The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-24

of life which warrant discussion and
II st. Augustine and Calvin would not
have excused themselves with just
the same pleas that Mr.. Ellis himself
puts forward that we cannot question
too deeply these burning issues of how
to live.
that he dwells upon those aspects of
his subjects which are most ques-
tionable, for II a subject were not ques-
tionable II would be futile to discuss
II. II Is n waste Of energy to spend
time paving over the unquestion-
able" A healthy dog. says the au-
thor. having examined his bone either
rats 1t or buries II. But there are
times when even the simple. eternal
facts may have so far drifted from
us that we must recapture them. This
book Is In n way n confession of faith
OF which Nietzsche and st. Francis,
Casanova, lola and Huysmans are the
alluring texts. Each man must make
his own afirmations; the great oues-
tons Of life are immortal because no
one "a adequately answer them for
another. The value of a book is in
direct ratio TO the spiritual vigor of its
reader: II may easily he tonic To the
strong and poison to the weak. The
reveal the reader to himself.
II I can stimulate any one in the search
for his own proper ~aNirnations he and I
may well rest content. Only with
the help of such ~afnrmations can we nnd
a stan 10 comfort us through the valley
OF life. II IL only when they utter arirma-
lions. II Is said, tina; the wanis Of the
angels blossom.
Anent Nietzsche. Havelock Ellis
draws our attention to NietzsChc's
faith in culture rather than In aca-
demic knowledge: to the love of life
which accepts reality without too much
theorizing ABOUT IL. His devotion to
Greek culture was not a devotion to
the beautiful mediocre Greek world
that Goethe and Winckelmann knew.
nor yet the rhetorical idealism OF
Plato. The real Hellenic world came
earlier and the true Hellenes were
sturdy realists enamored of life, rev.
erencing all its manifestations and
signs and holding in highest honor that
sexual symbol OF life which Christian
ity despises. The best cure for Plato.
Nietzsche thought. was Thucydides:
Tor Plato was the coward who fled from
the real into the ideal.
Fresh from the world of Greece
Nietzsche believed culture 10 he above
all that unity Of artistic style in
every expression of a peoples life. The
eNuberance Of knowledge In which a
Herman retOices is no sign of culture.
being more nearly allied to h~arbarism
in its homely Professionalism and it,
duh Observation-Disclosures. Nor did
Nietzsche fail to value individual!sm:
Al bottom every man well know. tina,
he can only live one single life in the
world. and that never again will so strange
a chance shake together into unity such
sinsulariy varied elements as he holds; he
KNOWS that. but lie hides It Ike a bad
conscience.
lndividualism. the love of reality, the
danger OF an excessive historical sense.
n culture which is less "A striving after
intellectual knowledge than a power
Of awakening within us the philoso-
pfier. artist and saint. these we're some
II NletZsche'S earlier ideals.
haVe!ock Ellis warns US against ac-
cepting Nietzsche's latest develop-
ments. holding him TO have given out
his sanest and best doctrines in his
middle period. Nietzsche's detection
from Wagner IL explained, as indeed
now. the two lives Of the men being
thoroughly known, any reader might
explain II. by the fact that Wagner was
"A thorough wording in his power OF
s"izing any and every means Of ~rcaliz.
ing his W purposes. lie knew indeed
that the dver's hand must ever be
somewhat tinged with that il works I'm
But NletZschc. regarding lite itself is
n art of all arts. had Il horror of he
iaintcst ticck ON his hand. "Your
brother Wagner said to Frau Fncr-
ster-Nietzsche. with his air OF deli
cate distinction, is a most uncomfort-
able fellow; and 50, alas he WAS 10
himself ANA all others To the very end
OF his life. His ambition was laudahle.
but unattained. In his first period ne
was an apostle OF culture: In the seq
"nd' a Tree thinker pronouncing judy
ment on all things IN heaven and
earth, and finally he wa exclusively
"A moralist, or as himself in his eyoI,
against established customs Womb
have preferred TO call Il, an immoral
LIST. To war with the moral system of
ones age has always been a terrible
matter. m Nietzsche, who stroya TO
reconstruct the world more near,v 10
the hearts desire. paid the usual pen
atty. or Germany he said; nowhere
else has there been so vicious a mis-
use of the two great European mar
cotics, alcohol and Christianity"
The only religion that Nictzscho
advocated was the religion of moral
energy and self-reliance. Pain he no.
heved In because II helped TO rhroy,
man back on his W naked person
atty, bringing him face TO facc with
reality. And the only realities worth
knowing were the inner realities 80
living h a they make ono feel i'm
mortal saved" and "in heaven"
Over and over again he warns man
TO trust himself and his own feelings
remembering at the same time that
every kind of individuality is like,v
TO give a bad conscience. For 10 he
moral means to obey custom: TO bc
original, to be wicked, Yet must man
bethink himself that every good
thing was once new. and therefore
immoral, Every mar his own moral
list" might have been Nictzsche's
maxim. But TO he so he must heed
Nietzsche's other maxim: "Re hard"
His Ideal man was the brave, laconic,
~self-cOntained man: not lustinp oft,r