New-York tribune., 1896-12-12
DR. WATSON'S LECTURES.
rur ONE AT THE WALDORF IN THE
MORNING OPENED WITH A
GOOD OMEN.
,yr AFTERNOON GATHERING IN BRooKLIN
QUITE AS ENTHUSIASTIC AS THE NEW
YORK LISTENERS.

or1TE AS ENTHUSIASTIC AS THE NEW
YORK LISTENERS.
INST before Ian Maclaren stepped on the plat
s,rm Yesterday at the Waldorf TO deliver MS iect-
ure on Robert Burns. one OF the attencdh's' III
.ndeayoring TO place the lamp IN more con-
venient position, allowed the pink SILK shaoe "
t.u of and this carried with il the glass glooe'
which broke into a thousand pieces Dr. watson
said that in his country was considered sooo
omen TO break anything, and he would SO co"Siuo'
the mshap But the lecture needed no sooo omen
m make il a success. The audience sat IN wrapt
.,,.n,ion from the first word until the last. ana
few Of them are likely ever to forget II. Inc
audience was probably the largest that mas YET
been present at the Waldorf lectures for the chars
were set close to the wall on both sides "here d"
aisle heretofore has always been ieiI
Among those present was Governor or"So'' o'
Vermont
DIR. Watson began his lecture by apologizins TOT
treating the subject at ALL for the proper appie
ciaton of poetry, he SAID was the higAes' o' ann
of criticism. Burns. he thought, stood apart
from every other poet. and TO appreciate MIN IL
was only necessary be of his blood and TO nave
broad human sy:npathies.
In order 10 understand his peculiar posltlon' nc
asked his audience to compare Burns cluo win
. prou,r,ne society In the latter case the dis
c,nes meet TO draw inferences from the inteigipie
parts Of the poets works. and to assign meai"e'
70 such as unintellgible out IN the ioi''e'
they come to warm their hearts at the hre the
,ended however, TO be derogatory TO Browning
hut merely TO show the difference between the two
.,
.'rhere are some poets" the lecturer said. VINO
sneak only 10 the favored few, and others VINO
snpeal 10 all and Burns is one OF the latter he
has a stronger hold the heart Of Scotland than
even our great Sir Walter Scott Is admired. but
Burns is loved.
.rhe secret Of his power over the common pco-
pie of his and every country Is that he came
out Of their ranks and was baptized into the full
ness and depth Of their agony. NO man ever
worked harder than Burns. or suffered more. or
was more wronged and ill-used. -
Regarding the moral tragedy OF Burns's lie. Dr.
Watson said -
IF he had only had Beatrice he would have
been perfect and for my part incline TO the belef
that In Highland Mary. whom he lost. he would
have found soul lofty as his own. Among the
most beautiful lines that he ever wrote are those
10 Mary In Heaven
There has been between the Church and
Burns" he continued land i cannot see how II
could we'll have been otherwise but now we can
surely forget how he sinned. while we can never for
get how he suffered
In speaking Of how little Burns was appreciated
in his lifetime the speaker declared that II was
disgrace to nation not 10 recognize those favored
ones who have received that priceless gift OF the
gods. inspiration. The people to whom such ia
vored ones have been given ought TO maintain them
so that their poet souls need never be ruffed for
their value be written only In the figures OF
heaven"