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    COMTE'S POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY. Br G. H. Le...

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    Prelude. Bordeaux, September 27,1851. Ff...

    man now intercepted him ; and I believe the two would have made short work of it , if I had not come up . It was evident that each party took me for an enemy , or at least viewed me with suspicion . The younger man staggered , and then leaned , pale , uut firm , Against the trunk of an old olive . The brothers , for such the other two evidently were , still kept guard with their knives , but stood to see what I should do . I now observed that the young man was bleeding from an ugly wound at the top of his arm . I scarcely noticed it at the time , but afterwards I recalled the aspect of his undraped figure as he leaned against the dark trunk of the tree , in an attitude of proud resignation ; his arms folded , one leg thrown across the other , his slender yet full and rounded form falling as naturally as possible into an action that every painter might have envied , very few could have copied .

    While we stood at the first moment looking at each other , each uncertain of the rest , the young girl , whom we seemed all of us to have forgotten , rushed from behind me , and throwing her arms round the youth , burst into a passion of grief . The two brothers angrily advanced to tear her away ; but as the youth , forgetting his wound , past his bleeding arm round her , to sustain and protect her , I put in a few words , of which perhaps the reasonable tone struck them rather than the import ; and with an

    air of deference that did not-chill the fervour and torrent of their eloquence , they began , both together , to tell me the occasion of their wrath . I need not , if I could , repeat all they said ; but I soon understood the case . The young man was the lover of the girl , their sister , whose father had forbidden him to marry her ; but he would not desist from his suit , and taking advantage of their repose in the heat of the day , he had come by a short and safe cut , swimming down the river , to visit his Hero . Their honour fired up , and they had resolved to avenge it with his blood .

    When they had said their say , Lionardo , starting forward , and putting his hand on the lips of Beatrice to silence her , gave me his version of the story—how his father had refused because the brothers Cini were not rich enough ; how he should be able in time to overcome his father ' s objection , and to make him consent ; how he had never deceived either Beatrice or the brothers , but could not live without her . "He was so good I " cried Beatrice , apologetically . " And I loved her ! " added he , as a final and sufficient statement ot the whole affair . I took no note of it at the

    moment , but I could not help smiling afterwards to think of that strange groupe , surrounding a youth in so statuesque a costume , while most eloquently yet artlessly , explained his family affairs to a strange traveller , whom all seemed tacitly to adopt as the final referee and umpire . Could it have been possible to present that living picture to an audience in Paris or London , how striking might it have been ; but it would have needed the hand of Raphael and of _Titinn , the eloquence of Ariosto . and the fervour of Rossini , even for the highest art to approach that artless original . Such is life , when it grows under a genial sun , and is unspoiled . The earnestness of his appeal not only made Lionardo's full eyes sparkle under his black curls , and brought the rich blood into his brown and almost girlish cheek , hut drew forth the blood afresh from his cut , and suddenly turning

    pale from his brow to his very feet , he leaned faintly upon Beatrice . She supported him on her shoulder , with one arm clasping him , and the other hand holding his arm ; while she looked around at all of us , silently and proudly , as though she accepted the situation and claimed the rights which it conferred . The vehement tumult , which had stolen all our memories , subsided . We took Lionardo gently from her , and set him down on the ground , with his hack to the tree , the two brothers helping as tenderly as any ; while I went to fetch the cloak where it lay forgotten , and gave it to Beatrice ; who kneeled down to wrap it round her lover , first kissing the wound . This reminded me of another duty ; and taking out a handkerchief , I tied up the arm sufficiently for the nonce , and then looked around to know what we should do 1

    fhe two brothers disappeared , but presently they returned with a sort of litter hastily made ; and placing him on it , they carried him to their own house . We said little on thc way ; hut more than once Beatrice , turning to me , her face smiling in tears , and beaming with doting delight , exclaimed , " Ma quanto e bcllo !"—[ " But how beautiful he is ! " ] And beauty , thought I , is an element of loveableness , especially in the young . Beatrice herself seemed to me eminently lovcahle in that regard . How happy they might be together !

    Wc did not say much then ; but that evening I stayed with them , and we talked enough to settle certain affairs for a whole life . I found a means of soothing their pride towards Lionardo ' s father ; and Baldassare Cini brought you that letter , the result of our talk . I count upon you , my dear Giorgio , to make good my promises . In Baldassare , with his square though spare Roman form , you will see that Lionardo had no mean _combatnnts to encounter ; for Paolo is a very duplicate of Baldassare . _Howev er , it did not need my aid to soften their hearts , for that had already heen done ; and I believe that the wound hurt Baldassare , who gave it , more Jhan Lionardo " who received it . I hardly think Beatrice regretted it : to » _'ive Lionardo by her ; to make his wound the- pretext for unceasing little to call me for in

    _Sohcitiidou . _+-.. " .. 11 .. ' .. _~> iv ~ i - _. i . - ¦ i _. i . - . 1 .. _^ _mcitudes ; upon a share ber delight—these were worth •»« pain and fear which she had suffered . At last she fell asleep on his "" hurt shoulder . Looking at her with a fond delight only equalled by _» - >• own , he hurst forth into a love serenade , at first subdued and murinuring , but afterwards ringing loud and full , with a voice so sweet that it "Hide the naked walls of the humble saloon vibrate again without startling

