From Fraser's Magazine. CONCERNING MAN AND HIS DWELLING PLACE.* WHEN my friend Smith's drag comes round to his door, as he and I are standing on the steps ready to go out for a drive, how cheerful and frisky the horses look! I think I see them, as I saw them yesterday, coming round from the stable-yard, with their glossy coats and the silver of their harness glancing in the May sunshine, the May sunshine mellowed somewhat by the green reflection of two great leafy trees. They were going out for a journey of twenty miles. They were, in fact, about to begin their day's work, and they knew they were; yet how buoyant and willing they looked! There was not the faintest appearance of any disposition to shrink from their task, as if it were a hard and painful one. No; they were eager to be at it: they were manifestly enjoying the anticipation of the brisk exertion in the midst of which they would be in five minutes longer. And by the time we have got into our places, and have wrapped those great fur robes comfortably about our limbs, the chafing animals have their heads given them; and instantly they fling themselves at their collars, and can hardly be restrained from breaking into a furious gallop. Happy creatures, you enjoy your work; you wish nothing better than to get at it! even when the paper is spread out and the pen all right, and the ink within easy reach, how they keep back from the final plunge! And after they have begun to write, how they dally with their subject; shrink back as long as possible from grappling with its difficulties; twist about and about, talking of many irrelevant matters, before they can summon up resolution to go at the real point they have got to write about! How much unwillingness there is fairly to put the neck to the collar! Such are my natural reflections, suggested by my personal feelings at this present time. I know perfectly well what I have got to do. I have to write some account, and attempt some appreciation, of a most original, acute, well-expressed, and altogether remarkable book-the book, to wit, which bears the comprehensive title of Man and his Dwelling-Place. It is a metaphysical book; it is a startling book; it is a very clever book; and though it is published anonymously, I have heard several acquaintances say, with ondite knowledge, that they have reason to looks expressive of unheard-of stores of recbelieve that it is written by this and that author, whose name is already well known to fame. It may be so, but I did not credit it a bit the more because thus assured of it. dropping hints of how much they know on In most cases the people who go about And when I have occasionally beheld a such subjects, know nothing earthly about the matter; ploughman, bricklayer, gardener, weaver, but still the premises (as lawyers or blacksmith, begin his work in the morn- would say) make it be felt that the book is ing, I have envied him the readiness and a serious one to meddle with. Not that in willingness with which he took to it. The treating such a volume, plainly containing ploughman, after he has got his horses har- the careful and deliberate views and reflec nessed to the plough, does not delay a min- tions of an able and well-informed man, I ute: into the turf the shining share enters, should venture to assume the dignified tone and away go horses, plough, and man. It of superiority peculiar to some reviewers in costs the ploughman no effort to make up dissecting works which they could not have his mind to begin. He does not stand ir- written for their lives. There are not a resolute, as you and I in childish days have score of men in Britain who would be justioften done when taken down to the sea for fied in reviewing such a book as this de haut our morning dip, and when trying to get en bas. I intend the humbler task of giving courage to take the first plunge under water. my readers some descriptions of the work, And the bricklayer lifts and places the first stating its great principle, and arguing cerbrick of his daily task just as easily as the tain points with its eminently clever author; The weaver, too, sits down with- and under the circumstances in which this out mental struggle at his loom, and sets article is written, it discards the dignified How different is the case with and undefined We, and adopts the easier and most men whose work is mental; more parless authoritative first person singular. The ticularly how different is the case with most work to be done, therefore, is quite apparmen whose work is to write-to spin out ent: there is no doubt about that. But the their thoughts into compositions for other writer is most unwilling to begin it. Slowly people to read or to listen to! How such was the pen taken up; oftentimes was the for the most part, shrink from their window looked out of. I am well aware work-put it off as long as may be; and that I shall not settle steadily to my task till I shall have had a preliminary canter, so to speak. Thus have I seen schoolboys, on a warm July day, about to jump from a seawall into the azure depths of ocean. last one. off at