The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-06-28
Washington and Lee University.
Reported for the Dispatch.l

Reported for the Dispatch.l
THE ADDRESS BEFORE THE LITERARY SOCIETIES
BY REV. II. C. ALEXANDER, D. D.
The subject of the address was what ha.
been done by the masters Of literature to-
wards the Rise and Growth. the Defence end
Maintenance, the Renown and Glory OF
States. Lord Bacon has said: For empire
aud greatness. It importeth most that q ma.
ton do profess ARMS as their principal
honor. study. and occupation" And be 10.
Macedonians, Gauls, Germans, Goths, Sax.
ons. Normans, Turks, and Spaniards. as ma.
tons that have risen and prospered by wars.
The greatness he has n view Is evidently mere
ascendancy and permanence among the ma
tions, without regard to the character OF
virtues Of the people. But accepting this
view Of Lord Bacon, that national prospect.
~ consists In material proves, it can be
shown that the influence of men of letters
even here has been direct and potent. The
palmy days Of Grecian supremacy were also
the palmy days Of Grecian art and literature
and in general it will be found that literary
activity and warlike valor have prospered
together, and that the nation which has been
instructed BY science and has been nerved
and animated by history, cloquence, and
song, has conquered The nation which had
to rely on men, brute force, and courage.
To give the names Of the illustrious com.
manders who have drunk deep at the foun.
tain of literature is to give the names OF
nearly all tue great masters OF the art OF
war. Alexander the Great was the pupil OF
Aristotle, and in his rapt admiration OF
Homer and the hero of the Had, took
Achilles for his model ; Caius Cesar, one OF
The three great captains Of antiquity, was
the author OF the inimtable Commentaries,
the second orator OF Rome, the greatest OF
her legislators, "the foremost man Of all the
world" Bonaparte was an adept in the
highest schools of science and the literal
arts. The same is true Of the great Freder.
lex Of Prussia.
One Of the most striking proofs of the
clear alliance between literature and patriot.
ism-even when patriotism lays aside her
garlands and arrays herself Ia armor-is fur.
ni,hed by the remarkable catalogue of ora.
tors, philosophers, historians, novelists, and
poets who have been present on the field oil
b1ttle. Many Of them had, too, an active
part in creating and shaping the wars in
which they fought. Take few examples
FromEamong the Greeks-Alcaus, Eschy.
lus, Pindar, Sophocles, Socrates, Plato, Tau.
cydides, Xenophon, Poly bius, Demosthenes,
IEschines from among the Latins-Varro,
Salust, Cicero, Horace, and TibulIus
| If we turn to modern instances we find them
scarcely less numerous and striking. Dante
the great Forentine poet, and with the
doubtful exception of Milton land the
scarcely allowable one Of VigiD, the greatest
epic poet since Homer, was present at the
battle of Campoldipo, In which the Guelpbs
Florence and AreZzo defeated the Guibel
lines Of the latter place. 1t was these con
tentions which led the sad author of II Pur
gatorio to break out in the imprisoned apos
trophe beginning
'Ah. slavish Italy, thou urn Of grief!
Vessel without pilot, In loud storm!
| Lady mol longer OF fair provinces"
Cervantes, the great Spanish humoris
and novelist, served as volunteer sgains
the Turks, and rising from sick bed asked
and obtained the post Of danger at the grea
sea-fgbt Of Lepanto. On this memorable
day, six hundred vessels of war were con
fronted, and the Turk and the Believer
looked each other in the face under tn
shadow of the stored shores ofGreece. Pass
| ing by the great names of Mendoza, Lop
de Vega, aud Calderon, let us look at twt
modern examples-the one that Of the great
est British novelist, the other that of tn
most dazzling British poet of the presen
century.
or Sir Walter Scott, the enchanting au
thor of Waverley (who. though disabled b.
his lameness, was nevertheless at one time
paymaster in the British army, it may b.
said Gf we except the German Goethe), tba
he is the most comprehensive literary &c
MUS siuce the age of Elizabeth
Not one, but all mankiud's epitome.''
The other name is that of Lord Byron
| You do not need to be reminded of th
transient blaze which ended his meteori
track through the heavens. His is name Il
be ever freshly breathed with darkest cypres
as we'll as greenest olive. We behold no
only the high epdowments of his person ant
the proud and glitteriDg movements of hi
| poetic fame, but also his vacant dwelling
his plumed bier, his laureiled hearse, and hi:
desecrated urn.
We know too we'll the death he died fo
| freedom. Much-alaS, very much-of hi!
,criting must receive the stamp of Indignant
Reproduction; but when we think of the man
himself of his untoward raising and his evi
fate, let us remember also the maXim-D.
mortuiS nil nisi bonu,n.
|
Though the hand Of the stranger his lone grave
Yet BARD arc Of the Corsair. high spirited chlte.
Thou who sangeSt or Lord Manfred the destin!
Thou star whose bright radiance illunined onl
Our souls cross the blue seas to mourn xt Thy
hearSe.
Thy faults and thy follles, whatever they were,
Be their memory dispersed as the winds OF I'M
air.
No reprosches from me at thy corse shall b
Let the man who is suless uplift the first stone.
Surely, then, If Bacon be right, "that fol
empire and greatness it importe.h most tina
q nation doth profess arms" the world owes
heavy debt of gratitude to literary men, We
have considered the question as one Of mere
po,oer, whether the sword was drawn in 6
good cause or bad, and we have seen that In
the bloody battle ofciviliZation the weight Of
literary Influence, like the sword of Brennus
bias turned the scale. But the greater part Of
this influence has been cast In favor Of good
rather than evil, of liberty rather than des.
potism. The interests of society, as rule.
have been advanced by political revolutions.
and these have been always heralded and t.
some extent governed by men of letters. II
Rousseau and Mircbeau did much to bring
about the French Revolution, ar d thus paved
the way for the conquests of Napoleon, the
e!ouuence and administrative ability OF Pitt
and the voice aud pen Of Edmund Burke
did much to end these evils, If evils they were
Remember the immortal struggles of the
Roman and Greek Republics, and the part
performed by Demosthenes for Athea and
Cicero for Rome. Remember also the tri-
umphant revolt of the Netherlands and the
silent imsgc of "Father William," the be-
loved Prince of Orange; and what would
Orange have been without his pen, and
those of some of his predecessors! Re.
-o,~hor tho hIoodless rayojutjOn In England