The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-27
THE LECTURE SEASON.


Brcsdvay-suhjest. The Times Of Queen Anns.n Not
withdrawing the uncssng rain Of the day, ths audsue,
fully numerous that OF either Of the two pre-
osding lectures.
The lecturer commenced his discourse by asking hi
auditory whether when they lsok back the history
past age is for the purpose Of learning the po
cal transactions and character ofgreat public Are
ourselves acquainted with the life and doings Of the
men OF own times No; we can but make gussses
respecting them In common life do you not constantly
judge misjudge men whose conduct you view from
wrong impression The cut of his hair the tie OF his
neckcloth may disfgure in eyes, or, perhaps
after years OF the closest regard friend reveals some
thing pryate and secret which alters all views about
him and shows he has acted on quite different motives
than those you had attributed to him And if it is So
said he with those whom you know how much more so
must 1t be With these whom you DO not know For
ample II want know the character OF the Duke of
Marlborough take up swifts history Of him and Swift
hints be coward and he doubted whether he
any military capacity Swift speaks also Of Walpsls
great boor and SCOTS NJ or hardly makes mention Of
sre,srr IN. Prqond.r Then read Con sst i,t us
insight into the secret motives and influences
the whole Of Narlborough's career which caused his
treason and ultimately landed him down the ano.
verisn winning side believe that Coxs portrait and
nstsnce and say the Of history 20, venerable
daughter OF Mntmosyns, doubt every single assertion
you have ever made since your lsdyship was muse.
do not think you whit trustworthy than OF
your lighter sisters You bid me listen to the speech of
great general 70 his army Nonsense He made 1t
than did Dick Turpin the last speech made for him at
the gslows You offer ne an autobiography doubt all
suobcgraphies that read except that perhaps OF
Robinson Orusoe mariner and other writers Of his stamp
These have motive for and they call for
more confidence than can checrfuliy give them;
they not ask to my credulity take up volume
res me re truth than the volume which pretends 10 be
al true and get better view Of the manners and
and travel in the old country of England Could the
heaviest history do more, much, for me As
read in that truthful volume Of the Tater or the Spec
tator the past returns and ancestry reviv
fed The lecturer proceeded 10 group and deneate in
most graphic style the ptcuaes OF the OF Queen
Anre ard to draw amusing contrast between that and
our own time Talking then fashionable profession
of highway be said:-But, alas there always
day in the life of the gallant gentleman vhsn was the
fashion TO accompany him in state escorted by kaber-
diers and attended by the Sheriff In carriage without
springs, with clergyman humping behind him, to a
stood What q change In the century, A great and
wealthy city has grown ON the meadow Of that day and
be closed and would keep within the
horror hundred yearspast people made jokes at them
swi laughed grmy advising the wretch 10 mount the
farewell Gay wrote the msst delightful ballads the
hero. Contrast these morals with oursthese
with ours. You could no more suffer in British
drawing under the reign Of Queen Victoria fns
gentleman fine lady of those times Of Queen Anne
and hear what he or she said or read, than you
could receive an ancient Briton 1t seems as
reads about savages when 70 back
to the times of that generation The lecturer then pro
ceeded 10 sketch few Of the fast noblemen OF that
epoch and also read funny extracts the
light literature of the day. What change there must
have be- he continued when the Taller appeared and
scholars gentlem.n Of the world men Of genius
began write Shortly before the battle OF the Boyne
Acquaintance with English court manners and English
character, while in the service Of the Temple family
another Irish youth brought to learn his at
the ChArtIeux The boy was an orphan and described a.
twenty years of age His life was destined TO be
chequered with strange variety Of good and evil for
tune He was yerv idle and was often whipped very de.
