The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-12-14

the OnspriuS Vi INC IN
writings OF Milton are but the emoooi-
men, of Puritsnic ideas. His fsraoise
was only second to that of Shakespeare;
But Milton was always too superb ana
has ALWAYS been too tedious and ponder,
Gus for me. he is much more praised
than read, but not praised more thsh ne
deserves. j shall not intimate that any
here have not read Milton. That Is
duty. Of course you have read PARADISE
Lost from beginning to end. But !he
God of Milton is too much the God OF
the monarch and not of weak man. Ills
Adam and Eve are the old-fashioned
portrsits of Hutchinson and MS wiie'
he, however, wrote some poems tor the
court of Charles, q "Sonnet to Nlghtln-
gale" and 81 Penseroso" and IL Aiie-
gro" which were not like this. What-
ever may be his faults, he Is true eS-
pouent of his age and sect.
DRYDEN, in his early writings was
admirable, but he too gave way 10 the
vile influence of his times, so that Ms
later works are such as might have been
produced by Lord Rochester himself.
Therefore he has songs of the purest ana
Hottest sentiment, and songs that might
cause a blush in the lowest purileus OF
society. indicative of the change in the
public sentiment during his life. There
can be no grander sight than man loi,
lowing his own conscience In spite OF all
opposition, standing like a cliff bidding
defiance to the surges When the con-
Aict comes, men and angels to watch
with bsted breath till the strife is Ger.
John Bunyan broke the spell that had
come over the human mind. 1t may be
that by carrying his views to such an
extremity, he did inure to his cause, out
now the Pilgrims Progress is esteemed
next to the Bible in England. Like
Shakespeare, Bunysn was someshing OF
scamp in his youth and was supersli-
tious in after life. At one time ne
though, the Jews alone would be saved,
At smother the Turks. He was full OF
VAIN imaginings. At one time stand
ing in church he thought to HIM
self, "What if this steeple should
fall on me-" and at the thought ne lied
and did not stop until he fell exhausted
on tie road.
But he finally got on the right track,
and then, oh, what experiences, Oh, WhaL
imagination. When he WAS imprisoned
he was offered his freedom If ne would
quit preaching, but said no. "lf l had
nv freedom would preach tomorrow.
He had rough time among the roster
ers of Charles the Seconds Court. But
his every cloud had its silver lining, and
bis darkest night its dawns.
Great writers seem to appear IN shoals.
We can calculate the arrival OF comet,
but OF the laws that govern the appear
snce of writers we know nothing. They
do not like the comet, leave behind them
a track of fire and destruction, but OF
light and blessing.
We have Newton and Locke, names
not born to die, who were bright lights
in England In my own country ls
Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the wit, the
orator and the drsmatist. who beckons
me to advance, and | can scarcely re-
sist.
Then there is the ever dear
and lovely Addison, who called his
nephew to his bedside to see how q
Christian could die. There beside him
is his friend Dick Steele. Then there Is
that crooked figure, Pope, the open
hearted Goldsmith, and the intellectual
looking, deep browed Dean Swift, the
only man of whom johnson was AFRAID.
Among the last but by no means least
comes dear old DR.. Watts, who gave us
some OF the most beautiful hymns in the
language. Berkelv 100, who says: "West-
ward the course of emprs takes its
way" &c. But Sir Walter scott stands
supreme both in poetry and fiction. lie
has made the world familiar with Eng
lands history.
Then there comes Lord Byron so well
able to fill the place assigned
him See, at his approach the critics
of the Edinburgh ReUie1 flee In dis
NAV, and near him his friend
Tom Moore, to whom bis parting tribute
was:
"My boat Is on the shore
And my bark Is OIL the sea,
But before go, Tom Moore,
Here's double health to thee
"Were't the last drop in the well,
AS | gaSped upon the brink,
Ere my ia inting spirit fell
It's TO thee that | would drink.
With that water as this wine,
The lihatiOn | would pour
Should be-Peace with thine and mine,
And health TO thee, Tom Moore"
At the close let me say, God bless our
national itersture Praying tor our lit
erature, l pray for our lives; that the
national intellect may be more enlight-
| ened.
The lecture occupied one hour and
twenty-five minutes, but the audience
WAS so delighted by the continual etfer-
vescence of honest Irish wit that the
time seemed not halt so long. We pre-
dict brilliant future for Mr.. ID. as a
lecturer and think all should hear him,
Yours, "RIEN."
The Colorado Hotel, Philadelphia,
Pa, is noted Tor its fine location and the