MAI.EBRAXCHE, NICOLAS. 



MALHERBE, FRANCOIS DE. 



his early youth ia retirement and the close study of languages and 

 btUbai Hteratar*. Hi* attoation was first directed to the pursuit of 

 ily meeting with the work of Dee Carte* -De 

 J of this work la said to have excited hi* suscep- 

 Mb a degree that bo we* several time* forced to 

 | v iaaJtoeoaee^W the ^v^ent palpitation of his heart. Aban- 

 doaiag hi* prsvious literary pureuita, be devoted ten yean to the 

 aaajaaBjateM of tbe Cartesian philosophy, and he acquired the reputation 

 of surDaauaf all hi* eoaUoporariee in a knowledge of it* true spirit 

 aad tiaJJTTTj A* tb* result of hi* philosophical meditations, Male- 

 knatbi published, hi 173. the first book of the ' Recherche de la 

 VeriteV whieh was quickly followed by the other five. This work thus 

 piste was greatly altered ia tbe several subsequent editions : tbe 

 I comet and ooapkto edition is that which appeared three years 

 r. tb* author, death, which took place at Paris, in 1715. 



Tbe philosophical writing* of Malebranche are a model of a style at 

 eao* alarsrt and perspicuous, in which neither the clearness of tbe 

 IboufM n saariftsed to the trees* of composition, nor the ornaments 

 of Isasssan to simplioitv. If the profound originality of his ideas 

 gained MaUbraaoh* any* admirers, the novelty and boldness of his 

 limn exposed him to much opposition. Among the most 

 h**mi of his oppoatnts were Poncher, the Jesuit Du Fertre, and 

 Araaud, who, like Malebraache, was also a member of the Oratory, 

 aad at oa* Uxee hi* friead aad associate. 



The object of tbe Recherche de la Write" ia partly logical and 

 partly metaphysical. On the oa* hand it investigate* the source* of 

 buaMB error, which are reduced to three general heads sensation, 

 hilnY-T-. and tbe pure intellect (esprit pur). On the other, it 

 attesepts to esUhHsh eome univenal method for the investigation and 

 discovery of truth. The source of error however liee not in any im- 

 perfection of the cognitive faculties, nor in any incomplete or wrong 

 auluja> of them, but in the will, which form* its own opinion of 

 tU oMeots presented to It. When, for instance, we see a light or feel 

 warmth, that which I* in either case seen or felt is certainly light 

 aad warmtii, aad they are actually perceived, and so far error is 

 iBposatbU; bat when, as tb* will b free to do, it is maintained that 

 tbe tight snd warmth of which the subject is percipient exist in the 

 ubjcO without, then error arise*. Now as all sensuous perceptions 

 an **ij**j||inlsil by pleasure or pain, which chiefly move the will, 

 eeueatiou M tb* principal source of error, and especially of those false 

 ml ISM of morality whieh make the highest good to consist in pleasure : 

 for tb* sense* present to tb* mind nothing but a delusive good, whereas 

 tbe only true and real good the Deity is cognisable by tbe pure 



iak^*aIft*kSMet s\asWl*> 



t distinctive point in tho system of Malebranche ia tbe 

 I by whkh b* explained tbe possibility of knowledge. For 

 a* be followed Dee Cartes in making extension to be tbe essence of 

 Miter aad thought of mind, it we* necessary for him to account for 

 the possibility of the interaction of two such distinct natures as 

 UttUfht aad extaoaioo. Tb* existence of ideas in the mind is, accord- 

 la*; to MslsUasnhs, a fact not requiring to be proved ; from this fsct 

 bouevoi b* deaice that it follow* of necessity that objects correspond- 

 lag to these ideas do actually exist ; for, be observes, the imagination 

 e*Ua Biaisat* idea* tad combinations of idea* which do not exist 

 ladseil there is no greater hindrance to truth and knowledge than 

 tb* ennui ue belief that idea* refer to actually exi.ting objects. Now 

 all idta* may b* classed under two bead*: they are either internal; 

 that to, thought* properly so called, which are therefore mere modi- 

 Iliui of UM thinkiag soul ; or they are relative to certain external 

 abject* of wblcb the soul cannot be cognisant without tbe mediation 

 of Idea*. Now tb* Utter refer to material or spiritual things. 

