The Portland daily press., 1877-12-08

| Mrs. WoolsOn had another crowded hall and
ante-room last evening, and for an hour and
three-quarters she conversed in her usual inter-
esting style upon the Stuarts, the Common
wealth, metaphysical, cavalier and Pun
tau poets. King James the First possessed
nearly all the qualities not wanted in king.
He was awkward in person, loose about his
dress and had but few friends at the court.
Although very learned he was not truthful He
wrote satires upon demons, witches and also on
tobacco, but being perfect drunkard he did
not treat the subject of drink in his writings.
He was called the wisest fool in Europe.'
He held that kings ruled by divine right, and
no subject had a right to question his aims or
motives This gave dissatisfaction and from it
sprang the conspiracy to dethrone him which
cost Raleigh his liberty. His oppression of the
Catholics brought out Guy Fawkes, who so
nearly blew up the House of Parliament and
also drove the Puritan Fathers to Scotland and
finally to Plymouth Rock. All these acts
turned the people against him and finally,
when he attempted to marry Charles to Span
ish princess, they bitterly opposed it and
Charles afterward married Henrietta Maria of
France. He was continually In trouble with
his Parliament and repeatedly dismissed them
for disobeyiDg his commands. During the
reign of James the dramatic representations
known as masks were very popular at the
court. Fletcher Ben Jonson, Raleigh and
Shakespeare were the prominent writers at
that time During his reign the Bible which
he had ordered translated was printed and is
now known as King James Bible. This was one
good thing which he did
Charles succeeded his father. coming to the
throne at the age of % years. He was OF fine
appearance and possessed much dignity though
rather too cold and overbearihg.. In 1926, the
year he took the CROWD, he had trouble with
his Parliament and they were discharged. His
wife was a fierce Catholic and did her best to
put down the Church OF England. When
new Parliament assembled they proceeded to
impeach Buckingham, who had abused his
highoffice The war in France was now rag
ing and the Parliament refused to furnish
money for the king. This enraged the king
and he imprisoned the members in large num-
bers and the house dismissed. In 1929 Buck
desperate and he determined to raise funds |
without calling a Parliament. He attempted |
to force the religion of the Church of England |
upon Scotland and established the notorious |
Star Chamber, where the lives and property of |
his subjects were very lightly priced. Scotland |
refused to accept the prescribed religion, and |
war, which lasted eleven years, followed. To |
carry on this the queen raised money from the |
Catholics, and Charles imposed heavy and bur- |
densome duties. An English gentleman, John |
Hampton, denied the right of the king to tax |
the people and asked for trial. He |
was, of course. defeated at the court. |
IN 1640 Charles again called Parliament to- /
gether and in the house was John Hampden. /
The Scots had now crossed the line and Charles |
was becoming anxious for his safety, but the |
Parliament would not grant him aid unless he
would agree to certain conditions, which he re-
fused. This was known as the Long Paria-
ment which sat from 1640 to 1850. He tried in
vain to dissolve it, and at last the people be-
came aroused and impeached the kings Off
GERS and executed one, the king signing his |
execution. The Star Chamber was also done
away with, so thoroughly was the king fright
ened. He soon left London and not long after
wards called his army about him to put down
the rebellion. This was no easy matter, and
after six years of war the Rou"dheads came off
victorious Charles fed to Scotland and in
1649 was executed at the hands of Oliver Crom-
we'll. Ireland and Scotland forgot the wrongs |
he had done and at oEce rallied to toe support
of bis son Charles ii as his successor They
were unsuccessful, and at the battle of Worces-
ter Charles was obliged to flee the country
10 disguise, England was now in the hands of |
Parliment. Oliver Cromwell was declared Lord
Protector. He proved great ruler and made
England rise in the scale of nations. He was
succeeded by his son on bis death, Richard
Cromwell.
The poets of these years were-first, the
metaphysical" poets-Donne, George Herbert |
and Cowley, so-cslled from their taste for frigid,
and elaborate conceits. They mis-
look learning for taste, and their labored and
antastic SMILES are now almost unreliable.
Their successors were the Cavalier Poets, of
v hom the principa al were Sir John Sucking, |
Herrick, Waller, Lovelace and Wotton. These
poets wrote many smooth and musical lyrics,
chiefly in praise of dress, jewels. flowers and |
women. There was little that was deep or
serious in their work. They were rather the |
elegant ornaments of court than deeply think
ing or feeling men. Nevertheless, Bishop |
King, of Chichester, wrote to his dead wife |
perhaps the most deep and tender tribute that
was ever paid by bereaved heart to the de-
the life, genius and writings of .the mighty, |
mouthed inventor of harmonies- God-gifted |
orgap-voice of Eugland-Milton a name to re-
sound for ages"
The next lecture will be upon 1.-THE Restora-
ton and the Revolution