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volumes； witty； acute； and learned； and already he is often ranked with Renan； Littre； and Sainte…Beuve； the greatest living French writers。
＇66＇ That is； in 1868。
Hippolyte Adolphe Taine was born at Vouziers； among the grand forests of Ardennes； in 1828； and is therefore about forty years old。 His family was simple in habits and tastes； and entertained a steadfast belief in culture； along with the possession of a fair amount of it。 His grandfather was sub…prefect at Rocroi； in 1814 and 1815； under the first restoration of the Bourbons。 His father； a lawyer by profession； was the first instructor of his son； and taught him Latin； and from an uncle； who had been in America； he learned English； while still a mere child。 Having gone to Paris with his mother in 1842； he began his studies at the College Bourbon and in 1848 was promoted to the ecole Normale。 Weiss； About； and Prevost…Paradol were his contemporaries at this institution。 At that time great liberty was enjoyed in regard to the order and the details of the exercises； so that Taine； with his surprising rapidity； would do in one week the work laid out for a month； and would spend the remainder of the time in private reading。 In 1851 he left college； and after two or three unsatisfactory attempts at teaching； in Paris and in the provinces； he settled down at Paris as a private student。 He gave himself the very best elementary preparation which a literary man can have；a thorough course in mathematics and the physical sciences。 His studies in anatomy and physiology were especially elaborate and minute。 He attended the School of Medicine as regularly as if he expected to make his daily bread in the profession。 In this way； when at the age of twenty…five he began to write books； M。 Taine was a really educated man； and his books show it。 The day is past when a man could write securely； with a knowledge of the classics alone。 We doubt if a philosophical critic is perfectly educated for his task； unless he can read； for instance； Donaldson's 〃New Cratylus〃 on the one hand； and Rokitansky's 〃Pathological Anatomy〃 on the other； for the sheer pleasure of the thing。 At any rate； it was an education of this sort which M。 Taine； at the outset of his literary career； had secured。 By this solid discipline of mathematics； chemistry； and medicine； M。 Taine became that which above all things he now is；a man possessed of a central philosophy； of an exact； categorical； well…defined system； which accompanies and supports him in his most distant literary excursions。 He does not keep throwing out ideas at random； like too many literary critics； but attaches all his criticisms to a common fundamental principle； in short； he is not a dilettante； but a savant。
His treatise on La Fontaine； in 1853； attracted much attention； both the style and the matter being singularly fresh and original。 He has since republished it； with alterations which serve to show that he can be docile toward intelligent criticisms。 About the same time he prepared for the French Academy his work upon the historian Livy； which was crowned in 1855。 Suffering then from overwork； he was obliged to make a short journey to the Pyrenees； which he has since described in a charming little volume； illustrated by Dore。
His subsequent works are a treatise on the French philosophers of the present century； in which the vapid charlatanism of M。 Cousin is satisfactorily dealt with； a history of English literature in five volumes； a humorous book on Paris； three volumes upon the general theory of art； and two volumes of travels in Italy； besides a considerable collection of historical and critical essays。 We think that several of these works would be interesting to the American public； and might profitably be translated。
Some three or four years ago； M。 Taine was appointed Professor in the ecole des Beaux Arts； and we suppose his journey to Italy must have been undertaken partly with a view to qualify himself for his new position。 He visited the four cities which may be considered the artistic centres of Italy；Rome； Naples； Florence； and Venice；and a large part of his account of his journey is taken up with descriptions and criticisms of pictures； statues； and buildings。
This is a department of criticism which； we may as well frankly acknowledge； is far better appreciated on the continent of Europe than in England or America。 Over the English race there passed； about two centuries ago； a deluge of Puritanism； which for a time almost drowned out its artistic tastes and propensities。 The Puritan movement； in proportion to its success； was nearly as destructive to art in the West； as Mohammedanism had long before been in the East。 In its intense and one…sided regard for morality； Puritanism not only relegated the love for beauty to an inferior place； but contemned and spat upon it； as something sinful and degrading。 Hence； the utter architectural impotence which characterizes the Americans and the modern English； and hence the bewildered ignorant way in which we ordinarily contemplate pictures and statues。 For two centuries we have been removed from an artistic environment； and consequently can with difficulty enter into the feelings of those who have all this time been nurtured in love for art； and belief in art for its own sake。 These peculiarities； as Mr。 Mill has ably pointed out； have entered deep into our ethnic character。 Even in pure morals there is a radical difference between the Englishman and the inhabitant of the continent of Europe。 The Englishman follows virtue from a sense of duty； the Frenchman from an emotional aspiration toward the beautiful The one admires a noble action because it is right； the other because it is attractive。 And this difference underlies the moral judgments upon men and events which are to be found respectively in English and in continental literature。 By keeping it constantly in view； we shall be enabled to understand many things which might otherwise surprise us in the writings of French authors。
We are now slowly outgrowing the extravagances of Puritanism。 It has given us an earnestness and sobriety of character； to which much of our real greatness is owing； both here and in the mother country。 It has made us stronger and steadier； but it has at the same time narrowed us in many respects； and rendered our lives incomplete。 This incompleteness； entailed by Puritanism； we are gradually getting rid of； and we are learning to admire and respect many things upon which Puritanism set its mark of contempt。 We are beginning； for instance； to recognize the transcendent merits of that great civilizing agency； the drama； we no longer think it necessary that our temples for worshipping God should be constructed like hideous barracks； we are gradually permitting our choirs to discard the droning and sentimental modern 〃psalm…tune〃 for the inspiring harmonies of Beethoven and Mozart； and we admit the classical picture and the undraped statue to a high place in our esteem。 Yet with all this it will probably be some time before genuine art ceases to be an exotic among us； and becomes a plant of unhindered native growth。 It will be some time before we cease to regard pictures and statues as a higher species of upholstery； and place them in the same category with poems and dramas； duly reverencing them as authentic revelations of the beauty which is to be found in nature。 It will be some time before we realize that art is a thing to be studied； as well as literature； and before we can be quite reconciled to the familiar way in which a Frenchman quotes a picture as we would quote a poem or novel。
Artistic genius； as M。 Taine has shown； is something which will develop itself only under peculiar social circumstances； and； therefore； if we have not art； we can perhaps only wait for it； trusting that when the time comes it will arise among us。 But without originating； we may at least intelligently appreciate。 The nature of a work of art； and the mode in which it is produced； are subjects well worthy of careful study。 Architecture and music； poetry； painting and sculpture； have in times past constituted a vast portion of human activity； and without knowing something of the philosophy of art； we need not hope to understand thoroughly the philosophy of history。
In entering upon the study of art in general； one may find many suggestive hints in the little books of M。 Taine； reprinted from the lectures which he has been delivering at the ecole des Beaux Arts。 The first； on the Philosophy of Art； designated at the head of this paper； is already accessible to the American reader； and translations of the others are probably soon to follow。 We shall for the present give a mere synopsis of M。 Taine's general views。
And first it must be determined what a work of art is。 Leaving for a while music and architecture out of consideration； it will be admitted that poetry； painting； and sculpture have one obvious character in common： they are arts of IMITATION。 This； says Taine； appears at first sight to be their essential character。 It would appear that their great object is to IMITATE as closely as possible。 It is obvious that a statue is intended to imitate a living man； that a picture is designed to represent real perso