The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-17


} tinus and Jansen never pat his 49, q
clearly a. ,iid President Jonathan fdN ar''s
VI saint Iyrs- carr,,- 'long m" argumt "a
through ~ tones and hall tones until h
shows that conversion melted ,utp ~"
destination III. fact that spm" men ar'
naturally religious ~h,l. others eN""ll"n
ia every respect ar" not - npW r''crSnia'-
I To- ari... from a dir.r-n.. 10 tenn '.ranle',i
hut that age explained II by election w
, need not enter into details ~ the very all'
; summary which our author has furnishes
- Jan--n's hook Suric" IL To- say that
his vieNs appealed tn Hlaiss Pascal 20 th'
I eXt"nt of converting him for the hrsi
tim" and even causing him u get int
truubl. through zeal with persons wh'
diner.d lie even got 80 far personally
as q consider his III health an actua
merit in the eyes II heaven This fancy
~ a sick man is embodied in one 81 this
prayers he wrote and h. was IN danger
Of idealizing asceticlsm.
His interest IN science was not qusnched
however. and IN IstG news brought from
Italy about an experiment made several
years h.fora by Galilso's illustriou- pupil
TorrIo-lli prompted Pascal to invesii-
gate for himself the subject Of air pres
sure H.. suCce.ded IN demonstrating
that vacuum - possible. whether the
old dlctum that Nature hates a vacuum
IL true or NOT 4 Wrangla with pes-
cartes. Who supported the latter theory.
naturally ensued and at last Pascal
! begged his brother-in-law P'rier thus
band OF Gilhertel. who lived In Clermont
to make an experiment, a. To pressure at
! the summit and the foo, Of the Puy q"
/ Dome. being himself too III Ia do it
I This great experiment was its author =
most dramatic contribution To science,
7 for It aattled the question b"yond a PER
adventure and converted the world To
his view
lie and his sister Jacuuelins came TO
PARIS IA iGI7. lust when the clouds of the
Frond. agitation were beginning TO lower.
and the result ~ this move was that hs
became a religious hackslider. though
stephen Pa Scal found them both EN-
harSed On the full tide Of JanAenism when
ha reached Paris year later on re-
signing his post at Rouen and being made
Privy Councillor Blaise and his sister
had promptly made their first visit to
the great citadel ~ the party Port Royal
DE- Paris. Port Royal ds- Champs having
hut association with the scientific men
81 hrs old Paris club made the mysticism
Of Sal Cyran. Port ROYALS leading spirit.
seem fantastic and unreal To the last de
gree Still he warmly approved IL Jac1ue-
lines desire to become a nun 81 Port
Royal though the father few into a pas
SION a the mere mention 81 her project
A year later Blaise fell in AZ some mathe-
NAUTICAL meeting With the young Duke 81
Roanne1. an aristoCra' - scientific tastes
and fond Of the society 81 learned men
warm. permanent friendship en-ued
He changed his attitude with regard To-
his sister. who after the fathers death in
1851 fed by stealth TO Port ROYAL. where
eventually she took the veil Port Royal
was wiling to receive her without "A dowry.
ahe had made over all her property 20 her
brother and the P@rierS refused To UPSET
their fathers will but BlaUse insisted on
giving her on. and then returned 10 the
world which 10 EVEN lIfsd IN Paris
drawing rooms he had h~en studying ever
since his friendship with RnAnnsz Hi
guide and preCeptor in thi- sphere wAs
Antoine de Gomhauld Chevalier de MSr,l
who wa one ~ the first representatives
% a new calling, the professional diners
out and specialists IN good manners
These men made social intercourse IN. On"
aim - their existence, and Their. j. no
doubt that Mere -uCCeeded in polishing
Pascal 20 very dssirahi. degree A.
least two 70 N@rs's Chargs-- did him
credit Pascal and the young and very
INEXPERIENCED wif" - his old friend Scar
ron an elderly crippled. minor pot
This lady was very Troublesome ~ first
and her tutor had often 10 Ecnld her Se-
verelv for giving her husbands whi'n-
precedence over the sacred dutr.~ 81
so~iety: hut h. lived to- $50 her b.~oma
Mn" dc Maintsnon. second wf" -
Louis XIV
PaS~al was more tractabe and was
trained down 90 simplicity and natIralne~s
Of E'vle In the salons he frpqusnted
there were essays as well as ~onyerra-
ton. but u was considered anything bu'
we'll bred 20 H. IN a hurry 10 print 50
M.r,.'- own essays and much Of la Rnrh.- f,
foicauld and ~ EvreInond were Intended |
originally for private circulation II
must ~ SAID that young Pascal did his
hest To IDENTIFY himself IN feeling as
well a. m practice with the aristoCratic .
and fashionable salons Ia which he dc
voted his powers Among the Influences ,
which he encountered there was thar /
81 the -I.,bertines.- who represented
the same spirit n Independence which I
was already vi-ihl" NJ Port Royal only .
their revolt Nns not confined Ia particular .
questions but extended Ia each and "very .
point ~ religion. morality and custom
Pascal had obviously got a very long /
wnv from Port ROYAL. with which he had ,
brukan hecaus" the gnpmetrica, spirit |
within him could NOT tolerate it's cloudy ,
intui'ipns Cartesianism ~ which his /
Paris Club had come 20 - little moro
than a forcing house. came forward 20
orer feather led for a falling Jansen
isi: for De-cnrte$ offered Tho world what
he world had never aeon lafore proofs
- God. freedom and immor' atty. PVT
into language strictly reasoned bat no,
Z 90 hard for average minds to follow Bu,
such reasoning was not for Pascal He
raj kht play with Car'e-iani-m for the
moment. but IN dI" tim" his grim humor
was sur. 10 - excited ~ the sight ~ his
Maker literally made into a god from the
machine: brought on "a" stage simply