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„.. .( ; COMTK-S PHILOSOPHY OF THE SCIEN...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Tope And The 18tii Ckntulty. Tho Poetica...
tone of morality pervading riot only their conduct of Literature ^ btit : their views of it , as if , indeed , thejr had no conception of Literature Tieirig any tiiin'o else than an arena for the display pf wit , dexterity , learning , and personal spite , —all these traits inark but the Literature of the 18 th century , ciroumscribing it from the passionate , poetical , and thoughtful Literature of " tl «* 17 th century , arid the consciously irioral Literature of the 10 tli . "Whatever may be said against our age , this much at least miisfc be said for it , that Literature is looked upon as a thing noble . and ennobling ; not as an amusement only , but as a nieans of educating through amusement , as a means of expanding and directing the souls of our generation . . ;
Pope , who was the culmination of that literature ^ exhibits one of its vices . The brightness and felicity of his talents ; need not here be insisted on ; they are familiar wherever the English language L ? read . . But we must pause for a moment to point to those . defects which he shared in common with almost all the writers of his age ; and besides those already noted , there is one which may be said to imply them all , implying as it does the absence of the very pi'inciple of chivalry—we mean liis opinion of and treatment of women . It is worthy of note that the two greatest Satirists of that age , Swift and Pope , both wrote degradingly of women , and both treated them with liorrible selfishness , which was in each case repaid by , untiring devotion . Swift ' s conduct to Stella and Vanessa was > perhaps , more like madness , than Pope's to Teresa and Martha Blount ; and Swift Was ait least
guiltless of the infamy of having publicly flung filth and caluinriy upon the woman he had once loved . There is something inexplicable in Pope ' s mean selfishness : after for a long while dallying with the'two sisters , unable , apparently , to determine on a choice , and wishing certainly to preserve both to himself , he , not being of a polygamous turn of mind , forced Teresa to consent to celibacy for six years , allowing her , meanwhile , an income of forty pounds a year , and by the time that period expired , he had settled his Platonic pi'eference on her sister . Now , explain this connexion how you will , nothing could rescue it from the charge of the basest selfishness , but its standing as an isolated act in a generous , unselfish life , which Pope ' s was not . Head by light reflected from the episode with Lady Mary its despicable nature is evident . ' Lady Mary may have used him ill . We do not see much . evidence for such a supposition : she : may have liked his - wit . and conversation , but , to judge from her letters , she never encouraged his passion—rather the reverse ¦ and although ( if it be true that she did burst out into an immoderate fit of laughter when lie declared his passion , ) she behaved with cruel , ' and most \ in womanly levity , yet not even that , nor any other wrong she might have done him , nor any sorrow she might have caused him , could , ever justify
his unmanly iittacks upon her . " l , he coarsest lines' lie ever wrote , '' says his biographer , " and the most bitter of his personal attacks , were directed against the lady on whom he had lavished eveiy epithet of admiration and praise . " And the fact , significant of the absence of chivalry clmracfcerizinothe age , and not therefore to be taken as an individual defect , is , that ' the man who notoriously committed this outrage on the woman lie had loved was not held up to public scorn for it , but was courted and admired , as if the outrage were no more than the flagellation of a Curll . n Homiic „„ ¦ „ the outrage were no more than the flagellation of a Curlla Dennis
, , or a Theobald ! It formed the topic of scandal , a bit of piquant gossip ; tickled the enemies of Lady Mary , and found admirers among lovers of satire for the venom of its sting and the polish of its verse ! Js not that evidence of . a tone of moral feeling pervading the age which to our age js revolting ? Mr . Carruthers has given us material for more moralizing in this agreeable volume , had we time and space to avail ourselves of it , for lie paints a vivid picture of Literature and its professors . But we can find room only for one specimen passage : —