    Prelude. Bordeaux, September 27,1851. Ff...

    sleep . I never heard a more lovely voice ; and as he dwelt on the tender pulsing accents , the brothers and I sat in manifest delight , which his own countenance reflected . For the rogue knew the power of his voice , and took a pride in subduing the angry brothers more and more to his friendship . Next morning I had some difficulty in tearing myself away , especially from Beatrice , who clung to me like a child parting from its mother . But at last Paolo helped Lionardo to drag her back ; and kissing her on the forehead , as they held her up to me , I followed Baldassare , who accompanied me as far as the main road , and then we parted ; he for you with my unintelligible letter , and I on my longer journey .

    As I rode on alone , I retraced the whole scene , noting many things that I had before passed over . " In Italy , " says Alfieri , " the plant , Man , grows to its utmost perfection ; " and I agree with him . The genius of music , of painting , of poetry , is in the very blood and organization of the race . They are what their great artists pourtray . Life with them attains its full , and nothing checks it ; for never was there a race more simple . Moralists might desire to teach Baldassare better instruments of domestic regulation than the knife ; to teach Lionardo more regular modes of courtship than

    to visit his affianced at noon-day in swimming costume ; to teach Beatrice a more decorous consciousness of the garments which he had left behind , than of his devotion , his danger , and more than all , of his beauty ; they might desire to teach her better manners than the open , fond exclamation — " How beautiful he is ! " But I doubt whether the constraint would not have marred their aptness for the enjoyment of existence ; and certain I am that a land of living art must be a land of strong emotions , of unconstrained manners , and of artless expression . Without Lionardos for model , Raphael could not have painted , _airiosto could not have written , nor Rossini sung .

    Ar02103

    Comte's Positive Philosophy. Br G. H. Le...

    COMTE'S POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY . Br G . H . Lewes . Part XVIII . —Vital Dynamics .- Instinct and Intelligence . Conclusion . The study of Animal Life starts as we have seen from the localization of the two capital properties—Contractility and Sensibility—in two fundamental tissues—the muscular and nervous . How little this fundamental position is understood by the majority of Biologists may be gathered from the fact , that while most of Bichat ' s successors have believed Contractility to be a property of all the tissues , differing only in degrees of intensity , even the writers of the present day are divided on the question . In the

    last edition of Quain ' s Anatomy , the editors modified their opinion during the progress of the work through the press ; at first inclining to the belief that contractility had been observed where no muscular fibres could be traced , and only giving up that opinion in obedience to more recent and conclusive experiments . That Contractility is the special property of a special tissue is the final result of the most recent investigations . I refer the reader to Todd and Bowman ' s Physiological Anatomy for ample evidence ; meanwhile , here is one important fact : Muscular tissue is composed of Fibrine , and Fibrine in the blood , immediately after coagulation , manifests contractility .

    The Positive nature of this conception will be better appreciated hy seeing how even so excellent a physiologist as Dr . Carpenter , while virtually accepting it , does , nevertheless , wander into the Metaphysical path , and give us a vague expression where precision was so needful . " Various attempts , " he says , " have been made to show that the contraction of Muscle is an electrical phenomenon ; but no proof has been given that such is the case ; and every probability seems to be in favour of its being one

    of the manifestations of the Vital Force . " What business this mysterious entity , Vital Force , has here , only a Metaphysician could imagine . The positive thinker , using the term Vital Force as the generalized expression of all the properties of organic beings , must conclude , that it is reasonin g in a circle to call contractility " one of the manifestations of the Vital Force '; " whereas , by calling it . the speeial property of a special tissue , he does no more than record observed facts : anil should at anv future timi ' does no more than record observed iacts ; and should at any tuture time

    contractility be resolved into an electrical phenomenon , that discovery will leave the speciality unaltered , since the speeial manifestation of electricity , known as muscular contraction , will always remain associated with a special tissue known as tho muscular tissue . It may be said , therefore , that in the perfect correspondence of the two ideas of Tissue ami Property , a positive basis is given to Biology .

    We are as yet but on the threshold of this science . The minute researches of thousunds of inquirers are still necessary before some of the most capital problems can be solved ; but the whole history of science tells us with what accelerated rapidity discoveries arc made when once the right Method is thoroughly followed . Nature answers if we but know how to question . Her treasures are open if we know when : to look . Philosophy is thc " interrogation" of Nature ; and the man who can put a distinct question ' , has gone more than half way to thc answer .

    Motion and Sensation are the two capital functions of Animal Life . We have only to consider either of them a moment to he aware of the immensity there is still to be done before these processes arc reduced to scientific law . Of Muscular actions , for example , . some arc notoriously voluntary , some involuntary . Those broad distinctions are as perceptible us the distinctions between a Plant and an Animal . But . as on closer inspection it

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 14, 1852, page 21, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14081852/page/21/