New-York tribune., 1912-03-09
Literary Nes0s and Criticism

took heart anew when they read James's
vigorous appeal to the religious CON
seriousness Of the individual as to tAe
most authoritative evidence for religion.
Then there was "a native note in his de-
liberately unconventional and intensely
democratic way Of regarding the relig-
ious values
The old-world types Of reverence for the
external forms OF the Church find no place
in his pages; but equally foreign 10 MS
mind is that barren hostility of the typlchl
European freethinkers for the Church WITH
whose traditions they have broken
WOrld-renOWned saints of the hlstonC
Church receive his hearty sympathy, Du'
they stand upon an equal footing, in MS es-
TEEN, with many an obscure ana ignorant
revivalist, with faith healers, WIN PVth,s,'
with sages with heretics, with men tna'
wander i'm all sorts of sheepskinS ana eoat
skins with chance correspondents OF hIS
own, with whomSOeVer you VIII OF WhoHI
the world was not and is not worthy, puI
who. by inner experience. have optaineo
the substance Of things hoped tor' 'he eN'-
dence OF things not seen
The pusthumous volume of addresses
and ESSAYS. Memories and Studies. at
tests the variety of interests for "hlcn
William James could find place ano
goes TO confirm the never dubious claims
as to the mental courage. the broad
sympathies. the skittish humor and the
downright moral earnestness OF this
man who was, as Henry Drummond
once said Of D. L. Moody. "a big
human" There is a chapter on Herbert
spencers autobiography in which, al
lowing for the epoch making importance
of Spencer there is the frankest opJec-
tion to the pedantic rectitude the com
bined yastness and smallness Of the Ia
NOUS philosopher. There is group OF
naners dealing with academic preoccu-
pations; one on "The Ph. d. octopus
pouring forth fine scorn on the supersti-
ton that the holder of that degree is
necessarily a learned person. the au-
dress at the Emerson centenary IN con-
cord is reproduced one Of the choicest
achievements Of a master OF Enslish
prose: and there are chapters devoted 10
Louis Agassiz, his old teacher; Robert
Gould Shaw the friend Of his youth;
Thomas Davidson, whose rich ana
whimsical nature won many friendships
! The tonic addresses on The Energies
of Men" and The Moral Equivalent OIL
| War" arc included. Lay readers unaple
| 10 decide on the merits Of a discussion
between pragmatst and intellectualist'
or between pluralist and monlst' can
| happily turn TO more than one volume
| ike the present in which, technical mat
ters not being to the fore, James Is
nevertheless giving of his best. Consid-
ering the spacious qualities of character
| which have endeared him to so large
a number of his, cOuntrymen, it is to be
desired that the fullest Information
should be Forthcoming. NJ. BoutrouX Ter
vently hopes that Mr.. Henry James may
! give TO the world this cherished por-
trait. A volume of fraternal recollection
and evaluation from such source would
get ardent welcome. Already the task
OF writing a formal biography has been
assigned to Mr.. Henry James, jr., who
will no doubt make full use Of the ma
t<rial in his hands. and provide that
memorial representation Of his father for
which we wait.