"The Homer subscription bad brought the poet honour , wealth , and troops of friends . The your J 71 * may be considered us marking the commencement of the gayest period of Pope ' s life . It was the beginning of a decade of prosperous years , in which , through all eireum « tanee , s , J , j s spir j t Wfta lS . in £ tnnc exultai t , and defiant , lie bud not yet assumed the ' philosopher ^ robe , or hardened down into . severe satire and ethics . His Avit wa . s . sportive and ' his enemies—for bo always supposed himself to be surrounded by a ' eloud of enemies— -he could afford to smile : at . Kit */ pen was the sword with which he had cut his way through the world , and it was bright and trenchant , ready for any service- At first his good fortune seems to havo transported him
into excesses foreign to Jus real character . JIC fcet up lor a bon-vivnnt and rake—frequented the October Club and gauiing-houson ( but was never known to bet ) boasted of Hitting till two in the morning over bur « r , mdy and champagne—ami gruw ashamed of Imishhmsh . i \ mr authors , of course were bin . special aversion . Ho sketched plans and architectura l designs with Lord Um-liiigtoii ; lounged in the library of IahxI Oxford ; breakfasted with Craifga ; talked of the Spanish war With the djivulroiw Mordatint Lord Peterborough , t )\ a English AuhuIih ; or , m the evening Joined in the Wned raillery of Arbuthnot . With young Lord Warwick ami othor bf > aux-est » rit « delicious lobsternihts and tavern gaietieshow
he bad -g - < lifT « : i-eiit 'from life in Windsor Forest ! At the country Heats of Lords Jlareourt , llathurnt and ' Cobhani , he was a frequent visitor—criticising groves , walkn , '« rlftd « . s . gardens and porticoes j and he may claim the merit of having dono more than ahv other pout to reader Kug lish . scones classic ground—a disjtiwotioh' in which he was followed by Gray and Walpolc , tho latter acting as historian of patrician improvement and rural beauty . In tho Koeiety of Judith of rank and fashion the diminutive figure of tho poot might bo hoch in JiiH 8 ,, it of hlack velvet , with tie-wig and smallsword , discourHJng on topics of wit and gallantry his iine eyo and hiiudgorno intellectual fuco Boon making the defects of hi »
¦ „ ¦< : , - ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ . ¦!¦ ' ^ h-- ¦ ¦¦( ( yJ--:- , ' ' . ' .: ¦' : ¦' 'P- ' : > r : i . A : ; i :, : 'ii ¦ i : f--i— 'f v >• ¦¦;¦ -: >< - ; . > , ., _ person forgotten , ; for , uv company entjreljto IiisttxindSp ^ ihen possess ^ * v art andgaiety ; that could ' laugh down nianyva ^ umme ^ jsun » The Wharnchife , , atid shone ,. V ^ . hriglit . partujular ^ tar ' , & Jhe hrilljant ciS J the ; metropolis ..,, Pope > :, v ^ sr <; - <> . fitpi | i :,. > vt ^ ., 6 ^^ ^^ P 9 Ki 9 ! liBj # 9 ijte ] rie 9 that ^" ' afterwards to bechan ged to . « ffl ^ r ^ jie ^ flc ^ eK ^ of QuTO ^ lberrt ' Ham'W * i and Montagu smiled graciously pp . ^ he iajipejled ^ poety ; andVcarried ^ ia tn + v /"' } concerts and pleasure parties on the 3 ^ ame ^ : ;'" . $ ! hfe M 0 $ pf Honour f ! court of the Princess Caroline—^ tliQ . beauttful , ' Mary Bellendeni ^ Mary I i Miss OriffinVand Mrs . Howard , ' admittedliim to ^ heir confiden ' cp--T «^^^ * into their ^ protection , contrary ; to . tlie . laws against ^^ harbb ^ ing ^ Papj st ^__ instructed him in tke ' Zrticassefiespfiii & 'GoViYt , or ^ ^ joined "him ^ in i-M' r ^ pompous Ministers of State and sage Doctor ^ of I > ivihity . ' » i J ; ii ¦ -.. u- 1 ? Wng
In the way of objection we nmst note , ias very disfiguring-, i ; he va ' ¦' fC portraits '' ; inserted in these pages j they are indre like : si gnboards ^ portraits , and depreciate the volume , A reniai ^ k ail ^ o w called for bv ^ folio ' wing passage ; :- — ¦ ' " : : ' . '¦ ' .. ' " ¦ ^ ' " - ' " ' ; ; ' ' ; " ' „ ^ ' •^•• jl ¦ ¦'¦• ¦¦ ¦ ¦ - ¦¦¦¦ •¦ ;¦ k ., ; . * " ' Considering- how vei-y little I had when 1 came fr 6 n ^' sclib 6 l ; ithiriRt be said to hiive tangiit myself Latin as well ^ as ' Frencli' ' orJGfr ^ ek i attd * m & n these my chief way of getting- them was by translatioij . ' ' ^ He afterwardfTs'i of ' himself , - <¦ . . = '¦ ¦ ¦ :. ¦ ¦' : ¦ •¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ - ¦ '¦¦ - ' ' - ¦¦¦ '¦ ¦¦ - ¦¦ < . ¦••¦^ ¦¦; -: ¦ " . ¦ ¦ ¦ = ¦• ' . ¦ : sai ( 1 ; ¦ ' Bretl np at hom ^ ftill early I be ^ uh ' -i ; ' ¦ ., r :. ., ¦ ; T ^ retiU in . Greek ' the wxatU'of Pelevis ' son . ' , ¦¦ , .-. , ¦ , -.- ¦ .
