Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/598

 HULST

538

HUMANISM

Biographies: by SchCcking (1S62) in vol. I of her works, ed. Kreiten; by Huffeh (2nd ed., 1897); by Wormstall (1897); by Redter in the collection Die Literatur, edited by Brand£8; bv BussE (1908): by Scholz in the poetical col- lection edited by Remeh (1904); by Pelican (1906i.

Francis Jostes.

Hulst, Maurice Le Sage d'Hadteroche d', prel- ate, writer, orator; b. at Paris, 10 Oct., 1841 ; d. there, 6 Nov., 1896. After a distinguished course in the College Stanislas, he entered the seminary of Saint- Sulpice and later proceeded to Rome to finish his ecclesiastical studies. There he obtained the doctor- ate in divinity. On his return he was for some time employed on the mission as curate in the populous parish of St. Ambrose. During the war of 1870 he became a volunteer chaplain in the army. In 187.3 Cardinal Guibert called him to take part in the ad- ministration of the diocese, but he was engaged princi- pally in founding and organizing the free Catholic University, which the bishops opened at Paris after the passage of the law of 12 July, 1875, allowing liberty of higher education. He became its rector in 1880 and for fifteen years devoted himself to de- veloping it in every branch of learning, and, while con- cerned for its orthodoxy, was no less anxious that it should meet the needs of scientific progress. In 1891 he succeeded Pfere Monsabr^ in the pulpit of Xotre- Dame de Paris and preached the Lenten conferences there for six successive years, on the ba.ses of Christian morality and the Decalogue. In 1892 he was elected deputy for Finistfere on the death of Mgr Frep- pel. Although a royalist by family tradition, Mgr d'Hulst did not hesitate to give his loyal support to the republic when Pope Leo XIII requested the French Catholics to do so. In addition to all these labours, he was busily engaged as a spiritual director. He was able to undertake so much on account of his wonderful energy and capacity for work. He died while still active, after a short illness, and his death was a cause of sorrow to the whole French Church.

He was very intellectual and broad-minded, and was naturally inclined to philosophical studies. His word and pen were ever at the service of religion, education, and charity; but his chief efforts were directed towards encouraging higher studies, espe- cially the study of the sacred sciences, among the French clergy. In connexion with this we must recall the great work he did in organizing and carrying out the International Scientific Congresses of Catholics. As an orator, his words were somewhat cold and didactic, but very clear, precise, and pregnant with sense. Besides two biographies, the "Vie de la Mere Marie-Thdrese" (Paris, 1872) and the "Vie de Just de Bretenieres" (Paris, 1892), he wrote "L'^ducation sup^rieure" (Paris, 1886); "Le Droit chr^tien et le Droit moderne", a commentary on the Encyclicdl "Immortale" of Leo XIII (Paris, 1880), a volume of "Melanges philosophiiiues" (2nd ed., 1903); and also published two volumes "Melanges oratoires" (Paris, 1891 and 1892) and the six volumes of his "Confe- rences de Notre-Dame", enriched with notes and appendixes (Paris, 1891-96). It is impossible to mention the many articles he contriljuted to the cur- rent reviews, but among the more important ones we may cite the "Examen de conscience de Renan"; " Une Ame royale et chri'-tienne" (a touching necrol- ogy of the Comte de Paris), and "La Question bil)- lique". Most of his occasional discourses were collected and published l)y the Abb^ Odelin in the four volumes entitled " Nouveaux Melanges oratoires" (Paris, 1900-07). Mgr Baudrillart, his successor at the head of the Catholic University, after the rector- ship of Mgr P^chenard, published a collection of " Lettres de Direction" of Mgr d'Hulst.

Under the title Recucil de souvmirs h la memoire de Mgr Le Soar d' HniUernche d'Hulst the principal discourses and articles on Mgr d'Hulst after his death nave been issued in one volume (Paris, 1898). A. BOUDINHON.

Humanism is the name given to the intellectual, literary, anil scientific movement of the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries, a movement which aimed at basing every branch of learning on the literature and culture of classical antiquity. Believing that a clas- sical training alone could form a perfect man, the Humanists so called themselves in opposition to the Scholastics, and adopted the term humaniora (the humanities) as signifying the scholarship of the an- cients. Though the interval between the classical period and their own days was regarded by the Hu- manists as barbarous and destructive alike of art and science. Humanism (like every other historical phe- nomenon) was connected with the past. The use of Latin in the Liturgy of the Church had already pre- pared Europe for the humanistic movement. In the Middle Ages, however, classical literature was re- garded merely as a means of education; it was known through secondary sources only, and the Church saw in the worldly conception of life that had prevailed among the ancients an allurement to sin. On the rise of secularism these views underwent a change, especially in Italy. In that countrj' the body politic had grown powerful, the cities had amassed great wealth, and civic lilicrty was widespread. Worldly pleasure became a strong factor in life and freer play was given to sensory impulse. The transcendental, unworldly concept of life, which had till then Ijcen dominant, now came into conflict with a mundane, human, and naturalistic view, which centred on na- ture antl man. These new ideas found their proto- types in antiquity, whose writers cherished and extolled the enjoyment of life, the claims of individuality, liter- ary art and fame, the beauty of nature. Not only ancient Roman culture but also the hitherto neglected Greek culture was taken up by the movement. The new spirit broke away from theology and Church. The principle of free, scientific inquiry gained ground. It was quite natural that the value of the new ideal should be exaggerated while the medieval national culture was undervalued.

It is customarv to begin the history of Humanism with Dante (1265-1321), and Petrarch'(1.304-74). Of the two Dante, by reason of his poetic sublimity, was tmdoubtedly the greater; but, as regards Humanism Dante was merely its precursor while Petrarch ini- tiated the movement and led it on to success. Dante certainlj; shows traces of the coming change; in his great epic classical and Christian materials are found side by side, while poetic renown, an aim so character- istic of the pagan writers yet so foreign to the Chris- tian ideal, is what he seeks. In matters of real importance, however, he takes the Scholastics as his guides. Petrarch, on the other hand, is the first Humanist; he is interested only in the ancients and in poetry. He unearths long-lost manuscripts of the classics, and collects ancient medals and coins. If Dante ignored the monuments of Rome and regarded its ancient statues as idolatrous images, Petrarch views the Eternal City with the enthusiasm of a Hu- manist, not with that of a pious Christian. The an- cient classics — especially his lodestars, Virgil and Cicero — serve not merely to instruct and to charm him; they also incite him to imitation. With the philosophers of old he declared virtue and truth to be the highest goal of human endeavour^ although in practice he was not always fastidious in cultivating them. However, it was only in his third aim, elo- quence, that he rivalled the ancients. His ascent of Mont \'entoux marks an epoch in the history of litera- ture. His joy in the beauty of nature, his susceptibil- ity to the influence of landscape, his deep sjTnpathy with, and glorious portrayal of, the charms of the world around him were a break with the traditions of the past. In 1341 he gained at Rome the much coveted crown of the poet laureate. His Latin writings were most highly prized by his contemporaries, who ranked