is；　who　formally　teaches　that　the　world　is　not　an　EMANATION　from　Divinity；which　is　pure　pantheism；but　a　FLOW　of　Divinity。
  I　do　not　pretend；　however；　to　deny　that　〃L'Esquisse〃　contains　some　excellent　things；　but；　by　the　author's　declaration；　these　things　are　not　original　with　him；　it　is　the　system　which　is　his。　　That　is　undoubtedly　the　reason　why　M。　Lamennais　speaks　so　contemptuously　of　his　predecessors　in　philosophy；　and　disdains　to　quote　his　originals。　　He　thinks　that；　since　〃L'Esquisse〃　contains　all　true　philosophy；　the　world　will　lose　nothing　when　the　names　and　works　of　the　old　philosophers　perish。　　M。　Lamennais；　who　renders　glory　to　God　in　beautiful　songs；　does　not　know　how　as　well　to　render　justice　to　his　fellows。　　His　fatal　fault　is　this　appropriation　of　knowledge；　which　the　theologians　call　the　PHILOSOPHICAL　SIN；　or　the　SIN　AGAINST　THE　HOLY　GHOSTa　sin　which　will　not　damn　you；　proletaires；　nor　me　either。
  In　short；　〃L'Esquisse；〃　judged　as　a　system；　and　divested　of　all　which　its　author　borrows　from　previous　systems；　is　a　commonplace　work；　whose　method　consists　in　constantly　explaining　the　known　by　the　unknown；　and　in　giving　entites　for　abstractions；　and　tautologies　for　proofs。　　Its　whole　theodicy　is　a　work　not　of　genius　but　of　imagination；　a　patching　up　of　neo…Platonic　ideas。　　The　psychological　portion　amounts　to　nothing；　M。　Lamennais　openly　ridiculing　labors　of　this　character；　without　which；　however；　metaphysics　is　impossible。　　The　book；　which　treats　of　logic　and　its　methods；　is　weak；　vague；　and　shallow。　　Finally；　we　find　in　the　physical　and　physiological　speculations　which　M。　Lamennais　deduces　from　his　trinitarian　cosmogony　grave　errors；　the　preconceived　design　of　accommodating　facts　to　theory；　and　the　substitution　in　almost　every　case　of　hypothesis　for　reality。　　The　third　volume　on　industry　and　art　is　the　most　interesting　to　read；　and　the　best。　　It　is　true　that　M。　Lamennais　can　boast　of　nothing　but　his　style。　　As　a　philosopher；　he　has　added　not　a　single　idea　to　those　which　existed　before　him。
  Why；　then；　this　excessive　mediocrity　of　M。　Lamennais　considered　as　a　thinker；　a　mediocrity　which　disclosed　itself　at　the　time　of　the　publication　of　the　〃Essai　sur　l'Indifference！〃？　　It　is　because　（remember　this　well；　proletaires！）　　Nature　makes　no　man　truly　complete；　and　because　the　development　of　certain　faculties　almost　always　excludes　an　equal　development　of　the　opposite　faculties；　it　is　because　M。　Lamennais　is　preeminently　a　poet；　a　man　of　feeling　and　sentiment。　　Look　at　his　style；exuberant；　sonorous；　picturesque；　vehement；　full　of　exaggeration　and　invective；and　hold　it　for　certain　that　no　man　possessed　of　such　a　style　was　ever　a　true　metaphysician。　　This　wealth　of　expression　and　illustration；　which　everybody　admires；　becomes　in　M　Lamennais　the　incurable　cause　of　his　philosophical　impotence。　　His　flow　of　language；　and　his　sensitive　nature　misleading　his　imagination；　he　thinks　that　he　is　reasoning　when　he　is　only　repeating　himself；　and　readily　takes　a　description　for　a　logical　deduction。　　Hence　his　horror　of　positive　ideas；　his　feeble　powers　of　analysis；　his　pronounced　taste　for　indefinite　analogies；　verbal　abstractions；　hypothetical　generalities；　in　short；　all　sorts　of　entites。
  Further；　the　entire　life　of　M。　Lamennais　is　conclusive　proof　of　his　anti…philosophical　genius。　　Devout　even　to　mysticism；　an　ardent　ultramontane；　an　intolerant　theocrat；　he　at　first　feels　the　double　influence　of　the　religious　reaction　and　the　literary　theories　which　marked　the　beginning　of　this　century；　and　falls　back　to　the　middle　ages　and　Gregory　VII。；　then；　suddenly　becoming　a　progressive　Christian　and　a　democrat；　he　gradually　leans　towards　rationalism；　and　finally　falls　into　deism。　　At　present；　everybody　waits　at　the　trap…door。　　As　for　me；　though　I　would　not　swear　to　it；　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　M。　Lamennais；　already　taken　with　scepticism；　will　die　in　a　state　of　indifference。　　He　owes　to　individual　reason　and　methodical　doubt　this　expiation　of　his　early　essays。
  It　has　been　pretended　that　M。　Lamennais；　preaching　now　a　theocracy；　now　universal　democracy；　has　been　always　consistent；　that；　under　different　names；　he　has　sought　invariably　one　and　the　same　thing；unity。　　Pitiful　excuse　for　an　author　surprised　in　the　very　act　of　contradiction！　　What　would　be　thought　of　a　man　who；　by　turns　a　servant　of　despotism　under　Louis　XVI；　a　demagogue　with　Robespierre；　a　courtier　of　the　Emperor；　a　bigot　during　fifteen　years　of　the　Restoration；　a　conservative　since　1830；　should　dare　to　say　that　he　ever　had　wished　for　but　one　thing；public　order？　　Would　he　be　regarded　as　any　the　less　a　renegade　from　all　parties？　　Public　order；　unity；　the　world's　welfare；　social　harmony；　the　union　of　the　nations；concerning　each　of　these　things　there　is　no　possible　difference　of　opinion。　　Everybody　wishes　them；　the　character　of　the　publicist　depends　only　upon　the　means　by　which　he　proposes　to　arrive　at　them。　　But
