New-York tribune., 1885-10-20
ALECTURE on BROWNING.
THE ARcHpEACON ADDRESSES A LARGE -ACDIEN


Every available seat in b0xes, orchestra and
galleries in the Brooklyn Academy of Music filled
last evening with an audience of intelligence and
culture which had together to greet Archdescon
Farrar and TO listen to his lecture the poet Brown
ing The stage occupied by clergymen and others
70 the number of at least a hundred, among whom
were Dr. Hail. of Trinity DIR. Thomas DIR. Cuyler, Dr..
Edward Beecher and others Of equal celebrity.
Promptly at ; o'clock President Bawn Packard, of
the Young Mems Christian Association appeared from
behind the scenes followed by modCst-looking gen
tsman of medium height in clerical garb, that the
CIT in full dress style. The head not
remarkable tor its size, VOL covered with hair OF
lgAtisb brown and'a pair OF sma but intelligent eyes
spsrked IRON beneath well formed brow, while his
rosy cheeks and cheery coun en9nce Ottokened good
health and placid fniud His form was compact
while his movements active iDdic1tng nerVOus
temperament over which seli-ccnidence had perfect
control 4 gol1 chain hung in loop across his
clerical wai,Oqat Between the fingers Of his right
hand he carried pair OF eyeglasses, TO which deli
cate gold chain attached. aEd In his LETT leather
cJnfs ming the manuscript OF his lecture. Ills
manner ana spysaTaDce were those Of cultured gen
tleman and lie advanced 70 the front OF the platform
with the Of one accustomed To facing large
audiences There cutbuIst of applause ana as
soon e. il slh-jded Mr. Packard presented the Arf h
de6cVu 20 the audience. which Rected BIN with
another IoLnd of applause Taking his position at the
little reading desk prepared for I'M the lecturer at
once proceeded with his discourse.
Browning he said, has been writing for Fifty
years and hsS published not less than twenty-five
volt ot Our gratitude TO him shOud be all
the because 10. So long period be has been
giving .he deepest thoughts concerning man,
expressed the pobleSt 'ch. He was only twenty
when b. Published his first poem. and 1t was but
last wear az the -ipe age Of seYeny-w that he ga
isa last. lie has given not book but literature
ard TO have studied ard understood him, say deb-
crate y is lilera. education of itself do not know
of any Yyet except Shakespeare in whom you viii ind
marvellous portrait galleTY He brings IN, jewels
from the Fast a1d West from ami nature OE: the
GV4rl md fha Ron f.gn ron
from the lnoJerus IRON Greece Italy, aud Palestine
france, Dnssnd, Eagdad, America, Russia. from
history ro fancy from kings, revolutionary leaders
poor factory girls, cavaliers, gallant soldiers, Jews
noble and base, gipses. mrtaphy -icans, painters.
dervi.hes refOrmers heretics-frOm eyerytbing that
eaa euaohle and delight the mind from every passion
that can dcbase aud elevate know OF no poet
harmed. and thorough. When lie wishes 10 set
hsiore you character vice be does not describe
or tel you about ii. but be tTansfuscs himself into II.
He tties TO make God III the human soul. He
loks into the souls OF other ard To them
not as men see them but ~ God sees them. The
two objec'iDns made against him are that he is not
nelo1i)rs aud that IL is obscure. He can be as
nelodious n fennyson himself and pouI forth a
rhetoric a. magnificent Byron, while his blank
verse u as fanltless as that OF any If lie is
meOdous il il not because OF any lack Of Il power
Of melody. bht because IN Lin the sound is always
Subsidiary - the sense. lie builds his poems ont OF
rough blocks Of marble but whatever Il ere nav appear
xhnes. Il EN- Is not due as people think. eI er
to careiessness defiance He obscure only In the
sense mat ms thoughts are profound 1t is simple
Las become nsbit an exaggeraOn which has become
nleTi.. lie thinks at full speed
:" / think many OF Browrincs nature naintin,s ,v,u
take precedence OF many Of 1ennySon's Brownino "a
ddaoto, nature is diGacuc aud as the universe il
ddsciio lie sees nature great lesson As the york
OF God and tries TO interpret II 20 ia lie j.
essentially poet of humanity. Many of Won NAV
wonder why Browning speaks rather sngrly of Byron
while he acknowledges his sDendor and DO ger Che
reason Is Byron habitualy spoke basey of man kind
lou nag reosl Byron's address TO the sea:
Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean. roll
nat man 10 Browning Is infinitely greater and grander
asn any number Of leagues OF agitatcd water. Brown
ing u above all a supTeRel y.relig giOus post"
me speaker from time to time gave illustrations OF
ssyuugbent respecting the poet by quotations from
sMofSs These he read with much feeling and by in
.SoIs and little elocutlOnary touches gave meaning
tIe INES which would escape the mind OF the casual
SSueE hs voice Is clear and penetrating and lacks
.ne extreme English accent which characterized the
stceeh OF Dean stanley and which often-
nm.s insrred the effect OF the delivery of many
S-satthew Afnold's most eloquent words once di-
sss from MS subject, he paid eloquent tribute TO
n " great men and the greatest Of good men, the life
character which America has given TO the world the
character which the great hope of the future"
al the close Of the lecture DR. Hall
-. on the platform and made a
VEL aekhowledgment OF thanks on the part OF the
.oeny Mems Christian Association and of the audience
.; he grstineatlon which all had experienced al
.ehlhg 10 tie discourse. To this Archdeacon Farrsr
fsnSo1 saying In reply TO an invitation publicly ex
py Dr Han to preach in Trinity Church. Brook
" sunday next. that he would be unable to do so
~ ne nad an engagement 10 speak elsewhere on that
Ssy ne hoped that the opportunity might be Afforded
a. tendefing 70 Dr. Hall upon future occasion
' 'P'''heSe OF preaching for him in London.