t least
a curious discovery, and we will not qualify the gratitude which he has
earned by industry and good will. At the same time, the notes themselves
confirm the opinion which we have always entertained, that Leibnitz did
not understand Spinoza. Leibnitz did not understand him, and the
followers of Leibnitz do not understand him now. If he were no more than
what he is described in the book before us--if his metaphysics were
'miserable,' if his philosophy was absurd, and he himself nothing more
than a second-rate disciple of Descartes--we can assure M. de Careil
that we should long ago have heard the last of him.

There must be something else, something very different from this, to
explain the position which he holds in Germany, or the fascination which
his writings exerted over such minds as those of Lessing or of Goethe;
the fact of so enduring an influence is more than a sufficient answer to
mere depreciating criticism. This, however, is not a point which there
is any use in pressing. Our present business is to justify the two
assertions which we have made. First, that Leibnitz borrowed his _Theory
of the Harmonie Pre-etablie_ from Spinoza, without acknowledgment; and,
secondly, that this theory is quite as inconsistent with religion as is
that of Spinoza, and only differs from it in disguising its real
character.

First for the _Harmonie Pre-etablie_. Spinoza's _Ethics_ appeared in
1677; and we know that they were read by Leibnitz. In 1696, Leibnitz
announced as a discovery of his own, a Theory of _The Communication of
Substances_, which he illustrates in the following manner:--

'Vous ne comprenez pas, dites-vous, comment je pourrois prouver ce que
j'ai avance touchant la communication, ou l'harmonie de deux substances
aussi differentes que l'ame et le corps? Il est vrai que je crois en
avoir trouve le moyen; et voici comment je pretends vous satisfaire.
Figurez-vous deux horloges ou montres qui s'accordent parfaitement. Or
cela se peut faire de trois manieres. La 1^{e} consiste dans une
influence mutuelle. La 2^{e} est d'y attacher un ouvrier habile qui les
redresse, et les mette d'accord a tous moments. La 3^{e} est de
fabriquer ces deux pendules avec tant d'art et de justesse, qu'on se
puisse assurer de leur accord dans la suite. Mettez maintenant l'ame et
le corps a la place de ces deux pendules; leur accord peut arriver par
l'une de ces trois manieres. La voye d'influence est celle de la
philosophie vulga