New-York tribune., 1909-03-14
AnglO-AmeriCan Memories
Ccopgrssht, 1909. By George ". snan.y,

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man must know his trade or he will do nothing.
But law is not everything 1t does not perhaps
make demand upon all the resources Of the
intellect, nor enlarge mans nature Which
was almost a paraphrase of BuTkes famous
sentence on the law in his eulogy Mr. Gren-
vile:
"One OF the first and noblest Of human sci
ences: science which does more to quicken
and inVigorate the understanding than all the
other kinds of learning put together: but it is
not apt, except in persons very happily born. TO
open and to liberalize the mind exactly in the
same proportion
Then Emerson. who seemed always to be
seeking the hnal word. ana TO condense the
whole of his thought into a sentence, added:
Keep your mind open. Read Plato"
Those half dozen words he uttered in the res
onant tones Of the platform; tones which came
when he was deeply stirred and desired to stir
his audience. They vibrated through the room
they vibrated through a great haIl,-tones
which we're meant to find their way. and did find
their way. 10 the hearts of his hearers: an ap-
peal to the emotions, TO the conscience, to
whatever there was in these thousands or in
the single individual. sympathetic TO the speaker.
l have never forgotten them. If I have not fol
lowed Emerson's advice he meant it, or in
full l have followed IL to a certain extent;
desultorily, inadequatey; and certainly with no
settled purpose to become a Platonist, or even
Emersonian. But IT had effect and the
effect has been permanent.
One other great thinker Pascal, has given
the same counsel; not in words but by his per
petuaI example. You cannot read Pascal with
out seeing that he never states one side OF q
case. but always two sides. Even in matters of
faith he keeps open mind. In matters OF sci
ence it is equally open; and in all other matters
To this day. it is disputed whether Pascal was
a believer He himself believed that he was,
but he was a pupil of Montaigne. and Mon
taigne's motto. Que sais-je?". is inwoven in
every sentence of Pascars speculations upon
matters of faith: and upon all les chooses de
TcSpTif. SO / put these two influences. Pascal
and Emerson. side by side.
II this were the place. parallel might be
drawn. The Church. and for good cause held
Pascal for enemy: and the Puritanism OF
New England. well as orthodoxy in Old Eng
land and elsewhere. held Emerson for an enemy;
also with good cause. Yet were they two of the
most devout souls OF all time. Why should the
churches OF France and OF New England array
against themselves the two finest minds Of those
two communities, centuries apart? PascaIs
voice comes softly down the intervening gen
erations-"Keep your mind open. and Emer-
sons is the clear echo OF PascaIs, as Pascafs
was Of Montaigne Emerson, too. sat for time
at the feet Of Montaigne, chose him as one OF
his Representative Men, and said Of Mon
taigne's Essays: 1T seems 10 me as If had
rnvself written the book in some former life
Pascal had already said: 'Ce nest pas dams
Nontaiene mais dams moi que je trouve tout &c
que j'y vols
Emerson had other stimulating suggestions
ready: his talk overiowed with them, Yet Was
never didactic. It was as ST the suggestions pre-
sented themselves first to him and then TO you:
as II he shared his thoughts with you: so far
WAS he from the method Of the pulpit Some
errand called him away He took down vol
uIne and put it into my hand. saying some
day / hope you will learn TO value this writer
He has much to say, and he says it in almost
the best English of his century. He is a Greek
born out Of due time remark he has some
where made about wincteImann. It was Ian
dor. a volume Of the Imaginary Conversations"
7 read a dialogue there and then. I have read
him ever since I do not suppose anybody cares
what l have read not read But I wish 70
give YOU Emersons opinion; the advice he
thought best for a boy studying law; and the
effect Of it upon the boy
For he would not talk OF what he thought IN
suited TO us two or me. In "reminiscences
or two of his tour in England in 1916 or lS4'
lie mentioned q visit to C0eridge. ] had read
the TABLE Talk and the Geographic Lite
and CoIeridge Rad discussed. MO he said ut
would not interest you" In the same WY next
morning when he took me to walden through
the woods he began upon trees and squirrels
and other forest lore; then stopped and asked:
But do you know about trees and animals:
Do they interest your" had to confess they
did not: upon which ne began again on books
and matters Of literature; and upon Thoreau.
OF Thoreau he did not seem to care TO say very
much But he showed me the lake, and where
Thoreau lived end what ne related Of him.
though his appreciation was critical was touched
with the kindness habltual to him ! had read
the Week on the Concord and Merrimac
Rfvers"-or perhaps read II later-and wal
den which is thinner. and had heard, then or
since, that some OF Thoreau's admirers accused
Emerson Of borrowing from him. But there
was not much TO borrow; not. for Emerson.
ANYTHING. The friendship between the two men
was close and lasted long, but II there were any
ouesfion of borrowing lending in the books
,,f either the debt was not on EmersOn's side.
Now and then as walked in the forest or
through the streets, met a farmer or other
resident of Concord, and it was pleasant to see
their greetings TO their great townsman. on on
the heights he trod no other set foot but IN
the dailv business and intercourse OF life ne was
each mans friend, and each was his one OF
them told melt was lockwood Hoaf, diLer-
ward Judge of the Supreme Court Of Massachu-
setts and United States Attorney General-that
half the affairs Of Concord were on Emerson's
shoulders He was the chosen adviser. peace
,,aL~er arbitrator between these hard headed,
practical people of Concord: the to whom
rhev went with their troubles; the man whose
decision in difficult disputes was accepted with
out deInur Il don't suppose" said Mr. Hoar
that Emerson ever opened law book or the
Revised Statutes. But he had a native shrewd-
ness an eye for the points Of a case. sense or
equity and willingness TO take pains which
made him an ideal referee" 1 once told an emf
nent yYhi1 who had been abusing Emerson as a
mere Visionary that his neighbours, who knew
hin, hest trusted him in this way. They are