The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-04


Charles hsckay, LID, the celebrated English song
writer delivered the nrst of a OF three lectures
before the Merchants and Clerks LIBRARY Association, al
Mozart Hail. Broadway last evening The subject OF tho
the "Natonal Popular and Historical Ballads OF
England, Ireland and Scotland The lecture Of hast night
merely introductory and did upon the songs
peculiar any nation The other lectures in the course
will be delivered respectively Monday and Thursday
the It'll and 10th Of December The audience last
nigh, large and seemed TO appreciate the lecture
keenly MI Mackay very attractive either in APP
pearance or He is a small man, with good
natured but not remarkably intellectual countenance
His style of delivery is rather monotonous in tone,
though distinct and somewhat impressive He was intro
duced To the audience by Richard Burlew ESQ., President
Of the Association and very warmly received. On
the platform observed Benjamin LOSING, Adam Nor
RE President of the st. Andrews Society; T. NJ Arcni-
bald British Consul EIastus Brooks, Mr. Young, OF the
Albion; Howard Crosby, George Tuckerman, and among
the audience the venerable Dr. Francis and other dis
iiDgushed gentlemen.
The lecturer said that his subject poetry and song
and II might he would attach importance 10
that subject than his audience had been accustomed 70 i'm
part TO il. There was old saying that the currer
thought there nothing like leather and that was so
and the doctor thought there nothing like physic,
especially for other people and the politician that there
was nothing like buncombe-why not the man who made
songs think there nothing like songs-and as he had
exat IL was dsscuit to define what song was If we
were asked what beauty we would lind that u nal
different definition in different climates Some saw only
the wild mountain aud laundering waerfasomel IN the
quiet plain and vllageothers found only In the forest
S. too recognized beauty alone IN the works
Of Raphael or Ttian-some in the Dutch school or IN
Wikie-and some among the pre- Raphaeites. And in
female beauty the most refined and purified Of all dier
ent nations had their peculiar estimates from the Hoten
tot Anglo Saxon similar diversity is to be found
poets and song Plato said that poetry came nearer 10
vital truth than history itself Bacon thought the proper
element of poetry conhes and one Of the ancient
fathers called it wicked Demon because it filed the
imagination and yet but the shadow of lie But
Bacon was mistaken, for the novels Of Scott
n wsre s eof' kymooss s defined poets makers
Of poems, but we should go back farther to
well as verse. We had examples OF this in McPhersons
Ossian, in sernes Sentimental Journey; the Pilgrims
Progress: Carlyle's French Revolutions Emerson's rs
says and Washington rvngs Sketch Book, as well as in
Genesis the stories Of Esther and Ruth in Job, Ezekiel
and jeremiah An eminent London publisher once said
that these lines contained more submy than Shakspere,
Milton, Homer
Love flows like the Solway,
And GIBBS like its tide
The lecturer rdiculed and rhyme so often
called poetry, which had music in il than the
ticking of clock or the rafting of car, and
subhmity soul than the twer OF a sparrow or the
cackle Of goose. Tom Hood went beyond the gramma
rans and said that poetry divided into three parts
prose verse and worse Jerrold said that all which
not prose was worse Leigh Hunts definition of poetry
was-a passion for truth and beauty combined In all
great poets imagination and fancy which differed essen
tally were found combined Men who unite fancy and
imagination with appreciation and love OF truth
whether they write plays like SHAKESPEARE, allego
ries like Spencer epics like Milton ballads
like Wordsworth or songs like Burns,
treasures nation that possessed them The objects
of poetry were teach and to reform inspire the hum
BILE with dignity and the Responding with hope TO fill
all with love of God and another; 10 convert
bad into good good into better, for time and eternity
When we found a man who said he did not understand
poetry might that he deficient in intellect
education; a man who said that he did not like
poetry might put him down hard, unfeeling man,
whose esteem confined to that small piece Of clay
bounded by his own overcoat Let the ladies beware of
him. for though he may be very Kind before marriage no
not likely prove after it, In defining the dstnc
ton between poetry and song he would say that poetry
did appeal so directly to the public heart people who
toied for bread may know Homer, Virgil and Dante by
their immortal names, but know nothing of their works
Song is the most intimate expression Of human feeling
Ii comes 10 the people in the field the smthy and by the
lawn II dimnishes their grefs and teaches them the
nobility Of labor and the dignity Of man Is as free To
the cottage maid and the mans wife as the queen on
the throne There period remote that songs not
known whether among the Jews Greeks Romans, Gaus,
Brtons Scandnavians Song was the elder sister Of
History. The ancient song writers sang TO their own
music as for instance Miriam Homer, Pndar, Sappho;
the Mnnesngers of Germany the Toubadours and Bards
Of Britain In later years men wrote songs that could
never be unless different adopted Tor
every Singers in the dancing room and on the
seemed to emulate each other in Disgusting the Ian
guage in which they sang that you cannot tell whether
Il is English Hebrew Cherokee. Some people thought
il very easy to make song, but he wished they
would Just try IT, It a common thing to say, AS
cheap as old song;' yet there old songs
which priceless TO the Anglo Saxon who reoced
in :. Rule Britannia !" Hail Columbia" and Yankee
Man s Man for a. that establishing all over tho
world the value Of an honest man and gentleman.
George the Fourth who called the first gentleman in
Europe, once said that II better 10 be a gentleman
and no king than king and gentleman. He learned
that sentiment from his people and they learned from
their poets and songmakers from Shakspere, Pope
and Burns. . Home, Sweet Home" only
second to Burns great song The words American,
the song English, being introduced into opera
by Sir Henry Bishop; but the music Italian, the
position Of old Scan lie alluded 70 the song OF ell
lbulero,n which IL boosted by Duke Wharton had
driven James H. from his throne and the song OF the Cor
nish miners
And shall Trelany die
evidences Of the power OF song IN political affairs He
dwel considerable length the influence Of Beranger
who was the terror Of the elder Napoleon and Louis
XVIII and at whose funeral Louis Napoleon ordered out
1000 men for fear that the people would be inspired 20
demand the rights Of which he robbed them Louis Ma
poeon dared 10 break his oath, and trample on the
rights Of thirty millions OF people but he dared not risk
the burial Of an old song writer without calling hts
guards and zouaves, So that Empcrors thought
poor song writer might be somebody After abiding
the worthcssness of bacchanaan songs the lecturer
cludcd by rectng email original ballad, having ree
10 the power and influence OF song, which
ccyed with much applause.