 Eater**! spiritual things may however b* perceived both immediately 

 aad also BMdiately by ideas, but the material only mediately, both 

 kisaues tbry an extended and there I* no community between them 

 ad Ibe atsspl* spiritual nature of the mind, and because the mind 

 ' pas* out to distant object*. Hero Malebrancbe refute* the 

 **ai of slBrfsl effluxes which DIM from bodies and enter 

 _b U* esasoou* organ*. Because, b* savs, those effluvia! image* 

 toe* partake of the nature of body, and therefore being extended 

 lby would impede cash other in Uis paseage to tb* senses, since 

 frsca Ow satoe point and at the same time an incalculable number o 

 **>** snay be perceived. Moreover this hypothesis does not account 

 far tb* BSTBisllua of tbe diflarent distances of object*. Malebranche 

 to the a*xt place, to refute the supposition that the mind 

 y prouure* tae idea* which it has of outward object*. This 

 I* a* absurd a* to enppose that a painter can delineate an animal 

 which b* bat aevar eeen or beard described. Equally untenable is the 

 explanation of cognition by Innate idea*. For the number of ideas 

 whieh the ttbtd tjay entertain b potentially infinite, and it is absurd 

 to suppose that an Malty of Idea* ban been originally Implanted in 

 tbe sated, of wbieb bowevur most individual minds are actively con 

 esoueef a very few at (be too*. Besides, with such a supposition 

 Ik* abate* aad lection of Ideas would be inexplicable. Again, the 

 oh operation of thought the ideas are created 

 is contradicted by th* fact that the mind oaa 

 ! of whatever object it pi*****, and that consequently 



*.* l^,^^^^^&^^^ 



n order to the perception of outward objects, requires nothing but 

 tself, by the contemplation and perfect development of its own powers, 

 tat this would be to mske man equal to Deity, who aloue is capable 

 f being cognisant of all things in this manner and by the spontaneous 

 exercise of his own energies. After repeating these theories as the 

 only ones worthy of examination of all that have been advanced to 

 account for the matter, Malebranche concludes, that we see all things 

 n and by Qod (none voyons tout en 1 Heu). God, ss tbe creator of nil, 

 necessarily possesses within himself idea* of all things, since otherwise 

 the creation of them would have been impossible : by his omnipresence 

 and as tbe source of spirituality be is intimately connected with all 

 pirits, for Qod may bo called the place of all spirits, as space is that 

 of whatever is corporeal. The soul therefore sees in God the works 

 of dot], as far as it pleases him to reveal them to humanity. 



The mind consequently, as well as matter, possesses no more than 

 a passive activity, and the Deity is the original cause of all their 

 operations. As then truth consists only in certain combinations of 

 ihese ideas, which are furninhed to the mind from without and by 

 a foreign cause, the only method of truth is demonstration and the 



lalytical investigation of the implicit consequences of explicit ideas. 



The other works of Malebrauche were partly controversial and 

 partly religious. Of the latter we may mention the ' Entrctiens d'un 

 i'hilosophe Chretien et d'un Philoxophe Chinois sur la Nature de 

 Oieu,' Paris, 1708; 'Dela Nature et de la Grace,' Amsterdam, 1680. 

 The following are of a mystical character, blending religion with 

 metaphysics : ' Traitc* do la Morale,' Rott, 1684 ; and ' Kutretieus 

 sur la Metaphysique et sur la Religion,' Hott, 1688. A complete 

 edition of his works wae published at Paris, 1712, in 11 vols. 12mo. 



