SOLOMON MAIMON.
SOLOMON MAIMON AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN, WITH ADDITIONS AND NOTES,
J.
CLARK MU...
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SOLOMON MAIMON.
SOLOMON MAIMON AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN, WITH ADDITIONS AND NOTES,
J.
CLARK MURRAY,
Professor of
LL.D., F.R.S.C.,
Mental and Moral Philosophy, M'Gill
College, Montreal.
ALEXANDER GARDNER, PAISLEY; AND
12
PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.
DAWSON BROTHERS, MONTREAL; CUPPLES AND KURD, BOSTON. 1888.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE, INTRODUCTION.
-
-
-
ix.
State of Poland in last century,
-
i
-
6
CHAPTER I.
II.
'III.
IV.
My
Grandfather's Housekeeping,-
First Reminiscences of Youth,
Private Education and Independent Study,-
The Joy
Jewish Schools
them causes a V.
My
Family
Servant
is
22
-
.
32
driven into Misery, and an old
loses
by his
VI.
New Abode, New
VII.
Joy endureth but a
-
while,
which
la J?ousseau,
-
38 -
-
the Teacher
is
a
-
The Talmudist,
Misery little
Faithfulness
great
-
The Pupil knows more than &
19
of being released from
Stiff Foot,-
Christian Burial,
VIII.
-
discovered
42 49
A theft "The
ungodly provideth, and the righteous putteth it
on,"
,
.
2092795
.
'54
Contents.
vi.
PAGE
CHAPTER IX.
Love
The
and Matrimonial Proposals
Affairs
used in the service Song of Solomon may be Modus Lucrandi new A of Matchmaking
X.
become an
I
object of Contention, get
and am kidnapped
at once,
XL My
*
-
Smallpox,
my eleventh Year
Marriage in
Slave
of
my
Wife,
from
Cudgellings
at last,
The
Poland XIII.
the
of
Secrets or
Radzivil,
what
two Wives -
-
makes me the
State
Marriage is
not
-
-
all
I
A
after
mental Culture amid ceaseless
brief Exposition of the Jewish Religion
Origin
down
to the
89
XVII.
Friendship and Enthusiasm,
The
-
94
from
most recent Times,
Jewish Piety and Penances,-
1 1 1
-
-
132
138
Life of a Family Tutor,
-
145
Also on a Secret Society, and therefore a Long Chapter,
XX.
-
-
-
XVI.
XIX.
79
study the Cabbalah, and become at last a
its
XVIIL
in -
Physician,
XV.
Prince
allowed
Struggles with Misery of every Kind,
XIV.
74
?
Endeavour
65
and procures for me my Mother-in-Law A
Ghost of Flesh and Blood, XII.
59
-
151
Continuation of the Former, and also Something
about Religious Mysteries,
-
176
Contents.
vii.
CHAPTER XXI.
Journeys to Kb'nigsherg, Stettin, and Berlin, for the purpose of extending
my Knowledge -
Men,
XXII. XXIII.
of
.
187
Deepest Stage of Misery, and Deliverance, Arrival in Berlin
-
Mendelssohn
Acquaintances
Doubts
Desperate Study of Metaphysics Lectures on Locke and Adelung,
XXIV.
My Aversion
at first for Belles Lettres,
Sojourn in
An
I
I
Hamburg
drown myself
in
return
to
A
Hamburg
me
to
Fold
I
enter the
Lutheran
the
-
-
Plan of
... Journey
253
Breslau
to
265
Unfortunate circum-
Study of Kant's Writings
Help
Characteristic of
CONCLUDING CHAPTER,
frighten
-
Frustrated
Berlin
Fourth journey to Berlin stances
Pastor
Christian
Gymnasium, and
Hebrew Authorship Divorce,
234
be a scabby Sheep, and
the Chief Rabbi out of his Wits,
Third journey to
-
rejected,
unworthy of Admission into
XXVIII.
my
same way as a bad Actor shoots himself old Fool of a Woman falls in Love with
pronounces
XXVII.
and
Departure from Berlin
me, but her Addresses are
XXVI.
221
-
-
subsequent Conversion
the
210
A Chapter devoted to the Memory
Mendelssohn
of a worthy Friend,
XXV.
197
-
my own Works, -
-
-
279 -
290
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.
ONE
effect of
wide
circle of readers the vitality of
which
still
external
Daniel Deronda was to make known to a Judaism as a system
holds sway over the mental as well as the
life
of men.
During the few years which have
passed since the publication of that great fiction, the interest in
modern Judaism has continued
to grow.
It is
but a short time since the Western world was startled by the outbreak of an
ancient feeling against
the
Jews,
which had been supposed to be long dead,
at least in
some of the
The popu-
quarters where
lar literature of the life
day
it
also
was displayed. seems
of existing Jewish communities
to indicate that the is
attracting a large
share of attention in the reading world. pictures which
The charming
Emil Franzos has drawn of Jewish
life
in
the villages of Eastern Galicia, are not only popular in
Germany, but some have been reproduced in a cheap form in New York to meet the demand of German Americans,
ject
and some have
The
lish. is
also
been translated into Eng-
interest of English readers in the
further
shown by the recent
same sub-
translation of
pert's Scenes from the Ghetto, as well as by Mr.
A
Kom-
Cumber-
Translator's Preface.
x.
land's
still
more recent and powerful romance of The students of philosophical litera-
Among
Rabbi's Spell.
ture a fresh interest has
been awakened in the history of
Jewish thought by the revival of the question in
refer-
The
affini-
ence to the sources of Spinoza's philosophy. ties
of this system with the familiar tendencies of Carte-
sian speculation have led the historians of philosophy gen-
represent the former as simply an inevitable
erally to
development of the
latter,
while the
affinities
ism with the unfamiliar speculations of
of Spinoz-
earlier
Jewish
thinkers have been almost entirely ignored.
In these circumstances a special interest in the life of
times
a
life
may be
felt
one of the most remarkable Jews of modern
which forms one of the most extraordinary
biographies in the history of literature.
Readers of Daniel Deronda may remember his search
among
the Jews of
London
for
that, in
some one who
could throw light on the sad story of Mirah, the hero of the novel was attracted one day to a second-hand book" that wonderful bit of autoshop, where his eye fell on
biography
mon."
the
who have met ture.
life
of the Polish Jew,
Solomon Mai-
There are few men so remarkable with so
Milman,
little
in his History
of the Jews,
to the autobiography as " a curious
apparently he knew
*
it
Vol.
as
Maimon
recognition in English litera-
and
refers
once *
rare book," but
only from some quotations in
iii.,
p. 370, note.
Translator's Preface.
Franck's
La
one who seems
Maimon
speculations of
new
Among
Cabbale.
writers the only
is
xi.
English
metaphysical
have studied the
to
Dr. Hodgson.*
Even the no
edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica gives
place to
Maimon among
its
And
biographies.
yet he
is
a prominent figure among the metaphysicians of the
Kuno
Kantian period.
Fischer, in his Geschichte der
Neueren Philosophic^ devotes a whole chapter to the of
life
Maimon, while the contemporary critics of Kant little or no biographical notice.
dismissed with
are
Fischer's sketch fuller details
is
but,
;
just
sufficient to
whet
amid the dearth of
curiosity for
rare literature in
Colonial libraries, I certainly never expected to come, in a
Canadian town, upon " a curious and rare book
last century,
man
of
which was known even to the learned Mil-
only through some
One
author.
"
day,
quotations
from
a French
however, in Toronto, in order to
while away an unoccupied hour,
I
was glancing,
like
Daniel Deronda, over the shelves of a second-hand bookseller,
when
I
was attracted by a small volume, in
a good state of preservation, with "S. Maimon's Lebens"
geschichte
found
it
on the back
been curious
t
and on taking it down I which I had
to see.
Some account
*
;
to be the veritable autobiography
of the work was given in an article in
See the Preface to his Philosophy of Reflection, pp. 16-18. Vol. v., chap.
7.
Translators Preface.
xii.
the British Quarterly Review for July,
1885
but
;
I
would probably be
thought that a complete translation
welcomed by a considerable circle of English readers. The book has many attractions. If the development of the inner
man
of
life
can ever be characterised as a
romance, the biography of sense,
in the truest
be said to be one of the most romantic Perhaps no
ever written.
more
Maimon may,
stories
has preserved a
literature
interesting record of a spirit imprisoned within
almost insuperable barriers to culture, yet acquiring strength to burst
all
these,
and even
become an
to
ap-
preciable power in directing the course of speculation.
The
book, however,
is
much more
possesses historical interest.
It
than a biography
opens up
English readers, must be unknown thought, light, its
unknown wanderings of the
which
and
when
of
efforts
religious
many human
life.
The
in its practical aspects,
is
probably,
For the sketches, which the book con-
in fact, unique. tains, of
it
throws upon Judaism especially, both in
it
speculative
;
what, to
Jewish speculation and
the author
had severed
life
were made
all vital
at
a time
connection with
own people and their creed ; and they are therefore drawn from a point of view outside of Jewish prejudices:
his
but they are penned by one
who had been brought up
to believe the divine mission of his people, as well as the divine authority of their religion; and the criticism of his old faith is
generally tempered by that kindly sym-
pathy, with which the heart
is
apt to be
warmed on
Translator's Preface. lingering over the companionships
of earlier years.
xiii.
and other
associations
Maimon's account of Jewish philosophy
and theology acquires an additional value from the fact, that he was caught in the full tide of the Kantian movement, and he was thus in a position to point out unexpected
affinities
thought
among
between many an old
effort
of speculative
the Jews and the philosophical tendencies
of modern Christendom.
Since writing the
above-mentioned
for
article
British Quarterly Review, I learnt that a volume
Maimoniana had been
ness of a friend in Leipsic, I delay, to procure a copy.
and adds extremely Nearly one third ;
and through the kindwas enabled, after some ;
It is a
Maimon.
the autobiography
of
issued in 1813 by an old friend
of our philosopher, Dr. Wolff*
pages,
the
little is
small volume of 260 to our
knowledge of
simply a condensation of
and the remainder shows the author
with the opportunities indeed, but without the faculty, of a Boswell.
He
has preserved but few of the
of Maimon's conversation
;
loses a
flavour from his
good
deal of
its
felicities
and what he has preserved want of the
lively memory by which Boswell was able to reproduce the peculiar mannerisms of Johnson's talk. Still I have
*
The volume bears the somewhat quaint title in full oniana, oder Rhapsodicn Zur Charakteristik Salomon Maimorfs. Aus Seinem Privatleben gesammelt von Sabattia Joseph Wolff, :
M.D.
Berlin, gedruckt bei G.
Hayn, 1813.
Translator's Preface.
xiv.
culled from the
little
volume a few notes
of the autobiography, and
I
am
for illustration
indebted to
it
for
All
of the materials of the concluding chapter. " Trans." additions are indicated by appended.
The
translation gives the
portion of the original.
which
I
my
whole of the biographical
There
are,
however, ten chapters
have omitted, as they are occupied entirely with
a sketch of the great work of Maimonides,
Nebhochim, or Guide of the Perplexed.
somewhat loose connection* with the excite just the faintest suspicion of all
most
events there
is
no demand
English now, when our
for
literature
Moreh to their
Owing
rest,
"
the
these chapters "
padding
and
;
at
such a sketch in has been
recently
enriched by Dr. Friedlander's careful translation of the
whole work. In the performance of render the original as
*The
my
task I have endeavoured to
literally
only logical connection
is
as was consistent with
the fact, that the writings of
Maimonides formed the most powerful influence in the intellectual " In illustration of this he writes development of Maimon. My reverence for this great teacher went so far, that I regarded him as the ideal of a perfect man, and looked upon his teachings as if This went so they had been inspired with Divine Wisdom itself. :
far, that, when my passions began to grow, and I had sometimes to fear lest they might seduce me to some action inconsistent with
those teachings, '
I
used to employ, as a proved antidote, the abjura-
by the reverence which I owe Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, not to do this act.'
tion,
far as
I swear,
I
can remember, was always
Lebensgeschichte, Vol.
ii.,
pp. 3-4.
sufficient
my great teacher, And this vow, so to
restrain
me."
Translator's Preface.
readable English.
Only
in
toned down the expression our own time
;
xv.
one or two passages
I
have
slightly to suit the tastes of
but even in these I have not been
unfaithful to the author's meaning.
In the spelling of Hebrew and other foreign words
I
have never, without some good reason, interfered with the original.
But as Maimon
with himself in this respect, to disregard his usage
more
familiar,
English reader.
or
more
I
is
not always consistent
have
felt
myself at liberty
by adopting such forms as are likely to
be
intelligible, to
an
SOLOMON MAIMON. INTRODUCTION. THE
inhabitants of Poland
into six classes or orders
may be :
conveniently divided
the superior nobility, the
inferior nobility, the half-noble, burghers, peasantry
and
Jews.
The
superior nobility consist of the great landowners
and administrators of the high
The fill
offices of
inferior nobility also are allowed to
any
political
office
;
government.
own land and
doing so by their poverty.
The
own
office in the State
land, nor
this
he
and
there,
is
fill
any high
half-noble can neither ;
distinguished from the genuine noble. it
is
true,
to
but they are prevented from
he owns land
;
and by Here
but for that he
is
in
some measure dependent on the lord of the soil, within whose estate his property lies, inasmuch as he is required to
pay him a yearly
The They
tribute.
burghers are the most wretched of
are not,
'tis
the orders.
any man ; they and have a jurisdiction of
true, in servitude to
also enjoy certain privileges,
all
Introduction.
2
But as they seldom own any property
own.
their
value,
or
follow
any profession, they
rightly
'of
always
remain in a condition of pitiable poverty.
two orders, namely the peasantry and the The former Jews, are the most useful in the country.
The
last
occupy themselves with .
The
latter
engage
the products of the
in trade, take
become
handicrafts,
brandy,
agriculture, raising cattle, keep-
in short, with all
ing bees,
mead and
bakers,
brewers,
other articles.
who farm
only persons
up
estates in
position to
make
it
in
dealers
towns and
a sin to put a
and
beer,
also the
are
They
except in the case of ecclesiastical properties,
reverend gentlemen hold
soil.
the professions
villages,
where the
Jew
in a
a living, and accordingly prefer to hand
over their farms to the peasants.
For
this they
must
by their farms going to ruin, as the peasantry have no aptitude for this sort of employment ; but of course
suffer
they choose rather to bear this with Christian resignation.
In consequence of the ignorance of most of the Polish landlords, the oppression of the tenantry,
and the
utter
want of economy, most of the farms in Poland, at the end of last century,* had fallen into such a state of decay, that a farm, which
now
Polish gulden, was offered to a
sequence of
still
That
is,
Jew
greater ignorance
that advantage even
*
yields about a for ten
and
but in con-
laziness, with all
he could not make a
of course, the seventeenth.
;
thousand
living off the
Trans.
Introduction.
An
farm.
however,
incident,
which gave a new turn
3
occurred at this time,
to affairs.
Two
brothers from
Galicia, where the Jews are much shrewder than in Lithuania, took, under the name of Dersawzes or farmers-
general, a lease of
by means of a
all
the estates of Prince Radzivil, and,
better industry as well as a better
economy,
they not only raised the estates into a better condition,
but also enriched themselves in a short time. Disregarding the clamour of their brethren, they
in-
creased the rents, and enforced payment by the sub-
They themselves
lessees with the utmost stringency.
exercised a direct oversight of the farms
and wherever
;
they found a farmer who, instead of looking
and those of
interests
his landlord in the
own
after his
improvement
of his farm by industry and economy, spent the whole in idleness, or lay
day
drunk about the
stove, they
soon
brought him to his senses, and roused him out of his indolence by a flogging.
acquired the
name
All
who
This procedure of course
for the farmers-general,
among
their
own
people,
The
farmer,
of tyrants.
this,
at the
however, had a very good
effect.
term had hitherto been unable to pay up his
ten gulden of rent without requiring to be sent to
about
it,
now came under such
active exertion, that he
family off his farm, ten, four or five
gulden.
a strong
jail
inducement
was not only able
to
to support a
but was also able to pay, instead of
hundred, and sometimes even a thousand
The Jews,
again,
may be divided
(2) those
(i) the ffliteiate workingpeople,
learning their profession,
and
into three classes :
(3) those
who make
who merely
de-
vote themselves to learning without engaging inanyre-
Mnaative occupation, being supported by the dass.
To
the second dass belong the chief rabbis,
and profession.
industrial
The
others of similar
dass consists of those who, by
third
Learning,
attrart thg
of die ""VtflMH'dj are talmn by these into their married to f"^*r daughters,
maml ai|>^*'
****!
years widi wife and chfldien at dieir expense.
however, the wife
maintenance of
is
tff*f
regard
families,
for
y*iy
Afterwards,
obliged to take
tainfly idler
are usually very numerous)
;
upon herself the and the children (who
and
for this, as
is
natural,
she thinks a good deal of herself.
There
is
perhaps no country besides Poland, where
religious freedom and religious enmity are to be met with
in equal degree.
The Jews
exercise of dieir religion
and
have even a jurisdiction of
enjoy there a perfectly free all
other civil liberties ; they
their
own.
hand, however, religious hatred goes so
On
far,
the other
that the name
of Jew has become an abomination ; and this abhorrence,
which had taken root in barbarous times, continued to show its effects till about thirteen years ago. But this apparent contradiction is
may be
very easily removed,
considered diat the religious and
to the Jews in Poland, has not
its
civil liberty,
if it
conceded
source in any respect
-
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J
r7_T'-T
Solomon Maiinon
CHAPTER My
My
grandfather,
villages in the
:
I.
Grandfather's Housekeeping.
Heimann
Joseph, was farmer of some
neighbourhood of the town of Mir,
territory of Prince
Radzivil.*
residence one of these villages
He
selected
on the
river
in the
for
his
Niemen,
called Sukoviborg, where, besides a few peasants' plots,
there was a water-mill, a small harbour, for the use of the vessels that
All
Prussia. village,
this,
along
and on the other
Niemen, belonged
with a bridge
side a drawbridge
to the farm,
behind the
on the
river
which was then worth
about a thousand gulden, and formed
Chazakah.\
and a warehouse
come from Konigsberg, in
my
grandfather's
This farm, on account of the warehouse
and the great traffic, was very lucrative. With sufficient industry and economical skill, si mens non laeva fuissef, grandfather should have been able,
my
not only to
support his family, but even to gather wealth.
*
The bad
Maimon
himself nowhere mentions the date or place of his but Wolff says that he was born at Nesvij, in Lithuania, about the year 1754 (Maimoniana, p. 10). Trans. birth
;
t This word chapter.
is
explained below, at the beginning of the next
An
Autobiography.
constitution of the country, however,
of
all
7
and
his
own want
the acquirements necessary for utilising the land,
placed extraordinary obstacles in his way.
My him
grandfather settled his brothers as tenants under
in the villages belonging to his farm.
only lived continually with
These not
grandfather under the
my
pretence of assisting him in his manifold occupations,
but in addition to this they would not pay their rents at the end of the year.
The had
be repaired.
become
my
buildings, belonging to
fallen into
grandfather's farm,
decay from age, and required therefore to
The harbour and
the bridge also had
In accordance with the terms of
dilapidated.
the lease the landlord was to repair everything, and put it
in a condition
fit
for use.
But, like
magnates, he resided permanently therefore give estates.
no attention
His stewards had
improvement rather of landlord's property. all sorts
their
to
in
the Polish
Warsaw, and could
the improvement of his
for their principal object the
own
condition than of their
They oppressed
the farmers with
of exactions, they neglected the orders given for
the improvement of the farms, and the for this
all
moneys intended
purpose they applied to their
made
grandfather indeed to the stewards
was impossible
day for
after
him
to
own
use.
My
representations on the subject day, and assured them that it
pay his
rent, if
everything was
not put into proper condition according to the lease. All this, however, was of no avail.
He
always received
Solomon
8
Maimon:
promises indeed, but the promises were never
The
fulfilled.
result was not only the ruin of the farm, but several
other evils arising from that.
As place
already mentioned, there was a large
and
;
as the bridges were in a
bad
pened not infrequently that these broke
traffic at this
state,
down
it
hap-
when
just
a Polish nobleman with his rich train was passing, and
The
horse and rider were plunged into the swamp.
poor farmer was then dragged to the bridge, where he
was
laid
down and
flogged
till
was thought that
it
suf-
revenge had been taken.
ficient
My grandfather against
this
evil
therefore did all in his
For
in the future.
power
to
guard
purpose he
this
stationed one of his people to keep watch at the bridge,
so that,
if
this sort
any noble were passing, and an accident of
should happen, the sentinel might bring word
to the house as quickly as possible,
and the whole family
might thus have time to take refuge in the neighbouring wood.
Every one thereupon ran
in terror out of the
and not infrequently they were
house,
all
remain the whole night in the open air, another ventured to approach the house. This sort of life lasted used to
tell
when he was family
had
for
some
of an incident of this still
generations. sort,
who knew nothing
one
after
My father
which happened
a boy of about eight years.
fled to their usual retreat.
obliged to
till
But
The whole
my
father,
of what had happened, and was playat the back of the stove, ing stayed behind alone. When
An the angry lord
came
Autobiography.
house with
into the
whom
found nobody on
9
his suite,
he could wreak
and
his vengeance,
he ordered every corner of the house to be searched, when my father was found at the back of the stove.
The nobleman asked him on the boy
he would drink brandy, and,
if
refusing, shouted
" If you will not drink
:
At the same time he
brandy, you shall drink water."
ordered a bucketful of water to be brought, and forced
my
father,
by lashes with
turally this treatment
lasted nearly a
his whip, to drink
brought on a quartan
whole
year,
Na-
out.
it
fever,
which
and completely undermined
his health.
A
similar incident took place
housemaid,
when
I
was a child of
Every one ran out of the house
three years.
who
carried
me
;
and the
in her arms, hurried forth.
But as the servants of the nobleman who had arrived ran after her, she
haste let
on the by
me
fall
skirt of
lifted
quickened her
steps,
and
from her arms. There
the wood,
me up and
only after everything
till
took
in her
I lay
fortunately a peasant passing
me home
with him.
had become quiet
again,
family had returned to the house, that the
bered having
lost
me
in the flight,
lament and wring her hands. where, but could not find me,
came from the It
village
extreme
whimpering
was
maid remem-
when she began
They sought till
It
and the
me
to
every-
at last the peasant
and restored me
to
my
parents.
was not merely the terror and consternation, into
which we used to be thrown on the occasion of such a B
Solomon Maimon:
I0
flight
;
was added the plundering of the house of its inhabitants. Beer, brandy, and
to this
when deprived mead were drunk went so
at pleasure
far at times, that
the spirit of revenge even
the casks were
corn and fowls were carried
Had my
;
off;
and so
left to
run out
from a grandfather, instead of seeking justice
more powerful
litigant,
rather borne the injustice,
built the bridge in question at his
have been able to avoid
own
these
all
made
And now economy.
and
expense, he would
He
evils.
appealed,
however, persistently to the terms of his lease, steward
;
forth.
and the
sport of his misery.
something about
The manner
my
of
life,
grandfather's domestic
which he led
in
his
house, was quite simple.
The annual produce
arable lands, pasture-lands,
and kitchen-gardens, belong-
of the
ing to the farm, was sufficient, not only for the wants of
own
his
family, but also for
could even, besides,
sell
brewing and
His bee-hives were
sufficient for the
He
number
had
The
also a large
distilling.
He
a quantity of grain and hay.
brewing of mead.
of cattle.
principal food consisted of a poor kind of corn-
bread mixed with bran, of
articles
made
of meal and
and of the produce of the garden, seldom of fleshmeat. The clothing was made of poor linen and coarse
milk,
stuff.
Only the women made
exception, and
my
a different sort of
father also,
in these matters a slight
who was a
scholar, required
life.
Hospitality was here carried very
far.
The Jews
in
An
n
Autobiography.
neighbourhood are continually moving about from
this
place to place; and as there was a great village,
traffic at
they were frequently passing through
course they had always to stop at traveller
Every Jewish
was met
my
it,
our
and of
grandfather's inn.
at the
door with a glass
one hand making the salaam* while the other reached the glass. He then had to wash his hands, and of spirits
;
himself at the table which remained constantly
seat
covered.
The
support of a numerous
hospitality
my
family along with this
would have had no serious if
grandfather's circumstances,
had introduced a
better
economy
however, was the source of
My
grandfather was in
effect in
at the
in his house.
He
looked upon
it,
almost too economical,
trifles
for
greatest import-
example, as extravagance
burn wax or tallow candles
to
This,
his misfortune.
and neglected therefore matters of the ance.
impairing
same time he
;
their place
had
to
be
supplied with thin strips of resinous pine, one end of
which was stuck into the chinks of the
wall, while the
Not unfrequently by this means fires were occasioned, and much damage caused, in comparison
other was
lit.
with which the cost of candles was not worth taking into consideration.
The salt
apartment, in which beer,
and other
*
articles
were kept
spirits,
mead, herrings,
for the daily
The customary Jewish
salutation.
account of
Solomon Maimon:
12
the inn, had no windows, but merely apertures, through
which
and
sailors
Naturally this often tempted the
received light.
it
who put up at the inn to climb into make themselves drunk gratuitously
carriers
the apartment, and
with spirits and
What was
mead.
still
worse,
these
carousing heroes, from fear of being caught in the act, often took to flight,
on hearing the
slightest noise, with-
out waiting to put in the spigot, sprang out at the holes
by which they had come as
it
might.
The with
In
this
and mead ran
spirits
in,
and
let
the liquor run as long
way sometimes whole casks of
out.
barns had no proper locks, but were shut merely
wooden
bolts.
Any one
therefore, especially as the
barns were at some distance from the dwelling-house,
could take from them at pleasure, and even carry off
whole waggonloads of
grain.
The
sheepfold had,
all
over, holes, by which wolves (the forest being quite near) were able to slink in, and worry the sheep at their con-
venience.
The cows came udders. there,
it
very often from the pasture with empty
According to the superstition which prevailed was said in such cases, that the milk had been
taken from them by witchcraft,
which
My
it
a misfortune, against
was supposed that nothing could be done.
grandmother, a good simple woman, when tired
with her household occupations, lay down often in her clothes to sleep by the stove, and had all her pockets full of money, without knowing how much. Of this the
An
Autobiography.
13
housemaid took advantage, and emptied the pockets of half
Nevertheless
contents.
their
seldom perceived the want,
if
my
only the
girl
grandmother did not play
too clumsy a trick.
have been avoided of
All these evils could easily
the windows,
course by repairing the buildings,
the
window-shutters and locks, by proper oversight of the
manifold lucrative occupations connected with the farm, as also
by keeping an exact account of receipts and
dis-
On
the
But
bursements. other hand,
if
my
this
was never thought
who was
father,
of.
a scholar, and educa-
ted partly in town, ordered for himself a rabbinical for
which a
was required than that
grandfather did not
my
use,
finer stuff
fail
he used to
him a long and " world. Our fore-
"knew nothing
say,
suit,
common
to give
severe lecture on the vanity of the fathers,"
in
of these new-
fashioned costumes, and yet were devout people.
must have a coat of striped woolen
You
you must have leather hose, with buttons even, and everything on
You
the same scale. shall
will
bring
me
My father
man
What
!
is
The
original
cialism which,
Trans,
to
;
I
Ay me,
become of me ?
"
then appealed to the rights and privileges of
the profession of a scholar, and
tion.
to beggary at last
be thrown into prison on your account.
poor unfortunate
*
cloth,*
is
showed moreover
"ein Kalamankenes Leibserdak,"
I believe,
is
that,
a provin-
substantially rendered in this transla-
Solomon Maimon
14 in a well-arranged
:
system of economy,
it
does not so
matter whether you live somewhat better or worse, and that even my grandfather's misfortunes arose, not
much
from extravagant consumption in housekeeping, but rather from the fact that he allowed himself by his reAll this however
missness to be plundered by others.
was of no
avail with
tolerate innovations.
as
left
My
it
my
could not
had
Everything therefore
to
be
was.
grandfather was held in the place of his abode to
be a rich man, which he could
known how
make use
to
have been
really
of his opportunities
account he was envied and hated by family,
He
grandfather.
all,
;
if
he had
and on
this
even by his own
he was abandoned by his landlord, he was op-
pressed in every possible way by the steward, and cheated
and robbed by In
short,
his
he was the poorest rich
In addition to tunes,
The
own domestics
which
I
pope, that
all this
as well as
man
there were
by
strangers.
in the world. still
greater misfor-
cannot here pass over wholly in is,
silence.
the Russian clergyman in this village,
was a dull ignorant blockhead, who had scarcely learned to read and write. He spent most of his time at the inn, where he drank let his
spirits
with his boorish parishioners, and
liquor always be put down to
ever a thought of paying his score.
became
tired of this,
his account, without
My
and made up
grandfather at
mind to give him nothing more upon credit. The fellow naturally took this very ill, and therefore resolved upon revenge.
last
his
An For
this
he found
Autobiography.
at length a
15
means, at which indeed
humanity shudders, but of which the Catholic Christians Poland were wont to make use very often at that time. This was to charge my grandfather with the murder of a in
Christian,
done
and thus bring him
in the following
way
in
journed constantly
:
this
to the gallows.
A
This was
beaver-trapper,
neighbourhood
who
so-
catch
to
beavers on the Niemen, was accustomed at times to trade in these animals with
be done
that are taken
all
my
secretly, for the
grandfather
beaver
;
and
this
had
to
game preserved, and
is
must be delivered
at the
The
manor.
trapper came once about midnight, knocked and asked for my grandfather. He showed him a bag which was and said to him with a mysterious to lift, pretty heavy "
I
air,
grandfather was going to strike a beaver,
He
My
have brought you a good big fellow here."
and come
however
said,
light, to
to terms about
that this
examine the
with the peasant.
it
was unnecessary, that
my
grandfather might take the beaver at any rate, and that
they would be sure to agree about grandfather, just as rest.
it
who had no
was, laid
it
aside,
Scarcely, however,
it
suspicion of
afterwards.
evil,
My
took the bag
and betook himself again
had he
fallen asleep again,
to
when
he was roused a second time with a loud noise of knocking. It
was the clergyman with some boors from the
who immediately began house.
They found
to
make
the bag, and
search
all
village,
over in the
my grandfather
already
1
Solomon Maimon:
6
trembled for the
issue,
because he believed nothing else
than that he had been betrayed at the manor on account of his secret trade in beavers, and he could not deny the
But how great was
fact.
there
opened, and, instead of a beaver, corpse
when
his horror,
the bag was
was found a
!
was bound with
My grandfather
his
hands behind
his
were put into stocks, he was thrown into a waggon, and brought to the town of Mir, where he was back, his feet
He
given over to the criminal court. chains,
and put
At the
trial
my
reasonable,
demanded
be examined too.
upon his innocence, had happened, and, as
that the beaver-trapper should
He, however, was nowhere to be
found, was already over the
sought everywhere. criminal court,
ordered
my
fast in
grandfather stood
related the events exactly as they v,-as
was made
into a dark prison.
to
hills
and
far
away.
He
was
But the blood-thirsty judge of the
whom
the
became
time
tedious,
grandfather three times in succession to be
brought to torture.
He, however, continued steadfast
in his assertion.
At
last
the hero of the beavers was found.
He
was
examined; and as he straightway denied the whole affair, he also was put to the test of torture. Thereupon at once he blabbed the whole
some time water, burial.
before,
story.
he had found
and was going
to bring
it
The parson however had
He
this
declared that,
dead body
in the
to the parsonage for
said to him, "
There
is
An
Autobiography.
plenty of time for the burial. are a hardened race,
They
eternity.
You know
it
crucified our
for their passover,
Lord Jesus
will therefore
smuggle
and
only they can get
if
is
Christ,
instituted as a sign
dead body into the house of the damned
this
Jew of a
which
Jews to all
They use it for their passover-cake. do a meritorious work, if you can
of their triumph.
You
that the
and are therefore damned
even yet they seek Christian blood, hold of
17
You must
farmer.
of course clear out, but
your trade you can drive anywhere."
On place,
this confession the fellow
and
my
was whipped out of the but the pope
re-
this deliverance of
my
grandfather set free;
mained pope. For an everlasting memorial of grandfather from death,
my
father
composed
in
Hebrew
a sort of epopee, in which the whole event was narrated,
and the goodness of God was sung. law, that the
day of
his deliverance
in the family every year,
recited in the festival of
same way
when as the
It
was also made a
should be celebrated
this
Book
poem should be of Esther at the
Haman.*
* Till quite recently it had been almost forgotten that one of the commonest manifestations of fanaticism against the Jews, especially in Eastern
Europe, was to charge them with the murder of Christian
children for the use of
some horrid
religious rite,
and
that scarcely
ever was the dead body of a child found in the neighbourhood of a Jewish community without some outburst of this cruel suspicion,
ending in an indiscriminate massacre of the Jews by the infuriated
1
Solomon
8
Maimon
:
mob.
It is a singularly creditable proof of the liberal government of Stephen Batory, one of the ablest monarchs who ever sat on the throne of Poland, that, so long ago as 1576, he Issued an edict
prohibiting the imputation of this crime to the Jews, as being Yet, in utterly inconsistent with the principles of their religion. spite of this enactment, the fanatical suspicion continued to display
Milman supposed it had been finally itself at frequent intervals. quelled by the ukase of the Russian Government in 1835, which went in the same direction as the earlier prohibition of the Polish king {History of the Jews, vol. iii., p. 389). been his astonishment, had he lived to learn after
he thought
it
What would have that, half a century
extinguished, this ancient delusion was to revive,
that an trial
Hungarian court was to spend thirty one days in the solemn of a Jewish family on the charge of sacrificing a Christian girl
in their
synagogue, that a learned professor in the Imperial and
Royal University of Prague was to write in defence of the charge, and that the trial was to form the subject of an extensive controversial literature in the
world
!
An
language
of the
interesting account of this
most learned nation
famous
as well as of the literature connected with
it,
in the
Tisza Eszlar, will be found in an trial at
by Dr. Wright, on The Jews and the Malicious Charge of Human Sacrifice in the Nineteenth Century, for November, 1883. article
Trans.
An
Autobiography.
CHAPTER
II.
First Reminiscences of
IN
manner my grandfather
this
19
Youth.
lived for
become, as
it
his
;
were, a property of the family.
Jewish ceremonial law the Chazakah, that of property in an possession
;
estate,
and the
right
in this neighbourhood.
is
is
Hosaphah, not bring tion.
is,
an
down upon
is,
farm had
By
the
the right
acquired by three years'
respected even by Christians
In virtue of
this
Jew could try to get possession of that
years in
many
the place where his forefathers had dwelt
law no other
the
farm by a
offer of higher rent, if
he would
himself the Jewish excommunica-
Although the possession of the farm was accom-
panied with
many
hardships and even oppressions, yet
was from another point of view very
lucrative.
it
My
grandfather could not only live as a well-to-do man, but also provide richly for his children.
to
His three daughters were well dowered, and married His two sons, my uncle Moses and excellent men.
my
father Joshua, were married likewise
became
;
and when he
old, and enfeebled by the hardships to which he had been exposed, he gave over the management of the
Solomon Maimon
20
house to different
two sons
his
These were of
common.
in
temperaments and
:
inclinations,
uncle Moses
my
being of strong bodily constitution, but inferior gence, while
my
was the opposite
father
;
and conse-
My
quently they could not work together well. father therefore gave over to
and kept
my
father
He
sort.
made
and attended
conducted
contracts,
to other matters of the
mother, on the other hand, was a very
My
woman,
lively
well disposed to all sorts of occupations.
She was small of
An anecdote
stature,
and
at that time
still
very young.
cannot avoid touching on here, because
I
the earliest reminiscence from the years of
it is
was about three years old
who put up Shaffers, that
his
was not particularly
occupations of household-management.
for the
processes at law,
I
my
father
merely kept accounts,
same
grand-
uncle another village,
by himself, although from
profession as a scholar
adapted
my
intelli-
at the time.
The
my youth.
merchants,
constantly at the place, and especially the the nobles
is,
who undertook the
navigation,
the purchase and delivery of goods, for the higher nobility,
were extremely fond of
ness,
and made
gentlemen gave stature
and
young
filly.*
all sorts
my I
account of
of fun with me.
my
liveli-
These merry
mother, on account of her small
liveliness, the
As
me on
nickname of Kuza,
heard them often
call
that
is,
a
her by this
* It seems that Maimon gives a euphemistic explanation of this word, as I am told its real meaning makes much more intelligible its extreme offensiveness to his mother. Trans.
An
21
Autobiography.
name, and knew nothing of its meaning,
Mama
Kuza.
" said,
God
Mama
Kuza."
me
mother rebuked
My
punishes any one who
One
I also called
and
for this,
Herr
of these Shaffers,
mother
his
calls
Piliezki,
used every day to take tea in our house, and enticed to his side
by giving
me
placed myself
he said he would give
sugar,
that I should say I
present, to
the usual position
in
Mama
refused to do
it.
had shut the door,
as she
into his ear,
should say
Mama
to
Herr
I will
He
to
As soon
him and whispered however that
insisted
out loud, and promised to give
it
of sugar for each time that " I said,
went
I
Kuza.
Piliezki
not say
any one who says
it
wants
had
receiving the
mother to go into an adjoining room.
my
but
for
I
me only on condition Now as my mother was He made a sign therefore
it
Kiiza.
when
tea,
me One
at times a bit of sugar.
morning while he was drinking his
her
was spoken.
me
Mama Kuza, Mama Kuza."
to say
because
me
I
a piece
Accordingly
Mama Kuza ; God
Thereupon
punishes
I
got
my
three pieces of sugar.
My mode
father introduced into the
of
He
articles.
utensils
life,
where he procured
Prussia,
;
house a more refined
especially as he traded with Konigsberg in all sorts
provided himself
we began
clothes, than before
to ;
I
of pretty and useful
with
tin
and
have better meals, to wear
was even clad
in
damask.
brass finer
Solomon Maimon
22
CHAPTER
:
III.
Private Education and Independent Study.
IN
sixth year my father began to read the Bible with " In the beginning God created the heaven and
my
me.
Here
the earth."
I
my
interrupted
and asked,
father,
"
"
But, papa, who created God ? " God was not created by any one," replied
"
He
existed from
"
Did he
exist ten years
"
O
my
yes,"
ago ?" "
father said,
years ago." "
Then
my
father
;
all eternity."
perhaps,"
I
He
I
asked again.
existed even a
"
continued,
God
is
hundred
already a
thousand years old ?" " Silence
"
some "
!
God was
" But," I insisted,
eternal."
He
must surely have been born
at
time."
You
little
fool," said
my
" father,
No
!
He
was
for
ever and ever and ever."
With
this
"
thought that I
answer
I
was not indeed
Surely papa must
know
must therefore be content."
satisfied;
better than
I,
but
I
and with
An mode
This youth,
when
Autobiography.
of representation
the understanding
the imagination
very natural in early
is
undeveloped, while
is still
The understanding
bloom.
in full
is
23
seeks merely to grasp, the imagination to grasp
That
is
to
understanding seeks to
say, the
of an
origin
object
round.*
make
the
conceivable, without considering,
whether the object, whose origin
by us or
actually represented
all
known, can also be
is
The
not.
imagination, on
the other hand, seeks to gather into a complete image
something, the origin of which for
example, an
to us
is
infinite series of
unknown.
Thus,
numbers, which pro-
gresses according to a definite law,
for
is
the under-
standing an object, to which by this law definite qualities are attached,
and an object
just as
good
as a finite series,
which progresses according to the same law. For the imagination, on the other hand, the latter indeed is an object
;
but not the former, because
it
cannot grasp the
former as a completed whole.
A
long time afterwards,
this consideration
expressed in
when
suggested to
an essay that
and which, though
still
was staying
me
in Breslau,
a thought, which I
I laid before Professor Garve,
time I knew nothing of the
at the
Kantian philosophy,
I
constitutes
its
foundation.
explained this somewhat in the following way
metaphysicians necessarily
*
The
original runs
:
fall
into
:
I
The
self-contradiction.
" Der Verstand sucht bloss zu fassen, die
Einbildungskraft aber zu umfassen."
Tr>
Solomon Maimon:
24
who in According to the confession of Leibnitz himself, the with Archimedes of this appeals to the experiment lever,
Law
the
of Sufficient Reason or Causality
Now,
principle of experience.
experience everything
is
it
is
a
quite true that in
is
found to have a cause
but for
;
the very reason, that every thing has a cause, nothing
can be met with in experience which is,
a cause which has no cause to
the metaphysicians infer first
cause
from
& first cause, that
is
How
itself.
this
then can
law the existence of a
?
Afterwards
developed in
I
found
this
objection
more
the Kantian philosophy, where
that the Category of Cause, or the
particularly it is
shown
form of hypothetical
judgments used in reference to the objects of nature, by which their relation to one another is determined a priori,
can be applied only to objects of experience
through an a priori schema.
The
first
cause,
which
implies a complete infinite series of causes,
and therefore
in fact a contradiction, since the infinite
can never be
complete,
is
not an object of the understanding, but an
idea of reason, or, according to
my
theory, a fiction of
the imagination, which, not content with the mere know-
ledge of the law, seeks to gather the multiplicity, which is
subject to the law, into an image, though in opposition
to the law
On
itself.
another occasion
Jacob and Esau
;
and
I
read in the Bible the story of
in this
connection
the passage from the Talmud, where
my father quoted
it is
" said,
Jacob
An
Autobiography.
and Esau divided between them
the blessings of the
all
Esau chose the blessings of
world.
the contrary, those of the future
25
this
life
blessings."
On
this
said
I
Jacob should not have been a fool
have chosen the blessings of
brought
The
me
indignation,
he should rather Unfortunately "
rascal
who was
Prince Radzivil,
neighbourhood of our daughter who
young
with ;
and a box on
!
my
doubt, but
to silence at least.
came one day with
chase,
claim to tem-
This did not of course remove
the ear. it
all
this world."
"You ungodly
I got for answer,
Jacob, on
and since we are
;
descended from Jacob, we must give up poral "
life,
his
a great lover of the
whole court
village.
to
hunt in the
the party was his
Among
The
afterwards married Prince Rawuzki.
princess, in order to enjoy rest at noon, betook
herself with the ladies of her court, the servants in waiting
and the sitting
at
where as a boy
lackeys, to the very room,
behind the stove.
I
I
was
was struck with astonishment
the magnificence and splendour of the court, gazed
with rapture at the beauty of the persons and at the dresses with their trimmings of gold
could not
came
satisfy
just as I
was out of myself with
into the words,
me, and of our
at the
faith,
my
"
and
silver lace
eyes with the sight.
O how
same time
beautiful
" !
to confirm
he whispered into
joy,
my
My
;
I
father
and had broken
In order to calm
me
in the principles
" ear,
Little fool, in
the other world the dukselvtill kindle \he pezsure for us,"
which means, In the future c
life
the princess will kindle
Solomon Maimon:
26
No
the stove for us.
sort of feel-
one can conceive the
On
in me. ing which this statement produced
hand, I
future happiness
doomed I
;
pity for the
time
the one
believed my father, and was very glad about this but I felt at the same in store for us
poor princess
who was going
On the
to such a degrading service.
could not get
into
it
my
be
to
other hand,
head, that this beautiful rich
dress should ever make a fire princess in this splendid I was thrown into the greatest perplexity for a
poor Jew.
on the of
my I
subject,
till
some game drove
head.
had from childhood a great True,
drawing.
I
had
charcoal.
me
I
forth.
and made an
still
all
I
felt
them with a
bit of
this
fables, in
same time painter ? rabbi.
in
You
skill in this,
these words,
"
but rebuked
You want
are to study the
He who
which
play their part in the fables
the figures with the greatest exactness.
my
chalk or
inclination
were represented in such woodcuts.
admired indeed
title-
of foliage, birds
great pleasure in these woodcuts,
effort to imitate
who
talent for
found on the
What however strengthened more was a Hebrew book of
the personages
animals
but
art,
and
house never a
father's
Hebrew books woodcuts
page of some
and so
inclination
my
in
chance of seeing a work of
in
these thoughts out
to
the
I copied
My me
father at the
become a
Talmud, and become a
understands the Talmud, understands
everything."
This desire and faculty for painting went with
me
so
An far,
that
when my
27
Autobiography.
had
father
there was a manor-house with
settled in
some
H
,
where
beautifully tapestried
rooms, which were constantly unoccupied because the landlord resided elsewhere, and very seldom visited the
away from home whenever I could, I was found once tapestries.
place, I used to steal to
copy the
figures
on the
in mid-winter half-frozen, standing before the wall, hold-
hand
ing the paper in one
(for there
was no furniture
in
and with the other hand copying the the wall. Yet I judge of myself at present,
this apartment),
figures off
had kept to it, I should have become a great, but not an exact, painter, that is to say, I sketched with that, if I
ease the
main
patience to
My
He
it
had
father
books.
features of a picture, but
work
in
his study a
had forbidden
but the Talmud.
took advantage
Under
me
cupboard containing
indeed to read any books
This, however, was of
was occupied the most of I
had not the
out in detail.
of
his time with
no
avail
household
cupboard and glanced over
all
was, that, as I had already a
fair
made
subjects of the
this result
he
a raid upon the
the books.
The
result
knowledge of Hebrew,
found more pleasure in some of these books than
And
as
opportunity thus afforded.
the
the impulse of curiosity I
Talmud.
:
affairs,
was surely
natural.
I
in the
Take the
Talmud, which, with the exception of
those relating to jurisprudence, are dry and mostly unintelligible to
tion, of
a child
the laws of sacrifice, of purifica-
forbidden meats, of
feasts,
and so
forth
in
which
Solomon
28
Maimon :
the oddest rabbinical conceits are elaborated through
many volumes
with the finest dialectic, and the most
absurd questions are discussed with the highest of intellectual power
may
how many
for example,
;
efforts
white hairs
a red cow have, and yet remain a red cow
;
what
sorts of scabs require this or that sort of purification
whether a louse or a the sin
first
flea
may be
;
on the Sabbath,
being allowed, while the second
is
a deadly
whether the slaughter of an animal ought to be
;
executed at the neck or the put on that
killed
his shirt or his
hose
the brother of a
is,
tail
;
first
whether the highpriest whether the Jabam,
;
man who
died childless, being
required by law to marry the widow, obligation
if
he
falls
satis est !
Ohejam
even to disgust,
sticks in the mire.
these glorious disputations,
to
an instructive and agreeable manner, with a
knowledge of the world's into nature
and
relieved from his
young people and forced on them with history, in which natural events are
which are served up
related in
off a roof
Compare
is
is
structure,
by which the outlook
widened, and the vast whole
a well-ordered system; surely
my
is
brought into
preference will be
justified.
The most
valuable books in the collection were four.
There was a Hebrew chronicle under the
David*
*
That
xxiii. 5
;
title
of Zemach
written by a sensible chief rabbi in Prague,
is,
The Branch
xxxiii. 15
;
(or Offspring) of
Isaiah
xi. i.
Trans.
David.
See Jeremiah
An
29
Autobiography.
He
named Rabbi David Cans.
was also the author of
the astronomical book spoken of in the sequel, and he
had had the honour of being acquainted with Tycho Brahe, and of making astronomical observations with
him
in the Observatory at
There were
Copenhagen.
besides, a Josephus, which was evidently garbled, and a
But
History of the Persecutions of the Jews in Spain.
what attracted In this
work. I
me most
powerfully was an astronomical work a new world was opened to me, and
gave myself up to the study with the greatest diligence.
Think of a tion,
child about seven years of age, in
my
posi-
with an astronomical work thrown in his way, and
exciting his interest.
I
had never seen or heard anything
elements of mathematics, and
of the
first
to give
me any direction that to my father
to say,
sity in the matter
How
I
:
for
dared not even
had no one
I
it is
let
be known, and, apart from
not in a position to give ject.
in the study
must the
me
spirit
needless
my
curio-
he was
that,
any information on the sub-
of a child, thirsting for know-
ledge, have been inflamed by such a discovery
This
!
the result will show.
As
I
was
still
house were few,
a child, and the beds in I
was allowed
my
to sleep with
father's
my
old
grandmother, whose bed stood in the above-mentioned study.
As
I
was obliged during the day to occupy my-
self solely with the study of the
Talmud, and durst not
take another book in
I
to
my
my
hand,
astronomical inquiries.
devoted the evenings Accordingly after
my
Solomon
30
Maimon :
grandmother had gone to bed, the
fire,
made
My
astronomical book.
me, because in
bed
;
but
continued
study
till
the
fire
was burnt
some
out.
evenings, I
to the description of the celestial sphere
and
its
came
imagin-
for the explanation of astronomical
designed
phenomena.
beloved
for the old lady to lie alone
After I had carried this on for
ary circles,
my
did not trouble myself about that, and
I
my
wood on
put some fresh
grandmother indeed scolded
was too cold
it
I
cupboard, and took out
for the
This was represented in the book by a
single figure, in connection with
which the author gave
the reader the good advice, that, since the manifold circles
by
could not be represented in a plane figure except
straight lines,
them more
he should,
clearly intelligible,
ordinary globe
or
for the sake of rendering
make
himself either an
for
an armillary sphere.
I
therefore
formed the resolution to make such a sphere out of twisted rods ; and after I had finished this work, I was in a position to understand the
had
to take care lest
had been occupied,
I
my
whole book.
always hid
my
a corner behind the cupboard before
My
grandmother,
now and then
lifted
who had on
my
I
how
I
armillary sphere in I
went to bed. several
observed that I was wholly absorbed in
circles
But as
father should find out
my
eyes to look at a
formed of twisted rods
laid
into the greatest consternation
occasions
reading, but
number of
on one another,
over the matter;
fell
she
believed nothing less than that her grandson had lost his
An She did not
wits.
and point out instrument was
meaning of
delay, therefore, to. tell
He
kept.
Kadvr* "
soon guessed what was the
What does
I
then explained to
it
When is this ?
I
came, he asked me,
"
I replied.
"
mean
?
"
he asked.
him the use of
the purpose of making the celestial
My
gible.
had no all
father,
Accordingly he took the sphere in his
this.
plaything
It is a
my
him the place where the magical
to
hand, and sent for me. " What sort of "
31
Autobiography.
father,
who was
a
all
the circles for
phenomena
intelli-
good rabbi indeed, but
special talent for science, could not
comprehend
endeavoured to make comprehensible.
that I
was especially
puzzled,
by
the
comparison
of
He my
armillary sphere with the figure in the book, to under-
stand
how
out of straight lines circles should be evolved
but one thing he could business.
He
his
beyond the Talmud
command ;
but
still
to
he
was sure of
it is
true,
;
my
because
I
meddle with nothing felt
a secret pleasure,
young son, without a guide or previous training,
had been able by himself science.
that I
therefore scolded me,
had transgressed
that his
see,
And
to master
with this the
*
affair
The Hebrew word
an entire work of
came
to an end.
for a globe.
Solomon Maimon:
22
CHAPTER Jewish Schools
The Joy
IV.
of being released from
them causes a
stiff
foot.
Mv brother My brother,
Joseph and I were sent to Mir to school. who was about twelve years old, was put to
board with a schoolmaster of some repute
by name
This
Jossel.
man was
" the scourge of people,
"
God
;
for the slightest
frequently tore off their ears,
When
ever else
came
task,
in his
the
till
and not
in-
or beat their eyes out.
came
to him,
and drove them with
out of the house back to their respect of persons.
young
and
he struck them with stones or what-
to hand,
either blockheads or
them
offence,
the parents of these unfortunates
brought him to
all
he treated those
charge with unheard of cruelty, flogged
blood came, even
at that time,
the terror of
own
his stick
dwellings, without any
became
All under his discipline
good
scholars.
I,
who was then
only seven years old, was sent to another schoolmaster.
An
anecdote
I
must here
one side great brotherly
relate,
love,
which shows on the
and on the other may be
viewed as expressing the condition of a child's mind, thac sways
between the hope of lightening an
the fear of increasing
it.
One day
as I
evil,
came from
and
school,
An eyes were
my
Autobiography.
red with weeping, for which there was
all
My
doubtless good cause.
At
asked the reason. answering not
me
tell
;
33,
but at
brother observed
first I
showed some "
last I said,
I
to read
him however not
him a lesson on the to
do
it,
hesitation in
brother understood
very well, was extremely indignant at
was going
and
weep because we dare
My
tales out of school."
this,
because in
teacher would take his revenge on
my teacher, and
subject. all
me
I
begged
probability the
for telling tales
out of school. I
must now say something
Jewish schools in general.
of the condition of the
The
school
commonly a scattered, some is
smoky hut, and the children are on benches, some on the bare earth. The master, in a dirty blouse sitting on the table, holds between his knees small
a bowl, in which he grinds tobacco into snuff with a huge pestle like the club of Hercules, while at the
he wields in
his authority.
own
his
corner,
and
despotically as
quite as breakfast,
The
same time
ushers give lessons, each
rule those
under
the master
lunch, and other food sent
their
himself.
charge
Of
the
to the school for
the children, these gentlemen keep the largest share for
themselves.
nothing
on the
at all
Sometimes even the poor youngsters get ; and yet they dare not make any complaint
subject,
if
they will not expose themselves to the
vengeance of these tyrants.
Here the children
are im-
prisoned from morning to night, and have not an hour
Maimon
Solomon
34
to themselves, except
:
on Friday and a half-holiday
at
Newmoon.
the
As
far as
at least
is
study
concerned, the reading of
any progress made. school at
On
pretty regularly learned.
is
with the mastery of the
Hebrew
the other hand,
very seldom
Hebrew language Grammar is not
is
in the
treated
but has to be learnt ex usu, by translation
all,
much
of the Holy Scriptures, very
as the ordinary
man
grammar of his mother-tongue by Moreover there is no dictionary of
learns imperfectly the social intercourse.
the
Hebrew
language.
The
children therefore begin at
This
once with the explanation of the Bible. into as
many
is
divided
sections as there are weeks in the year, in
order that the Books of Moses, which are read in the
synagogues every Saturday,
may be
read through in a
Accordingly every week some verses from the
year.
beginning of the section proper to the week are explained
and that with every possible grammatical Nor can it well be otherwise. For the Hebrew
in school,
blunder.
must be explained by means of the mother-tongue. the mother-tongue of the Polish Jews defects
and grammatical inaccuracies
of course therefore also the learned by pupil
its
thus
Hebrew
;
is
and
as
little
of
as a matter
language, which
means, must be of the same stamp.
acquires just
But
itself full
knowledge
is
The of the
language, as of the contents, of the Bible.
In addition to sorts
of
this the
Talmudists have fastened
extraordinary conceits
on
the
Bible.
all
The
An
Autobiography.
35
ignorant teacher believes with confidence, that the Bible
cannot these
in reality
have any other meaning than that which
expositions
ascribe
to
it;
and the pupil must
follow his teacher's faith, so that the right understanding
of words necessarily becomes first
Book
of
Moses
it
is
lost.
said,
to his brother Esau, etc."
"Jacob
Now,
pleased to give out, that these
For example,
in the
sent messengers
the Talmudists were
messengers were angels.
For though the word Malachim
in
Hebrew denotes
messengerias well as angels, these marvel-mongers preferred the second signification, because the
The
nothing marvellous. belief firm
and
fast, that
pupil
first
therefore
contains
holds
the
Malachim denotes nothing but
angels; and the natural meaning of messengers
is
for
him wholly lost. A correct knowledge of the Hebrew language and a sound exegesis can be attained only gradually by independent study and by reading grammars
and
critical
commentaries on the Bible,
Rabbi David Kimchi very few rabbis
make
* and
Aben Esra
;
like
those of
but of these
use.