  why　look　to　M。　Lamennais　for　a　steadfastness　of　opinion；　which　he　himself　repudiates？　　Has　he　not　said；　〃The　mind　has　no　law；　that　which　I　believe　to…day；　I　did　not　believe　yesterday；　I　do　not　know　that　I　shall　believe　it　to…morrow〃？
  No；　there　is　no　real　superiority　among　men；　since　all　talents　and　capacities　are　combined　never　in　one　individual。　　This　man　has　the　power　of　thought；　that　one　imagination　and　style；　still　another　industrial　and　commercial　capacity。　　By　our　very　nature　and　education；　we　possess　only　special　aptitudes　which　are　limited　and　confined；　and　which　become　consequently　more　necessary　as　they　gain　in　depth　and　strength。　　Capacities　are　to　each　other　as　functions　and　persons；　who　would　dare　to　classify　them　in　ranks？　　The　finest　genius　is；　by　the　laws　of　his　existence　and　development；　the　most　dependent　upon　the　society　which　creates　him。　　Who　would　dare　to　make　a　god　of　the　glorious　child？
  〃It　is　not　strength　which　makes　the　man；〃　said　a　Hercules　of　the　market…place　to　the　admiring　crowd；　〃it　is　character。〃　　That　man；　who　had　only　his　muscles；　held　force　in　contempt。　　The　lesson　is　a　good　one；　proletaires；　we　should　profit　by　it。　　It　is　not　talent　（which　is　also　a　force）；　it　is　not　knowledge；　it　is　not　beauty　which　makes　the　man。　　It　is　heart；　courage；　will；　virtue。　　Now；　if　we　are　equal　in　that　which　makes　us　men；　how　can　the　accidental　distribution　of　secondary　faculties　detract　from　our　manhood？
  Remember　that　privilege　is　naturally　and　inevitably　the　lot　of　the　weak；　and　do　not　be　misled　by　the　fame　which　accompanies　certain　talents　whose　greatest　merit　consists　in　their　rarity；　and　a　long　and　toilsome　apprenticeship。　　It　is　easier　for　M。　Lamennais　to　recite　a　philippic；　or　sing　a　humanitarian　ode　after　the　Platonic　fashion；　than　to　discover　a　single　useful　truth；　it　is　easier　for　an　economist　to　apply　the　laws　of　production　and　distribution　than　to　write　ten　lines　in　the　style　of　M。　Lamennais；　it　is　easier　for　both　to　speak　than　to　act。　　You；　then；　who　put　your　hands　to　the　work；　who　alone　truly　create；　why　do　you　wish　me　to　admit　your　inferiority？　　But；　what　am　I　saying？
  Yes；　you　are　inferior；　for　you　lack　virtue　and　will！　　Ready　for　labor　and　for　battle；　you　have；　when　liberty　and　equality　are　in　question；　neither　courage　nor　character！
  In　the　preface　to　his　pamphlet　on　〃Le　Pays　et　le　Gouvernement；〃　as　well　as　in　his　defence　before　the　jury；　M。　Lamennais　frankly　declared　himself　an　advocate　of　property。　　Out　of　regard　for　the　author　and　his　misfortune；　I　shall　abstain　from　characterizing　this　declaration；　and　from　examining　these　two　sorrowful　performances。　　M。　Lamennais　seems　to　be　only　the　tool　of　a　quasi…　radical　party；　which　flatters　him　in　order　to　use　him；　without　respect　for　a　glorious；　but　hence　forth　powerless；　old　age。　　What　means　this　profession　of　faith？　　From　the　first　number　of　〃L'Avenir〃　to　〃L'Esquisse　d'une　Philosophie；〃　M。　Lamennais　always　favors　equality；　association；　and　even　a　sort　of　vague　and　indefinite　communism。　　M。　Lamennais；　in　recognizing　the　right　of　property；　gives　the　lie　to　his　past　career；　and　renounces　his　most　generous　tendencies。　　Can　it；　then；　be　true　that　in　this　man；　who　has　been　too　roughly　treated；　but　who　is　also　too　easily　flattered；　strength　of　talent　has　already　outlived　strength　of　will？
  It　is　said　that　M。　Lamennais　has　rejected　the　offers　of　several　of　his　friends　to　try　to　procure　for　him　a　commutation　of　his　sentence。　　M。　Lamennais　prefers　to　serve　out　his　time。　　May　not　this　affectation　of　a　false　stoicism　come　from　the　same　source　as　his　recognition　of　the　right　of　property？　　The　Huron；　when　taken　prisoner；　hurls　insults　and　threats　at　his　conqueror；that　is　the　heroism　of　the　savage；　the　martyr　prays　for　his　executioners；　and　is　willing　to　receive　from　them　his　life；that　is　the　heroism　of　the　Christian。　　Why　has　the　apostle　of　love　become　an　apostle　of　anger　and　revenge？　　Has；　then；　the　translator　of　〃L'Imitation〃　forgotten　that　he　who　offends　charity　cannot　honor　virtue？　　Galileo；　retracting　on　his　knees　before　the　tribunal　of　the　inquisition　his　heresy　in　regard　to　the　movement　of　the　earth；　and　recovering　at　that　price　his　liberty；　seems　to　me　a　hundred　times　grander　than　M。　Lamennais。　　What！　if　we　suffer　for　truth　and　justice；　must　we；　in　retaliation；　thrust　our　persecutors　out