New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-16
MR. CURTIS S LECTURE.

Mr.. George VIM. Curtis lectufed last evening before
the Historical Society Sir Philip Sidney, the Gallant
Gentleman. The hall of the Societys new building
was crowded to excess. The Hon. Luther Bradsh
President Of the Society introduced the lecturer
Mr.. Curtis commenced with the story of an Italian
Count who looked sad and earnest one day upon the
portraits of his brave and noble ancestors until he re-
membered that their bravery and nobeness were really
their patents Of nobility, and they called him forth to
actor and a manly life 1t might be good for US, re-
publcans as we were, he said, to look upon
the portraits Of our ancestors; it might make
maid modest a man more msnly,
and they we're portraits of men not dead,
but living in the who bore their name
or their character. Every unjust judge was Jereys
every vacating, shivering orator was Cicero. This
was convenient, too The pastor who dared not re-
buke the Peters and foolish virgins in the slips before
him. could easily them by is hard words about
the Peter ard the virgins of long ago. lie would take
them bsck To an old portrait the portrait of gallant
gentleman. If they went to England, they might still
see the peaked roofs of Pennshurst, where Sir Philip
Sidney was born the garden where The ail-hsred boy
played while his father Sir Hcnry, talked over the
news the strange abdicstion of Charles v, in the
house. Philip was put to school at shrewsbury,
and he was sure that he was good boy--not
good as calves and blanc mango were, but like WINE
and oak.saplings Rare 1t that the son OF an
officer of State, the nephow Of the most inhu-
ential nobleman at Court was not conceited or
" "bumptlous" or did more at the university than
TO drive four-in-hand and wade far enough into
the French language to spatter his conversation
with muddy Frerch. Such stuff grew up not
into oaks whose timber built the ships which dis.
covered new lands-it furnished only material to
grace a ladys boudoir. From here he went to
Paris, called then "a now the most beautiful cltY
of the word. Cathanne de Medici, the French
italian spider was sitting there IN the must Oh ap
tha piglf nf IL
tzed Philip Sidney into manhood and love OF llDer-
tv Immediately aiterward lie crossed the Rhlne
Charles V. had but just ceased his marching and
cOuntermarching from the Baltic to the Mediterranean
shaking all Europe with his tread-ChaTles ", VINO
az politician was always successful, but VINO, wneh
he turned his guns against IDEAS found that the IDEAS
looked at his guns and spiked them, tor me
love of liberty would not be put uoTn
this Sidney next went to Venice. Mr.. CuItis
gave a glowing description of the Italy OF tnat
time. Sidney learned horsemanshlp from an entnu,
siast, and was perpexed to determine whether ne
should sit to Paul Veronese Tinoretto for hs por
trait Writing home in 1913 he says: l'thlnk ere
{" long we travellers ike the mountebanks Of Italy,
" shall be made sport Of" And twenty years after,
Shakespeare fulfilled this prophecy in AS You Like
IT," Ii was in this minute accuracy OF o6servati9h
that lie was most remarkable The warmth OF the
boy of twenty was mingled with the wisdom OF Tue
man. Sidney went home, but was sent EmDaosauol
TO Austria at twenty-one lie put Up IN tne aseth ths
W
"high-born Mr.. Sidney Embassador OF the great 1,t
Queen cf England" had passed that way his
ability was everywhere commended. DE returGeu
within year. 1t difficult to maintain hls splenaor
at Court, when he reiapsed INTO pontiea nata 70
his father then Lord Lieutenant Of Ireland, wr0te 70
him that he must remember whose son, anu nos
whose nephew he was. lie married Emily DevereuH,
sister of the Earl Of Essex the only man whol Ena
beth appeared to have really loved her NAME an az
nothing else was left to history The Western World
then famed forth before English magnations. DraHe
with splendid nonchaanee, silken sails and Dini "
musicians was starting on the second clrcumhsyuusa us
tion of the world. But Philip Sidney did not lon9"
him then The French Italian spider hsd ila%s
match between the Duke of Anjou and Ellzapetn
which would have inflicted severer ,iHoT uio"
upon Protestantism and the cause Oh nDei
ty than even the success OF the oPrIh tha
Armada In such case, Sidney did not wan E 1o t'
older heads he wrote his famous letter to the queen
and Monsieur was cent away, and EnSnsn n. sa,;reJ
and American freedom were saved. de then te5ieu IL
to the country seat of his sister, the Countess Oh
broke, where he wrote his Arcadia and MS Dei..ao
stopped just as he was embarking, by order oi .he
Queen. She made him Governor Of place .an, ~ tm
Netherlands aud within nine days OF his Nntb
be took three thousand soldiers over tHe ~ ha.
Sea. Mr.. Curtis gave graphic account ~ on three
roic charge with five hundred Englishmen on shtes
thousand Speniards-the charge in when nc bo,tI
his death. wound, and after which he gavs . a;no
Of water brought 10 him TO dying -oiuioi' .:te1
only Friend see that thy Ssins admiration Of
the world This was the gentleman Oh hls age .xorS
guitar was hung to his side by ribbon out M ~ 80
hung underneath by leather. lie DOVE oo,,i t 20 b,s
Loyalty to his Queen, but he bent e''' -
Maker.
The close Of the lecture was an eloquent declaration
Of the worth and power Of young me0' i'
was frequently interrupted BY apPlsus.'
H., -. T.vroR-Capt. OulhH '.