The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-26

SCOTT AND MAcAULgY.

DR.. HoImes' Lecture ON the English Poets
SCOTT AND MAcAULsY.
The fourth lecture of DR.. o. w. Holmes before
the Mercantile Society Of this city, delivered last
evening in Hope Chapel to very numerous respectable
and attentive auditory. The theme selected for the
course has been "The English Poets of the Nine zenith
| Century"
The lecturers subject for last evenings lecture WAS
Scott and Macauey The stated that requested
he had chosen Sir Walter Scott the principal subject
of his lecture, instead Of Shelley For reader of
Shelley there hundred of Scott He glad he
saved from what he should have to say about him.
he would have felt it his duty to treat him poet in
stead of atheist So the change welcome to him
About good Sir Walter cannot quarrel-an agree in
liking him, and liking him poet Scott is read by
the many-shslsy by the few. Scott was TO.
mantle Realistically a phiosophic idealis. Mr..
Garrison speaking Of the American press said jocu
ary that he believed the editors and propretors of Jour-
mails filter for the pententay than the pers who
are generally found there This is, suppose because
they generally vative The lecturer proceeded
TO anayze the works Of the poets SCOTS poems are
read by the children with much pleasure and under
standing by ths parents The stormy OF Byron's
passion srewed with wrecks The current of Sheleys
works Ia tins ed with rainbow color children are
s attracted to Scott 1t must not from that be supposed
that Scott Was not high poet Two men diametricay oP
pose In interests and feelings Scott and Shelley aud
10 curious to them rivals In the public opinion
He would eat Scott poet mot novelist We have
had during the halt century great galaxy of Of let
tiers. Walter Scott fine, athletic In Byron,
the excess of Imagination covered up the animal In
Walter Scots poetry there athletic life than in
any the others In his youth he had joined the cava
~ corps OF his district. He always great Story
teller and improvisa,ore Monk Lewis had produced
great effect by bis novel OF the Monk aud ballads;
and Scott made his acquaintance and stimulated his at
tempt to compose poetry. He translated the poem of
"leonora" at twenty four years OF age His next
was ALTO translation of one Of Goethe's poems. At
last, in his thirty nth year-the same period when
Isared "The Lay Of the Last MINSTREL" and from
that time to the close of his life those admirable
stories Of his romantic imagination came before the
public seoti's competition is athletic His whole
meaning is taken in the 6rst reaiiag. Tas perfect
transparency Of his poetry renders criticism impossible
there is much dssmilary OF opinion eirey considere
hat the LADY OF the Lake, Ia: others-and the leo
seryatye in religion and potics It is NOR for tboaa
who look backward than forward that he writes. The
s then vent On Scott to read portions Of
them. Soft had q great instinct--the reysrential
love for the past and the ability to make it live again
Men well hole necessary to live in the present
Perhaps too much ade of his worldly ambition He
built quasi feuda mansion and paid 'or it at tho mar
ket price OF his genius Shakespeare did the same thing
purpofes The idea that is doing God services
cept he is fighting with the devil, is mistake. The
greatest fault to be found with Carylss criticism is that
he undertakes the love beauty the power to paint
H. 1t is injustice TO man who has kept the world listen
ing 10 him for twei y years. btls him by comparing
him 10 the reformers of whom Carlyle had been writnr
because be did not make aphorms to head cha pers we'll
When the large vote of mankind is taken he may be
fourd to be really great. No poet needs criticism less
to bring out his beauties and defects. Tia beauties
stand out without the aid of Critic and his defects
to the most inexperienced He was, perhaps too
antiquarian, aud all his learning must be somehow got
out Of him. Harold the Dauntess" gave in and Scott
n. more sung the Of chi,alry In 1910 the Lady
Haro.d " in the flame of which "Marmon and the LAY
of the Last MINSTREL p.led. In 1914 "Wayerey" ap-
peared and here closed the poeca state of SCOTS
istence His extraordinary vigor is seea through his
His hero always hard riding chisl border
rob6er No ether rider up to his Lochiaysr.
This force of bis R also in the last of Marmion
The laughing humcrs Of life shown in the define alton
cited also Scots lively description of Lady Heron in
'Marmion" and the apok gy Of Sir Hugh Heron for his
wfes absence. ending with the philosophical ree ction-
Let the Wild fa con soar her swing
She'll stoop when she has til cd her wingn
Carlyle COZ trass Scott with Shakespeare in that the for
the other from within outward There Is great deal
in that idea but it is not orginalit belongs to Cali
6aa the first Johnson the lecturer considered that
Byron plagIized from Scott in "Parasna" where
his heroine il counte part of Constance in Marmion"
Scotts invention and fertility very great 30 that
when he wrote in rhyme he shose the smbng, slip
shod STYLE 1t was lucky thing that Scott got
down from his hobby soon. lOur classification,
said the eetorer does lot go this Waverey domain
We lose tie poet in the AL; At strange
Knight rode into the aelo, carrying long javelin and
hort stout sword He aipgs he rides. The face has
II tie but the great historian and orato Thomas Babing
Ton Naeanly? There is ring of good sturdy manhood
SPOUT us hOmSn Daiads his are the songs OF
courage and patriotism. which get sighted in
iimes Of psace and efeminacy The who
can read ''Hora'ius" without glow of excitement,
is not fit for the militia and the who could pc.
it witht ut something Of the feeling should be
tpt 8 nunnery The VIII lie construction Of the poem
is brilliant mosaic. Easy they flow from the
lip TIE, must have been much studied and elAborae in
the composition The lecturer gave . specimen of its
syle BY Ifaeng portion Of the poem rcturesquene's
The words Mscauey puts into the fathers mouth, in
Virginus" b. fore he punaes the knife in to his dat gh
30 hxprx 30 hss%N
likely to have occurred. We shall not likely, however,
have any Marmions or Hors tii.
The lecturer in conclusion. recited Of his
poems, which he called "S.irup Cup" to his
own pronunciation, styrrnp Cup"