ness takes upon her to correct her when she has mistaken the piano for a harpsichord. CHARLES LAMB, "Elia." PASCAL. 4 3 The "Thoughts" of Pascal* are to be ranked as a monument of his genius above the "Provincial Letters," though some have asserted the contrary. They burn with an intense light; condensed in expression, sublime, energetic, rapid—they hurry away the reader till he is scarcely able or willing to distinguish the sophisms from the truth they contain. For that many of them are incapable of bearing a calm scrutiny, is very manifest to those who apply such a test. The notes of Voltaire,† though always intended to detract,7 are sometimes unanswerable; but the splendour of Pascal's eloquence absolutely annihilates, in effect on the general reader, even this antagonist. Pascal had probably not read very largely,10 which 11 has given an ampler sweep 12 to his genius. Except the Bible and the writings of Augustine, the book that seems 1 Takes upon her, s'avise-2 mistaken, pris. 3 Are to be ranked, doivent être placées-4 they hurry away, elles emportent 5 till he is scarcely able or willing, au point (see note a, p. 35) de lui ôter presque entièrement la faculté ou même le désir-6 for that, etc.......such a test, car pour quiconque les soumet à un calme examen il est évident que beaucoup d'entre elles n'en peuvent soutenir l'épreuve- though always intended to detract, bien que toujours dictées par un esprit de dénigrement— 8 unanswerable, sans réplique-9 in effect, dans son effet-10 very largely, beaucoup- see note 6, p. 56—12 an ampler sweep, un plus libre essor. * See the Biographical notice No. 14 in the Appendix. most to have attracted him was the Essays of Montaigne.* Yet no men could be1 more unlike in personal dispositions, and in the cast of their intellect. But Pascal, though abhorring the religious and moral carelessness of Montaigne, found much that fell in with his own reflections, in the contempt of human opinions, the perpetual humbling of human reason, which runs through 3 the bold and original work of his predecessor. He quotes no book so frequently; and, indeed, except Epictetus, and once or twice Descartes,† he hardly quotes any other at all.4 Pascal was too acute a geometer, and too sincere a lover of truth, to countenance the sophisms of mere Pyrrhonism; but, like many theological writers,5 in exalting faith, he does not always give reason her value, and furnishes weapons which the sceptic might employ against himself.".... But the leading principle of Pascal's theology, that from which he deduces the necessary truth of revelation, is the fallen 9 nature of mankind; dwelling 10 less upon scriptural proofs, which he takes for granted,11 than on the evidence which he supposes man himself to supply. Nothing, however, can be more dissimilar than his beautiful visions to the vulgar Calvinism of the pulpit. It is not the sordid, grovelling, degraded Caliban of that school, but the ruined archangel that he delights to paint. Man is so great that his greatness is 1 No men could be, deux hommes ne sauraient être-2 found much that fell in with, trouva beaucoup de points de ressemblance avec— 3 runs through, pénètre d'un bout à l'autre he hardly quotes any other at all, il en cite à peine aucun autre-5 theological writers, théologiens-6 _6" against him"-" leading, dominant- from which, "from where"-9 fallen, déchue-10 dwelling, s'appuyant-11 which he takes for granted, qu'il tient pour avérées. * See the Biographical notice No. 4 in the Appendix. manifest even in the knowledge of his own misery. A tree does not know itself to be "miserable." It 2 is true, that to know we are miserable is3 misery; but still it is greatness to know it. All his misery proves his greatness; it is the misery of a great lord, of a king dispossessed of their own.5 Man is the feeblest branch of nature, but it is a branch that thinks. He requires not 8 He may be killed by a But if the whole universe the universe to 6 crush him. vapour, by a drop of water. should crush him, he would be nobler than that which causes his death, because he knows that he is dying,' and 10 the universe would not know its power over him. This is 12 very evidently sophistical and declamatory; but it is the sophistry of a fine imagination. It would be easy, however, to find better passages; the dominant idea recurs in almost 13 every page of Pascal. His melancholy genius plays in wild and rapid flashes,14 like lightning round the scathed oak, about the fallen greatness of man. He perceives every characteristic quality of his nature under these conditions. They are the solutions of every problem; the clearing up of every inconsistency that