Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-11-16
Poets and Prose Writers.
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+ Ii your studies, my first counsel il
that you attend carefully and faithfully
to your prescribed course. And then,
outside OF your studies, let me earnestly
recommend to you that you learn by
heart such passages as strik you as great
or beautiful in the best poetry or prose.
First, always, Sha kspere, an inexualst-
IDLE storehouse of Wisdem, instruction
and exquisite di :tion. Then Milton, one
of the best masters for an orator. Mr.
Bright do not say the greatest orator
of our generation, but if there be great
er orator never heard him-told me
that he had built himself up upon Mil
ton; and if you watch his words and the
structure Of his sentences as he speaks,
you will see how they are pervaded by
the spirit Of this great poet, and how,
though he does not initiate Milton, he
speaks after Milton. Then Wordsworth
And if I have any fault to find with
America it is that fear you do not do
Wordsworth gate the b nor which he
deserves-the poet of nature and oflofty
spiritual thought.
And then there is one who wrote too lit
tie, but everv word he did write is pre-
eiouG, whose poetry I want you to get by
heart, and that is Gray. There IS in him
the perfection of diction and melody.
Then poet whom admired very much
in college. and have always admired as
a poet, though there was much IN the
life Of the man, and some things in his
writings which are by no means to be
commended, Shelly. Then the poet on
whom the best subsequent poetry has
been bui t, the true master of rennyson,
q man Of the richest fancy and most ex-
Quisite diction, John Keats. beg you
to learn by heart his Hyperion" his
lode to Nightin ale," and code on g.
Greian Urn" You may be surprised
at the name I shall select from your
American poets when tell you to learn
Byrant. l do not say Longfellow,
because, although he is a sweet and
lobe and delightful poet, be is not
American, I mean that bis poetry u t; ;s..s
as wei have been Written in England,
or italy, or Germany, or France, as in
America, bus Mr.. Bryant's poetry is full
of characteristics of his own country, as
we'll as noble, natural and inyigorating.
And now for the press writer's; shall
show my own idiosy ncrasy when 1 name
at the head of my list Lord Bollngtroke
us writer OF the most perfect English,
rising at times to nervous and sdeway
eloquence, and falling with mis- subject,
but never below the tone of the CONVEX
Sation of high-bred gentleman. Next,
place the greatest al, ocate since CT
cero-and | say this even remem bering
your own ster,-lord Erskine. You
will find nowhere better English than
in some Of his sentences. Then Burke,
of whom Erskine himself spoke 80 high
ly. Then Hooker, whom should not
recommend to be read as whole, ex-
cept by theological students; but he has
written eone passages which cannot be
surpassed. Then that great man, Lord
Bacon, with words of exac1est choice
and profoundest wisdom. whom l cam
not forbear quoting, although he will
make my own words poor and worthless
IN the comparison.
And next [ shall name man who had
great influence upon me at Oxford, and
who, in spite of his change Of religion,
remains to be one Of the greatest mas
do not know the full extent of the re-
sources Of our language ifyou have not
read some Of the Test works Of New
man. And now l will take two
OF your own writer's. First,
Daniel Webster, q man, the majesty Of
whose presence I we'll remember, for
he visited my father, and [ had the
honor of having him take me by the
hand, and Of speaking to him, or rather
Of being spoken to by him. MS boy. I
learned many passages rom him III my
boyhoed, which | remember s i'll, from
an old tWo.volame edition OF his speech
es, the larger collection, edited by Mr..
Everett, had not yet been published
Study Webster. And next I will men
ton your greatest writer, the master Of
style, Nathaniel hawthorne.
Then TO name the great Greek and
Latin masters. I do not know how far
you study them here, but was brought
up upon them, and great part Of the
literature which | committed to memo
~ in my youth was frous their writings.
There was tins, doubtless, when they
were too exclusively studied. Doubtless
too, there we're second rate, third rate,
and even fourth rate authors who wrote
in those languages, and whose works have
been collected and commented upon by
able editors. But as masters OF liter.-
ture the trusty great classic writer's are
simply perfect And of those of whom
you should study and learn by heart I
will name five: First, certainly Ho ner;
second, as certainly, Virgil; then Euripi-
Ges; then Catullus; then Horace.
cannot too earnestly recon- mend
your acquainting yourself with good
books. They are the best of companions.
In sickness, in mlsiortuse, in sorrow, in
sleepless nights and days Of pain, you
via find your memories Of great and
wholesome literature a cons ant solace
and refreshment. And, as man is
known by the company he keeps, still
neSe truly is he known by
the books he reads and loves. Read on
~ the best books, and never read bad
tooks. Good books will nerve you for
for the work-the serious and earnest
work--which is the lot of all good and
rue men.
And one word more, as i counsel you
to earnest and faithful lives. See to it
that you preserve your moral purity, Do
not believe those who .ell you that such
an achievement is impossible in this
werld. It is perfectly possible as many
have proved. And nothing, will 80 help
yen to it. nothing will tend more to keep
YOU from evil, than the company of good
books and the thoughts and,counsels of
good men.