Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-30

n the NntNerStty OF feHnSriNanlb
Bradstreet to Sir John was the late
Prof. Wendell's, not Mr.. More's.
OF THE New England essays like
" best that on Jonathan Edwards.
Mr. More is at his best in that difficult
region in which philosophy abuts upon
religion, and a clearer. a more justly
sympathetic estimate of Edwards. who
dweit verify Mt the heart Of Puritans,
might he sought for elsewhere in vain.
There are some keen bits OF insight, too,
on the much overwritten topic, Emer-
son. What could be simpler, for exam
pie. than "Emersonianism may be de-
fined as romanticism rooted In Puritan
divinityT' or the thrust: "It Is sig.
nifcant Of this confidence in individual
inspiration that generally In Emerson.
as in other poets, IL tends to looseness
and formless spontaneity Of style? II
is genuine contribution, too. to our
understanding of the Puritan spirit to
have pointed out to us the parallel be-
tween Edwards in bis revolt against
the practice Of the communion as
mere act of acquiescence in the author
ity Of religion" and Emerson's similar
disavowal Of any conformity in faith
and demand in its stead of ''the en-
tire liberty of each soul to rise on its
own spiritual impulses"
| A MONG the essays dealing with later
"A times, of Henry Adams possibly. we
have had enough and more than enough.
Mr.. More Is very entertaining on that
entertaining topic and even more so In
Samuel Butler, Of Erewhon." whose
enigmatc personality energies under
the essayist's hand in way quite
striking. Butler is of course season =
ing, not food. but condiment a
taste for which is to be acquired. Mr..
More helps in the acquisition and pro =
vokes in the reader OF "Erewhon' and
''The Way Of All Flesh"-which is a
detestable story, by the way-a desire
to read further.
Tn EVOLUTION AND THE
l. OTHER WORLD" Economic
Cod" the essayist touches some of The
issues. The first Of these declares very
definitely against what is almost al
obsession of our time. the application
| of the theory of evolution. usually a,
misunderstood. to things to which It i,
utterly inapplicable; although the essay
very justly concludes with the remark
| 1T ia not new thing that sound In
tuition should be supported by an un'
tenable theory" In tho last of these il
Is asked why the admission of womer
to Oxford's cloistered society and tn,
banishment. of God should have syn
chronized. But Mr. More is too wis,
n man to hazard an answer. Lastly
in Economic Ideals" we have set fortl
our mania for combinations further t,
enhance mechanical mastery over natur,
and the contrasted mania for combina
tions to protect man as an individua
from man as a machine. Most per
tinently does the author ask IL both ar,
not referable to that terrible uncer
tainty that haunts us day and night ant
IL we have gained much in the substitu
tion of this fear Of our fellow man fo
the old fashioned fear of God. Thes
are great topics even to name in on
paragraph. But be it remembered tina
a review is no real short cut. but onl!
n guide post, pointing, let us hope, il
the right direction.
A NEW ENGLAND GROUP AND OTHERS
Ry Paul Elmer More. Boston: Houshton
Mifflin Co.