New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-16
Literary NessS and Criticism,

hieh Alpine air as a cure for various
diseases. and Gosse. who had been a
great sufferer. followed Rousseau's ad-
vice and had an experience ~ its value
IN the restoration ~ mis- own health.
His professed detestafion Of men. Ike
that of Rousseau. must have been mere
~ Pose. for he enjoyed the numbers OF
friends who made pilgrimases 20 the
place and who disturbed SIS solitude
He instituted what he called the ''76te
de IN nature" which was celebrated by
certain rites under the direction OF him
self and the order Of the magic por-
ringer" Although the performances az
this festival were not taken too serious
ly. they were symptomatic Of a disor-
dered mini. During the ceremonies
Gosse wore a bearskin cap adorned with
peacock feathers. while his belt was
stuffed with pistols and cutlasses. The
services II the order were celebrated IN
a small Temple de Ia Nature" which
siill remains. and IN which a bust ~
Jean Jacques had a place Of honor. The
proceedings were closed 10y a grandiose
PRAYER 90 the Supreme Being" pro-
nounoed with uncovered head by the
hermit before n bust Of LinnRus.
Gosse. who was a chemist Of Geneva. de-
serves a better notoriety than that due
&C. his fanaticism; for he founded the
now prosperous Societe Helvetique des
Sciences Naturelles.
In paving cordial tribute last Sstur-
% ~ 1nHf Al ~ e
The Isle 81 Whispers" we 'ascribed the
book. Icy an oversight. 20 the wrong pub
fishers II Is issued. as a matter II fact.
by Henry Holt & CO.
From the Macmillan Company comes
the new edition for 1910 Of WHO'S
Who" the Indispensable biographical
dictionary. which is now I'm SIS sixty-sec-
cnd year We need hardly dwell upon
IFS merits. Every one uses it. and in
fact could not imagine his desk without
H. II is enough merely % record the
appearance IF the new volume.
OF the making of books about George
Meredith there is apparently % be no
end. The latest is Mr.. James Moffatts
George Meredith. 4 Primer 10 the
Novels" II is the work Of an enthusi-
asst. Of course. bur this author is not
without discrimination We find him
saying Of lone 81 Our Conouerors." for
example. that there are more farthings
among the goldpieces in this novel than
in almost any of its predecessors" The
chief purpose ~ the volume however. is
rot So much critical as descriptive. The
novels are analvzed in some detail. and.
indeed. we fear that this is the kind If
Primer whicn only too well fits the
maker If dinner table conversation 20
talk with knoWinRness about a famous
writer without making a minute ac-
quaintance with his works The book
is unusually well printed. II IS pub
lished here by the 6. n. Doran Com
iany.
Professor James Stalker's place among
the masters Of evan-elic exposition IS
more than maintained in his latest vol
ume. The Ethics IF Jesus According
TO the Synoptic Gospels" a. c. Arm
strong e. som. Taking the three ethi-
cal conceptions. the highest good. virtue
and duty. as a clew Dr. Stalker finds
in the term "the kingdom Of God"
synonyme for the highest good. and
virtue identical with character. Under
the third conception he considers the
Specific duties: love TO God. love 10 man.
and the ethics Of the family and OF the
state The authors control Of the syn
optic material is equalled 10y his grasp
~ present dag attitudes toward the
moral demands II the Gospel The con-
sp:cuous opposition Of Siefzsche is rec
ognized. but Or Stalker is bold 10 say
that Nietzsche IS not without feeling for
some of the ethical secrets Of Jesus. and
that these imrart 10 his works whatever
81 ideality they possess. Nietzsche's
popularity with the masses in Germany
does not surprise the author so much
as the amount Of attention paid "the
philosopher with a hammer bv such
scholars as Eucken and Haring: for his
habit II thinking ly the mere process Of
starting objections Of an kinds 10 every
accepted proposition is surely puerile
and soon becomes Wearisome. In paying
tribute 20 earlier discussions Of the ethi-
cal teaching 81 Jesus. Professor Stalker
speaks If the influence OF =. r Seeley's
Ecoe Homo" and he adds. six and
Thirty years after the appearance of
'Ecoe Homo there was published an
other exposition Of the ethical teaching
~ Christ. in the English language. not
unworthy - he named in the same
breath with that famous book. II was
from the pen Of Professor Peabody, ~
Harvard. and IL bears the title. Jesus
christ and the Social Question
Under the title The Problem Of Evil"
the OPEN Court Publishing Company
the president-eiect 81 Smith College. Dr.
Marion lie Roy Burton. has written a
detailed and highly technical criticism
II the philosophical basis Of the An
gustinian doctrine Of sin. While Au-
CUISINES monistic philosophy is much 10
his credit. also his insistenoe on the free
dom Of the win. vet the validity 81 his
teaching cannot lee maintained through
out n must be replaced. SAYS Dr. Bur
ton. by some theory which recognizes Al
one and the same time the solidarity os
mankind. thenniversality Of sin and the
responsibility II every individual.