The New York herald., 1871-12-20
LECTURES LAST NIGHT.
ROBERT BURNS.



Notwithstanding the inclemency OF the weather
large audience assembled In the BROOKLYN Acad-
emy OF Music last evening to hear lecture de-
livered BY Rev. Robert Collyer, OF Chicago, on
"RoDert Burns" Since the great nre Mr..
C0yer has come on lecturing tour
East and 80 successful has ne been
In his efforts raise fund for the rebuilding OF
hts church tnas sum OF from thirty to forty thou
sand dollars is now ct hts disposal for the above
object. the heroic part ne played during and
subsequent TO the great disaster. and the
manly patience and perseverance he DIS
played In the alienation OF the awful
distress that has prevailed In the burned
city have made MS name almost household word
all over the land. The lecture delivered last even
Ing was in behalf OF the Christian Union. Before
commencing the subject proper he said he was de-
lighted to have the opportunity to make q
small return for the Kindness and liber-
ality displayed by the people OF Brook
lyn In SO noby succorlng the poor
burned-0ut city OF the West. THIS was not his own
individual expression Of gratitude The same feel
ings were participated in by vast multitude, who
had been relieved by their liberality, VINO we're
grateful not only for pecuniaiy succor, but also
for the confidence reposed In them by the
United States and the old mother country
OF their arising from this momentary depression.
The following Is an abstract Of the main points In
his ecture:-A great many years ago, IN Dumfries,
Scotland, IN the old cnurchyard Of ST. Mchaelis a
spot could be observed overgrown with weeds aud
thlslles-it was the grave OF Robert Burns. In the
prime Of his manhood he had passed away from
earth, dying In the
MOST ABJECr POVERTY,
leaving wife, "B0nnie Jean," and 1ve small chill
dren to mourn his loss. At the time OF his death
the British Parliament was voting large sums OF
money to maintain the descendants OF thc bastards
Of Charles "a 5le second Ia ease anu opulence Ihe
the Fourtn--a pronigate or the worst
kind, meaner and slupider than his
drawing an immense revenue from u naf starving
population; but yet with all this waste, had 1t not
been for the charity OF friend tle greatest genius
ment enough IN his last hours to enable nlm to
ae @ m he HE Gra alea and na buried
but there was something III Burns tnat could not be
buried away from the memory oi manklnd. Tne
great ones VINO mad pelted hlm IN the day OF his
popularity dismissed his memory With sleer; buG
among the people OF Scotland were those VINO
IN rnelr hearts, and np and up the works OF Burns
went wherever the Blnle or inc pilgrm's Progress
went, winning all hearts by the Il 4.tfst-
SWEET CHARM or THEIR GENIUS.
When the Byron controversy was raging three
asked Of wnat poet ne sold the most ana the reply
was, "Beyond all comparison Burns more than
e. g. q n as Fl any @
the chronlcer OF the humber feelings, the houlely
affectlOns OF mankind, q
s8 F1 THE POET OF THE RANK AND FILE.
He was emphatlcally man 0f the people, sharer
OF theIr joys and partiker Of their sorrows. He
that rejolced Wonder has been expressed that he
could be 80 great born as he was IN such
was the o his us T
greatest productions that the world has
called r. IN uTs Win
list ol royal ana NOBLE authors mas been published
recently, and among them names tnat would be
nfNAln IN Sfn w WhnrA 10 frA
list mat can compare with tile immortal bard Of
Avon, the son oI o poor man, himself the
stance4 The king Of sacred singers was the
sod Of farmer. When our own country was in
the ross o. ne most M awo GfSS 1sna ne ~ aa ever ex
her dellveranceS NOT among the nigh ones OF the
earth. but out on the Western pralrles, IN vi.
lage almost as .de5plsed as Nazareth In the
person OF an individual VINO Played checkers on the
top Of barrel and told drol stories to while away
SO 1t always Ia; from the rank and file spring those
VINO make the world famous. It Is better 10 pc
BLACKSMITH, MAKING A GOOD HORsEsHOE. -
than minister, daw ding away his time through
the week anu preaching bad SCI mon on SUNDAY
S Know e" them Inc both. Wien we LOOK a. the life Of
Burns 1t ts sad to contemplate career at once so
MIN dying OF drak at the age OF thirty seven. And
no poet Who has ever done S 50 much to elevate me
poorer classes TO influence and power. The graad
often under Haeu the influence OF sorrows and
trial, remain as monuments OF his genius and
found on the earth. Following the plough upon the
mountain side the poetic spirit first seized him, and
CITY OF EDINBURG,
whittier In an evil hour for him he was invited.
Before ne went to the city there was
MORE OF FOLLY THAN OF SIN
In what he had done but after this fatal period the
SIN Was greater than the folly: The age was un,
was DEPRIVED and vicious, and, plunged into
forget the teachings his childhood and the lessons
ms youth. From this period until hs death 1t is
fearful 70 contemplate MS career. Desperate drink
constitute the main features OF It, varied by an
occasional return Of the Old eellng OF the happier
days. And yet with all his ialings he was grand,
true man, raised up BY God 10
SING THE soNa OF SUFFERING HUMANITY,
and raise ms fellow creatures to nObler OF
the duties OF life. HIS great brother poet has said
tnat the evil that men do frequently lives after
Sone But "e was not U Sc 1,n WIN
the dark STAINS that threw . foul
oyer s ne s has Are e sv
more deeply woven into the hearts OF the people.
He mas LETT q fame wnch Will widen as lie days
roll on. and memory dear to all who appreciate
true genius Toward the close OF his life he wrote
that greatest OF his lyrics, "A mans q man for a.
are now becoming discussed by earnest thinkers
the wide world over; and when the period Of
UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD
OF which he wrote shall nave come and the dignity
OF LABOR the worth Of the working classes. be pro-
pery recognized, there Is no name will be held In
we Dess God that he has lived to make the world
wiser and happier. The lecture was listened to
with rapt attention. and at the close the reverend
gentleman was enthusiastically applauded.
PROGRESS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
Lecture by DR.. Marshall mt the Cooper Insti-
tute Last Evening".
DR. T. w. M. Marshall lectured last evening at the
Cooper Institute under the auspices OF the Catholic