New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-04
LECTURE BY CHARLES MACkAY

Dr. MAcKAY delivered, last evening at Mozart Hail.
Broadway the first Of his course Of lectures on the
Matte nal Popular and Historical Songs of England
Iela.d AID Sc-tsud." The audience was large ard
select, ard many persons of msrk were upon the plat
form At o'clock the lecturer introduced to the
audience by the Preside,t Of the Mechanics ard
erkl Library Association, by whose invitation the
lectures are to be delivered.
DR.. MAcKAr began by alluding to the old proverb
the. to the currier there nothing Like leather
lie proposed 10 speak OF Poetry, bat moro especially
tf ballad literature, and he considered himself compe-
teo to speak Of il because be had made it the study Of
bis life Poetry thirg to be felt and not to be
eIpretsed. The greatest nibds Of ancient and modern
tines were divided upon its definition; said 1t
Yves the shadow of lie others the concentration OF
truh but upon its mighty Influence all were agreed.
The poet was mighter than the state smsn or warrior
row. az Ct yore. He touched the heart Of the people
whom be instructed 10 peace and made enthusiastic in
wn 1t was true that the man who hath no ua1sic Tor
poetry in bis sorl was Dot worthy man;
n igbt be an attentive suitor, but he could
could ret be good husband Men differed about
poetry az they cid about art or beauty. The school
er sye that might be deemed perfect by one, wOald
prc,e unsatisfactory TO another But thu, was trus
poetry which reached the popular teart and causes 1t
10 tlrob with noble impulses and impelled it 10 truth
full and mauly deeds. Poetry was not necessarily con
f.ed to ye;ss It was often apparent in that style Of
COnpCsi,iCp called prose, as witness Macpherson 5
"Ossiau" Cariyle's Tracts" Enersons '' ESSAYS"
ard ,IviDg's writiDgs. The Book Of Holy Wd'
sbouIded With genuine poetry. Of which the
Psalms Of David were incompatible. Poetry Wa
older than history itself. But while hero
ic poems were generally too lofty for the
great mass Of mankind ballads or songs we're under
stood .no had their irfGence upon al. They were
LEANED ard surg by the reside and TO this fact the
il huence Of ballad li.erature was mainly owing 10
olden times the sODgster composed the music to his
owl verses. In this there WAS a great advantage
ard be regretted that the practices was not continued
for il not uncommon for song writer's owing to
their ignorance of musical elton, to SO write
that every ssnzs would require different ture, and
musical composers were forced to 90 az bsst
they could in such cases. Thus It was not
| uIirequent that uiserablJ written verses were
welded 70 delightful music the song itself vas almost
ignored and go enveOped in the music that ths listener
wss often sble to tell whether the words sung were
FL gsh Greek, Turkish or Choctaw. II seemed, m
DECD, as though the singers had clipped ali the con
scnans between their tee tb, and swallowed the bits
The lecturer ridicultd the namby PANTY style OF
ballads 90 much in vogue which tails ed OF nothing bat
loves" and doves" and remarked that the idea
that poetry should embrace nothing but love; vine
ard war hsd died out. The true ballad hsd
extended its power and scope to gain its true
end-the ennobemtnt Of wight and the condemnation
of wong. Verses which pandeied to viciousness or
to error in any form could not reach the popular heart
and could not, therefore, live. But true poetry hsv-
ire f.r is object the happiness Of mankind, @olld
,ver survive by whomsoever Wi ten. 10 proof Oh
this be instsnceo many famous ballads, dwelling espe
cialy upon Bmpss 4. ,naD 5 man for q that atd
that touching lyIic Of % Horic Sweet hone: tne
words Of which were American hui the all, 10 i.sce
il should be said was Italian. 1t was said, eed with
great truth, that that bad man James the Id had
been sung from his throne. And it was
but the other DAY that we had greater er'
ample Of the song writer, power. The mao Who
dared to violate his oath ers hoot do n housacds 10
cod blood that he might become the tyrant OF Thirty
millions OF people feared TO Yet the people bury Be-
Isnger-Perarger, great alive but greater even when
oesd. And the Marsellsise," which it was treason
even to whistle in the streets Of Paris, was written oy
Young soldier in prison. and sung TO his Own music,
though he knew not, a. ar artist one noe t0m
srother. Song writing was q noble, but rot as eaay
wo.ks proved the contrary and the remark could only
be attributed to "a modesty.
Tie Doctor read, in conclusion, few verses OF bis
composition On the I" Voice of Poetry, and after
Announcing that the remarks which he had msde we're
merely Introductory, he closed amid applause