The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-12
DR.. LORDS Lecture.
y tbe Editor. of the DaiSu Ne,cs

To the Editor Of the Daily Neaes.
We wished to hear the Doctor for his cause, his
subject and his reputation. The wish was fully
gratifed 1T St. Stephens Chapel the other night
It would be impossible to notice this perform
ance with justice to it's merits, without a lecture
from our ptm-and the columns of the paper would
not allow that.
We have sometimes thought that the theme OF
speaker could afford no possible clue TO the style OF
literary performance we might expect. After
once listening to clever paper upon Jack and
Gilr"-treated as an epic-we came to the conclu'
sion that the subject was Of little consequence.
The mind to work it was everything. Indeed tho
poetical license which usage also extended to the
public speakers, enables gifted man to enter
tain his auditory with rambles over the whole field
of letters. The only point is that it must be well
done. No matter how far he may wander, if no is
entertaining by the way.
DR.. LORDS lecture showed this. His subject,
the works Of the illiterate tinker, and the rough
handling of Leigh Hunt, afforded the learned Ice
turer an opportunity for unfolding to his hearers
the treasures Of mind stored with tho choicest
gleanings from the ancients and moderns. TO
show how he did it, even If we could-to exhibit
the easy and apparently natural gradatons by
which polished hue will glide from Bunyan OF
Jack and Gill to the sublime of MILTON, the grand
and spoaking outline Of HOMER, or the universal
knowledge and flowing diction OF SHAKESPEARE,
would be the task of a moro elaborate criticism
than our ambition prompts or space permits. 1t
is enough to say that in this lecture the 'art to
conceal art" was strikingly brought out. It pos
scsscd just versatility enough, graphic and elo-
quent description, quaintness Of thought and
deep feeling and sentiment well combined to
please the popular taste; while the imagery would
stand the test Of the severest criticism. The Doc
tor, by his alluslon to Vanity Fair, recalled our
remembrance Of THAcKERAE. But he suIpasscs
IN finish and seriousness of style the author OF the
s'Newcomes,"
10 conclude. Suppose, in this practical age, VIC
give practical turn to our thoughts.
Unlike Bunyan's Pilgrim, we did not 60 alone:
but with the ambiguous announcement, doors
open at T." but no hour mentioned to begin, Wc set
out with The househould on our pilgrimage. 1t
was all worry well in MIR. RIGGS two-holse carriages,
but it was Ue,y dark in Society street. We would
scarcely have been astonished if we had been scar
cd as poor CHRISTIAN was, for the lark Is trying,
especially with women and children under yoll
charge.
In comparatively inaccessible place, to be
reached through Cimmerian darkness, it ls no
wonder that the Doctor hadn't a large audience,
though he had very respectable one.
| But such a lecture should be repeated,
in Hibernian Hall, for ins ance. The street
cars bring the ends Of the city together,
and they can wait and take the people
homo after it is over. Our young friends, the
Conductors, do two days work in one already
they will not mind a fow hours moro or less And
then il the Vestry Of st. Michael's will stir them
selves, the Doctor might be prevailed upon In
| this way to ralse S400 or $500 for
| ST. MICHAELS BELLS.