The morning call., 1894-10-27
ROYALTY'S RIGHT.
Where Are the Caesars
and Napoleons? ?
Wordsworth's "Sceptered Child of
CIay'' Discussed by DIR. Voor-
sanger Last Evening.

The third of the present series Of Friday
evening lectures was held at the Temple
Emanu-El, on Sutter street, last night.
The services commenced with the chant
ing of the Sabbath hymn by the choir. led
by Cantor Stark aud OrgaDist Louis
Schmidt Alternate verses from the
Psalms were then read by the cantor and
congregation. One of Gounod's compost
tions was beautifully rendered as a solo
for soprano voice by Miss Sullivan.
Rabbi Jacob VooTsanger delivered the
third of his series of lectures on "The
Ethics of Modern Poets" to a goodly audi
ence. He took Wordsworth" for his sub
t-ct last evening. and in the course of his
remarks said that this poet is known as
one who delighted in rowing in the fields
and describing nature. He is in that re-
speci, perhaps, the founder OF modern
school or natural poetry. His writings
placed him far beyond the reach of want,
in fact in position of comparative atflu-
ence, which gave rise to Soulhey's some
what enVlous remark that "All the money
came to Wordsworth" ''lt is peculiar
that in his early years Wordsworth should
have manifested what has been termed
the msanthroplc spirit of unrest" said
the rabbi. And, aprOpos OF this, | beg
leave to repeat remark L made last week,
that a man of thirty years of age does not
know everything, aud that in after life
many things are unlearned that were
learned by US at that age"
Rabbi Voorsanger then gave a descrip-
ton of the trip through Europe, which
the poet ook in 1893 Any man travelling
through Europe ia 1898 could have wit
messed scenes that would make his hair
stand on end If be were at all participant
in the great political movements of the
times. Wordsworth saw the downfall of
a royaI house, house that had been
-. ha of FRO fpr
twelve centuries. He saw its King made
the scapegoat OF the crimes of his ances-
tors and put TO death like a common assas-
sin. He saw the chief representative OF
the Roman Catholic church in the hands
of a demagogue, who tried to establish a
new society according to bis own notion
out of the elements which had composed
the old system. He Witnessed the effort:
of men TO establish new religion without
God. He maryeled, like his fellow poets
in Engiand-Southey, Keats. ana even
Lord Byron-at all that had coma into ex
istence, because minds that had SUM Oereo
suddenly awoke. He wondered because
the volcanoes, whose rumDHng nau ueeh
heard for centuries, now eJected tnell
ashes. The result was that In all Tue
countries adjacent to France there was tae
same fever raging, the same consequences
dreamed Of, and noble mnds were tainted
BY the contagion that had come IRON
France and threatened 10 overrun the
entire world.
The rabbi quoted Wordsworth's lines:
Great God. grant that every sceptered child ol
clay
Who cries presumptuous, "Here the flood shall
stay"
May in its progress see thy guiding hand
And cease tue acknowledged purpose:to with
stand;
Or swept in anger from the insulted shore,
eink with his serviie bands, TO rise M merei
The bbi said the expression, "Sceptered
child OF clay" was daring one and quite
in contra distinction to all conceptions oil
society regarktDg the station of royalty
He disliked the expression used in naming
Toyaltv. 'By the grace of God" as a relic
OF dead and forgotten times. The
sceptered child of clay" describes in &C.
curate terms the Caesars, the Napoleons,
the Alexanders--once ambitious to con.
quer all; now but names in the pages ol
history.