No critical scholar , howevei ^ given Pope ' credit for pi ' oficiencyin tlie Ian guage of Homer , or pronouhbed liis sclieme | bf selif-Jnstftiicti 6 ir to have Jbeeh a perfectly successful experiment . 13 e forced his way into the ^ chamb ers of ancient literature , but lie never obtained corriplete possession of the treasures With winch they are stored . His case may beflield ^ support the argumen t in favour of public schools ; but at the same time ; it affords an aniraaUnc- example to the young student who has been denied ; the inestimable advantages of early academical training and discipline ; " ' ' ¦
This we take to be a complete misapprehension . ' ^ Pope- was not a critical Grecian , but- he learned by his method precisely what lie Wanted to learn he had no scliolarly umhitipn ; poets seldom have ; but if he had desired to attain critical knowledge , does Mr . {^ rrutiiers . ^ uppose hi . couHnot have done so unaided by " public sphools ?" ,, So , " far .- iVoni tWs case afford ing an argument iu ; favour of public schools , it affords , if anythiagi an argument against them ; for . however low we may : estimate Pope'smiastery of Greek it was surely irmrieasttrably greater than that of hinfeteen out of twenty ; who have received tlie advantages of " academical traniirijrf' ' Vi
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„.. .( ; Comtk-S Philosophy Of The Scien...
„ .. . ( ; COMTK-S PHILOSOPHY OF THE SCIENCES . . Comic s Philosophy of iha Science * : bning an Exposition , of tboPrinCijiles of tho Cours dc r . / ttlof . ophie 1 ' osifwe oJ ' . Auffnsle Comic . BV G . H . Lcmcs . ' ( Bohii ' s Sciefiii / ic l . ibi-ary ) . . ¦ .. ¦'¦ ¦ ¦¦¦ . H . J . Bohn . Ix looking abont us to remedy as best we could the effects of . the disaster which consigned our weekly work prematurely to the flames , it was of course natural that we blfonld ' alight upon those , fiubjects whjch liiost readily admitted of treatinent . . Hence , although there are / obvious . reasons which make a notice of the work at the head of this article a somewhat delicate task , the one reason of facility overpowers all the rest .
This volume purposes to be an attempt to popularize the leading principles of Comte's Positive Philosophy , forming a systematic introduction to tho study of the eleven volumes of Comte's works ; and to Supply , for those readers who have not sufficient leisure , the place of such study . The readers of this journiil will remember that last year a series of articles with tins purpose appeared in our eolumiis . " It was ' o ' u ' r intention to liave completed tho design by a second series ; but the difficulty of finding space for a series
extending over more than three months , forced us to relinquish that intention . The articles which appeared form about half the present volume ; they have , however , been revised and greatly enlarged ;; threo < new " section * having been added ; one on tho Mathematical Sciences , and one propounding' a theory of the Passage from the Inorganic to the Organic . Besides these additions , there is an outline of Cointo ' s Cerebral Theory , and the second half of the volume is devoted to a condensation of his three volumes on Social Science ,
and a very brief analysis of his Politiqne Positive . We have now mude our readers awm-e of the scope and structure of the book ; and the two extracts we shall take from it are from the additions made to the old series . After illustrating in various ways Cointe ' s fundamentaUaw ofevphition , by i ^ eans of the threp j \ tothods , Theological , M ^*' physical , < m < i 1 ' oHitive , Mr . Lewos adds : r" The luHfory of any Hoionco will fiirniHli ' " oxiimples ' of the throq Methods , W Com ' te , ill tli « eoui-Ho of his work , hius giv «; n Hovornl : " id ; mo ad ( l <) n « Cvmn Tetatatofll , or the " SciiencVs (» f M () nHt , i- ( witH , N . '_ --ii Heiejl ( : o , () nl y possible vyithin iho hvtt century , ifiineo t ' ho difjiMweriea () f ( JoollVo y ! S |; . Iflilaire .
" At fir . st , wImiu an unhappy mother broujj )^ . forth ' one . of thowo ' organic doviatioiis' we name ' uhiuhKu-h /—mU < , 1 , , fl ) r ojfiuiipjo , i . ^ , a c hild with ,, . . i / wo .. 1 icimJ « , ° 1 ' child with no luuid , ihe r .-iul y <; xplunatiou w ^ . tlmt-myii ' v , iw >\ ujtifcfwm * w ^ 'l !' lc !'" of God ' s anger ^ Hoinothncs it Kju '( 1 that filu ^ Dcn ^ l liiul wwluwsd or violated tl »« mother , an ( U : biM mouHttir was the rosiUI , J , I [« rp wo ][» ave-, iJui ^ poutmieouti expl a "' 1-tioii HUggeHfced by tlm 'I'heolo ^ ical Hpirit . |) i later U ) MH , f-bja oxp lapation wuH n > - liiKpuMbed sis ridiculoiw . J t was then believed , —on , indeed , it , ia . Htill . vory . goncnUly believed , —that \\ w nvmn contabmi the oak , and ( , he tforin contai ned the »» i »> ; This Metaphymeal com-eptioiv of primitive " wnw , potential / ' / ooirtnining nU « Ml < may tmbaequontly I >« developed from them , naturally l «« l mou to arguo time i
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 1, 1853, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_01101853/page/18/
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