serve0ly One hundred and fifty years after mysefin
spected that instrument Of righteous still existing
in of the secluded private rooms of the Chartreux
and really have doubt that Ii the counterpart
If the very identical instrument itself which poor
Dick Steele submitted himself TO the tormentor Besides
being lazy this boy went into debt with the oopop
vendors and exhibited early fondness for drinking
and sack and from Ill his comrades who had
money lend II the child is father to the man the
father OF young Steele who left Oxford without taking
degree and entered the Life Guards the father of MIR
Steele the commissioner OF stampsthe editor Of the
Tatter and Spectatorm the boy resemble each
otherDick Steele must have been Of the gene
rous good for nothing little creatures that conu
gated the ven b temp,o whp-tempisiag am whipped
Dick Steele the Chartreux gown boy contracted
admiration for the head boy and retained II faithfully
for life, through the school and through the world
whe1esoever strange fortune led him Joseph Addison
his beet boy-Addison wrote his best exercises-Ad
olson did his best themes. Disk ran on Addsons mes
cages tagged for him, cleaned his shoes and
Gaming from his monitor with the most bound
lees acquiessence and affection Steele found
make any great figure at that place Being smtten
with sudden love for military glory he joined the Horse
Guards He could scarcely have seen any actual service
about his debts about the wine he drank would have
told Of his battles. II he had any While poor
Dick writing the Christian Hero he deep in
debt and drink and is related that tine officers Of
Lucas's regimentslaughed atsDicks appearance And
in truth . theologian in drink is a very respec
table parsonage and though q hermit may be out
at elbows, he must not be in debt % his tailor.
Our worthy friend, the author of the Christian
HevO u mi
the exercise OF his wits. He appointed Gazetteer
In 17CS he wrote the " Tender Husband" his second
play ana in 17c4 he upon town With another
dy, and the Lying Lover damned. Aadisen's
turn of came and he able TO help his
friend in such q that If there had been any
chance OF keeping that fellow his legs his for
tune ensured Steele obtained the place OF Commits
iener of Stamps His earlier production, of poetry
to be compared to Addisons After the Tatter,n in
171 the Spectator made its appearance and this
followed by many periodicals by the editors Steele
married twice he outved his places his wives his in
come his health almost everything but his kind heart
tho ceased to trouble him in 1929 when he died aim ost
egoten by his contemporaries in Wales where he had
the of his property Posterity has been kinder
TO this amabe creature all women pecially bound
TO be grateful to steele, he the first writer who
really treated them with consideration aud respect.
Steele sdmes female virtues acknowle dyes sense
and adoref female beauty with ardor and strength
which would win the good will Of all women
to their hearty and respectful champion It is
this which makes his comedies pleasant; he pays
the finest compliments to women. OF enc woman
he said that to have loved her liberal education
HE heart seems TO and his eye kndle, when he
meet, good and beautiful woman and it is With his
heart well his hat that he sautes her OF children
he is not less tender He would be nothing without his
delightful Weakness is that which gives his works their
cbGm they like his life, full Of faults aud blum
ders and redeemed like 1t, by his kind and afec
toDse nature. Four hundred Of his letters to his wife
are preserved, written, some from the printing office,
from the tavera where he promises TO his
wife within pint Of wine'') some from his
ceslment, where he s lodging the baii and from
the lookup house where be is waiting for bail 1t re-
lated OF him that at party given to OF hs friends
In ms mouse In bloomsbury square the guests
waited ON by half dozen fine looking fellows in livery
whom Dick confessed to be "bailifis to q man. Joe
Miller Of his defendants also tells good story
indicative Of Dicks character. lie building his
private theatre and wanting to kro how the house
adapted 70 acoustics he went to the most distant part
the gallery and requested his builder to make speech
on the stage The carpenter commenced by saying that
he was unaccuktomed to public speaking and
begged 70 be excused making speech Dick csles out
70 him TO anything he Liked aud the carpenter then
began In voice perfectly audible Sir Richard Steele
ier these three months past and my have been
working in this theatre and havpt the color
Of your honor's money. ! would be very much obliged
II would directly IL don we vii NOT