Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-04-02
Letter from Boston.
Virginia Vaughan's Lecture-The Thea
trcs-FOrrest as Lear.
IrRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT

BosToN, March 80, 1872.
The most interesting event of the week has
been Miss Virginia Yaughan's lecture 1t was
a surprise and delight, Her name has been
known by her excellent translations from the
French, but she has never before appeared upon
the platform, and her lecture was given now at
the request of Mr. George S. billiard, Mr.. George
B. Emerson, Mr.W. P. Atkinson, Mr.. Ralph
Waldo Emerson, Rev Phillips Brooks, Mr.. f.
w. Lincoln, Rev, E. E. Hale and Mr.. L. p
Whipple. In their invitation to her they say:
The few persons who have read your lecture
on The Poetry OF the Future have been much
struck with its wide range of thought and its
originality of treatment, and they are DESTROYS
that the public should have the opportunity of
hearing what has given them so much pleasure
We have therefore to request that you will
read this lecture in public, at such time and
place as may suit your convenience
On Tuesday evening Horticultural hall was
filed with an expectant audience, curious TO
hear what had won such favor with such men.
Punctual TO the moment Miss Vaughan ap.
peared, accompanied by Mr.. Hillard, who intro
dueed her in the most simple manner possible.
She is dark, with brown eyes and abundant
dark brown hair, gracefully and becomingly ar
ranged. Her dress Of rich purple silk was
trimmed with black and white lace, and
She wore no jewels. The first impress
sion was pleasant-that of a well dressed
lady, acknowledging with graceful cour-
tesy the greeting which she received Her voice
is full, sweet, strong and capable of every shade
Of expression. Her elocution is without the ex.
ff,,, Z.
TEN 1T is the natural expression of her thoughts.
She forsets herself in her subject, and she takes
her audience with her, to sympathize in her en-
joyment Of true poetry, and to listen with genu-
inc pleasure to her criticisms and explanations
The title of the lecture msleads a little; for to
the poetry of the future she gives small space
1t is that of the past which she has studied faith
fully, and Of which she speaks with love and
with authority. The one fault Of the lecture is
that there is too much IN it. 1t is an outline, a
sketch of a great subject; aud we do not want
to be put off with the outline, beautiful as that
is. We want to hear more Of the ancient poetry !;
to have Miss Vaughan illustrate her theories by
quotation, and develop fully her original and
interesting suggestions. Perhaps she win do
WIS s.hA hp'NN VI lhie bhS lVNNuiN a otllSs VI
lectures on poetry andithe poets.
She stands by herself as a lecturer; there is
no one with whom to compare her. In the pure
glow and ardor Of her thoughts, and the ntens-
ity Of her feeling, she reminds me sometimes of
Mr.. Weiss, though her manner is less impas-
stoned than his, and her progress more deliber.
ate. Her imagination and fancy, IT once set
free, would soar as high and sing as diyinely as
do his; but she holds them firmly in check,
making them serve her intellect. Iwsh could
send you extracts long enough to show the
quality Of her lecture, but this, suppose. is all
you will have room for
Between Shakespeare age and ourow there
has only been one great poetic era to which il
Will be necessary for me 10 call your attention,
tile last grand etilOrescence OF the genius Of
poetry; Ireler TO the era Of Shelly, Byron Keats
Of Wordsworth, Coeridgc, Scott, Burns; TO the
era vi Schiller aud Goethe IN this magnificent
group Of poets Shelley aud Goethe stand pre-.
eminent as the principal opponents OF the
thought Of the are and shall select Shelley as
the central figure, rather than Goethe although
his life was so much more incomplete than that
Of his great contemporary, because he was the
most essentially original Of the two, and the
truest TO his genius
II was Shelley who took up the prophet cry
OF humanity echoed down through all the ages
anu IN every age seeking a poet true and pure
enough togye utterance 10 It's higher revelation,