New-York daily tribune., 1842-12-01
Lectures of the Historical Society.
Sir Walter Ra.eish...By DIR. Rawks.

/ he most admirable Lecture 20 which We aaFe
listened this season was delivered last evening al
the University Chapel, before the Historical So
cie,y, BY Rev. Dr.. HAwKs-,o reasonably iarga
ard most intelligent audience. His theme was
the life and character of Sir WALTER RALEIGH,
one Of the greatest and noblest men England has
ever known. 1t was lofty subject treated By one
worthy to be the b;ographer and eulogiEs OF so
great man. We almost fear to attempt sketch
of this long and most eloquent Discourse, lest the
pleasure our readers would derive from even no
ce of its most prominent points should DOT atone
for the injustice any ebrdgcnent must OF neces-
sity do the Lecture Itself. It's style was remarks
oly terse and direct, marked by the vigoE which
cbsrecterizes all the writings of Dr.. H., and yet
polished as the most musical prose of our most
classical writers.
Dr.. H. introduced his Lecuture BY few aPPro-
pirate remarks concerning his relation to the So
ciety at whose invitation he spoke and OF the con-
sderatons which had led him to take even more
than an ordinary interest in the whose charac-
ter he intended TO present. North Carolina, the
State upon whose capital Sir WALTER RALEIGH
bestowed name. was. be said, his own native
State and upon this account well as tor those
more general reason. which must induce every
man of generous heart TO be deeply interested in
the history and fate of SC brave and noble spint
he had been induced to make him the subject OF
MS intended Lecture. There must be TO every
nind, he went on say, pain in looking upon the
fate of one who survives his greatness and especial
ly if he fall victim TO the fraud and persecution
Of those whom his own virtues have made his ene-
nies-if he die innocent OF all crime but this
that God has made him greater than his fellows
Such was the fate of Sir WALTER RALEIGH.
OF his earlier years nothing need be said, ex-
cept, briefly, that he was born of most honorable
family in Devon in 1852; and that we have the
testimony of those who knew him best to the fact
that his college life exhibited the same union OF
the habits of the scholar with the active dispos-
lion of the man of the world for which ne was af-
forwards distinguished. At an early age ne be-
came deeply interested in the incidents OF Spanish
history; and to his passionate fondness Tor these
we may perhaps trace something OF the bold and
romantic character of The projects OF ms after le
The first theatre of his exertlon was In the war
between Engla and France, which involved the
question of religious liberty, and in which CoHDE
and CoLIaNY took prominent part After
six years engagement there he embarked in the
expedition against the Netherlands; and among
his fellow soldiers there was one whose visionary
schemes first opened to his mind the establishment
of colony in America
His halbrother Sir HUMPHREY GILBERT
hadobtaiaed patent for making settlement
there ard RALEIGH joined him in the expo
dtion; but it entirely failed of success, and RA-
LEIGH returned to England without having even
obtained sig ght Of this country. he had scarcely
returned when he became engaged IN another field
Spain had stirred up rebellion in Ireland; and
RALEIGH taking command of a company soon made
evident his talents and his noble qualities. Into
his hands were committed many most important
trusts and he executed them all with fidelity and
courage that commanded universal admiration
now evincng in the long campaign his superior
tactics, and then, by sing lie of daring valor,
at the peril of his own life, rescuing some friend
from death upon the fed.
The rebellion was soon suppressed and RALEIGH
returned to play part in the mostimPortant events
Of that age.
OF Queen Elizabeth and the prominent persons
of her Court, Dr.. H. then drew most graphic and
vigorous picture. The character Of the Virgin
Queen, he said, had been we'll described by one
who said that she " was more than man and yet III
truth somewhat less than a woman" Among
he better qualities of her character was her men,
tai strength and the wonderful power by which
she attached to her support the best men OF her
kingdom. She had opinion OF her own and
reasons by which 10 maintain it, She never forgot
aer dignity as Queen nor did she ever know ia
voritss al her council table. She always made
ludlcous selection of her advisers and never toler
ated fools about her Court. These were the strong
points ef her character to which her weaknesses
esented sad and humilia,ing contrast. She
was vain much beyond the limits allowed to the
weaker sex by the courtesy OF the stronger. Plas
IN her personal appearance she was yet anxious TO
be thought beautiful and, fascinated by beauty in
others, exac,ed homage for that quality in herself
from the handsomest men IN her kingdom. And
even when the SHOWS of sixty winters had whitened
ner locks and the ploughshare of Time had made
deep burrows upon her brow she affected all the
simpering folly OF love-sck fifteen. Jealous of her
admirers, she envous Of her own sex; bitterly
vindic,ve when any disparaging contrast between
herself and Others was sugges,ed-the fate of Es-
SIX was foreseen when he ventured, in moment
Of unguarded bitterness TO say that her Councils
were as crooked as her carcase"
Among the foremost Of her advisers was the
sagacious and we,y BURLEIaH-than whom less
imaginative creature never lived. A heart less
disposed TO love what was beautiful and to be
rouched with nobility in others beat in hu-
man bosom, than that OF Cecil. The skill and
valor OF general he estimated only by the security
MS exploits afforded The coin they brough, into
the roya! Golfers. His. judgement was impertur-
baby cool, and his muscles of immoveable rigidity
These qualities enabled him to possess from first
to last the confidence and respect Of one of the
most capricious old women that ever fancied her
self lovely. His abillties made him ind snensahIe