perplexes us. "Man," he says very finely,15 "has a secret instinct that leads him to seek diversion and employment from without;16 which 17 springs 18 from the sense of his continual misery. And he has another secret instinct, remaining from 19 the greatness of his 1 Does not know itself to be, ne se sait pas-2 see note ", p. 413 is, c'est-4 to, que de-5 of their own, de leur domaine-6 he requires not the universe to, il n'y a pas besoin de l'univers pourshould crush him, devait l'écraser-8 "would cause"-9 he knows that he is dying, il saurait qu'il va mourir-10 and, tandis que— 11 would not know, n'aurait pas conscience de-12 this is, voilà qui est-13 recurs in almost, se reproduit presque à-14 plays in wild and rapid flashes, se joue en traits fantasques et rapides-15 very finely, dans un fort beau langage-16 diversion and employment from without, le divertissement et l'occupation au dehors-17 which, lequel— 18 springs, provient—19 remaining from, débris de. original nature, which teaches him that happiness can only exist in repose. And from these two contrary instincts there arises in him an obscure propensity,1 concealed in his soul, which prompts him to seek repose through agitation, and even to fancy that the contentment he does not enjoy will be found, if, by struggling yet a little longer, he can open a door to rest." It can hardly be conceived that any one would think the worse of human nature or of himself, by reading these magnificent lamentations of Pascal. He adorns and ennobles the degeneracy he exaggerates. The ruined aqueduct, the broken column, the desolated city, suggests no ideas but of dignity and reverence. 4 No one is ashamed of a misery which bears witness to his grandeur. If we should persuade a labourer that the blood of princes flowed 5 in his veins, we might spoil his contentment with the only lot he had 7 known, but scarcely kill in him the seeds of pride. 6 HENRY HALLAM, "History of Literature,” etc. THE JESUITS. With what vehemence, with what policy, with what exact 10 discipline, with what dauntless courage, with what self-denial, with what forgetfulness of the dearest private ties, with what intense and stubborn devo 11 1 There arises in him an obscure propensity, il se forme en lui un projet confus-2 he can open a door to rest, il peut s'ouvrir par là la porte au repos-3 it can hardly, etc......the worse, on a peine à se figurer que quelqu'un puisse avoir une moins haute idée-4 no ideas, but, ne...... ...que des idées-5 flowed, coule-6 his contentment with, le contentement que lui donne-7 had, aurait-8 kill...... the seeds, étouffer......le germe. 9 Policy, adresse-10 exact, rigoureuse-11 private ties, liens de famille. 8 2 tion to a single end,1 with what unscrupulous laxity and versatility in the choice of means, the Jesuits fought the battle of3 their church, is written in1 every page of the annals of Europe during several generations. In the Order of Jesus was concentrated the quintessence of the Catholic spirit; and the history of the Order of Jesus is the history of the great Catholic reaction. That Order possessed itself 5 at once of all the strongholds which command the public mind—of the pulpit, of the press, of the confessional, of the academies. Wherever the Jesuit preached, the church was too small for the audience.7 The name of Jesuit on a title-page secured the circulation of a book. It was in the ears of the Jesuit that the powerful, the noble, and the beautiful breathed the secret history of their lives. It was at the feet of the Jesuit that the youth of the higher and middle classes 10 were brought up, from the first rudiments to 11 the courses of rhetoric and philosophy. Literature and science, lately associated with 12 infidelity or with heresy, now became the allies of orthodoxy. Dominant in the south 13 of Europe, the great Order soon went forth, conquering and to conquer.14 In spite of oceans and deserts, of hunger 15 and pestilence, of spies and penal laws, of dungeons and racks, of gibbets and quartering-block,16 Jesuits were to be 1 A single end, un seul et même objet-2 unscrupulous laxity, manque absolu de scrupules-3 fought the battle of, soutinrent la cause de—1 is written in, c'est écrit à—5 possessed itself, s'était emparé-6 command, dominent—7 for the audience, pour contenir l'auditoire- "on the title "—9 breathed, révélaient à voix basse10 of the higher and middle classes, de la haute classe et de la classe moyenne- from......to, depuis......jusqu'à-12 with, "to"-13 in the south, au midi-14 soon went forth, conquering and to conquer, marcha bientôt triomphant à de nouvelles conquêtes-15 hunger, la famine-16 quartering-blocks, l'écartèlement. |