New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-06
MIR. THACKERiYS LECTURE.

Mr. Tbackerays lecture last night, Of which we en-.
deavor to give outline produced as far as could
gather more genera y favorable impression than his
last The material being degree less heavy the lecture
was degree more interesting. Mr.. Thackeray seemed
more in his element, and amused his audience with
many racy bon mots and pleasant sales. As Court.
picture, Mr.. Thacke sys lecture on George III will
rank we believe, among the most classic specimens Of
their kind, being precisely such picture general
but efIed audience takes delight in, Without pos
sessirg any high claim to intellectual emnence, Mr.
Thackernys lecture was attractive principally by is
graceful wit ard elegance OF dction II relieved
from heayintss by occasional fine touches of satire
and from all dogmatcal stiffness by its easy serenity
If the lecture does not rank hey ondthe merit Of an
eYqusitely drawn picture Of king, we have no right
TO find fault with Mr.. Thackeray, but rather with
the narrow limit within which he onfned his intel
ect Tie times Of George ii. would of course yield
ore comprehensive text for lecture than the indi-
vduaIity of one man. The dongs of the great uasse
of the British people the literary impulses of the age
the movements Of the stage-that truthful mirror Of
the peoples ioi3tyncrasies-sll the thousand infu
erces end impressions which reaect the spirit of the
generation and thIob with the pusstons
of the peoples hesrt-these, we fancy, would
have given fairer scope for the exercise OF
intellect ard the interest Of On audience.
In this sphere Of count and Camsrila life, to which
Mr. Thackeray confines himself. he however moves
with consummete tact and most admirable gusto but
we cannot help deporrg that the sphere should be
circumscribed. That Of all the many brave men and
noble women who came and went during those nearly
forty years of Georges reign, should not hear
the faintest auson is sad but that the only indydu
ais about whom we are doomed to hesr so much,
should be such insignificant wretched personages is
still sadder We would rather Mr.. Thackeray had lee
tured on the times Of George III, and e out the king,
than lectured Geor.e H. and left out the tunes.
q chrenique soandaleuse whether of the Court Of the
French Louises or the English Georges, may be
highly amusing but we would rather have the phil
osophy Of such chroDque than the chronique itself.
Yet, although Mr. Thackeray deals more with small
gossip than with broad facts, the truhfulness Of his
heat eve, comes to tie assistance Of his intellect
and his thrilling comparison Of the good Wesley
preaching 10 the poor miners at the pits mouth,
with the sycophantic chaplain mumbling prayers
while my lord Harvey talked scandal to the Queen,
contained world full Of moral. His hits at the SER
Witty and meservng propensities of the clergy Of
tee church of England were deiciously pungent, and
not much calculated TO make him particular friend
of those Of our clergy who.wink a. Slavery and the
oppressive institutions that Of time just with
the same disgusting hypocrisy as those Of the time OF
George III wnked at the gross immor ses and iniqu-
ties Of theirs His complimentary auuson TO present
good mistress of st. James delivered with great
JUNCTION, and received with much applause. But how
precarious an institution could not help thinking
that depends upon the accidental features Of char
scter Of one single individual With a brute Ike
George III royalty s clrse-with woman Ike
Victoria it msy be Blessing No heavier veto could
have been pronounced by Mr. Thackeray upon the
Institution Of royalty than by making its influences
dependen. upon the character OF the soyereigns
ON the whole we believe that Mr.. Thackeray's lec-
lures although they embrace only the limited circle
of The personal life of the soyereigDs will retain per
nanent political ntsres. II Is impossible TO listen
10 their anatonizing Of roye characters without feel.
ing that the days Of royalty must be numbered
wheDr the torres which they exhibit call tor MI
Tbackeray's destroying kIife The morale OF his
lecture certainly is h.t though some Of the trade msy
be occasionally psssable, royalty and established re-
lsions are humbug and curse. We also think
that Mr. Thaekeray he's set most beautiful and In.
siructve precedent to the literary world. For the
past it has been too much thu propensity Of Literary
grandees TO deal more with fiction than with real'
ties; TO deal with individuals, not with society
TO deal with courts and not with Institutions Inc
literary men Of tie nineteenth century include the
brightest intellect the stoutest hearts, the oes souls
Of any age. History has beea left to technical
scholars and CONCEALED conservatives. Inc dolngs OF
mankind Of tie past come net before the eyes OF pos
terty with tie romance which hovers around the
emotional feature Of humanity, but with the
ghcsty ruGy of souless disssctors Of brute matter
We are de- ightsd then TO see gcoi and sincere men
Ike Mr., Thscssysy vns.!s With es.o.eal caagscse!A