MRS. STANLEY CARR'S TRANSLATION O! WILDER HAM'S PILGRIMAGE.

CONSIDERED as a novel, Wildenham's Pilgrimage, or Rationalism in the Bud, the Blade, and the Ear, is not of a very artistical kind, es- pecially to English tastes. The German simplicity too often passes into puerility ; and the traits of German habits which distinguish the persons and influence the course of events, appear to us the extreme if not the unlikely parte of German life—of the same stuff as novelists make these matters at home. Considered as a didactic and metaphysical fic-

don, The Pilgrimage is of a superior character. It may be, indeed,

that the means are hardly sufficient to answer the main end of converting the various sceptics; and if they were, the results would be

more accidental than logical : but this probably was designed by the author, to show how Providence overrules trifling events for important purposes—" How God was found of him that sought him not." But Wildenham has what didactic novelists very often want, a full knowledge and distinct idea of the principles he is about to illustrate in fiction. The religious conduct of his persons, too, is in accordance with their na- tive disposition : the sensual and rather enthusiastic character turns Romanist, more out of disappointment and feeling than actual conviction; the intellectual, inquiring, and better-balanced minds, become Protestant, when they become believers.

One object of Wildenham is to exhibit German Rationalism in its best and most elevated form ; another is to inculcate the doctrine, that, having received the general truth of revelation, we are not critically to scrutinize its details, but to take particulars upon trust when satisfied with the.generals—to walk by faith, not by intellectual sight. The manner in which Wildenham embodies his objects is to connect the other characters with the hero, and cause them as it were to revolve round him. Vollbrecht, the Rationalist, is a man of strict morals and elevated ideas, but with principles rather philosophic than religious. He admires the character of Christ and the morality of the New Testament ; but pride, or, as the author calls it, egotism, induces him to revolt against the idea of the necessity of a mediator, and to maintain that man should work out his own salvation. With an opinion akin to a doctrine of Brahma, he holds that the soul of man is an emanation from the Divinity, and will finally return to him, though in what way is not very intelligibly explained. The introduction of several of the fair sex rather lowers the height of these great arguments, and entanglements place the phi- losopher in some unphilosophical positions. His first approach to an affair of the heart is in the case of a pupil to whom be has been persuaded to give lessons in history and philosophy ; but the pride of nature, wealth, and position, in Caroline Werner, nip an attachment in the germ, and Vollbrecht only converts her to Rationalism, being led on to it by her in- quiries. The illness of his mother calls Vollbrecht home; and he receives from her deathbed practical lessons of Christian piety and humility, if he would profit by them. Unsettled in purpose, Vollbrecht realizes his pa- ternal fortune, which he invests in Government securities, that he carries in his pocket-book, and sets out on his travels. During an excursion among the Hartz mountains, he falls in with a sharper, named Schmitter, and a young woman who passes for his daughter, whom he but uses as a decoy. The arts of Eliza entangle the unworldly Voll- brecht, but those of Schmitter fail of inducing him to gamble; and the sharper determines to rob him of the securities. This is ac- complished with the aid of Eliza; who assists merely to detain Voll- brecht, for she has fallen deeply in love with him, and begins to look back with horror upon her past life. When the philosopher discovers the true state of affairs, he is much mortified and rather angry. In spite of tears and protestations, be separates from Eliza, but consents to re-

move her beyond Schmitter's power. He then sets out upon " the pilgri-

mage" of the title ; not so confident as before in the powers of reason. In the course of his rambles he falls in with a Swiss pastor, by whom he is converted ; Vollbrecht subsequently is a means of converting Caroline; Eliza turns Romanist and retires to a convent ; and the philosopher marries a Christian orphan whom his mother had adopted, and vainly re- commended to him on her deathbed, when as yet he looked down upon her humble Christianity.

It will be seen from this outline, that the story is not badly designed (though we believe unintentionally) to throw ridicule on the pretensions of Rationalistic claims. Its logical bearing is not so clear. Vollbrecht falls into his grand dilemma not from want of religious feeling but of worldly knowledge : in fact, very religious persons are as likely to be the dupe of clever and unscrupulous hypocrites as any other class.

The scenes and dialogues are mostly of a disquisitional or controversial character, and therefore exhibit little of what is understood by the term " effect." The deathbed of Vollbrecht's mother displays as much of this last-named quality as any thing in the book, without losing sight of the didactic objects of the writer.

Vollbrecht returned at various intervals to the sick-chamber, but always found his mother asleep; the effect, doubtless, of the exhaustion consequent on the ex-

citement produced by their morning conversation. At last, towards evening, the sick-nurse summoned him with the intelligence that his mother was awake, and desired his presence. He followed instantly: but what a change had a few hours

brought about! The eyes were evidently more deeply sunk, the nose become very sharp, and the pallor of death was spread over the countenance. The sight shocked Vollbrecht's inmost soul. He cast himself upon his mother's bed, and tears, the first he had shed since his arrival, burst from his eyes.