* This rabbi The belonged to a family of eminent linguists. father, Joseph Kimchi, was one of the numerous Jews who were
obliged to flee from Spain to escape the cruel persecutions of the Mohades about the middle of the twelfth century. He left two
who both followed his favourite studies. The elder, Moses, has the credit of having educated his younger and more illustrious brother, David, whose Hebrew grammar and dictionary continued sons
in general use
among
scholars for centuries.
Kimchi
is
said to
have been powerfully influenced, not only by Maimonides, but also
Solomon Maimon:
36
As the children
doomed
are
such an infernal school,
it
in the
may be
bloom of youth
easily
to
imagined with
what joy and rapture they look forward to their release. that is, my brother and I, were taken home to the
We,
great feasts
and
;
was on a
it
that trip of this sort,
the
in relation to me was following incident happened, which My mother came once before Whitsuntide very critical.
to the
town where we were
at school, in order to pur-
She then
chase sundry articles required for the house.
home
took us
The
with her.
and
release from school,
the sight of the beauty of nature which at this season displays
we
fell
not
far
best attire, threw us into such ecstasy, that
its
all sorts
upon
from home,
of wanton fancies.
my
and ran forward on
When we
were
brother sprang out of the carriage,
foot.
I
was going
to imitate his
daring leap, but unfortunately had not sufficient strength. I fell
down
my
that
therefore with violence
legs
came between
on the
the wheels, and one of these
which was thereby pitiably
passed over
my
crushed.
was carried home half-dead.
I
left
became cramped, and
A
leg,
I
and graduated
acquired his medical
My
was wholly unable to move
Jewish doctor was consulted,
regularly studied
carriage, so
who had
foot it.
not indeed
at a university, but
had
knowledge merely by serving with
by Aben Esra, who preceded him by nearly a century, and who was one of the most learned scholars, as well as one of the most versatile authors, of his time. vol.
ii.,
pp. 419-423
;
and
(Jost's Gescliichte des
vol. Hi., pp. 30-31).
Judenthums,
Trans,
An
37
Autobiography.
a physician and reading some medical books in the Polish language, who was nevertheless a very good
and
practical physician,
He
said
that
effected
present he was
at
the nearest
medicines,
many
successful cures.
no
provided with
apothecary's shop
was about
and consequently he could prethe ordinary method, but that mean-
twenty miles* distant, scribe nothing in
while a simple domestic remedy might be applied. to kill a
remedy was, foot
;
relief.
result,
The
gave more
it
some weeks
and by degrees it
cramped
would not be
I
I
was able to use the
completely recovered.
at all amiss,
medical
if
men
attention to such domestic remedies, which
are used with
good
results in districts
where there are no
regular physicians or apothecaries' shops
even make special journeys with
know many
a case of this sort,
explained away.
my
the
prescription was followed with the desired
so that after
I think
into
repeated several times, was to give certain
this,
foot again,
dog and thrust
The
this
;
end
they might in
This however in passing.
is,
I
I return to
story.
*That
view.
which can be in nowise
about 100 English miles.
Trans.
Solomon
38
Maimon
CHAPTER My
Family
MY
is
:
V.
driven into Misery, and an old Servant loses by his Burial. great Faithfulness a Christian
mentioned,
traded with
Konigsberg in Prussia, had once shipped
in a vessel of
who,
father,
as
already
and herrings which he came home and was
Prince Radzivil's some barrels of
he had bought
there.
When
salt
going to fetch his goods, the agent, Schachna, absolutely refused to the
him take them.
father then
My
it
;
but the agent tore
into the
My
fire.
it
father
out of his hands, and
found himself therefore
compelled to carry on a long and costly
had
to delay
make
showed
of lading, which he had got on the shipment of
bill
the goods
threw
let
till
the following year,
a journey to Konigsberg.
certificate
suit,
which he
when he would again Here he obtained a
from the custom-house, showing that he had
shipped the said goods in a vessel of Prince Radzivil's
On
under the direction of Herr Schachna. cate the agent was
found
my
it
summoned
convenient not to
In spite of
this,
this certifi-
the court,
make an appearance
father gained the suit in the
instances.
before
first,
;
but
and
second, and third
however, as a consequence
of the wretched administration of justice in Poland at
An the time, decision,
father
my
Autobiography.
had no power
and therefore from
39 to
execute this
this successful suit
he did
not even recover the costs.
To
was added the further
this
result, that
by
this suit
he made Herr Schachna an enemy who persecuted him
now
This the cunning scoundrel
in every possible way.
could accomplish very
well,
as by all sorts of intrigues
he had been appointed by Prince Radzivil steward of his estates situated in the district of Mir.
therefore
on
my
father's
He
resolved
and only waited
ruin,
all
for a
convenient opportunity to carry out his revenge.
This he found soon
named
after his
;
and indeed a Jew, who was
farm Schwersen, and was known as the
biggest scoundrel in the whole neighbourhood, offered
him a hand.
This fellow was an ignoramus, did not
even understand the Jewish language, and made use therefore of Russian.
He
occupied himself mainly in
examining the farms in the neighbourhood, and he
how
knew
most lucrative among them a higher rent and bribing the steward. With-
to get possession of the
by offering
out troubling himself in the least about the laws of the
Chazakah* he drove the old
from
their
possessions, and enriched himself by this means. thus lived in wealth and fortune, and in this
He
legal farmers
state
reached an advanced age.
The
scoundrel had already for a long time had his eye
*
See above,
p. 14.
Trans.
Solomon
40
on my
grandfather's
Maimon
farm,
favourable opportunity and
possession of
Jacob,
who
it
himself.
:
and waited merely
for
a plausible pretext to
Unfortunately
my
a
get
granduncle
lived in another village belonging to
my
had been obliged to become a debtor of the scoundrel to the amount of about fifty rix-dollars. grandfather's farm,
As he could not was due,
clear off the debt at the time
his creditor
came with some
manor, and threatened
my
when
it
servants of the
to seize the cauldron, in
granduncle's whole wealth consisted.
which
In conster-
nation he loaded a waggon secretly with the cauldron,
drove with letting
all
haste to
my
grandfather's, and, without
any of us know, hid it in the adjoining marsh His creditor, however, who followed
behind the house.
on
his heels,
came
to
my
and made search
grandfather's,
all over,
but could find the cauldron nowhere.
at
unsuccessful
this
against
my
his success,
stroke,
Irritated
and breathing vengeance
grandfather who, he believed, had prevented
he rode
to the town, carried to the steward
an imposing present, and offered
for
my
grandfather's
farm double the rent, besides an annual voluntary present to the steward.
This gentleman, joyous over such an ful of the disgrace
which
my
father,
offer,
and mind-
a Jew, had brought
upon him, a Polish noble, by the above-mentioned suit, made on the spot a contract with the scoundrel, by which he not only gave over pertaining to
it
to
him
this
farm with
even before the end of
my
all
the rights
grandfather's
An lease,
41
Autobiography.
but also robbed
my
grandfather of
all
he had,
and shared the
his barns full of grain, his cattle, etc.,
plunder with the new farmer.
My
grandfather was therefore obliged with his whole
family to quit his
in
dwelling-place
mid-winter,
and,
without knowing where he should settle again, to wander
Our departure from
about from place to place. place was very
lamented our years,
my
named
affecting.
fate.
An
old
and
who had
Gabriel,
faithful servant of eighty
carried in his
arms even
grandfather as a child, insisted on going with us.
Representations were
made
to
him on the
season, our unfortunate situation,
it
was
of
no
avail.
He
severity of the
and the uncertainty
which we ourselves were placed as
But
this
The whole neighbourhood
in
to our future destiny.
placed himself on the road
before the gate, by which our waggons
had
to pass,
and
lamented so long that we were obliged to take him up.
He
did not however travel with us long
:
his
advanced
and the severe season gave stroke. He died when we had
age, his grief over our misery,
him soon the
finishing
gone scarcely two or three miles ; and as no Catholic or Russian community would allow him burial in their
he was a Prussian and a Lutheran
churchyard
was buried
at
our expense in the open
field.
he
Solomon Maimon;
42
CHAPTER New Abode, new
WE
VI.
The
Misery
Talmudist.
in the country, like the
wandered about therefore
without knowing
Israelites in the wilderness of Arabia,
where or when we should find a place of
we came
The one
to
family,
part
was already leased; but the landlord of the
Weary
my
his,
because he had
grandfather resolved to take a lease of this still
to be built, along with
tenances, and meanwhile, shift as well as
all
the place; but finished,
in his
he could.
we took
power
appur-
Accordingly
we were
The
other
to prevent our settlement in
was of no
it
its
the house was ready, to
till
up our quarters in a barn.
obliged to take
farmer did
to build a
still
of wandering in winter-time with a whole
house, which was
make
last
a village which belonged to two landlords.
other could not lease house.
At
rest;
avail.
The
possession, and began
to
building was
keep house.
Unfortunately however everything went backward here;
An
nothing would succeed. fortunes in
my
mother's
addition
illness.
temperament and disposed
came
to our mis-
Being of a very lively
to a life of activity, she
here the weariness of having nothing to do.
found
This, with
An
43
Autobiography.
her anxiety about the means of subsistence, threw her into a state of melancholy,
which developed
at last into
some
condition she remained for
insanity.
In
months.
Everything was tried for her benefit,
this
At
without success.
last
my
father hit
but
upon the idea of
taking her to a celebrated doctor at Novogrod,
who made
a specialty of curing mental disorders.
The method unknown
to
of cure employed by this specialist
me, because
I
was
at the
time too young to
wish or be able to institute inquiries on the subject so
much
my
is
;
but
I can declare with certainty, that in the case of
mother, as well as most of his patients afflicted with
same malady, the treatment was followed with success. My mother returned home fresh and healthy, and from
the
had an attack of the same
that time she never
Immediately about
after this I
was sent to school
from our abode, and here
fifteen miles
The
study the Talmud.
study of the
chief object of a learned education
Riches, bodily advantages, and
sort.
at Iwenez, I
began
Talmud
among our
talents
is
to
the
people.
of every kind
have indeed in their eyes a certain worth, and are
esteemed
in
proportion
;
but
nothing stands
the
first
claim upon
the community. of
any age or rank,
respectfully, to him.
all offices
If
is
has
and positions of honour
he enters an assembly,
in
he may be
every one rises before him most
and the most honourable place
He
among
He
them above the dignity of a good Talmudist.
is
assigned
director of the conscience, lawgiver
and
Solomon Maimon:
44 judge of the
He, who does not meet
common man.
such a scholar with
sufficient respect,
the judgment of the Talmudists,
The common man dare not undertaking,
if,
damned
enter
upon
judgment of the
in the
is,
according to to all eternity.
the most trivial
scholar,
not
it is
Religious usages, allowed and for
according to law.
bidden meats, marriage and divorce are determined not only by the rabbinical laws which have already accumulated to an
enormous mass, but
by special rabbinical judgments which profess to deduce all special cases from the general laws.
A
man, who
fessional
to get a
wealthy merchant, farmer or pro-
has a daughter, does everything in
good Talmudist
his
power
As
far as
be
as deformed, diseased,
will
still
and ignorant
phoenix
agreement is
he
future
obliged, at the be-
further obliged to provide her clothing,
and lodging,
eight years after their marriage,
on the dowry
may
The
and besides the dowry
;
husband with food,
pense.
is
may
pay to the parents of the youth a sum fixed by
daughter, he
law
son-in-law.
as possible,
have the advantage over others.
trothal, to
interest
for his
other matters are concerned, the scholar
father-in-law of such a
previous
also
is
for
his
and her
for
six
or
during which time the
paid, so that the learned son-in-
continue his studies at his father-in-law's exAfter this period he receives the dowry in hand,
and then he
is
either
promoted to some learned
or he spends his whole
life
in learned leisure.
case the wife undertakes the
office,
In either
management of the house-
An
Autobiography.
hold and the conduct of business only in return for
all
her
;
45
and she
is
content
if
she becomes in some
toils
measure a partaker of her husband's fame and future blessedness.
The
study of
the
Talmud
is
is
composed
dialects; there
and
is
even
There
Latin.
is
on
of the
of various Oriental languages
many a word no
in
dictionary, in
it
as
just
The language
irregularly as that of the Bible.
Talmud
carried
and
from Greek
which you can
turn up the expressions and phrases rnet with in the
Talmud ;
and, what
is
still
pointed, you cannot even
how such
therefore, like that of the Bible,
and
through frequent translation; first stage in the study of the
When
this
not
of the
learned only
constitutes the
Talmud.
some time
in
by the teacher, he goes on to the independent
reading or explanation of the Talmud.
The
teacher
him a limited portion of the Talmud, containing
gives
within tion,
is
the pupil has been directed for
translation
is
words, that are
The language
not pure Hebrew, are to be read.
Talmud,
Talmud
worse, as the tell
itself
a connected argument, as a task in exposi-
which he must perform within a fixed time.
particular
expressions and forms
the passage must either be
The
of speech occurring in
known by the pupil from his who here takes the place
former lessons, or the teacher, of a dictionary, explains
and the
them
to him.
But the tenor
entire connection of the prescribed passage the
Solomon Maimon:
46
and this constirequired to bring out himself;
is
pupil
tutes the second stage in the study of the
Two
Talmud.
commentaries, which are commonly printed along
with the text, serve as the chief guides at this point.
author of the one
The
Rabbi Solomon Isaac,* a man
is
gifted with grammatical
and
critical
of lan-
knowledge
and thorough Talmudic insight, guage, with extensive and with an uncommon precision of style. The other is
known by
the
title
work of several
A number
of Tosaphoth (Additions), and Its origin
rabbis.
is
is
the
very remarkable.
of the most famous rabbis agreed to study the
company. For this purpose each selected a separate portion, which he studied by himself till he believed that he had fully comprehended it, and retained
Talmud
it
in
in
to study the
of
its
Afterwards
memory.
parts.
Talmud
in
As soon
all
company
as the
thoroughly explained,
the rabbis met,
first
and
and began
according to the order part
settled
had been read
out,
to
the
according
Talmudic Logic, one of the rabbis produced, from the part of the
anything
Talmud
that
with which he was most familiar,
appeared
to
contradict
this
passage.
Another then adduced, from the part which he had
made thoroughly * as
Solomon ben
he
is
his
own, a passage which was able to
he is more correctly named, or Raschi, was an eminent Talmudic scholar of Troyes in
Isaac, as
also called,
the latter half of the eleventh century. It was his son-in-law, Meir, and the three sons of Meir, who may be said to have begun the Tosaphoth, referred to in the text.
Trans,
An remove
this contradiction
some
or
47
Autobiography.
qualification
by means of some
distinction
the
preceding
in
unexpressed
Sometimes the removal of such a contradiction
passage.
occasioned another, which a third rabbi disclosed, and a fourth laboured to remove,
plained harmoniously by It
may
is
required to
easily
till
the
all,
reduce the Talmud to
for the
geneous work, turns
up
perfectly clear.
be imagined, what a high degree of subtlety first
which correct inferences may be drawn
method;
passage was ex-
first
and made
in
Talmud
is
principles,
after
from
an uniform
a voluminous and hetero-
which even the same subject often
in different passages,
where
it
is
explained in
different ways.
commen-
Besides these two there are several other taries
which
corrections rabbi,
if
treat the subject
on the two
he possesses
and even make
further,
just mentioned.
Indeed, every
sufficient acuteness, is to
be viewed
commentary on the Talmud. But the highest of the mind is required to prepare a selection from
as a living effort
the
Talmud
or a code of the laws deducible from
This implies not only acuteness, but also a highest degree systematic.
doubtedly deserves the his code,
The
first
mind
it.
in the
Herein our Maimonides unrank, as
may be
seen from
Jad Hachazekah.
final stage in the study of the
disputation.
Talmud
It consists in eternally disputing
book, without end or aim.
is
about the
Subtlety, loquacity,
pertinence here carry the day.
that of
and im-
This sort of study was
Solomon
48
formerly very in
common
in the Jewish high schools
our times along with the schools
to decay.
It
is
some
it
;
* but
has also fallen
in-
a kind of Talmudic scepticism, and
utterly incompatible with
to
Maimon :
any systematic study directed
end.
*As it was at one time throughout all Christendom, and probably under every civilisation at a certain stage of its history. Trans.
An
CHAPTER Joy endureth but a
AFTER turn to
this digression
my
story.
and
He
to give
My
gave
in charge to
me
I
charge to a
in
was to
visit
me
order that he might examine tion I punctually followed
continue long
;
me
a letter to the
a relation of ours, re-
an able teacher,
my common
attention to the progress of
however
master, and told
while.
father gave
who was
me
to give
some
me
little
on the study of the Talmud I reI was sent to
chief rabbi of this place,
him
VII.
As already mentioned,
school at Iwenez.
questing
49
Autobiography.
for at
to dispute about
my
;
studies.
school-
him every Sabbath
in
This injunc-
himself.
but the arrangement did not
one of these examinations lessons
and suggest
I
began
difficulties,
when, without replying to them, the chief rabbi asked
me
if I
had stated these
"
Of course,"
"
And
"
difficulties to
my
teacher also.
I replied.
what did he say
?
Nothing to the point,"
"
asked the chief rabbi.
I replied,
joined silence on me, and said,
'
A
"
youngster must not
be too inquisitive; he must see to understands his lesson, teacher with questions.'
"
except that he en-
it
merely that he
but must not overwhelm his
Maimon:
Solomon
50
"Ah
"your teacher
said the chief rabbi,
!"
we must make a change.
gether too easy,
I
will
you instruction myself. friendship, and I hope that your to say against
it
do
is
I will give
merely out of
it
father will have as
The
as your former teacher.
little
which
fee
be given to
will
your father pays for your education,
alto-
your teacher without deduction."
In
this
way
struck out a
I got the chief rabbi for
way of
lessons repeated
till
own
his
a teacher.
No
with me.
they are impressed
weekly
on the memory,
no tasks which the pupil is obliged to perform self, and in which the course of his thoughts
little
to
His method distinguished
me
presence,
plained to
mind
so
main
my
much
as
very
subject.
all this.
He made
Talmud ex
tempore in
from
me on
the subject, ex-
was necessary to
and by means
attention
is
do with the main
itself
conversed with
in activity,
turned
all
me
him-
figure of
explain something from the
his
for
word or a
often arrested for the sake of a single
speech, which has
He
of questions
away from
all
set
my own
and answers
side-issues to the
subject, so that in a short time I passed through
the three above-mentioned stages in the study of the
Talmud.
himself with
whom the chief rabbi gave an account me and of my progress, went beside He returned his warmest thanks to joy.
this excellent
man
My
father, to
of his plan with
with
me
for putting himself to so
much
trouble
out of mere friendship, and that notwithstand-
An
Autobiography.
ing his delicate state of health, for he
But
this joy did not
last
long
;
51
was consumptive.
before a half year was
ended, the chief rabbi had to betake himself to his fathers,
and
I
was
a sheep without a shepherd.
left like
This was announced to fetched
me home.
which
had been sent
I
six miles
who came and
father,
H
Not, however, to
,
from
to school, but to Mohilna, about
H
from
my
,
whether
my
father
had mean-
This new change of abode had taken
while removed.
place in the following way.
Mohilna
is
a small hamlet in the territory of Prince
Radzivil four miles from situation
Nesvij,
of this place
Niemen on one
side,
is excellent. Having the river and on the other a large quantity
of the best timber for ships, trade
and
it
is
adapted equally for
Moreover the
for shipbuilding.
self possesses great fertility
and amenity.
district in
These
or arendant of the place,
whose family
for
it-
facts
The
could not escape the attention of the Prince.
mer
The
residence.
his
far-
some
generations had been in possession of this lucrative farm,
and had become
rich
by means of the shipbuilding
and the numerous fine products of the
district,
trade,
took
all
possible pains to prevent these great advantages from
being observed, in order that he might be able to enjoy
But
them alone without being
disturbed.
once that the prince was
travelling through the place,
and was so taken with
make a town
of
it.
its
He
it
happened
beauty, that he resolved to
sketched a plan for
this,
and
Solomon
52
made an announcement Slabode ; that in the place,
to
be
free
is,
Maimon : that
the place was to be a
to settle every one was to be at liberty
and drive any kind of
from
all
taxes for the
trade,
first six
and was even For a
years.
long time, however, this plan was never carried out, owing
on the
to all sorts of intrigues
went so
far as
part of the arendant,
who
even to bribe the advisers of the prince to
turn his attention away from the subject.
My
H
father,
who saw
clearly that the miserable
farm of
could not support him and his family, and had
been obliged to remain there hitherto only from want of a better abode, rejoiced very
much
at the
because he hoped that Mohilna would
announcement,
offer
him a place
of refuge, especially as the arendant was a brother-in-law of
my
In
uncle.
this
connection he
made
a journey to
my grandfather, had a conversation with the arendant, and opened to him his proposal to settle in Mohilna with his consent. The arendant, who had the place with
feared that, on the
announcement of the
people would stream in from
all sides,
prince's wish,
and press him out
of his possession, was delighted that at least the settled there
by marriage.
was not a
He
stranger, but related to his family
therefore not only gave his consent to
the proposal, but even promised assistance.
Accordingly
my
my
father
father all possible
removed with
whole family to Mohilna, and had a small house for himself there
;
who
first
but
till
it
obliged once more to take up
his
built
was ready, the family were their quarters in a barn.
An The
whom
arendant, by
53
Autobiography. at first
we were
received in a
friendly manner, had unfortunately meanwhile changed his mind, and found that his fear of being pressed out of his possession
by strangers was wholly without ground,
inasmuch as already a considerable time had passed since the announcement of the prince's wish, and yet
nobody had presented himself besides my father. The prince, as a Polish chief and Voivode in Lithuania, was constantly burdened too
much
saw, to be able to think
on the carrying out of
himself; and
his
with State
affairs in
subordinates could be
bribes to frustrate the whole plan.
showed the arendant
that the
War-
his plan
induced by
These considerations
new-comer could not only
be spared, but was even a burden, inasmuch as he had
now
to share with another
possession alone. father,
and
possible.
He
to disturb
With
this
what he had before held in
sought therefore to
him
restrict
in his settlement, as
my
much
as
view he built for himself a splendid
house, and succeeded in obtaining a
command from
the prince, in accordance with which none of the new-
comers should enjoy the built a similar house.
compelled to waste his
rights of a
My
father
little
burgher
till
he had
saw himself therefore
fortune,
which was
indis-
pensably required for the new arrangements, wholly and solely
on
this useless building.
Solomon
54
Maimon:
CHAPTER The
on."
it
righteous putteth
MY
"The
discovered
is
father's condition
appearance, but so
A theft a la Rousseau, ungodly provideth, and the
the Teacher
knows more than
Pupil
which
VIII.
had thus
much
the
externally an
pear internally on that account.
My
a very sorry provision for the family.
was obliged to seek,
;
and
must confess
I
him, on the one hand, not a
little
Accordingly
nine years old
Talmud and
its
;
still,
joy, but,
educa-
gave
on the other hand,
could not only understand the
commentaries
delight in disputing
my
that in this connection I
was then indeed only about
I
I
my
in addition to his other duties,
much
vexation.
ap-
make only
a position as teacher, in which he carried on tion
it
mother, notwith-
standing her unwearied activity, was able to
father
improved
more doubtful did
about
it,
pleasure in triumphing over
correctly, but I
and
my
even took
in this I felt a childish
honest father,
whom
I
thereby threw into no small perplexity.
The arendant and my bours
;
that
is,
father lived together like neigh-
they envied and hated each other.
former looked on
my father
as a vagrant,
who had
The forced
himself upon him, and disturbed him in his undivided
An
Autobiography.
55
My
possession of the advantages of the place.
father
took the arendant for a wealthy blockhead, who, against the consent which he had
granted, which
my
father
might have dispensed with altogether and had sought merely from the love of peace, endeavoured in every
way
to restrict
him and
narrow his
to
rights, notwith-
standing the fact that he received actual advantages from
For from
his settlement.
this
time Mohilna had acquired
a sort of independence, by means of which the arendant
was spared many expenses and depreciations. There was also a small synagogue erected, and my father took the position of chief rabbi, preacher, and director of the
He
conscience, as he was the only scholar in the place.
lost, indeed, no opportunity of representing all this to the arendant, and making complaints of his conduct;
but unfortunately this was of I
theft
must take which
little
use.
opportunity of mentioning the only
this
I ever perpetrated in
my
life.
to the
house of the arendant, and played with his
ren.
Once, when
there,
it
being
summer and
busy out of doors, medicine -box
When
charming. great sorrow,
the people of the house
I spied in
which I
an open closet a neat
in
it,
it ;
of the children of the house. sire to carry off
seemed
to
me
the
to
appeared
opened
some money
little
child-
room and found no one
entered a
I
went
I often
box
I ;
I
for
all
little
me uncommonly found, to my very it
belonged to one
could not
resist the de-
but to take the
in the highest degree shameful.
money But
Solomon Maimon:
56
when
I
considered that the theft would be
easily discovered
shame
put the
money
it
went home with
I
The
fully.
I
took the box as
I
pocket.
if
all
out, full
the
was and thrust
and buried
it,
more
of fear and
it
my
in
it
very care-
and was
night following I could not sleep,
disquieted in conscience, especially on account of the I resolved, therefore, to take
money.
regard to the
The
fore.
box, I could not conquer myself
little
was a work of
art,
back; but
it
in :
it
the like of which I had never seen be-
next day I emptied the box of
slunk with them into the
waited for an opportunity
room
its
contents,
already mentioned, and
when nobody was
there.
I
was already engaged in smuggling the money into the closet
;
but I had so
little
skill in
doing
this
without
noise and with the necessary despatch, that I was caught in the act, I
and forced
to a confession of the
whole
was obliged to dig up again the valuable work of
theft. art,
must have cost about a quarter of a groschen, to return it to its owner, little Moses, and to hear myself it
called thief by the children of the house.
Another incident, which happened to comical issue, was the following.
been quartered
for
some time
me and had
in Mohilna,
and
obtained new mountings, they were allowed to old.
My
eldest brother Joseph
a
The Russians had
and
my
as they sell
the
cousin Beer
applied to Russian acquaintances of theirs, and received in a present
some
brass buttons, which, being considered
a fine decoration, they got sewed on to their hose instead
An
wooden buttons they had
of the
lighted with the decoration to furnish myself to
make
fair,
but
was deskill
was compelled
my
father,
and Beer should be required
that Joseph
me.
to share their buttons with
was extremely
diligence, I
I applied, therefore, to
use of force.
and demanded
I also
before.
but as I had not the
;
my own
by
57
Autobiography.
still
My
father,
who, indeed,
me
above every-
was fond of
thing, said that the buttons were, of course, the rightful
property of their owners, but that, as these had more
than they required
for their
own
wants,
it
was but
fair
me some of those that they did To my commendation and their confusion
that they should give
not require.
he added the passage of the Bible, " The ungodly provideth,
had
and the righteous putteth
it
on."*
This decision
to be carried out in spite of the protest of Joseph
and Beer; and brass buttons
on
I
had the pleasure of
my
also shining in
hose.
Joseph and Beer however could not get over
They
their loss.
complained loudly of the impious wrong which had
been done to them. of the
affair,
told
My
them
father,
who wished
to get rid
therefore, that, as the buttons
had
been already sewed on to Solomon's hose, they must not use force, but that,
*
if
they could get them back again by
This seems to be Job xxvii. 17, which in our Authorised Ver" He (a wicked man) may prepare it (raiment), but
sion runs
:
the just shall put it on." Maimon seems to render it from memory: " Der Gottlose schafft sich an, und der Fromme bekleidet sich
damit."
Trans.
E
Maimon
Solomon
58
stratagem, they were at liberty to
:
do
Both were
so.
They came
pleased with this decision.
to me, looked at
my buttons, and both at once exclaimed in astonishment, " Oh what is that we see ? Buttons sewed on to cloth !
hose with linen instead of
thread
and went
cessful stratagem.
I
off with joy over their suc-
ran after them, and
they should sew the buttons on again
me "
My
to scorn.
They must be
!
While they were speaking, they took
taken off at once." off all the buttons,
hemp
father said to
;
demanded
that
but they laughed
me
smiling at
this,
Since you are so credulous, and allow yourself to be
deceived, I cannot help you any longer
be wiser end.
I
With
in the future."
was obliged
buttons, and
to
videth,
had used
to
I
hope you
came
to content myself with
have often repeated to
by Joseph and Beer, the father
;
this the affair
my
biblical
advantage,
and the righteous putteth
it
my
an
wooden
mortification
passage,
which
"The ungodly on."
will
to
my pro-
An
Autobiography.
CHAPTER Love
Affairs
may be
IX.
and Matrimonial Proposals
A
used in Matchmaking
59
The Song of Solomon new Modus Lucrandi
Smallpox.
IN
my
youth
I
was very
and had
lively,
in
my
nature a
good deal that was agreeable. In my passions I was violent and impatient. Till about my eleventh year, as had the benefit of a very strict education, and was kept from all intercourse with women, I never traced any But an incident special inclination towards the fair sex. I
produced
A
in
me
a great change in this respect.
poor, but very pretty,
girl
about
taken into our house as a servant.
my own
age was
She charmed
me un-
commonly. Desires began to stir in me, which till this time I had never known. But in accordance with the rabbinical morals, I was obliged to keep
strict
on
my
guard against looking on the girl with attentive gaze, and still more against speaking with her, so that I was able only
now and then
It
to throw at her a stolen glance.
happened once however that the
women
of the
house were going to bathe, which by the usage of the country they are accustomed to do two or three times a
week.
By chance my
instinct
drove
me
without reflec-
Solomon Maimon:
60
where they bathed
tion towards the place
suddenly perceived
this beautiful girl,
and there
;
I
as she stepped out
of the steam-bath and plunged into the river flowing by.
At
had calmed down
ings
Talmudic
laws,
again, being mindful of the
wished to
I
my
After
a sort of rapture.
this sight I fell into
flee.
But
I
could not;
I
As
I
remained standing, as
if
dreaded however
might be surprised here,
lest I
rooted
obliged to return with a
became state
till
The The
married.
I
my
was
that time I this
marriage.
the arendant, had two sons and three
Our neighbour, daughters.
From
heavy was sometimes beside myself; and
restless,
continued
in the spot.
heart.
feelstrict
eldest daughter, Deborah,
second, Pessel, was about
was already
my
age
;
the
peasantry of the place professed to find even a certain
resemblance in our features, and therefore, in accordance with
the laws of probability, conjectured that there
all
would be a match between mutual
affection.
Rachel, had to legs.
leg
She
fall
But by
us.
and dislocated one of her
remained somewhat crooked.
have
me
able, but
;
formed also a
completely recovered, but the
herself, indeed,
me
We
luck the youngest daughter,
into a cellar
started a hunt after to
ill
The
arendant then
he was absolutely determined
My
for a son-in-law.
he wished to have
father
was quite agree-
for his daughter-in-law the
straight-legged Pessel rather than Rachel of the crooked leg.
The arendant however
ticable,
declared that this was imprac-
inasmuch as he had fixed on a rich husband
for
An
61
Autobiography.
the elder, while the youngest was destined for
my
was unable to give
father
me
to provide for her richly out of his
he was willing
and
fortune,
of
my
to provide
me
to leave
and promote way.
from
all
Besides
give as a portion,
a joint-heir of his
necessaries the whole to
pay
my
father a
and not only
in his rights, but also to try
his domestic happiness in every possible
feuds between the two families were to cease
and a league of friendship was one family.
this time,
them
;
fortune.
after the betrothal,
him undisturbed
The
with
Moreover he promised
life.
sum immediately
fixed
own
sum which he agreed to in addition to make me
a considerable
me and as
anything, he was willing
to unite
for the future into
Had my father
lent
an ear to these representations, he
would without doubt have established the fortune of house, and true,
should have lived with a spouse, who,
I
had a crooked
afterwards
when
I
leg,
but (as
was tutor
respects an amiable woman.
freed from
all
I
found out some time
in her family) I
his
it is
was
in other
should thus have been
cares in the midst of
good
fortune,
and
I
should have been able to apply myself without hindrance to
my
studies.
But unhappily my father rejected this He was absolutely determined to
proposal with scorn.
have Pessel
for his daughter-in-law;
and since
this,
as
already mentioned, was impracticable, the feuds between the two families broke out afresh.
was
rich,
and
my
father
But
as the arendant
was a poor man, the
necessarily always the loser.
latter
was
Solomon
62
Some time for
me
and
Mr.
L
same time a
the
of Schmilowitz, a learned
man, who had an only
rich
daughter, was so enchanted with
me He
for his son-in-law without
into
began by entering on the subject, and
father
made up
from the Talmud,
in
my
fame, that he chose
having seen
me
correspondence
left it
My
conditions of the union. in lofty style,
:
afterwards another matrimonial proposal
turned up.
at
Maimon
to
father
him
before.
with
my
to prescribe the
answered
his letter
of Biblical verses and passages
which he expressed the conditions
by means of the following verses from the Canticles, "The thousand gulden are for thee, O Solomon, and the
briefly
two hundred
for those
who keep
his fruits."
*
Consent
was given to everything.
My
father accordingly
made
a journey to Schmilowitz,
saw his future daughter-in-law, and had the marriagecontract drawn in
upon. spot.
Two With
accordance with the terms agreed
hundred gulden were paid this,
however,
insisted that in his letter
to
him on the
he was not content, but
he had been obliged
to limit
himself to two hundred gulden merely for the sake of the
*
Evidently
O
viii., 12,
rendered in our Authorised Version, "Thou,
Solomon, must have a thousand (pieces of silver), and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred." Maimon translates apparently from memory, " Die tausend Gulden sind fur dich, Salomo, und die Zweihundert fur die, die seine Fruchte bewahren." In my " must be understood in its old rendering of this the pronoun "his English latitude as either neuter or masculine.
Trans,
An
63
Autobiography.
which he did not wish
beautiful verse
would not enter
to spoil
but he
;
two hundred gulden
thalers in Polish
They had
money).
him two hundred gulden more, and the so-called little presents for velvet
he
into the transaction at all unless
received for himself twice
trimmed with gold
to
(fifty
therefore to pay
hand over
to
him
me, namely, a cap of black
lace, a
bound
Bible
in
green
With these things he came gave me the presents, and told me that
velvet with silver clasps, etc.
home I
was
my
of joy,
full
to prepare myself for a disputation to
be held on
marriage day, which would be in two months' time.
my
Already
mother had begun
was expected to take with her prepare
all
of preserves;
sorts
about the disputation
mournful news smallpox. this
loss,
made that
fifty
I
arrived
My
was
bake the cakes she
to
to the wedding, I
began also
to hold,
that
my
and
to
to think
when suddenly
the
had died
of
bride
father could easily reconcile himself to
because he thought to himself that he had thalers
by
now he could
his
get
son in an honourable way, and
fifty
thalers for
him
again.
I also,
who had never seen my bride, could not particularly mourn her loss I thought to myself, " The cap and the ;
and a bride
silver-clasped Bible are already mine,
also not
be awanting long, while
serve
me
about
this loss.
again."
My
my
will
disputation can
mother alone was inconsolable
Cakes and preserves are of a perishable
nature and will not keep long.
The
labour which
mother had expended was therefore rendered
fruitless
my by
Solomon
64 this fatal accident
;
and
Maimon :
to this
must be added, that she
could find no place to keep the delicious cakes from secret attacks.
my
An
CHAPTER I
65
Autobiography.
X.
become an object of contention, get two wives kidnapped
MEANWHILE
the domestic circumstances of
became every day
He
worse.
and
at once,
am
at last.
saw himself,
my
father
therefore,
compelled to make a journey to the town of Nesvij, and apply for a position as teacher there, whither I also had to follow him.
Here he opened under favourable con-
ditions a school of his own,
me
in
which he could employ
as assistant.
A widow,
celebrated for her superior talents, as well
as for her Xanthippe-like character, kept a public-house at
She had a
the extremity of one of the suburbs.
daughter who
mentioned in the
none of the above-
yielded to her in
qualities,
and who was indispensable
Madam
management of the house.
was the widow's name), excited by creasing reputation, fixed on
daughter
Sarah.
Her
me
as a
constantly in-
husband
for her
family represented to her
impossibility of carrying out this plan pride,
my
to her
Rissia, (this
;
first,
my
the
father's
and the demands which he would therefore make,
and which she could never
satisfy
;
then
my
fame, which
had already excited the attention of the most prominent
Solomon Maimon:
66
town
and wealthy people of the
and
;
the
finally,
moderate character of her own fortune, which was from
sufficient to carry out
All these
such a proposal.
representations, however, were of no avail with her. had once for all taken it into her head, to have me let
son-in-law,
cost
it
her what
it
thought, the devil would needs be in get the
She
might it,
if
far
;
She for a
and she
she could not
young man. sent a proposal to
my
father, let
him have no
rest
the whole time he was in the town, discussed the matter with
him
herself
satisfy all his
on various occasions, and promised
demands.
My
father,
to
however, sought to
gain time for deliberation, and to put off the question
But the time came when we were
for a while.
home.
My
father
which was the
last
me
to the widow's house,
on our road,
in order to wait for a
went with
conveyance which started from that place. Rissia
made
Madam
use of the opportunity, began to caress me,
introduced
my
bride,
with her.
At
last
from
my
ever,
and sought
father.
difficulties
to return
and asked
me how
I
was pleased
she pressed for a decisive answer
He
was
still
always holding back, how-
in every possible
way
to represent the
connected with the subject.
While they were thus treating with one another, suddenly there burst into the room the chief rabbi, the preacher, and the elders of the place, with
most respectable people.
many
of the
This sudden appearance was
brought about without any magic in the following way.
An
These gentlemen had been the house of a prominent
Madam
who knew
Rissia,
67
Autobiography.
invited to a circumcision at
man
in
this
suburb.
very
sent her son
this very well,
once to the house with an invitation to the whole
at
company
to
come, immediately
They came
a betrothal at her house. intoxicated
;
and
settled,
therefore
half
contract had been
and that nothing was awanting but
to write out
down
to table, set
and subscribe the
my
table, to
as they believed nothing else than that
the preliminaries of the marriage
all
from
after rising
contract,
they sat
and the chief rabbi began
father in the midst,
to
dictate the contract to the scribe of the
My father assured them that had
yet
community. on the main point nothing
been decided, and that been
liminary articles
a passion at this,
quibble, and
settled.
it
haughty
" air,
himself of so "
Who is
;
of.
He
company, and said with a this Rabbi Joshua, who makes
the is
much consequence ? "
The Rabbi
common man
to
pre-
into
was only a
honourable company were being made sport turned therefore
fell
and the whole
sacred person
his
had the
chief rabbi
he supposed that
for
that
less
still
The
here superfluous.
but I believe, no
right to care for the welfare of
My I
father replied,
am,
'tis
true, a
man
can dispute
my
son,
and to place
his
my
future happiness on a firm footing."
The
chief rabbi was greatly offended with the ambi-
guity of the expression,
He
'
The Rabbi
is
here superfluous."
saw clearly that he had no right to lay down laws to
68
Solomon
my
father in the matter,
Maimon: and
that
Madam
was a piece of
it
a
rashness
on the part of
company
to a betrothal before the parties were agreed
on the preliminary
articles.
He
strike a lower tone.
Rissia
He
invite
to
began therefore to
represented to
my
father the
advantages of this match, the high ancestry of the bride,
and uncle, having been learned
(her grandfather, father,
men, and chief rabbis), her personal attractions, and the willingness and ability of Madam Rissia to satisfy all demands.
his
My this,
father,
who
had nothing
in fact
was compelled to
was made
out,
and
in
yield.
The
Madam
it
marriage-contract
Rissia
her daughter her public-house with
a bridal portion, and
to say against all
made
all its
came under an
belongings as
obligation also to
board and clothe the newly-married couple Besides
Talmud
I
father
its
appurtenances, together worth two or
and a number of other
came under no
tion received
fifty
him before the
obligation at
all,
and
gifts.
in addi-
Very wisely he had sum it had to be paid
thalers in cash.
refused to accept a to
for six years.
received as a present the entire work of the
with
three hundred thalers,*
My
over to
bill
for this
;
betrothal.
" The * The bulk of the gift explains its costliness. Babylonian Talmud is about four times as large as that of Jerusalem. Its thirtysix treatises now cover, in our editions, printed with the most prominent commentaries (Rashi and Tosafoth), exactly 2947 folio leaves in twelve folio volumes." (E. Deutsch's Literary Remains, Trans. p. 41).
An
69
Autobiography.
had been arranged, there was a capital entertainment, and the brandy bottle was vigorously The very next day my father and I went home. plied. After
My
this
all
mother-in-law promised to send after us as soon as
possible the so-called
clothing for
little
me, which
and the
presents
in the hurry she
Many weeks however
able to get ready.
passed without
My
our hearing or seeing anything of these. perplexed about in-law
this
;
and
some subterfuge
He
woman was
The
like.
following circumstance strengthened
A
seeking
from her burdensome contract.
to escape
resolved therefore to repay like with
resolve.
was
he could think
to him,
nothing else than that this intriguing
father
my mother-
as the character of
had long been suspicious
articles of
had not been
who used
rich arendant,
him
in this
to bring spirits to
Nesvij for sale, and to lodge in our house on his journey
He whom he fixed on me in his He knew however what diffi-
through Mohilna, likewise cast his eye upon me.
had an only daughter,
for
thoughts as a husband. culties
he would have
on the subject
it
;
overcome,
directly with
and
impossible for
to force him, as
my
if
he were
father.
His plan was
fore an indirect way. his debtor
to
to
He
it
chose there-
make my
as his critical circumstances
him
to treat
to clear off the debt,
father
would make he expected
were, to consent to this union with
the view of wiping out the debt by stipulated for the son.
He
means of the amount
offered
my
father therefore
Maimon :
Solomon
7O
some
on
of spirits
barrels
credit,
and the
was
offer
accepted with delight.
As the date of payment approached, Hersch Dukor and reminded (this was the name of the arendant) came
my
The
father.
assured him, that at the
latter
moment
he was not in a position to clear off the debt, and begged
him
to have patience with him for some time yet. " Herr " I will speak with Joshua," said the arendant,
you quite frankly on
occurs, I
do not see any
You have
is this.
the sole heiress of
an
alliance.
By
;
my
all
and
my
your being able to
have a daughter who
to
will
will
be
take a general care to im-
my
far as lies in
power."
this proposal
Immediately a contract
father.
your debt be
be fixed by yourself
I shall
is
Let us enter into
one could be more joyous over
which the
than
was closed,
in
bride's dowry, as well as the required presents,
was decided
The
I
property.
prove your circumstances so
No
no fortunate accident
means not only
sum
paid in addition, and
if
best thing for us both therefore
a son,
this
wiped out, but a
and
possibility of
The
clear off your debt.
Your circumstances
this matter.
are growing daily worse
bill for
in
accordance with
my
father's suggestion.
the debt, which amounted to
Polish money, was returned to the spot, while
fifty
my
fifty
father,
thalers in addition
thalers in
and torn on
were paid to him.
Thereupon my new father-in-law went on to Nesvij to collect some debts there. Unfortunately he had to lodge
at
my
former mother-in-law's.
She, being a great
An
71
Autobiography.
him of her own accord about the good " The father of match which her daughter had made.
prattler,
told
the bridegroom," said she, "
and the bridegroom
himself a great scholar,
young man of eleven
a
is
is
who
years,
has scarcely his equal." " I " also," replied the arendant, have, thank God,
made
a good choice for
my
daughter.
You have
per-
haps heard of the celebrated scholar, Rabbi Joshua, in Mohilna, and of his young son, Solomon
:
he
my
is
daughter's bridegroom."
Scarcely had these "
cried out,
That
is
daughter's bridegroom
when she
words been spoken,
a confounded
and
;
here,
lie.
sir,
Solomon is
my
is
the marriage-
contract."
The arendant then showed
Madam court
had
Rissia
to
and
;
a dispute, the result of which was that
into
fell
they
her his contract too
give a
my
father
categorical
summoned
My
explanation.
the
before
father,
however, did not put in an appearance, although she had
him summoned Meanwhile
twice.
mother died, and was brought
my
Nesvij for burial.
My
court an attachment
on the dead body, by which
interment was interdicted
My
father therefore
court,
my
till
the termination of the
saw himself compelled
to
mother-in-law of course gained the
became again the bridegroom
now
to prevent
to
mother-in-law obtained from the
of
my
its
suit.
appear in suit,
former bride.
and
I
And
any similar reversal of her plans in the
Solomon
72
and
future,
my
:
father all occasion
mother-in-law endeavoured to satisfy
my in
to take from
Maimon
accordance with her promise, clothed
and even paid
toe,
my
father for
now
My
and we returned home
buried,
My
second father-in-law came
me
ever pointed out that
it
it,
from top to
mother" also was
again.
too,
and
called
was null and void,
upon
He
father for the ratification of his contract.
my
for
demands
board from the date
my
of the betrothal to the marriage.
all his
as
it
how-
contra-
vened a previous contract, and had been made by him merely in the supposition that my mother-in-law had no intention of fulfilling hers.
The arendant seemed to
give
an ear to these representations, to yield to necessity, and reconcile himself to his loss; but in reality he was thinking
of
some means
to
me
get
hands.
into his
Accordingly he rose by night, yoked his horses, took in
from the table on which
silence
packed
me
with
off with his
all
I
But as
this
could not
be accomplished without some noise, the people
house awoke, discovered the per,
and snatched
made
despatch into his carriage, and
booty out at the gate.
me
theft,
me
was sleeping,
in the
pursued the kidnap-
To me
out of his hand.
the
whole incident appeared at the time like a dream. In this way my father was released from his debt, and got
fifty
thalers
besides
as
a
gratuity
immediately afterwards carried off by in-law,
and made the husband of
my
my
;
but
legal
legal bride.
of course confess that this transaction of
my
I
was
motherI
must
father's
An cannot be quite his great
need
an excuse.
Autobiography.
justified in a
at the
moral point of view.
73
Only
time can in some measure serve as
Solomon Maimon:
74
CHAPTER XL My
Marriage in
Eleventh Year makes
my
me
the Slave of
Wife, and procures for me Cudgellings from law Ghost of Flesh and Blood.
my
my
Mother-in-
A
ON
the
first
present. still
I
to settle
was
my marriage my father was not me at my departure that he had
evening of
As he
told
some
articles
on
my
account, and therefore
to wait for his arrival, I refused, in spite of all the
efforts that
Never-
were made, to appear that evening.
theless the marriage festivities
next day for
my
father,
but
went on.
We
waited the
he did not come.
still
They
then threatened to bring a party of soldiers to drag to the marriage
answer, that, for
if this
were done,
the ceremony would
voluntary act.
me
ceremony; but I gave them for an
At
last,
it
would help them
little,
not be lawful except as a
to the joy of all interested,
my
father arrived towards evening, the articles referred to
were amended, and the marriage ceremony was performed.
Here in a
I
must mention a
little
anecdote.
Hebrew book of an approved plan
secure lordship over his better half for
for
I
had read
a husband to
life.
He
was
to
An
75
Autobiography.
ceremony ; and if both to succeed would retain
tread on her foot at the marriage hit
on the stratagem, the
the upper hand.
first
when my
Accordingly,
bride and I
were placed side by side at the ceremony occurred to me, and I said to myself, let
the opportunity pass of securing for
time lordship over your wife.
on her
foot,
me
irresolute state, all at
once
my
foot with such
have screamed aloud shame.
I
you must not your whole life-
just going to tread
but a certain Je ne sais quoi, whether
shame, or love, held
on
was
I
While
back. I felt
the slipper of
an impression that if
I
was
I
I
should almost
omen and
said to myself,
may
and the heroic mettle of
easily conceive
why
this
wife,
From my
try to slip out of her fetters.
faint-heart edness
wife
my
had not been checked by
took this for a bad
you must not
fear,
in this
Providence has destined you to be the slave of your
reader
trick
this
Now
my
wife, the
prophecy had
to
be
actually realised. I stood, however, not only
but
wife,
under the slipper of
what was very much worse
my
under the lash
Nothing of all that she had was fulfilled. Her house, which she had promised settled on her daughter as a dowry, was burdened with debt. Of the six years' board which she had promised of
my
me
I
mother-in-law.
enjoyed scarcely half a
constant brawls and squabbles.
my lay
year's,
and
She even,
this
amid
trusting to
youth and want of spirit, ventured now and then to hands on me, but this I repaid not infrequently with
Solomon
y6
compound
Scarcely a meal
interest.
which we did not
and
plates, spoons,
Once
I
hungry.
Maimon:
fling at
passed during
each other's head, bowls,
similar articles.
came home from the academy extremely As my mother-in-law and wife were occupied
with the business of the public house, I went myself into
room where the milk was kept and as I found a dish of curds and cream, I fell upon it, and began to eat. My
the
;
mother-in-law " in rage,
cream
came
You
"
The more cream
!
went on
me
the better, thought
to wrest the dish forcibly
with her
and
fists,
seized the dish,
The
!
and smashed
in rage a piece of all haste,
it
down
curds ran
wood, and
me
let
Exasperated by such treatment,
a sight
like
this
skirmishes of course
my
wife
her very closely.
Oh
!"
over her.
all
She seized
had not cleared out
me
had
to
At
such
remain neutral, and it
came home
she often complained, little
Tired of a ceaseless open war I once effect for
in
to death.
very often.
the one or the other of you had a
agem, which had a good
hands, ill-will.
pushed her from me, on her head. That was
whichever party gained the upper hand, "
my her
I
if I
occurred
from
feel all
she would certainly have beat
Scenes
I rose
and
I,
eating, without disturbing myself by her cry.
She was going beat
was thus occupied, and screamed
as I
are not going to devour the milk with the
"
if
to
only
more patience
" !
upon a
strat-
a short time at
least.
hit
about midnight, took a large vessel of earthenware,
crept with
it
under
my mother-in-law's
bed, and began to
An
77
Autobiography.
speak aloud into the vessel after the following fashion: "
O
my
Rissia, Rissia,
beloved son so
your end
Then and
I
is
and you
will
be damned to
The
my
in a dream,
up
in consternation,
mother had appeared
to her
and had threatened and pinched her on
When
her arm.
came from the synagogue,
I
mother-in-law at home, but found
my I
my
wife, that
my
In confirmation she showed the blue marks on
account.
tears.
back to bed.
following morning she got '
told
find
all eternity."
crept out again, and began to pinch her cruelly
after a while I slipped silently
and
My
near,
you ungodly woman, why do you treat ill ? If you do not mend your ways,
asked the reason, but she would
tell
I
did not
my wife in me nothing.
mother-in-law returned with dejected look, and eyes
red with weeping.
She had gone,
as I afterwards learned,
thrown herself on
to the Jewish place of burial,
mother's grave, and begged for forgiveness of her
my
fault.
She then had the burial place measured, and ordered a wax-light as long as
She
synagogue.
me showed I
its
circumference, for burning in the
also fasted the
knew of course what was
acted as
whole day, and towards
herself extremely amiable.
if I
over the success of
some
my
the cause of
all this,
it,
had peace
for
last long.
The whole was soon
time, but unfortunately
it
forgotten again,
did not
and on
the slightest occasion the dance went on as before. short, I
but
and rejoiced in secret In this manner I stratagem.
did not observe
In
was soon afterwards obliged to leave the house
Solomon
78
altogether,
on the
Maimon :
and accept a position
great feast-days I used to
as a private tutor.
come home.
Only
An
CHAPTER The
IN
XII.
Prince Radzivil,* or Secrets of the Marriage State not all allowed in Poland ?
my
my
79
Autobiography.
fourteenth year I had
marriage
the retired
I
life
my
eldest son, David.
was only eleven years
common among
what
old,
and owing
is
At to
people of our nation in
those regions, as well as the want of mutual intercourse
between the two
I
sexes,
had no idea of the
duties of marriage, but looked
other work of nature or
art,
on a
I stole.
for a considerable
time after marriage
any thought about the fulfilment of
It
my
as
was therefore natural that
medicine-box that
approach
on any on the pretty
pretty girl as
somewhat
It
essential
its
I
could not have
duties.
I
used to
wife with trembling as a mysterious object.
was therefore supposed that
the time of the wedding
;
I
had been bewitched
and under
at
this supposition I
was brought to a witch to be cured. She took in hand all sorts of operations, which of course had a good effect, although indirectly through the help of the imagination.
" R " of this name but as he * Maimon ; gives merely the initial has already (Chap. i. ) told us that his prince was Radzivil, there is Trans. not much mystery in this artifice.
Solomon Maimon
8o
My
life
in
Poland from
:
my marriage
to
my emigration, my existence,
which period embraces the springtime of
of manifold miseries with a want of
was a
series
means
for the promotion of culture,
connected with
that,
in the description of
and the
painful
The
and,
which the pen drops from
memories of which
condition of our people in
my hands,
I strive to stifle.*
it,
the
own ignorance
religious prejudices connected therewith, as well
by the ignorance and prejudices of the ruling
the misfortunes of
combined
to hinder
my own me
family;
all
in the course of
ment, and to check the effect of
The
;
who, like the poor ass with
the double burden, are oppressed by their
as
necessarily
an aimless application of my powers,
general constitution of Poland at the time
and the
all
classes
;
these causes
my
develop-
my
natural disposition.
Polish nation, under which I
comprehend merely
* This horror of
memory tormented Maimon to the end of his dreamed often that he was in Poland again, deprived of all his hooks and Lucius metamorphosed into an ass was not in a more pitiable plight. 'From this agony,' said Maimon, 'I was usually aroused by a loud cry, and my joy was indescribable on finding that it was only a dream.'" (Maimoniana, p. 94). "He "
days.
He
;
visit from his brother, for whom he was deeply Poor as he was himself, Maimon kept him a long while, gave him clothing and everything else that he could, besides procuring from some friends enough money to pay his travelling ex-
once received a
affected.
Above all, he told me, he was affected at letting his penses. brother go back into the wilderness ; and if he had not had a wife and children at home, he would have tried to him beside himkeep
self."
(Ibid., p. 175).
Trans.
An
81
Autobiography.
is of a very mixed kind. Only the an of culture by means of opportunity very few have upbringing, instruction, and well-directed travels, by
the Polish nobility,
which they can best promote
and
at
once their own welfare
Most of them, on the other and immorality, and
that of their tenantry.
hand, spend
their lives in ignorance
become the
sport of their extravagant passions, which
They make
are ruinous to their tenants. titles
and
they
own many
how
to
a display with
orders, which they disgrace by estates
the prey of
its
;
which they do not understand
manage, and they are
another, so that the
their actions
at perpetual feud with
kingdom must of
neighbours,
who
necessity
are envious of
one
become
its
great-
ness.
Prince
Voivode
and
Radzivil in
Lithuania,
as occupant
owned immense kindness
was,
of
as
in
Poland and
one of the greatest magnates,
of three
estates.
