p into
separate volitions which oppose themselves to the divine will, and through
the oppositions and trials of this world work onward to a second and
completer harmony. Humanity, therefore, passes through three stages, the
fall from perfection, the period of trial and the final re-birth or return
to perfection. In the dim records of mythical times may be traced the
obscure outlines of primitive society and of its fall. Actual history
exhibits the conflict of two great principles, which may be said to be
realized in the patricians and plebeians of Rome. Such a distinction of
caste is regarded by Ballanche as the original state of historical society;
and history, as a whole, he considers to have followed the same course as
that taken by the Roman plebs in its attempts to attain equality with the
patriciate. On the events through which the human race is to achieve its
destiny Ballanche gives few intelligible hints. The sudden flash which
disclosed to the eyes of Hebal the whole epic of humanity cannot be
reproduced in language trammelled by time and space. Scattered throughout
the works of Ballanche are many valuable ideas on the connexion of events
which makes possible a philosophy of history; but his own theory does not
seem likely to find more favour than it has already received. Besides the
_Palingenesie_, Ballanche wrote a poem on the siege at Lyons (unpublished);
_Du sentiment considere dans la litterature et dans les arts_ (1801);
_Antigone_, a prose poem (1814); _Essai sur les institutions sociales_
(1818), intended as a prelude to his great work; _Le Vieillard et le jeune
homme_, a philosophical dialogue (1819); _L'Homme sans nom_, a novel
(1820).

See Ampere, _Ballanche_ (Paris, 1848); Ste Beuve, _Portraits
contemporains_, vol. ii.; Damiron, _Philosophie de XIX^e siecle_; Eugene
Blum, "Essai sur Ballanche" (in _Critique Philos._, 30th June 1887); Gaston
Frainnet, _Essai sur la philos de P. S. Ballanche_ (Paris, 1903, containing
unpublished letters, portraits and full bibliography); C. Huit, _La Vie et
les oeuvres de Ballanche_ (1904). An admirable analysis of the works
composing the _Palingenesie_ is given by Barchou, _Revue des deux mondes_
(1831), t. 2. pp. 410-456.

BALLANTINE, WILLIAM (1812-1887), English serjeant-at-law, was born in
London on the 3rd of January 1812, being the son of a London
police-magistrate. He was educated at St Paul's school, and called to the
bar in 1834. He began in early life a var