ERNEST  RENAN  247

The  intellectual  attitude  of  Renan  is  well  defined  enough  ;
his  moral  attitude  was  more  puzzling.  His  indulgence  towards
the  end  of  his  life  was  certainly  excessive  and  misplaced.  "  To
understand  everything  is  to  forgive  everything."  Again,  we
must  remember  that  he  ever  kept  the  same  high  standard  of
duty  for  himself.  Thoroughly  French  in  this  respect,  he  hated
self-righteousness  above  all  things ;  his  extreme  delicacy  of
feelings,  his  scrupulous  politeness,  his  fastidious  refinement,
made  it  impleasant  for  him  openly  to  praise  the  qualities  for
which  he  was  noted.  Because  he  was  a  living  example  of
earnestness,  industry,  and  purity,  he  spoke  almost  deprecatingly
of  these  virtues.  He  would  not  set  himself  up  as  an  example
and  humiliate  the  weaker  brethren  with  his  perfection.  There
is  much  self-consciousness,  affectation,  and  vanity  in  such  a
state  of  mind.  It  implies  excessive  introspection,  over-culture,
subtlety.  Renan  was  not  a  saint  of  the  rugged,  heroic,  single-
minded  type.  His  scruples  may  be  a  sign  of  weakness ;  but,
dangerous  as  they  are,  and  even  slightly  ridiculous,  they  are
not  dishonourable.
Besides,  Kenan's  indulgence  was  not  only  due  to  politeness
and  self-depreciation.  It  was  also  the  result  of  genuine  kindness
and  the  privilege  of  a  noble  soul.  Amiel,  Allier,  and  all  Protes-
tant critics  in  general,  reproach  him  for  lacking  "  the  con-
sciousness and  conviction  of  sin."  This  may  be  due  to  the
purity  rather  than  to  the  alleged  shallowness  of  his  nature.
