spell.

The appearance of such a work from such a source is of itself most
refreshing, as an indication that a life of earnest devotion to material
pursuits is not inconsistent with an ardent appreciation of the
surpassing importance of speculative inquiries. One such example as this
is enough to refute the oft-repeated assertion that in America all
philosophy must of course give way before the absorbing interest in the
pursuit of wealth. A few years since we chanced to send a copy of an
American edition of Plato's "Phaedo" to a German Professor. "_Eine
wirkliche Erscheinung_," was his reply in acknowledgment, "to see an
edition of a work of Plato from America." What would be his amazement at
receiving a copy of a disquisition on the Will written by an American
mill-owner!

It is still more refreshing to find the author so sincere and so earnest
an advocate of the elevating tendency of philosophical studies. There is
a charming simplicity in the words with which his Preface is
concluded:--"Whatever opinion may be formed of the success or failure of
any effort to elucidate this subject, I trust it will be admitted that
the arguments I have presented at least _tend_ to show that the
investigation may open more elevated and more elevating views of our
position and our powers, and may reveal new modes of influencing our own
intellectual and moral character, and thus have a more immediate,
direct, and practical bearing on the progress of our race in virtue and
happiness than any inquiry in physical science." Such testimony, coupled
with the impression made by his argument, is most gratifying, not only
in consideration of the source from which it comes, but also as
contrasted with the course of so much of the speculative philosophy of
the day, towards Materialism in Psychology, Necessarianism in Morals,
Naturalism in Philosophy, and Pantheism in Theology.

The doctrine of the writer, or rather his position with respect to
theories of the Will, is distinctly indicated by the title of his
volume. It is obvious that he must be a decided asserter of Liberty as
opposed to Necessity who dares to throw down the gauntlet in support of
the thesis that "every being who wills is a creative first cause." All
his views of the soul and of its doings are entirely consistent with the
direction which is required by this audacious assertion. That the soul
is an originator in most of its activities is his perpetually asserted
theme. To main