The Portland daily press., 1885-12-21
DR., DALToN's LECTURE.
Close OF the Course Influence of
Greek Literature and Art.


The special interest of this lecture consisted in
its being the last of this the seventh and closing
course. The lecturer expressed to his hearers his
appreciation of the interest they had shown in
these lectures by their constant attendance
through the seven years they have continued. He
also expressed his gratitude that the lectures had
not been interrupted on his part, in single in
stance, by i'll health, absence or other uilavoda-
bic causes He had been able to carry out the
plan which he submitted to them at the outset.
The first course related to .'The Great Races of
the World l. c. the historical races, the races
that have made the history of the civilized world,
and to which we are indebted for our standards
in art literature and political institutions, These
were the Greeks, the Romans, the Italians, the
Spaniards the French, the Germans, and above
all the English, Irish and Scotch, our immediate
ancestors, all branches of the great Ind0-Ger
manic or Aryan race, which Is generally admitted
to have emigrated from the hill country northwest
of India. Twelve lectures were given On these
races.
The subject of the second course was The
Great Ages OF these races (ten leetures). As
there are SUPERIOR or historical races so the his
tory of each of these races eliminated lii an age
grander than any that preceded or followed. I'M
mediatey after these ages decline set ill.,
The third course showed that those ages were
made lstrious by ''the great men, who adorn
ed them iii every walk of life, some one man of
the age almost always excelling all the rest.
The fourth course discussed THE Ideals
which these races, ages aud men sat before them,
ness.
The fifth course was general survey of ''The
Literature" Of these nations in their iliustrious
The sixth course was devoted to review Of
tle Six Great Epic Poems Of the world, viz:
The Iliatl, the Odyssey, the Aeneid, the Diyilla
Conrmeda, Jerusalem Delivered, and Paradise
Lost.
The seventh course has been on"The Literature
of the Creeks their leading hatorlans, draniat-
ic poets philosophers and orators, compared
with these Of modern times. This comparison
h.,ts s1t.Ntxr fRar oh nj nOPf n4anf
ture and philosophy the Greeks lead
al nations, ancient and :, modern The a,
modern authors initiate their plans and emulate
their efforts. but III no instance, equal their excel
leneies which continue unapproachable to the
The same is substantially true of "Greek ART
which still remains the mother and mistress of all
art worthy of the name, furnishing the only stand
ards which modern nations have cared to copy
So much is due to Greeea, nor can less praise be
accorded to Athens 1.-THE BRAIN of Greece, as
Wendell Phillips said New England is of the Unit
ed States Heartily dow pay this tribute 10
that the Athenians were equal to everything they
undertook. They failed t0found great and en-
during empire, task they left for Rome which
was The first city to accomplish 1t. Still more la
mentally did the Athenians and a,l the Greeks
fail IN religion salvation is Of the jews, stiff
necked and rehelli~us race to which it pleased
God to give both the light aud lead in divine
things, the things that pertain to our highest
peace and heavenly hopes SO much toprevent
misrepresentation
These lectures, however, have related not to
religion but to history, literature and art, sub
jects'of general interest and Importance, which
thus far, have filed not too prominent, but rather
too narrow place in thesevolutOn of our nation
al life. They will receive more and more atten-
tiOn as wealth increases affording means, leisure
and facilities for culture. Three lectures origlnat-
edin desire to contribute something however lit
tie, to the promotion of this movement,
and the dissemination of correct conceptions OF 1t.
To do something in this way has been the aim OF
the lectures from first to last There Is no serious
danger indeed, that efforts to decry these studies
will succeed They are too deeply and indissolu-
bly, incorporated into oil that most distinguishes
and adorns our higher life and literature
Who, for example. can measure the influence OF
Homer through the Iliad and the odyssey? What
scholar is insensible to the charms of the Attic
| dranatists-Eschylus, Sophocles, and EuripideS?
What historian is there who did not learn the
rudiments of his art from Herodotus and Thucyd-
! ides? What orator who Is not indebted to Demos
| themes? Where is the statesman OF modern times
| who, on the whole, can show such q glorious
| record as Pericles? What philosopher can COM
pare with Plato for pure speculative power, or
| with Aristotle for skill in analysis, combination
! and concentration of thought i'll systems which
| defy the tooth of time to destroy them. Call up
the great artists and architects, and see If any
equal Phidias and Ietinus? From whom did
| Virgil borrow the idea and plau Of his immortal
| Kneid? To whom was Terence indebted for the
substance as well as the form of his plays? What
! was Cicero compared with DemoStheneS? Did
not Dante take Virgil for his guide philosopher,
! and friend, even as Virgil himself did Homer?
What is Moliere, but an echo Of AristOphanes?
! Corneille, Racine and Noltaire essayed nothing
| beyond bold imitation of the Greek dramatists,
| Goethe and Schiller took lessons from the same
great masters, and were proud Of their success in
| their limitations of Greek originals. Nor is
English literature less indebted to Greek authors,
! with the exception of Shakespeare who, gifted as
/ the greatest of the Greeks. is the modern Homer,
| the father and founder OF new Erace of poets.
Finally, consider the prominence given to
Greek art and literature in every modern univers-
ty worthy of the name, including every American
| college Of any standing. Is it all a mistake,
this welLnigh common Consent of the nations ?
Have our scholars been deceived as TO the source
Of the highest culture which any school or college
| can give? How preposterous, then, the IDEA that
| Latin and Greek are to be or can be superseded
| by other so-called practical studies
Doubt not that While the world stands wherever
| generous youth are collected in schools aeade-
| mics and universities, wherever true ideas of art
are disseminated and received; wherever sound
! literature and good books are written, published
| and read, wherever the great questions Of phiOso-
ply are discussed, as they were by the Medici and
friends in Rome, or at his Tuscan villa, wherever
the foundations of theoretical ethics are to be
laid Plato is present with his sllVery tongue, to
expound the laws OF one moral nature; and where
practical morals are ineilcated, Socrates is as
ready as OF old to ask questions and expose falla
eieS; wherever shhere are cities with streets
| squares and parks, adorned with spacious and ele
| giant buildings devoted 70 the purposes Of higl
art, science and religon aboya all Wherever there
are grand edifices erected and consecrated to the
cause Of civil liberty, where the rights of the peo
pie are defended, and where they are perpetuatet
by impartial and universal suffrage; there is
present the genius and the inspiration of Athena
Nor do we essay too bold a flight, when we add
that the colossal statue of Athena erected by Phi
dias, which from its majestic setting onthe Acrop
oils, overlooked the city, the Plraus and the sea
and which the vOyageras he rounded Cape Sllniun
greeted with joy, While the rays of the rising SUI
were reelected fromhe helmet, spear and glitter
ing shield, so to this day, this colossal Atheps
towers over the schools universities, and art gal
leries; the museum, public library. oily hall anC
State house in every free independent community
shining with the earliest light, brightas the morn
ing, beautiful as the ParthenOn.and breathing int
all portion OF that free and joyous life which u
civil and social relations Is ct Or(yO ttlt
spring and source" Of our purest and most en-
during earthly pleasures and pursuits,