Hettmann
inheritances
He
in
his
and good sense ; but, through and a want of instruction, he became
heart
neglected training
one of the most extravagant princes that ever
From want
family
was not without a certain
lived.
of occupation, which was a necessary conse-
quence of neglect in cultivating his tastes and widening his knowledge, he gave himself up to drinking, by which he was tempted to the most ridiculous and insane actions. Without any particular inclination
for
it
he abandoned
himself to the most shameful sensuality; and without
Solomon Maimon:
82
being cruel, he exercised towards his dependents the greatest cruelties.
He
supported at great cost an army of ten thousand
men, which was used
for
no purpose
display; and during the troubles
in the
in
world except
Poland he took,
without knowing why, the part of the Confederates. this
means he got himself encumbered with the
who plundered
ship of the Russians,
By
friend-
and
his estates,
plunged his tenants into the greatest destitution and
He
misery.
himself was obliged several times to
from the country, and to leave as booty treasures
for his
flee
enemies
which had been the gathering of many genera-
tions.
Who
can describe
few examples
all
will, I
the excesses he perpetrated
be
believe,
some idea of them.
A
former prince does not allow
me
reader
sufficient to
A
?
give the
certain respect for
my
to consider his faults as
anything but faults of temperament and education, which deserve rather our pity than our hatred and contempt.
When
he passed through a
did with the whole
and
soldiers,
pomp of his
no man,
himself in the street
by no means
who came
safe.
;
at the peril of his
and even
The
in his way,
which he commonly court, his bands of music
street,
life,
show
durst
in the houses people
were
poorest, dirtiest peasant-woman,
he would order up into
his carriage
beside himself.
Once he
sent for a respectable Jewish barber, who,
suspecting nothing but that he was wanted for
some
An
83
Autobiography.
surgical operation, brought his instruments with him,
appeared before the prince. "
Have you brought your
instruments with you
?
and
"
he
was asked. "Yes, Serene Highness," he replied. "
Then," said the prince, "give
me
open one of your veins." The poor barber had to submit. the lancet
;
operation, his
and
as he did not
and besides
his
a lancet, and I will
The
know how
prince seized
to go about the
hand trembled
as a result of
hard drinking, of course he wounded the barber in a
pitiable
manner. But his courtiers smiled their applause,
and praised
his great skill in surgery.
He
went one day into a church, and being so drunk that he did not know where he was, he stood against the altar,
and commenced
became
to
.
All
who were
Next morning when he was
horrified.
present
sober, the
clergy brought to his mind the misdeed he had committed " the day before. Eh " said the prince, " we will soon !
make
Thereupon he issued a command
that good."
the Jews of the place, to provide at their fifty
stone of
wax
own
burning in the church.
for
Jews were therefore obliged to bring a
to
expense,
The poor
sin-offering for
the desecration of a Christian Church by an orthodox
Catholic Christian.
He
once took
round the town. coach with
it
into his
head to drive on the wall
But as the wall was too narrow
six horses,
and he never drove
in
for a
any other,
Solomon
84 his hussars
of their
Maimon:
much
were obliged, with
lives, to
carry the coach with their hands
had driven round the town
Once he drove
labour and peril
with the whole
pomp
he
of his court to a
Jewish synagogue, and, without any one to
this
reason, committed the greatest
knowing the smashed windows and
till
in this way.
stoves,
broke
all
day
havoc,
the vessels, threw
on the ground the copies of the Holy Scriptures kept in A learned, pious Jew, who was the ark, and so forth. present, ventured to
one of these copies from the
lift
ground, and had the honour of being struck with a From musket-ball by His Serene Highness' own hand. here the train went to a second synagogue, where the
same conduct was repeated, and from there they proceeded to the Jewish burial-place, where the buildings were demolished, and the monuments cast into the
Can
it
so malicious towards his
was
in a position to
did anything amiss
On
?
own poor
subjects,
Yet
it
into his
head to make a
Mohilna, a hamlet belonging to him, which lay
done with
his usual suite
and
all
On the morning of the appointed marched the army
regimental divisions, on.
he
what happened here.
this is
four short miles from his Residence.
First
whom
punish legally whenever they really
one occasion he took
trip to
fire.
be conceived, that a prince could show himself
Then
the
This had to be
pomp
of his court.
day the train went forth.
in order according to its usual
infantry, artillery, cavalry,
followed his bodyguard,
Strelitzi,
and so
consisting of
An
85
Autobiography.
volunteers from the poor nobility.
them came
After
his
kitchen-waggons, in which Hungarian wine had not been
These were followed by the music of
forgotten. janissaries, last
of
Then came
and other bands.
all his satraps.
can compare
I give
this train
them
his
and
name, because
I
with no other than that of Darius
Towards evening His
war against Alexander.
in the
this
his coach,
Serene Highness arrived at our public house in the
suburb of the town which was His Serene Highness' I
Residence, Nesvij.
own high him of
Hungarian wine had robbed consciousness, in which alone of course per-
all
sonality rests.
with
all
cannot say that he arrived in his
person, for the
his
He was
carried into the house
and thrown
clothes, booted and spurred, on to
mother-in-law's dirty bed, without giving
it
my
a supply of
clean linen.
As
usual, I
ever, I
had
mean my
to take to flight.
My
Amazons, how-
mother-in-law and
my
wife, trusted to
their heroic mettle,
went on the whole Serene Highness
and remained night.
at
home
alone.
Riot
In the very room where His
wood was chopped, cooking and It was well known that, when His
slept,
baking were done. Serene Highness
slept,
nothing could waken his high
person except perhaps the trumpet of the Judgment-Day.
The
when he wakened, and looked around, he scarcely knew whether to trust his eyes, when he found next morning,
himself in a wretched public-house, thrown on to a dirty
bed swarming with bugs. His
valets, pages,
and negroes
Solomon Maimon:
86
He
waited on his commands.
how he had come
asked
His Serene Highness had had yesterday commenced a journey to Mohilna, but halted here to take rest, that his whole train had mean-
and was answered,
there,
that
while gone on, and had undoubtedly arrived in Mohilna
by
this time.
The
journey to Mohilna was for the present given up,
and the whole
They returned
ordered back.
train
Residence in the usual order and
accordingly to the
pomp.
But the prince was pleased
banquet
in our public-house.
who happened to be in the The service used on
invited.
and
it
is
to hold a great
All the foreign gentlemen,
place at the time, were the occasion was of gold,
impossible adequately to realise the contrast
which reigned here
one house, between Asiatic splen-
in
dour and Lappish poverty.
In a miserable public-house,
whose walls were black as coal with smoke and
whose
of trees, whose windows consisted of
broken panes of bad covered with paper,
benches
soot,
were supported by undressed round stems
rafters
at a
still
glass,
in this dirtier
some fragments of
and small house
table,
strips
sat princes
of pine
on
dirty
and had the choicest
dishes and the finest wines served to
them on gold
Before the banquet the prince took a
stroll
plate.
with the
other gentlemen in front of the house, and by chance
observed
youth I
;
my
wife.
and although
She was then I
am now
must do her the justice
in the
bloom of her
separated from her,
to allow that
still
leaving, of course,
An out of account
all
87
Autobiography.
and
that taste
art contribute to the
heightening of a person's charms, inasmuch as these had
had no influence on her rank.
she was a beauty of the
first
was therefore natural that she should please
It
the prince. He turned to his companions, and said, " Really a pretty young woman Only she ought to get !
This was a
a white chemise."
and meant
heard wife,
much
as
Grand
by the
it,
signal with him,
as the throwing of a handkerchief
When
Sultan.
these gentlemen therefore
they became solicitous for the honour of
and gave her a hint
She took the over the
common
hills
hint,
and
slipped silently out,
far
After the banquet
my
to clear out as fast as possible.
and was soon
away.
His Serene Highness proceeded
again with the other gentlemen into town amid trumpets, kettle-drums,
and the music of
Then
his janissaries.
the
usual order of the day was followed that is, a carousal was carried on the whole afternoon and evening, and then the party went to a pleasure-house at the entrance ;
to the prince's zoological garden, set off at great expense,
where fire-works were
but usually with accidents.
every goblet was drained, cannons were fired
;
As
but the
poor cannoneers, who knew better how to handle the
plough "
than the cannon, were
Vivat Kschondsie Radzivil," that
Radzivil,"
shouted
the
guests.
seldom
not "
Long The palm
is,
injured.
live
Prince in
this
Bacchanalian sport was of course awarded to the prince ;
and those who awarded
it
were loaded by him with
Solomon Maimon:
88
presents, not in perishable coin or golden snuff-boxes or
anything of that
sort,
but in real estate with
many hun-
dred peasants. At the close a concert was given, during which His Serene Highness fell gently asleep, and was carried to the castle.
The expenses
of such extravagance were of course ex-
torted from the poor tenantry.
If this
was not
sufficient,
debts were contracted, and estates sold to wipe them out.
Not even the twelve golden
statues in life-size,
whether
they represented the twelve apostles or the twelve giants, I
do not know,
nor the golden table which had been
made for himself, were
spared on such emergencies.
And
thus the noble estates of this great prince were diminished, his treasures
which had accumulated during many
generations were exhausted, and his tenants
must break
The body.
But
I
off.
prince died not long ago without heirs of his
His brother's son inherited the
estates.
An
Autobiography.
CHAPTER Endeavour
after
XIII.
mental Culture amid ceaseless Struggles with Misery of every kind.
BY means still
in
of the instruction received from
more by
my
my own
industry, I
my father,
had got on so
eleventh year I was able to pass as a
Besides history,
but
well, that full rabbi.
possessed some disconnected knowledge astronomy, and other mathematical sciences. I
in I
burned with desire to acquire more knowledge, but how was
this to
be accomplished
scientific books,
I
and of
all
in the
other
want of guidance, of
means
for the
purpose
?
was obliged therefore to content myself with making
use of any help that I could by chance obtain, without plan or method.
In order to gratify there were
languages.
desire of scientific knowledge,
my
no means available but But how was
I to
that of learning foreign
To learn Polish was for me impossible,
begin
or Latin with a Catholic teacher
?
on the one hand because the prejudices of people prohibited to all
sciences but the
me
all
my own
languages but Hebrew, and
Talmud and
the vast array of
its
commentators, on the other hand because the prejudices G
Solomon Maimon:
go
of Catholics would not allow them to give instruction in
Moreover
those matters to a Jew.
temporal circumstances.
I
was
low
in very
was obliged to support a
I
whole family by teaching, by correcting proofs of the
Holy
Scriptures,
and by other work of a
For a long time therefore satisfaction of
At
last
my
I
had
similar kind.
to sigh in vain for the
natural inclination.
a fortunate accident
observed in some
stout
came
to
my
Hebrew volumes,
help.
that
I
they
contained several alphabets, and that the number of their sheets was indicated not merely
by Hebrew
that for this purpose the characters of a
letters,
alphabet had also been employed, these being
Latin and
German
idea of printing.
Now,
letters.
I
I
but
second and a third
commonly
had not the
generally imagined
that
slightest
books were
printed like linen, and that each page was an impression
from a separate form.
I
which stood
characters,
one and the same
in
letter,
presumed however that the similar places, must represent and as I had already heard
something of the order of the alphabet in these languages, I
supposed
that,
place as aleph, this
I
way
for
example,
#,
standing in the same
must likewise be an aleph learnt
gradually
in sound.
the Latin and
In
German
characters.
By a kind of German letters along with the different
deciphering into words
Hebrew
from these,
I
;
I
began to combine various
but as the characters used
letters
might be something quite
remained always doubtful whether
An
91
Autobiography.
the whole of my labour in this operation would not be in vain,
till
fortunately
into
my
joy and
that the I
had
some
hand.
my
fell
I
surprise,
leaves of an old
began
when
'Tis true, in
my
of the words were unintelligible
was
still
mode
Jewish language ;
many
but from the connec-
able, with the omission of these words, to
comprehend the whole This
great were
saw from the connection,
I
words completely corresponded with those which
learned.
tion I
German book
How
to read.
pretty well.*
of learning by deciphering constitutes
still
my peculiar method of comprehending and judging the thoughts of others and I maintain that no one can say he understands a book, as long as he finds himself com;
pelled to deliver the thoughts of the author in the order
and connection determined by him, and with the expressions which he has used. This is a mere work of memory, and no man can
flatter
himself with having comprehend-
ed an author
he
roused by his thoughts, which he
apprehends
till
at first
is
but dimly, to reflect on the subject
* It was probably a reminiscence of this labour of deciphering, " One that led to the following outburst of sympathy day Maimon read in an English work, that the author had only commenced to when he was eighteen years of age, and that the learn the :
ABC
first
book which
His master '
asked,
(for
What
he replied,
'
I
cult subjects.'
eyes."
fell
into his
hands was one of Newton's works.
he was a servant) came upon him
have learnt to
Maimon
at this task,
O you can't read ?' read, and I began with the most
are you doing with that
read this in
(Maimoniana, pp. 230- 1 ).
and
'
?
yes,' diffi-
presence with tears in his Trans.
my
Solomon Maimon
92
himself,
and
to
work
it
out for himself, though
it
may be
This distinction between
under the impulse of another.
different kinds of understanding
man
:
must be evident
to
For the same reason also
of discernment.
understand a book only when the thoughts which
harmonise
tains
I still
I
always
felt
satisfy
my
desire of scientific
to this time the study of the
Up
was
chief occupation.
found pleasure merely in view
With
interest in
its
matter.
this
Talmud
however
I
of its form, for this calls
into action the higher powers of the
no
can con-
up the gaps between them. a want which I was not able to fill.
knowledge.
my
it
after filling
could not completely
still
any
I
mind ; but
It affords exercise in
I
took
deducing
the remotest consequences from their principles, in dis-
covering the most hidden contradictions, in hunting out the finest distinctions, and so forth.
But
as the princi-
ples themselves have merely an imaginary reality, they
cannot by any means
satisfy
a soul thirsting after know-
ledge. I
looked around therefore for something, by which I
could supply this want. so-called science,
which
Jewish scholars of
which professes his desire of
perfection
this
is
Now, I knew that there is a somewhat in vogue among the
district,
to enable a
namely the Cabbalah,
man, not merely
knowledge, but also to reach an
to
and closeness of communion with God.
turally therefore I
As however
it
burned with desire
cannot, on account of
satisfy
uncommon Na-
for this science. its
sacredness, be
An publicly taught, but
know where
Autobiography.
must be taught
93
in secret, I did not
to seek the initiated or their writings.
Solomon Maimon:
94
CHAPTER I
study the Cabbalah, and become at
CABBALAH,
more
XIV.
to treat of this divine
and
sciences which
a Physician.
science
somewhat
means, in the wider sense of the term,
in detail,
tradition;
last
it
comprehends, not only the occult
may
not be publicly taught, but also the
method of deducing new laws from the laws that are given in the Holy Scriptures, as also some fundamental laws which are said
Moses on Mount
have been delivered orally to
to
In the narrower sense of the
Sinai.
term, however, Cabbalah occult sciences.
This
practical Cabbalah. trines of
means
is
means only the
The former comprehends
The
the doc-
God, of His attributes which are expressed by
of His manifold names, of the origin of the world
through a gradual limitation of His
and
tradition of
divided into theoretical and
of the relation of all things to latter is the doctrine
infinite perfection,
His supreme essence.
which teaches how to work
upon nature at pleasure by
means of those manifold
names of God, which represent various modes of working These sacred upon, and relations to, natural objects. names are regarded, not
as
merely
arbitrary,
but as
An
Autobiography.
natural signs, so that
all
that
95
done with these
is
signs
must have an influence on the object which they represent.
Originally the Cabbalah was nothing but psychology, physics, morals, politics,
and such
sciences, represented
by means of symbols and hieroglyphs
and
who were competent
to understand
by, however, perhaps as the result of
tions, this occult
fables
and
meaning of which was disclosed
allegories, the occult
only to those
in
meaning was
lost,
taken for the things signified.
many
and the
But as
it
it.
By
revolu-
signs were
was easy to
perceive that these signs necessarily had meant some-
was
it
thing,
left
to the imagination to invent an occult
meaning which had long been lost. The remotest analogies between signs and things were seized, till at last the Cabbalah degenerated into an art of madness accord-
ing
to
The
method, or a systematic science resting on conceits.
big promise of
its
design, to
at pleasure, the lofty strain
announces
work
effects
on nature
and the pomp with which
have naturally an extraordinary
itself,
it
influ-
ence on minds of the visionary type, that are unenlightened by the sciences and especially by a thorough philosophy.
The
principal
work
the Zohar, which
Syrian language.
is
for the study of the
it.
is
All other Cabbalistic writings are to
be regarded as merely commentaries on from
Cabbalah
written in a very lofty style in the
this, or extracts
Solomon Maimon
96
:
There are two main systems of the Cabbalah, the of Rabbi Moses Kordovero, and that of Rabbi
system
The former
Luria.*
Isaac
approximates more other hand,
is
structure of
the
system.
Cabbalah, in which there
work
of
Of Rabbi
(Paradise).
(The Tree of is
latter,
Cabbalists prefer
is
no
rational meaning.
Isaac Luria himself
Moses than
Chajim Chajim
is
had more for that of
not give utterance to
we have some
Ez
This work
Naturally, I
to print.
The
the Pardes
title,
which the whole system of his
Life), in
contained.
is
but his pupil, Rabbi
held by the Jews to
be so sacred, that they do not allow
of Rabbi
it
The modern
wrote a large work under the
master
is,
on the
completer in the
that
Rabbi Moses Kordovero
disconnected writings; Vitall,
that
because they hold that only to be genuine
latter,
principal
real,
The
is, it is
more formal,
its
more
is
closely to reason.
my
to
it
be committed
taste for the
Rabbi
opinion on
Cabbalah
Isaac, but durst
this point.
After this digression on the Cabbalah in general, I return to
my
story.
I
preacher of the place therefore, to attain I
took
*
my
my
seat beside
object, I
him
Cabbalah; and
in the
made
his acquaintance.
in the synagogue,
Both of these Cabbalists belonged
The
to the
and
as I
sixteenth century.
name implies, belonged to Cordova in Spain ; German community in Jerusalem (fos(s Geschichte
former, as his
the latter, to the ies
learned that the under-rabbi or
was an adept
fudenthums, Vol.
iii.,
pp. 137-140).
Trans.
An
97
Autobiography.
observed once that after prayer he always read from a small book, and then put
became very curious
to
it
past carefully in
know what
sort of
its
book
place, I this was.
Accordingly, after the preacher had gone home, I went
and took the book from the place where he had put
and when with
found that
I
it
was a Cabbalistic work,
and hid myself in a corner of the synagogue, had gone out and the door was locked.
it
the people
all
then crept from
my
it
;
went
I
till
I
hiding-place, and, without a thought
about eating or drinking the whole day long, read the fascinating
book
the doorkeeper
till
came and opened
the synagogue again in the evening.
Shaarei Kedushah, or The Gates of Righteousness was >
the
title
of this
book
;
and, leaving out of account what
was visionary and exaggerated, doctrines of psychology.
I
it
contained the principal
did with
it
therefore as the
Talmudists say Rabbi Me'ir acted, who had a heretic for " He found a his teacher, pomegranate ; he ate the fruit
and threw the peel away." *
*
the
Rabbi Meir's teacher was Elisha ben Abuyah, "the Faust of Talmud," as he has been strikingly styled by Mr. Deutsch.
The Talmud affection
preserves a beautiful story illustrative of the devoted to cherish for his apostate master.
which Mei'r continued
Four men, so runs the legend, entered Paradise ; that is, according Talmudic symbolism, they entered upon the study of that secret
to
science with
bewildering labyrinth of speculative dreams, through Of given only to a few rare spirits to find their way. these four, "one beheld and died, one beheld and lost his senses, one destroyed the young plants, one only entered in peace and
which
it
is
its
Solomon
98
Maimon :
In two or three days I had in
book ;
but instead of satisfying the more.
cited
it
same
sort.
But
I
as I
my
my
way
finished the
curiosity,
only ex-
it
wished to read more books of the was too bashful to confess
the preacher, I resolved to write
expressed
this
irresistible
him
a letter, in
this to
which
I
longing for this sacred science,
and therefore entreated him earnestly to assist me with I received from him a very favourable answer. books.
He praised my zeal for the sacred science, and assured me that this zeal, amid so little encouragement, was an obvious sign that
my soul was
derived from
Olam
Aziloth
(the world of the immediate divine influence), while the
mere Talmudists take
souls of
their origin
Jezirah (the world of the creation). fore, to assist
me
He
promised, there-
with books as far as lay in his power.
But as he himself was occupied mainly with
and required
came out
from Olam
to have such
books constantly
this science,
at
hand, he
The destroyer of the young plants was Elisha Once he was passing the ruins of the temple on the
in peace."
ben Abuyah.
great day of atonement, and heard a voice within
"All men
"moaning
like a
be forgiven this day save Elisha ben Abuyah who, knowing me, has betrayed me." After his death flames hovered incessantly over his grave, until his loving disciple dove,"
shall
threw himself upon it and swore an oath of devout self-sacrifice, that he would not partake of the joys of heaven without his master, nor move from the spot until his master's soul had found forgiveness See Emanuel Deutsch's Literary before the Throne of Grace.
Remains, pp. 102-4.
p. 15
;
and
Jost's Geschidite dcs
fudenthums, Vol.
ii.,
An
could not lend them to me, but gave study them in his house at
Who
99
Autobiography.
was gladder than
my
I
permission to
pleasure.
accepted the
I
!
me
offer of the
preacher with gratitude, scarcely ever left his house, sat
Two
day and night over the Cabbalistic books.
representations especially gave
One was
me
and
the greatest trouble.
the Tree, or the representation of the divine
emanations in their manifold and intricate complexities.
The
other was God's Beard, in which the
hairs
are
divided into numerous classes with something peculiar to each,
grace.
and every hair is a separate channel of divine With all my efforts I could not find in these
representations any rational meaning.
My
prolonged
however were extremely incon-
visits
venient to the preacher.
He
married a pretty young wife
;
had, a short time before,
and
as his
modest
house consisted of a single apartment, which was parlour, study,
and bedroom, and
reading the whole night, that
my
it
as I sat in
at times
happened not infrequently
elevation above the sphere of sense
collision with his sensibility.
it
little
once
at
came
Consequently, he
hit
into
upon
a good plan for getting rid of the incipient Cabbalist. He said to me one day, " I observe that it necessarily
puts you to a great deal of inconvenience to spend your
time constantly away from books. if
you
You may please,
To me
take
home
for the sake of these
them home with you one by one
and thus study them
at
your convenience."
nothing could be more welcome.
I
took
home
Solomon Maimon:
ioo
one book that I
had
and studied them
after another,
till
I believed
mastered the whole of the Cabbalah.
I con-
tented myself not merely with
the knowledge of its manifold but and systems, sought also to make principles There was not a passage to be a proper use of these.
met with
in the
Scriptures or in the
Holy
occult meaning of which I could
not have unfolded, with
Cabbalistic principles,
according to
Talmud, the
the
greatest
readiness.
The book good
entitled Shaarei
Orah * came
to be of very
In this book are enumerated the
service here.
manifold names of the ten Sephiroth, which form the principal subject of the
more names
Talmud, so
are given to each.
name
of some Sephirah.
the attribute of every Sephirah, and rest, I
hundred or
a passage in the Talmud,
in the Bible, or of
therefore the
that a
In every word of a verse
But
its
I
found
as I
knew
relation to the
could easily bring out of the combination of names
their conjoint effect.
To illustrate this by a brief example, just mentioned, that the
I
found in the book
name Jehovah
represents the six
highest Sephiroth (not including the
person of the
Godhead
first
three), or the
generis masculini, while the
word
Koh means the Shechinah or the person of the Godhead generis feminini, and the word amar denotes sexual
*
The Gates of Light.
Tram,
An The
union. I
101
Autobiography.
"Koh amar
words,
Jehova,"* therefore, " explained in the following way, Jehovah unites with
the Shechinah," and this ingly,
when
nothing
I
else,
Accord-
high Cabbalism.
is
read this passage in the Bible, I thought
but that,
when
words, and
I uttered these
meaning, an actual union of these
thought their occult
divine spouses took place, from which the whole world
had to expect a
Who
blessing.
can restrain the excesses
when it is not guided by reason ? With the Cabbalah Maasith, or the practical Cabbalah,
of imagination,
I
did not succeed so well as with the theoretical.
The
preacher boasted, not publicly indeed, but to everybody in private, that
he was master of
this also.
Especially he
professed roeh veeno nireh (to see everything, but not to
be seen by
others), that
is,
to
be able
to
make himself
invisible.
About I
this trick I
was specially anxious,
might practise some wanton jokes on
More
particularly I
tempered
mother-in-law in
pretended that
guard against the
same
formed a plan
my
evil.
time, that
for
check by
in order that
my
comrades.
keeping this
my
means.
object was merely to do good,
The on
ill-
I
and
preacher consented, but said at
my
part certain preparations were
Three days in succession I was to feast, and required. These are Cabbalistic every day to say some Ichudim. forms of prayer, whose occult meaning aims at produc*
"Thus
saith the
Lord"
in the English version.
Trans.
Solomon Maimon:
IO2
the
in
ing
world sexual unions, through
intellectual
means of which
certain results are to be brought about
in the physical. I
did everything with pleasure,
made
the conjuration
which he had taught me, and believed with all confidence At once I hurried to the Beth that I was now invisible.
Hamidrash) the Jewish academy, went up to one of my He comrades, and gave him a vigorous box on the ear. however was no coward, and returned the blow with interest.
I started
understand
back
in astonishment
how he had been
;
I
could not
able to discover me, as I
had observed with the utmost accuracy the instructions of the preacher. wittingly
Still
I
I resolved, therefore, to
This time, however, test of
to
thought
I
might, perhaps, un-
and unintentionally have neglected something.
I
undertake the operation anew.
was not going to venture on the
a box on the ear; I went into the academy merely
watch
my
As soon
comrades as a spectator.
as I
entered, however, one of them came up to me, and showed me a difficult passage in the Talmud, which he
wished
me
to explain.
I stood utterly
disconsolate over the failure of
Thereupon of
my
I
my
confounded, and
hopes.
went to the preacher, and informed him Without blushing, he "If you have observed all my
unsuccessful attempt.
plied quite boldly, structions, I
cannot explain
this otherwise
rein-
than by sup-
posing that you are unfit for being thus divested of the visibility
of your body."
With
great grief, therefore, I
An
103
Autobiography.
was obliged to give up entirely the hope of making myself invisible.
This disappointed hope was followed by a new deluIn the preface to the Book of Raphael, which the
sion.
angel of that
Adam
father
name
is
said to have delivered to our
banishment from paradise,
at his
book
the promise, that whoever keeps the
thereby insured against
is
It
fire.
first
I
found
in his
house
was not long, how-
ever, before a conflagration broke out in the neighbour-
hood, when the
fire
of
to go
up
too,
and the angel
heaven
in this chariot
house
my
seized
Raphael himself had
into
fire.
Unsatisfied with the literary knowledge of this science, I
sought to penetrate into
that the
whole science,
its spirit
if it
is
and
;
as I perceived
to deserve this
name, can
contain nothing but the secrets of nature concealed in fables
and
allegories, I
and thereby
to raise
rational knowledge.
laboured to find out these secrets,
my
merely
literary
This, however,
I
knowledge
to a
could accomplish
only in a very imperfect manner at the time, because I
had yet very few ideas of the sciences by independent reflection of this kind.
the
first
Thus,
for
I
hit
in general.
upon many
example,
I
Still,
applications
explained at once
instance with which the Cabbalists
commonly
begin their science. It is this.
Before the world was created, the divine
being occupied the whole of infinite space alone.
But
He
might
God wished
to create a world, in order that
Maimon:
Solomon
IO4
reveal those attributes of
His nature which
beings besides Himself.
For
this
Himself into the centre of His the space thereby
left
purpose
perfection,
refer to other
He contracted and issued
void ten concentric circles of
into
light,
out of which arose afterwards manifold figures (Parzophini)
and gradations down
be taken in the all
common
Cabbalists represent
I
this
all
was
to
sense of the words, as nearly
it.
As
could
little
I
conceive
world had been created, a time had
that, before the
as
to the present world of sense.
could not in any way conceive that
I
knew from my Moreh Nebhochim,
that time
past, is
a
modification of the world, and consequently cannot be
thought without that
God
or that
it.
Moreover,
I
could not conceive
occupies a space, even though
He, an
infinitely perfect being,
it
be
infinite
;
should contract
Himself, like a thing of circular form, into a centre.
Accordingly ing way.
I
God
sought to explain is
all
this in the follow-
prior to the world, not in time, but in
His necessary being as the condition of the world. things besides
God must depend on Him
All
as their cause,
in regard to their essence as well as their existence.
The
creation of the world, therefore, could not be thought as
a bringing forth out of nothing, nor as a formation of
something independent on God, but only as a bringing forth out of Himself.
grades of perfection,
And
as beings are of different
we must assume
for their explana-
tion different grades of limitation of the divine being.
But since
this limitation
must be thought
as extending
An from the
infinite
being
105
Autobiography.
down
to matter,
we
represent the
beginning of the limitation in a figure as a centre (the lowest point) of the Infinite.
In
the Cabbalah
fact,
nothing but an expanded
is
Spinozism, in which not only
is
the origin of the world
explained by the limitation of the divine being, but also the origin of every kind of being, and rest,
its
relation to the
are derived from a separate attribute of God.
called
is
beings,
sidered in
itself,
Ensoph
are ascribed to to ten,
Him
number ;
all
(the Infinite, of which, con-
nothing can be predicated).
lation to the infinite
God,
and the ultimate cause of
as the ultimate subject
But
in re-
of beings, positive attributes
these are reduced by the Cabbalists
which are called the ten Sephiroth.
In the book, Pardes, by Rabbi Moses Kordovero, the question
is
discussed, whether the Sephiroth are to be
taken for the Deity Himself or not.
It is
seen, however, that this question has
no more
easy to be
in reference to the Deity, than in reference to
difficulty
any other
being.
Under
the ten circles I conceived the ten categories
or predicaments of Aristotle, with which I had
acquainted in the
Moreh Nebhochim,
predicates
of things,
thought.
The
become
the most universal
without which
nothing can be
categories, in the strictest critical sense,
are the logical forms, which relate not merely to a logical object, but to real objects in general,
these cannot be thought.
and without which
They have their source, there-
H
Solomon Maimon
106
the subject
fore, in
:
but they become an object of
itself,
Con-
consciousness only by reference to a real object.
sequently, they represent the ten Sephiroth, which belong, indeed, to the reality effect
Ensoph
which the
in itself, but of
revealed only by their special relation
is
to,
and
upon, objects in nature, and the number of which
can be variously determined in various points of view.
But by
method
this
of explanation I brought
Cabbalah
tain that the
not a human, but a divine,
is
science; and that, consequently, of
tion
it,
to explain
nature and reason.
its
upon
For the Cabbalists main-
many an annoyance.
myself
would be degrada-
it
accordance with
mysteries in
The more
reasonable, therefore,
more
the
were
the
my
Cabbalists
explanations
proved,
irritated with
me, inasmuch as they held that alone to
be divine, which had no reasonable meaning. ingly
I
had
entire work,
me
to
that I
my
wrote on the
and preserve
to Berlin,
struggle of the all
keep
human mind
still
subject, I
as a
this
An
could not
brought with
monument
of the
after perfection, in spite of
the hindrances which are placed in
Meanwhile
Accord-
explanations to myself.
satisfy
its
me.
way. I
wished
to get
an insight into the sciences, not as they are veiled fables,
but in their natural
I
light.
very imperfectly, learned to read
was
I to
ately for
obtain
me
ing town,
I
German books
in
had
already,
German
;
Lithuania
in
though
but where ?
Fortun-
learned that the chief rabbi of a neighbour-
who
in
his
youth had lived
for a
while in
An
107
Autobiography.
Germany, and learned the German language
made
there,
and
sciences,
some measure acquainted with the continued still, though in secret, to work at the
sciences,
and had a
himself in
fair library
I resolved therefore to
make
of
German
books.
a pilgrimage to S
,
in
order to see the chief rabbi, and beg of him a few scientific
books.
I
was tolerably accustomed to such
journeys, and had gone once thirty miles* on foot to see a
Hebrew work
Without therefore troubling myself
philosophy. least
of the tenth century on the Peripatetic
and without saying a word I set
in the
about travelling expenses or means of conveyance, family on the subject,
my
to
out upon the journey to this town in the middle of
winter.
As soon
chief rabbi, told for assistance.
as I arrived at the place, I
went
to the
him my desire, and begged him earnestly He was not a little astonished; for, during
the thirty one years which had passed since his return
from Germany, not a single individual had ever made
He
such a request.
German
books.
promised to lend
me some
The most important among
old
these were
an old work on Optics, and Sturm's Physics. I
could not sufficiently express
my
gratitude to this
excellent chief rabbi; I pocketed the few books,
returned
home
in rapture.
books thoroughly,
my
eyes were
all
at
believed that I had found a key to
*
and
After I had studied these
About 150 English
miles.
once opened. all
I
the secrets of
Trans,
Solomon Maimon:
io8
now knew
nature, as I rain,
on
the origin of storms, of dew, of
and such phenomena.
all
who did not
others,
their
up
yet
looked down with pride
know
these things, laughed
and proposed to ideas on these subjects and to enlighten and
at their prejudices
clear
I
superstitions,
their understanding.
But !
this
did not always succeed.
teach a Talmudist, that the earth
He
have antipodes.
show
any
that the falling of a
and
we
round, and that
body
I
fall off. is
endeavoured
not directed towards
empty space, but towards the centre
fixed point in
of the earth,
is
laboured once to
however made the objection, that
these antipodes would necessarily to
I
that the ideas of
Over and Under
re-
present merely the removal from and approach to this centre.
It
was of no
avail
;
the Talmudist stood to his
ground, that such an assertion was absurd.
of
On
another occasion I went to take a walk with some
my
friends.
It
me
blamed
I replied.
when
I
beat
chanced that a goat lay
some blows with my
gave the goat
my cruelty. Do you believe
for
"
it
?
You
a mere machine."
"
stick,
What
in the way.
and
is
I
friends
my
the cruelty
?
"
that the goat feels a pain,
are greatly mistaken
;
the goat
is
This was the doctrine of Sturm as a
disciple of Descartes.
My
friends laughed heartily at this,
and
" said,
But "
don't you hear that the goat cries, when you beat it ? " " of course it cries but if Yes," I replied, ; you beat a
drum,
it
cries too."
They were amazed
at
my
answer,
An and
in a short time
it
Autobiography.
went abroad over the whole town,
had become mad,
that I
From my generous
109
as I held that a goat
is
a drum.
friend, the chief rabbi, I received
afterwards two medical works, Kulm's Anatomical Tables
and
The
Voit's Gaziopilatium.
latter is a large
medical
dictionary, containing, in a brief form, not only explanations
from
departments of medicine, but also their
all
manifold applications. is
In connection with every disease
given an explanation of
the
method of
its
cure,
This was
prescriptions.
studied the book
its
cause,
its
symptoms, and
along with even the ordinary for
me
a real
treasure.
I
thoroughly, and believed myself to
be master of the science of medicine, and a complete physician.
But
I
was not going to content myself with mere
theory in this matter tion of
it.
according
;
I visited
to
their
comically.
But
patients,
and gave
If a patient told
itself,
symptoms.
regular applica-
determined
and
also
all
diseases
symptoms, exprescriptions
me some
and
inferred the
of the symptoms them the nature of the
presence of the other
If the patient said that
he could trace none
of these, I stubbornly insisted on their being present the same. to this
/
The
conversation therefore sometimes
:
"
for
in this practice things turned out very
of his disease, I guessed from disease
make
circumstances
plained their causes, their cure.
I resolved to
You have headache
also."
all
came
no
Solomon Maimon " No."
Patient "
/.
But you must have headache."
As many symptoms I
:
are
common
to several diseases,
took not infrequently quid pro quo.
could never keep in anything, I
my
head, so that,
was obliged to go home
Gaziopilatium.
At length
I
Prescriptions I
when
first
I prescribed
and turn up my
began even
to
make up
drugs myself according to Voit's prescriptions. this
succeeded, may be imagined.
good
result,
required for the time.
that
I
It
had
How
at least this
saw something more was surely
a practical physician than I understood at
An
Autobiography.
CHAPTER A
XV.
brief Exposition of the Jewish Religion, from to the most recent Times.
To
its
Origin
render intelligible that part of the story of
which first
refers to
my
down
my
life,
sentiments regarding religion, I must
give in advance a short practical history of the Jewish
religion,
and
at the outset say
something of the idea of
religion in general, as well as of the difference
between
natural and positive religion. Religion in general
the expression
is
reverence and the other
feelings,
which
of
gratitude,
arise
from the
dependence of our weal and woe on one or more If we look to the expression of powers to us unknown. these feelings in general,
mode of the
He
without regard to the particular
expression, religion
observes
many
effects
is
certainly natural to
which are of
but whose causes are to him unknown
man.
interest to him,
and he
finds
himself compelled, by the universally recognised Principle
of
Sufficient
Reason, to suppose these causes,
and
to
express towards them the feelings mentioned.
This expression either with
may be
of two kinds, in conformity
the imagination or with reason.
For either
Solomon Maimon:
ii2
man
imagines the causes to be analogous to the
and ascribes
them
to
in
effects,
themselves such attributes as
are revealed through the effects, or he thinks
them merely
as causes of certain effects, without seeking thereby to
These two
determine their attributes in themselves.
modes
are both natural to man, the former being in
accordance with his earlier condition, the
latter with that
of his perfection.
The
difference between these two
tion has as
its
modes of representa-
consequence another difference of religions.
The first mode of representation,
in
accordance with which
the causes are supposed to be similar to the effects,
is
the
mother of polytheism or heathenism. But the second is For as the kinds of effects
the basis of true religion.
are different, the causes also,
must be represented as the other hand,
if,
in
if
different
held to be like them,
from one another.
accordance with
truth,
On
we conceive
the idea of cause in general for these effects, without
seeking to determine this cause, either in is
itself (since
wholly unknown), or analogically by help of
imagination,
then
we have no ground
for
it
the
supposing
but require to assume merely a single subject, wholly unknown, as cause of all these effects. several causes,
The
different
philosophical systems of theology are but detailed nothing developments of these different modes
of representation. it
may be
cause,
(as,
The
atheistic
system of theology,
called, rejects altogether this idea of
according to the
critical
system at
if
so
a first
least,
it is
An
Autobiography.
113
merely of regulative use as a necessary idea of reason). All effects are referred to particular
In
causes. nection
between the various
would
connection
connection
The
known
unknown
or
cannot be assumed even a con-
this there
effects, else
require
be
to
the reason of this
beyond the
sought
itself.
on the
Spinozistic system,
and the same various effects,
which must be regarded
one and the same subject.
one
contrary, supposes
immediate
substance as
cause of
all
as predicates of
Matter and mind
are, with
Spinoza, one and the same substance, which appears,
now under
now under
the former,
This single substance
is,
the latter attribute.
according to him, not only the
sole being that can be self-dependent, that
is,
independent
of any external cause, but also the sole self-subsistent so-called beings
besides
being,
all
modes,
that
Every
particular effect in
to
proximate cause (which
its
is,
substance of
all
first
is
real,
On
is
is
of
its
attributes.
merely a mode), but is
the
is real,
but multiplicity it is
accident,
common is
the opposite.
merely
Mul-
being founded on the nature of things the
other
hand, the unity, which
observed in the order and regularity of nature,
an
its
referred by him, not
cause, which
In the atheistic system
themselves.
tiplicity
nature
being merely
beings.
In this system unity ideal.
limitations
particular
immediately to this
it
is
is
merely
by which we are accustomed to determine
our arbitrary system for the sake of knowledge.
It is
Maimon
Solomon
114
:
how any one can make out
inconceivable therefore
the
Spinozistic system to be atheistic, since the two systems
are diametrically
opposed
the existence of
God
is
to
In the
one another.
latter
denied, but in the former the Spinoza's ought therefore to be
existence of the world.
called rather the acosmic system.
The
mean between
Leibnitzian system holds the
two preceding.
In
it
all
particular
immediately to particular causes effects are
;
effects
but
these
various
and
thought as connected in a single system,
the cause of this connection
is
the
are referred
sought in a being beyond
itself.
Positive religion
very
same way
natural
distinguished from natural in the
the
as
The
laws.
self-acquired,
is
positive laws
latter
indistinct
from
of a state
are those which
rest
on a
knowledge, and are not duly
defined in regard to their application, while the former rest
on a
distinct
knowledge received from
others,
and
are completely defined in regard to their application.
A
positive religion
however must be
guished from apolitical religion.
carefully distin-
The former
end merely the correction and accurate knowledge, that
is,
instruction
and the knowledge
is
regarding the
communicated
received.
But the
latter
cated, not just as
it
has for
Knowledge
is
its
first
cause
:
to another, accord-
ing to the measure of his capacity, just as
welfare of the state.
has for
definition of
its
it
has been
end mainly the communi-
therefore
has been received, but only in so
far
An as
is
it
Autobiography.
found serviceable to
115
this end.
Politics,
merely
as politics, requires to concern itself about true religion as
little
arise
from
influence
this,
men
same time
injury, that
might
can be prevented by other means which
at the
in equilibrium.
the
The
as about true morality.
same
Every
time,
and thus
political religion
can be kept
all is
therefore at
positive, but every positive religion
is
not
also political
Natural religion has no mysteries any more than merely
no mystery implied communicate his knowledge
For there
positive religion.
one man being unable
to
is
in
to
another of defective capacity with the same degree of
completeness which he himself has attained mysteries might be attributed to there
would then be
all
;
otherwise
the sciences, and
mysteries of mathematics as well as
mysteries of religion.
Only
mysteries, in order to lead
political religion
men
in
can have
an indirect way
attainment of the political end, inasmuch as they are to believe that thereby they
though
ends,
this
is
lesser
religions.
The former
all
always in reality the case. in
the political
consist in the material
particular operations
The
made
attain their private
and greater mysteries
There are
of
not
can best
to the
and
knowledge
their connection with
on the contrary, consist in the knowledge of the form, that is, of the end by which the one another.
latter,
former are determined.
The former
constitute
the
totality of the laws of religion, but the latter contains the
spirit
of the laws.
n6
Solomon Maimon:
The Jewish the
nomadic
religion,
patriarchs,
even is
at its earliest origin
heathen as natural religion, inasmuch
many
as,
instead of the
comprehensible gods of heathenism, the unity of an
incomprehensible
God
at its
lies
particular causes of the
For as the
foundation.
effects,
which
in
general give
a religion, are in themselves unknown, and
rise to
not
among
already distinguished from the
feel
in
justified
causes
the
to
transferring
we do the
order thereby to
attributes of the particular effects, in
characterise them, there remains nothing but the idea of
which must be related
cause in general, without distinction.
determined by the
cally
same
in the
to
For the
effects.
are
effects
one another, and neutralise each other even
to
opposed
to all effects
This cause cannot even be analogi-
object.
If therefore
we ascribed them
all
one and the same cause, the cause could not be
analogically determined by any.
The
heathen religion, on the other hand, refers every
kind of effect to a special cause, which^can of course be characterised by
Jewish that
it is
with
for its
end the
knowledge and the
effect.
As a
positive
not a merely political religion, that
which has true
its
religion
distinguished from the heathen by the
is
spirit
of
fact,
a religion
social interest (in opposition to
private interest) its
is,
the
founder,
it
;
but in accordance is
adapted to the
theocratic form of the national Government, which rests
on the
principle, that only the true religion,
rational knowledge, can
harmonise with the
based on interest of
An
Considered in
the state as well as of the individual. purity, therefore,
of the word
it
that
;
is
to say,
it
has no doctrines which,
men
will not disclose, but
merely such as can not be disclosed to fall
its
has no mysteries in the proper sense
in order to reach their end,
After the
117
Autobiography.
of the Jewish
state
all.
the religion was
The
separated from the state which no longer existed. religious authorities
were no longer, as they had been
before, concerned about adapting the particular
tions of religion to the state
to preserve the religion, on
institu-
but their care went merely
;
which the existence of the
now depended. Moved by hatred towards those nations who had annihilated the state, and from anxiety nation
lest
with the
fall
of the state the religion also might
they hit upon the following
and extension of 1.
The
means
fall,
for the preservation
their religion.
fiction of a
method, handed down from Moses,
of expanding the laws, and applying them to particular cases.
This method
is
not that which reason enjoins, of
modifying laws according to their intention, in adaptation to time
and circumstances, but
that
which
rests
upon
certain rules concerning their literary expression. 2.
The
legislative force ascribed to the
and opinions obtained by
this
method,
with which this has been carried on
and the
vast
number
of
laws,
decisions
giving to
The
equal rank with the ancient laws.
new
them an
subtle dialectic,
down
customs
to our times,
and
useless
n8
Solomon
ceremonies of
all
sorts,
Maimon :
which
it
has occasioned,
may be
easily imagined.
The of
history of the Jewish religion can, in
be appropriately divided into
this,
The
first
epoch embraces the natural
down
times of the patriarchs
to
revealed religion, from
Moses
from the
religion,
Moses
The second comprehends
from Egypt.
consequence
five great epochs.
exodus
at the
the positive or
to the time of the
Synagogue {Keneseth HaggedolaK).
Great
This council must
not be conceived as an assembly of theologians at a definite time
;
the
name
applies to the theologians of a
whole epoch from the destruction of the
the minor prophets (Haggai,
whom
of
Simon
the
Of
first
temple to first
were
Zachariah, Malachi,
etc.,
the composition of the Mishnah.
these the
120 are counted altogether), and the
Just*
last
was
These, as well as their forerunners
from the time of Joshua, took as their basis the Mosaic laws,
and
added
circumstances,
new
laws
according to
but in conformity with
time and
the traditional
method, every dispute on the subject being decided by the majority of voices.
The
third epoch extends from the composition of the
Mishnah by Jehudah the Saint
* first
f to the composition of
Highpriest about the time of Antiochus the Great, that half of the third century before Christ. Trans.
is,
the
t Also named below Jehudah Hanassi or Hakades, died probably 220 A.D. Trans.
in 219 or
An
Rabassi. *
Talmud by Rabina and
the
epoch
was forbidden
it
in order that they
Hanassi,
or, as
he
fall
use of them.
But
as
to this
to writing,
hands of those
into the
otherwise called,
is
Down
commit the laws
to
might not
who could make no
119
Autobiography.
Rabbi Jehudah
Rabbenu Hakades
observed, that, in consequence of their great multiplicity, the laws licence
preserve against
may
easily fall into oblivion,
the
The law
whole.
the laws
committing
he gave himself a
one of the laws
to transgress a single
in order to
transgressed
to writing
;
was that
and
in
this
licence he defended himself by a passage in the Psalms,
"There
in the
when
are times,
pleasing to
God by
a
man shows
himself well-
transgressing the laws." f
time of Antoninus Pius, was
rich,
composed the Mishnah,
in
lived
and possessed
the faculties for such an undertaking.
all
He
He
therefore
which he delivers the Mosaic
laws in accordance either with a traditional or with a rational
method of
exposition.
It
contains also
some
laws which form the subject of dispute.
This work the laws
divided into six parts.
relating
* Rabbina Rabbi Ashe.
the two.
is
is
to
agriculture
first
contains
and horticulture
;
the
a contraction for Rabbi Abina and Rabassi for
Maimon
puts Abina first, but he was the younger of They both belonged to the fifth century. Trans.
+ This seems to be Psalm " It is time for
cxix.,
126, rendered in our Authorised
Lord, to work ; for they have See Mendelssohn's Jerusalem, Vol. ii., p. Trans. (Samuels' translation).
Version:
made iii.,
The
void thy law."
thee,
1
Solomon Maimon
20
;
second, those which refer to feasts and holidays. third part
The
comprehends the laws which define the mutual two sexes (marriage, divorce, and such
relations of the subjects).
The
fourth part
devoted to the laws which
is
deal with the teachers of the law
which
the
;
and
treat of the temple-service
to those
fifth,
sacrifices
and the
;
sixth, to the laws of purification.
As the Mishnah is composed with the greatest precision, and cannot be understood without a commentary, it was natural, that in course of time doubts and disputes should
arise,
regarding the exposition of the Mishnah
itself,
as well as the
which
it
and were
mode
of
application to cases
its
does not sufficiently determine.
All these doubts
their manifold solutions, controversies finally collected
in
the
and
Talmud by
mentioned Rabina and Rabassi; and
this
decisions,
the
above-
forms the fourth
epoch of Jewish legislation.
The
epoch begins with the conclusion of the Talmud, and extends down to our time, and so on for ever
fifth
(si diis placet)
till
the conclusion of the
no means
idle.
Talmud
Since
the rabbis have been by
'Tis true, they dare not alter anything in
the Mishnah or the of work to do.
the advent of the Messiah.
Talmud
;
but they
Their business
is
works, so that they shall harmonise
still
have plenty
to explain those ;
and
this is
matter, for one rabbi, with a superfine dialectic,
two
no small is
always
finding contradictions in the explanations of another.
They must also
disentangle, from the labyrinth of various
An
121
Autobiography. controversies and
opinions, expositions,
laws which are applicable to every case
new
cases,
decisions, the
and
;
finally for
by inferences from those already known, they
must bring out new
laws, hitherto left indeterminate in
and thus prepare a complete
spite of all previous labours,
code of laws. It is
thus that a religion, in
formable
to reason,
or drink,
lie
its
origin natural
has been abused.
A
and
con-
Jew dare not eat
with his wife or attend to the wants of
nature, without observing an
enormous number of
laws.
With the books on the slaughter of animals alone (the condition of the knife and the examination of the entrails) a whole library could be
come I
filled,
which certainly would
near to the Alexandrian in extent.
say of the enormous
number of books
And
what
shall
treating of those
laws which are no longer in use, such as the laws of sacrifice,
of purification,
hand, when
I
etc. ?
remember
that I
The pen and others
falls
like
from
me
my
were
obliged to spend in this soul-killing business the best
days of our lives
and
to sit
when
up many
the powers are in their
full
vigour,
a night, to try and bring out some
sense where there was none, to exercise our wits in the
discovery of contradictions where none were to be found, to display acuteness in
obviously to
removing them where they were
be met, to hunt
after a
shadow through a
long series of arguments, and to build castles in the
The abuse
air.
of Rabbinism has, as will be seen, a twofold
source. i
Maimon:
Solomon
122
1.
The
first is
an
artificial
Holy Scriptures, which
method of expounding the
distinguishes
natural method by the fact, on a thorough knowledge of
itself
that, while the
the language
from the latter rests
and the
true
spirit of the legislator in view of the circumstances of the
time, as these are
known from
been devised rather
for the sake of the laws
The
existing emergencies.
history, the former
rabbis look
passed to
has
meet
upon the Holy
Scriptures, not only as the source of the fundamental
laws of Moses, and of those which are deducible from these by a rational method, but also as a vehicle of the
laws to be drawn up by themselves according to the
wants of the time. other of the the
new laws
same
The
kind,
among
into classes,
memory. which are
method here,
merely a
is
at least into
old, in order that they
tion
artificial
like every
means of bringing
an external connection with the
may
thereby find a better introduc-
the people, be reduced to principles, divided
and therefore more
No
easily
impressed on the
reasonable rabbi will hold, that the laws,
referred in this
way
to passages of the
Scriptures, render the true sense of these passages if
questioned on
this
point, he
are necessities of the time,
will
reply,
and are
Holy ;
but
"These laws
referred to those
passages merely for this reason." 2.
The second
to be found in the in
source of the abuse of Rabbinism
manners and customs of other
whose neighbourhood the Jews have
whom
is
nations,
lived, or
among
they have been gradually scattered since the
fall
An
123
Autobiography.
These manners and customs they
of the Jewish state.
were obliged to adopt in order to avoid becoming objects
Of this
of abhorrence.
head
the to
wash
the
whole day to
make
sort are the laws, not to uncover
and
(at least in holy places
at
holy ceremonies),
hands (before meals and prayers), to
till
number of
sunset, to say a
pilgrimages, to walk
round the
fast
the
daily prayers,
altar,
etc.,
all
manifestly of Arabian origin.
From
hatred also towards those nations that destroyed
made
the Jewish state, and afterwards
the Jews undergo
manifold oppressions, they have adopted various customs,
and among others many
usages which
religious
are
opposite to those of the Greeks and Romans.
In
all this
the rabbis had the Mosaic laws themselves
for a model, these being sometimes in agreement, some-
times in hostility, with the Egyptian laws which their root,
as has
been shown
in
lie at
the most thorough
manner by the celebrated Maimonides
in his work,
Moreh
Nebhochim. remarkable, that, with
all
rabbinical extravagan-
cies in the practical department,
namely the laws and
It is
customs, the theoretical department of the
has
still
always preserved
may say what he arguments, that of
God and His
will,
all
it
Jewish theology
itself in its purity.
Eisenmenger
may be shown by unanswerable
the limited figurative representations
attributes
have
their source merely in
endeavour to adapt the ideas of theology to the understanding.
The
an
common
rabbis followed in this the principle
Solomon
124
Maimon
which they had established
:
the
reference to
in
Holy
Scriptures themselves, namely, that the Holy Scriptures use
and moral sentiments and
religious
the immediate aim of theology
most the
inasmuch as
language of the common people,
the
easily extended.
common
They
actions,
which form
in this
manner be
may
God to King, who
therefore represent
understanding as an earthly
with His ministers and the advisers of His cabinet, the angels, takes counsel concerning the
But
world.
away
all
government of the
educated mind they seek to take
for the
anthropomorphic representations of God, when
they say,
"
It
was an act of high daring on the part of
the 'prophets, to re present the Creator as like His creature, as when, for example,
upon I
said in Ezekiel (L, 26),
have disclosed the abuses of the rabbis
religion without I
it is
the throne was an appearance like man.'
must not be
them
any
partiality.
silent
in regard to
At the same time however
about their good
justice as impartially.
'And
"
qualities,
but do
Compare then Mahomed's
description of the reward of the pious with the rabbinical The former runs: " Here representation.
there are as
(in paradise)
dishes as there are stars in heaven.
many
Maidens and boys
The beauty
fill
the cups,
of the maidens surpasses
one of these maidens were air
and wait on the all
table.
imagination.
If
to appear in the sky or in the
by night, the world would become as bright as when
the sun its salt
is
shining
;
and
if
she were to spit into the sea,
water would be turned into honey, and
its
bitter
An
Autobiography.
125
into sweet.
Milk, honey, white wine will be the rivers
which water
this delicious
rivers will
The
abode.
slime of these
be made of sweet-smelling nutmegs, and their
The
pebbles of pearls and hyacinths.
angel Gabriel will
open the gates of paradise to faithful Musselmans. The first thing to meet their eyes will be a table of diamonds of such enormous length, that
round
days to run
The
it.
would require 70,000 chairs, which stand around it
the table, will be of gold and silver, the tablecloths of silk
and
When
gold.
the guests have sat down, they
will eat
the choicest dishes of paradise, and drink
water.
When they
them green garments of
To
earrings of gold.
costly stuff,
this
interruption.
will
embrace
Each couple
palace for a dwelling, all
his
of love will
intoxication
enjoy
to his nose
it
odour, a maiden of enchanting beauty will
Every one
out.
and necklaces and
every one will then be given a
citron; and when he has brought feel its
its
are satisfied, beautiful boys will bring
last
will
where they
sorts of pleasure for
own
to
come
with rapture, and
fifty
years
without
obtain an enchanting will eat
and drink and
ever and ever.*"
This
but how sensuous The rabbis, ; description on the other hand, say, " Above (in the blessed abode of is
beautiful
the pious) there
pious
sit
is
!
neither eating nor drinking, but the
crowned, and
delight themselves with the vision
of the Godhead."
