The New York herald., 1875-12-11
THE DEVIL.
MoNcuan D CONWAY TRACES HIM FROM Rx-
MorEsT AGES TO THE PRRsEsTr TIME


MoNCURH D. CONWAY TRACES HIM FROM M
MoTEsT AGES TO THE PRxszNr TIME
Mr. Moncure d. Conway, who has come 70 be exten-
siveiy known by his letters from London to various
papers and periodicals at this side OF tho water ed
dressed an audience OF fair proportions and high
Intelligence last evening, at Masonic Hall on the
subject Of "Demonology" II would be dlcut TO tell
from his accent dress and to what country
lecturer belongs Tho preponderance Of opinion, II
one did not know his nationality would incline in favor
Of mis- being genial, intelligent Engshman nln Of
love for his species full also OF very curious learning
which he showed modest manly ambition to i'm
part 70 whoever might be kind enough listen Such
stores Of Oriental erudition, he poured forth
cerning the devil, whom he followed down through
the ages until In the glorious light OF the nineteenth
century the traditional devil was hammered out so
thin on the anvil Of modern thought that he is as
little thought OF regarded the pasteboard
sign to shooting gallery. Mr.. Conway wears
loose gray beard around his face His features are or
the homely, self asserting cast peculiar to Peter
Cooper and Professor Tyndall When he spoke how.
ever his want of resemblance Apollo was forgotten
The quality OF his voice was particularly prepossessing,
and IN halfa minute he rapport with his audi.
ence. The quiet, unpretendng, subtle humor that
cropped out constantly in his discourse the 'dev
was exquisite, and before Mr.. Conway had proceeded
half way through his lecture his auditors have
eagerly wished like Desdemona that Providence had
sent them such man for daily companion. more
interesting discourse has seldom been heard
was The lecturer must have ransacked
every library Of Europe and after boiling down his
wonderful pot ofthe broth OF learning spcn consider
able time in acquiring the admirable manner he ex-
hbits in dealing out the precious but over -powering
to his auditors Some little girls OF from seven
to ten years, among his hearers and yet SO sim
pie was the substance Of the lecture however
dite. IN expression occasional passage was that
demonoogy must have been clear TO them chap
ter from the First Reader.
THE IDEA OF 4 PERSONAL DEVIL
he said, originated in Persia He made the scape
goat OF everything that went wrong. He not only
eyed God OF all responsibility for all that ugly
and evil in the universe but he also relieved from
many OF his own wicked doings, which he only too
glad 20 father the devil In ancient Assyria he was
a grand prosecuting attorney OF the universe He
comes up TO Jehovah among the sons of God and Is
spoken OF with reverence. The Assyrian devil OF
very superior type The Assyrans gave him winged feet
indicate that he should be swift pursue the wicked
and in his hands he held measuring rod and scales
as TO measure the wickedness of and weigh Ii
in the scaes SO as TO determine the quality Of punish
ment from the lash that scourges the back the
that decapates the head In the long years after this
the devil found his way into other countries and he
was given horns and cloven hoof and he assumed
reptan shape and was made bogy and spook of
and was greatly transformed
The lecturer gave q most amusing explanation of the
tempting OF Eve in the Garden OF Eden by the devil
in the guse Of serpent and equally funny though
no doubt perfectly correct account of how the devil
to be called 'Old Mic" With the progress Of
civilization and Christianity the demon is found shrlvel-
ling up and growing small and stupid. For q while
the devil IN Lhe Middle Ages came TO the front when
witchcraft hourshed and when the Puritan came
on the stage he was unable TO recognize universe
without devil IL then believed that the pillars
of Paradise rested the floor OF the pit
Although Milton's Satan is Oriental figure,
1t is easy 10 see that IL is meant
for some proud English peer some Monmouth aiming
At the throne The lecturer drew very eloquent pic
OF the devil Of the priests and the devil OF the re-
formers In the Middle Ages, the one identified
with thought mind and intelligence as in
with narrowness and superstition the monk Of the
period He wound up his most interesting discourse
with congratulatng his audience living in SO ad-
vanced stage OF the worlds history when the devil Is
no longer ogre, and when every man can create
his owl devil just TO his liking.