Page:The religion of Plutarch, a pagan creed of apostolic times; an essay (IA religionofplutar00oakeiala).pdf/134

 Wyttenbach, whom de Maistre attacks for repudiating this view, is willing, with all his scholarly caution, to admit that Plutarch, in this tract, touches the excellences of the Christian faith.

The position which Plutarch sets himself to overthrow is that which is expressed most concisely in the famous verses of Ennius:—

"Ego deum genus esse semper dixi et dicam cœlitum, Sed eos non curare opinor quid agat humanum genus; Nam si curent, bene bonis sit, male malis, quod nunc abest"

—a sentiment in exact harmony with the Epicurean view of the matter. While, however, establishing the providence and goodness of God as against the practical


 * [Footnote: l'oreille ne supporte pas ses vers: les dames surtout et les étrangers le goûtent peu." Another French critic justly remarks on these "liberties" of de Maistre: "C'est trop de licence. Plutarque n'est pas un de ces écrivains qui laissent leurs pensées en bouton" (Gréard, p. 274). Yet it is upon de Maistre's "paraphrase" that Gréard bases his own analysis!]