The Portland daily press., 1877-11-24

The fourth lecture in the course upon Eng
l'sh literature was given last evening, by Mrs
Woolson, in her usual happy style. There was
a very select audience present and the lecture
proved the most ENJOYABLE one of the couse
thus far. The subject of the lecture was "Ra-
leigh, Sidney and Spenser The speaker be-
gan by saying that Spenser had not one spark
OF dramatic fire in his composition. He was as
unlike Shakespeare as Chaucer. his predecessor.
| When Elizabeth came to the throne Of Eng
land In 1868 there were three children in the
| Kingdom who promised to make themselves
known. At her coronation there was child
10 London five years old who witnesse the GER
emony; this was Edmund Spenser. He was
the only one of the three 10 London at the time
Another lived in the southwest part of Eng
land, then six years old. His father, like Spen-
ser's, was poor, but he was kept at school and
there scrubbed the name of Waller Raleigh in
his books. In the southeast county Of Kent
Philip Sidney, then four years of age. was liv-
ing. He also was destined to distinction. Sir
Henry Sidney, his father. was man of some
distinction, and his grandfather was an officer
under Edward vi. He was named for Philip
IL. These three young men, though unlike in
some respects, were warm in their friendships
for each other. Spenser went to Cambridge
and Raleigh and Sidney to Oxford. The first
remained at school six years and took his de-
grees. Raleigh left Oxford at the end of year
and Joined company of gentlemen who en-
midst OF civil war. Sidney did not long re-
main at Oxford but went to Cambridge, where
he met Spenser for the first time. When he
left here he went on the continent and finished
his education at the best schools there to be
found. In Paris Sidney met Raleigh on the oc-
casion of the massacre OF st. Bartholomew.
These young men escaped with their lives, tax
ing refuge at the house of the English minister
After three yeats of hard study Sidney return
ed to England having been preceded a year by
Raleigh, who had been living in obscurity ard
poverty. Now occurs the great feast of Kenil-
worth. Sidney had been dubbed knight, and
at this feast he figured prominently But there
was greater than he there. A small, wide
eyed, staring boy, IL years of age, saw this
grandeur, dotted on the great Queen and the
mighty Earls, and who, doubtless, was attract
eddy the manly, chivalric form and bearing of
Sir Philip Sidney. 1t was Willie Shakespeare
Soon after this event the Queen sent Sidney to
Vienna upon mission. This life, however,
did notzsuit the young man, he was continually
waiting for some opening. About this time
Spenser left college and went to the north of
England to live There he fell in love with
maiden who, not being pleased with his tinan-
cial prospects, Tilted him. This affair affected
him deeply, and in his meditations he wrote
the poem entitled "The Shepherds Calendar"
and went to London with it in 1879 to have 1t
published; There he met Sidney, who asked
him to visit him at his home. Spenser did so
and read his poem to hun. Sidney was de-
lighted with it, and at once wrote work in
defence OF poesy. At this time there was a
great feeling against poets and poetry, and this
work assisted Spenser TO great extent, and his
poem was soon published. The lecturer thought
that this poem was very fine and ranked with
the much praised "Fairy Queen At this time
pastoral poetry was all the rage, and but little
else was written. Spenser did not expect to
live by his pen, and be, in company with Ra-
meantime at the court. 1t was now that the
French Prince was paying attention to the
Queen, much to the dispeasure of the Earl of
Leicester, Sidney's uncle. who wished to marry
non wrote to the Queen, telling her not to mar
~ the Prince. He soon after left the court and
lived with his sister, and here wrote Arcadia"
DE afterwards wished to go to America but the
Queen would not let him, and having turned
the Frenchman away knighted him.
This life Did not suit the poet and he pined
for more stirring scenes. Holland was then in
trouble and Sluney was sent by the Queen
under Leicester to subdue the invaders. Here be |
distinguished himself, and when killed on the
field OF battle was deeply mourned by all Eng
land His place at the Court was taken by |
young Essex. At this time Shakespeare came |
to London to commence his grand career, and |
saw Sidney's funeral. AT about this time
oponeoA Wow W 1rtIauu W i've upon an estate
gwen him by the Queen,wh he had not then
met Here be wrote his famous poem in |
praise of the Queen.
Raleigh was at this time accused of miscon- |
duct and was taken before the Queen to answer |
the charge, which he did so well that he was |
promoted to Captain of the Guard. After |
wards he went to Ireland to live upon an
estate near Spenser. The two returned to
London and Spenser met the Queen; after
wards returning to Ireland, he married. In his |
flight from bis estate ia 1899 he was SO much
excited that he died soon Afterwards and was |
buried in Westminster Abbsy. he was true
man and fine poet On the advent of James
Raleigh fell into disgrace, ard was thrown
into prison and in 1918 beheaded.