles
before dawn. Instead of being armchair
philosopher. he for twenty odd years an
emperor in a strattjacket.
Constantius. in final effort to dispose Of the
young man without scandal, nominated the
off TO Gaul general of the legions then en-
gagged in fighting the barbarians. Then the
miracle play began. Julian reorganized the
army and routed the GermanC tribes with a
daring and dash that dazed his friends. The
troops became his worshippers. and within five
years Of his appointment proclaimed him En-
peror. His relations with Constantius were then
so strained that he accepted the rebellious nom
ination and marched on Constantinople. which
he reached just after Constantius had oppor-
tunely died. The Neo-Platonist became lord of
the Western world
The full force Of this psychological crisis has
been brought out by the essayist. although GER
tain features In it have not been properly en-
phasized. The lifelong serf had become not only
his own master but the ruler Of empire.
Everything seemed his for the asking; he suf-
fered only from embarrassment of riches
IN order TO understand what he did, we must
first note the traits and opinions which his own
nature and past experience had conspired to
create. After having embraced paganism In a
ft OF emotional reaction against his prosecutors,
and attraction toward upright gentlemen, the
youth studied the world IN order to find justin
cation for his beliefs. It proved very easy to
discover hordes of facts confirming the intricate
and alluring hypothesis OF Plotinus The search
was rendered still simpler by the lofty morality
Of the philosophy and its constant appeal TO in
trospection and contemplation. Who knew bet
ter than Julian about the solaces and the bea-
cons Of the Inner life? All his life he had
been forced to remain inactive, with the result
that his tremendous energies had TO be used UP
in meditation, reading, wonderment and yearn-
ing. If Napoleon had been sentenced as a boy
to reform school he would have written
"Nietzsche." Julian. though, was not an egotist
nor a pessimist by nature: he possessed the
serene optimism Of the Greeks and a native
morality Of the loftiest type combined some
what incongruously with high enthusiasm and
strenuosity. Passionate in his hatreds and in
his friendships he learned, by long suppress
sion and Hellenic study. the value and virtue of
self-controI. When he came into power then
his first thought was 10 correct abuses but
without violence. His second thought was to
give the world a moral religious institution.
Straightway he passed broadminded decree
Of tolerance. allowing all religions and sects
equal rights. Constantine had tried this and
failed but that did not dishearten Julian, who
went even farther by consistently separating
Church and State and by forbidding Christians
TO teach Greek literature in the municipal
schools. At the same time he abolished the free
pass system in the postal service, thereby i'm
proving the service. but not the temper of the
swarTns Of petty Christian politicians, whose ma
chimes became very costly a result. All these
reforms struck the Christian party staggering
blows. yet they were not fatal. inasmuch as that
party was the only one efficiently organized
Partly in order TO oppose system with system,
and partly for the sake Of the much needed
moral reform, the Emperor undertook to estab-
lish pagan church after the model OF Christian
ity. In all his opposition the Christians,
though. he was honest and just, hoping vainly
that he might win by reason and righteousness
alone. Except in one instance. the worst thing
he did was TO satirize and lampocn his oppo-
nents.
In the first few months Of his reign he was
quickly disillusioned Pathos still fingers in the
half humorous letter he wrote to a friend mar
rating how he entered one of his newly opened |
temples on a festaI day and found only the
priest there with lone goose for sacrifice. The |
dream of a new Hellas disslpated
he first ff Apd be-