'My hour is come,' began his mother, in a feeble voice. My son, I have closed my accounts with earth: what 1 lately spoke to you about, I confidently

commit to the secrecy of your own breast. For the rest—God will provide. Re- main beside me, Frederick. Have you no word of consolation, no message of peace for me, in this solemn hour?' "'Mother; replied Vollbrecht, 'the soul cannot perish: it is the noblest, the most sublime of the Creator's works; and as God himself is eternal, so must our soul be, since it proceeds from God.' "The sufferer shook her head, and said, with a painful attempt at a smile, 'Is that your comfort for me? Do you think! doubted the immortality of my spirit?' " 'No, dear mother,' replied her son; ' but the certainty of our being immortal must surely be a reviving. thought on a deathbed; and this certainty we attain by our reason—for reason Itself is the undying portion of our being. The body moulders into dust and becomes the prey of that earth from whence it sprung, but the free spirit returns to its original and eternal home.' " 'My poor child!' said the dying woman, ' do you pride yourself on having discover.d this great truth? I have known and cherished it from my childhood. My Saviour, Jesus Christ, who "brought life and immortality to light by his gos- pel," is my surety for this belief. If I need consolation, it is only when the thought of my sins presses heavily on me. Oh! strengthen my hope that God, for Christ's sake, will be gracious unto me !' " 'Mother, replied the youth, you are too stern in your self-condemnation. Where can a better mother be found than you have always been? And have not the poor richly experienced the fruits of your benevolence? Does there exist a single mortal whom you ever wilfully or wittingly injured or offended ? No, my dear mother! This sense of guilt is false and groundless—a mere nervous ti- midity, produced by your weak state of body, since according to our nature the mental powers sympathize with the corporeal. Take your good works with you. on your death-path, secure and confident of entering on a better and eternal lift beyond the grave.' " On hearing these words, the sufferer clasped her hands, and casting a half- terrified look upon her eon, murmured, ' Unhappy boy! what doctrines are those that you bring before me?' Then, looking upward, she continued, Lord, what am 1, and what is my father's house, that thou has brought me hitherto? Enter not into judgment with me, 0 Lord! neither deal with me according to my trans- gressions. Oh, thou my Lord and Saviour! I have nothing to plead before thee, save that by thy grace I have, to the best of my poor ability, confessed thy name before men. 06, do thou confess me before thy Father and the holy angels! Ali! my dear son,' she continued, turning her breasting eyes imploringly upon him, 'speak to me of Christ—of the one Mediator between God and man—the one pro- pitiation for our sins; fix my spirit entirely upon him, " the author and finisher of our faith." Dearest Fred.! speak to me of Christ—I cannot die with out him!' "'Jesus, the Sage of Nazareth,' began Vollbrecht, died, it is true, a cruel and painful death; but he suffered with manly courage. He knew that he was in God, and God in him; and so should we all learn to die.' " ' Not so, not so! speak not so l' groaned the poor mother. Who is like him,_ the Holy One of God? " the only begotten of the }ether, full of grace and truth? who " was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," and higher than the angels. Oh, dreadful, dreadful! But no; it cannot be; I dare not think of it. Frederick, dost thou not believe in Jesus Christ?' " Of coarse, dear mother,' replied he. Have I not just said to you, that in his manly, courageous death, and his assured conviction that he and the Father were one, he is a pattern and an example to us all in death ? I am well aware that you seek to Lind in him the blotter out of your offences, and a reconciler of man to God: but what need is there of a mediator between God and man ? Is not God himself immediately and essentially in us? Does he not pervade all with his spirit? Even the wicked man cannot sever himself from the Divinity; for God lives and moves in every one of us.' " A shudder passed visibly over the countenance of the dying. She would fain have wept, but the source of tears was dry. Her son's words fell like a millstone on her heart, and produced a sensation of suffocation which proved the forerunner of the last struggle. Convulsively grasping Vollbrecht's hand, she cried out My son, my son! for my soul's sake, for thine own, turn back from this way of horror and despair. Do you hear me, Frederick? Ah, give me this last drop of consolation in my dying hour! When once, my son !—where art thou, Frede- rick? What is that horrible form which presses forward on your path of life? Trust not to her—confide not in her. Look there; there is the angel who seeks to rescue thee! 0, God of mercy ! what is this that I feel? All recedes before me. Pray for me; I can no longer pray for myself: " Vollbrecht cast down his eyes. He scarcely knew any longer what prayer was; but the anguish of a dying mother demanded at least the attempt. God is omniscient,' began he; he understands our thoughts afar off.' " The dying woman raised herself; her breast heaved convulsively with the last conflict; and while the death-rattle threatened her with suffocation, she clutched the bed-clothes, and cried, with a piercing heart-rending tone, ' Help, help! can no one—will no onejoin in prayer for me?' "'Vollbrecht looked on in almost stupified surprise; deeply conscious of in- ability to help, yet not fully sensible of the torture of not being capable of advan- cing one word of comfort to a dying mother. Then Anna threw herself sobbing on her knees before the bed, and with clasped hands, and distinct though deeply agitated voice, she cried, Have mercy upon us, thou gracious and Almighty Father! Lord Jesus, we believe, help thou our unbelief! Help to fight the good fight of faith—help to conquer the last enemy ! Oh, open heaven and come down! Reach forth, 0 God ! thy fatherly hand, and rescue the anguished spirit passing through the valley and shadow of death ! May thy rod and staff comfort and support ! Hear, 0 Lord! the cry of thy dying handmaid; she trusteth in thee, and thee alone, for deliverance. Thou art her righteousness and stre

her sanctification and complete redemption. Lord Jesus, open thine arms receive her spirit ! In thee she has lived, in thee let her die. Amen!'

"The dying sufferer turned a look—the last look of her breaking eyes—a look of heartfelt thankfulness, on the kneeling girl. She opened her lips, as if about to speak—but no sound was heard. The head sunk back upon the pillow—the conflict was over—her earthly pilgrimage was ended."