MALESHKRHES, CHRETIEN QUILLAUME DE LAM01GNON, 

 was bom at Paris on the 16th December 1721. His father was chnn- 

 celier of Paris, and Malesberbes, after finishing the course of legal 

 study, was 6rst appointed deputy to the procureur-g!ncral. Shortly 

 afterwards he was elected a counsellor of the parliament of Paris, 

 and in 1750 president of the Cour dcs Aides. In this office, he on 

 the one hand courageously resisted the extravagant expenditure of the 

 court, and on the other put a stop to the frauds and peculations of 

 the farmers-general of the revenue. When, in consequence of their 

 opposition to the court, the parliaments were abolished by Louis XV., 

 the Cour des Aides was also abrogated, and Malesuerbea retired to his 

 country-seat, and employed himself in benevolent plans for the edu- 

 cation and improvement of his vassals. Upon the restoration of the 

 constitutional courts of the parliaments by Louis XVI., Malesherbrs 

 resumed his duties as president of the Cour des Aides ; aud in the 

 following year (1775) he wu appointed minister of the king's house- 

 hold. Upon the retirement of Turgot, Malesherbes also tendered his 

 resignation to the king, which was accepted. The interval between 

 this date and the troubles which preceded the outbreak of the Revolu- 

 tion, Malesherbes devoted to a tour of inspection through bis native 

 country, Switzerland, and Holland, acquainting himself with the state 

 of industry and the arts, and carefully investigating the nature and 

 efficiency of their public institutions. He was again invited by the 

 king to aid him with his counsel in 1787 ; but finding that he hod no 

 power, and that his advice was not listened to, he again retired just 

 before the meeting of the states-general When Louis XVI. was 

 brought to trial, Malesherbes claimed the honourable but dangerous 

 post of bis defender, and was associated with Tronchet and Deseze. 

 The fearless intrepidity of Malesherbes entailed upon him the hatred 

 and suspicions of the party in power, and, with several members of 

 big family, he was cast into prison, condemned to death, and guillotined 

 on the 22nd of April 1791, meeting his fate with cheerfulness and 

 resignation. 



The works of Malesherbes, who was a member of the French 

 Academy and of the Academy of llelles Lettres and Inscriptions, are 

 mostly on subject* of natural history and rural economy. Ilia 'Discunrs 

 et Remonstrance*,' printed in 1779, are still quoted as authorities on 

 financial questions. His ' M!uioire ur la Liberto 1 de la Presse ' parti- 

 cularly deserve* mention for the enlightened view which it takes upon 

 thU difficult question, the more especially as the tolerance and liberality 

 which it advocates had been practised by hiuiaeir when the surveil- 

 lance of the press was entrusted to him. On this ground he incurred 

 the censures of the ultra party, and La Harpe expressly ascribes the 

 excesses of the Revolution to the facility of publication under Males- 

 herbes' ministry of the press. After the Kestoration a monument to 

 the memory of Maletherbes was erected by Louis XVIII. in tho hall 

 of the Chamber of Justice, with the inscription, " Strenue semper 

 fidelis regi suo, in solio veritatem, presidium in carcere attnlit." 



MALHERBK, FRANCOIS DE, born in 1655, at Caen in Normandy, 

 of a noble family, studied first in his native town, and afterwards at 

 Heidelberg and Basel. On his return to France, he accompanied 

 Henri of Angouleme, son of Henri II., who went to Provence as 

 governor in 1679, and remained attached to his household till that 

 prince's death in 1585. During that period he married at Air ia 

 Provence snd settled there. He afterwards served in the army during 

 the wars of the League. In the year 1COO he wrote an ode on the 

 arrival in France of Marie de' Mcdicis, the wife of Henri IV. With 

 this ode hi* poetical reputation began. In 1605, having come to Paris 

 on private business, Henri IV. sent for him, praised his poetry, and 

 provided him with the means of remainiug at court. After the death 



