The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-11
DIR COYES J.ECTTPE

The fifth Lecture of DR.. Coke for the benefit of
the Church Home and Infrmary, was delivered at
the Monument Assembly Rooms Thursday even
ening last, the subject being "Spenser and his
times"
DR.. Coke commenced his discourse by quoting
from an English writer the happy comparison of
Chaucer to an English day in Spring. Even at
that early period, he said, England had been per-
mitted to taste the fruits of true religion Chau-
GERS sentiments in religious II alters had been
greatly modified and improved by the labors of
Wickife. just as Chaucer died, the persecution
OF the Lollards commenced. brief allusion was
next made to the progress of religious belief during
the wars of the Roses-York and Lancaster This
carried us to 1913, when the Tudors assembled the
English throne, and the feuda system was extin-
guished. The wear 1853 brings us to the aue of
Elzaoeth, when literature found fruitful sIiI.-
During that Augustan age, many true poets arose,
whom the world would not willingly LET die he
referred to the Scottish poets Dunbar and Govoine
Douglas, and to the English poets Surrev and
Wyatt; The first book printed in England was
issued by CaXton who began to print in Wost,in
ster in 1911, and the effect of the new Discovery in
the art OF multiplying copies of the works of auGors
speedily felt throughout the kingdom CHANGER
never saw printed page any more than Virgil, |
and the labor which it cost to transcrbe his poems
referred to as proof of his great ponuIor;tv
The Scottish poet Dunbar, lived to see the 10Th CEN
fury, but though his poems were familiar to his
ks
was not given to the world until two centuries
later In 1913 Gawaine Douglas translated ,bn
Hneid of Virgil into barbarous Scotch The lec
turer here spoke of his visit Scotland and of b;s
reflections while standing before the tomb of tba
old Scottish poet. Recurring to England. he ac
corded just pr to to Surrey for the manifest i'm
provement made by him in the structure of Emo
fish verse; He considered SURVEYS sonuets thongh
similar in structure to those Of Petrarch to be SUI
perior to their models. Wretched mechanical poets
had brought the sonnet into dsrepute, but it was
a noble form of versifcation in the hands of true
poet. He instanced the sonnets of Shakespeare
Some of Millions sonnets were sublime. Words
worth also has done much to elevate the sonnet
and had written in its defence. He quoted:
"Scorn not the sonnet, Critic you have frowned
Mindless of its ust honors-With this KEY
Shakespeare unclasped his breast: the melody
OF this small Lutte gave ease to Petrarch's wound
thousand times this pipe did Tasso sound;
Camoens soothed with it exie's grief
This sonnet glitteTed, gay myrtle leaf
Amid the Cypress with which Dante crowned
His visionary brow; glow-worm lamp
IT cheered mild Spenser, called from Fairy land
To struggle with dark ways! And when a damp
Fell round the path of Milton, in his hand
The thing became a trumpet whence he blew
Soul animating strains, alas! too few"
Turning to Millions sonnets, the lecturer repeated |
a norton of the soul animating strain
Avenpe oh Lord the slaughtered saints, whose bones
Lie bleaching on the Alpine mountains Cold" &c.
After an analysis of the Spenserian stanza,
which was spoken of based on the oftaUd rimd of
the Italians which the addition of longer line to
swell the melody at the close. He paid glowing
tribute to Sir Thomas Wyatt, the friend of Surrey,
for his skill in versfcation, and the noble manner
in which he dashed vice in high places. He re-
peated WAITS
81 cannot frame my tongue to fain,
To cloak the truth; for praise without desert,
of those that list all vice for to retain,
cannot honour 6c,
The lecturer here brancbed off by remarking that