New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-04-15
Isev. Dr. Devvcy's lecture.

Dr. Dewey delivered an essay, or lecture, lasteven
ing, at Rev. DIR. Clapp's church, concerning Litera-
ture Painting and Music, which was very able and
analytic, and listened to with the greatest attention
by the intelligent and apprecatve audience present.
The Neutrality-suspicious. occupy the first class Of literary
men the poets and historians, and the musicians an
undecided relative position in the second class The
object Of all is to comprehend and explain that mys
terry of life of which every has some notion and
faint idea. Without this Interpretation. life would be
blank. Truth is the first great need Of life, without
which step can be safely taken, in any direction,
aud it is the object Of philosophy to provide this
truth. Socrates Aristotle Plato and others first set
forth the belief Of mankind. After them came the
philosophers of doubt and scepticsm asking how
man knew anything? The answer was that such
knowledge is intuitive. Philosophy comes down from
what is general to particulars. The natural sciences
are landmarks to religion and all great men, Plato,
Socrates Bacon, Lebnitz and others, were devout
men. Men besides needing truth, want Imagination.
Fiction is prosepoetry there an utility in wit and
humor itrelaxesand strengthens and we all require
some amount Of relaxation In this connection,
very glowing tribute was paid to Walter Scott and
the effect of his works, which were analysed and eN
olled; winning great popularity, not by reason of
their ernditon philosophy, but because they are
| glowing pictures of human life. 1t is rarely that
men can both see and describe things as they are
great painters have, however, dagueTeotyped facts
and fancies Caryles description of Lorraine, that
he was good burgher, is unjust to his eminent at
4 tannlents.
Fictitious literature is working as an agent for
mans improvement. Poetry throws off her olden
garb and walks in statelier attire The actor can do
| that on the stage with propriety, which would be
bombastic off it. Our commonlife is low and wear
some, rs well as constantly repeated. We all seek re-
lief in the great drean-and to which poetry leads.
Poetry has, as much as strict history, recorded the
progress of manhood in every age. Homer a
rough war poet. Virgil was more polished. Dante
had a grander theme than either. Milton however,
surpassed all. Tennyson, Goethe and the Brownsons
dive deeper and have more keen skill than any of the
old epic masters Shakespeare sums up in one indi-
yidualty the peeularties and excellencies of all the
| rest.
From poets and poetry the subject stepped to art,
sculpture painting and music which were treated OF
in their order Speaking of art in its different work
ings and results the lofty tribute of Claiming to the
fappollo Belyidere was mentioned, and the merit OF
Leonardo da Vinci described. Raphael inferior to
Titan as colorist was praised and pettcd by the
Pope and by all brother artists ~.
The greatest Of the fine arts is, as cultivated art
the atest-mllsic. The ancients thought more highly
of it than we do. 1t is art in action, and, in this re-
spect is superior to painting and sculpture. Though
an art all criticism concerning it is blinded In this
respect Paganini and his wonderful genius aredesev
ing of eternal conlmenoration Music is eloquence
and the old Greeks had one word for both.
Next lecture will be concerning the school of evil