once. men, Man and his Dwelling-Place; An Essay towards the Interpretation of Nature. London: John W. Parker and Son. 1859. But CONCERNING MAN AND after their garments were laid aside, and all was ready for the plunge, long time sat they upon the tepid stones, and paddled with idle feet in the water. HIS DWELLING-PLACE. How shall I better have that preliminary and moderate exercitation which serves to get up the steam, than by talking for a little about the scene around me? Through diamond-shaped panes the sunshine falls into this little chamber; and going to the window you look down upon the tops of tall trees. And it is pleasant to look down upon the tops of tall trees. The usual way of looking at trees, it may be remarked, is from below. But this chamber is high up in the tower of a parish church far in the country. Its furniture is simple as that of the chamber of a certain prophet, who lived long ago. There are some things here, indeed, which he had not; for yesterday's Times lies upon the floor drying in the morning sunbeams, and Frasers Magazine for May is on a chair by Man and his dwelling place! Truly a the window. Why does that incomparable monthly act blisteringly upon the writer's comprehensive subject. For man's dwellmind? It never did so till May, 1859. ing-place is the universe; and remembering Why does he put it for the time out of this, it is plain that there is not much to be sight? Why, but because, for once, he has said which might not be said under that title. read in that magazine an article-by a very But, of course, there are sweeping views and eminent man, too-written in what he thinks opinions which include man and the universe, a thoroughly mistaken spirit, and setting out and which color all beliefs as to details. And views which he thinks to be utterly false and the author of this remarkable book has armischievous. Not such, the writer knows rived at such a sweeping view. He holds, well, are the views of his dear friend the that whereas we fancy that we are living editor; not such are the doctrines which creatures, and that inanimate nature is inert, Fraser teaches to a grateful world. In the or without life, the truth is just the opposite latter pages of his review of Mill on Liberty, of this fancy. He holds that man wants Mr. Buckle spoke solely for himself; he did life, and that his dwelling-place possesses not express the opinions which this magazine life. We are dead, and the world is living. upholds, nor commit for one moment the No doubt it would be easy to laugh at all staff of men who write in it; and, as one this; but I can promise the thoughtful reader insignificant individual who has penned a that, though after reading the book he may good many pages of Fraser, I beg to ex- still differ from its author, he will not laugh press my keen disapprobation of Mr. Buck- at him. Very moderately informed folk are le's views upon the subject of Christianity. quite aware of this-that the fact of any They may be right, but I firmly believe they doctrine seeming startling at the first menare wrong; they may be true, but I think tion of it, is no argument whatever against them false. I repudiate any share in them: its truth. Some centuries since you could let their author bear their responsibility for hardly have startled men more than by sayhimself. Alas, say I, that so able a man ing that the earth moves, and the sun stands should sincerely think (I give him credit for still. Nay, it is not yet forty years since entire sincerity) that man's best refuge and practical engineers judged George Stephenmost precious hope is vain delusion! Very son mad, for saying that a steam-engine jarringly to my mind sound those eloquent could draw a train of carriages along a railperiods, so inexpressibly sad and dreary, way at the rate of fourteen miles an hour. amid pages penned in many quiet parsonages, by many men who for the truth of Christianity would, God helping them, lay down their lives. So, you May magazine, get meanwhile out of sight: I don't want to think of you. Rather let me stay this impatient throbbing of heart by looking down on the green tops of those great silent trees. Thick ivy frames this mullioned window, It is certainly a startling thing to be told that I am dead, and that the distant hill out there is living. The burden of proof rests with the man who propounds the theory; the primâ facie case is against him. Trees do not read newspapers; hills do not write articles. We must try to fix the author's precise meaning when he speaks of life; perhaps he may intend by it something quite 538 CONCERNING MAN AND HIS DWELLING-PLACE. different from that which we understand. punishment of that individual. That, however, is not the point at issue. Even supposing that the magistrates who committed, and the judge who sentenced, that miserable acted conscientiously? What right had he could not Mr. Buckle suppose that they had wretch, had acted wrongly and unjustly, to speak of Mr. Justice Coleridge as a to say that the judge and the magistrates, in doing what they honestly believed to be right, were "criminals," who had "committed a great crime?" What right had he to say that their motives were "the pride of their power and the wickedness of their hearts ? " What right had he to call one of the most admirable men in Britain "this unjust and unrighteous judge?" Buckle ever see any thing to match the statement, that Mr. Justice Coleridge grasped And where did Mr. at the opportunity of persecuting a poor blasphemer in a remote county, where his own wickedness was likely to be overlooked, while he durst not have done as much in the face of the London press? Who will believe that Mr. Justice Coleridge is distinguished for his "cold heart and shallow understanding?" But I feel much more comfortable now, when I have written upon this page that I, as one humble contributor to this magazine, utterly repudiate Mr. Buckle's sentiments with regard to Sir J. T. Coleridge, and heartily condemn the manner in which he has expressed them. No: I cannot get on. that May magazine that is lying in the corI cannot forget ner. I must be thoroughly done with it before I can fix my thoughts upon the work" stony-hearted man?" What right had he which is to be considered. Mr. Buckle has done a service to my mind, entirely analogous to that which would be done to a locomotive engine by a man who should throw a handful of sand into its polished machinery. I am prepared, from personal experience, to meet with a flat contradiction his statement that a man does you no harm by trying to cast doubt and discredit upon the doctrines you hold most dear. Mr. Buckle, by his article, has done me an injury. It is an injury, irritating but not dangerous. For the large assertions, which if they stated truths, would show that the religion of Christ is a miserable delusion, are unsupported by a tittle of proof: and the general tone in regard to Christianity, though sufficiently hostile, and very eloquently expressed, appears to me uncommonly weak in logic. But as Mr. Buckle's views have been given to the world, with whatever weight may be derived from their publication in this magazine, it is no more than just and necessary that through the same channel there should be conveyed another contributor's strong disavowal of them, and keen protest against them. I do not intend to argue against Mr. Buckle's debated with scrupulous calmness and fairIf there be any question which ought to be opinion. This is not the time or place for ness, it is the question whether it is just that such an undertaking. And Mr. Buckle, in human laws should prevent and punish the his article, has not argued but dogmatically publication of views commonly regarded as asserted, and then called hard names at blasphemous. I deny Mr. Buckle's statethose who may conscientiously differ from ment, that all belief is involuntary. I say him. Let me suggest to Mr. Buckle that that in a country like this, every man of edsuch names can very easily be retorted. Any ucation is responsible for his religious be man who would use them, very easily could. lief; but of course responsible only to his Mr. Buckle says that any man who would Maker. Thus, on totally different grounds punish by legal means the publication of from Mr. Buckle, I agree with him in thinkblasphemous sentiments, should be regarded ing that no human law should interfere with as a noxious animal. It is quite easy for me a man's belief. I am not prepared, without to say, and possibly to prove, that the man much longer thought than I have yet given who advocates the free publication of blas- to the subject, to agree with Mr. Buckle and phemous sentiments, is a noxious animal. Mr. Mill, that human law should never inSo there we are placed on an equal footing; terfere with the publication of opinions, no and what progress has been made in the matter how blasphemous they may be esargument of the question in debate? Then teemed by the great majority of the nation Mr. Buckle very strongly disapproves a cer- to which they are published. I might probtain judgment of, as I believe, one of the ably say that I should not interfere with the best judges who ever sat on the English publication of any book, however false and bench: I mean Mr. Justice Coleridge. That mischievous I might regard the religious judge on one occasion sentenced to imprison- doctrines it taught, provided the book were ment a poor, ignorant man, convicted of written in the interest of truth-provided its having written certain blasphemous words author manifestly desired to set out doctrines upon a gate. I am prepared to justify every which he regarded as true and important. step that was taken in the prosecution and But if the book set out blashemous doctrine wicked to punish him; and I do not hesitate to say, for myself, that looking to the entire circumstances of the case, the magistrates who committed that nuisance of his neighborhood, and the judge who sent him to jail, did no more than their duty. in such a tone and temper as made it evident that the writer's main intention was to irritate and distress those who held the belief regarded as orthodox, I should probably suppress