*
Charakteristik der Asiatischen Nationen, Theil
ii.,
pp. 159-160.
Solomon Maimon:
126
Eisenmenger
Entdecktes
his
in
seeks,
Judenthum
by a crass exposition to throw ridicule
(Theil i., Kap. 8), on the Platonic doctrine of reminiscence, which the rabbis maintain
the
same way
justice,
;
but what
He
?
may
also
God
ridiculous in
sport, with equal in-
With the
of other rabbinical teachings.
for example, the rabbis call wise
that
made
not be
makes
men Kings
;
Stoics,
they say,
does nothing without previously taking counsel
with his angels, that
is,
Omnipotence works upon nature means of the natural forces ;
not immediately, but by
they teach, that everything the practice of virtue.
menger's mockery
;
is predestined by God, except These are the subjects of Eisen-
but does any reasonable theologian
find in these anything ridiculous or impious ?
be obliged to write a whole book,
if I
I
should
were to answer
all
the unjust charges and jeers which have been brought against the Talmudists, not
but even by Jews
To
be just to the rabbis
into the true spirit of the familiar with the
by Christian
who wished
manner
to pass for illuminati.
it
is
Talmud, in
writers alone,
necessary to penetrate to
become thoroughly
which the ancients generally,
but especially the Orientals, deliver theological, moral
and even physical truths in fables and allegories, to become familiar also with the style of Oriental hyperbole in reference to everything that
can be of interest to man.
Moreover, the rabbis should be treated in the
spirit in
which they themselves excused Rabbi Meir who had a heretic for his teacher,
the
spirit
expressed in a passage
An
If justice
already quoted.
Talmud
the
which
is
thus dealt to the rabbis,
not show
will certainly
method of
rabbinical
even
truths,
practical
passages in the
Holy
general esteem, as
if
by
referring
or
exegesis,
to
book
Scriptures or any other
in
they were truths brought out of such
procuring an introduction
this
method, besides
among common them on their own
for the truths
men, who are not capable of grasping
and accept them merely on
is
authority,
be regarded as an excellent aid to the memory as
find.
theoretical
oddest
the
passages by a rational exegesis,
merits,
the absurdities
all
opponents are disposed too readily to
its
The
127
Autobiography.
;
also to
for since,
presumed, these passages are in everybody's mouth,
the truths drawn from
means.
when
Consequently
them it
are also retained by their
very often occurs in the Talmud,
the question concerns the deduction of a
new law
from the Holy Scriptures, that one rabbi derives the law from
this
or that
passage,
objection, that this cannot
while another brings
be the true meaning of the
passage, inasmuch as the true meaning is To such an objection every one is wont to is
a
new law of
the
the rabbis,
who merely
this or that.
reply, that
refer
it
it
to the
passage mentioned.
As
it
method
is is
therefore universally presupposed that this familiar, the
sary to inculcate
example
it
Talmudists regard
anew on every
will suffice to illustrate
it
occasion.
this.
as unneces-
A
single
One Talmudist
asked another the meaning of the following passage in
Solomon Maimon:
128
the
Book of Joshua (xv., 22), Kinah Vedimonah VeadThe latter replied, " Here are enumerated the
adah*
then familiar places of the Holy Land." " I
rejoined the other.
names of
know
"
Of course
!
very well that these are
knows how
But, Rabbi
places.
"
to bring
out of these, besides the proper meaning, something useful^
namely
this
He
'
(Kinah)
:
to
whom
his
neighbour
(Vedimonah) and who yet, keeps silence, taking no revenge,
gives occasion for revenge,
out of generosity,
(Veadadah) to him
What
the Eternal execute justice.'"
will
a fine opportunity this would be for laughing at
the poor Talmudist,
who
names of
particular
derives a moral sentence from
places,
and besides makes
an
in
extraordinary manner a compound out of the last name, Sansannah,\ if he had not himself explained that he is
seeking to know, not the true meaning of the passage,
but merely a doctrine which
may be
referred to
it.
Again, the Talmudists have referred to a passage in Isaiah the important doctrine, that in morals the principal object receives
"
The
is,
its
not theory, but practice, by which theory
true value.
The
passage runs as follows
expectation of thy happiness
*"And
"
that
Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah"
Authorised Version.
is,
in
:
the happi-
the
English
Trans.
t Here apparently Maimon makes a slip. He seems to forget the passage he had selected for illustration ; and his eye, if not his memory, glances at the last word in verse 30, instead of verse 22. Trans.
An
ness promised by the prophet
quence strength, help, of God." * six
"
will
have for
its
conse-
wisdom, knowledge, and the
Here they
fear
refer the first six subjects to the
Sedarim or divisions of the Mishnah, which are the
foundation of tion)
all
well versed in
is
last,
far as rabbinical
know
in
;
(Expectais
Seder
you may be ever so
main point
yet the
morals in other respects are con-
truth nothing that can
against them, except perhaps
many
to say,
these six sedarim
As
I
Etecho (Happiness)
the fear of God.
the
cerned,
;
That
on.
all
Emunath
Jewish learning.
Seder Seraim
is
Moad, and so
is
129
Autobiography.
They form
cases.
be urged
their excessive strictness in
in fact
genuine Stoicism, but
without excluding other serviceable principles, such as perfection, universal benevolence,
ness with principle
them extends even
is,
like.
Holi-
This
in the usual fashion, referred to the follow-
ing passage in the Psalms, God in thee " ; t for in the strange
and the
to the thoughts.
God can
"
Thou
human
shalt heart,
dwell, except evil
have no strange it is
desires.
argued, no It is
not
allowed to deceive even a heathen either by deeds or by
words
not even in cases where he could lose nothing
by the deceit. " I am tesy,
For example, the
common
glad to see you well,"
is
form of cour-
not to be used,
does not express the real sentiments of the heart.
*
Probably Isaiah
t Psalm,
Ixxxi., 9.
xxxiii., 6.
Trans.
Trans.
if it
The
Solomon Maimon:
130
examples of Jews who cheat Christians and heathens,
which are commonly adduced against
this
statement,
prove nothing, inasmuch as these Jews do not act
in
accordance with the principles of their own morals. "
The commandment, that
is
thy neighbour's,"
mudists, that
Thou is
so
we must guard
possess any such thing. write a whole book,
if
I
shalt not covet anything
expounded by the Tal-
against even the wish to
In short, I should require to
were to adduce
all
the excellent
doctrines of rabbinical morals.
The is
influence of these doctrines in practical
The
unmistakable.
who have
Polish Jews,
been allowed to adopt any means of like the pitiful
always
and have
not,
Jews of other countries, been restricted to the
occupation of Schacher or usurer, seldom hear the
reproach of cheating. in
gain,
also
life
which they
live,
They remain
loyal to the country
and support themselves
in
an honour-
able way.
Their charity and care for the poor, their institutions for nursing the sick, their special societies for burial of
the dead, are well enough known.
It is
not nurses and
grave-diggers hired for money, but the elders of the people,
who
are eager to perform these acts.
are indeed for science, their
The
Polish Jews
the most part not yet enlightened by
manners and way of
life
are
still
rude
;
but
they are loyal to the religion of their fathers and the laws of their country.
They do not come before you
with courtesies, but their promise
is
sacred.
They
are
An
women
not gallants, but your with them.
Woman,
;
solved
on
but
are safe from any snares
manner of the
indeed, after the
by them not particularly the more on that account are they
Orientals in general,
teemed
131
Autobiography.
all
fulfilling
is
their
re-
Their
towards her.
duties
es-
children do not learn by heart any forms for expressing love
and respect
French all
spect
The
for their parents
demoiselles ;
the
more
re-
heartily.
separated from
may
eat out of the
means
deserve especially to is
wholly
his wife for a fortnight (the period of
monthly purification they
this,
Every month the husband
be mentioned.
;
do not keep
sacredness of their marriages, and the ever fresh
tenderness which arises from
laws)
for they
but they show that love and
in
not so
accordance with the rabbinical
much
one another, or
as touch
same dish or drink out of the same cup.
By
this
be
in the eyes of her
satiety is
avoided
husband
all
;
the wife continues to that she
was as maiden
in the eyes of her lover.
Finally,
sons
!
what innocence rules among unmarried per-
It often
happens that a young
sixteen or eighteen years
is
man
the least about the object of marriage. nations this
is
certainly very
or
woman
of
married without knowing
seldom the
Among
case.
other
Solomon
132
Maimon :
CHAPTER
XVI.
Jewish Piety and Penances.
IN
my
position
;
was of a somewhat strong
I
youth
and
deal of pride, quarrelsomeness,
and other
evil qualities,
me on
that account.
they became objects of dislike to I
sought therefore as
who
are
model only those among them,
commonly known by
the Pious. their lives
moral
my
religious dis-
most of the rabbis a good
as I observed in
the
name
of Chasidim, or
These are they who devote the whole of to the strictest observances of the laws and I
virtues.
had afterwards occasion
to
remark that
do harm, less indeed to others, but themselves, inasmuch as they root out
these on their part all
the
more
to
the wheat with the tares their
and
desires
powers and cramp
;
* while they seek to suppress
passions,
they suppress
their activity, so
cases by their exercises to bring
much
also
their
so as in most
upon themselves an un-
timely death.
Two
or three instances, of which I was myself an eye-
witness, will
*
be
In the original,
sufficient to establish
" Das Kind mit dem Bade
what has been
ausschiitten."
said.
Trans.
An
A
Jewish scholar,
his piety,
exercises
Autobiography.
at that
time well
133
known on account
T'shubath
Hakana
sists in fasting
Kana
the penance of
daily for six years,
which con-
and avoiding
per anything that comes from a living being
honey,
He
etc.).
had
(flesh, milk,
in
which the penitent
allowed to remain two days in the same place addition, he felt
had worn a
is
is,
a
not
and, in
;
But
hair-shirt next his skin.
he would not be doing enough
that
for sup-
also practised Golath, that
continuous wandering,
he
of
Simon of Lubtsch, had undergone the severest of penance. He had already carried out the
for the satis-
faction of his conscience unless he further observed the
Tshubath Hamishkal
which
the penance of weighing
requires a particular form of penance proportioned to
But as he found by number of his sins was too great every
sin.
way, he took
it
into his
After he had spent in his
head
calculation,
to
that
be atoned
the
in this
to starve himself to death.
some time
wanderings to the place
in this process,
where
my
he came
father lived,
and, without anybody in the house knowing, went into
the barn, where he ness.
My
father
fell upon the ground came by chance into
whom
found the man,
in utter faint-
the barn, and
he had long known, lying
half-
dead on the ground, with a Zohar (the principal book of the Cabbalists) in his hand. As he knew well what sort of
man
this was,
he brought him
but the
freshments
;
any way.
My
at
once
man would make no
father
came
all sorts
of re-
use of them in
several times,
and repeated
Maimon:
Solomon
134
his urgent request, that
but
was of no
it
Simon would take something
My
avail.
had
father
;
to attend to
something in the house, whereupon Simon, to escape
from his importunity, exerted
all
his strength, raised
himself up, went out of the barn, and at last out of the village.
again,
When my
father
came back
into
the barn
and found the man no longer there, he ran after lying dead not far from the village.
him, and found him
The
affair
was generally made known among the Jews,
and Simon became a
saint.
Jossel of Klezk proposed nothing less than to hasten
the advent of the Messiah. strict
To
end he performed
this
penance, fasted, rolled himself in snow, undertook
night-watches and similar severities.
By all
sorts of
such
operations he believed that he was able to accomplish
the overthrow of a legion of evil
coming.* Cabbalistic
To
in the
fooleries till
subject, believed that
fumigations,
way of
at length
he
really
he
saw
lost his wits spirits
his
many
conjurations,
open, calling each of them by name.
and
on the
with his eyes
-He would then
In the same way a
city of
kept guard
these exercises he added at last
similar practices
*
who
spirits,
on the Messiah, and threw obstacles
fool, called Chosek, was going Lemberg, against which he was enraged and ;
to starve the for this pur-
pose he placed himself behind the wall, in order to blockade the The result of the blockade, however, was that
city with his body.
he nearly died of hunger, while the city knew nothing whatever of a famine.
An
135
Autobiography.
beat about him, smash windows and stoves under the idea that these were his foes, the evil
manner of
after the
he lay down
in
his forerunner
somewhat
spirits,
Don
At
Quixote.
last
complete exhaustion, from which he was
with great difficulty restored, by the physician of Prince Radzivil.
Unfortunately cises of this sort,
I
could never get further in pious exer-
than to abstain for a considerable while
from everything that comes from a
living being
;
and
Days of Atonement I have sometimes fasted
during the
three days together.
T'shubath
taking the
others of the
same
once resolved indeed on under-
I
Hakana
sort,
but this project, like
;
remained
unfulfilled, after I
had
adopted the opinions of Maimonides, who was no friend of fanaticism or pietism.
time when-
I
still
It
observed the rabbinical regulations
with the utmost strictness, tain
remarkable, that at the
is
I
yet
would not observe
cer-
ceremonies which have something comical about
them.
Of
this
kind, for example, was
(Beating) before the Great
every
Jew
lays himself
Day
on
the
Malketh
of Atonement, in which
his face
in the synagogue,
while another with a narrow strip of leather gives thirty-nine
lashes.
Of
the
same
sort
is
him
Haphorath
Nedarim, or the act of setting free from vows on New Year's Eve. In this three men are seated, while another appears before them, and addresses to them a certain form, the general drift of which
know what
a heinous sin
it is,
is
as follows
not to
fulfil
" :
vows
;
Sirs, I
and
in-
Solomon
136
Maimon :
asmuch
as I have doubtless this year
which
have not
I
beg of you
I
will set
made some vows can no longer
me
free
re-
from the
.that you do not indeed repent of the good resolutions which I have bound myself by these vows ; I repent
collect, I
same. to
fulfilled,
and which
I
merely of the
fact, that in
making such resolutions
I
did
not add, that they were not to have the force of a vow,"
Thereupon he withdraws from the judgmentpulls off his shoes, and sits down on the bare
etc., etc.
seat,
ground, by which he
supposed to banish himself
is
vows are dissolved.
his
After he has sat for
some
till
time,
and
said a prayer by himself, the judges begin to call " Thou art our brother thou art our brother aloud, !
!
thou art our brother
There
!
banishment any longer, to the judgment.
us
"
no vow, no
no
oath,
thou hast submitted thyself
after
Rise from the ground and
come
to
This they repeat three times, and with that the
!
man
is
is
at
once
set free
from
At serio-comic scenes of
all his
vows.
this sort I
could only with
the greatest difficulty refrain from laughing.
shame came over me, when formances.
I
I
was
sought therefore,
by the
subject, to free myself
already attended to
another synagogue.
it,
A
to undertake
if I
blush of
such per-
was pressed on the
pretext, that I
had
either
or was going to attend to
A
it,
in
very remarkable psychological
It might be thought impossible for any phenomenon one to be ashamed of actions which he saw others per!
forming without the slightest blush of shame.
Yet
this
An was the case here. only by the
fact,
137
Autobiography.
This phenomenon can be explained
that in all
my
to the nature of the action in
had regard first (whether it was right
actions I
itself,
or wrong, proper or improper), then to tion to
when
some end, and
it
was not
that I justified
it
its
nature in rela-
as a means, only
in itself incapable of being justified.
This principle was developed afterwards in system of religion and morals.
most of men act on the the means.
On
my
whole
the other hand, the
principle, that the
end
justifies
Solomon
138
Maimon
CHAPTER
:
XVII.
Friendship and Enthusiasm.
IN the place where
resided I had a
I
bosom
friend,
Moses Lapidoth by name. We were of the same age, the same studies, and nearly the same external circumstances, the only difference being, that at I
an early period
already showed an inclination to the sciences, while
Lapidoth had indeed a love of speculation, and also great acuteness and power of judgment, but had no wish to proceed further than
he could reach by a mere sound
common
this friend I
With
sense.
used to hold many
a conversation on subjects of mutual interest, especially the questions of religion
and morals.
We were the only persons in the place, who ventured be not mere
imitators, It
everything. differed
from
by degrees
;
but to think independently about
was a natural
all
the rest
opinions and conduct, but, as
to
result of this, that, as
of the
we separated
we had
still
community
to live
our
in
ourselves from
we
them
by the community,
our circumstances on this account became every day
worse and worse. nevertheless
we were
Tis
true,
we noted
this fact,
but
unwilling to sacrifice our favourite
An inclinations for
any
139
Autobiography.
We
interest in the world.
ourselves therefore, as best
we
constantly of the vanity of
all things,
might, over our
consoled
spoke
loss,
of the religious and
upon whom we looked down with a sort of noble pride and contempt. We used especially to open our minds, a la Mandemoral
ville,
faults of the
common
herd,
on the hollowness of human
many
thereby
viewed
it.
a young
this
suffering
widow
for,
off.
The
it
the habit of drinking
elders
as
mead
at
was holding too
elicit
She from
these people were in
her house, and
was reasonable, she received them
they
was found, that
servants of the manor.
fact, that
and
on account of
but no sort of inquisition could
her anything beyond the
lite
place,
punishment,
of the Jewish people
some
the
sins,
After instituting an inquiry
free intercourse with
was sent
in
children had been carried
held a meeting to find out the secret
which they were
For example,
virtue.
smallpox had been very prevalent
in a pleasant
that, as
and po-
manner, but that in other respects she was uncon-
As no other evidence
scious of any sin in the matter.
was forthcoming, she was about to be acquitted, when an elderly matron came flying like a fury and screamed, "
Scourge her
sin
!
If
!
scourge her
you do not do
death of so
many
!
it,
then
innocent souls
doth was present with
me
at
"Friend, do you suppose that fierce
she has confessed her
till
may
fall
the guilt of the
upon you
this
scene,
Madam
is
" !
and
Lapisaid,
making so
a complaint against this woman, merely because
she
Maimon:
Solomon
140
and
seized with a holy zeal
is
welfare
Oh
?
no
!
She
feeling for the general
enraged, merely because the
is
possesses attractions, while she herself can
widow
still
longer
make claim
to any."
assured him that his opin-
I
ion was thoroughly in accordance with
his slender
man was
own.
pay could support
Every Friday the
his family only in a very sorry style.
poor
my
His father-in-law
Lapidoth had poor parents-in-law.
was Jewish sexton, and by
no
therefore compelled to listen to
all sorts
of reproach and abuse from his wife, because he could
not provide her with what was indispensable for the holy
Sabbath. tion:
"My
that she
me
Lapidoth told
this with the addi-
make me
to believe
zealous merely for the honour of the holy
is
Sabbath.
about
mother-in-law wants to
Nay, verily
;
she
is
zealous merely for
honour of her own holy paunch, which she cannot she would like
;
the
fill
as
the holy Sabbath serves her merely as
a pretext."
Once when we were
taking a walk on the wall round
the town, and conversing about the tendency of men,
which
is
selves
and
fair,
evinced in such expressions, to deceive them" others, I said to Lapidoth, Friend, let us be
and pass our censure on
Is not the contemplative life
others.
which
ourselves, as well as
is
which we
lead,
on
and
by no means adapted to our circumstances, to
be regarded as a result of our indolence and inclination to idleness,
which we seek
the vanity of
all
things
?
to
defend by reflections on
We
are content with our pre-
An sent circumstances;
them without With
ness.
first
Because we cannot
why?
alter
fighting against our inclination to idle-
our pretence of contempt for everything
all
outside of us,
141
Autobiography.
we cannot avoid
to enjoy better food
the secret wish to be able
and clothing than
We
at present.
men
addicted to the plea-
sures of sense, because they have
abandoned our mode
reproach our friends as vain
life, and undertaken occupations adapted to their But wherein consists our superiority over them, powers.
of
when we merely theirs ? fact,
follow our inclination as they follow
Let us seek to find
this superiority
merely in the
that"we at least confess this truth to ourselves, while
they profess as the motive of their actions, not the faction of their
general
own
utility."
a powerful
particular desires, but the impulse to
Lapidoth, on
our
whom my
impression, answered
"Friend, you are perfectly
mend
faults,
satis-
we
will
some warmth,
with If
right.
words produced
we cannot now
not deceive ourselves about
them, but at least keep the way open for amendment."
In conversations of
this
pleasantest hours, while
kind we two cynics spent our
we made
ourselves merry some-
times at the expense of the world, sometimes at our own.
Lapidoth, for example, whose old dirty clothes had
all
and one of whose sleeves was wholly from the rest of his coat, while he was not in a parted
fallen into rags,
position even to have
on
his
back with a
it
pin,
mended, used to and
to ask
like a Schlachziz (a Polish noble) ?
me,
" I,
fix
"
the sleeve
Don't
I
look
again, could not
Maimon
Solomon
142
sufficiently
commend my
at the
open
:
rent shoes, which were quite
"They do
because, as I said,
toes,
not
squeeze the foot."
The harmony
of our inclinations and
manner of
life,
along with some difference in our talents,
made our
con-
versation
more
the
all
for the sciences,
I
agreeable.
made more
had more
talent
earnest endeavours after
thoroughness and accuracy of knowledge than Lapidoth. He, on the other hand, had the advantage of a lively imagination,
and consequently more
and poetry than friend it
knew how
embodiment
If I
I.
we
and the
last
and, as
it,
it
in a multitude of examples. far, that,
my
were, to give
Our
whenever
it
affection
was prac-
spent day and night in each other's company,
first
thing
we
places where visit
produced a new thought,
to illustrate
for one another went so ticable,
talent for eloquence
we
did,
on returning home from the
severally acted as family-tutors,
was to
each other, even before seeing our own families.
we began
of prayer.
to neglect
Lapidoth
on
first
this
At
account the usual hours
undertook to prove, that the
Talmudists themselves offered up their prayers, not exclusively in the synagogue, but
chambers.
sometimes in
Afterwards he pointed out
prayers held to be necessary are not that
some may be dispensed with
all
their study-
also,
that the
equally so, but
altogether
:
even those,
which are recognised as necessary, we curtailed
by
at last they
were
totally neglected.
Once, when we went
for a
walk on the wall during the
degrees,
till
An
143
Autobiography.
hour of prayer, Lapidoth said to me, " Friend, what going to "
become of
We
us ?
What do you mean by
do not pray now
that
?
"
I inquired.
" I throw myself," said Lapidoth,
God, who certainly for a slight
"
God
not punish his children severely
neglect"
this
had by
this
accurate ideas of
Accordingly
I
" ;
He
also
that ?
"
asked Lapidoth.
time obtained from Maimonides more
God and "
replied,
of our duties towards Him.
Our
destination
is
merely the
attainment of perfection through the knowledge of the imitation of
is
reason cannot help us much."
What do you mean by
I
" on the mercy of
not merely merciful" I replied
Consequently
just.
"
is
will
is
at all."
His
actions.
Prayer
is
God and
simply the ex-
pression of our knowledge of the divine perfections, and, as a result of this knowledge,
common man who ledge
;
ception.
is
intended merely for the
cannot of himself attain to
and therefore
it
is
adapted to
his
this
mode
know-
of con-
But as we see into the end of prayer, and can
attain to this
end
directly,
we can dispense
altogether
with prayer as something superfluous."
This reasoning appeared to us both to be sound.
We
resolved therefore, for the purpose of avoiding offence,
go out of the house every morning with our Taleth and Tephilim (Jewish instruments of prayer), not, how-
to
ever, to the synagogue, but to our favourite retreat, the wall,
and by
this
Jewish Inquisition.
means we
fortunately escaped
the
Solomon Maimon:
144
But
this enthusiastic
else in the world,
had
companionship, like everything
to
come
to an end.
As we were
both married, and our marriages were tolerably
we were lies,
obliged, for the
to accept situations as family-tutors.
we were not
fruitful,
purpose of supporting our fami-
infrequently separated,
By
this
means
and afterwards were
able to spend merely a few weeks in the year together.
An
CHAPTER The
THE
place,
tutor,
was
where
145
Autobiography.
XVIII.
Life of a Family-Tutor.
I first
occupied the position of family-
at the distance of
a league from
my residence.
family was that of a miserable farmer in a still more miserable village ; and my salary was five thalers in
The
The
Polish money.
the
manner of
indescribable. fifty
hair,
life,
poverty, ignorance,
which prevailed
The farmer
and rudeness
in this house,
himself was a
man
in
were
of about
years, the whole of whose face was overgrown with
ending in a
dirty, thick
beard as black as pitch. His
language was a sort of muttering, boors, with
whom
intelligible
he held intercourse
daily.
only to the
Not only
was he ignorant of Hebrew, but he could not speak a word of Jewish ; his only language was Russian, the com-
mon
patois of the
peasantry.
were of the same stamp.
which they inside
and
lived,
His wife and children
Moreover, the apartment, in
was a hovel of smoke, black as coal
out, without a
chimney, but with merely a
small opening in the roof for the exit of the smoke,
an
opening which was carefully closed as soon as the
fire
was allowed to go out, so that the heat might not escape.
Solomon Maimon:
146
The windows were narrow
strips of
pine laid crosswise
This apart-
over each other, and covered with paper.
ment served and
sleep.
smoke,
as
at
once
Think is
for sitting,
of this
room
drinking, eating, study
intensely heated,
wind and rain
till
the whole place
Here hang a
suffocation.
of clothing on poles laid across the
kill
the vermin with the smoke.
dry, while their
fat
beets,
the Lithuanians.
and other
room
it
to
dirty
in order to
There hang sausages
keeps constantly trickling
the heads of people below.
cabbage and red
with
filled
is
foul washing
bits
to
down on
Yonder stand tubs with sour
which form the principal food of
In a corner the water
kept for daily
is
In
use, with the dirty water alongside.
this
room the
kneaded, cooking and baking are done, the cow milked, and all sorts of operations are carried on.
bread is
and the
generally the case in winter, driven back by
is
In this magnificent dwelling the peasants bare ground
;
you dare not
sit
higher
to be suffocated with the smoke.
sit
on the
you do not wish
if
Here they guzzle
their
whiskey and make an uproar, while the people of the
house
sit
in a corner.
the stove with to *
my
them out of an old
Russian Jewish.
I usually
took
my
place behind
dirty half-naked pupils, and expounded
tattered Bible, from
All this together
Hebrew
made such
into
a splen-
did group as deserved to be sketched only by a Hogarth,
and It
to be
sung only by a Butler.
may be easily imagined, how pitiable
here must have been.
Whiskey had
to
my condition form my sole com-
An fort
;
made me
it
creased by the
were rioting
estates of Prince
village
and
Radzivil, was stationed in the
neighbourhood.
The house was
who committed
of drunken Russians,
cesses,
to pieces tables
constantly
all sorts
To
in this
house as guard, and whose charge
was to secure the house against
all
violence,
once drunk, and demanded something to millet with butter
A
A
and called
for
for another dish.
spirits.
brought, and he poured
it
after milk, pepper, salt,
and
to
A
all
He more
This was the butter
whole bottle was
likewise into the dish.
he began to
the beard, struck
After he had taken
strike
him
There-
tobacco, in large quantities
be brought to him, the whole being put
the mixture devoured. fuls,
for
whole small tub of butter was brought, when
brought immediately, whereupon he threw
had
dish of
was placed before him cooked.
he shouted again an order
it,
it
came home
eat.
shoved the dish away, and shouted an order butter.
and
who
give merely one example, a Russian,
was stationed
into
of ex-
and benches, threw glasses
bottles into the faces of the people of the house,
so on.
in-
who
time with every conceivable cruelty
and
hewed
This was
misery.
fact, that a regiment of Russians,
on the
full
my
forget all
at that
its
147
Autobiography.
in,
and
some spoon-
about him, pulled the host by
in the face with his
fist,
so that the
blood flowed out of his mouth, poured some of his
glo-
rious broth
down
manner
he became so drunk that he could no longer
till
his throat,
support himself, and
fell
and went on
to the ground.
in this riotous
Solomon
148
Such scenes were
:
common
that time very
at
If a
where in Poland.
Maimon
every-
Russian army passed a place,
they took with them a prowodnik, or guide, to the next
But instead of seeking
place.
mayor or the first
person
to
be supplied by the
village magistrate, they
whom
they met on the
used to seize the
He
road.
or old, male or female, healthy or sick,
young
nothing to them
from special
it
might be mattered
knew the road well enough and only sought an opportunity for
for they
;
charts,
happened that the person seized did not all, and did not show them the right way not allow themselves to be sent astray on did road, they outrage.
know
this
If
it
the
at
account
;
they selected the road
cudgelled the poor prowodnik not knowing the I
till
all right,
way !
was once seized as a prowodnik myself.
indeed know the way, but luckily chance.
but they
he was half-dead, for
I
hit
I did not
upon
it
by
Fortunately, therefore, I reached the proper
and the only violence I suffered, besides a good many blows and kicks from the Russian soldiers, was the threat, that, if ever I led them astray, I should certainly place,
be flayed alive
a threat which they might be trusted
with carrying into execution.
The less
other places which I
similar
to this.
psychological principal part
An
filled as tutor
In one of these a remarkable
incident occurred in
and which
incident of the
were more or
is
which
I
took the
to be described in the sequel.
same kind, however, which happened
An to another person
and of which
must be mentioned
A
149
Autobiography. I
was simply eye-witness,
here.
tutor in the next village,
who was
a somnambulist,
bed and went
rose one night from his
to the village
churchyard with a volume of the Jewish ceremonial laws in
his
hand.
After remaining
some time
he
there
In the morning he rose up, with-
returned to his bed.
out remembering the least of what had happened during the night, and went to the chest where his copy of
the ceremonial laws was usually kept, in order to take
out the
first
part,
Orach Chajim or the
Way
of Life,
The
which he was accustomed to read every morning. code consists of four separately,
and
all
He
in the chest.
each of which was bound
parts,
the four had certainly been locked
three of the parts, Joreh
Deah
or the Teacher of
As he knew about
being awanting.
searched everywhere,
till
at
last
yard where he found the Joreh
took this for a bad
disquieted.
On being
his
he came
Deah
chapter, Hilchoth Abheloth or the
He
up
was therefore astonished to find only
Wisdom,
disease
he
to the church-
lying
open
at the
Laws of Mourning.
omen and came home much
asked the cause of his disquietude
he related the incident which had occurred, with the addition,
He
"Ah! God knows how my
begged of
his
poor mother
is
!"
master the loan of a horse and per-
mission to ride to the nearest town, where his mother lived, in
order to enquire after her welfare.
to pass the place
where
I
was
tutor,
and
I
As he had
saw him riding
Solomon Maimon:
150
in great excitement without being willing to
even
for
a
little
while,
I
dismount
asked him the cause of his
excitement when he related to
me
the above-mentioned
incident. I
was astonished, not so much about the particular
circumstances of this incident, as about somnambulism in general, of friend,
which
till
ism was a
common
meant nothing, but Abheloth
known
upon he rode
him the reason of had come merely
My
somnambulit
that the circumstance of the Hilchoth
misfortune.
There-
arrived at his mother's house,
off,
at
nothing.
that
occurrence with him, and that
made him forebode some
found her seated
and
her frame for needlework. She asked his coming,
to
pay her a
he rode back
when he visit,
replied that he
as he
had not seen
After he had rested for a good
her for a long time. while,
then I had
on the other hand, assured me
;
but his disquietude was by no
means wholly removed, and the thought of the Hilchoth Abheloth he could not get out of his head. The third day
after,
lived,
a
and
fire
broke out in the town where his mother
the poor
woman
perished
in
the
Scarcely had the son heard of the conflagration,
began
He
rode off in
all
haste to
when he
had so miserably perished. the town, and found what he
to lament that his mother
had foreboded.
flames.
An
151
Autobiography,
CHAPTER
XIX.
Also on a Secret Society, and therefore a Long Chapter.
ABOUT
time
this
nation, called the into prominence.
Hebrews
by the
I
became acquainted with a
New
Chasidim
is
the
to the pious, that
themselves
tinguish
sect of
my
Chasidim, which was then coming
name is,
generally given
to those
by exercising the
who
strictest
dis-
piety.
These were, from time immemorial, men who had freed themselves from worldly occupations and pleasures, and
devoted their religion
lives to the strictest exercise of the laws of
and penance
for their sins.
As
already
tioned, they sought to accomplish this object
and other
up
by prayers
exercises of devotion, by chastisement of the
body and similar means. But about this time some among them for
men-
founders of a
new
true piety does not by any
set
themselves
sect.
They maintained that
means
consist in chastisement
of the body, by which the spiritual quiet and cheerfulness,
necessary to the knowledge and love of God, are disturbed.
On
satisfy all
the contrary, they maintained that
his bodily wants,
sures of sense, so far as
and seek
man must
to enjoy the plea-
may be necessary
for the deve-
Solomon Maimon
152
lopment of our for his
glory.
feelings,
The
inasmuch
as
true service of
:
God
has created
all
God, according to
them, consists in exercises of devotion with exertion of all
our powers, and annihilation of self before
God
for
;
they maintain that man, in accordance with his destination,
can reach the highest perfection only when he
re-
gards himself, not as a being that exists and works for himself, but merely as
an organ of the Godhead. Instead
therefore of spending their lives in separation from the
world, in suppression of their natural feelings,
and
in
deadening their powers, they believed that they acted
much more
when they sought
to the purpose,
their natural feelings as
powers into exercise,
much
to develop
as possible, to bring their
and constantly to widen
their sphere
of work. It
must be acknowledged, that both of these opposite for a foundation. Of the
methods have something true former the foundation
obviously Stoicism, that
is
endeavour to determine actions by
free will in
with a higher principle than passion
on the system of
perfection.
else in the world,
actual
life.
;
the latter
Only both,
is,
an
accordance is
founded
like everything
may be abused, and are abused
Those of the
first
in
sect drive their penitential
disposition to extravagance; instead of merely regulating
and passions by rules of moderation, they annihilate them ; and, instead of endeavouring,
their desires
seek to
like the Stoics, to find the principle of their actions in
pure reason, they seek
it
rather in religion.
This
is
a
An true
it is
pure source,
ideas of religion
Autobiography.
but as these people have false
;
and
itself,
153
their virtue has for
its
foun-
dation merely the future rewards and punishments of an arbitrary tyrannical being
who governs by mere
caprice,
in point of fact their actions flow
from an impure source,
namely the principle of
Moreover,
interest.
merely on fancies, so
in their case in
this
respect, they are far below the grossest Epicureans,
who
this
interest
true, a low,
it is
have,
rests
The
when
still
a real interest as the end
Only then can religion yield a principle
of their actions.
of virtue,
but
that,
it is
founded on the idea of
itself
virtue.
adherents of the second sect have indeed more
and morals
correct ideas of religion
;
but since in this
respect they regulate themselves for the most part in
accordance with obscure
feelings,
and not
in
accordance
with distinct knowledge, they likewise necessarily into
all
of extravagances.
sorts
Self-annihilation
necessity cramps their activity, or gives
They have no
natural science,
it
fall
of
a false direction.
no acquaintance with
psychology ; and they are vain enough to consider themselves organs of the Godhead, which of course they are, to an extent limited
The
attain.
result
is,
by the degree of perfection they that on the credit of the Godhead
they perpetrate the greatest excesses suggestion lively
is
to
thsm a divine
impulse a divine
These
sects
every extraordinary
inspiration,
and every
call.
were not in
their difference
;
fact different sects of religion;
consisted merely in the
L
mode
of their
Solomon Maimon
154
But
religious exercises.
:
their animosity
still
that they decried each other as heretics,
mutual persecution. At
the
first
itself
and even beyond.
The heads
new
doctrine
Polish
sect held the
Jew
it
was to preach the
Jews consist of scholars, that
is
Moreover,
this
new
to blessedness easier,
way fasts
and
life
;
is,
men
for every
destined from his birth to be a rabbi, and
only the greatest incapacity can exclude office.
upper
of the sect ordinarily sent
whose duty
an inactive and contemplative
to-
in
and procure adherents. Now, the majority
of the Polish
devoted
far,
nearly over the whole of Poland,
hand, and extended
emissaries everywhere,
new
went so
and indulged
vigils
him from
the
make
the
doctrine was
inasmuch as
it
to
declared that
and the constant study of the Talmud
are not only useless, but even prejudicial to that cheerfulness of spirit
which
is
essential to
genuine piety.
It
was therefore natural that the adherents of the doctrine spread
far
and wide
in a short time.
Pilgrimages were made to K. M. and other holy places,
where the enlightened superiors of
this sect
abode.
Young
people forsook parents, wives and children, and went in troops to the
new
visit
these superiors,
doctrine.
The
and hear from
their lips
occasion, which led to the rise
of this sect was the following.* *
In our times,
when
so
much
is
said both
pro and contra about
secret societies, I believe that the history of a particular secret society, in which I was entangled, though but a short time, should
not be passed over in this sketch of
my
life.
An
have already remarked
I
155
Autobiography. that, since the
time when the
position and were dispersed Jews among other nations where they are more or less tolerated, they have had no internal form of government
national
their
lost
but their religious constitution, by which they are held
and
together
still
in
form,
their
political
Their leaders, therefore,
an organic whole.
dispersion,
of
spite
have allowed themselves to be occupied with nothing so
much
as with imparting additional strength to this, the
only bond of union by which the Jews nation.
But the doctrines of
their religion take their origin in the
while these leave their
much
that
to
Consequently the aid of tradition
and by
in,
Holy
this
entrusted
particular
body
this
Tradition
to
cases.
of necessity called
is
made
is
if
specified
whole nation, but merely to a
the
means, however, the
much
evil
that was
was not avoided.
still
indeterminate.
of particular cases from the general, and
new laws demanded by
the circumstances of different
many
controversies
these very controversies and the
body
to appear as
This tradition could not of course
times, gave occasion for
this
particular
a sort of legislative commission.
itself left
The deduction the
Scriptures,
Scriptures, as well as the deduction of cases left
in determinate laws.
By
Holy
means the method of expounding the
undetermined by them,
be
and the laws of
indefinite in regard to
is
and application
exposition
constitute a
still
their faith
became
mode
always more
;
but through
of their settlement,
numerous, and
its
Solomon Maimon:
156
on the nation more powerful.
influence
constitution
therefore in
is
accordingly exposed to
The unlearned
all
its
form
The
Jewish
and
aristocratic,
is
the abuses of an aristocracy.
classes of the
burdened
people, being
with the care of supporting not only themselves but also the indispensable learned class, were unable to give their
But from time
attention to abuses of the kind.
men have
arisen out of the legislative
have not only denounced called in question
Of this who
sort
its
its
body
to time
who
itself,
abuses, but have even
authority.
was the founder of the Christian
at the very outset
religion,
placed himself in opposition to
the tyranny of this aristocracy, and brought back the
whole ceremonial law to system, to
means
its
origin,
namely, a pure moral
which the ceremonial law stands related In
to end.
this
way the reformation
also
was the notorious Shabbethai Zebi, who,
of last century* set himself
going to abolish the
upon
would,
as
a
sort
at the close
Messiah, and was
whole ceremonial law, especially
the rabbinical institutions.
reason
up
at least of
Of the same
part of the nation was accomplished.
as
owing
A
moral system founded to
the
deeply
rooted
prejudices of the nation at that time, have been powerless to
work out a wholesome reformation.
prejudices and fanaticism therefore
That
is,
it
of course, the I7th century.
To
their
was necessary to
Trans.
An
Autobiography.
oppose prejudices and fanaticism.
157
This was done
in
the following way.
A
secret society,
whose founders belonged to the dishad already taken root in
affected spirits of the nation, it
A certain
for a long time.
de Leon,
is
said,
French rabbi, named Moses
according to Rabbi Joseph Candia, to
have composed the Zohar, and to have foisted the nation as an old book having for
its
brated Talmudist, Rabbi ben Jochai.
This book con-
Holy
tures in accordance with the principles of the
or rather, in the
Scrip-
Cabbalah
;
contains these principles themselves delivered
it
form of an exposition of the Holy Scriptures, and
drawn, as
double
upon
author the cele-
above, an exposition of the
tains, as stated
it
were, from these.
it
face,
and admits,
It
has, like Janus, a
therefore, of a
double interpre-
tation.
The one
is
that
which
in Cabbalistic writings,
tem.
Here
is
given with great diffuseness
and has been brought
into a sys-
a wide field for the imagination, where
is
it
can revel at will without being in the end better instructed
on the matter than rative language,
before.
Here
many moral and
are delivered, in figu-
physical truths, which
lose themselves at last in the labyrinth of the hyperphysical.
to
This method of treating the Cabbalah Cabbalistic scholars,
and constitutes the
is
peculiar
lesser
mys-
teries of this secret society.
The second method, on secret political
the other hand, concerns the
meaning of the Cabbalah, and
is
known
Solomon Maimon:
158
only to the superiors of the secret society.
These supe-
riors themselves, as well as their operations,
remain ever
the rest of the
unknown;
if
acquainted with,
you choose.
which are unknown to themselves,
betray political secrets
while the former will not do
Only the
interest.
you may become But the latter cannot
society
it,
because
it is
lesser (purely literary) mysteries are
them
entrusted to the people, and urged upon
of the highest importance. teries
against their
The
as matters
greater (political) mys-
are not taught, but, as a matter of course, are
brought into practice.
Rabbi Joel Baalshem * by name, became very celebrated at this time on account of some lucky cures which he effected by means of his medical
A
certain Cabbalist,
acquirements and his conjuring
tricks, as
he gave out
was done, not by natural means, but solely Maasith (the practical Cabbalah),
that all this
by help of the Cabbalah
and the use of sacred names. very successful
have followers
game in
In
in Poland.
his
art.
this
He
Among
way he played a
also took care to
his
disciples
some, who took hold of his profession, and selves a
name by With
robberies.
*
successful cures
were
made them-
and the detection of
their cures the process
was quite natu-
one who occupies himself with the practical Cabwith the conjuration of spirits and the writing of amulets, in which the names of God and of many sorts of spirits are
Baalshem
balah, that
employed.
is,
is
An
159
Autobiography,
They employed the common means of medicine, but after the usual method of the conjurer they sought
ral.
turn the attention of the spectator from these, and
to
direct
it
The
to their Cabbalistic hocus-pocus.
robberies
they either brought about themselves, or they discovered
them by means of
their detectives,
who were spread
all
over the country.
mode
Others of greater genius and a nobler ing,
formed 'far grander
They saw
plans.
of think-
that their
private interest, as well as the general interest, could
best
promoted by gaining the people's confidence, and
this they
sought to
command by
plan was therefore moral and
At
be
first it
appeared as
if
enlightenment.
political at the
Their
same time.*
they would merely do away with
the abuses which had crept into the Jewish system of religion
and morals
;
but
this
drew
after
it
complete abrogation of the whole system. points which they attacked were these i.
The abuse
of necessity a
The
principal
:
Instead of sim-
of rabbinical learning.
them capable of being of the rabbis leaves them still
plifying the laws and rendering
known by all, the learning more confused and indefinite.
Moreover, being occu-
pied only with the study of the laws,
it
gives as
much
* As I never attained the rank of a superior in this society, the exposition of their plan cannot be regarded as a fact verified by exarrived at by reflection. perience, but merely as an inference
How
founded, can be determined merely by analogy according to the rules of probability. far this inference is well
Solomon Maimon:
160
attention to those which are
such as the laws of those which are
no longer of any application, of purification,
sacrifice,
still
in use.
Besides,
it is
etc.,
as to
not the study,
but the observance of the laws, that forms the chief con-
them
cern, since the study of
is
not an end in
merely a means to their observance.
And,
itself,
but
finally, in
the
observance of the laws the rabbis have regard merely to the external ceremony, not to the moral end. 2.
The abuse
penitents.
of piety
is
not that knowledge of
is
based on reason
;
it
God and His
part of the so-called
zealous,
Their motive to
the practice of virtue.
tions of
on the
These become very
God and His
about
however,
virtue,
which
consists rather in false representaattributes.
They
failed therefore
upon a spurious
Instead of aspiring after likeness to God, and
striving to escape
into the
true,
perfection,
of necessity to find true virtue, and hit imitation.
it is
from the bondage of sensual passions
dominion of a
free will that finds its
motive in
reason, they sought to annihilate their passions hilating their
powers of
activity, as I
by anni-
have already shown
by some deplorable examples.
On
the other hand, those
who sought
to enlighten the
people required, as an indispensable condition of true virtue,
a cheerful state of mind disposed to every form of
active exertion
;
and they not only allowed, but even
commended, a moderate enjoyment of
all
re-
kinds of
pleasure as necessary for the attainment of this cheerful disposition.
Their worship consisted in a voluntary
An
161
Autobiography.
elevation above the body, that
is,
the thoughts from
things,
individual
self,
and
created
all
in
in
an abstraction of even from the
union with God.
a kind of self-denial arose
this
By
among them, which
to ascribe, not to themselves, but to
actions undertaken in this state.
God
means
led
them
alone, all the
Their worship therefore
consisted in a sort of speculative adoration, for which
they held no special time or formula to be necessary, but they
left
each one to determine
degree of his knowledge.
commonly God.
Still
it
according to the
they chose for
it
most
the hours set apart for the public worship of
In their public worship they endeavoured mainly
to attain that elevation
described
;
they
above the body, which has been
became
so absorbed in the idea of the
divine perfection, that they lost the idea of everything else,
even of their own body, and, as they gave
body became
in this state wholly
Such abstraction, however, was
devoid of
feeling.
a very difficult matter
and accordingly, whenever they came out of
new
this state
;
by
suggestions taking possession of their minds, they
laboured, by
all
movements and state
out, the
sorts of mechanical operations, cries, to bring themselves
once more, and to keep themselves
such as
back into the in
it
without
interruption during the whole time of their worship.
was amusing prayers by
to observe
all sorts
haw
It
they often interrupted their
of extraordinary tones and comical
gestures, which were meant as threats and reproaches
against their adversary, the Evil Spirit,
who
tried to dis-
Solomon Maitnon
162
turb their devotion
and how by
;
:
this
means they wore
themselves out to such an extent, that, on finishing their prayers, they
commonly
down
fell
in
complete exhaus-
tion.
not to be denied that, however sound
It is
such a worship,
basis of
much
The
as the other.
it
is
may be
the
subject to abuse just as
internal activity following
cheerfulness of mind,
upon must depend on the degree of
knowledge acquired.
Self-annihilation before
God
is
only then well-founded, when a man's faculty of knowledge,
owing to the grandeur of
its
object,
is
occupied with that object, that he exists, as of himself, in the object alone. faculty of
that
is
it
men
on the contrary, the
repressed rather than stimulated.
is
who sauntered about
with pipe in mouth, all
were, out
its
object, so
incapable of any steady progress, then the
of this sect,
about
If,
limited in respect of
mentioned, by being concentrated on
activity
object,
knowledge
is
so entirely
it
when
this single
Some
idly the
simple
whole day
asked, what they were thinking " are thinking about
the time, replied,
We
God." This answer would have been
satisfactory, if
they
had constantly sought, by an adequate knowledge of nature, to extend their
But
this
knowledge of the divine perfections. was impossible in their case, as their knowledge
of nature was extremely limited
;
and consequently the
condition, in which they concentrated their activity
an object which, ful,
became
in respect of their capacity,
of necessity unnatural.
was
upon
unfruit-
Moreover, their
An
163
Autobiography.
actions could be ascribed to God, only
the results of an accurate knowledge of
when they were God but when ;
they resulted from a very limited degree of this knowledge, it
was inevitable that
of excesses should be com-
all sorts
mitted on the credit of God, as unfortunately the issue has shown.
But the the
new
fact, that this sect
spread so rapidly, and that
doctrine met with so
majority of the nation,
much
applause
may be very
easily
The
natural inclination to idleness
tion
on the part of the majority, who from
and a
life
among
the
explained. of specula-
birth are des-
tined to study, the dryness and unfruitfulness of rabbinical studies,
and the great burden of the ceremonial
which the new doctrine promised
law,
to lighten, finally the
tendency to fanaticism and the love of the marvellous,
which are nourished by ent to
At
make
first
this
phenomenon
the reasons
just
mentioned,
Hostilities
intelligible.
I
;
it
but in spite of
this, for
maintained the upper
were practised on both
party sought to gain adherents. nation,
suffici-
the rabbis and the pietists opposed the spread
of this sect in the old fashion
hand.
these are
this doctrine,
A
sides.
Each
ferment arose in the
and opinions were divided.
could not form any accurate idea of the new
and did not know what to think of
it,
till
I
sect,
met with a
young man, who had already been initiated into the society, and had enjoyed the good fortune of conversing with
its
superiors.
This
man happened
to be travelling
164
Solomon Maimon
:
abode, and
I
through the place of tunity of asking for
my
some information about the
mode
constitution of the society, the
The
so forth.
seized the oppor-
stranger was
still
internal
of admission,
and
grade of
in the lowest
membership, and consequently knew nothing about the
He
internal constitution of the society.
unable to give
me
as far as the
mode
assured
me
any information on the subject
felt
to satisfy
drances to
its
it,
He
in the world.
remove the
or wished to
satisfaction,
had nothing
and
to the superiors of the society,
applying to a
hin-
do but apply
to
eo ipso
he became a
did not even require, as you must do on
medical doctor, to say anything to these
superiors about his moral weakness, his previous
matters of that sort, inasmuch as nothing was to the superiors, they could see into the
and discern everything
that
is
that are remote.
life,
and
unknown
human
concealed in
recesses, they could foretell the future,
hand things
but,
a desire of perfection, but did not
know how
member.
;
of admission was concerned, he
was the simplest thing
that that
Any man, who
was therefore
heart,
secret
its
and bring near
at
Their sermons and moral
teachings were not, as these things commonly
are,
thought
over and arranged in an orderly manner beforehand.
This method -
is
proper only to the man,
who
regards
himself as a being existing and working for himself apart
from God.
But the superiors of
this sect
hold that their
teachings are divine and therefore infallible, only
they are the result of self-annihilation before
when
God, that
An when they
is,
165
Autobiography.
them ex
are suggested to
by the
tempore,
circumstances, without their contributing
exigence of
anything themselves.
As
I
was quite captivated by
this description I
me some
the stranger to communicate to teachings.
He
begged
of these divine
clapped his hand on his brow as
if
he
were waiting for inspiration from the Holy Ghost, and turned to me with a solemn mien and his arms halfbared,
which he brought into action somewhat
Then
Corporal Trim, when he was reading the sermon.
he began as follows "
'Sing unto
:
God of
congregation
new song
a
saints'
His praise
;
(Psalm
cxlix.,
is
in the
i).
superiors explain this verse in the following way. attributes of
God
as the
far the attributes
by
like
Our
The
most perfect being must surpass and conse-
of every finite being
quently His praise, as the expression of His attributes,
must likewise surpass the praise of any such being. the present time the praise of to
Him
what
is
God
consisted in ascribing
supernatural operations, such as the discovery of
concealed, the foreseeing of the future, and the
production of effects immediately by His mere
Now, to
however, the saints, that
perform
such
Accordingly in
this
eminence over them find
Till
some new
praise,
is,
actions
supernatural
God
respect ;
and
which
Quite charmed with
will.
the superiors, are able
themselves.
no longer
has
pre-
therefore necessary to
it
is
is
proper to
this ingenious
God
alone."
method
of inter-
Solomon Maimon:
66
1
preting the
some more
Holy
played, the spirit of
This
a
man
is
He
expositions of the same kind.
therefore in his inspired
15).
begged the stranger
Scriptures, I
is
"
manner:
'When
God came upon him'
explained in the following
self-active,
he
is
proceeded
the minstrel
Kings
(2
;
for
of the passage
is
as in-
purpose he must
this
hold himself like an instrument in a purely passive
The meaning
iii.
way. As long
incapable of receiving the
Holy Ghost
fluence of the
for
therefore this.
state.
When
the
his (fen, the servant of God), becomes like
minstrel
instrument
then the
(fa),
spirit
of
God comes upon
him."* " tion '
Now,"
said the stranger again,
of a passage from the Mishnah, where
The honour
as thine own.'
way.
Our
is
said,
teachers explain this in the following
It is certain that
it
it
of thy neighbour shall be as dear to thee
honour to himself But
" hear the interpreta-
would be
:
no man
this
will find
pleasure in doing
would be altogether
just'as ridiculous to
make
ridiculous.
too
much
of
the marks of honour received from another, as these
confer on us no
* The Hebrew
more
intrinsic
worth than we have
al-
ingenuity of this interpretation consists in the fact, that in MJ may stand for the infinitive of play, as well as for a
musical instrument, and that the prefix 5
may be
translated either
The superiors -wrenched passages of the Holy Scriptures from their context, regarding themselves as merely vehicles of their teachings, as, in the
sense of when, or
of this sect,
as, in
the sense of
like.
who
selected accordingly that interpretation of this passage, best their principle of self-annihilation before God.
which
fitted
An
167
Autobiography.
This passage therefore means merely, that the
ready.
honour of thy neighbour (the honour which thy neighbour shows to thee) must be of as little value in thine
own
eyes, as thine
(the
honour which thou showest
to
thyself)." I
could not help being astonished
nious exegesis,
at the exquisite re-
and charmed with the
inge-
by which they were supported.*
My
finement of these thoughts
;
imagination was strained to the highest pitch by these descriptions,
and consequently
as the pleasure of
M
becoming a member of
B
where the superior
,
this
honourable
- resided.
with the greatest impatience for the close of
of service, which lasted as this I
came
to
still
At from
me *
I
,
my
waited period
As soon
home (though
once on
my
pil-
over some weeks.
and
after
having rested
journey I went to the house of the superior
under the idea that once.
M
I
some weeks.
I started at
The journey extended
last I arrived at
my
for
an end, instead of going
was only two miles away),
grimage.
much
resolved therefore to undertake a journey to
I
society.
wished nothing so
I
was
told,
at the time,
Maimon
could be introduced to him at
however, that he could not speak to
but that I was invited to his table on
in a footnote here refers,
interpretation (xliv., 1-2) as
I
by way of a parallel, to the by a Catholic theologian of a passage in Ezekiel an allegorical prophecy of the Virgin Mary ; but most
readers will probably prefer to leave the exposition of the allegory to the imagination of those who choose to follow it out. Trans.
Solomon Maimon:
1 68
Sabbath along with the other strangers who had come to visit him ; that I should then have the happiness of
man
seeing the saintly
face to face,
was a public audience,
this
and
own mouth
sublimest teachings out of his
of hearing the ;
on account of the
yet,
individual references which I should find self, I
it
might regard
that although
made
this
solemn meal,
and found there a large number of respectable
had met here from various great
white this
He
being
Even
among
At length the
quarters.
and snuffbox were white,
his shoes
the Cabbalists the colour of grace.
gave to every new comer his salaam, that
We
greeting.
sat
down
to table
superior struck
hand
for
call out,
up a solemn
some time upon
"Z
of
is,
his
and during the meal a
After the meal was over, the
solemn silence reigned.
on.
men who
in his awe-inspiring form, clothed in
appeared
satin.
my-
as a special interview.
