The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-07
Mercantile Library Association.

IEtTIAh OF DONALD O.. ESQ.,, ON " PIC
TURFs OF VINCE, EARLIER,n DELIVERED MONDAY
EvEkIsG, DECEMBER ], AT CLINTON HALL, AsToR
PLACE.
We are far from being Of the mind with these
who denounoe the institution OF lecturng u the In
strumentay by which science has been taught in our
colleges and halls and by which, under the name OF
preaching, Christianity has been spread among nations
We shou bail with pleasure the day when the people,
with an avidity for useful Wedge mental improve
ment we're seen vending their way 10 the evening lee
ture 10 obtain entertainment aud relaxation light and
playful Efforts OF mind 10 receive solid informs
ton IN listening to that which Gala for higher exercise
oil The reasoning faculties Almost every subject, how
ever trivial, capable OF being made the ground
work Of communicating that which good and use
full and OF combining entertainment with instruction.
But without these purposes in view, We should
hose n th.re are such VINO decry the Institution. We
ice, tbs great city Of Venice WAT rcn theme!
What noble subject for valuable aud Instructive lee
ure What rich historical materials oruectet both with
literature and CONNER q, con Gined ia that word
'Vence," The nrst great emporium u modern com
MERGE OF the hrst Of classical literature in
Europe. Mr. Mitchell tad noble theme before him and
he had prohed by ths advantages afforded by nus sub
ject-f he mad seriously gven sober deaoed view Of
some few only ~ the mans grand reminsceuses attach
rg 10 fenicebe could not have failed u both dehgntng
and instru1ag his fence but Unfortunately he choose
another Of treating suoisct, and, placing himself
IN the pt son Of aole companion bound TO please tas
ytaed taste ana tor emascuinsed mind OF lash
len be banded his sabIsct submssi ne require
ments OF the ippspt the shs low, aui constructed
his PERIODS for their qualification We wish he had
adopted ferent c.Qsee 10 IL would have spared us
the palm of Comments perhaps rather but which,
"a honcst and iathfn! ttcs we are Obliged 10 make
The Of treating subject which ad ,ped by
the lecturer on Moaasy .euas wac the nsppy
He began with the hest period Of the history OF We
nice when the islands och constituted of thai
great city were yea uu,nhaolted; and in the short
space OF one tour ran rep1iy through the Whole
course or Yeretan history and us connections
down to tie time Of Co umpus and 8 bastiYn CABOT,
touching rs be went aGns upon Almost every great and
hil,Ig OF thesame tune lescrptons Ct governments,
oil revlgtoLs architecture OF seges OF baltie OF
saaes OF men and their menuers of women aud their
dres.ts-n was IL act rgnn;pg commentary upon
an nat n able hest events things mixed up and
crowded together IN unuterabe confusion The great
ots o history ere ony made use of az coordinate
matters In this lecture A ~ere mention ed parentheti-
caly being introduced IA. RES to s.sis. in the rounding
M rertoo ana m g. nav Ia so,se funny and clan tra5
saving n wa. ea,v 10 perceve tbe vicious odeI which
Mr. Mitchell had ss I'd ioseIy IN the ureuaraou of hls
lecture There - Ill tna ucouerency me inconsruous
snnosi,io,. the .fsus sr-,.ae A. II kslca Emer.
.oa vi,hon, ihaf - ma on lay and uud,gest.
"a ah,asonby % g,v, "A ,o,rt ~ "a !, .,rsiny
There vas the same fxueerapce O. go nets. the same
sNsctstcn rtrieng eyna contracts the sams neteoce
~ sa'ss hIrr1nss ,nd s,tnaI ma srse avtIencs Of
thai derc, az mind AND w.n u decta watch makes the
bod pretepder No arstare ,uosutate afctives for ar
gumen,s epthes Tor rtason an inghug nonsense for
iesruing ana good sense IN h1s n 10 descrip
iny veneta an ady n,uaor her dress &c the audercs
were told that the yoluts Of Petrarchs .onnets might
be seeu on tie lady ian e. bat there vas no s'crnone
or poodle dog In smsr 81 le sne cessrpirg the Ao
pearxrce ana SHIPPING Of n. gresi city il said that
ssColumbur nos packing It ,aoz his dried beef aud
Xeras wine for hi. first voyag 10 America SO his
tory OF b zspn and me nnaciion of yenise with
metropolis was introduced psrsuinencay 70 INFORM the
audience tina, M some asen Byz4nisn n3bleman came
10 y,ncs he was 20 need upon o. the ladies' $ dear
love on 1 man Az ala nav be very vel Ia Emerson
when be lecure. Goa erstg people snd ther manners
with whose h,ory aed charsctsriscs ap American su
dience NAV be sad 10 be 81 nome: bat 10 a long
course Of history in ths am,iiar, rambling style,
10 say the beef q H. prep3sterouE est
loses Mi point Z &c Gre not intimate with the
af4xw
the basis q contn uel resting and mere vehicle the
in.rolucton Of smart wileessns ani funny ecsioas-
when that history requires 70 be known add is worth
knovp.-is 20 CARR wiItcis ana jesung TOO far TIE
funny Joco.e sty not adapted aooer history
ia.Uc. slans laughing and gr,nuing
every Il ing-aEds admirers those PAGES a the
two extremes Of soci, einer in the rca drawngroom
among conc' ea ana aorat TOPS o. ee'h sexes or n
the low earroom anoag drunken uppers This style OF
lecturrg ret quite so repreheusioic when Emerson
lectures upon Ine Ebeh AID heir manners ior the rea
sons We have meEuon.o, Dot Ene-toa himself The IN
PRODUCER Of tbs vicious ito n le;turing. would alto
gether iaG TO please ectured upon any series
,ient or ncdefn history u The sGme harlequin style Mr.
ktehel's lecture on Mo. day evening ras colrnu1us
effort 10 na.r AID aruse social cls' by no nea1s
the wlheet beat cas'o4 society Ito Trip ped along
dainty chit chai drawing room style Of fashionable Cos
sp everything ought 70 be reduced 10 the ias,.ona
and feeling o. depfay6e modern fashion must 10
m vo'ass. be applied 10 sna. 10 sole aud substantial
peIy and foy. The frivolous ana fooisn wao know u
yrtue but goa aud SIX o. excellence bat gsgty
thov srd ostsniator, must be content WITH lhef Fn
lnsne sphere, and not Thick subject history and tera
iure 70 her OWE base sian ara aoa ca ac.y This flip
pant 81, nsole mode Of treating sIbscts OF his
tory al1ctt made Il sec n az II Sbakspere's dainty,
whom HoRpur describes 10 the King with
such lrd,ersat scoyn. bad stepped into he ros,ram
70 give simperinE account OF Venetian history,
and 20 exhibit his etAFactorsrc horror OF ryhtng
that had the tnshora5 odor The lectsrers
Imitation OF the er,alc ssilsory style OF Ralph W
Emmerscn was necessarily failure We say neceseaI-
ly becauSe unnatural aud because every psrson
Of disciplined mind classical lkste the orirra itself
/. failure. The pursuit however, OF thus model Was
transparent II peculiarly sritei TO the silly Ia honable
less Mr. Mitchell Las 81 ely mstas en- tie pro Tnce and