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Rousseau； too。 Easy it is to feel disgust； contempt； for the
〃Confessions〃 and the 〃Nouvelle Heloise〃for much； too much； in the
man's own life and character。 One would think the worse of the
young Englishman who did not so feel； and express his feelings
roundly and roughly。 But all young Englishmen should recollect；
that to Rousseau's 〃Emile〃 they owe their deliverance from the
useless pedantries； the degrading brutalities； of the medieval
system of school education； that 〃Emile〃 awakened throughout
civilised Europe a conception of education just； humane； rational；
truly scientific； because founded upon facts； that if it had not
been written by one writhing under the bitter consequences of mis…
education； and feeling their sting and their brand day by day on his
own spirit； Miss Edgeworth might never have reformed our nurseries；
or Dr。 Arnold our public schools。
And so with the rest of the philosophes。 That there were charlatans
among them； vain men； pretentious men； profligate men； selfish；
self…seeking； and hypocritical men； who doubts？ Among what class of
men were there not such in those evil days？ In what class of men
are there not such now； in spite of all social and moral
improvement？ But nothing but the conviction； among the average；
that they were in the rightthat they were fighting a battle for
which it was worth while to dare； and if need be to suffer； could
have enabled them to defy what was then public opinion； backed by
overwhelming physical force。
Their intellectual defects are patent。 No one can deny that their
inductions were hasty and partial： but then they were inductions as
opposed to the dull pedantry of the schools； which rested on
tradition only half believed； or pretended to be believed。 No one
can deny that their theories were too general and abstract； but then
they were theories as opposed to the no…theory of the Ancien Regime；
which was； 〃Let us eat and drink； for to…morrow we die。〃
Theoriesprinciplesby them if men do not live； by them men are；
at least； stirred into life； at the sight of something more noble
than themselves。 Only by great ideas； right or wrong； could such a
world as that which Le Sage painted； be roused out of its slough of
foul self…satisfaction； and equally foul self…discontent。
For mankind is ruled and guided； in the long run； not by practical
considerations； not by self…interest； not by compromises； but by
theories and principles； and those of the most abstruse； delicate；
supernatural； and literally unspeakable kind； which； whether they be
according to reason or not； are so little according to logicthat
is； to speakable reasonthat they cannot be put into speech。 Men
act； whether singly or in masses； by impulses and instincts for
which they give reasons quite incompetent； often quite irrelevant；
but which they have caught from each other； as they catch fever or
small…pox； as unconsciously； and yet as practically and potently；
just as the nineteenth century has caught from the philosophers of
the eighteenth most practical rules of conduct； without even （in
most cases） having read a word of their works。
And what has this century caught from these philosophers？ One rule
it has learnt； and that a most practical oneto appeal in all
cases； as much as possible； to 〃Reason and the Laws of Nature。〃
That； at least； the philosophers tried to do。 Often they failed。
Their conceptions of reason and of the laws of nature being often
incorrect； they appealed to unreason and to laws which were not
those of nature。 〃The fixed idea of them all was；〃 says M。 de
Tocqueville； 〃to substitute simple and elementary rules； deduced
from reason and natural law； for the complicated traditional customs
which governed the society of their time。〃 They were often rash；
hasty； in the application of their method。 They ignored whole
classes of facts； which； though spiritual and not physical； are just
as much facts； and facts for science； as those which concern a stone
or a fungus。 They mistook for merely complicated traditional
customs； many most sacred institutions which were just as much
founded on reason and natural law； as any theories of their own。
But who shall say that their method was not correct？ That it was
not the only method？ They appealed to reason。 Would you have had
them appeal to unreason？ They appealed to natural law。 Would you
have had them appeal to unnatural law？law according to which God
did not make this world？ Alas！ that had been done too often
already。 Solomon saw it done in his time； and called it folly； to
which he prophesied no good end。 Rabelais saw it done in his time；
and wrote his chapters on the 〃Children of Physis and the Children
of Antiphysis。〃 But； born in an evil generation； which was already；
even in 1500； ripening for the revolution of 1789； he was sensual
and； I fear； cowardly enough to hide his light； not under a bushel；
but under a dunghill； till men took him for a jester of jests； and
his great wisdom was lost to the worse and more foolish generations
which followed him； and thought they understood him。
But as for appealing to natural law for that which is good for men；
and to reason for the power of discerning that same goodif man
cannot find truth by that method； by what method shall he find it？
And thus it happened that； though these philosophers and
encyclopaedists were not men of science； they were at least the
heralds and the coadjutors of science。
We may call them； and justly； dreamers； theorists； fanatics。 But we
must recollect that one thing they meant to do； and did。 They
recalled men to facts； they bid them ask of everything they saw
What are the facts of the case？ Till we know the facts； argument is
worse than useless。
Now the habit of asking for the facts of the case must deliver men
more or less from that evil spirit which the old Romans called
〃Fama；〃 from her whom Virgil described in the AEneid as the ugliest；
the falsest； and the cruellest of monsters。
From 〃Fama；〃 from rumours； hearsays； exaggerations； scandals；
superstitions； public opinionswhether from the ancient public
opinion that the sun went round the earth； or the equally public
opinion； that those who dared to differ from public opinion were
hateful to the deity； and therefore worthy of deathfrom all these
blasts of Fame's lying trumpet they helped to deliver men； and they
therefore helped to insure something like peace and personal
security for those quiet； modest； and generally virtuous men； who；
as students of physical science； devoted their lives； during the
eighteenth century； to asking of natureWhat are the facts of the
case？
It was no coincidence； but a connection of cause and effect； that
during the century of philosopher sound physical science throve； as
she had never thriven before； that in zoology and botany； chemistry
and medicine； geology and astronomy； man after man； both of the
middle and the noble classes； laid down on more and more sound；
because more and more extended foundations； that physical science
which will endure as an everlasting heritage to mankind； endure；
even though a second Byzantine period should reduce it to a timid
and traditional pedantry； or a second irruption of barbarians sweep
it away for awhile； to revive again （as classic philosophy revived
in the fifteenth century） among new and more energetic races； when
the kingdom of God shall have been taken away from us； and given to
a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof。
An eternal heritage； I say； for the human race； which once gained；
can never be lost； which stands； and will stand； marches； and will
march； proving its growth； its health； its progressive force； its
certainty of final victory； by those very changes； disputes；
mistakes； which the ignorant and the bigoted hold up to scorn； as
proofs of its uncertainty and its rottenness； because they never
have dared or cared to ask boldlyWhat are the facts of the case？
and have never discovered either the acuteness； the patience； the
calm justice； necessary for ascertaining the facts； or their awful
and divine certainty when once ascertained。
＇But these philosophers （it will be said） hated all religion。
Before that question can be fairly discussed； it is surely right to
consider what form of religion that was which they found working
round them in France； and on the greater part of the Continent。 The
quality thereof may have surely had something to do （as they
themselves asserted） with that 〃sort of rage〃 with which （to use M。
de Tocqueville's words） 〃the Christian religion was attacked in
France。〃
M。 de Tocqueville is of opinion （and his opinion is likely to be
just） that 〃the Church was not more open to attack in France than
elsewhere； that the corruptions and abuses which had been allowed to
creep into it were less； on the contrary； there than in most
Catholic cou