The New Calendar of Great Men. Editedby - Frederic: Harrison. (Macmillan.)—M. Auguste
.Comte published in 1849 the "Posi- tivist Calendar." In this he commemorated 558 persons, beginning with Moses,And ending, we maysay, with Berzelius (who died in the year before the publication of the Calendar). The year was divided into thirteen months of twenty-eight days, with .a dies son to make up the number. Each month took its name from some specially great man;. each week, from some one less, great. Thus, "Moses," the first month (Theocratic civilisation), has aubordinated to him Hume, Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed. These . 558 " great men" are described in the volume new before us. The editor disclaims for himself.and his colleagues the idea of modifying this list, and is probably right. Begin to discuss it, and where could 'we hope to leave off ? An outsider, however, may be per- mitted to remark that the list shows manifest traces of its French origin. Bichat,'for instance, was hardly of the calibre to be ranked as the "Apostle," so to speak, of "Modern Science." Mr. J. H. Bridges manfully champions his claim, on ground which may be epitomise:thy the line," The proper-study of mankind is man." Bichat devoted himself to the study of the-physical nature of man. Is it, then, the Positivist view that this is supreme ? -We should not attempt to criticise the various --articles in which the editor and his colleagues describe the work of - these worthies. To do so would take us over the whole range of history, poetry, science, and theology. One question the last word suggests. Why have John the Baptist and not Christ ? And why are "good women " celebrated but once every four years ?
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