Accordingly on Sabbath I went to
man
to
H
,
melody, held his
inspiriting
his brow,
M
and then began to of R ," and so
Every new comer was thus called by his own name
and the name of astonishment. verse of the
his residence,
Each Holy
recited,
Scriptures.
began to deliver a sermon served as a
text, so that
for
which excited no
as
he was
called,
little
some
Thereupon the superior which the verses recited
although they were disconnected
verses taken from different parts of the
they were combined with as
formed a single whole.
much
Holy
skill
What was
as
still
Scriptures
if
they had
more
extra-
An ordinary, every
Autobiography.
169
one of the new comers believed
that
he
discovered, in that part of the sermon which was founded
on
his verse,
facts of his
something that had special reference to the
own
spiritual
At
life.
this
we were of course
greatly astonished. It
was not long, however, before
had formed of
the high opinion I
began to qualify
I
this superior
and the
whole
society.
I
was
bottom
false,
and, in addition to that, was limited
own
extravagant principles, such as the
at
strictly to their
observed that their ingenious exegesis
When
doctrine of self-annihilation.
learned these, there was nothing
The
so-called miracles could
By means
for
him
to hear.
be very naturally explained.
of correspondence
and
spies
knowledge of men, by physiognomy and the superiors were able to
man had once
a
new
elicit
and a
certain
skilful questions,
indirectly the secrets of
the heart, so that they succeeded with these simple
men
in obtaining the reputation of being inspired prophets.
The whole
society also
their cynical spirit
displeased
me
not a
little
and the excess of their merriment.
single example of this
may
suffice.
We
by
A
had met once
at
One
of
the hour of prayer in the house of the superior.
company arrived somewhat late, when the others asked him the reason. He replied that he had been the
detained by his wife having been that evening confined
As soon
as they heard this, they began somewhat uproarious fashion. The superior thereupon came out of his study and asked
with a daughter. to congratulate
him
in a
M
Maimon :
Solomon
170
He
the cause of the noise.
was told that we were con-
a gratulating our friend, because his wife had brought with the "A girl!" he answered girl into the world.
"he ought
greatest indignation,
He
poor fellow protested.
he should be made to a
the world.
girl into
seized,
But
floor,
over the
affair,
fell
prayer in the following words,
Lord with I
the
gladness !
would not stay superior's
he was
:
and whipped unmerci-
mood
into an hilarious
upon which the superior "
why
having brought
was of no avail
this
thrown down on the
The
be whipped."*
suffer for his wife
All except the victim
fully.
to
could not comprehend
Now,
called
them
to
brethren, serve the
"
in the place
blessing,
took
society with the resolution to
I
any longer.
my
sought
departure from the
abandon
it
for ever,
and
returned home.
Now
I shall say
of the society. experience,
be
something of the internal constitution
The
superiors may, according to
brought
under
four
heads
:
my
(i) the
prudent, (2) the crafty, (3) the powerful,! (4) the good.
*
A
trait of these, as
of
all
uncultivated men,
is
their
contempt
of the other sex.
became acquainted with one. He was a young weak bodily constitution, lean and pale. He travelled in Poland as a missionary. In his look there was something so terrible, so commanding, that he ruled men by means of it quite despotically. Wherever he came he inquired about the t Of
man
this class I
of twenty-two, of very
constitution of the congregation, rejected whatever displeased him,
and made new regulations which were punctually followed.
The
An The
Autobiography.
highest class, which rules
course the
all
171 the others,
is
of
These are men of enlightenment, who
first.
have attained a deep knowledge of the weaknesses of men and the motives of their actions, and have early learned the truth that prudence
inasmuch
as
in part
is
power
better than
is
power,
dependent on prudence,
while prudence is independent of power. A man may have as many powers and in as high a degree as he will, still
his influence
ever,
and a
is
By prudence, how-
always limited.
sort of psychological
mechanics, that
is,
and
insight into the best possible use of these powers direction, they may be
their
These prudent
leaders,
infinitely
therefore,
an
strengthened.
have devoted them-
selves to the art of ruling free will
men, that is, of using the and powers of other men, so that while these believe
themselves to be advancing merely their
own
ends, they
are in reality advancing the ends of their leaders.
This
can be maintained by a judicious combination and regulation of the powers, so that by the slightest touch
upon
this
There
is
instrument
it
here no deceit,
themselves reach their
may produce for,
the greatest effect.
as presupposed, the others
own ends by
this
means
elders of the congregation, for the most part old respectable far excelled him in learning, trembled before his face. scholar,
who would
not believe the
seized with such terror
best.
men, who
A
great
infallibility of this superior,
was
by his threatening look, that he fell into a violent fever of which he died. Such extraordinary courage and determination had this man attained merely through early exercises in Stoicism.
Solomon Maimon:
172
The second
the crafty, also use the will and the
class,
powers of others regard to these
attainment of their ends
for the
impetuous than the former that they seek
therefore,
expense of others
fully
and
;
own
attaining their
The
It
class.
to
but in
often happens,
ends at the
attain their
their skill consists not
ends, like the
concealing from others the
reached
;
ends they are more short-sighted or more
first class,
merely in
but in care-
fact that they
have not
theirs.
are
powerful
men who, by
their
inborn
or
acquired moral force, rule over the weakness of others, especially
when
others, as, for
one, which
is
The good
their force
is
such as
example, the control of
made
is
all
seldom found
in
the passions but
the end of their actions.
weak men who are merely passive in knowledge and power of will, and whose
are
respect of their
ends are reached, not by controlling, but by allowing themselves to be controlled.
The
highest class, that of the prudent, supervising
all
the others without being under their supervision, as a
matter of course rules them crafty less
on
on
their
good
side,
their other side
they believe they are deceived.
It
makes
the attainment of
all.
and seeks
It
to
makes use of the
make them harm-
by outwitting them, so that when deceiving,
they themselves
are
use, moreover, of the powerful for
more important ends, but seeks, when them in check by the opposition of
necessary, to keep several,
it
may be weaker,
powers.
Finally
it
makes use
An
Autobiography,
of the good for the attainment of
them
with
commends
but these
with
also
means
this
by
ends, not merely
inasmuch
others,
weak brethren
example of submission that
its
173
to
as
it
the others as an
worthy of imitation, and
is
clears out of the
way those hindrances
that arise from the independent activity of the others.
This highest class begins usually with Stoicism, and ends with Epicureanism.
men
of the
first sort,
members
Its
that
is,
consist of pious
such as have for a consider-
able time devoted themselves to the strictest exercise of religious
and
and moral
passions.
laws, to the control of their desires
But they do
Stoicism as an end in
means
not, like the Stoic, look
itself;
they regard
upon
merely as a
the highest end of man, namely, happiness.
to
They do not therefore remain after
it
having obtained from
at the Stoical stage, but,
it all
that
highest end, they hasten to that end of happiness.
By
is
necessary to the
itself,
the enjoyment
their exercise in the strictest Stoicism
their sensibility for all sorts of pleasure is heightened
ennobled, instead of Epicureans.
becoming
By means of
duller, as
this
it is
and
with gross
exercise also they are
placed in a position to defer every pleasure that presents itself
till
they have determined
gross Epicurean
The
first
will
real worth,
impulse to Stoicism, however, must
temperament, and
it
is
which a
lie in
the
only by a kind of self-deception
shifted to the account of voluntary activity.
that
it
But
this vanity imparts
is
its
not do.
courage for actual undertakings
Solomon Maimon:
174
of a voluntary nature, and this courage fired
by
sect are not
they have
first
men
hit
of science,
upon
it is
is
continually
superiors of this
not to be supposed that
by the guidance of reason
their system
Rather, as already said, the motive was, in the
alone.
instance,
ideas
As the
their successful issue.
;
and
to a clear
it
the
in
temperament, was only
second,
after that, that they
knowledge and practice of
religious
could attain
their system in its
purity.
This sect was therefore, in regard to
means, a
sort of secret society,
its
end and
its
which had nearly acquired
dominion over the whole nation
;
and consequently one
of the greatest revolutions was to have been expected, the excesses of
many weak of for
its
some of
spots,
enemies.
its
members had not
if
laid bare
and thus put weapons into the hands
Some among them, who wished
genuine Cynics, violated
dered about naked
all
to pass
the laws of decency, wan-
in the public streets,
attended to the
wants of nature in the presence of others, and so on. their practice of extemporising, as a
By
consequence of their
principle of self-annihilation, they introduced into their
sermons
all sorts
of foolish, unintelligible, confused
By this means some
of them
that in fact they were
became
no longer
insane,
stuff.
and believed
in existence.
To
all
this
must be added
who
did not belong to their sect, especially of the rabbis,
their pride
who, though they had their tive
and
and contempt of others
faults,
were
still
useful than these ignorant idlers.
far
more
Men
ac-
began
An
Autobiography.
175
to find out their weaknesses, to disturb their meetings,
and
to persecute
them everywhere.
This was brought
about especially by the authority of a celebrated rabbi, Elias of Wilna,*
now
Jews, so that
who
stood in great esteem
scarcely any
among
the
traces of the society can
be found scattered here and there.
*
Vol.
Born 1720 iii.,
;
died 1797. See Jost's Geschichtt des Judenthums, Trans.
pp. 248-250.
Solomon Maimon:
176
CHAPTER
XX.
Continuation of the Former, and also something about Religious Mysteries.
AFTER
the account of the secret society in the last chap-
ter, this
seems the most appropriate place to
examination of the thoughtful reader, mysteries in general,
and about the
my
state, for
the
opinion about
mysteries of religion
in particular.
Mysteries in general are
between to
be
modes of
objects in nature,
real,
the causal relation
modes which
are real or held
but which cannot be disclosed to every
by the natural use of his powers of knowledge. truths, that
are founded
is,
those necessary relations of objects which
on the nature of our powers of knowledge,
however few may be familiar with them, are ing to this definition, mysteries,
discover
On
man
Eternal
them by the use of
his
not, accord-
because any one can
powers of knowledge.
the other hand, the results of sympathy and anti-
pathy, the medical
some men
fall
specifics,
and
similar effects,
which
upon by mere accident, and which they means of observations and
afterwards find confirmed by
experiments, are genuine mysteries of nature, which can
be made known to another person, not by the use of his
An
Autobiography,
177
powers of knowledge, but only either by an accident of the
same kind,
by communication from the
or
first
dis-
If mysteries of this sort are not confirmed by
coverer.
observation and experiment, the belief in their reality
is
called superstition. is
Religion
a covenant formed between
other moral being of a higher genus. natural relation
between
man and
man and
an-
It
presupposes a
this
higher moral
being, so that, by the mutual fulfilment of their covenant,
they advance the interest of each other. relation (not being merely arbitrary
If this natural
and conventional)
is
real, and the mutual obligation of the contracting persons is founded on this relation, then it forms a true, but
otherwise & false, natural religion. tion
between
tatives
is
man and
drawn up
If the
mutual obliga-
the higher being or his represen-
in a formal code, there arises a posi-
tive or revealed religion.
The
true
religion, natural as well as revealed,
which,
as already observed, constitutes Judaism, consists in a contract, at
first
pressed, between
merely understood, but afterwards ex-
man and
vealed Himself to
Supreme Being, who rethe patriarchs in person (in dreams the
and prophetic appearances), and made known by them His will, the reward of obeying it and the punishment of disobedience, regarding which a covenant was then with
mutual consent concluded. representative Moses, Israelites
in
Egypt,
Subsequently, through his
He renewed
His covenant with the
determining more precisely their
Solomon Maimon:
178
mutual obligations
;
and
this
was afterwards on both sides
formally confirmed on Mount Sinai.
To
the thoughtful reader I do not need to say, that
the representation of a covenant between
God and man
be taken merely analogically, and not in its strict sense. The absolutely Perfect Being can reveal Himself
is
to
merely as idea
to the reason.
What
revealed
the
itself to
patriarchs and prophets, suitably to their power of com-
prehension, in figure, in an anthropomorphic manner,
was not the absolutely Perfect Being Himself, but a presentative of
which
this
Him, His
covenant,
Being concludes with man, has not for
the mutual satisfaction of wants
;
has no wants, and the wants of
by means
The
sensible image.
for the
man
re-
its
end
Supreme Being
are satisfied, not
of this covenant, but only by observation of
those relations between himself and other natural objects,
which are founded on the laws of nature.
covenant, therefore, can have
its
This
foundation nowhere
but in the nature of reason, without reference to any end.
Heathenism,
in
my
Judaism mainly by the
opinion,
is
distinguished from
fact, that the latter rests
upon the
formal, absolutely necessary laws of reason, while the
be founded on the nature of things
former (even
if it
and therefore
real) rests
upon the material laws of nature
which are merely hypothetically necessary. the
inevitable
cause
is
result
is
polytheism
;
From
this
every particular
personified by imagination, that
is,
represented
An as a moral being,
179
Autobiography.
and made a
At
particular deity.
was a matter of mere Empiricism
this result
;
first
but by and
by men had occasion to observe that these causes, which were represented as particular deities, were dependent on each
other
in
their
and
effects,
in a
certain
aspect
There thus arose gradually a whole system of heathen theology, in which every deity maintains his rank, and his relation to the rest is subordinate to each other.
determined.
on
Judaism,
the
other
contemplated a system, that of nature
formal is,
and thereby
;
unity.
This unity
it
is
hand, is,
in
a unity
its
very origin
among
received at last
the forces this
complete systematic connection of
for the
phenomena
of nature
;
and
it
all
to their excessive love of system,
for the
The
and
preservation of the principle in
Israelites
seem
result
to
the
presupposes a knowledge
of the multiplicity of the various forces in nature.
owing
pure
merely of regulative use, that
their anxiety
its
have wholly neglected
its
But
purity, the
application.
was that they preserved a religion which was
pure indeed, but at the same time very unfruitful, both for the extension of
practical
life.
By
knowledge and this
cause
for its application in
may be
explained their
constant murmuring against the leaders of their religion,
and
their repeated
not, like
relapse into idolatry.
They could
enlightened nations at the present day, direct
their attention to purity of principle
tion of their religion at the
same
and
time,
useful applica-
and therefore
of
Solomon
180
Maimon
:
necessity they failed either in the one or in the other.
the
Finally
Talmudists introduced
application of religion which this
by
This
aimed
at
a merely formal
no
end
real
means they made matters worse and
j
and
worse.
religion, therefore, which, by the intention of
its
founder, should have formed the Jews into the wisest
and most
intelligent
of
nations,
made them by
its
injudicious application the most ignorant and unreason-
Instead of the knowledge of nature being all. combined with the knowledge of religion, and the former able of
subordinated to the
latter
merely as the material to the
formal, the former was altogether neglected principle,
maintained in
its
mere
;
and the
abstractness, continued
without any application. Mysteries of religion are objects and acts, which are
adapted to ideas and principles, and the inner meaning of which
is
of great importance, but which have in their
outward form something unseemly or ridiculous or otherwise objectionable. to their
They must
therefore,
even
in regard
outward form, be kept concealed from the
vul-
gar eye, which cannot penetrate into the inner meaning
and accordingly for it they must be a double That is to say, the objects or acts themselves
of anything
mystery.
;
constitute the lesser mysteries,
and
their inner
meaning
the greater mysteries.
Of nacle,
this sort, for
example,
and afterwards
in the
among Holy
the Jews, in the taber-
of Holies in the temple,
was the ark of the covenant, which, according to the
tes-
An
181
Autobiography.
timony of renowned authors, showed much resemblance
some
to the sacred chest in the innermost shrine of
Thus we
heathen temples.
find
among
the Egyptians
the casket of Apis, that concealed from the vulgar eye this
dead animal, which as a symbol indeed had an im-
portant meaning, but in itself presented a repulsive as-
The
pect.
tained,
it
ark of the covenant in the
is
true,
first
temple con-
according to the testimony of Holy
Scripture, nothing besides the two tables of the law
;
but
of the ark in the second temple, built after the Babylo-
Talmud
nian captivity, I find in the
too remarkable not to be adduced.
passage the enemies,
Holy of Holies
who
a passage which
According
is
to this
seized the temple, found in the
the likeness of two persons of different
sex embracing, and profaned the sacred object by a crass exposition of to
its
This likeness was said
inner meaning.
be a vivid sensible representation of the union between
the nation and God, and, in order to guard against abuse,
had
to
people, its
be withdrawn from the eye of the
who
cling to the symbol, but
Of the same general.
sort
behind the
But the greatest of
existence, in abstraction
veil.
all
mysteries in the Jewish
name, Jehovah, expressing bare from
all
particular kinds of exist-
which cannot of course be conceived without
ence in general.
to
were the mysteries of the ancients in
religion consists in the
ence,
do not penetrate
For the same reason the cherubim
inner meaning.
also were concealed
common
The
exist-
doctrine of the unity of God, and
1
Solomon Maimon:
82
the dependence of
The
in
Josephus,
in
regard to their
can be p^ifectly
conformity with a single system.
only in
comprehended "
Him,
well as their actuality,
possibility as
When
beings on
all
his
apology against Apion, says,
instruction of our religion relates to the
first
head, and teaches
God comprehends
that
an absolutely Perfect and Blessed Being, and
God-
things, is
all
is
the sole
cause of all existence" I believe that these words contain
the best explanation of the otherwise difficult passage, " when I come unto
where Moses says
to
God,
Behold,
the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, of your fathers hath sent ask,
What
and God
is
his
name "
replies,
Thus
of Israel, Jehovah, the
me
what
?
unto you, and they shall
shall I
shall
God
The God
answer unto them
?
"
thou say unto the children
of your fathers, the
God
of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob hath sent me unto you, for this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all
For, in
generations."*
means nothing more than
all
existence
;
and
it
all
that
is
this
passage
God as
the immediate cause
says therefore precisely the
same
on the pyramid
"
as the remarkable inscription
am
opinion,
that the Jewish religion lays
at its foundation the unity of
of
my
and was and
shall
be
;
my
veil
at Sais,
I
has no mor-
tal
removed," and that other inscription under the column
of
Isis,
"I am
that which
called by the Talmudists
*
is."
The name, Jehovah,
is
Shem haezam (nomen proprium),
Exodus,
iii.,
13, 14.
An the
name
self,
of the essence, which belongs to
God
without reference to His operations.
names
of God, however, are appellative,
common to Him in
which he has in
tributes
only that they belong
For example, Elohim
gree.
mighty one, Adonai, a lord with
183
Autobiography.
all
the
rest.
;
is
with
other
and express atHis creatures,
all
a lord, a judge.
and the same
Holy
Him-
the most eminent de-
The Talmudists
as to maintain, that the
in
The
is
El is
a
the case
drive this point so far
Scriptures consist merely
of the manifold names of God.
The
Cabbalists
made
enumerated the chief
and brought them
in order call
Olam
into
Having God, arranged them
a system
which they
Eziloth or Sephiroth, they not only picked
out an appropriate
but they
use of this principle.
attributes of
made
name
for
each in the Holy Scriptures,
in addition all sorts of
these attributes in various relations,
combinations of
which they expressed
by similar combinations of the corresponding names.
They could according
expound the Holy Scriptures method, inasmuch as they found
therefore easily
to
their
therein nothing but what they
had before put
in
them-
selves.
Besides these there
which consist
in
may
also be mysteries in a religion
the knowledge that the religion, as
understood by enlightened people, has no mysteries at all.
This knowledge may be connected either with an
endeavour to destroy gradually among the people the belief in mysteries,
and
to banish the so-called lesser
Solomon Maimon:
184
mysteries by publishing the greater, with an endeavour to preserve
and
belief in mysteries,
to
make
or,
on the contrary,
among
the people the
the preservation of the
lesser mysteries part of the subject of the greater.
The Jewish
of the
founder,
is
prophets
who
according to the
religion, first
of
its
Moses, as well as the
kind.
followed him, sought constantly to incul-
end of
cate that the
religion
is
prehensible cause of
all
things,
not external ceremonies,
God
but the knowledge of the true
in
spirit
as the sole incom-
and the practice of
virtue
accordance with the prescriptions of reason.
The heathen
religions,
on the other hand, show
evident traces of the second kind.
Still I
am
not, like
some, inclined to believe that everything in these was
planned founders
for intentional deception, but I believe that the
ot
these
deceived deceivers matter
am
is
far
more
most part
religions
were
for
and
mode
of representing the
;
in
this
accordance with
the
human
nature.
I
also unable to imagine that such secret designs could
be propagated, by means of a formal tradition, from generation to generation.
And, moreover, what would
have been the use of
Have
the
same
this ?
not later generations
faculty as the earlier of contriving
reach their ends?
schemes
to
There are princes who have never
read Macchiavelli, and yet have admirably carried his principles into practice.
With regard I
am
to the society of pietists described
persuaded that
it
had
as
little
above
connection with the
An free-masons as with
Autobiography.
any other
secret
with the degree of probability.
In
my
which are
But
society.
and here we have
conjectures are allowed,
in every state societies
185
do merely
to
opinion there are
essentially secret, but
which externally have no appearance of being such.
Every body of
men
secret society.
Its
with a
common
interest
still
much good
society, as of others,
mischief too
The
far,
;
and so long
Of such
among people wandering
Its
by a
sort
every
may
do not carry
their
similar
end
aim was
in view to
and employed
to spread itself
made
use
manner, as means to
this
dark
;
and
it
sought chiefly to attract the youth to of empirical
member
knowledge of men,
to that, for
tined by nature,
a secret
evil
in Bavaria,
in the
of superstition in a remarkable It
as they
had a
Order of Illuminati
nearly the same means.
end.
as well as
they are always tolerated.
Society of Pietists
that of the
a
the most important of these
remain concealed to the uninitiated.
be said
me
aim and principal operations may be
ever so well known,
therefore
to
is
and
him
his
and
educate
to
which he seemed
to assign
itself,
to
be des-
proper place.
Every member of the society was allowed to acquire much knowledge of its aim and internal constitution,
as as
enabled him to look merely backwards on his subordinates, but riors
not forwards on his superiors.
understood the
art
These supe-
of communicating
truths
of
reason by means of sublime figures, and of translating these figurative representations into truths of reason.
It
1
86
Maimon:
Solomon
might almost be said of them, that they understood the language of animals dispensable to
away with a gloomy ceptance
a very important
among
piety, their doctrines
The
the lively youth.
annihilation, taught by them,
is,
when
nothing else than the foundation of
means
the
all
art,
every teacher of the people.
with others, and by which
habit
human
is in-
By doing
met with
principle of
acself-
well understood,
self-activity.
modes of thought and
become rooted by education,
which
By
its
action, which have
and communication
activity
is
wont
to re-
ceive a wrong direction, are to be destroyed, and one's
own
free
mode
tic feeling
of action introduced.
can in
principle alone.
fact
It is
can be injurious, as society
itself.
I
Moral and
sesthe-
be preserved and perfected by only
when
ill
this
understood, that
have shown by the example of
it
this
An
187
Autobiography.
CHAPTER XXL Journeys to Kb'nigsberg, Stettin and Berlin, for the purpose of
my knowledge
extending
MY my
becoming worse and
external circumstances were
worse.
I
of men.
was unwilling any longer
to adapt myself to
ordinary occupations, and found myself therefore
everywhere out of
my
On
sphere.
was also unable in the place of ficiently
my
sciences.
favourite
So
I
my
inclination
the other hand, I
abode
to satisfy suf-
the study of the
to
determined to betake myself to Germany,
there to study medicine and, as opportunity offered, other
sciences also.
But the question was, how such a long
journey was to be made.
merchants in the place of
I
knew
my abode
a journey to Konigsberg in Prussia slight
some
were soon to make ;
but I had only a
acquaintance with them, and could not therefore
expect that they would take After
indeed, that
much
deliberation I
me fell
with them for nothing. at last
upon a
capital
expedient. I
had among
my
friends a very learned
man, who stood in great esteem among the town.
him
To him
into counsel
I
on the
revealed subject.
my
all
and pious
the Jews of
purpose, and took
I laid before
him my
1
Solomon Maimon
88
:
miserable circumstances, pointed out to him, that, as
had been once directed
inclinations
God and His occupation
;
works, I was no longer
and
was now obliged alone, as
to the
I
fit
to support myself
an instructor
by
art,
I
my
I
scholarship
and the Talmud,
in the Bible
which, according to the judgment of
account
any ordinary
represented to him especially, that
not altogether allowable. this
for
my
knowledge of
some
I explained to
rabbis,
him, that
was
on
wished to study medicine as a profane
by which means
I
might be of
myself, but to the whole of the
Jews
service, not only to
in this neighbour-
hood, as there was no regular physician here, and those,
who gave themselves out for such, were the most ignorant shavers, who packed men out of the world by their cures.
These reasons produced an extraordinary effect on so He went to a merchant of his acquain-
devout a man.
him the importance of my underand persuaded him to take me with him to
tance, represented to taking,
Konigsberg on his own
The merchant could
vessel.
refuse nothing to so godly a
man, and therefore gave
his consent.
Accordingly I set out with this Jewish merchant for
Konigsberg in Prussia.
When
I
arrived there,
my
proposal to
I
went
him opened study medicine, and begged him for
to the Jewish medical doctor of the place,
advice and support.
As
to
his professional occupations
prevented him from conveniently speaking with me on
An
Autobiography.
189
me
the subject, and as he could not understand
any
he referred
rate,
me
As soon
his house.
to
to
be blamed.
And
about
five
in
certainly for this they were not
Imagine a
and twenty
some students who lodged
showed myself to these young them my proposal, they burst
as I
gentlemen, and opened to into loud laughter.
well at
man
from Polish Lithuania of
years, with a tolerably stiff beard,
whose language is a mixture of Hebrew, Jewish German, Polish and Russian, with their several grammatical inaccuracies, who gives out that he in tattered dirty clothes,
German
understands the attained
some knowledge of the to think
the young gentlemen
They began
poke fun
to
and
language,
he has
that
sciences.
What were
?
me, and gave
at
me
to read
Mendelssohn's Phaedo, which by chance lay on the I
read in the most
peculiar
manner
language,
pitiful
in
style,
which
I
both on account of the
had learned the German
and on account of
my bad
Again they burst into loud laughter
must explain
my own
fashion
they demanded into
them what
to
Hebrew.
;
expressed
it
This
read.
I
said,
I
did in
but as they did not understand me,
This
well, fell
that
meaning of happily in
to interest themselves
I
had read
no
The
students,
slight astonish-
had not only grasped
this celebrated author,
Hebrew.
on
into
I
what
did on the spot.
I
when they saw
correctly the
had
pronunciation.
but they
;
that I should translate
who understood Hebrew ment,
I
table.
my
They began
but also therefore
account, procured for
me
Solomon Maimon:
190
some
where
me
and thence I
I
to
was told
toast,
circumstances, however, they
some
and had nothing for food I herring, and a flask of spirits. ship,
This prophecy, however,
fulfilled.
In consequence of contrary winds, the In what circumstances, there-
voyage lasted five weeks. fore,
found myself,
may be
were in the vessel besides
easily imagined.
me no
little
as they could
Polish and Lithuanian.
I got
the time for her
all
The Pomeranian German
understand as
There
other passengers, but
an old woman, who sang hymns comfort.
Stettin,
on the Oder, from which place means of getting to Berlin.
or, at the most, fourteen days.
I
To
Konigsberg, that the journey might take ten
in
was not
go
object.
in
to Frankfurt
went therefore by
but some
my
my
go by ship from Konigsberg to
should easily find I
should best attain
the journey suit
advised
my stay me to
At the same time they advised
Konigsberg. to Berlin,
make
and board during
cast-off clothing,
of the crew I could
my medley
of Jewish,
nothing warm
to eat the
whole time, and was obliged to sleep on hard stuffed bags.
The
vessel
came
also
course the most of the time
At
sometimes into danger. I
last I arrived at Stettin,
was
Of
seasick.
where
I
was told that
I
could make the journey to Frankfurt quite pleasantly on foot.
But how was a Polish Jew
in the
most wretched
circumstances, without a pfennig to buy food, and with-
out knowing the language of the country, to
journey even of a few miles ?
Yet
it
had
to
make
a
be done.
An Accordingly
my
I set
Autobiography.
out from Stettin, and as I thought over
miserable situation,
began
to
in heart
weep
I sat
I
bitterly.
down under
a lime-tree, and
soon became somewhat lighter
took courage, and went on.
I
;
191
gone two or three miles, towards evening inn thoroughly worn out. fast,
which
falls
was the eve of the Jewish Already I was nearly starv-
ing with hunger and
thirst,
whole of the next day.
I
After long reflection still
it
and
I
after
She refused
much
iron spoon, I
brought
me
importunity she was at
fore to content myself with this,
I
a
which
it,
little
I
and begged bread and
proceeded on
but
was obliged there-
I
on
had
induced to grant
last
drank
off to the stable to sleep
In the morning
the
spend
at first to take the spoon,
a glass of sour beer in exchange.
and went
to
occurred to me, that I must
my coat-pocket an me on board ship.
it.
fast still
to sell.
the landlady of the inn to give
beer for
was to
had not a pfennig
have in
taken with
an
It
in August.
and nothing of any value
After I had I arrived at
my
glass of beer,
straw.
my
journey, having
previously inquired for a place, where there were Jews, in order that I
and
sing with
might be able to go into the synagogue,
my
brethren the lamentations over the
destruction of Jerusalem. prayers
and
singing,
This was done, and
about midday,
I
after the
went
to the
Jewish schoolmaster of the place, and held some converHe soon discovered that I was a full sation with him. rabbi,
began
to interest himself
about me, and procured
Solomon
192
me
Maimon :
He
a supper at the house of a Jew.
me
a
of introduction to another schoolmaster in the
letter
me
neighbouring town, recommending
mudist and an honourable rabbi. a
also gave
I
fair reception.
Here
as a great Talalso I
met with
was invited to the Sabbath dinner
by the most respectable and richest Jew of the and went into the synagogue, where I was shown highest seat,
place, to the
and received every mark of honour usually
bestowed on a rabbi. After the close of the service the rich
took
me
to his house,
at his table, that is
She was a young
and put
girl
I
began, as rabbi, to hold
and edifying discourse
to them.
honour
his daughter.
of about twelve years, dressed in
gentleman and lady understood
seemed
referred to
in the place of
between himself and
the most beautiful style. a very learned
me
Jew
it,
;
the
and the
less the
more divine
All at once I observed, to
it
my chagrin,
young lady began to put on a sour look, and to make wry faces. At first I did not know how to explain that the
this
but, after a while,
;
myself and
my
when
I
turned
my
eyes
upon
miserable dirty suit of rags, the whole
mystery was at once unriddled.
The
uneasiness of the
young lady had a very good cause. And how could it be otherwise? Since I left Konigsberg, about seven weeks before, I had never had a clean shirt to put on ; and
had been obliged to lie in the stables of inns on straw, on which who knows how many poor travellers had lain before? Now all at once my eyes
bare
I
An were opened to see
Autobiography.
misery in
my
But what was
nitude.
I to
do?
193 its
appalling mag-
How
was
help
Gloomy and
this unfortunate situation ?
myself out of
I to
sad I soon bade farewell to these good people, and pro-
ceeded on
my
want and misery of every kind.
struggle with
At I
last
journey to Berlin under a continued
reached
I
this
should put an end to
my
But
wishes.
capital, as
lowed.
alas
I
my
misery,
believed that
I
and accomplish In
was sadly deceived.
well known,
is
Here
city.
all
this
no Jewish beggars were
al-
Accordingly the Jewish community of the place,
make
in order to
provision for their poor, have built at
the Rosenthaler gate a house, in which the poor are
and questioned by the Jewish elders about what they want in Berlin. According to the results of
received,
such inquiry, they are either taken into the
city, if
they
are sick or want employment, or they are sent forward
on
I
their journey.
house, which was
with a lewd rabble. in vain for a
was therefore conducted
to this
partly with sick people, partly
filled
For a long while
man, with
whom
I
might
I
looked round
talk
about
my
affairs.
At
last I
observed a man, who, to judge by his dress,
was surely a
rabbi.
went to him, and how great was
I
joy to learn from him, that he was really a rabbi,
my
and pretty well known
on
all sorts
ing
;
and as
in Berlin
!
I
conversed with him
of subjects connected with rabbinical learnI
was very open-hearted,
I related to
him
1
Solomon Maimon
94
the course of
my
life
:
him my showed him my
in Poland, revealed to
purpose of studying medicine in Berlin,
commentary on the Moreh Nebhochim, and so forth. He listened to all, and seemed to interest himself very much
my
in
But
behalf.
all at
once he disappeared out of
sight.
At length towards evening came the Jewish
Each of the persons
the house was
in
questioned about his wants.
When my
elders.
and
called,
turn came, I
said quite frankly, that I wished to remain in Berlin, in
The
elders refused
my request
a pittance in charity,
and went
order to study medicine. point-blank, gave
away.
The
particular
The doxy.
me
reason of this conduct towards
was nothing
rabbi, of
whom
me
in
else than the following. I spoke,
was a zealot
in his ortho-
Accordingly when he had discovered
my
senti-
ments and purposes, he went into town, and informed the elders about my heretical mode of thinking. He told them, that I
was going
Moreh Nebhochim with intention was not so
a
much
to issue a
new
commentary, and that to study medicine, but
to devote myself to the sciences in general,
my
knowledge.
edition of the
and
my
mainly
to extend
This the orthodox Jews look upon as
something dangerous to religion and good morals.
They
believe this to be specially true of the Polish rabbis, who,
having by some lucky accident been delivered from the
bondage of
superstition,
suddenly catch a gleam of the
light of reason, and set themselves free from their chains.
An And in
this belief is to
such a position
Autobiography.
195
some extent well-founded.
may be compared
to a
Persons
man, who,
after
being famished for a long time, suddenly comes upon a
who
well spread table,
greed,
The
me
and
fill
will attack the
food with violent
himself even to surfeiting.
refusal of permission to stay in Berlin
The
like a thunderclap.
came upon
ultimate object of
all
my
hopes and wishes was all at once removed beyond my I found myself reach, just when I had seen it so near.
and did not know where
in the situation of Tantalus,
turn for help. I
I
to
was especially pained by the treatment
received from the overseer of this poorhouse, who, by
command
of his superiors, urged
and never There
I
bitterly.
usual, to
left
off
he saw
till
my
me
speedy departure,
outside of the gate.
threw myself on the ground and began to weep It
was a Sunday, and many people went, as
walk outside of the
turned aside to a whining
Most of them never
city.
worm
like
passionate souls were very
much
and asked the cause of
wailing.
but, partly
my
on account of
my
me, but some com-
struck with the sight, I
answered them
;
language,
unintelligible
my speech was broken by frequent weepand sobbing, they could not understand what I said. ing partly because
I
was so deeply affected by
into a violent fever.
The
this vexation,
soldiers,
who
the gate, reported this at the poorhouse.
came, and carried
me
in.
I
that I
fell
kept guard at
The
overseer
stayed there over the day,
and made myself glad with the hope of becoming
Solomon
196 thoroughly place,
sick, so as to
during which
I
Maimon
:
enforce a longer sojourn in the
thought
I
might form some
acquaintances, by whose influence I hoped to receive
But
protection and permission to remain in Berlin. alas
!
in this
hope
I
was deceived.
The
following day I
rose quite lively again without a trace of fever. therefore obliged to go.
know
myself.
But whither ?
Accordingly
I
took the
came upon, and surrendered myself
That first
to fate.
I
I
was
did not
road that
I
An
Autobiography,
CHAPTER
197
XXII.
Deepest Stage of Misery, and Deliverance.
IN the evening
I
came
an inn, where
to
tramp who was a Jewish beggar by
uncommonly pleased
whom
could
I
pretty well
talk,
known.
to
and I
whom
this
met a poor
profession.
meet one of
to
I
my
I
was
brethren, with
neighbourhood was
resolved therefore to wander about
the country with this companion, and to preserve
my life
in this way,
though two such heterogeneous persons were
nowhere
be met with
to
rabbi; he was an self in
I
an honourable way
I ;
had ideas of morality,
knew nothing it
in the world.
idiot.
is
true,
of these.
but
still
I
was an educated
had hitherto maintained myhe was a beggar by profession. propriety,
Finally, I
and decency
was
in
of weakly constitution
;
other hand, was a sturdy, able-bodied fellow,
have made the best of
;
he
sound health, he,
on the
who would
soldiers.
Notwithstanding these differences, I stuck close to the
man,
as, in
come a
order to prolong
I
vagrant in a strange land.
laboured to communicate to ligion
life,
was compelled
to be-
In our wanderings
I
ideas of re-
my companion and of true morality, while he in return instructed
Solomon Maimon:
igS
me
He
in the art of begging.
mulas of the
art,
taught
me
the usual
and recommended me
for-
especially to
curse and swear, whenever I was sent away without any-
But with
thing.
all
the trouble, which he gave himself
in the matter, his teachings
me.
The
I thought, if
man was once compelled
a
others,
he should express
form.
As
far as
me
beg help of
his feelings in the
most simple
cursing was concerned,
I
could not un-
refused another's request,
should draw a curse upon himself; and then to me, that the
man
When
all
cursing at the
same
if
I
time, but in fact
single intelligible word.
If,
em-
the less likely to attain
therefore I went to beg with
conducted myself always as
rade, I
seemed
it
thus treated would be thereby
and the beggar be
bittered,
his object.
absurd
to
why a man, who
derstand
would not take any hold on
formulas of begging appeared to
my com-
were begging and never spoke a
I
on the other hand,
I
went
had absolutely nothing to say ; but from my appearance and conduct could easily be seen what was alone, I
My comrade
wanted. of
my
sometimes scolded
slowness in learning his
art,
and
me on account
this I
bore with
the greatest patience.
In
this
way we wandered about in a district of a few At last we resolved to turn
miles for nearly half a year.
our steps towards Poland.
we took up our
When we
master of which was a poor jobbing
formed
arrived at
Posen
quarters in the Jewish poorhouse, the
the resolve,
at
tailor.
whatever cost,
to
Here bring
I
my
An wandering to a
began
to
foot.
Autobiography.
close.
It
be pretty cold.
By
this
vagrant
199
was harvest-time, and already I was almost naked and barein
life,
which
had
regular meals, for the most part
never got any
I
to content myself
with bits of mouldy bread and water, and at night was obliged to earth,
my
lie
on old
straw,
had
health
sometimes even on the bare Besides, the
seriously suffered.
sacred seasons and fast-days in the Jewish calendar were
coming on; and strong
thought
was of a somewhat
as at that time I
religious
I
disposition,
of passing
in
which others employed
not endure the
could
complete idleness
I resolved, therefore, for
farther, and, at all events if
should come to the worst,
it
there or excite the compassion of
means bring my sufferings soon as my comrade awoke
that
make arrangements
me
for a
to the same, I told
him
at present
sustain
life
in
" nothing but I
to
my
an end.
that I
any other way,
God
I
and by
Consequently
began to
and summoned
would not go with I
intended to
was able to answer
will surely help."
then went off to the Jewish school.
a number of
either die
in the morning,
begging tour,
him
and
brethren,
and when he asked how
;
period
the present at least, to go no
to throw myself before the synagogue,
as
this
for the welfare of their souls.
scholars,
Here
some of whom were
I
found
reading,
while others took advantage of the master's absence to pass the time
in
The
who were
scholars,
play.
I
also took a
struck by
my
book
to read.
strange dress,
2oo
Solomon
me whence
approached and asked
Their questions
wanted. dialect, at
my
at
Maimon :
I
answered
which they began
For
expense.
some
recollected that,
I
came and what
my
in
I
Lithuanian
and make merry cared little. But I
to laugh,
this
I
from
years before, a chief rabbi
my neighbourhood had been appointed to the same office in Posen, and that he had taken with him an acquaintance and a good friend of mine as his secretary.
Accordingly
asked the boys about
I
extreme grief
I learned that
To my
this friend.
he was no longer
in Posen,
had been afterwards promoted to the Hamburg, and his secretary had gone
as the chief rabbi
same
office in
him
with
to that place.
They
told me, however, that his
boy about twelve years old, had been left behind Posen with the present chief rabbi, who was a son-in-
son, a in
law of his predecessor.
me not me some hope.
This information saddened last
circumstance gave
the dwelling of the as
I
waited until I
new
chief rabbi,
was almost naked, I
I
and went
to
it
;
but,
shrank from entering, and
to call
my
friend's
whom
son out.
me at once, and manifested his seeing me here in such a pitiable plight.
I replied, that this
was not the time
fortunes which had brought at present
the
inquired after
recognised
astonishment at
what
Still
little.
I
saw some one going into the house,
begged to be so good as
The boy
a
me
to relate all the mis-
into this state,
and
that
he should consider merely how he might some-
relieve
my
distress.
An
He
This he promised to do.
and announced
who by
me
201
Autobiography.
went to the chief
as a great scholar
rabbi,
and a pious man,
extraordinary accidents had fallen into a very
The
miserable condition.
chief rabbi,
who was an
ex-
man, an acute Talmudist, and of very gentle character, was touched by my distress, and sent for me cellent
to
come
He
in.
conversed with
some of the most important found
me
Then he
well versed in
all
inquired about
that I wished to
a while, discussing
branches of Jewish learning. intentions,
be introduced
my
as
The good-hearted
concerned, to lay aside
him, invited as I
He me to
all
it
a small
to
chamber
therefore not a
and
some
for this short
travels.
so far as this was
anxiety, spoke of
then gave
my
desire as
me what money
he had by
dine with him every Sabbath, as long
my
lodging.
in the
little
his
boy procure a
The boy came back
able lodging for me.
me
him
was nothing more than reason-
remained here, and bade
conducted
I told
a tutor into
rabbi bade me,
a small matter, which able to want.
my
and
only desire was to be able
to celebrate the sacred season here,
period at least to interrupt
Talmud, and
subjects in the
my
family, but that meanwhile
me
I
respect-
soon, and
expected this to be only
house of some poor man.
astonished,
when
I
I
was
found myself
in
the house of one of the oldest Jews of the town, and that here
had been prepared
for
me
a neat
which was the study of the master, he and both scholars.
o
little
his
room,
son being
Solomon Maimon:
202
As soon
as
had looked round a
I
my
into her hand, I
me some
She began gruel for supper. " No, no, sir, that is simplicity, and said,
asked her to get to smile at
went to the
little, I
some coppers
housewife, and, thrusting
The
not our agreement.
chief rabbi has not given you
such a recommendation, that you are obliged to have us
making you gruel plain, that I
was
for
and drink with them,
town.
I
my
shown
was astonished was
delight
to ex-
not only to lodge in her house, but also
to eat
but
She then went on
money."
as long as I stayed in the
at this
still
unexpected good fortune;
greater,
to a clean bed.
asked several times, " Is
when
after
this really for
I
was
eyes,
and
supper
could not believe
I
my me ? " I
can say
with truth, that never, before or since this incident, have I felt
such a degree of happiness, as when I lay down
that night,
and
felt
my
limbs, which for half a year
had
been overwearied and almost broken, recovering their former strength in a soft bed. I slept
till
late in the day.
the chief rabbi sent for I
me
to
I
had scarcely
come and
made my appearance he asked me how
with
my
feelings
on the
have slept
in
uncommonly precentor, "
hkn,
I
lodging.
Go
and
subject, " !
pleased.
and exclaimed
At
He
was pleased
this
shop of
in ecstasy,
my "I
the chief rabbi was
then sent for the school
man
as soon as this
to this gentleman."
I
when
When
could not find words to express
a bed
to the
risen
see him.
,
appeared he said to
and get cloth
for a suit
Thereupon he turned to
me and
An asked what sort of
203
Autobiography.
Overpowered by the
stuff I liked.
feeling of gratitude and esteem for this excellent
The
could answer nothing. cheeks served for
The
my
suit I
going to express
my
down my
tears streaming
chief rabbi also ordered for
and new
I
only answer.
In two days everything was ready. linen
man
me some new Dressed
went to the chief
in
linen.
my new
rabbi.
was
I
gratitude to him, but could scarcely
For the chief rabbi
this
thanks, and
said
was not to think too highly of him for inasmuch as what he had done for me was a mere
trifle
get out a few broken words.
was a charming that
He
sight.
waived
my
I
this,
not worth mentioning.
Now
the reader
may
this chief
perhaps suppose that
whom
rabbi was a wealthy man,
for
which he put himself on
account was really a
my
the expense
but I can give the assurance that this was the case.
He
far
management of
his affairs,
housekeeping.
Actions of
and
trifle
;
from being
had merely a moderate income
he occupied himself wholly with study,
to
his wife
;
and
as
had the
especially the charge of
this sort, therefore,
had
to
be
done without the knowledge of his wife, and under the pretext that he received from other people the money for the purpose. life,
fasted every
flesh the
Moreover, he lived a very temperate
day except Sabbath, and never ate
whole week through.
his benevolent inclinations
debts.
Nevertheless, to satisfy
he could not avoid making
His severe manner of
life,
his
many
studies
and
Solomon Maimon:
204
weakened
vigils,
his strength to
such a degree that he
died about the thirty-sixth year of his
His death
life.
took place after he had been appointed chief rabbi in Fordet, to which place he was followed by a large
of disciples.
I
can never think of
this
godly
number
man
with-
out being deeply affected. In
former lodging at the poor
my
some
trifles
wife,
and
which
my
I
now went
in
my
with the greatest impatience.
The man, who
scene.
The
to fetch.
It
had
I
left
tailor, his
who had
former comrade in beggary,
already heard of the happy change
me
tailor's
affairs,
expected
was a touching
three days before arrived in this
poor hut, quite debilitated, half naked, and barefoot,
whom
the poor inmates of the house regarded as an
outcast of nature,
and whose comrade
in linen blouse
had looked down upon him with mockery and contempt, this man (his fame before him) now comes into the
same hut with a cheerful
face,
and
in
reverend garb
dressed as a chief rabbi.
They
all testified
formation.
their joy
and
The poor woman took
surprise at the trans-
her babe in her arms
and, with tears in her eyes, begged a blessing for him.
My comrade begged me very affectingly for forgiveness on account of his rough treatment. He said that he deemed himself fortunate in having had such a fellowtraveller,
but would hold himself unfortunate
if
I
would
not forgive the faults he had committed in ignorance.
spoke to them
all
very kindly, gave the
little
one
I
my
An handed
blessing,
in
my
to
Autobiography.
my
old comrade
205
all
the cash I had
and went back deeply affected. my fame was spread through the whole
pocket,
Meanwhile
me
town by the conduct towards
my new
well as that of
host,
of the chief rabbi, as
who was
and had formed a high opinion of
my
himself a scholar, talents
and
learn-
ing from frequent conversations and discussions which
we had held therefore,
All the scholars of the town,
together.
came
to see
famous
travelling rabbi
came
know me,
to
so
me and ;
me
discuss with
as a
and the more intimately they
much
the higher rose their esteem.
This period was undoubtedly the happiest and most honourable
in
my
The young
life.
scholars of the town
passed a resolution at their meeting to salary, for
which
I
make up
for
me a
was to deliver lectures to them on the
and profound work of Maimonides, Moreh Nebhochim. This proposal, however, was never carried celebrated
out,
because the parents of these young people were
anxious
lest their
children should be thereby led astray,
and by independent thinking on waver with
in their faith.
all
a pious rely
my
fondness for religious speculation,
their children
able to enter
upon
made
be
They acknowledged indeed
man and an orthodox
upon
religion
rabbi.
I
was
to
that, still
But they could not
having sufficient judgment, to be
this course
without passing from one
extreme to the other, from superstition to unbelief ; and therein perhaps they were right.
After I had spent about four weeks in this way, the
Solomon Maimon:
206
whom
man, with
I lodged,
me
Solomon, allow
came
make
to
to
me, and
a proposal to you.
to
like.
If,
"Herr If
you
you may remain
are inclined merely to solitary study,
here as long as you
said,
however, you do not wish
withdraw into such complete
but are
retirement,
inclined to be of service to the world with your talents,
there
is
a wealthy
man
nothing so is
my
much
please do
it
for
he has deeply is
as to
brother-in-law.
one of the most prominent
here
who
people of the town
has an only son, and wishes
have you If
you
This
for his tutor.
not do
will
it
mine, and to gratify the chief rabbi, as
education of
at heart the
my
accepted with delight.
I
came
nephew, who This
connected by marriage with his family."
tutor,
house without
my
Nothing
years
me.
But
happily
for
incidents took place,
flowed on the
during
which
time
was
in fact
imperceptibly
believe
I
I
knowledge.
I was held always met with the greatest respect. to be almost something more than human.
Thus the two
I
and remained
with them two years in the greatest honour. in the
offer
therefore into this family
under advantageous conditions as
was done
man
for his sake,
some
and little
should not be
altogether omitted in this history.
In the
first
place the esteem entertained for
house went so
make me
far,
me
in this
that malgre mot they were going to
a prophet.
My
daughter of a chief rabbi, the chief rabbi in Posen.
pupil was betrothed to the
who was
The
a brother-in-law of
bride, a girl of about
An
Autobiography.
207
twelve years, was brought to Posen by her parents-in-law
On
at the feast of Pentecost.
I
observed that the
the occasion of this
was
girl
of a
this to the brother of
my
host,
I
not believe that her health would
was over the
girl
mentioned
and added with a
cant look, that I was very anxious for the
feast
phlegmatic
very
temperament and somewhat consumptive.
visit
girl,
signifi-
as I did
After the
last long.
was sent home, and a fortnight
afterwards a letter was received announcing her death.
On
this account,
not only in the house where
I
lived,
but in the whole town, I was taken for a prophet,
who
had been able
to foretell the death of this
As
wished nothing
less
than to deceive,
I
girl.
I
endeavoured to
bring these superstitious people to a different train of I told
thought.
them
that anybody,
who had made
observations in the world, would have been able to foretell
I
same
the
thing.
But
it
was of no
Once
use.
for all
was a prophet, and had to remain one.
Another incident occurred in a Jewish house one Friday when they were preparing
The
it
cutting
body
was a carp, and
fish
up
as
if it
into a panic.
be done with
this
it
fish for
seemed
to the
uttered a sound.
The
dumb
the Sabbath.
cook who was
This threw every-
rabbi was asked what should
fish that
had ventured
to speak.
Under
the superstitious idea that the carp was possessed
with a
spirit,
the rabbi enjoined that
in a linen cloth,
Now,
in the
it
should be wrapped
and buried with pomp. house where
I lived, this awe-inspiring
Solomon Maimon:
208
event became the subject of conversation.
Having by
myself pretty thoroughly from
time emancipated
this
superstitions of this sort by diligent study of the
Nebhochim,
burying the carp, they had sent
that, if instead of
I
me,
Moreh
laughed heartily over the story, and said,
I
should have tried
how such an
it
to
inspired carp would
taste.
This ban mot became known. into a passion about
sought to persecute entertained for
me
it,
me
and the
spirit
learned
men
as a heretic,
in every way.
But the
in the
house where
As
all their efforts fruitless.
safe,
The
denounced me
I
I
was
respect,
tutor,
found myself in
fell
and
made
this
way
of fanaticism, instead of deterring me,
rather spurred
me on
push matters a
little farther,
to further reflection, I
began
to
frequently slept through the
time of prayer, went seldom to the synagogue, and so on.
At
last
the measure of
nothing could secure
At the entrance
me
my
sins
became so
full,
that
any longer from persecution.
to the
Common
has been, no one knows for
how
Hall in Posen there
long, a stag-horn fixed
The Jews are unanimously of the convicany one who touches this horn is sure to die
into the wall. tion, that
on the spot; and they relate a multitude of instances in This would not go down with me at all, and I proof.
made
fun of
it.
So one day when
hern with some other Jews,
I
was passing the
I said to
them,
"
stag-
You Posen
do you think that any one who touches this horn must die on the spot? See, I dare to touch it!"
fools,
An
Horror-struck, they expected as nothing happened,
verted into hatred.
209
Autobiography.
their
my
death on the spot
me
anxiety for
They looked on me
as
but
;
was con-
one who had
profaned the sanctuary.
me the desire to go to and Berlin, destroy by enlightenment the remnant of I therefore begged superstition which still clung to me. This fanaticism stirred up in
leave of
my
that I should
employer.
of his protection against
once
for all
to alter
He
remain longer
taken
my
all
expressed the wish indeed, in his
house, and assured
persecution.
resolution, I
But
as I
me
had
was determined not
I therefore bade goodbye to it. my employer whole family, took a seat on the Frankfurt post,
and
his
and
set out for Berlin.
Solomon Maimon:
2io
CHAPTER Arrival in Berlin
I
came
Mendelssohn Desperate Study Lectures on Locke and Adelung.
Acquaintances
Doubts
of Metaphysics
As
XXIII.
to Berlin this time
by
post, I did not require
remain outside the Rosenthaler Gate to be examined
to
by the Jewish elders ; I proceeded without any difficulty into the city, and was allowed to take up my quarters where
I
To
chose.
remain in the
The Jewish
different thing.
city,
however, was a L.
police-officers
M. of
went every day round
those days was a terrible fellow,
the hotels and other houses designed for the reception
all
of strangers,
made
inquiry into the quality
and occupa-
tion of newcomers, as well as the probable length of their stay,
and allowed them no
some occupation
rest
till
in the city, or
they had either found
were out of
the alternative goes without saying.
lodging on the
tomed not a
again, or
Market with a Jew, who was accushouse poor travellers that had
to spend,
and who the following day received
of this sort.
The Jewish
me
it
had taken a
to receive in his
much
visit
New
I
police-officer, L.
in the strictest
manner.
I
M.,
told
came and examined him
that I wished to
An
211
Autobiography.
and
enter into service as a family-tutor in Berlin, therefore the length of
my
appeared to
determined.
I
he had seen
me
stay could not
him
suspicious
;
that
be exactly he believed
here before, and evidently looked on
as a comet, which
comes nearer
me
to the earth the second
and so makes the danger more threatBut when he saw by me a Milloth Higgayon or
time than the ing.
Hebrew
first,
Logic, drawn
up by Maimonides, and annotated " Yes yes " by Mendelssohn, he went into a perfect rage. " " he exclaimed, that's the sort of books for me and as !
!
!
he turned "
to
with a threatening look, " Pack," he said,
me
out of Berlin as quick as you can,
be led out with
all
not what to do
;
the honours
but as
man
Polish Jew, a
I
" !
had
if
you don't wish
I trembled,
to
and knew
learnt that there
was a
of talent, residing in Berlin for the
sake of study, and received with esteem in the best families, I paid
He
received
him
a
me
as a
manner, asked about brought
from
me
my
visit.
countryman
my home When
to Berlin.
childhood
I
in a very friendly
in Poland, I told
him
had discovered an
the sciences, had already
and what had in reply, that
inclination to
made myself acquainted
with
Hebrew work which touches upon these, and now had come to Berlin in order to be Maamik and
this
that
Bechochmah
(to
become absorbed
in the sciences),
he
me
his
smiled at this quaint rabbinical phrase, but gave full
approval
time,
;
and
he begged
after
me
conversing with
to visit
him
often,
me
some
for
which
I
very
Solomon Maimon
212
willingly
:
promised to do, and went away rejoicing in
spirit.
The very next day I visited my Polish friend again, and found with him some young people belonging to a prominent Jewish family, who visited him conversed with him on
scientific subjects.
ness
;
my
as well as in
in particular they
Maamik Bechochmah^ All this gave
me
and
entered
They
much amusement
into conversation with me, found
my jargon,
often,
simplicity
in
and open-hearted-
laughed heartily at the phrase,
of which they had heard already.
courage,
and they assured
me
that I
should not find myself mistaken in the expectation of being able to be
Maamik Bechochmah
in Berlin.
