The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-28

II the initial lecture Of the popular bellies
le;Ires course begun last night oy Rev.
H. II. Gowen be fair specimen, the Seat
tie public has rare opportunity in the re-
naming four lectures of the series. His
theme was Florence the Fair and Some
Famous Fiorentines. and both branches
OF il were handled with mastery grasp.
ard yet with a deicacy OF touch, that
showed true artistic sympathy and in
stlnet.
Rev David Claiborne Garrett presided
and introduced the speaker, referring
pleasantly 10 his own visit 20 Florence.
when he occupied the very apartments
cnce the home Of the Brownings. He
spoke IL high terms OF Mr.. Gowen as
lecturer. and expressed his keen pleasure
in welcoming him as a co-worker in Seat
tie
Mr.. Gowen responded 10 the cordial in
PRODUCTION by saying that chairmen were
sometimes a trifie TOO hatiering, referring
hy way OF illustration 70 a Denver chair
man, who promised an audience that the
address Of the evening would be moving,
soothing AID satisfying, and who after
ward justified his prediction by saying:
The address was certainly moving. for
/ saw many people going toward the door
while IL was in progress; II was soothing
for saw several fall asleep Under II, and
I am sure X was satisfying, for ! heard
many say that they had mad enough OF II.
With another humorous anecdote or two,
and almost before his audience realized
ii. Mr.. Gowen gl.ded into a preface, in
which he spoke of the significance and
pc of cities in the history OF tho world,
and had singled out Florence as one of
the most important and influential Of
cities. In a few moments more mis- audi
tors had been transported nv the magic
spell of his words 10 the streets of the far
away city by the Arno. and were listening
10 its oabble Of street cries gazing with
rapture upon its famous buildings, or con-
templstng with admiration the characters
of the illustrious men whose lives had
shed luster upon the city.
Mr.. Cowen has several qualities and
methods which render him an effective
public speaker. He uses no manuscript
and his manner is easy and graceful. At
times his style becomes positively chatty
and delightfully."- familiar. He has knack
Of throwing in parenthetic remarks that
are fun of the meat of suggestion. as for
instance when he spoke last night of the
ages of the words history moving In
cycles Of four centuries. He IS a capital
raconteur. and he knows just how many
anecdotes 10 tel We'll as how 10 tell
them. He Is apt at quotation. and some
OF the passages recited by him last night
from Tennyson. Browning. and Holmes
trained elocutionist and the harmonious
insight of a poet
Another OF his good points is his de-
scriptive ability. and this. with such a
subject as that of last night. stood HIM
in good stead. Now with a broad para
graph of ample sweep he told OF the view
looking down upon the golden river and
the historic buildings. Anon with apollo
getic brevity he hurried on through the
treasures of art and antiquity fairly max
ing the hearer long for more time at each
shrine of beauty.
Combined with this descriptive faculty
Mr. Gowen has a fine touch for the an
alysis and characterize ton of men. and
the second branch Of his subject, Some
Famous Floreutines." showed how wel9
he could employ this touch He mentioned
Machiaveni only one may say, in passing,
yet his few sentences hit off the character
10 perfection. HIS sketch OF Calico was
also brief but ably done, and here as IN
other parts Of his lecture Mr.. Gowen
paid his auditors the tacit compliment of
taking II for granted that they already
knew a good deal about tho subject and
were people Of at least a reasonable de-
gree OF culture. His portraiture OF Mich
ael Angelo was evidently con amore. He
pronounced Angelo the greatest of the
F1orentines and in proof of such a claim
sketched his career as a man. az a painter,
as an architect. rs a military engineer and
as a poet. In most attractive coiors.
Mr. Gowen has a helpful way of group
ing historical characters in historical
places. This appears in the very title OF
ais lecture. II was also brought out in
his description OF the tombs OF famous
men and in his visit 10 the monastery Of
San Marco around which cluster such
names a Fra Angelo and Savonarola.
The lecture was divided by an intermis-
sion during which Mrs. r. J. Fitzpatrick
sang vocal solo. This. with a piano solo.
Flowers OF Spring" given by her before
the lecture added much 10 the pleasure
OF the evening An unusual and striking
feature OF the programme was a violin
solo by George Numa Johnson. who while
only years Old and with a musical train
Ing OF but six months handles his bow adj
rrirably. rendering Schumann's Traumerei
last night I'm such q way as 10 fairly cap
tivate the audience. lie Is the son Of Mr..
q ". r. Johnson.
Mr. Gowen's next lecture VIII be given
next wednesday evening. February :. the
subject being Robert Browning As his
fame as lecturer spreads through the
city. his audiences VIII undoubtedly grow
larger The audience last night was not
49,. - .ha yur,Far ~ ladies si-aaarr