or punish the publication of such a book. Sincere infidelity is a sad thing, with little of the propagandist spirit. Even if it There are several statements made by Mr. should think that those Christian doctrines Buckle which must not be regarded as setwhich afford so much comfort and support to ting forth the teaching of the magazine in men are fond delusions, I think its humane which they were made. Mr. Buckle says feeling would be,-Well, I shall not seek to that no man can be sure that any doctrine shatter hopes which I cannot replace. I is divinely revealed: that whoever says so know that such was the feeling of the most must be "absurdly and immodestly confiamiable of unbelievers-David Hume. I know dent in his own powers." I deny that. Mr. how he regularly attended church, anxious Buckle says that it is part of Christian docthat he might not by his example dash in trine that rich men cannot be saved. I deny humble minds the belief which tended to that. Christ's statement as to the power of make them good and happy, though it was worldly possessions to concentrate the affeca belief which he could not share. My pres- tions upon this world, went not an inch ent notion is, that laws ought to punish further than daily experience goes. What coarse and abusive blasphemy. They may said Samuel Johnson when Garrick showed let thoughtful and philosophic scepticism him his grand house? "Ah, David, these alone. It will hardly reach, it will never are the things that make death terrible!" distress, the masses. But if a blackguard Mr. Buckle says that Christianity gained goes up to a parsonage door, and bellows ground in early ages because its doctrines out blashemous remarks about the Trinity; were combated. They were not combated. or if a man who is a blockhead as well as a Its professors were persecuted, which is quite malicious wretch writes blasphemous words another thing. Mr. Buckle says that the upon a parsonage gate, I cannot for an in- doctrine of Immortality was known to the stant recognize in these men the champions world before Christianity was heard of, or of freedom of religious thought and speech. any other revealed religion. I deny that. Even Mr. Buckle cannot think that their Greek and Roman philosophers of the highpurpose is to teach the clergyman important est class regarded that doctrine as a delutruth. They don't intend to proselytize. sion of the vulgar. Did Mr. Buckle ever Their object is to insult and annoy and read the letter of condolence which Sulpicshock. And I think it is right to punish ius wrote to Cicero after the death of Cicthem. They are not punished for setting ero's daughter? A beautiful letter, beautiout their peculiar opinions. They are pun- fully expressed; stating many flimsy and ished for designedly and maliciously injur- wretched reasons for drying one's tears; but ing their neighbors. Mr. Justice Coleridge containing not a hint of any hope of meeting punished the blasphemer in Cornwall, not in another world. And the same may be because he held wrong views, not because he said of Cicero's reply. As for Mr. Buckle's expressed wrong views. He might have ex- argument for Immortality, I think it expressed them in a decent way as long as he tremely weak and inconclusive. It certainly liked, and no one would have interfered with goes to prove, if it proves any thing, that him. He was punished because, with mali- my cousin Tom, who was lately called to cious and insulting intention, he wrote blas- the bar, is quite sure to be lord chancellor ; phemous words where he thought they would and that Sam Lloyd, who went up from our cause pain and horror. He was punished village last week to a merchant's countingfor that: and rightly. Mr. Buckle seeks to house in Liverpool, is safe to rival his emiexcite sympathy for the man, by mixing up nent namesake in wealth. Mr. Buckle's arwith the question whether or no his crime gument is just this: that if your heart is deserved punishment, the wholly distinct very much set upon a thing, you are perquestion, whether or no the man was so far fectly sure to get it. Of course everybody sane as to deserve punishment for any crime has read the soliloquy in Addison's Cato, whatever. These two questions have no where Mr. Buckle's argument is set forth. connection; and it is unfair to mingle them. I deem it not worth a rush. Does any man's The question of the man's sanity or insanity experience of this life tend to assure him, was for the jury to decide. The jury de- that because some people (and not all peocided that he was so sane as to be responsi- ple) would like to see their friends again ble. Mr. Buckle's real point is, that how- after they die, therefore they shall? Do ever sane the man might have been, it was | things usually turn out just as we particu 540 CONCERNING MAN AND HIS DWELLING-PLACE. larly wish that they should turn out? Has viction that I should have forgotten my thenot many a young girl felt, like Cato, a "se- oretical assent to the doctrine of religious cret dread and inward horror" lest the pic- toleration, and by a gentle hint to my sturdy