And
made known my fear about the above-mentioned police-officer, they made me pluck up courage by promis-
when
I
ing to obtain protection for I
might remain
They kept to-do
and
man
from
their family, so that
their word,
and Herr
D
of excellent character, of
fine taste,
not only paid
me
me
in Berlin as long as I chose.
who was an
me much
P many
,
a well-
attainments
uncle of these young men,
attention, but also procured for
a respectable lodging, and invited
me to the Sabbath me meals at my
dinner.
Others of the family also sent
room on
fixed days.
Among
these was a brother of
these young men, in other respects an honourable man,
who was
not without attainments.
But
as
he was a
zealous Talmudist, he inquired earnestly whether with
my
inclination towards the sciences
I
had not quite
An Talmud
neglected the
;
and
as soon as
Maamik Bechochmah
was so
he
learnt, that I
as to neglect the study of
the Talmud, he gave up sending
As
213
Autobiography.
me my
meals.
now had permission to remain in Berlin, I thought how to carry my purpose into effect.
I
of nothing but
Accidentally one day I went into a butter-shop, and found the dealer in the act of anatomising a for use in his trade.
looked at
I
small astonishment, that the Doctrine
of
it,
to
my no
was Wolff's Metaphysics, or
it
God, of the World,
could not understand,
somewhat old book
and found,
how
and of Afan's
Soul.
I
in a city so enlightened as
Berlin such important works could be treated in this
barbarous fashion.
asked him,
if
I
turned therefore to the dealer, and
he would not
sell
the book.
two groschen.
He
was ready
Without thinking long
to part with
it
about
gave the price at once, and went
it
I
delighted with
At the very book.
for
my
reading I was in raptures with the
first
Not only
this
sublime science in
the order and mathematical author,
home
treasure.
itself,
but also
method of the celebrated
the precision of his explanations, the exactness
of his reasoning, and the scientific arrangement of his exposition,
struck a
all this
new
light in
my
mind.
With the Ontology, the Cosmology, and the Psychology
all
culties,
went well
;
but the Theology created
inasmuch as
I
found
its
many
diffi-
dogmas, not only not
in
harmony, but even in contradiction, with the preceding propositions.
At the very beginning
I
could not assent
Solomon Matmon:
214 to Wolff's in
argument a posteriori
for the existence of
God
accordance with the Principle of Sufficient Reason
and
I raised
the objection to
cording to Wolff's
Reason
Sufficient
own
inasmuch
that,
it,
confession,
the
Principle of
abstracted from particular cases of
is
experience, the only point which can be proved by that
;
as, ac-
every object of experience must have
its
it is,
sufficient
reason in some other object of experience, but not in an
beyond
object
all
new metaphysical
I also
experience.
compared these
doctrines with those of Maimonides,
or rather of Aristotle, which were already
and
could not bring them into harmony at
I
I resolved
Hebrew
to
me
;
all.
therefore to set forth these doubts in the
language, and to send what I wrote to Herr
whom
Mendelssohn, of
When
he received
astonished at
my
known
it,
had already heard so much. communication, he was not a little
my
and
I
replied to
me
doubts were well founded, that
I
at once, that in fact
should not however
allow myself to be discouraged on their account, but
should continue to study with the zeal with which
I
had
begun.
Encouraged by in
which
I
this, I
brought into
wrote in
as well as of Natural Theology.
of
faith, laid
Hebrew a
dissertation
doubt the foundations of Revealed All the thirteen articles
down by Maimonides,
I attacked
with philo-
sophical arguments, with the exception of one, namely the article on reward
merely
and punishment, which
I
conceded
in its philosophical interpretation, as referring to
An
215
Autobiography.
the natural consequences of voluntary actions.
who had
that a Polish Jew,
amazed,
I sent
Mendelssohn, who was not a
dissertation to
this
little
scarcely got the
length of seeing the Metaphysics of Wolff, was already able to penetrate into their depths so a position to shake their results by
He
Ontology. his
invitation.
invited
me
But
was so
I
he was
that
far,
means of a and
to visit him,
I
in
correct
accepted
the manners and
shy,
customs of the Berliners were so new to me,
it
was not
without fear and embarrassment, that I ventured to enter
When therefore I opened Mendelsand saw him and other gentlefolks who were well as the beautiful rooms and elegant furniture,
a fashionable house. sohn's door, there, as I
shrank back, closed the door again, and had a mind
Mendelssohn however had observed me.
not to go
in.
He came
out and spoke to
his
me
very kindly, led
room, placed himself beside
me many
paid
make
if I
went on
man recommended me to the worthy
wealthy Jews,
when
I
my
looked
who made
chose,
and
H
,
a
after
my
;
and he
satisfied with
maintenance
provision for I
was
their libraries
man
He
writing.
Not
doubts.
Especially worthy of mention
was
of
many
into
in this way, I should in a
also,
the most eminent, enlightened
Their tables
other wants.
my
me
window, and
great progress in Metaphysics
promised also to resolve this,
at the
compliments about
assured me, that, short time
me
my
at liberty to
were open to
among
and
board and
my
enjoy use.
these gentlemen
attainments and excellent
Solomon Maimon:
2i6
disposition,
who was
He
Mendelssohn. tion, off en
a particular friend and disciple of
my
took great pleasure in
me the most
discussed with
conversa-
important subjects
Theology and Morals, on which I expressed thoughts to him quite frankly and without disguise.
in Natural
my I
went over with him
in a conversational
way
the
all
systems known to me that are generally denounced, and He met defended them with the greatest pertinacity.
me
with objections
my
turn objections against the opposite systems.
this friend
regarded
;
answered them, and brought in
I
me
as a speaking animal,
tained himself with me, as one
is
apt to
At
and
first
enter-
do with a dog or
a starling that has been taught to speak a few words.
The odd mixture pressions, rational in
and
my
of the animal in
my
my
manners,
my
ex-
whole outward behaviour, with the
thoughts, excited his imagination
more
than the subject of our conversation roused his understanding.
By
degrees the fun was turned to earnest.
He
to give his attention to the subjects themselves
began and as, notwithstanding his other capabilities and attainments, he had no philosophical head, and the liveliness
;
of his imagination generally interfered with the ripeness
of his judgment, the results of our conversations
may be
readily imagined.
A few examples manner
in
which
of the ellipses in in expressions,
will I
be
sufficient to give
an idea of the
conducted a discussion at the time,
my
diction arising from
and of the way
in
my
which
deficiency
I illustrated
An
217
Autobiography.
endeavoured once to make
I
everything by examples.
show
to
Spinoza's system intelligible,
that all things are
merely accidents of a single substance. My friend inter" are not you But, good heavens rupted me and said, !
and
men, and do we not each possess an
different
I
"
own ? "
existence of our
him At
into astonishment
last
I
Close the shutters,"
he did not know what
;
"
explained myself.
See," said
I
" I,
and the round window a round
reflection,
Are they on that account different reflection. and not rather one and the same sunshine ? "
On
another occasion
He
self-love.
meant.
the sun
This square window gives
shines through the windows.
you a square
I called
This strange expression threw
in reply to his objection.
things,
defended Helvetius' system of
I
brought against
the objection, that "
it
"I love
instance," said he,
he gave her a I replied.
"
kiss.
"
in
doing
M
that time a wealthy
house.
and
I
Here
I
man, allowed
found Locke
him
kiss
your wife
Because
?
a good honest fellow, and at
also,
me
in the
free access to his
German
translation,
at the first hasty glance, for
modern
philosophers,
interest but the truth.
Accordingly
as the best of the
man who had no
to confirm this
it."
was pleased with him
I recognised
as a
I
and
That proves nothing against me,"
why do you
For,
you find pleasure Herr A
my wife;"
we
For
surely love other persons as well as ourselves.
proposed to the tutor of Herr
should take lessons from
A
me on this p
M
,
that
admirable work.
he
At
Solomon Maimon:
2i8
first
he smiled
at
my
simplicity in proposing, that
who
I,
had scarcely got the length of seeing Locke, should give lessons to him whose native tongue was German, and
who had been brought up however, as
accepted I
if
my
he found
proposal,
presented myself
lessons
;
my
graph in the
text,
and
at the
fixed
an hour
for the lessons.
time appointed, and began the
German
cor-
pupil to read aloud paragraph
and
position of each.
great was his
that then I should give
My
pupil,
by parahim an ex-
who pretended
to
be in
on the joke but astonishment when he found, that no
earnest, consented to
how
acted,
nothing offensive in the matter,
but as I could not read a word of
rectly, I told
He
in the sciences.
this also, to carry
;
joke was to be played in the matter, that in fact positions
and remarks, though delivered
in
my exmy own
peculiar language, evinced a genuine philosophical
spirit.
more amusing, when I became acquainted with the family of Widow Levi, and made the proposal It
was
still
young Herr Samuel Levi,* who is still my Maecenas, that he should take lessons from me in the
to her son, the
German
language.
The
studious youth, incited by
reputation, was resolved to make a to explain Adelung's
trial,
and wished
German Grammar.
I,
my me
who had
never seen Adelung's Grammar, did not allow myself to
be
*
at all disconcerted
on
These names are taken from Maimoniana,
t The method,
My
this account, f
p.
108.
in which, as before explained, I
pupil was
Trans.
had learnt
to
An
Autobiography.
obliged to read Adelung bit by
pounded I
bit,
but added glosses of
it,
found a good deal
219
while I not only ex-
my
own.
In particular
to take exception to in Adelung's
philosophical explanation of the parts of speech
drew up an explanation of cated
my
to
intelligent
my
own, which
by
pupil,
whom
I
and
;
I
communiit
is
still
preserved.
As
a
man
altogether without experience I carried
frankness at times a self
many
little
vexations in
my
and brought upon myI was reading consequence. too
far,
His profound thought and his love of truth pleased me uncommonly ; and as his system had already
Spinoza.
been suggested to to reflect
upon
it
me by the
Cabbalistic writings, I began and became so convinced of its anew,
truth, that all the efforts of
Mendelssohn
to
opinion were unavailing.
answered
the objections
all
change
my
by the Wolfians, brought objections system myself, and showed, that, if the nom-
brought against against their
I
it
inal definitions of the Wolfian Ontology are converted into real definitions, conclusions theirs are the result.
persistency of
Moreover,
the very opposite of I
could not explain the
Mendelssohn and the Wolfians generally
in adhering to their system, except as a political
dodge
read and to understand books without any preparatory studies, and to which I had been driven in Poland by the want of books, grew to such an expertness, that I felt certain beforehand of being able to understand anything.
220
Maimon
Solomon
:
and a piece of hypocrisy, by which they studiously endeavoured to descend to the
mind
in the popular
;
and
mode
common
of thinking
this conviction I expressed
openly and without reserve. My friends and well-wishers, who for the most part had never themselves speculated
on philosophical
subjects, but blindly
adopted the
of the systems prevailing at the time as established truths, did not understand me, also were unable to follow
me
in
my
if
results
they were
and therefore
opinions.
Mendelssohn, whose usual course was to tack, did not wish to oppose pleasure in
on the
it,
my
and
love of inquiry, secretly even took
said, that at present
indeed
right road, but that the course of
must not be checked, because, marked, doubt speculation.
is
my
I
was not thoughts
as Descartes rightly re-
the beginning of thorough philosophical
An
CHAPTER Mendelssohn
world, to
XXIV.
A chapter devoted to the memory of a worthy friend.
Quis desiderio
THE name
221
Autobiography.
sit pudor
aut modus tarn caricapitis
of Mendelssohn
make
it
is
necessary for
too well
me
known
?
to the
here to dwell long on
the portraiture of the great intellectual and moral qualities
man
of this celebrated
of our nation.
I
shall sketch
merely those prominent features of his portrait, which
have made the strongest impression upon me.
He
was
a good Talmudist, and a pupil of the celebrated Rabbi Israel,
or,
as
he
is
otherwise
named
after the title of a
Talmudic work which he wrote, Nezach strength of Israel),
a Polish rabbi
Israel
(the
who was denounced
by his countrymen. This rabbi had, besides Talmudic capabilities and acquirements, a good
for heresy
his great
deal of scientific talent, especially in mathematics, with
which he had attained a thorough acquaintance, even Poland, from the few Hebrew writings on as
may be
in
this science,
seen in the above-mentioned work.
In
this
work there are introduced solutions of many important mathematical problems, which are applied either to the
Solomon
222
Maimon:
some obscure passages in the Talmud, or Rabbi Israel of course the determination of a law.
explanation of to
was more interested his
among
knowledge
countrymen than in the determination of a
which he used merely as a vehicle
law,
He
in the extension of useful
showed,
for
example, that
it is
for the other.
not right for the Jews
in our part of the world to turn exactly to the East at
prayer
Talmudic law requires them
for the
;
to turn to
Jerusalem, and, as our part of the world lies north-west
from Jerusalem, they ought to turn to the south-east.
He
shows also how, by means of spherical trigonometry,
the required direction
exactness in of a
all
parts of the world, and
kind.
similar
may be determined with many
the utmost
other truths
Along with the celebrated Chief
Rabbi Frankel, he contributed much to develop the great abilities
of Mendelssohn.
Mendelssohn possessed a thorough acquaintance with mathematics
;
and
this science
he valued, not only
for its
self-evidence, but also as the best exercise in profound
reasoning.
That he was a great philosopher, is well He was not indeed an originator of new
enough known.
he had however amended the old systems,
systems;
especially the Leibnitio-Wolfian, and had applied
success to It is
many
it
with
subjects in philosophy.
hard to say whether Mendelssohn was endowed
with more acuteness or with depth of intellect. faculties
were found united in him
His exactness
in definition
and
Both
in a very high degree.
classification,
and
his fine
An
Autobiography.
223
distinctions, are evidences of the former talent, while his
profound philosophical
treatises afford proofs of the latter.
In his character, as he himself confessed, he was by
man
nature a
of strong passions, but by long exercise in
morality he
Stoical
had
learnt
keep them under
to
A young man, under the impression that Mendelssohn had done him a wrong, came one day to upbraid him, and indulged in one impertinence after control.
another.
Mendelssohn stood leaning on a
turned his eye from his
and
visitor,
never
chair,
listened to all his
impertinences with the utmost Stoical patience. the
young man had
went to him and
vented "
said,
Go
reach your object here; Still
all his !
You
you
After
passion, Mendelssohn
see that
can't
fail
you
make me
to
angry."
on such occasions Mendelssohn could not conceal
his sorrow at the
quently I
weakness of human nature.
was myself overheated
in
my
Not
infre-
disputes with him,
and violated the respect due to such a man, which I still reflect with remorse.
a fact
on
Mendelssohn possessed deep knowledge of human nature, seizing
a knowledge which consists not so
some unconnected
representing
them
much
in theatrical fashion, as in discovering
those essential features of a character, from which others
He
may be
explained,
and
in
some measure
was able to describe accurately
action
and the
in
and
features of a character,
entire
all
all
the
predicted.
the springs of
moral wheelwork of a man, and
understood thoroughly the mechanism of the
soul.
This
Solomon Maimon
224
:
gave a character, not only to his intercourse and other dealings with men, but also to his literary labours.
Mendelssohn understood the useful and agreeable
art
mode
of
throwing himself into another
of
He
thought.
and
up the gaps
fill
person's
could thus supply whatever was deficient, the thoughts of another.
in
newly arrived from Poland, whose thoughts are
most part confused, and whose language telligible jargon,
In
Mendelssohn could understand
them
with
conversations
his
is
he
Jews for the
an uninperfectly.
adopted
their
expressions and forms of speech, sought to bring down his mode of thinking to theirs, and thus to raise theirs to his
own.
He
understood also the
side of every
he
therefore,
intercourse, is
man and
art of finding
of every event.
found entertainment
owing
out the good
Not
infrequently,
people whose
in
to the eccentric use of their powers,
by others avoided
;
and only downright
stupidity
and
dullness were offensive to him, though they were so in
the highest degree.
manner
in
I
was once an eye-witness of the
which he entertained himself with a
man
ot
the most eccentric style of thinking and the most extra-
vagant behaviour.
and
after the
"
wonder, fellow?"
I lost
man was gone
I
asked Mendelssohn in
How could you have anything "We examine attentively,"
machine whose construction seek to
patience on the occasion,
all
make
intelligible its
is
unknown
mode
to
do with
he
said,
to us,
of working.
this
"a
and we Should
An man
not this
Autobiography.
claim a like attention
in the
same way
since
he certainly has
225 should we not seek
?
to render intelligible his his
odd
utterances,
springs of action and his
wheel-work as well as any machine In discussion with a reasoner
?
"
who held
stubbornly to
a system once adopted Mendelssohn was stubborn himself,
his
and took advantage of the opponent's way of thinking.
slightest inaccuracy in
On
the other hand,
more accommodating thinker he was accommodating also, and used commonly to close the discussion with the words, "We must hold fast, not to mere words, with a
but to the things they signify."
Nothing was so offensive to him as an bagatelle or affectation
;
esprit
de
with anything of this sort he
could not conceal his displeasure.
H
once invited
a party, in which Mendelssohn was the principal guest,
and he entertained them the whole time with
some hobby kind.
of his,
talk
about
which was not exactly of the choicest
Mendelssohn showed
his displeasure
by never
deigning to give the slightest attention to the worthless creature.
Madam
was a lady who affected an
excess of sensibility, and as
is
customary with such
characters, used to reproach herself in order to extort
praise from others.
Mendelssohn sought
reason by showing her impressively
her conduct was and
how
how
to bring her to
exceptionable
she ought to think seriously
about improvement. In a disconnected conversation he took
little
part him-
Solomon Maimon:
226
self
;
he acted rather as observer then, and took pleasure
watching the conduct of the
in
rest of the
company. If, on the other hand, the conversation was coherent, he
took the warmest interest in turn,
by a
himself, and,
skilful
he could, without interrupting the conversation, it
give
it
a useful direction.
Mendelssohn could never take up
moment
matters of the greatest activity,
his
mind
with
trifles;
kept him in restless
such as the principles of Morals and of Natural
Theology, the immortality of the soul,
etc.
branches of inquiry, in which humanity interested,
he has
also, as I hold,
done
as
In is
all
these
so deeply
much
as can
be done on the principles of the Leibnitio-Wolfian philosophy.
Perfection was the compass which he had con-
stantly before his eyes,
and which directed His God
these investigations.
all
his course, in
the Ideal of the
is
highest perfection, and the idea of the highest perfection at
lies
the basis of his Ethics.
^Esthetics
My
is
The
principle of his
sensuous perfection. with him on our
discussion
first
referred mainly to the following points.
I
acquaintance
was a
faithful
adherent of Maimonides before I became acquainted with
modern philosophy
* of negation
all
;
and, as such, I insisted on the
positive attributes to
God, inasmuch as
these can be represented by us only as
*
Here there seems
gung
for Verneinung.
in the original
Trans,
finite.
Accord-
an evident misprint of Vereini-
An
Autobiography.
227
proposed the following dilemma
ingly I
Either
:
God
not the absolutely perfect being, in which case his
butes that
or of
may
attri-
by us be not only conceived^ but also known,
represented as realities belonging to an object
is,
He
is
is
God
;
the absolutely perfect being, and then the idea is
conceived by
us,
but
its
reality is
merely
Mendelssohn, on the other
assumed as problematic.
hand, insisted on the affirmation, with regard to God, of all
realities,
a position which goes very well with the
Leibnitio-Wolfian philosophy, because
an
to prove the reality of is
thinkable, that
is,
it
idea, nothing
requires, in order
more than
that
it
the law of Non-Contradic-
fulfils
tion.
My at
moral theory was then genuine Stoicism.
It
aimed
the attainment of free will and the ascendency of
reason over the feelings and passions. highest destination of
man
differentia specifica, the
other impulses,
to be the
knowledge
common to
The knowledge
by me
his all
highest
I
of the
to this chief
good was not distinguished
held the knowledge
;
for,
maintained that the idea of perfection, which is
of
much
knowledge of the truth.
and powers,
as
following
of the truth to be the
Mendelssohn, on the other hand,
good of man.
basis of Ethics,
;
us with the irrational animals,
from the knowledge of the true
Maimonides,
the
and
of the truth
were to be put in operation merely as means end.
made
It
maintenance of
lies at
the
wider extent than the mere
All natural impulses, capacities
something good
in
themselves (not merely
Solomon Maimon:
228 as
means
to
something good), were to be brought into
The
exercise as realities.
of the
maximum,
The
highest perfection was the idea
or the greatest sum, of these
the
of
immortality
Maimonides, consisted
soul,
of that exercise
;
realities.
me,
following
union with the Universal
in the
Spirit of that part of the faculty of
been brought into
for
knowledge which has
exercise, in proportion to the degree
and
in
accordance with
this doctrine I
held those only to be partakers of this immortality,
who
occupy themselves with the knowledge of eternal truths,
and
in the degree in
which they do
so.
The
soul, there-
fore, must, with the attainment of this high immortality,
lose
its
individuality.
That Mendelssohn,
with
modern philosophy, thought
ject,
every one will readily believe.
His sentiments religion I to
me
differently
as
by himself, but merely
them from
at that time, as
in so far as I
writings of
understand
man
it,
my own
an incipient freethinker, false,
have been
on the subject
his utterances
revealed religion as in itself the
this sub-
in reference to revealed or positive
his writings with the assistance of
all
on
can give here, not as something made known
able to infer
For
accordance
in
and
its
reflections. I
explained use, so far
Mendelssohn had enabled
as merely temporary.
without experience,
I
thought
in
me
to
Moreover, being a it
an easy matter to
convince others in opposition to their firmly rooted habits
and long-cherished
prejudices, while I
assumed
the usefulness of such a reformation to be undoubted.
An
Autobiography.
Mendelssohn therefore was unable tion with
me on
as has
lest,
several
to hold
any conversa-
the subject, since he could not but fear
happened, and happens
others,
reply to be
229
I
still,
in the case of
should pronounce his arguments in
mere pieces of
and should
sophistry,
From
motives to him on that account.
attribute
his utterances,
however, in the preface to his Manasseh ben Israel as well as in his Jerusalem,
it
is
clear that, though he did not
consider any revealed doctrines to be eternal truths, yet
he accepted revealed laws of religion as such, and that
he held the laws of the Jewish
religion, as the funda-
mental laws of a theocratic constitution, to be immutable as far as circumstances allow.
So to
far as I
am
I
concerned,
Mendelssohn's reasoning by
am
led to assent entirely
my own reflections on the my fathers. The
fundamental laws of the religion of
fundamental laws of the Jewish religion are time the fundamental laws of the Jewish
at the
same
state.
They must therefore be obeyed by all who acknowledge themselves to be members of this state, and who wish to enjoy the rights granted to them under condition of their obedience.
But,
on the other hand, any man who state, who desires to be
separates himself from this
considered no longer a all his rights
member
as such, whether
betakes himself to solitude, longer
bound
to
obey those
is
of
it,
and
to renounce
he enters another
state or
also in his conscience
laws.
I assent
no
moreover to
Mendelssohn's remark, that a Jew cannot, by simply
Solomon Maimon:
230
passing over to the Christian religion, free himself from
own
the laws of his
observed
these
religion,
laws
because Jesus of Nazareth
himself
be no longer a member of
commanded
and
But how,
followers to observe them.
if
a
his
Jew wishes to
this theocratic state,
and goes
over to the heathen religion, or to the philosophical,
which if,
its
is
nothing more than pure natural religion
member
merely as a laws,
How,
?
of a political state, he submits to
and demands from
it
his rights in return, with-
out making any declaration whatever about his religion, is reasonable enough not to require from him a declaration with which it has nothing to do ? I
since the state
do not believe Mendelssohn would maintain this case
a Jew
is
bound
that even in
in conscience to observe the
laws of his fathers' religion merely because religion of his fathers.
lived
in
accordance
As
laws of
the
the
is
known, Mendelssohn
far as is
with
it
his
religion.
Presumably, therefore, he always regarded himself as a
still
of the theocratic state of his fathers, and
member
consequently acted up to his duty in this respect.
any man who abandons
this state
is
But
acting just as
little
in Jews,
who
in violation of his duty.
On
the other hand I consider
it
wrong
from family attachments and interests profess the Jewish religion, to transgress its laws,
own
opinion, these
motives.
I
where, according to their
do not stand
in the
way of those
cannot therefore understand the conduct of
Mendelssohn
in
reference to a
Jew
of
Hamburg who
An
Autobiography.
openly transgressed the laws of his
231
and who was
religion,
on that account excommunicated by the chief rabbi. Mendelssohn wanted to cancel the excommunication on the ground that the church has no rights in
civil
matters.
But how can he then maintain the perpetuity of the Jewish ecclesiastical state ? For what is a state without rights,
and wherein
consists, according to
Mendelssohn,
the rights of this ecclesiastical state?
Mendelssohn, " 48),
(in the preface to
can a state allow one of
citizens to suffer misfortune
not,
I
reply
;
but the
"How,"
Manasseh ben its
and respected
useful
through
its
Hamburg Jew
laws
result,
do nothing which
?
"
Surely
suffers
no mis-
He
required
fortune by virtue of the excommunication.
only to say or
says
Israel, p.
legally leads to this
and he would then have avoided the sentence.
is merely tantamount to saying " So long as you put yourself in opposition to the laws
For excommunication
:
of our communion, you are excluded from
it
and you
;
must therefore make up your mind whether this open disobedience or the privileges of our communion can most advance your blessedness." have escaped a mind to others to decide for the sake of
like
how
human
This surely cannot
Mendelssohn's, and
far
a
man may be
hands of otherwise estimable men,
well
it
injustice at the
from
treatment might least have been expected. is
leave
welfare.
Mendelssohn had to endure many an
officiousness
I
inconsistent
whom
such
Lavater's
enough known, and disapproved by
Solomon Maitnon:
232 all
The profound
men.*
right-thinking
Jacobi had a
predilection for Spinozism, with which surely no inde-
pendent thinker can find well
as
Mendelssohn,
and wanted
fault,
as
friend
his
published a correspondence
on the
never intended to appear in
print,
What was
public inspection.
Spinozism
is
true,
it is
make
out
to
be
Lessing,
With
Spinozists, in spite of themselves.
to
this
view he
subject, which was
and be subjected
the
use of this
to If
?
so without Mendelssohn's assent.
Eternal truths have nothing to do with the majority of votes,
and
least of all where, as I hold, the truth is of
such a nature, that
Such an
injustice
A
annoyance.
*
The
it
leaves
all
expression behind.
must have given Mendelssohn much
celebrated physician maintained
even,
to was the following. Lavater had a work, which had a great reputation in its day, by the eminent Swiss scientific writer, Bonnet, on the evidences of Christianity. Out of respect for Mendelssohn, Lavater dedicated
incident
translated into
referred
German
the translation to him, requiring him, however, either to refute the " what work, or to do policy, love of truth, and probity demand, what Socrates would doubtless have done, had he read the work,
and found
it
unanswerable."
awkward dilemma.
He
Mendelssohn was thus placed
could not well
in
an
the challenge pass unacknowledged ; and yet, owing to the disabilities under which the Jews laboured all over the world, he would have seriously imperilled their
interests
Christianity.
let
by appearing even to impugn the evidences of
He
had, moreover, resolved never to enter into
Under the circumstances his reply was controversy. Lavater saw his mistake ; masterly as it was dignified and candid. and it is but due to him to say, that he publicly apologised for it in religious
the fullest and frankest manner.
Trans.
An that
caused his death
it
233
Autobiography.
but,
;
though
I
am
physician, I venture to gainsay the assertion.
not a
Mendels-
sohn's conduct in relation to Jacobi, as well as to Lavater,
was that of a hero.
No, no
!
this
hero died in the
fifth
act.
The
acute preacher, Jacob, in Halle published, after
Mendelssohn's death, a book
entitled,
Examination of
Mendelssohn's Morgenstunden, in which he shows that,
according to the
Critique of
Pure Reason,
meta-
all
But
physical doctrines are to be rejected as baseless.
why does
this
metaphysician
concern Mendelssohn more than any other ?
Mendelssohn did nothing but develop
to greater completeness the Leibnitio-Wolfian philosophy,
apply
it
to
and clothe
many important it
in
subjects of
an attractive garb.
human
inquiry,
It is just as if
any one
were to attack Maimonides, who has written an excellent astronomical treatise on Ptolemaic principles, by writing
a book with the
title,
Examination of
the
Hilchoth
Kidush Hakodesh of Maimonides, in which he should But seek to refute his author on Newtonian principles !
enough of
this.
Solomon Maimon:
234
CHAPTER XXV. My aversion
and
at first for belles lettres,
Departure from Berlin
my subsequent
Sojourn in
conversion
Hamburg
drown
I
myself in the same way as a bad actor shoots himself An old fool of a woman falls in love with me, but her addresses are rejected.
FOR tion
belles lettres I ;
I could
discovered not the slightest inclina-
how any man was
not even conceive
to form a science of
what pleases or displeases
my
which, according to
opinion
at the time,
a matter
could have
One day when
merely a subjective ground.
I
taking a walk with Mendelssohn, our conversation
whom
upon the subject of the poets, me to read. " I No,"
none of the
What
poets.
Mendelssohn smiled
replied,
at this
with Plato,
who banished
But
that with time
I
hope
the subject.
Longinus'
And so On the
it
am
going to read
" said,
You
poets from
you
fell
he recommended
poet but a
a
is
and all
" I
was
liar?"
agree in this
his Republic.
think differently on
will
happened soon.
Sublime
fell
into
my
hand.
The
examples of the sublime which he adduces from Homer,
and
particularly the celebrated passage of
a deep impression on these are but foolish
my
mind.
trifles, it
is
I
Sappho, made
thought to myself,
true,
but the imagery
An and descriptions are read
Homer
Autobiography.
After that I
really very beautiful.
and was forced
himself,
What
the foolish fellow.
235
a serious
over such childless stories
to laugh heartily at
air, I
By and
!
said to myself,
however,
by,
found a great deal of pleasure in the reading.
whom
on the other hand,
German
course only in
I got to
translations)
Ossian,
read afterwards (of
produced on
The pomp
peculiarly awe-inspiring effect.
I
me
a
of his style,
the impressive brevity of his descriptions, the purity of his
sentiments, the simplicity of the objects described
by him, and
lastly,
the similarity of his poetry to that of
charmed me uncommonly.
the Hebrews,
Thus
I
found
also a great deal of gratification in Gessner's Idylls.
My friend, chapter,
whom
the Pole of
who occupied
was greatly delighted pute with him the
I
in the
spoke
himself mainly with
at
conversion.
my
when he was reading
to
me
as a
model
used
I
utility of these studies
preceding
belles lettres,
;
to dis-
and once,
of vigour in ex-
pression a passage of the Psalms, in which
King David
shows himself a master in cursing, I interrupted him " What sort of an art is this ? with the words, Why, my
God
when she was squaba neighbour woman, used to curse much more
mother-in-law bling with
wildly than that
bless
"
delssohn also and pleased
!
!
Now, however, he had at this
her
my
change.
self regularly to the
his
triumph over me.
other friends were
They wished
me
Men-
uncommonly to devote
humaniora, as without these a
my-
man
Solomon Maimon;
236
can scarcely make his own intellectual productions useful to the world.
me
of
I
this.
was very
It
was always
difficult,
however, to convince
in haste to enjoy the present,
without thinking that, by due preparation, I could this I
enjoyment greater and more
now found
make
lasting.
gratification, not only in the study of the
good and beautiful, and I carried this out
sciences, but generally in everything
with which I became acquainted
;
with an enthusiasm which passed
all limits.
The
hither-
to suppressed inclination to the pleasures of sense also
asserted
claims.
its
The
first
occasion of this was the
For many years some men, who were occufollowing. pied in various kinds of teaching, had insinuated themselves into the
most prominent and wealthy families of
They devoted themselves
the Jewish nation. to the
especially
French language (which was then regarded as the
highest point of enlightenment), to geography, arithmetic,
bookkeeping, and similar studies.
They had
also
made
themselves familiar with some phrases and imperfectly
understood results of the more profound sciences and philosophical systems, while their intercourse with the fair
of
marked by studious
sex was all
As a
they were great favourites in the
this,
where they
gallantry.
visited,
Now, they began ways on the
and were regarded
to observe that
my
result
families
as clever fellows.
reputation was
al-
increase, and that the respect for my attainments and talents went so far, that they were being thrown wholly into the shade. Accordingly they thought
An
Autobiography.
237
of a stratagem, by which they might be able to ward off the threatened
They
me
evil.
resolved to draw
me
into their
company,
to
show
every demonstration of friendship, and to render
every possible service. first
this
By
means they hoped,
place, as a result of our intercourse, to
selves
some of the
in the
second place, to obtain, from
win
me
in the
them-
for
respect which was shown to me, and,
my
frank and com-
spirit, some additional knowledge of those which as yet they knew only in name. But, in
municative sciences
the third place, as they thing which intoxicate
and
knew my enthusiasm
for every-
I
once recognised as good, they expected to
me
with the allurements of sensual pleasure,
some measure my ardour in the study of which would at the same time alienate my
to cool in
science, friends,
my
whom made them so jealous. me into their society, testified
intimacy with
Accordingly they invited their
friendship
honour of their
that for
and esteem
my company.
for
me, and begged the
Suspecting no harm, I received
advances with pleasure, especially as
Mendelssohn and
my
I
reflected
other friends were too grand
everyday intercourse with me.
It
became
therefore
a very desirable object with me, to find some friends of a middle class, with
whom
and enjoy the charms of took
me
could associate sans fafon,
also to
My new
familiarity.
into gay society, to taverns,
sions, at last *
I
;
* and
" This " hiatus haud valde deflendus
all
is
friends
on pleasure excurthis
at their
in the original.
own
Trans,
Solomon Maimon
238
expense.
on
I,
opened up
my
them
to
philosophy, explained to
my happy humour,
in
side,
in
return
them
:
all
the
mysteries
of
in detail all the peculiar
systems, and corrected their ideas on various subjects of
human knowledge.
But as things of this sort cannot be poured into a man's head, and as these gentlemen had
no
were not
special capacity for them, of course they
make any
able to
When
tion.
sort
great progress
kind of instruc-
this
by
I observed this, I
began to express some
and made no attempt to was mainly the roast and the
of contempt for them,
conceal the
fact, that it
wine that gave
me
not please them particularly reach their object with
reach
it
at least in part.
friends behind
This did
pleasure in their company. ;
me
and
as they were unable to
completely, they tried to
They
told tales to
back about the most
my
my
trifling
grand
incidents
and expressions. For instance, they asserted that I charged Mendelssohn with being a philosophical hypocrite,
that I declared others to be
systems,
and
cureanism.
began
that
(As
at last
if
I
was wholly abandoned to Epi-
they were genuine Stoics
my
had
its
effect
medicine,
;
and
friends observed that in
followed no fixed plan, but merely cordingly
They even
!)
openly to manifest their enmity.
All this of course
impression,
endowed with but
was seeking to spread dangerous
shallow pates, that I
to
add
my
to the
studies I
Acmy me I should that they proposed study but could not induce me to do it. I observed to
inclination.
An
Autobiography.
that the theory of medicine contains as auxiliary sciences, each of
239
many departments
which requires a
specialist
thorough mastery, while the practice of medicine
for its
implies a peculiar genius are seldom to be
met
and
with.
I
faculty of judgment, that
observed
at the
same
time,
most of physicians take advantage of the ignorance of the public. In accordance with established
that the
usage they spend some years at the universities, where they have an opportunity indeed of attending
all
lectures, but in point of fact attend very few.
At the
means of money and written for them and
close of their course, by
they get a dissertation
become medical
a very simple fashion,
As ing
;
well
;
already mentioned,
I
in years,
At
pharmacy
;
last
and
because
made
My
object
practical use of
this,
my
had already obtained some acquainhowever, was
I
consented.
not to
make any
attainments, but merely to acquire
theoretical knowledge. to with
my own
Accordingly, instead of setting
hands, and thereby acquiring expertness
in this art, at important
part of a mere spectator.
chemical processes
I
played the
In this way I learnt pharmacy,
yet without being in the position of cary.
for
me, to learn
to
tance with physics as well as chemistry, in
was already
I
minute exercises required
the proposal was
as I
liking for paint-
and consequently might not have
sufficient patience for the this art.
this,
words,
thus, after
practitioners.
had a great
but I was advised against
advanced
fair
the
becoming an apothe-
After the lapse of a three years' apprenticeship,
Madame
Rosen, in whose shop
duly paid by H. a
I received art of
Maimon:
Solomon
240
D. the promised fee of
J.
certificate, that I
pharmacy
and
;
was apprenticed, was
I
this
had
ended the whole matter.
This, however, contributed not a
At
friends.
see him,
when he informed me of
me
pointed out to that I
causes.
its
had not made up
had thereby rendered behalf;
little
Mendelssohn asked
last
(2)
that
I
sixty thalers.
perfectly mastered the
to alienate
me
to
my
come and
this alienation,
and
They complained, (i)
my mind
any plan of
to
life,
fruitless all their exertions in
was trying to spread
and
my
dangerous
opinions and systems; and (3) that, according to general
rumour,
much The
I
was leading a rather loose
first
and was very
of these complaints I endeavoured to answer
by referring to the
fact,
which
friends at the very
first,
that, in
culiar training, I
could not only
by teaching and "
had mentioned consequence of for
my
satisfy
life,
As
my
my
pe-
by which
natural inclination, but also,
similar means, provide for
"
to
any kind of business,
for a quiet speculative
in a certain fashion.
ceeded,
I
was indisposed
and adapted merely I
life,
addicted to sensual pleasures.
my
support
to the second point," I pro-
the opinions and systems referred to are either
true or false.
If the former, then I
do not see how the
If the latter, knowledge of the truth can do any harm. I have then let them be refuted. Moreover, explained
who
desire
to rise above all prejudices.
But
these opinions and systems only to gentlemen to be enlightened,
and
An the truth opinions,
that
is,
Autobiography.
241
not the mischievous nature of the
it is
the incapacity of those gentlemen to com-
it is
prehend them, coupled with
such a humiliating confession, that sets them
in
arms
In reference to the third reproach, however,
against me. I
make
their reluctance to
must say with downright honesty, Herr Mendelssohn,
we
are
all
The
Epicureans.
us merely rules of prudence
means
prescribe the use of
;
moralists can prescribe to that
is
for the attainment of given
"I But," I added,
ends, but not the ends themselves.
see clearly that I must quit Berlin
With
of indifference."
He
gave
capabilities
and
well.
me
to say, they can
this
I
;
whither,
is
a matter
bade Mendelssohn
fare-
a very favourable testimonial of
talents,
my
and wished me a prosperous
journey.
To my
other friends also I bade farewell, and in briet
but emphatic terms thanked them for the favours they
I
my friends was taken aback, when my using the brief form, "I hope good health, my dear friend and I thank
One
had shown.
of
bade him goodbye,
at
you
will
you
for all the favours
seemed if
enjoy
;
you have bestowed upon me."
to this excellent, but prosaically poetical
the form were too curt and dry for
towards me. this
all
that
So he
all his
man,
friendliness
replied with evident displeasure, "Is
you have
learnt in Berlin ?
"
I
made no
answer, however, but went away, booked by the
burg post,
It
as
and departed from
Berlin.
Ham-
Solomon
242
On
Maimon :
leaving I received from Samuel Levi* a letter of
When I whom
introduction to one of his correspondents. arrived in this letter
me the
well,
Hamburg,
went to the merchant
I
was addressed, and delivered
and invited But
city.
as
me
to
He
it.
to his table during
received
my
stay in
he knew nothing except how to make
money, and took no particular interest in scholarship or science, he evidently entertained me merely on account of
my
letter
of introduction, because he had to do some-
As
thing to gratify his correspondent.
of trade, however, and besides figure,
he endeavoured
made no
to get
rid of
knew nothing
I
very presentable
me
as soon as
me where I possible, I replied I left When to when meant Hamburg. go that I was going to Holland, he gave me the well-meant and with a view
advice to hasten
my
to that asked
departure, as this was the best
season of the year for travelling. I
Accordingly vessel that
was to
took out a passage on a sail for
Holland
in
Hamburg
two or three weeks.
For travelling companions I had two barbers, a tailor, These fellows made themselves and a shoemaker. merry, caroused bravely, and sang this joviality I
understood
my
;
language, and teased
in a
thousand ways, though
I
The
vessel glided pleasantly
down
*
all sorts
could not take a part
This name
is
bore
of songs.
In
in fact they scarcely
me on it all
that account
with patience.
the Elbe to a village
taken from Afaimoniana,
Tram,
An mouth
at the
Autobiography.
some miles below Hamburg.
of the river
Here we were obliged
243
about
to lie
six
weeks, prevented
The
by contrary winds from putting out to sea.
ship's
crew, along with the other passengers, went to the village
wherf they drank and played.
tavern,
became very
the time
dreary, and
that I nearly despaired of
At
we
last
arrived before
third
Amsterdam.
after
day
A
our departure we
came out
boat
At
to the ship
first I
myself to the Dutch boatman, because
I
would not was afraid
whom
of falling into the hands of the crimps, against
had been warned
in
Hamburg
ship assured
me
I
myself to
might
ingly I here,
trust
came
and
sick,
recovery.
to take the passengers into the city. trust
For me, however,
was besides so
got a favourable wind, the vessel stood out
and on the
to sea,
my
I
into
well,
and
that
him without any anxiety. Accordthe city ; but as I had no acquaintances
knew
as I
;
he knew the boatman
that
I
but the captain of our
that at the
Hague
there was a
gentleman belonging to a prominent Berlin family, and that
he had obtained from Berlin a tutor with
was acquainted,
Here
woman a
man
but before
of
tall,
I
had time
I
me, commenced
came
in,
to speak with
" Herr said to him, pray,
to rest
from
my
journey,
spare figure, in untidy clothing, and with
a pipe in his mouth,
Berlin;
whom
out for that place in a drag-boat.
took lodgings at the house of a poor Jewish
I ,
I set
speak
H to
and, without observing
my ,
him."
landlady.
here
is
At
last
she
a stranger from
The man thereupon
Solomon Maimon
244
me who
turned to me, and asked
and love of
instinctive frankness
was born
I
to
had come
to
some
spend some
situation, if
He
we formed I
I
man
man
city.
me
He
of high talent,
a
man
after his
own
and
and
heart,
As my
from Berlin, to
me
to his
who had made letters
This gentleman, who
to promise
When
itself.
which he had done a good
introduced
well as of everything that to dinner.
had
now
of learning, he began to
to seek the tutor
and had brought
Berlin,
that
once a bond of friendship with one another.
referred before.
a
and
various subjects in philosophy,
found in at
love of the sciences
an opportunity offered
was a
me on
now went
With my usual him that I
truth, I told
years in Berlin,
especially in mathematics, in deal.
I was.
Holland with the intention of entering
he heard that speak with
my
Poland, that
in
me
induced
:
whom
I
employer as
a great figure in
of introduction from that
made much
came from
of his tutor, as
me
Berlin, invited
external appearance did not appear
much, and
I
was besides thoroughly exhausted
and depressed by my sea-voyage, I made a comical figure at table, and our host evidently did not know what to think of me. written
But as he put great confidence
in the
recommendation of Mendelssohn and the
recommendation of ment, and invited
remain here.
his tutor,
me
he suppressed
oral
his astonish-
to his table as long as I chose to
In the evening he invited his brothers-in-
law to meet me.
They were
children of
B
brated for his wealth as well as his beneficence
,
;
cele-
and
as
An they were to
men of
Autobiography.
245
learning themselves, they were expected
They conversed with me on various subTalmud, and even in the Cabbalah. As I
sound me.
jects in the
showed myself thoroughly this
initiated into the mysteries of
even explained to them passages
sort of learning,
which they regarded as inexplicable, and untied the most complicated knots of argument, their admiration was excited,
and they believed they had come upon a great
man. It
was not long, however, before
The
turned to hatred. ing.
who had now
of London, and
for
who was
means of the Cabbalah.
I
I
Hague.
of
expressed some doubts on
me
they had been present
performances of the kind during
To
me
many years been a resident
able to perform miracles by
the subject, but they assured
at the
admiration
In connection with the Cabbalah they told
a godly man,
at
their
occasion of this was the follow-
this
man's residence
this I replied as a philosopher, that
did not indeed question the truth of their statement,
but that perhaps they had not duly investigated the matter themselves,
as facts.
and gave out
Moreover,
I
their pre-conceived opinions
declared that I must regard with
scepticism the effect of the Cabbalah in general, until is
shown
that that effect
explained in
is
it
of such a kind as cannot be
accordance with the known laws of Nature.
This declaration they held to be heresy.
At the end of the meal the wine-cup was passed me, that
I
might, in
to
accordance with the usual custom,
Solomon Maimon:
246
pronounce the blessing over
This however
it.
I
shame
number
of speaking before a
Poland
had been a
I
declined
I
did so not from any false
with the explanation, that
of men, because in and had very often held dis-
rabbi,
putations and delivered sermons before large assemblies,
and, in order to prove
was now willing
this,
public lectures every day.
was merely,
and the reluctance
further, the love of truth
thing inconsistent, that
It
made
to deliver
I
explained to
impossible for
it
do any-
me, with-
out manifest aversion, to say prayers which I regarded as
a result of an anthropomorphic system of theology.
At
this their patience
reviled
me
as a
be a deadly host,
was completely exhausted
damnable
sin to tolerate
heretic,
me
and declared
in a
who was no philosopher
it
they
;
would
Our
Jewish house.
indeed, but a reasonable
and enlightened man, did not mind much what they said ; my humble talents were of more value in his eyes than
my
all
Accordingly they broke up immediately
piety.
after dinner,
their
and
the house in deep displeasure
left
subsequent
brother-in-law's
about nine months, lived tired,
me
drive
fruitless.
I
but
from their
remained
in
it
at perfect freedom, but very re-
without any occupation or any rational society.
Here
I
cannot pass over in silence an event which
was remarkable both point of view.
in a psychological
In Holland
occupation suited to I
to
efforts
house were
;
my
I
and
in a
moral
wanted nothing but an
powers, and naturally, therefore,
became hypochondriac.
From
feelings of satiety, not
An
myself,
fell
had become a burden to action,
than the love of
heartily in the
I
house where
about midnight
had
to pass along
I
come
I
always assumed the upper
life
at the Feast of
Once,
again.
But no sooner did
to me.
ance with the custom of the Jews,
feast,
247
upon the idea of making away with and of thus putting an end to an existence which
infrequently I
hand
Autobiography.
I
took
Haman,
in accord-
had banquetted very
my meals. After the my lodging and as
returned to
;
one of the canals
that are laid out
I
everywhere in Holland,
it
me
occurred to
that this
was
a very convenient opportunity for carrying out the design which I had often formed. I thought to myself, " My a burden.
life
is
but
how
means
will
At
present, indeed, I have
me
be with
it
my
shall I preserve
anything in the world?
in the future,
life,
I
since I
am
no wants
of no use for
have already resolved, on
cool reflection at different times, to put an end to life,
and nothing but
my
Now, when
hitherto.
I
cowardice has restrained
am
of a deep canal, the thing
without any difficulty."
;
and by what
pretty drunk,
be done
may
Already
I
my me
on the brink in a
had bent
moment
my
body
over the canal, in order to plunge in; but only the upper
body obeyed the command of the mind, that the lower part would certainly refuse
part of the trusting its
services
such a purpose.
for
So
I
stood for a
good while with half the body bent over the
and
propped
myself carefully
planted on the
ground,
so
with
that
a
my
legs
spectator
water, firmly
might
Solomon Maimon:
248 have fancied
man who
a
felt like
my bow
was merely making
I
my
This hesitation destroyed
water.
to
the
whole plan.
I
going to take medicine, but, want-
is
ing the resolution required, raises the cup time after time
and
to his mouth,
sets
it
down
I
again.
laugh at myself, as I reflected that
began
at last to
sole motive for
my
suicide was a real superfluity for the present
and an
imaginary want for the future.*
let
I
therefore
project drop for the time being, went
the
home, and thus
brought the serio-comic scene to an end. another comical scene must be mentioned here.
Still
At the Hague there
who was
forty-five,
and supported
lived at that time a
said to
have been
woman
of about
very pretty in youth,
One
herself by giving lessons in French.
day she called upon
me
at
my
lodging, introduced her-
and expressed an irresistible desire for scientific She declared therefore that she would conversation. self,
*
The
rather
life, that is, the instinct of self-preservation, seems increase than to decrease with the diminution or un-
love of
to
certainty of the
means of living, inasmuch as man is thereby spurred which developes a stronger consciousness of life.
to greater activity,
Only
this
want must not have reached
sary result of that
of preserving
life,
its
maximum
;
for the neces-
a conviction of the impossibility and consequently a desire to put an end to it.
is
despair, that
is
Thus every
passion, and therefore also the love of life, is increased by the obstacles which come in the way of its gratification only these obstacles must not make the gratification of the passions im:
possible, else despair is the result.
An visit
me
Autobiography.
frequently in
honour of a
from
visit
This advance visits several
I
more and more
my lodging, and me in return.
met with
times
;
that
great pleasure, returned her
We
intimate.
time a
requested the
and thus our intercourse became
subjects in philosophy at
249
and
married
enthusiasm in learning,
conversed usually on
belles lettres.
man, and,
Madam
had
As
I
except
little
was
still
for
her
attraction for
thought of nothing beyond mere entertainment.
me,
I
The
lady, however,
pretty long while,
who had been a widow now
and had, according
to her
own
conceived an affection for me, began to express
for
story,
this
I
in love with
me
fall
could never believe, that a lady could in earnest.
tion therefore I took for
mere
Her
expressions of affecof affectation.
airs
She,
on the other hand, showed herself more and more earnest,
became
at times thoughtful in the
conversation, and burst It
not love a
woman
midst of our
love.
I told
except
for the
this sort, that
her frankly, that
we I
fell
could
sake of womanly excel-
and
lences, such as beauty, grace, agreeableness, etc.,
that
in
into tears.
was during a conversation of
upon the subject of
by
me
looks and words in a romantic manner, which struck as very comical.
a
any other excellences she might possess, such as
talents or learning, could excite in
by no means
love.
The
me
lady adduced against
ments a priori as well as instances especially
only esteem, but
from French novels, and
me
argu-
from experience,
tried to correct
my
notions of love.
vinced
and
;
panied
me
could not, however, be so easily con-
I
as the lady
absurd length,
I rose
was carrying her
and took
my
let
me go.
I
to
airs
an
leave.
She accom-
me
by the hand,
to the very door, grasped
and would not "
Maimon:
Solomon
250
asked her somewhat sharply,
What's the matter with you,
madam ?" With
trembling voice and tearful eyes she replied, " I love you."
When
heard
I
this laconic declaration of love, I
began
and
to laugh immoderately, tore myself from her grasp,
Some
rushed away.
doux
following billet
time afterwards she sent
me
the
:
" Sir,
I
I
have been greatly mistaken
took you for a
ings
but
;
You
I see
man now
example, who
and Latin
that
authors,
translated
pretty.
Sir,
;
and
you,
if
you
will
them
Why ?
who
ashamed
ought to be
A Madame into
Dacier,
the Greek
her native
are
Because she
is
not
otherwise so enlightened,
to cherish such pernicious
prin-
not repent, then tremble before
the revenge of the injured love of
Yours, etc." this I
all
them with learned annotations,
could not please you.
To
feel-
you are a genuine Epicurean. A woman can please
has studied thoroughly
language, and enriched
ciples
your character.
seek nothing but pleasure.
you only on account of her beauty. for
in
of noble thoughts and exalted
returned the following reply
:
An "
Autobiography.
251
Madam, That you have been mistaken,
by the In
You
result.
say that I
am
is
shown
a genuine Epicurean.
you do me a great honour. Much as I abhor the of an epicure, on the other hand I feel proud of the
this
title title
of genuine Epicurean.
that pleases
me
ened by other
in a
Certainly
woman
merely esteem such a
On
the other hand, I can
account of her talents
have already explained
For the learning of
respect
but as this can be height-
woman on
love her I cannot, as I
:
beauty alone
qualities, these must also be pleasing as
means towards the chief end.
sation.
;
it is
she could at
Greek heroes who were
Madame
events
all
fall
at the siege of
Dacier
;
in converI
have
all
in love with the
Troy, and expect
manes that were constantly but nothing more. For the rest,
in return the love of their
hovering around her
Madam, fear
;
as far as your revenge
is
concerned,
since Time, which destroys
it,
tered your weapons, that
all
Yours,
Thus ended
to do,
this strange love-affair.
inasmuch
as the
main
make money, and they
for the sciences.
ing the in
nails.
etc."
discovered that in Holland there was nothing for
I
to
do not
things, has shat-
your teeth and
is,
I
Dutch Jews
is
manifest no particular liking
Besides, in consequence of not know-
Dutch language,
any science.
desire of the
me
I
I
was unable
to give instructions
determined therefore to return to
Solomon
252
Maimon :
Hamburg, but found an opportunity of travelHanover by land. In Hanover I went to a
Berlin by ling
to
a
wealthy Jew,
enjoy his riches,
man who
does not deserve even to
showed him my
letter of introduction
from Mendelssohn, and represented to him the urgency of
my
letter
present circumstances. carefully
through,
He
called for
read Mendelssohn's
pen and
ink, and,
without speaking a word to me, wrote at the foot also hereby certify that in praise of
" :
I
what Herr Mendelssohn writes
Herr Solomon
with this he dismissed me.
is
perfectly correct."
And
An
Autobiography.
CHAPTER
253
XXVI.
Hamburg A Lutheran Pastor pronounces me to be a scabby Sheep, and unworthy of Admission into the Christian Fold I enter the Gymnasium, and frighten the Chief Rabbi
I return to
out of his Wits.
I
MADE
a prosperous journey back to
I fell into
in
Hamburg, but here
circumstances of the deepest
distress.
a miserable house, had nothing to
know what
to do.
I
eat,
I
lodged
and did not
had received too much education
to return to Poland, to
spend
my
rational occupation or society,
and
in
life
misery without
to sink
back into the
darkness of superstition and ignorance, from which
much
labour.
Germany was
a result
hardly delivered myself with so other hand, to succeed in I
could not calculate, owing to
I
had
On
the
on which
ignorance of the
my
language, as well as of the manners and customs of the people, to which I self properly.
I
had never
had
learnt
yet been able to adapt my-
no particular profession,
had not distinguished myself
in
I
any special science, I in which I could
was not even master of any language
make myself
perfectly intelligible.
therefore, that for
me
there was
to embrace the Christian
religion,
It
no and
occurred to me,
alternative
left,
but
get myself baptised
in
Maim on:
Solomon
254
Accordingly I resolved to go to the
Hamburg.
clergyman
I
come upon, and inform him
should
resolution, as well as of
my
motives for
and honest
hypocrisy, in a truthful
could not express myself well
German
into writing in
a
schoolmaster, and got him to
The
characters,
follows
" I
purport of
am
;
some light
my
put
it
copy letter
my
was
German
in
in brief as
education and studies to be a
me
This induced
truth,
and
to free
I
myself completely from the
end, which could not be attained in to Berlin,
of our nation I studied for
after
any plan, but merely to
But as our nation
is
it
some
satisfy
years
my
not indeed
thirst for
know-
conducted on the most
cannot be blamed
them, and pronouncing I
my
this
native place, I
unable to use, not only such
planless studies, but even those
perfect plan,
In order to
where by the support of some enlightened
men
ledge.
have perceived
to search further after
darkness of superstition and ignorance.
their
for
becoming
tired of
to
be use-
encouragement
have therefore resolved, in order to secure tem-
poral as well as eternal happiness,
attainment of perfection,
and
to myself as well as others, to ligion.
