Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-11-16

Lecture for tbo Benefit Of the Ladies'
Home l1ission-A Clergyman ON James
Fennimore Cooper and Iniasinative Lite
erature.
"A lecture, for the benefit Of the Ladies'
Home Mission, was last night delivered, by
Rev. J. l.. G.. McKown, at the Methodist
Episcopal Church. on Ninth street. between
Race and Elm The attendance was large,
the house being entirely filed. The subject
of the lecture was James Fennimore Cooper
and Imaginative Literaturep-truly strange
theme for Clergyman, and his defense of
novel-reading would hardly be regarded
with favor by the straightest of the ortho-
dox.
After announcing his subject he reversed
its order and commenced with defense of
novel-reading, in which he evinced knowl-
edge of that class of literature seldom pos
sessed by men of his profession. He was
very profuse in his reference to Addm Bede,
SCOTS, Bulwers and other novels, fire.
guently drawing illustrations from them
which showed an extensive latitude of read
ing, but had little relation to the particular
subject under consideration.
He said that the idea was prevalent that
writers of fiction were moon-struck, love-
| sick subjects, and unfit for this world; when
they were spoken of they were classed with
| the gods, as feeding on nectar. He spoke
| of Byron, and said that many consigned him
| to the smoke of that hell he had created for
| himself. His ungallant conduct toward the
| female sex has always been condemnedi but
| those who knew the character of his wife
and mother could easily forgive him.
He claimed for imagination much more
than was usually allotted to it; he said even
in the pure mathematics, it was frequently
employed. 1t was used by the prophets OF
old-by David, Solomon, and Jesus Christ,
who taught by parallels.
If the imaginative or novel writer,
teaches truth and morality, it is our duty to
shake hands with him, introduce him to our
families, and make his productions the com.
panions of our iresides. Children will read
fiction, and if we fail to choose for them, they
will choose for themselves if we do not give
| them time to read, they will ruin their con
stitutions by reading while they should b.
at rest; and the only choice left us is to de
eide whether our children shall enjoy heatl
in body and mind, by reading the works o
Scott and Cooper at proper intervals, or b
ruined in both, by unreasonable hours, AM
the trash that is weekly thrown off from tn
public press. .........
Shall we fail to admire beauty Of dictio
and purity of morals, in the productions c
Bulwer, Byron and Scott, simply becaus
they, in their lives, did not fully come up
, their precepts7
: He then gave sketch of Cooper, but il
| DreVlty greally impaired ltS Value. lie sal
: that the three great traits of his charactt
| was his patriotism, his Christianity, and h
l power Of touching the heart.
S In every thing he was essentially Anne
} ican, and attached to our institutions; VIII
= Scott was to Scotland, and Dickens was
d London Cooper was to America, and Anne
lean institutions. In this he differed from Ir'
ing, who like Bulwer, was excessively co
: mopolitan. He then referred to some Of Il
Y most affecting. passages in Cooper's work
i to illustrate his power of touching Il
S heart, when he closed with an abruptne
h which was entirely unexpected on the pa
n of his audience, and at point where he W
: supposed to have been in the middle of
is subject