nic day should be rainy? Did that ensure friends, procured him an invigorating bath its being fine? Was not I extremely anx- in that gleaming river. I have got rid of ious to catch the express train yesterday, that feeling now. And although Mr. Buckle and did not I miss it? Does not every child is the last man who would find fault with any of ten years old know, that this is a world honest opposition, I yet desire to express my in which things have a wonderful knack of regret if I have written any word that passes falling out just in the way least wished for? the limit of good-natured though sturdy conIf I were an infidel, I should believe that flict. some spiteful imp of the perverse had the and moral courage: I heartily admire his elguidance of the affairs of humanity. I know oquence: I give him credit for entire sincerI respect Mr. Buckle's earnestness better than that: but for my knowledge Iity in the opinions he holds, though I think have to thank Revelation. But is it philo- them sadly mistaken. sophical, is it common sense, in a man who rejects Revelation, and who must be guided Twice already has the writer put his mind in his opinions of a future life by the anal-at that book, but it has each time swerved, So now for Man and his Dwelling Place. ogy of the present, to argue that because like a middling hunter from a very stiff here the issue all but constantly defeats our fence, and taken a circle round the field. wishes and hopes, therefore an end on which Now at last the thing must really be done. (as he says) human hearts are very much set shall certainly be attained hereafter ? the separation were final," says Mr. Buckle, "If in a most eloquent and pathetic passage, "how could we stand up and live ?" Fine feeling, indeed, but impotent logic. When a man has worked hard and accumulated a little competence, and then in age loses it all in some swindling bank, and sees his daughters, tenderly reared, reduced to starvation, I doubt not he may think "How can I live?" but will all this give him his fortune back again? Has not many a youthful heart, crushed down by bitter disappointment, taken up the fancy that surely life would now be impossible; but did the fancy, by the weight of a feather, affect the fact? I remember, indeed, seeing Mr. Buckle's question put with a wider reach of meaning. Poor Uncle Tom, torn from his family, is sailing down the Mississippi, and finding comfort as he reads his well-worn Bible. How could that poor negro weigh the arguments on either side, and be sure that the blessed faith, which was then his only support, was true? With better logic than Mr. Buckle's, he drew his best evidence from his own consciousness. "It fitted him so well: it was so exactly what he needed. It must be true, or how could he live ? " up your previous view upon all possible subIf you, my reader, are desirous of discovering a book which shall entirely knock jects, read this Essay Towards the Interpretation of Nature. It does, indeed, interpret nature, and man too, in a fashion which, to the best of my knowledge, is thoroughly original. And the book is distinguished not more by originality than by piety, earnestness, and eloquence. Its author is an enthusiastic Christian; and indeed his peculiar views in metaphysics and science are founded upon his interpretation of certain passages in the New Testament. It is from the sacred volume that he derives his theory that man is at present dead. The work appears likely to appeal to a limited circle of readers; it will be understood and appreciated by few. Though its style is clear, the abstruseness of the subjects discussed and the transcendental scope of its author, make the train of thought often difficult to follow. Possibly the fault is not in the book, but in the reader: possibly it may result from the book having been read rapidly and while pressed by many other concerns; but there seems to me a certain want of clearness and sharpness of presentment about it. The great principle maintained is indeed set forth with unmisHaving written all this, I feel that I can there appears in details a certain absence of takable force; but, it is hard to say how, now think without distraction of Man and method, and what in Scotland is called a his Dwelling Place. I have mildly vented drumliness of style. There is a good deal of my indignation; and I now, in a moral sense, repetition too; but for that one is rather extend my hand to Mr. Buckle. Had he thankful than otherwise; for the great idea that corkscrew stair an hour or two of the deadness of man and the life and ago, I am not entirely certain that I might spirituality of nature grows much better denot have taken him by the collar and shaken fined, and is grasped more completely and him. And had I found him standing on a intelligently, as we come upon it over and chair in the green behind the church, and over again, put in many different indoctrinating my simple parishioners with with great variety of illustration. It is a his peculiar notions, I have an entire con-humiliating confession for a reviewer to ways and come up |