I
thoughts
a native of Poland, belonging to the Jewish
light.
less.
But as
my
characters, went to
but in the thickest darkness
and
came
my
:
nation, destined by
rabbi
I
of
without any
fashion.
orally,
Hebrew
with
it,
first
The Jewish
religion,
which depends on the
in order to
become
useful
embrace the Christian it
is
true,
comes,
in
its
rear-
An
Autobiography.
255
tides of faith, nearer to reason than Christianity.
But
an advantage over the forand since morality, which consists not in opinions
in practical use the latter has
mer
;
but in actions,
the aim of
is
religion in general, clearly
all
the latter comes nearer than the former to this aim. I
Moreover,
hold the mysteries of the Christian religion
which they
for that
are, that
means
make my
I
is,
allegorical representations
most important
of the truths that are
for
man.
but I cannot believe them according to their
question,
whether
after
the
am
ready to carry
me
to
lie,
which contradicts
The
my
must give up
latter, I
enjoins
common
confession I
this
worthy of the Christian religion or not. case I
this
reason,
beg therefore most respectfully an answer
I
meaning. to the
By
them harmonise with
faith in
that
my
is,
my
;
but in
claim to a religion which
to deliver a confession of faith
reason."
schoolmaster, to
astonishment at
In the former
proposal into effect
all
am
whom
audacity
I dictated this, fell into ;
never before had
he
He
his
listened to such a confession of faith.
shook
head with much concern, interrupted the writing several times, and became doubtful, whether the mere copying was not
itself
a
sin.
With great reluctance he copied it I went then to a
out, merely to get rid of the thing.
prominent clergyman, delivered for a reply.
He
read
into astonishment,
sation with me.
it
my
letter,
with great attention,
and on
and begged fell
likewise
finishing entered into conver-
Solomon
256 "
So," he said,
Maimon :
" I see your intention
to
is
embrace
the Christian religion, merely in order to improve your
temporal circumstances." "
Excuse me, Herr Pastor,"
made
it
clear
in
enough
attainment of perfection. of
all
my To
I replied,
letter, this,
that
my
object
hindrances and the improvement of
my
is
have is
the
external
But
circumstances form an indispensable condition. condition
I
true, the removal
is
it
" I think
this
not the chief end."
"But," said the pastor, "do you not
feel
any
inclina-
tion of the soul to the Christian religion without reference " to any external motives ?
" I should be telling a
lie,
I
if
were to give you an
affirmative answer."
"
You
are too
much
" to be able to pastor,
of a philosopher," replied the
become a
Reason has
Christian.
taken the upper hand with you, and faith must accom-
modate
itself to
You hold
reason.
mere
Christian religion to be to
be mere laws of reason.
satisfied with
fore pray to
grace,
fables,
and
its
For the present
your confession of
God, that
the mysteries of the
He may
and endow you with the
faith.
I
commands cannot be
You should
there-
enlighten you with His
spirit
of true Christianity;
to me again." the case," I said, " then I must confess,
and then come " If that
Herr
is
Pastor, that I
Whatever
light I
luminous with the
am
may
not qualified for Christianity.
receive,
I shall
light of reason.
always
I shall
make
it
never believe
An
Autobiography.
upon new
that I have fallen
257
truths, if
impossible to
it is
known
see their connection with the truths already
me.
must therefore remain what
I
My
Jew.
religion enjoins
me
I
am,
to believe nothing, but to
think the truth and to practise goodness.
hindrance
my
in this I
fault.
With
The
do
this I
find
any
from external circumstances,
it is
not
all
that lies in
my
power."
bade the pastor goodbye.
my
brought on an ague.
journey, coupled with poor food, I lay
and suffered the want of
My
all
on a straw-bed
who
in a garret,
conveniences and refresh-
who took
landlord,
Jewish physician,
pity
on me, called a
prescribed an emetic which soon
me of my fever. The doctor common man, stayed to converse cured
hours,
If
I
hardships of
ments.
to
a stiffnecked
and begged me,
found that with
me
I
was no
some
for
as soon as I recovered, to visit
him.
Meanwhile, however, a young man, who had known
me
in Berlin,
say that
now
Herr
heard of
W
residing in
perly call
,
I
position naturally, asked
for
his
that I
called
me
on
me
me
to
was
in Berlin,
that I might very pro-
and Herr
so,
W
who
,
what
I
intended to do.
disI
him my whole circumstances, and begged
advice.
fortunate
did
seen
honourable man, of a benevolent
clever,
represented to
He
arrival.
Hamburg, and
upon him.
was a very
my
who had
He
position
of
said that
my
in
affairs
had devoted myself with
his
opinion the un-
arose from the
fact,
zeal merely to the ac-
Maimon :
Solomon
258
had neglected the
quisition of scientific knowledge, but
and therefore
study of language,
municate
my knowledge
was unable to com-
I
to others, or
make any use
Meanwhile, he thought, nothing had been
and
I
if
was
circumstances, I could attain at
Altona, where
my
provide for I
accepted
his
my object in
the
of
it.
by delay
accommodate myself
willing to
still
lost
;
to the
gymnasium
son was studying, while he would
support.
with
this offer
with a joyful heart.
many
thanks, and went
Meanwhile
Herr W
home
spoke to
the professors of the gymnasium, as well as to the principal,
a
but more particularly to the syndic, Herr
man who
cannot be
sufficiently praised.
sented to them, that I was a
who wanted merely some to distinguish himself in
man
of
G
He
uncommon
,
repretalents,
knowledge of language the world, and who hoped to further
obtain that knowledge by a short residence in the gym-
They acceded
nasium. lated,
Here
I lived for
But the pupils supposed,
ments
I,
made I
two years
to
in
me,
such a gymnasium, as
who had
already
was matricu-
I
in the institution.
peace and contentment.
very slow progress
in science,
what tedious.
Dusch
in
make
natural that
but
to his request.
and had a room assigned
;
made
and
may be
considerable attain-
should find the lessons at times some-
Consequently
a selection to suit
I
did not attend them
my
taste.
The
esteemed very highly on account of
scholarship and
easily
was therefore
it
his excellent character,
his
all,
Director
profound
I therefore at-
An
Autobiography.
tended the most of his lectures.
phy of
much
his lectures
But
on which he
Ernesti,
and
satisfaction,
I
on
It
259
is
true, the philoso-
lectured, could not give
just as
little
me
did I receive from
Segner's Mathematical
Compendium.
derived great benefit from his instructions in the
H
The Rector
English language.
,
a cheerful old
man, though somewhat pedantic, was not altogether pleased with me, because I would not perform his Latin exercises,
and would not learn Greek
fessor of History
and
at
began
at all.
The Pro-
ab ovo with Adam,
the end of the year with a great deal of effort
reached as bel.
his lectures
far
down
as the building of the
The teacher of French used
Sur f existence de Dieu,
Tower of Ba-
for translation Fenelon's
a work for which I conceived
the greatest dislike, because the author, while appearing to declaim against
Spinozism, in reality argues in
its
defence.
During the whole period of my residence in the gymnasium the professors were unable to form any correct idea of me, because they never had an opportunity of
forming I
my
thought
I
had attained
foundation in languages. this inactive
nasium.
By
acquaintance.
life,
my I
the end of the object,
had
also
and therefore resolved
But Director Dusch
;
and
It
was about
this
I
wanted
laid a
become
year
good
tired of
to quit the
gym-
who began by and by
become acquainted with me, begged me another year, and, as
first
to
to stay at least
for nothing, I consented.
time that the following incident in
Solomon Maimon
260
my
My
took place.
life
wife
:
had sent a
Jew
polish
in
search of me, and he heard of my residence in Hamburg. Accordingly he came and called on me at the gymnasium.
He I
had been commissioned by
home
should either return
wife to
my
demand,
that
without delay, or send
through him a bill of divorce. At that time I was unI was not able to do either the one or the other. inclined to be divorced from
and
to return at
life,
was
to
me
mission, and added that gymnasium soon and go
would, as
I
hoped, give
ance in carrying out satisfied
on
I
had not
I represented all
impossible.
it
was
my
the com-
intention to leave the
to Berlin, that
me
;
yet the
in the world or of leading
who had undertaken
the gentleman
this to
without any cause
once to Poland, where
slightest prospect of getting
a rational
my wife
Berlin friends
my
both their advice and
this intention.
He
assist-
would not be
with this answer, which he took for a mere
When
he thus found that he could do nothing with me, he went to the chief rabbi, and entered a evasion.
A
complaint against me. sent to
rabbi
under
;
summon me but I took
stand, that at present I
be decided.
its
The
chief rabbi
through the Government to make wishes, but that
was not
inasmuch as the gymnasium had own, by which my case would require
his jurisdiction,
a jurisdiction of to
my
messenger was accordingly
before the tribunal of the chief
all
his efforts
were
he could not accomplish
his
made
me
in vain.
purpose
every
effort
submit to his
When
he saw
in this
way, he
An me
sent
an invitation a second time on the pretext that
he wished merely
to
He
to to
began "
me
received
To
speak with me.
consented, and went
known
261
Autobiography.
to
with
him
this I willingly
at once.
much
respect
and when
;
you are the son of the famous Rabbi Joshua
your father well
;
he
is
I
?
a pious and learned man.
made
know
You
to me I have examined you as a and formed high expectations of you. possible that you have altered so?" (Here he
unknown
also are not
;
several times,
boy
Oh
I
him my birthplace and family in Poland, he lament and wring his hands. " Alas! " said he,
is it
!
my
pointed to
To
shaven beard).
this I replied, that I
had the honour of knowing him, and that I still remembered his examinations well. My conduct hitheralso
told him,
to, I
was
as
little
opposed to
religion properly " But," he interrupted understood, as it was to reason. " you do not wear a beard, you do not go to the syna-
gogue
is
:
replied,
that not contrary to religion?"
and
I
proved to him from the Talmud
under the circumstances
On
was allowed. dispute,
could
in
in
which
this point
I
nothing with
was placed,
we entered
which each maintained
effect
me
was of no
Shophar!"
avail,
This
is
and
at
which
it is
that,
all this
As he
by such disputation, he ;
but
when
this
he began to cry aloud, " Shophar the
blown on New-Year's day
name as a
I
into a lengthy
his right.
adopted the style of mere sermonising also
"No!"
of the
summons
supposed that Satan
is
horn which
! is
to repentance,
horribly afraid.
262
Solomon
Maimon:
While the chief rabbi called out the word, he pointed to him on the table, and asked
a Shophar that lay before "
Do you know what that is ? " " Oh yes it is a ram's horn." boldly, me,
I
back upon
the chief rabbi
fell
lament over
lost soul.
my
him
it
would be an advantage
liked,
as well as fair to the
more
I
to
certificate
examine
certificate
me on
acquainted
leave,
from him,
should make my-
with the
professors.
and it
told
him
would be
that, as I
well for
him
the progress I had made, so that his
might be as nearly
with the truth.
my I
to reflect, that
future success,
went to Director Dusch, announced to
was soon to
that I
wished a
in view of
gymnasium, that
intimately
Accordingly
him
to
to lament as long
and bade him goodbye. At the end of my second year I began
self
and began
his chair,
I left
as
he
replied quite
At these words
!
To
this
accordance
as possible in
end he made
me
translate
some
passages from Latin and English works in prose as well as in verse,
and was very well pleased with the
Afterwards he entered into conversation with subjects in philosophy, but found
me
translation.
me on some
so well versed in
own safety he was obliged to back out. he asked me, " But how is it with your mathe-
these, that for his
At
last
matics
?
"
I
begged him
" In our mathematical
to
examine
lessons,"
me
in
he began,
this
"
also.
we had
advanced to somewhere about the subject of mathemaWill you work out yourself a proposition tical bodies. not yet taken up in the lessons, for example, that about
An
Autobiography.
263
the relation of the cylinder, the sphere and the cone to
one another
You may
?
take
some days to do it." I and offered to perform
replied that this was unnecessary,
the task
on the
then demonstrated, not only the
I
spot.
proposition prescribed, but several other propositions out
The
of Segner's Geometry.
surprised at this, called all
Director was very
much
the pupils in the gymnasium,
and represented to them that the extraordinary progress I had made should make them ashamed of themselves.
The most
of them did not "
some
replied,
Maimon made
Do
know what
Herr Director,
that
mathematics here.
He
not suppose,
this progress in
to say to this; but
has seldom attended the mathematical lessons, and even
when he was
there he paid no attention to them."
They
were going to say more, but the Director commanded
and gave
silence,
which
I
became
to
me
tainments, and in
me
an honourable
certificate,
cannot avoid quoting a few sentences.
from
They
afterwards a constant spur to higher I
hope
it
will
at-
not be considered vainglory
me
to cite the opinion of this esteemed man. " His capacity," says he, " for learning all
that
is
beautiful, good and useful in general, but in particular those sciences which require severe exertion of the mental powers, abstract and profound thought, is, I might al-
most
say, extraordinary.
which demand
All those sorts of knowledge,
in the highest degree one's
efforts, appear to
him
tual occupations
seem
the most agreeable to
be
;
own mental
and
intellec-
his chief, if not his sole, en-
Solomon Maimon
264
His favourite studies hitherto have been
joyment.
losophy and mathematics, cited I
the
my
:
in
which
phi-
his progress has ex-
astonishment, &c."
now bade good-bye to the teachers and officers of gymnasium, who unanimously paid me the compli-
ment, that
I
had done honour
to their institution.
then set out once more for Berlin.
I
,
An
Autobiography.
CHAPTER Third Journey to Berlin
ON my
XXVII.
Frustrated Plan of
Journey
to Breslau
arrival in Berlin I called
well as
some other old
265
friends,
Hebrew Authorship
Divorce.
upon Mendelssohn, as and begged them, as I
had now acquired some knowledge of languages, ploy me hit
in
some occupation
Hebrew,
my capacity. They
living in darkness, I should prepare in
still
as the only language intelligible to them,
scientific works,
at their
em-
to
suggestion, that, in order to enlighten the
upon the
Polish Jews
suited to
own
His proposal
some
which these philanthropists were to
expense, and I
distribute
among
accepted with delight.
print
the people.
But now the
question arose, with what sort of works a beginning
should be made.
were divided in
On
this point
their opinions.
my One
that the history of the Jewish nation
excellent friends
of
them thought
would be most
ser-
viceable for this purpose, inasmuch as the people would
discover in
it
the origin of their religious doctrines and
of the subsequent corruption which these had undergone, while they would thus also gain an insight into the that the
fall
of the Jewish state, as well as
all
fact,
the subse-
quent persecution and oppression which they had
suf-
266
Maimon:
Solomon
had arisen from
fered,
tion
to
all
rational
own
their
ignorance and opposi-
Accordingly this
arrangements.
gentleman recommended
that
should translate from
I
the Jews ; he gave me the and asked me to furnish a copy
French Basnage's History of
work of
for this purpose,
my
them
even to Mendelssohn, and
all,
the work in hand
we ought
;
I
satisfaction to
was ready to take
but one of our friends thought that
something on natural religion and inasmuch as this is the object of all en-
to begin with
rational morals,
Accordingly he recommended that for
lightenment. this
The specimen gave
translation.
purpose
I
should translate the Natural Religion of
Mendelssohn withheld
Reimarus.
his opinion,
he believed that whatever was undertaken though I
it
would do no harm, would
in this line,
be of
also
because
little
use.
myself undertook these works, not from any conviction
of
my
own, but at the request of
my
friends.
was too well acquainted with the rabbinical despotism, which by the power of superstition has established I
its
throne for
its
own
many
centuries in Poland,
and which
for
security seeks in every possible
the spread of light and truth.
Jewish theocracy
is
I
way to prevent knew how closely the
connected with the national existence,
so that the abolition of the former must inevitably bring
with
it
the annihilation of the
clearly that less
;
but
I
ready stated,
my
I
saw therefore
labours in this direction would be
undertook
my
latter.
friends
this
fruit-
commission, because, as al-
would have
it
so,
and because
I
An
267
Autobiography.
could think of no other means of subsistence.
Accord-
ingly without fixing anything definite about the plan of
my
where
I
me
friends resolved to send
could carry on
my work
to Dessau,
at leisure.
reached Dessau in the hope, that
I
my
my
labours,
few days
after a
would resolve upon something defiwork but in this I was deceived ; for, as
friends in Berlin
nite
about
my
:
back on Berlin, nothing further was I waited about a thought of the plan. fortnight ; but soon as
I
turned
when during I
my
that period I received
wrote to Berlin
in
friends cannot unite
settlement of
it
upon
"If
For
judgment.
believe that, to enlighten the Jewish nation,
my
part I
we must
gin neither with history nor with natural theology
One
morals.
of
my reasons
for thinking so
subjects, being easily intelligible, instil
any
who
jects
:
for they
is
is,
that, as
intellec-
those sub-
Besides,
no proper history of the Jewish
have scarcely ever stood in
lation with other civilised nations
tion of the
to
more
into collision with religious
they would never be admitted.
sooth to say, there nation
among
the
upon the highest
But a second reason
would frequently come
prejudices,
that these
are accustomed to respect only those
studies which involve a strain tual powers.
is,
be-
and
would not be able
regard for science in general
learned Jews,
my
a plan, they might leave the
my own
to
no communication,
the following terms:
;
political re-
and, with the excep-
Old Testament and Josephus and a few
ments on the persecutions of the Jews
in the
frag-
middle
Solomon Maimon:
268
ages, nothing
is
to
be found recorded on the subject.
believe, therefore, that
it
I
would be best to make a begin-
ning with some science which, besides being most favourable for the development of the mind,
is
and stands
religious opinions.
Of
in
no connection with any
this sort are the
mathematical sciences
with this object in view tical
also self-evident,
I
am
;
and therefore
willing to write a
mathema-
text-book in Hebrew."
To
this I received the answer, that I
Accordingly
plan.
I
might follow
applied myself with
all
my
diligence to
the preparation of this text-book, using the Latin work
on mathematics by Wolff as its basis ; and in two months it was finished. I then returned to Berlin, to give an account of my work, but received immediately from one of the gentlemen interested the disappointing information, that, as
entail
the work was very voluminous, and as
it
would
on account of the
heavy expenditure especially
copper-plates required, he could not undertake the publi-
cation at his
my to
own
expense, and I might therefore do with
manuscript whatever
Mendelssohn
unreasonable to
but that
I
I
chose.
I
complained of
this
and he thought, that certainly it was let my work go without remuneration, ;
could not require
my
friends to undertake the
publication of a work which could not calculate on any
good result in consequence of that aversion to all science, which I myself knew to be prevalent among the Jewish His advice therefore was, that I should get the nation.
book printed by subscription
;
and of course
I
was
An
Autobiography.
obliged to content myself with
269
Mendelssohn and
this.
the other enlightened Jews in Berlin subscribed, and I received for
my work
merely
The whole
of subscriptions.
manuscript and the
my
plan, however,
list
was thought
of no more.
On
this
I
out again with
fell
man
my
friends in Berlin.
knowledge of the world, who that human actions must always be determined supposed Being a
with
little
by the laws of justice, bargain made.
though too
My
pressed for the fulfilment of the
I
friends,
on the other hand, began,
late, to see, that their ill-considered project
must of necessity
collapse, because they
had no assurance
of a market for such voluminous and expensive works.
From
the religious, moral and political condition of the
Jews up to enlightened selves
this
time
it
was easy
to foresee that the few
men among them would
no trouble
language, which
such subjects
;
certainly give
to study the sciences in the
them-
Hebrew
very ill-adapted for the exposition of
is
they will prefer to seek science in
original sources.
The
its
unenlightened, on the other hand,
and these form the
majority,
so
are
swayed by
rabbinical prejudices, that they regard the study of the sciences, even in sistently
Hebrew, as forbidden
fruit,
and
per-
occupy themselves only with the Talmud and
the enormous
number of
its
commentaries.
All this I understood very well,
and
thought of demanding that the work should be printed
;
I
therefore I never I
had prepared
asked merely remuneration for the
Solomon
270 labour spent on
remained
had
right
with
my
it
in vain.
neutral,
on
In
He promised to them
some other way.
use his influence
to provide for
But when even
not done, I became impatient,
letters
service
;
of introduction,
I
sub-
this
was
to
quit
took with
but they were of
reached Breslau myself,
for before I
my
and resolved
Berlin once more, and go to Breslau.
some
Mendelssohn
this dispute
because he thought that both parties
their side.
friends, to induce
sistence in
Maimon :
me
little
letters in
the spirit of those which Uriah carried had preceded me,
and made a bad impression on the most of those
my
letters
result, therefore, I
was coldly received
nothing of the later plain
my
As
of introduction were addressed.
reception,
letters, I
found
it
and had made up
;
whom
to
a natural
and as
I
knew
impossible to ex-
my mind
to quit
Breslau.
By chance, however,
I
became acquainted with the
celebrated Jewish poet, the late Ephraim Kuh.
learned and high-minded
me,
that, neglecting
all his
man took
so
the wealthy Jews he spoke of
when he found
me
that all his
interest in
former occupations and enjoy-
ments, he confined himself entirely to
thusiasm, and praised
much
This
me
my
society.
To
with the greatest en-
as a very
good
fellow.
complimentary remarks
But failed
make any impression on these gentlemen, he took some trouble to find out the cause of this, and at last
to
discovered that the reason lay in those friendly letters
from Berlin.
Their general tenor was, that
I
was seeking
An to spread
pernicious
Autobiography.
271 as a
Ephraim Kuh,
opinions.
thinking man, at once saw the reason of this charge; but with
the efforts he made, he could not drive
all
the heads of these people.
during
my
first
I confessed
experience or knowledge of the world,
had
I
him
man felt
that,
without
an
irre-
impulse to communicate to others whatever truth
sistible I
to
sojourn in Berlin as a young
out of
it
knew
;
but I assured him
for
having
that,
some
years
become
wise by experience, I went to work with great
caution,
and
that therefore this charge
was now wholly
without foundation. Irritated
by
my
disheartening situation, I resolved to
form the acquaintance of Christian scholars, by whose
recommendation the wealthy
however,
men
that
I
thought
of
I
my own
my
might find a hearing among
nation.
defective
obstacle to the expression of
I
could not but
language
my
thoughts
a written essay, in which I delivered
fear,
might form an so I prepared
;
my
ideas
on the
most important questions of philosophy in the form of With this essay I went to the celebrated aphorisms. Professor Garve, explained to
him
and submitted my aphorisms
to
He gave
discussed
me
them with me
intention,
manner,
recommended me
also
emphatic language to the wealthy banker, This gentleman settled a monthly
Lipmann Meier. allowance on
my
for examination.
in a very friendly
a good testimonial, and
orally in very
briefly
him
me
for
my
support,
Other Jews on the subject,
and
also
spoke
to
some
My men
Maimon
Solomon
272
now improved
situation
my humble
his father to allow
man
to-do enlightened
;
and the
of great
his children the best
to give
society.
he desired to
personality, that
instruction in the sciences.
my
begged
my
Herr Aaron Zadig
others the second son of
enjoy
Many young Among took so much
every day.
of the Jewish nation sought
pleasure in
:
This he earnestly being a well-
latter,
good
sense,
German
who wished
education, and
spared no expense for that object, willingly gave his consent.
He
should
live at his
and made the proposal that I house, and for a moderate honorarium
sent for me,
should give his second son lessons for two hours a day
and
in physics
belles lettres,
and
also a lesson in arithmetic
of an hour a day to his third and youngest son. proposal
I
accepted with great willingness
;
This
and, not long
Herr Zadig asked me, if I would not also consent give lessons in Hebrew and elementary mathematics
after,
to
to his children
who had
hitherto
I
it
thought
who had
had
would be unfair
to supplant this
who was
a family to support, and
faction at any rate
and therefore
;
for their teacher in
named Rabbi Manoth. But
these subjects a Polish Jew,
I
poor man,
giving satis-
declined this request.
Accordingly Rabbi Manoth continued his lessons, and
I
entered upon mine.
In
house
this
for myself.
I
In the
was able first
to carry
place, there
on but
and, in the second place, I lived in a children,
little
study
was a want of books ;
room with the
where they were occupied with other masters
An
Autobiography.
every hour of the day.
young people did not
become somewhat
273
Besides, the liveliness of these
suit
stern
my character which had already and therefore
;
I
had often occa-
sion to get angry at petty outbursts of unruliness.
sequently, as I was obliged to pass most of
Lisse, a ful
plump
every
I
spent
sort.
of enlightened
mind and
With him and some other
disposition.
panions
man
little
my
Herr Hiemann
I often visited
idleness, I sought society.
my
evenings
in talk
and
Contime in
jest
cheer-
jolly
com-
and play
During the day I strolled around
among
of
the
coffee-houses.
In other families also
I
soon became acquainted, par-
ticularly in those of
Herr Simon, the banker, and Herr
Bortenstein, both of
whom showed me much kindness. me to devote myself to medicine,
All sought to persuade for
which
when
I
difficult
had always entertained a great dislike. But saw from my circumstances, that it would be I
for
me
to
to Professor Morgenbesser,
medical lectures for some time
overcome
my
dislike to the art,
the lectures again.
who was
I also
I
attended his
after all I
could not
and accordingly gave up
I
so justly esteemed on account of
his abilities, as well as for his
of mankind.
but
and
became acquainted with especially with the late Herr
By and by
other Christian scholars, Lieberkiihn,
;
I
Professor Garve intro-
allowed myself to be persuaded.
duced me
any other way,
find support in
made
warm
interest in the welfare
the acquaintance of
teachers of merit in the Jesuits' College at Breslau.
some
Solomon Maimon
274
But
did not give up wholly literary work in Hebrew.
I
Hebrew Mendelssohn's Morgenstunden. some sheets as a specimen to
I translated into
Of
:
this translation I sent
Herr Isaac Daniel answer because
Itzig in Berlin
this excellent
but
;
man, owing
I
no
received
to his business
being too extensive, cannot possibly give attention to
and
subjects that are not of immediate interest to him,
therefore such affairs as the answering of I also
easily forgotten.
wrote in
my
Hebrew
letter are
a treatise on
Natural Philosophy according to Newtonian principles
and
this,
as well as the rest of
my Hebrew
works, I
;
still
preserve in manuscript.
At
last,
situation.
I
however,
The
fell
here also into a precarious
children of Herr Zadig, in pursuance of
the occupations to which they were destined in tered into commercial situations,
As
in
I
some other way,
I taught Euler's
en-
therefore required
Other means of support also gra-
teachers no longer. dually failed.
and
life,
was thus obliged I
to seek subsistence
devoted myself to giving lessons
Algebra to a
young man, gave two
;
chil-
dren instruction in the rudiments of German and Latin, &c.
But even
this did
not
last long,
and
I
found myself
in a sorrowful plight.
Meanwhile land. great
my
A woman
wife
and
eldest son arrived
from Po-
of rude education and manners, but of
good sense and the courage of an Amazon, she dethat I should at once return home with her, not
manded
seeing the impossibility of what she required.
I
had
An now
lived
some
which
ledge in
directions.
many
myself of
up, I
my former barbarous and
to
of superstition and religious
fetters
had abandoned the rude manner of
had been brought
I
275
years in Germany, had happily emanci-
pated myself from the prejudice,
Autobiography.
and extended
life
my
in
know-
could not therefore return
miserable condition, deprive
the advantages I had gained, and expose
all
myself to rabbinical rage at the slightest deviation from the ceremonial law, or the utterance of a liberal opinion. I
represented to her, that this could not be done at once,
that
I
known licit
should require to
my
first
of
all
make my
situation
friends here as well as in Berlin,
and
so-
from them the assistance of two or three hundred
thalers, so that I
pendent of listen to
my
might be able to
nothing of
ately.
of two
Here evils,
all this, if I
therefore
and
I
it
and declared her resolution
would not go with her immediwas for me to choose the less
I
was obliged
lodging and board of these guests, friends in Breslau.
formed, and
I
pointed
difference between the
and
to provide for the
to introduce
Both of these duties
out, especially to
manner of
life
Moreh Nebhochim,
my
I
them per-
son, the
one leads here and
that in Poland, while I sought to convince
passages in the
Poland inde-
But she would
consented to the divorce.
Meanwhile, however,
my
in
live
religious associates.
to obtain a divorce,
to
to
him by
several
that enlightenment of
the understanding and refinement of manners are rather
favourable than otherwise to religion,
I
went further
:
I
Maimon
Solomon
276
:
sought to convince him, that he ought to remain with
me
I
;
assured him, that, with
support of
my
my
and the
direction
he would find opportunities of
friends,
developing the good abilities with which Nature had en-
dowed him, and would obtain
for
them some
suitable
These representations made some imemployment. him but my wife went with my son to pression upon consult some orthodox Jews, in whose advice she thought :
and they recommended a divorce, and on no account to
she could thoroughly confide her to press at once for
my
let
son be induced to remain with me. she was
however,
tion,
me
received from
and
start for
had succeeded
my
friends.
I
not to disclose
sum
a sufficient
home
of
gave them
my
to
to
raise difficulties,
and declared
wife,
to Berlin.
go
at
and explained
opinion she was perfectly
sorry to lose a wife, for
any
spirit
and
I
could not
of levity.
I
right.
whom let
I
it
to
would be
She then began to once pointblank, that
best, as neither
with her in Poland, nor she with
affection,
for
some score of ducats from
in collecting
was
me
By and by
faithfully followed.
necessary for us
my
she had for house-
money
her that, to complete the required sum,
for us a divorce
till
with her booty.
This pretty plan was I
This resolu-
She might then separate from
hold purposes. ever,
;
could
me
in
But
I live
happily
Germany. it still
In
made me
had once entertained
the affair be conducted in
told her therefore that I should
consent to a divorce only
if it
were enjoined by the courts.
An This was done.
My
Autobiography.
was summoned before the
I
court.
on which she claimed a
wife stated the grounds
" president of the court then said,
The
divorce.
277
Under we can do nothing but advise a " Mr. President," I replied, " we came here,
these circumstances divorce."
not to ask advice, but to receive a judicial sentence."
Thereupon the chief rabbi rose from
his seat (that
what
he said might not have the force of a judicial decision, approached
me
with the codex in his hand, and pointed
to the following passage his wife for years,
money,
shall,
"
divorce."
A
vagabond,
and does not
when he
It is
" :
not
comparison between
found, be obliged to grant a
is
my
part," I replied,
this case
Take your
to you, as judge.
who abandons
write to her or send her
"
to institute a
That duty
falls
seat again, therefore,
and
and mine.
pronounce your judicial sentence on the case."
The
president
presiding judge
pronounced me the
name
became
pale
and red by
turns, while the
At
judges looked at one another.
rest of the
became
furious,
began
to call
of the Lord.
I
left
My
wife
now saw
force,
that nothing
was
and therefore she took
also yielded at last,
names,
me
in
to storm, however,
and went away. Thus ended this strange as remained things they were before.
means of
me
a damnable heretic, and cursed
him
the
last
to
suit,
and
be done by
to entreaty.
I
but only on the condition, that at the
judicial divorce the judge,
who had shown
himself such
a master of cursing, should not preside in the court.
Maimon:
Solomon
278 After the divorce son.
I
my
wife returned to Poland with
remained some time
still
in Breslau
;
but as
my my
circumstances became worse and worse, I resolved to return to Berlin.*
" Afterwards when he spoke
*
of Poland, he used to be deeply
affected in thinking of his wife,
separate.
He
was
really very
went home to his very heart. up felt
from
whom
he was obliged
to
much devoted to her, and her fate It was easy when the subject came
deep sorrow which he he became by and by was usually incapable of further entertainment, and
in conversation, to read in his face the ;
his liveliness then sensibly faded away,
perfectly silent,
went
earlier
than usual home."
Maimoniana,
p. 177.
He
seems,
however, at a later period, to have at least spoken to his friends about marrying a second time ; but the project was never carried Trans. out. Ibid., p. 248.
An
Autobiography.
CHAPTER Fourth Journey to Berlin
I
came
and
life,*
my
Characteristic of
to Berlin,
Mendelssohn was no longer
I
did not
In the greatest distress
Bendavid, who
told
me
that
I
know
therefore
received a
visit
he had heard of
thirty thalers,
introduced
me
know
what to
my
unfor-
sum
of
Besides, he
which he gave to me.
to a
in
from Herr
tunate circumstances, and had collected a small
about
Help
my own Works.
former friends were determined to
nothing more of me. do.
XXVIII.
Unfortunate Circumstances
Study of Kant's Writings
WHEN
279
Herr Jojard, an enlightened and
high-minded man, who received
me
in a very friendly
my support. A me an ill turn with certain professor, indeed, tried to do this worthy man by denouncing me as an atheist but in manner, and made some provision
for
;
spite of this I gradually got on so well, that I was able
to hire a lodging in a garret
had now resolved
I
from an old woman.
to study Kant's Kritik of
Reason, of which I had often heard but which
never seen yet.f
He
died 4th Jan., 1786.
t Kant's work must 1781.
The method,
Trans.
still
in
which
Pure I
had
I studied this
Trans.
have been quite new, as
it
appeared in
Solomon Maimon:
280
work, was quite peculiar.
On
the
a vague idea of each section.
wards to make distinct by
first
This
my own
I
perusal I obtained
endeavoured
reflection,
to penetrate into the author's meaning.
the process which
But as
is
Such
after-
and thus
is
properly
called thinking oneself into a system.
had already mastered in this way the systems of and Leibnitz, I was naturally led to think Spinoza, I
Hume
This in
of a coalition-system.
gradually in writing in the
fact I found,
and
I
it
put
form of explanatory observa-
on the Kritik of Pure Reason, just as this system unfolded itself to my mind. Such was the origin of my
tions
Transcendental Philosophy. Consequently this book must
be
understand for the
difficult to
man
who, owing to the
inflexible character of his thinking, has
home merely
in
made
with the solution of which the Kritik
wrought out
in a
much
is
left
for
on the other
1
occupied,
is
wider sense than that in which
it
and by this means there ; Hume's scepticism in its full
taken by Kant
scope
to
Here the important problem, Quid juris
any other.
is
himself at
one of these systems without regard
is
plenty of
force.
side the complete solution of this
But
problem
leads either to Spinozistic or to Leibnitzian dogmatism.
When Herz.*
I
had finished
He
work, I showed
this
acknowledged
that
it
to
Marcus
he was reckoned among
the most eminent disciples of Kant, and that he had *
The name
which
I
is
left
have inserted.
blank by Maimon, but is known to be that See Fischer's Geschichte der neueren Phi-
losophic, Vol. v., p. 131.
Trans.
An
281
Autobiography.
given the most assiduous application while attending
may indeed be
Kant's philosophical lectures, as his writings, but that yet
he was not
a judgment on the Kritik lating to
it.
He
seen from
in a position to pass
on any other work readvised me, however, to send my man-
Kant
uscript directly to
or
itself
himself,
and submit
judgment, while he promised to accompany letter to the great philosopher.
Kant, sending him
from Herz.
my
I
Accordingly
to his
it
it
with a
wrote to
work, and enclosing the letter
A
good while passed, however, before an answer came. At length Herz received a reply, in which,
among "
other things,
Kant
said
:
But what were you thinking about,
when you
sent
me
my
dear friend,
a big packet containing the most
subtle researches, not only to read through, but to think
out thoroughly, while
am
I
still,
in
my
burdened with a vast amount of labour
my
plan
Part of this labour
!
of the Kritik,
ment,
which
is
is
sixty-sixth year,
in completion of
to furnish the last part
that, namely, on the Faculty of Judgsoon to appear ; part is to work out my
system of the Metaphysic of Nature, as well as the Metaphysic of Ethics, in accordance with the requirements of the Kritik.
Moreover,
I
am
kept incessantly busy with
a multitude of letters requiring special explanations on particular points
;
and, in addition to
all this,
my
health
had already made up my mind to send back the manuscript with an excuse so well justified on all is frail.
I
these grounds
;
but a glance at
T
it
soon enabled
me
to
282
Solomon
recognise
its
merits,
and
Maimon :
to show, not only that
me and the main problem much penetra-
had understood
my opponents
none of
so well, but that very few could claim so
Herr Maimon
tion as
This induced
me
.
in .
profound inquiries of ,"
this sort.
and so on.
In another passage of the
letter
Kant
" says
:
Herr
Maimon's work contains moreover so many acute obserhe cannot give
vations, that
it
to the public without
producing an impression strongly in his favour." myself he said
letter to
" :
In a
Your esteemed request
have endeavoured to comply with as
its
I
was possible
far as
me and
if I have not gone the length of passing a on the whole of your treatise, you will gather judgment the reason from my letter to Herr Herz. Certainly it
for
;
arises for
from no feeling of disparagement, which
no earnest
mankind, and
I entertain
effort in rational inquiries that interest
least of all for
which, in point of fact, betrays
such an
no
effort as
common
yours,
talent for the
pro founder sciences." It
may
able to
easily
me
be imagined how important and agree-
the approbation of this great thinker must
have been, and especially his testimony that stood him well.
who
and therefore dispose of every objec-
even though intended, not exactly as a refutation,
but as a
mere
had under-
believe themselves to be sole proprietors of the
Critical Philosophy, tion,
I
For there are some arrogant Kantians,
fuller
elaboration of this philosophy, by the
assertion without proof, that the author has failed
An
Autobiography,
Now
to understand Kant.
283
these gentlemen
were no
longer in a position to bring this charge against
my book,
inasmuch
as,
by the testimony of the founder himself of
the Critical Philosophy, I have a better right than they to
make At
use of this argument.
time
this
who was a
living in
Potsdam with a gentleman
When
leather-manufacturer.
went
arrived, I
was
I
of
publication
to Berlin,
my
and devoted
native of Poland I dedicated this
and
I
was put
my
work ;
letters
time to the
Transcendental Philosophy.
carried a copy to the Polish Resident sent,
Kant's
As a
to the king,
but
it
and
was never
from time to time with various
off
Sapienti sat !
excuses.
A copy
of the
work was
also sent, as
is
usually done,
to the editor of the Allgemeine Litteraturzeitung.
After
without any notice appearing,
waiting a good while
I
wrote to the editor, and received the following answer
"You know who
how
yourself
small
are competent to understand
works.
is
the
number
:
of those
and judge philosophical
Three of the best speculative thinkers have
declined to undertake the review of your book, because they are unable to penetrate into the depths of your researches.
from
An
application has been
whom a favourable
made
reply was expected
;
to a fourth,
but a review
from him has not yet been received." I also
began to work
Aufkldrung.
My
first
at this
article
time for the Journal fitr
was on Truth, and was
in
Maimon:
Solomon
284
The
the form of a letter to a friend* in Berlin.
was occasioned by a friend during to
me
in a
my
letter
which
stay in Potsdam,
humorous
article
had received from
I
and
in
this
which he wrote was no longer
vein, that philosophy
a marketable commodity, and that therefore I ought to
take advantage of the opportunity which I was enjoying to learn tanning.
I replied,
that philosophy
not a
is
coinage subject to the vicissitudes of the exchange I afterwards
this proposition
Another which
I
article in the
show
developed
same periodical was on
from a relative to
I
correlate.
its
on Bacon and Kant,
in
which
is
journal, in
which
I
wrote also an
I institute
endeavoured to make
beings has not only as
much
in
my
The Soul of
common
My
last article in
it
outweigh those on
the journal referred to
hold the Kantian philosophy to be
I believe that it is
side of the Scepticism of
*
animated
to all
refutable from the side of the Dogmatist,
hand
out, that the
Transcendental Philosophy; and I explain
that, while I
it
article
a comparison
in its favour as the opposite
doctrine, but that the arguments for
the other side.
word
subject of another discussion in this
doctrine of one universal soul
the plan of
Tropes, in
analogous, but
between these two reformers of philosophy.
World was the
and
;
article.
that these imply the transference of a
not from one object to another that
the
my
in
Samuel Levi, according
exposed
to all attacks
from the
Hume. to
Maimoniana,
ir-
on the other
p. 78.
Trans.
An
A
Autobiography.
number of young Jews from
285 parts of
all
Germany
had, during Mendelssohn's lifetime, united to form a society the
under the designation,
Hebrew Language.
Society
for Research
They observed with
into
truth, that
the evil condition of our people, morally as well as politically, has its source in their religious prejudices, in
want of a rational exposition of the Holy Scriptures, and in the arbitrary exposition to which the rabbis are their
led by their ignorance of the
Hebrew
Ac-
language.
cordingly the object of their society was to remove these deficiencies, to study the
and by this
in
that
means
Hebrew language
purpose they resolved
Hebrew under
the
to publish a
title
was to give expositions of
Hebrew poems, prose works,
The
in its sources,
to introduce a rational exegesis.
of
monthly periodical
FpDn, The
difficult
essays,
For
Collector,
which
passages in Scripture,
translations from useful
etc.
intention of
all this
was certainly good
;
but that
the end would scarcely be reached by any such means, I
saw from the very beginning.
I
was too familiar with
the principles of the rabbis and their style of thought to believe that such
The Jewish
means would bring about any change.
nation
is,
without reference to accidental
modifications, a perpetual aristocracy under the appear-
ance of a theocracy. nobility in the nation,
The
learned men,
have been
able, for
many
to maintain their position as the legislative
much
authority
among
who form
the
centuries,
body with so
the common people, that they can
Solomon Maimon
286
:
do with them whatever they please. This high authority a natural tribute which weakness owes to strength.
is
For since the nation as the
common
divided into such unequal classes
is
people and the learned, and since the
former, owing to the unfortunate political condition of
the nation, are profoundly ignorant, not only of arts
and
all
useful
sciences, but even of the laws of their religion,
on which
their eternal welfare
supposed to depend,
is
it
follows that the exposition of Scripture, the deduction of religious laws
particular
and the application of these to must be surrendered wholly to the
from
cases,
it,
learned class which the other undertakes the cost of
The
maintaining. their
want of
own
their
learned class seek to
linguistic science
ingenuity,
wit
and
make up
rational exegetics
To
and acuteness.
for
by
form an
idea of the degree in which these talents are displayed, it is
Talmud along
necessary to read the
mentary called Tosaphoth, that first
commentary
of
The productions
is,
with the com-
the additions to the
Rabbi Solomon Isaac.* of the
mind
are valued by them, not
in proportion to their utility, but in proportion to the talent
A man
which they imply.
Hebrew, who
is
well versed in the
who understands
Holy
Scriptures,
who
even carries in his head the whole of the Jewish Corpus Juris,
and
that
is
no
is
trifle,
See above,
p.
41
by them but
Trans.
slightly
An The
esteemed.
man
Autobiography.
greatest praise that they give to such a
Chamor Nose Sepharim,
is
But
with books.
287
a
if
man
is
that
is,
by
his
able,
An
ass loaded
own
ingenuity,
deduce new laws from those already known, to draw fine distinctions, and to detect hidden contradictions, he
to
is
is
And
almost idolised.
to tell the truth, this
well founded, so far as
no
subjects that have It
may
ulterior
end
in view.
therefore be easily imagined, that people of this
sort will scarcely
accord a hearing to an institute which
aims merely at the cultivation of
trifling.
minds,
is it
them appears
Yet these are not the few educated men,
scattered here
which
the study of
taste,
language, or any similar object, which to
mere
judgment
concerns the treatment of
it
and
the steersmen of this ship
there,
driven about in
all seas.
does not matter how
All
men
much
of enlightened
taste or
knowledge
And
they possess, are treated by them as imbeciles.
why
?
Simply because they have not studied the Talmud
to that extent,
and
Mendelssohn was this account,
in the
in
manner, which they require.
some measure esteemed by them on
because in point of fact he was a good
Talmudist. I
was therefore neither
periodical; articles.
I
for,
nor against,
even contributed to
Among
it
at
this
monthly
times
Hebrew
these I will mention merely one,
an
of exposition of an obscure passage in the commentary Maimonides on the Mishnah, which I interpreted by the
Kantian philosophy.
The
article
was afterwards
trans-
Maimon
288
Solomon
lated into German,
and inserted
:
in the Berlinische
Monats-
schrift.
Sometime
now
after this I received
from this society, which
the Society for the Promotion of all that
calls itself
Noble and Good,
a commission
write
to
a
is
Hebrew
commentary on the celebrated work of Maimonides, This commission I undertook with Moreh Nebhochim. pleasure,
and the work was soon done.
So
far,
however,
The
only a part of the commentary has as yet appeared. preface to the
work may be considered
as a brief history
of philosophy.
had been an adherent of
I
all
philosophical systems in
succession, Peripatetic, Spinozist, Leibnitzian, Kantian,
and
Sceptic
finally
;
and
I
was always devoted to that
system, which for the time I regarded as alone true. last I
true,
observed that
and are
all
At
these systems contain something But, as
in certain respects equally useful.
the difference of philosophical systems depends on the ideas which
lie at their
of nature,
their
foundation in regard to the objects
properties
and modifications,
cannot, like the ideas of mathematics,
same way by
all
to publish for
be defined
men, and presented a priori^
my own
I
determined
use, as well as for the advantage
of others, a philosophical dictionary, in which sophical ideas
method, that
all philo-
should be defined in a somewhat free is,
without attachment to any particular
system, but either by an explanation
by
which in the
common
to
all,
or
several explanations from the point of view of each,
An Of
Autobiography.
work also only the
this
first
289
part has as yet ap-
peared.
In the popular
German monthly
already mentioned,
the Berlinische Monatsschrift, various articles of mine
were inserted, on Deceit, on the Power of Foreseeing, on
On
Theodicy, and other subjects. logy also
became
contributed
I
associated with
various
Empirical Psycho-
articles,
and
Herr Hofrath Moritz
at
last
in the
editorship of the perodical.*
So
much
occurred in thought,
with regard to
my
life,
the
events
might be not without use.
reached the haven of rest "
Quo
which have
and the communication of which,
;
I
I
have not yet
but
fata trahunt retrahuntque
sequamur."
* The last few pages have been condensed from the original ; in which the author gives detailed information, which seems no longer of any special interest, about the articles he contributed to periodicals.
Trans.
Solomon Maimon:
290
CONCLUDING CHAPTER. THE
closing words
awaken the life,
and
it
themselves
of the Autobiography
desire to
know
the sequel of the author's
seems therefore appropriate to
finish
the
narrative by the sketch of a few facts derived mainly
from the has been It is life
little
volume of Maimoniana,
made
to
which reference
in the preface.
perhaps scarcely necessary to state that Maimon's
end continued to
to the very
retain the
stamp
it
bore
throughout the whole period described in the preceding
That stamp had apparently been impressed even before he left Poland; and the Western
chapters.
on
it
influences,
under which he came
altered essentially the character
in Germany, never he brought with him
from home.
Even
in
external
its
his
features
life
enjoyed no
Fate had indeed been somepermanent improvement. what hard upon a man of so much genuine culture and Still
sensibility.
largest
cup
of suffering in his
circumstances that kept
the chronic poverty, which
:
it
is
the
was due not wholly
to
was partly his own nature or habits
him a pauper.
that there
life,
filled
This
is all
the
more remarkable,
perhaps no work of moral or
religious
An instruction
Talmud
Autobiography.
291
which attaches more importance than the Saturated as his mind
to industrial pursuits.*
was with Talmudic
lore, and disciplined as his early years had been by Talmudic training, Maimon could
not be ignorant of the advantage which the spiritual
life
derives from financial independence on others; and
might therefore have been expected of him
many too,
that, like
of the great rabbis, and Spinoza and Mendelssohn
he would have devoted himself to some remunera-
however humble.
tive occupation,
*
it
the kindness of
By
my
friend,
This would not have
the Rev. Meldola de Sola, of
the Portuguese Synagogue in Montreal, I am enabled to make an Among the Talmudic passages interesting note on this subject.
" Rather skin a carcase for enjoining industry are the following pay in the public streets, than be idly dependent on charity," "Rather perform the meanest labour than beg." As a further :
evidence of the estimation in which labour was held by the sages of the Talmud, it may be mentioned that Hillel, before being admitted to the Great College, earned his livelihood as a wood-
Rabbi Joshua was a pinmaker ; Rabbi Nehemiah a tailor ; Rabbi Joshua Hasandler, ; Rabbi Judah, "Of all a shoemaker; and Rabbi Judah Hanechtan, a baker. most hated were idleness and things," says Mr. Deutsch, "the cutter
that
;
Halsador, a potter
received their ; piety and learning themselves only ' It is work. to when estimation bodily healthy, joined proper ' from free then be will sin, well to add a trade to your studies ; you ' The tradesman at his work need not rise before the greatest
asceticism
doctor,' 'Greater
he who
fears
" period.
is
God
'
he who derives his livelihood from work than are some of the most common dicta of the
are some striking (Literary Remains, p. 25, where there Mr. Deutsch elsewhere condemnation of asceticism). Sabbath as you would on a week-day "Rather live on
stories in
your than be dependent on others,"
quotes,
(Ibid., p. 30).
Trans,
Solomon Maimon:
292
been impossible even in Poland, where the Jews were subject to no disability excluding them from the
common
industries of the country it
biography life,
appears that, even at an early period of his
he was more than half aware that his poverty was
due, not wholly to the imperious
but to a somewhat
culture,
Germany, with
living at
its
much
have been
that
and from the Auto-
;
demands of a higher
selfish
more advanced
less difficult for
indolence.*
civilisation,
him
to
make
a tolerable
he was very generously received by a large
secure for
him a
abandoned
From
the
who took
their effort only
most eminent men of friendly
services.
(Aenesidemus), towards
Maimon
also
his
in a
others,
Plattner,
Goethe,
that
But he never got
had acquired
Schultze
made advances
was not only very
ing, but might have been very helpful,
chosen, f
that they
time continued to tender their
even
way
and
when they found it in vain. it appears that some of the
Among and
circle of
a great deal of pains to
position of independence,
Maimoniana
In
would
The Autobiography shows
some employment.
influential friends,
it
if
flatter-
he had so
rid of the habit,
which he
depending on others ; and the low standard of comfort, to which he had accustomed himself, left him without sufficient stimulus to seek an in Poland, of
escape from his pauperised condition.
*
See above, pp. 140-1.
t
Maimoniana, pp. 196-200.
An
Autobiography.
293
He
His condition, therefore, never improved.
con-
tinued during his later years to work at various literary
employments; but the remuneration he obtained these was never sufficient for his subsistence.
He
appealed to a very limited public. often to go a-begging
himself
with
what
publishers chose to give.*
which he was obliged better return.
That
had consequently and
for a publisher,
slight
to
for
His works
to content
honorarium
the
The
hack-work, of
literary
do a good
sort of labour
deal,
reluctant
brought him no
was probably
as poorly
paid in Berlin at the time as in the Grub Street of last
He
century.
was therefore
Many
beggary.
Autobiography, had
the
by sheer starvation as a
times reduced to utter
patience with him
lost
some, who had helped him
him
at
of his earlier friends, as appears from
before,
to apply to
them
and
afterwards, treated
beggar, dismissing him with a copper (Zehrpfenmg), and at times with unnecessarily
cold, even insulting language.! fact, that his irregular habits often
of unscrupulous men, %
sometimes
fell
it
will
If
we add
made him
to this the
the victim
not seem surprising that he
into a bitter tone
about his friends,
and harsh judgments
or that he was apt occasionally
to
out into pretty strong language of general mis-
anthropy.
*
;
forced
common
in charity
burst
when he was
||
Ibid. p. 80.
\Ibtd., pp. 82-3.
^Ibid. pp. 80, 83-4. \\Ibid.,
^.Ibid., p. 95, note.
pp. 154, 157-
Solomon Maimon:
294
Maimon might have
Perhaps
to
destitution,
cultivated
in
risen out of the chronic
which he seemed doomed, any degree the virtue of
if
he had
But
thrift.
Autobiography shows, had been an
thriftlessness, as the
hereditary vice in his family, at least for two generations
before him; and though he gives vivid pictures of pitiable results in the father,
its
households of his grandfather and
he never made any
above
effort to rise
Whenever he obtained any remuneration instead of husbanding
it
till
economically
more, he usually squandered
once
at
it
it
himself.
for his work,
he obtained
in extravagancies,
often of a useless, sometimes of a reprehensible kind. *
He
points out in his
first
might have been a rich
income and expenditure. confess that,
chapter, that his grandfather
man
if
he had kept accounts of
But
his friend Wolff, has to
good mathematician as
Maimon
was, he
never seemed to think of the difference between plus
and minus
in money-matters, f
one of Maimon's friends was not
on a
With such a character far
from the
fresh application for assistance,
truth,
when
he dismissed him,
too harshly perhaps, with the blunt remark, "People like
you there
is
no use
in trying to help." J
Certainly help
was not to be found in Maimon himself, and to see
how he could have avoided
death by actual starvation, had
'Ibid., pp. 80, 95, 104.
t
it
it is
difficult
the chance of a miserable
not been that a generous
Ibid,, p. 84.
%Ibid,, p. 105.
An home was
at last
in comfort
A
Autobiography,
opened and peace.
to him,
character like that of
295
where he closed
Maimon
his days
implied a general
an absence of that regulation by fixed rules of conduct, which is essential to wellbeing. He
irregularity of
life,
was not indeed unaware of the importance of such " I regularity. require of every man of sound mind," he said one day,
"
that
he should
No wonder
of action."
friend to remark, that
only plan of
The
life
it
lay out for himself a plan
that this requirement leads his
seemed
had been
as
if
Maimon's
to live without any plan at all.*
irregularity of his habits
want of method even
him
to
is
strikingly seen in his
at his literary
work.
Notwith-
standing the technical culture he gave himself in early in drawing,
life
he seems never to have reached any
degree of muscular expertness.
Wolff remarked his
awkwardness
and
in handling his pen,
In other respects
fold a letter with tolerable neatness.! also
he was
careless
about those mechanical conveni-
ences by which mental work
was commonly
to
his inability to
is
usually facilitated.
be seen working
at
He
a very unsteady
desk, one leg of which was supported by a folio volume. % He did not even confine himself to any particular place for work.
Apparently he spent more of his day
in public
taverns than in his private lodging, and he might often
'
Ibid., p. 159.
^ Ibid., pp. 231-2.
J Ibid.,
p. 96.
Solomon Maimon:
296
be seen amid the distraction of such surroundings writing or revising proofs, while, as a consequence, his papers
sometimes were mislaid and to be done over again.
He
do
could
lost,
and
work had
his
had been
written
on an alehouse
how any man
work by
intellectual
though he had to make
and
rule;
therefore,
he could by
his living as best
he never formed the habit of reserving one
literature,
He commonly
part of the day for work. least in his
at
morning,
morning, and
worked
evidently no
fixed rule.
Probably
itself
up, with
good
I have,"
write
it
over again
by a long way, so careful
are not,
about your work when you it
know
that
you are going
happen."
