The Portland daily press., 1879-11-01
Fishes LECTURES.
No. ". The Thirteen English Colonies

1t is gratifying to note the increased public
interest in this excellent course of lectures.
Our people are waking up at last to recogni-
ton of merit and substantially responding to
the demands of true ability for acknowledge
ment American History has assumed
picturesque and charming guise under his
skilful manipulation of effects, and profound
manly philosophical accoutrements add their
own peculiar interest to the romance.
The speaker began by referring to the con-
dition of the new continent at the beginning
of the 18th century. All the great territory
of North Amarica had been granted to Spain
by papal bull, but Europe paid as much atten-
ton to that manifesto as we would to one OF
Mrs. Jane Thurston's proclamatlons Oh MAJOR
Smiths right to the gubernatorial CHAIR. Eng
land did not propose to let the prize go ana
hardy Adventures were not wanting from the
plUcky little island to plant st. Georges Cross
upon the new shore in the name OF the KING.
Generally, however, they all weighed anchor
in the hope to find northwest-passage 10
somewhere or other. In this way Martin
Frobisher stumbled upon the present coast OF
Oregon and called it New Albion. Sir Walter
Raleigh, the greatest of England's vikings,
hero, statesman knight and historian founded
the first!English settlement on the Atlantic
coast on Roanoke Island. The treachery of
the House of Stuart continually menaced
him, and after imprisoning him for thirteen
| years, during which time he wrote his remark
able History of the World, they beheaded him
on trumped-up charge OF treachery. The
| dynasty of Stuart have many sins to sue Tor,
but the greatest villainy was their treatment
| of him, their faithful liegeman. Following
him in quick succession came the meteorlc
| and whats-in-a-name Capt. John Smith,
| whose course of impossible adventures in Eu-
rope was detailed, His success in decapitat-
| ing Turks earned for him q coat OF arms, hay
| ing for its charge few Moslems heads in
! grim and bloody death. Smiths adventure
| with Pocahontas was not shattereds rudely by
| the speaker for he believed its truth and took
with confidence the general facts. The EN-.
| bellishments might be Favored with salt IL
necessary before deglutition. Capt. Smith be-
came retired sailor at the early age OF thirty
seven and spent the rest OF his life IN ease and
writing up his voyages The factors which
became potent in starting the Puritans on
their long voyage across the Atlantic were
| next dwelt upon with keen analysis. Their
landing and rapid growth, reaching in popula-
| ton to over 5000 in a quarter OF century were
cited as worthy of note under such trying CIR
| cumstances. An interesting comparison was
set up between the Northern and South
ern sections of the colonies at this time.
1t has always been the claim of the South
erners that they were the gentlemen Of Amer
lea, the descendants of the English cavaliers.
| The lecturer showed this assumption to be fall
lacious New England was colonized by many
near relations of the nobility besides by a class
of well-to-do farmers who have left posterlty
that far excels in intellectual development
the present Southerners. No such thing as Ship
loads of wives to order ever came to New Eng
land at so much O head, as disgraced the
early times of Virginia These custom-made
women are the ancestors OF the IF. Il. v.
aristocracy of the South. glance along the
Atlantic coast was then taken, giving IN VIVID
sketches the colonial condition OF the new
country, and closed with discussion OF the
influence which these yirile infants had upon
England which was then second class nation.
The next lecture will be given on Tuesday,
and will be q discussion upon "The Causes OF
the Revolution" This cannot fail to be one
| of the most interesting of the course, ior 1t
will afford ample scope for the great polemlc
and philosophical ability of Mr. Fiske We
shall look for crowded houses for this and the
| last lecture on the "English Race" The mere
announcement Of this last subject, made Sc
peculiarly his, will be sufficient to arouse gen.
| eral interest