J
in
;
it
will
to
do not
a thought,
you neglect many down, because you believe that
you again
it is
he said one day, " given
the habit of making a draught
result,
You
beforehand.
service-
an outline of a work before "
written out in detail.
was
same reason
for the
he never adopted the plan, which authors find so able, of first sketching
in the
that, his friend
acknowledges, was not very early ;f but this
write
all
was said of the Autobio-
could never understand
itself that it
graphy
bench.*
It
occur to
copying out, which frequently does not
It is clear,
however,
that, his
opinion to the
contrary notwithstanding, his writings suffered from his
unmethodical
"The
habits.
competent of judges on
Ibid., p. 140.
fact,"
this subject,
^Ibid.,
p. 96.
says
" that
the
most
Maimon
%lbid.,
p. 97.
is
An from
far
having
importance
Autobiography.
attained
the
297
which
recognition
deserves, may be accounted
his
the
for
by His extraordinary
defective condition of his writings.
acuteness was designed, but was not sufficiently cultivated, to give to his investigations the light
He
methodical exposition. his
Talmudic
fashion,
and the force of
wrote with most pleasure in
commenting and
disputing, with-
To
out proper sifting and arrangement of his materials. these defects must be added the faults of his is
surprising that he learned to
style.
It
write German as he
did.
In his writings there are passages
in
which the thought
and
bursts out with really resplendent power, forces the
language,
expression that take
even plays with
you by and ;
author he never became
surprise.
He
actually
turns
of
But a German
as a philosophical author
he wanted a certain sense of order that for exposition.
in
it,
is
indispensable
can sometimes formulate very
well,
but cannot systematise, and hence his most important opinions, in which the whole
meaning of
his
position
his writings found in rests, are often in the course of
* passages the least lucid and the least prominent." It is perhaps only saying the same thing of Maimon in another form, that he had no mechanical memory, that
consequently he was apt to forget the names of persons and of places, sometimes could not remember the name of the street where he lived, or the day or even the
* Fischer's Geschichte der
neuern Philosophic,
U
vol. v., pp. 133-4.
Solomon
298
month
;
and
Maimon
not therefore surprising that he often
it is
injured himself by neglecting It
may
upon
sort of
all
all
engagements.*
he was particularly
be readily inferred that
negligent about
:
engagements and regulations bearing
the mere externals of
That a man of
life.
his
condition and character must have been unusually careless
about his personal appearance, follows as a matter
we may pass over the peculiarities of Maimon's dress.
of course, and therefore of Wolff to usually to
be seen out of doors clad
in
references
He
was
an overcoat which
had evidently not been made for himself, and which, we may suspect, was intended as a convenient covering for the defects of under-garments, his boots weather-stains of ing that for a
ment with
many
days,
at
In the
his barber.
beard often show-
latter years of his life
wig, as well as of
powder
he
in his
a time when these changes must have been
regarded as fashion. for a
his
good while he had forgotten his engage-
abandoned the use of a hair,
and
bearing the
man
rather
But
daring
in all his
innovations
on prevalent
surroundings he showed what,
of his intellectual attainments, seems a most
astonishing
disregard
of sanitary
comfortable decencies of
life.
must have raised a shudder disorder or uncleanliness.
was constantly
at
cleanliness
The
state of his lodging
in
any one sensitive to
He
acknowledged that he
war with the housemaid on
*
and the
Maimoniana, pp.
190-6.
this subject,
An
Autobiography.
299
as he could never bear to have his
room swept and
dusted, and he complained of the perpetual annoyance to
which he was exposed
in
Amsterdam from
I
the exces'
sive scruples of the people in regard to tidiness.*
may
fairly
It
be suspected that the annoyance was consider-
ably greater, as
His habits
it
was more
difficult to
on the other
clung to him to the
in this respect
was evidently
justifiable,
keep
last,
side.
and
it
his surroundings tolerable
even in the comparatively sumptuous
home
in
which he
closed his days.
The
frank confessions of the Autobiography reveal the
fact, that
the irregularity, which characterised the
Maimon, sometimes led
The habit, which he began
matters of the law.
life
of
to a breach of the weightier in Poland,
of seeking relief from external discomfort and internal
wretchedness in alcoholic stimulation, grew upon him afterwards treat his
;
and
as his health
began to
fail,
he used to
various complaints by a liberal allowance of
various wines
and beers which he supposed adapted
their cure.t
The
liberal
cially in the evenings, to
to
allowance was very apt, espe-
exceed
all
reasonable moderation;
and the sleepy inhabitants of Berlin were not infrequently disturbed by the half-tipsy philosopher, as he wended
way unsteadily homewards at unseasonable hours, discoursing on all sorts of speculative themes in disagreehis
*
Ibid., pp. 90-1.
t/^V., pp. 183-8.
Maimon :
Solomon
300
ably loud tones that were occasionally interrupted by the expostulations of a night-watchman.*
The
manners of Maimon were
peculiarly undisciplined
occasionally shown in violent outbursts of various feelings. Too frequently it was an irritable temper that gave way.
The
provocation, even the loss of a
slightest
was apt to cause a painful explosion
chess, f
his language
was certainly
;
game
at
and then
from being restrained by
far
those usages which are found essential to the pleasantness
The
of social intercourse. J
uncontrollable violence of
these outbursts was amusingly exhibited in the
sometimes he could not requisite
for
command
with
whom he quarrelled,
he
mother tongue, which came It is
but
fair,
the intellectual calm
thinking and expressing
acquired German, and, even though fell
to
it
as
if
himself in his
might be a Gentile
back on
him
fact, that
his Judaeo-Polish
by natural
instinct.
however, to add that these outbursts were
often merely the unusually forcible, but not altogether unjustifiable,
wrong.
For
utterances
of
an honest indignation
this strangely
manners seemed
to
educated man, who in his outward
remain a somewhat rude child of
nature, was
after all
irritability,
but also to the more genial emotions.
*
at
||
ready to yield, not only to an unkindly
^ Ibid.,
lbid, t pp. 101-4.
p. 217.
%Ibid., pp. 109-112, 208, 212-3. Ibid,, p. 87.
||
Ibid., p. 213.
It is
An
Autobiography,
pleasing, for example, to
fondness for animals
know
and
;
that
301
he had a
particular
his pets were allowed in his
lodging liberties which, however objectionable to a tidy
house-maid, showed at least the essential gentleness of
Tutored
his heart.
school of poverty,
as is
it
he was himself also pleasing to
in the severest
know
that he
cherished a kindly sympathy for the poor, and was ever
ready to help them as he could, sometimes at the cost of
no small
sacrifice to himself.*
his nature
The
finer sensibilities of
were also easily touched by music.
he had no musical
culture,
and used
Though
to regret that
he had
had none, an old Hebrew melody, long after he had broken off all connection with the Jews, could move him so deeply that he was obliged, even in company, to seek relief in tears, t
For
in the uncontrolled simplicity of his
nature he allowed his feelings to find their natural vent
without
much
he was seen
restraint
by a tragedy, or
Nor
is it
character,
to
loud sobbing
to boisterous laughter over a
comedy. J
be regarded as an unpleasant feature of his
but rather as an indication of a wholesome
check on the general after
from circumstances; and therefore
at times in the theatre excited to
he had thrown
irregularity of his
life,
that,
national religion, he clung with evident fondness to of those rabbinical habits which he
*
Ibid., p. 249. id., p.
230.
even
off all the peculiar restraints of his
t /#
p. 88.
had
many
cultivated in his
Solomon
302 earlier
From
years.
Maimon :
Fischer's account of the style of
Maimon's works we have seen how was affected by
his
Maimon
evidently just.
acknowledged
Talmudic
its
his intellectual
The
studies.
himself had met with
He
justice.
work
criticism it,
is
and
protested indeed that
it
did not affect the truth of his speculations, though he evidently
disadvantages, and laboured at times to
felt its
acquire a more methodical style.*
The
most quaintly seen
Maimon, however, were
of
habits
rabbinical
in peculiarities of
outward manner.
Talmud he
Gesticulations customary in the study of the
was seen to adopt not infrequently when he forgot himself in the earnestness
company he studies
fell
of his
into a
brown
he would
in a
or even in the
study,
Thus
retirement.
mathematical works or any other great attention,
when
of conversation, or
reading Euler's
in
book which required Talmudic sing-
into the
fall
song and rhythmical swing of the body.f It is
noteworthy
also, that,
with
all
the unrestrained
rudeness which often characterised his manners,
was not without a certain dignified courtesy the occasion
demanded
as prettily as the
it,
Maimon an
must have gone a long way
*
Ibid., pp. 86-7.
for
and when
he could turn a polite phrase
most accomplished gentleman.!
was, moreover, in
jSee,
;
Maimon
intrinsic shyness
There which
to soften the less amiable
Mbid.,
p. 89.
example, Ibid., pp. 112, 115, 209, 250-1.
An
Autobiography.
side of his social character.*
Then
moods
conversation, in his better
303
it is
evident that his
had a charm
at least,
which made him a welcome guest in any company. Thus, amid all that may have been repulsive at times, there must have been in Maimon's character a good deal to attract the friendly
Autobiography that
itself,
companionship of
as well as
Maimon enjoyed
Wolffs
much
as
as
The
others.
little
book, shows
he desired of the
cultured society of his time.
Being naturally shy, indeed, he rather shrank from company in which intercourse is regulated by a somewhat rigid social code
;
and the
desire of freedom from such restriction often drove
much more
him
He
into
company
of a
also
seems
have entertained a strong dislike to any
to
objectionable kind.
excessively demonstrative affection.
He
himself was
rather curt in his expressions of courtesy or friendliness
towards others, contenting himself generally, on meeting
them,
with
a
familiar
nod.
The
lifting
of the
hat
appeared to him meaningless, and a deliberate embrace
"in
cold
blood" was
intolerable.!
Yet
in
many
instances the attachment of his friends was marked with
an unusual degree of warmth, and brought many an hour of sunshine to a life which otherwise would have been shadowed with insufferable gloom. Among all Maimon's friends, the most conspicuous place must be given to the
*
Ibid., p.
man by whose \ Ibid., pp.
165-6.
generous
Solomon Maimon:
304
he was able
hospitality
to close his
the comforts of a luxurious home. in a miserable lodging in
he learned from one of
life
chequered
While he was
one of the suburbs of
amid living
Berlin,
his friends that a Silesian noble-
man, Graf Kalkreuth, who had formed a high opinion of his writings,
was anxious
to
make
his personal acquain-
After a good deal of delay,
tance.
induced to
call
upon the Graf
Maimon was
at last
at his residence in Berlin.
Fortunately he was very favourably impressed with the character of his noble friend
begun
before
led
long
to
which the host displayed
his guest,
made
this
friendship thus
taking
his
up
The generous
permanently with the Graf.* tion
and the
;
his
abode
considera-
for all the eccentricities of
arrangement one of the happiest
for
poor philosopher, who since his childhood had seldom enjoyed the comforts of a home. But it is evident that the hardships of his life had at
the
an early period begun to that this
tell
upon
was further shattered
later years.
Symptoms
by
his constitution,
of serious trouble in the lungs
excited his alarm in the winter of 1795,
induced to seek medical advice.
adhere to any
services of his physicians sultation
*
;
from
his usual
fixed rule in his conduct, the
commonly ended
he seldom or never acted on
Ibid., pp. 201-210.
and he was
Partly from an unwise
scepticism in regard to medicine, partly failure to
and
irregular habits in his
with the contheir advice, f
\Ibid., pp. 183-8.
An He
Autobiography.
lived in indifferent health for five or six years more.
When
his last illness overtook him,
house of Graf Kalkreuth
Lower
in
305
Silesia.
The
he was
at Siegersdorf near Freistadt,
only account of him at this
was written by the pastor of
Freistadt,
may be
it
of
book
little
some
;
and
as
interest here.
it is
forms the
It
the only account,
The
much
On
week.
some
Maimon
but their intercourse had become
closer about six
when he used
weeks before Maimon's death, two or three times a
to visit the pastor
hearing that
Maimon had been
confined for
days, the good pastor at once went to see him.
found him in a his
;
Herr
pastor,
Tscheggey, had made the acquaintance of about the year 1795
crisis
a monthly
for
periodical of the time, entitled Kronos. close of Wolffs
living in the
state of great weakness,
He
unable to leave
room, and besought him earnestly, but in vain, to
take medical advice. again,
A
few days afterwards he called
and saw that evidently the end was drawing
Curious to know whether
Maimon
in this situation
nigh.
would
remain true to his principles, he gave the following turn to the conversation, which he professes to report
word
for word.
" I
am
sorry to find
you so
ill
to-day, dear
Maimon,"
said the pastor.
" There plied "
will
perhaps be some improvement yet,"
re-
Maimon.
You
look so
ill,"
his friend proceeded,
doubtful about your recovery."
w
"
that I
am
Solomon Maimon:
306 " I
What
am "
matters
am
dead, I
Can you
it
after all ?
"
"
Maimon.
said
When
gone."
say that, dear friend," rejoined the clergy-
"How? Your
man, with deep emotion.
mind, which
amid the most unfavourable circumstances ever soared to higher attainments, shall
fruits
which bore such
poor covering in which not
is
Which
will surely
be
are beautiful dreams
legality.
Let
broke in
fulfilled," his friend
;
"
You maintained
we cannot reach
further than to
after a short pause,
you are about which you will
and
you
"
Maimon, "these
not long ago that here
this
added,
be admitted
to pass over
;
and now perhaps
soon into a condition, in
rise to the stage
of morality, since you
of us have a natural capacity for
all
Do
?
something in you
is
"
and then,
mere
that there
and time ?
!" replied
and hopes "
and
not body, not matter, not subject to the condi-
tions of space
"Ah
has been clothed
it
moment
feel at this
which
fair flowers
be trodden in the dust along with the
it
it.
Why ?
Should you not wish now to come into the society of
one
whom
The
you honoured so much as Mendelssohn
" ?
zealous pastor says he gave the conversation this
turn on purpose, in order to touch this side of the philosopher's heart. "
Ay me
among
I
!
After a while the dying
the most foolish
otherwise
" !
man
exclaimed,
have been a foolish man, the most foolish
and how earnestly
I
wished
it
An "This
Autobiography.
307
utterance," observed the pastor,
"is also a
proof that you are not yet in complete accord with your
No," he added, taking Maimon by the hand,
unbelief.
"
you "
not
will
So
far as
all
die
mere
;
your
faith
spirit will surely live
on."
and hope are concerned,
I
can
go a good way; but what does that help us?" was Maimon's reply. "
"
helps us at least to peace," urged the pastor.
It
I
am
at
peace (Ich bin ruhig)" said the dying man,
completely exhausted.
Here Tscheggey broke sufferer
off the conversation, as
was evidently unable to continue
rose to leave,
come back
Maimon begged him
again soon.
it.
to stay, or at least to
He came
back the following
morning, but found the patient unconscious. o'clock
on the same evening
1800
ber,
haven. "
He
"
though
this
it
do not venture
peace was derived.
to say
When
life
his ashes."
window of
It is to
had reached
its
kindly clergyman,
from what source the
a few days afterwards I
passed the castle of his noble friend, sadness to the
At ten
was the 22nd of Novem-
strangely tossed
died at peace," says the I
the
When he
his former
I
looked up with
room, and blessed
be regretted that the generous piety
of the friendly minister was not universal, and that the ashes
of the unfortunate
doubter were only with a
grudge allowed to find a decent resting-place.
Notes on some Books of Special Interest PUBLISHED BY
ALEXANDER GARDNER, PAISLEY AND LONDON.
AT ALL
LIBRARIES.
JAMES HEPBURN, Free Church By SOPHIE
2 vols.,
keeper," etc.
Minister.
" VEITCH, Author of Angus Graeme, Game-
F. F.
Crown
8vo., 2 is.
"
A strong story of real life and cannot fail to give Miss Veitch a The whole story prominent position among modern novelists. .
is "
.
.
Saturday Review.
exceedingly powerful."
The work of fiction which heads the list may fairly be described as a singularly powerful and fascinating novel. Description by comparison is frequently convenient, though occasionally misleading but we do not think we shall convey a wrong impression if we say that 'James Hepburn bears a strong resemblance to some of the most vigorous and characteristic of Mrs. Oliphant's realistic Scottish stories. James Hepburn is one of the most truly heroic characters in recent fiction, with a certain largeness and grandeur in his heroism which are wonderfully impressive, and yet with a homeliness which never permits him to slip for a moment outside the range of pur imaginative belief. In creating an ideal character of unmistakable flesh and blood, Miss Veitch has achieved an unequivocal success, and one or two of the pivot situations in the book are conceived and presented with such dramatic power and sympathetic insight, that in virtue of them alone 'James Hepburn takes place among the most remarkable and admirable of recent novels. There are chapters in James Hepburn of which we feel convinced that the author of Scenes of Clerical Life would not have been ashamed. Such a novel is not only a book to admire, but one for which to be grateful." The Spectator. '
;
.
.
.
'
'
.
'
.
.
.
"
'
James Hepburn
.
.
a novel in two volumes, which is quite startThis book beauty of its conception. there is much more in it than the mere interest of a clever story, and only good can result from its influence." '
is
ling in the freshness and deserves careful reading
.
.
.
;
Literary World.
"The author of 'Angus Graeme, Gamekeeper,' has produced another Scottish novel of remarkable power. 'James Hepburn, Free Church Minister,' is at once a striking character study, a skilful picture of the social life of a country town and district, and a powerful sensational story. It must be adIt is in the first of these aspects that it displays most original vigour. mitted to be one of the strongest productions of the fictional ait that have recently appeared." Scotsman. " There can be no question that James Hepburn is the most notable Scottish story that will be The Christian Leader. issued in the jubilee year."
...
'
'
"
And of this tendency towards pure character-painting and everyday incident Miss Sophie Veitch promises to be the best exponent. In the two volumes which contain the story of episodes in the life of lames Hepburn, each character is carefully studied and presented as a finished The book is a drama palpitating with intense and real life, whose author masterpiece. . . should have a grand professional future." Whitehall Review. .
-The book deserves the highest praise. Hepburn's relations with Lady Ellinor his pure and noble love for her are fitly crowned by his splendid self-sacrifice. The descriptive part of this fine and often brilliant novel is admirably done." London Figaro. .
"
No
.
.
one who begins this story will pause till he has seen the hero through his troubles, and we who has done so will think he has spent his time badly." The British Weekly.
are sure no one
The story of James Hepburn is a story of very unusual power, promise, and desert. Lady Elinor is exceedingly pathetic and all her moods, as she gradually progresses along a path of peril, are described with a hand at once sure and delicate. Academy. .
.
.
;
Seldom do we meet with a novel by a comparatively unknown author which can afford such unIt is not every writer who can, like Mrs. Oliphant, throw a glamour alloyed pleasure. over the sordid details of bourgeois life. Amongst the few who can do so Miss Veitch may now claim to rank her novel is a remarkable one, and if it does not attain to considerable popularity the fault will not be with the author. There is intense pathos in the loyal struggle of the beautiful young wife who believes herself to be unsympathised with. had marked more than one passage for quotation, but space warns us that the pleasure must be forgone. must, however, draw special attention to Lady Ellinor 's withering summary of Radicalism (vol. ii. The novel is one of the very few that follows Mr. Weller's recipe, and makes us " wish p. 242). that there was more of it." Pictorial World, .
.
.
;
.
.
.
.
"
.
.
We
We
A
SUCCESSFUL SCOTCH NOVEL. It is long since a Scottish novel met with such a demand or created such a genuine sensation as has attended the publication of ' James Hepburn, Free Church Minister,' which was issued a few weeks ago by Mr. Gardner, of Paisley, and which we noticed in the week of its publication. hear that already Mr. Mudie has ordered four separate supplies, the latest being for a large number of copies, so great is the demand for the story on the part of the subscribers to his library. Miss Sophie Veitch, the authoress, had already made her mark by her fine novel of Angus Graeme, Gamekeeper.' " Daily Mail.
We
'
"
'James Hepburn,' by Miss Veitch,
literary skill are undeniable."
A cleverly written
OlJfPH The Queen.
is
a clever and strong novel.
...
Its
power and
World.
story here includes both interesting incident
and wall-drawn character."
SUPPLEMENT TO JAMIESON'S SCOTTISH DICTIONAR Y.
By DAVID DONALDSON.
Now
Ready,
Price 253.; Large Paper, 423. ' The work, taken as a whole, entitles Mr. Donaldson to the gratitude of all interested in the study of philology, for having performed so thoroughly and so well a difficult and laborious task." Scotsman. '
"The soundness of the judgment which he has applied to this portion of his herculean task is only equalled by the fulness of his knowledge of those works which cover the whole period of Scottish history; during which the vernacular was A very large number of the words in written and spoken by all classes of society. the Supplement are recorded by Mr. Donaldson for the first time, at least as Scottish words, and of many of them the explanation will be found nowhere else. Of Mr. Donaldson's work, it may safely be said that it is the most complete and .
.
made
scholarly endeavour that has thus far been task." Mail.
to
accomplish a very
difficult
"
On every page we find evidence that Mr. Donaldson has mastered all the works that cover the entire period of Scottish history during which the vernacular was written and spoken by all classes of society. He has, furthermore, utilised an extensive personal knowledge derived from the living speech of the people ; and alike in the definitions and illustrations he displays unfailing soundness of judgment, shown sometimes as much in what he has omitted as in that which is given. An excellent memoir of Dr. Jamieson, admirable both for the fullness of its information and the generous warmth of its spirit, adds to the value of a work without which, we may safely affirm, no Scottish library can henceforth be regarded as complete." Leader.
IDYLL OF THE CAPTIVE KING; Other
Pieces.
With Etchings.
and
Crown
By JAMES SHARP.
8vo,
cloth, 6s.
"The author gives undoubted evidence of his right to be heard, and our perusal of this volume enables us to commend his wide reading and knowledge of the world, both in its physical and ethical aspects. It is neealess to add that Mr. Gardner has done his part admirably." The Kelso Chronicle. "Whether Mr. Sharp's poetry be regarded in the abstract, or as the product of the hours of leisure of a man of business, much of it is commendable, and much is genuine and sound in feeling."
The
Scottish
News.
Mr. James Sharp does not miss the occasion in his volume of poems, The His Jubilee Ode, like those of better-known Captive King (Alexander Gardner). bards, scarcely represents his poetic powers, as the following couplet may Much as we love the Prince of Wales, the Princess fair, serene, want no other sovereign want no other Queen
We
!
" Tullibardine's Bride," though a on a Perthshire legend. In other with fervour. Saturday Review. Mr. Sharp's
lyrics
and shorter
often sweet in expression.
The book
little
We
show
:
!
poem based Mr. Sharp sustains a patriotic vein
diffuse, is
lyrical pieces
a readable narrative
pieces, are always pleasing in sentiment,
and are
Scotsman.
of poems which
we
introduce to our readers to-day has,
we
think,
to the public. justified its issue in the beautiful form in which it is presented This delightful book will do something to modify that conception, and to and the exalted, if traditionally prosaic, dignity of that mercantile
amply .
.
show
.
pursuits In Bailieship are not incompatible with a successful cultivation of the Muses. of the most tragic chapters in our national annals, Mr. Sharp has one depicting attained charming results in his use of those heroic measures which the genius of Scott and of Edmonstone Aytoun has made classic, and through which these masters have made the 'dim shadows that ere while flitted across the stage of Scottish have directed the attention of . . history to stand forth as living men. Strathearn Herald. our readers to these poems because of their intrinsic merits. .
We
If it be the poet's task to feel pleasure in life and discern beauty in nature, to praise virtue and rejoice in love, and make his readers do the same, then Mr. Dundee Advertiser. Sharp has succeeded admirably in effecting his purpose.
Mr. Sharp is seen at his best in his shorter poems. In these, as a rule, healthy sentiment is expressed in unpietentious verse. Academy.
SECOND AND ENLARGED EDITION.
LAW LYRICS. "
Fcap. 8vo,
35.
6d.
The anonymous author of the Lyrics is he not to be met with among the sheriffs ? plays ' ' his tunes for session and vacation on the goose-quill of the law,' and he manages to produce from that ancient instrument a considerable variety of expression. . His pronounced national ' ' tastes are admirably shown in Oatmeal,' etc. ; in lyrics like Stornoway Bay, there is the true ' Still Lake,' there is revealed an exquisite power of wordlyrical gush ; while in such poems as '
'
.
.
'
A
painting.
.
."
Scotsman..
" For neatness and aptness of expression, it is equal to anything we have seen." Scofs Law Review. "A very agreeable little book for an idle hour. The author shows himself equally at home in the serious as in the comic."
"
Graphic.
are exceedingly clever, and brimming over with fun and humour. The author has earned a right to be called the Laureate of the Law, for certain it is that he invests the most prosaic of all professions with quite a halo of poetical interest." Nonconformist.
"
They
Unkempt enthusiasm and
rollicking
good humour are the chief features of
this little
volume."
Academy.
"A charming little book. We should seek the author on the bench, not at the bar." Glasgow Daily Mail. " Will please not only those gentlemen of the long robe' to whom the tiny volume is dedicated, but a far larger circle. It is a delightful book of verses daintily got up." Glasgow Herald. " These lyrics will bear comparison with the best work that has been done in this particular line Will rival some of the best of Outram's lyrics in common sense and humour." Scottish News. " The The more serious and lyrics are written for the most part with sprightliness and ease. imaginative pieces disclose a rich vein of poetic fancy. There are many who will procure the second edition from a recollection of the pleasure which the first gave them." J'out nal of Juris'
prudence.
"Will bear comparison with Outram's, Neave's, and Aytoun's. markable for rhyme." Evening News.
"The
picture seems to us exquisite.
Altogether, the
Faultless in rhythm, and re-
work proves the writer
to be
a true poet."
Stirling- Advertiser.
" The verses are inspirited and inspiring, expressive of the feelings of many in these golden days summer. To the second edition the author has added some sixty pages brimful of the delightful verses which are found so attractive in the first edition." Weekly Citizen. of
" One of the two strongest and purest writers in the Scottish vernacular that have been added to the choir of Northern minstrels during the present century." Christian Leader. " The admirable bright with strokes of pawky Lyrics verses each of which contains a picture, the volume is one which will with its readers. "--The Bailie.
Law
.
.
.
humour, and abounding in become a lasting favourite
" to Strongly incentive to hearty honest laughter which makes the heart grow brighter, while staid and grave and reverend seigniors the sweet lark-song-like verses relating to nature, no less form subjects for reflection." Ayrshire Weekly News.
" The little volume " Some
is
interesting from the
first
page to the
Inverness Courier.
last."
of the verses exhibit a power of picturesque description which it would be difficult to match, except out of the masters of song. Reveal in attractive style the patriotism which animates the and establishes a claim additional to that of his undoubted genius, to a large and poet, appre-
ciative Scotch audience."
Greenock Telegraph.
"Such pieces as 'Scotch Porridge, etc.' are amongst the most poetry we have seen in recent years." Brechin Advertiser. "
felicitous
examples of Scotch
Strong common
sense pervades the whole, and the views of the author are expressed with a directness, force, clearness, and simplicity, which leaves nothing to be desired." North British Advertiser.
" 9^ a h'gh'v captivating nature, the author being possessed of a keen sense of the humourous." Stirling Observer.
" A very genial and enjoyable Equal to anything of their kind known to us after Burns. volume." Aberdeen Gazette. " He expresses himself with a felicity and pawky humour that equal Lord Neaves and Outran at their best, and in several poems the natural grace and pith of expression remind one more of Burns than any other writer. This may seem pitching it very high, but in our opinion, the poems will bear out the assertion. We recommend it to all in the profession of its author, and to everyone who can appreciate true humour and good poetry." The People's Friend. " Many of the lyrics which celebrate the charms of rural life and scenery are extremely fine, displaying as they do rare observing powers, a rich fancy, and flowing tasteful language." Dumfries Standard.
" He is a follower of Robert Burns and finds in the Court, and in the Temple, an inspiration which the great Scotch poet found in the fields of Ayrshire." Pall Mall Gazette.
"He
possesses the
power of writing simple flowing verse
in
an eminent degree."
Werld.
Literary
THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST AND THE SALVATION OF THE FEW. of Natural
Crown
Law
8vo, cloth,
in the Spiritual World, 25.
6d.
Post
A
Criticism
By Rev. A. WILSON.
free.
" In a former number of this Review we drew attention to two or main fallacies of Professor Drummond's shallow but attractive book.
three of the are glad to see that Mr. Alexander Wilson has, with a scientific knowledge equal to Professor Drummond's, and with a logical faculty far superior, subjected it to a far more systematic and exhaustive analysis. Those who were interested in the dazzling pages of Natural Law in the Spiritual World, but not blinded by their glitter, will welcome this justification of their doubts in the solid form of facts and arguments, and those who were fascinated by the Professor's brilliant rhetoric and imagery will have a rather painful awakening. They will see the idol shattered which they had to fall down and worship as a condition of attaining to an intellectual standpoint It is, from which they might see all known facts in their harmony and continuity. no doubt, very fascinating to be able to harmonize and to systematize ; but suppose your theory of law, identical in the natural and in the spiritual worlds, results in the necessity of assuming that man is nothing more than a part of material nature until he is "converted," and of believing that the survival of the fittest means the salvation of the few (according to the analogy of the seeds of an orchid, of about one person in a generation), would a God who has made men so be the object of
We
religious feeling, or this spiritual world, with its rare and lonely tenants, be worth " " arguing for ? It is probable that few readers of this new analogy drew such inferences, but were merely interested in Professor Drummond's spiritual and scientific gymnastics ; but for the thoughtful few who may have been disturbed by them it is well that he has been answered by one so capable, both from a Christian and scientific point of view, as Mr. Wilson." Saturday Review.
"It is this fallacy, the presumption that the laws of matter are continuous through the spiritual universe, that Mr. Wilson finds himself first called on to meet and he does so by contending that the principle of continuity applies only if the spiritual universe be itself material, and not necessarily even them, inasmuch as there are in the material universe imponderable bodies to which the law of gravitaMr. Wilson has written a very able, tion, for example, does not extend. acute, and temperate criticism, in a thoroughly religious spirit, with perfect courtesy to his opponent ; and we should be glad to think that his work would be widely read. Scotsman. ;
.
.
.
' '
". ful
.
to
.
The
critique
is
interesting, clever, earnest, and, we . . . Here, we think, Mr.
may
add, respectoccupies a
W ilson
Drummond.
Professor
r
This is not, however, so much the very strong critic's own position as that of other writers, but, he appears to us, in great measure, to recognise and accept it. His own words farther on are The identification of the natural and spiritual laws, if taken absolutely, would lead to the confounding indeed, an invulnerable position.
'
:
We
are much interested together of mind and body, God and Nature.' in the author's criticism of the Professor's arguments touching the subject which "It forms an earnest and powerful chapter gives the book its title. .
.
.
Literary World.
"An
answer to Professor Drummond, a work of some importance has just made It is certain that Mr. Wilson's able examination of Natural Law " in the Spiritual World' will attract a good deal of attention and controversy. its
'
appearance.
London Figaro.
"Mr. Wilson, with great vigour and intrepidity, criticises the Professor's con. The great question raised by Professor Drummond's work is that of the relation of the natural law of the survival of the fittest to the doctrine of election. His critic combats this conclusion with much acuteness and ability." clusions.
.
.
Glasgow Herald.
WITH PORTRAIT AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS.
DAVID KENNEDY, Reminiscences of his Life
And SINGING his
Colonial
Demy
8vo,
The Scottish Singer:
and Work.
By MARJORY KENNEDY.
ROUND THE WORLD: A
and Indian Tours.
480 pages, cloth
Narrative oj
By DAVID KENNEDY,
extra, 75. 6d.
Post
Junr.
free.
"These unique musical tours were from time to time described by the chief musician's son David in different books having reference to the Colonies, to India, to the Cape. They have now found a graceful and appropriate preliminary The memoir chapter in the form of a memoir of David Kennedy himself. and
.
.
.
has been prepared by Miss Marjory Kennedy with much taste and judgment, and will be read with interest, not only for the sake of her father's characteristic letters and stories of early life, but as recalling in various other ways pleasant memories associated with a family of rare gifts and graces." Glasgow herald.
LIFE IN SHETLAND. By JOHN Crown
Post
8vo, Cloth, 35. 6d.
RUSSELL.
free.
"Contains a great quantity of very interesting information about Shetland and people. By a happy instinct, Mr. Russell has been led to write about those things which he knows thoroughly namely, his own doings and experiences. There follows the story of the strange minister at the second diet of a Presbytery meeting who wanted to propose a toast, but was informed by the horrified moderator that God's people in that part of the country were not in the habit of drinking toasts.' The rebuked stranger quietly rejoined that he 'had never before seen God's people drink so much toddy." Much, both edifying and entertaining, might be quoted from this unique volume, but enough may have been said to gain for it its
'
'
'
the public attention
"We
owe much
it
Scotsman.
deserves."
men
Mr. Russell, who, without any pretence, note down what comes under their observation of an interesting nature regarding curious customs, habits of life, and folk-lore, among the people with whom they come into contact. : He is never entirely dull, and we prefer such volumes which to
like
.
.
bring us into actual contact with a poor but unsophisticated people to many pretentious stories. foHow the minister as he goes out and in among the people, suffering hardship, visiting, catechising, getting up a stock of fifty sermons, relating
We
odd anecdotes, and noting down
who
" An
We recommend this book to all makes luminous to us the obscure lives and
peculiarities.
are interested in the subject. " labours of an interesting people.
It
Pen and
Pencil.
and thoroughly realistic picture of life in Shetland is presented to us in this volume by Mr. Russell, whose sojourn in those Northern islands gave him Good stories, and good opportunity of observing the place and the people. brief observations and remarks on the geology, natural history, and antiquities of the and anon crop out the ever islands, and the peculiar manners and customs of people, in the narrative. ... It contains, however, a faithfully accurate and very reliable description of Ultima Thule. And as the reader closes the volume he will find that he has made acquaintance at once with a singular country, and a pleasant guide to its chief points of interest." Aberdeen Free Press. "A bright and entertainining volume, and a valuable volume withal, anent I know no book on Shetland equal to Shetland and the Shetlanders. the author talks about what Its style is pointed and racy this of Mr. Russell's. he knows and what he knows intimately. To put the matter in a word, there isn't a dull page in Three Years in Shetland,' from the title to the sentence at the close the all good things may attend in which Mr. Russell expresses the wish that Bailie. islanders among whom he spent three delightful years." interesting
.
.
.
...
;
'
'
'
...
"A minister, very readable book about a very interesting people. of course, enjoys altogether exceptional opportunities, and Mr. Russell seems to as he about found writes them, have made good use of them. He frankly things
A
which he outsider."
is
perhaps all the better able to do Glasgow Herald.
for his
change to the position of an
"
It contains some of the best clerical stories though not always of the most dignified nature, nor such as will tend to exalt the cloth in the estimation of rude and irreverent laics that we have come across, and it gives very interesting, and for the most part accurate, details of the everyday life of the people." Elgin Courant and Courier.
UNIFORM WITH "BENDERLOCH."
LOCH CRERAN. Highlands. Post free.
Notes from
By W. ANDERSON SMITH.
Crown
the
West
8vo, cloth, 6s.
" Readers of Mr. W. Anderson Smith's Benderloch will welcome from the same pen a second instalment of notes of natural history in the Western Highlands enThe influences of free moorland air and buoyant titled Loch Creran. water, of a spacious heaven and wide horizon, are with us, and give zest to the Whether it is the study of fish and fowl and flower that are liberally displayed. .
.
.
of a solitary bunting, or the habitat of the pipe-fish (Sygnathtis), the progress of Myce in the refluent tide or a nested robin domiciled among strange perils, the scenic suggestion cannot fail to persuade the senses. large and distinctive portion of Mr. Smith's book is devoted to the investigation of the rich spoil of the of so of fish culture, and be enthusiastic a student as might anticipated dredger, many of the most interesting pages describe excursions on the waters of Etive and Creran and Benderloch, or among the rocky pools and stretches of sand exposed by the ebbing sea. By sea or land, on the wild hills or among the flowers and insects of his garden, Mr. Smith has^ever something to say that is worth hearing, and he Saturday Review. says it with admirable clearness and force." flight
A
"These charming notes from the Western Highlands are truly fascinating. Entering into the very spirit of the life and scenery by which he is surrounded, Mr. Smith gives his readers the benefit of the vast and out-of-the-way stores of information he has gathered in all branches of natural history. Each month, as it passes, has a chapter devoted to all its manifold changes and doings, and we get many glimpses of charming excursions, not unmixed with danger, when overtaken by those sudden climatic changes to which that grand wild mountainous coast is An enthusiastic naturalist, the writer does not ride his hobby to often exposed. death, but, like a true lover of Nature, his sketches are bright and fresh, and full of vivid descriptions, interspersed with many curious anecdotes and facts relating to both the animal and vegetable kingdoms. No better or more instructive guide to the fauna and flora of the Western Highlands could be had than Mr. Anderson Smith's most pleasant book." Literary World. "
They will be well rewarded who follow Mr. Anderson Smith along the seashore, the hill-side, or the trouting stream ; they will find how much a quiet and attentive eye can glean from a loving study of the denizens of earth, air, and water. is provided with a good index, and those who have not leisure or Like Mr. patience to read it through at a sitting may dip where they please. Smith's dredge, they hardly ever fail to bring up something of interest." Scotsman.
The book
"Students of natural history who read Benderloch, by Mr. W. A. Smith, will give a cordial welcome to Loch Creran, another and even more attractive work by the same observant author. With the exception, perhaps, of Mr. Jefferson, no living naturalist is gifted with a more picturesque manner of depicting the habits of . . Then what a vast fund of birds, beasts, and fishes than is Mr. Smith. entertaining instruction is gathered in these excursions ; a royal road to natural history is laid down by Mr. Smith, and the student follows it leisurely, culling charming bits of zoological lore here and there. One never knows what a new . day may bring forth when accompanying Mr. Smith on his rambles. There is, indeed, no end to the curious things observed by Mr. Smith. He seems .
.
only to sleep at home,
for,
with his waterproof handy, he roams about
all
.
day
in
the open air, and comes home at night with a well-filled note-book. . . The wealth of interesting matter in this delightful volume is, however, tempting us our and think we have collated to make all we who love the beyond space, enough country, its sights and sounds, and health-giving breezes read the work itself." Dundee Advertiser. .
"
To those who are familiar with Mr. Anderson Smith's Benderloch, no introduction or recommendation will be necessary on behalf of his new book, Loch Creran. The work is, in fact, as the preface explains, simply a continuation of the natural history sketches of which Benderlocn is composed. . . . With what a happy combination of vivacity and patience, insight and enthusiasm, Mr. Anderson Smith scans the open pages of that great tome of nature. . Treasure- trove of this kind, along with notes of a more strictly scientific character, is freely scattered through Mr. Anderson Smith's pages ; and so it will have a charm for every reader with healthy natural tastes." Scottish Leader. .
.
" There are few books in the language more delightful than White's Selborne, in Mr. W. Anderson Smith that earnest Hampshire naturalist has a dis His most recent volume is worthy of the author of Bentinguished successor. der loch, a book which, it may be hoped, is already familiar to our readers. The variety of his researches on land and water prevent monotony. The author has much to tell, and he explains what he has seen and done without waste of words." Illustrated London News. " Mr. Anderson Smith's observations extend over 1881-2, and refer mainly to and
.
.
the natural history of the district, but he deals also with other aspects of Nature, Times. his book is well worth reading."
and
"There can be no hesitation in assuring lovers of Nature that in Loch Creran The charm of the volume they will find a work after their own heart. before us is that it is not the hasty outcome of the bookmaker feverishly eager to There is an air of piece together into a volume odds and ends of information. Month by month are given the results of two leisureliness about Loch Creran. The work is one to be field and wood. years' close intercourse with loch and sea, not to be rushed by enjoyed by those who share the writer's tastes and spirit, and the heedless." Graphic. " and to tickle Every page has its charm, something at once to instruct the mind and amuse the fancy. It is not a book to be read through at one sitting, but one to dip into occasionally and to ruminate over in pleased contentment. Perhaps its worth will be best appreciated by those taking a holiday in the country, or, above And it will serve as a very efficient guide to persons beginning all, at the seaside. Many a the study of natural history, directing them what and how to observe. the remarkab'e intelligence of the lower animals. capital story he gives illustrating " Perthshire Constitutional and journal. Some of these border upon the marvellous. .
.
.
IO '
'
' Chatty and discursive, rather than elaborate, the interest in Loch Creran is well maintained throughout, and the book appeals to the general reader, by whom it will doubtless be perused with greater pleasure than a more highly scientific " '
Pall Mall Gazette.
disquisition.
"
He
'
His descriptions are vivid and true to nature a charming companion. whether he makes us shiver and feel glad of the shelter of the house, as he tells us of winter's storms and floods, or whether he fills our hearts with a longing for the freshness and gladness of spring as he notes the signs of its advent on the shores of Loch Creran." Glasgow Herald. is
OLD CHURCH LIFE IN SCOTLAND: and Presbytery Records. By ANDREW EDGAR, D.D. Demy 8vo, cloth, 73.
Lectures on Kirk-Session ,
"
Second 6d.
Series.
Post
free.
may welcome
the minister of Mauchline as an elder brother of have not seen the first series of lectures, but certainly these conOdd people, these Scotch folks ; but there is tain much that is queer and quaint. Our author is a homeliness and a reverence about them which we greatly value. and knows most about the old customs of that evidently of the Established Church, in a twinkle his which which he writes with causes our of eye eye to twinkle body, The grim want of humour in some of the proceedings is about the same also. you may laugh till you cry, and cry till you thing as the presence of humour laugh between the tremendously solemn and the ridiculous there is but a step. We have been so interested with the lectures that we must get the former volume. What times those must have been when guests at a funeral began to meet at ten in Five or six the morning, though the body might not be moved till three or four How did they spin them out? No marvel that the Kirk-Session had to hours hear charges of drunkenness. Such books as these are the best of history, leading us indeed into byways and lone paths which the general historian never traces. "-
Antiquaries
We
their craft.
:
;
!
!
0.
H. Spurgeon.
MY COLLEGE DAYS:
The Autobiography
Edited by R. MENZIES FERGUSSON, M.A., of an Old Student. Author of " Rambles in the* Far North," &c. 8vo, cloth, 55. Post
free.
" Mr. Fergusson, either as author or as editor, has well earned our gratitude by giving us a volume which all may read with enjoyment and pleasure. Space and its limits will not allow us to dwell on many other points of interest to be found in this entertaining volume; but we cannot pass without mentioning the There's ae thing aboot yon worthy dame who said, in praise of her preacher man he's a grand roarer.' Nor must we forget the careful landlady who was know if her was as student-lodger yet an unengaged man, or, to always anxious to ." use her own graphic phrase, was 'a bund sack set by.' Literary World. '
:
.
"We
own
to a suspicion that in this instance
.
Mr. Fergusson has been his
own
II
Whether this be the case or not, he has no reason to be ashamed literary executor. of the bequest. The sketches have a pleasant grace of literary style, and a good deal of power in description of character-sketching, while there is in the writer a subtle under-strain of pawky humour, and he has brought together and put permanently on record a number of traditions of University life in Edinburgh and St. Andrews that are well worth preservation. Our old student's reminiscences of St. Andrews, where he took the theological course after graduating in arts at Edinburgh, are not less lively or interesting than those he sets down respecting his Alma Mater ; and his book is likely to take a place both on the shelves and in the enduring regard of many readers who have had similar experiences and tasted similar pleasures. word of praise is due to the excellence of its typography and get-up." Scottish Leader. .
.
.
A
"We
think the verdict will be that Mr. Fergusson has done well in publishing It abounds in vigorous, and, in many cases, thoughtful book. eloquent delineations of University life ; it is sympathetic in its spirit and catholic in its tone, Its especially when dealing with such subjects as the stage, so frequently abused. author was a student of the Universities of Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and Oxford, his reminiscences of which are often humorous, and always interesting. Some of the anecdotes recorded in this volume regarding the Edinburgh Professors are venture to predict for this autobiography a exceedingly entertaining. wide circulation." Dundee Advertiser. this
.
.
.
We
"The book is eminently readable, very quiet for the most part, but not without a few touches of gaiety and sprightly humour ; and it betokens no little culture The contents are almost entirely confined together with a strong poetic tendency. to sketches of life at Scottish Universities, with some playful personal satire, of which various Professors, some mentioned by name and others denoted by initials, are the objects in chief, although the peculiarities of certain landladies whose province it is, or was, to let lodgings to students at Edinburgh or elsewhere, come But there is nothing spiteful, in for their share of more or less satirical delineation. nothing bitter, nothing cynical in the mode of treatment. Two chapters are devoted to a sketch, brief but graphic and sympathetic, of academic Oxford, whither the author went to sojourn and to study for two months." Illustrated London News. a delightful book, calculated to afford much pleasurable amusement of The book itself is It is written in a light sparkling style. an enjoyable one, and perhaps none will read it with greater relish than the old of what they themselves passed through, and who, by the fogies who see in it much with mingled feelings, the aspirations, the freshness, and perusal, are led to recal, Perthshire Constitutional. the frolic of their own College fays."
"This
is
a quiet kind.
.
.
.
"By those who have passed through the Universities it will be read with considerable pleasure, affording as it does such happy reminiscences of College days,' with their grave, plodding seriousness, or that more boisterous playfulness which is supof students as a class. Those, again, who are simply posed to be the characteristic outsiders, and have had no College days whatever, will be charmed by the recital here given of the doings of the students, and the customs associated with the resthe pen-portraits of the several professors, the opinions expective Universities, men and things, the poetry, original and selected, and the hunpressed regarding dred and one subjects here treated of by a man of observant nature possessing faci." besides a keen sense and appreciation of the humorous. lity of expression, Stirling Observer. '
.
"
and
Many
a Varsity man,
grey,' will
who has won
his degree in the
modest
'
little city,
welcome the appearance of Mr. R. M. Fergusson's
College
.
worn Days.
12 Redolent every page of it, of the class-room, and the wild Bohemianism of student and bristling with the classic ditties which have so often made the halls of Northern St. Salvator's resound, here is material for a mental revel in the past." '
'
life,
Chronicle.
" This
series of autobiographical notes deserve recognition, if only
because the
The book contains and perfectly good-natured. London Figaro. several capital anecdotes and some excellent verse." " But after all the charm of the volume lies in the whole life of a student which is presented to us, for his joys and his troubles, his amusements and his hard reading, are here written of by one who has evidently experienced all. Scattered throughout these pages are numerous verses, some original, some well-known students' songs. style is perfectly natural
The
.
original verses are very good.
.
.
."
.
.
Stirling Journal.
"The volume
contains some very excellent poems which are worthy of finding, and doubtless will find, a place as verses to future songs. There is not a chapter in The Tribune. the book which is not thoroughly entertaining."
"The 'Old
Student' has to speak of Scotch Universities, Edinburgh, to wit, and Andrews, while he gives some impressions, gained as an outsider, of Oxford. There is much that is interesting and entertaining, some good stories, and Spectator. generally a pleasant picture of a happy and busy life." "The writer is always entertaining and kindly, is wise in season, and also desipil in loco, and tells some good stories professors being naturally his chief subjects." St.
Pall Mall Gazette. " It to the
is, least, eminently probable that Mr. Fergusson relates his own say He does so in a sufficiently lively and experiences in Edinburgh and St. Andrews. freshman style. College Days is, on the whole, as readable as any book of the kind that has recently been published." The Academy. '
'
.
.
.
My
" Mr. R. Menzies Fergusson paints life as he thinks he saw it as a young man at Andrews and Edinburgh, in My College Days. This autobiography of an old student contains much interesting reminiscence, and Mr. Fergusson has perhaps '
St.
'
not erred in introducing into his text specimens of the verse into which some of his Caledonian student contemporaries were in the habit of dropping occasionally. Mr. Fergusson's little book should find many a sympathetic reader among former alumni of the Scottish Universities, for he writes without affectation.' Graphic.
Seldom have we had more pleasure than in the perusal of these reminiscences of No one who has gone through the curriculum of a Scotch University College days. can fail to attest the fidelity with which his experience here finds expression. 'An Old Student' was privileged to have more than one alma mater. He could boast the fostering care of Edinburgh, of St. Andrews, and of Oxford, and of all these he has most pleasant reminiscences. Our author's experiences at Oxford will repay perusal. The whole book, written in a most happy, though thoughtful and affectionate strain, must incite the most cordial sympathy of all whose student days have not been forgotten, while the general public will peruse it with responsive hearts and a regretful feeling that they have missed the experiences of which it '
treats.
'
Brechin Advertiser.
'The minister of Logic, who made a decided hit with Rambles in the Far North, has attempted a very difficult bit of work in My College Days. This purports to be the MS. legacy of a College friend who died young after some experience of student life in Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and Oxford. The fiction will impose upon nobody, although it may shield the editor from some blame, for while there is mirth and
13 vigour and kindly reminiscence, there
is also some very sharp criticism, and much reference to Academic dignitaries who are still in the flesh, and maybe sensitive and inclined to sting when they find some of their class jokes not merely in print but bound in a book. If certain Edinburgh divines beguile a leisure hour over these pages, they will for once see themselves as the keen-witted see them, and be amazed at the impudence of the rising generation. Everybody who knows Edinburgh will recognise the portrait of the preacher who is likened to Dr. Andrew Thomson in one thing 'There's ae thing about yon man, he's a grand roarer.' The St. Andrews part is full and cleverly done, and will have a charm for most alumni of the 'College of the scarlet gown,' because it contains a large number of the songs, original and selected, with which the lobby of the Natural Philosophy
...
class-room was wont to resound."
Elgin Courant.
"The
style is lively, and the descriptions of scenes of student life are graphic. account of the election of Rector at Edinburgh will doubtless interest
The many, and the chapter dealing with landladies, their varieties and idiosyncracies, is humorous." Morning Post. " To recent students of our two greatest Scottish Universities Edinburgh and St. Andrews humour and
My
College Days is charged with intense interest, though its racy chatty discursiveness will render it attractive reading to those unacademic mysteries and innocent of student frivolities. The life of an Edinburgh student, in college and out of college, in the classroom, the debating the theatre, and the church, is described with untiring vivacity. society, Whether author or merely editor, Mr. Menzies Fergusson is to be sincerely conReminiscence is a species of literature not always gratulated upon his success. instructive, not always even entertaining ; in Mr. Fergusson's hands it becomes " both. Fifeshire Journal. initiated in
"We
think the verdict of every impartial reader will be that Mr. Fergusson has in publishing this book. It abounds in vigorous, and, in many instances, mipressive descriptions of University life ; it is enlivened at judicious intervals with original verses, which evince lyrical power ; its style is admirably condensed and
done well
it is sympathetic in its spirit and catholic in its tone, especially when dealing ; with such subjects as the stage and its modern exponents by narrow-minded writers so frequently abused." Ayr Observer.
clear
"It
is
is full
pleasantly written,
of the fun of student
life, full,
too, of its hard-
abounds with excellent
stories, is very discriminating in professional criticism, while scattered throughout the racy pages are many snatches of jovial college songs volume is very readable, and no recorded nowhere else. Altogether the " Kelso Chronicle. student, at all events, can find a dull page in it.
ships,
.
.
.
THE TRAGEDY OF COWRIE HOUSE. An
Historical Study.
By Louis A. BARBE'.
Fcap. 410,
6s.
In this new work on the interesting and mysterious episode of Scottish History, usually known as the Gowrie Conspiracy, the author has not only submitted the old materials to a close examination, but also thrown new light on the subject by the help of letters to be found in the Record Office, but overlooked or suppressed by former historians, of documents recently discovered by the Commission on Historical MSS., and also of important papers preserved in the French Archives.
"A
treasure of almost priceless thought
and
criticism.''''
Contemporary.
Review.
In the Press.
Second Edition, Thoroughly Revised.
WIT, WISDOM,
Cr. 8vo, 333 pp., 7s. 6d.
AND PATHOS,
FROM THE PROSE OF
HEINRICH HEINE. WITH
A
',.-''
FEW PIECES FROM THE "BOOK OF SONGS." SELECTED J.
AND
TRANSLATED
BY
SNODGRASS.
" Mr. Snodgrass has produced a book in which lazy people will find a They can take it up at any moment, and open great deal to please them. it on any page with the certainty of finding some bright epigram they ;
need not turn down the page on shutting up the volume, as it matters There is nothing jarring in the whole book." little where they resume. Athenizum, April
19, 1877.
"No
Englishman of culture who is unacquainted with Heine can fail to derive a new intellectual pleasure from Mr. Snodgrass's pages." Contemporary Review, September 1880.
"Mr. Snodgrass would appear
to have saturated himself with Heine have so caught Heine's mode of thought and his turns of expression quaint, droll, swift, and scathing by turns that the translator would appear to have had no more difficulty in presenting Heine as he was to the reader than he would have in presenting his own thoughts." literature,
to
Glasgow Herald, March 31, 1879.
" Mr. Snodgrass, effective, if
where,
made
'
Wit,' &c., has done a great service in this were a full-length miniature of the man, clear and wherein his characteristic expression is faithfully caught, and we look carefully, we can see him as he really was, for he is in his
respect, presenting as
to paint his
it
own
British Quarterly Review, October 1881.
portrait."
"
Mr. Snodgrass has certainly done great service to English literature in presenting us with a compact little volume like that before us." Spectator.
"A
word of
due
Mr. J. Snodgrass, His book is one to welcome and to keep as a treasure of almost priceless thought and criti" cism. Contemporary Review, February iSSl. " Mr. is to be thanked for a seasonable bit of work." for his
cordial praise
is
to the translator,
admirable performance of a very
difficult task.
Snodgrass
Examiner, April "
very
26, 1879.
We are bound
ally well."
to say that Mr. Snodgrass has done The Literary World, May 9, 1879.
his
work exception-
" Mr. Snodgrass has made a valuable addition to English literature in this volume, and has given us a most attractive and efficient introduction to the study of
Heine."
The Nonconformist, August
20, 1879.
"He
has performed his task with skill, tact, and judgment; and it is easy to perceive that he has a thorough acquaintance with his author and sympathy for his matter." Notes and Queries, April 19, 1879.
"The result of Mr. Snodgrass's attempt has been the production of a volume which, for variety and interest, may be pronounced one of the most successful books of the season." Aberdeen Journal, March 26, 1879. " In Heine, whose prose writings in German volumes, we find in remarkable combination the
fill
well
on
to a score of
best qualities of
German
of an accomplished Frenchthought, along with the sparkle and brilliancy man's style." Aberdeen Daily Free Press, April 2\, 1879.
" Mr. Snodgrass has done his selection and translation admirably well, and we owe him thanks for a volume which has in it more wit of the book that has lately been highest sort, and more political insight, than any given to the public."
" The compiler of
Vanity Fair, November this interesting little
perfectly right in saying that
the author of the
'
Book of
Heine
Songs.'
is
chiefly
"The
8,
1879.
volume, Mr.
known
J.
Snodgrass,
is
to English readers as
Week, April
19, 1879.
"The 'English Fragments' have a special interest for the English reader; but the selection from Heine's prose works in general, most judi-
16 made and excellently translated by Mr. Snodgrass, gives a much completer view of the qualities of the writer's mind." Saturday Review.
ciously
"
Mr. Snodgrass has not essayed to give at all an exhaustive collection of Heine's witty, wise, and pathetic sayings ; but he has selected, in the order in which they occur in the complete German edition, such extracts as have specially
commended themselves
to himself.
He
has produced a
very enjoyable volume, exactly adapted to the taste of lazy and luxurious persons, who can just take up the book for five minutes to read a delightful
passage,
complete in
fastidious attention.
itself,
"
Academy,
and not long enough
May
to fatigue the
31, 1879.
ALEX. GARDNER, PAISLEY AND LONDON.
most