The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-05
DIR. UMALLEY ON
DANTE'S PARADISE
Rare Intellectual Treat at ST. Thomas
College fall.
BEST PART OF THE DIVINE COMEDY
SO the Learned Dantean scholar
Declares the Last Portion of the
Great Trilogy TO BE No Easy Task
to Disprove--Ruskin's Statement
That Dante Was the Central Man of
All the World. compared with
Shakespeare aud Homer.


In view of the fact that Dante Is not
what can be termed a popular poet.
the very liberal patronage which was
given last night to the fourth of the
st. Thomas college course of lectures
must be explained by the friendship
and admiration which this community
holds for the lecturer, the learned DR..
Austin O'Malley, professor of English
literature at Notre Dame university.
Many in the audience were relatives,
acuuaintances or former neighbOrs.
fifty of the latter coming in a special
car from Pittston, his native town and
many others being present from
Wilkes Barre where he formerly 4ived
and where he received his early edu-
cation. AS Rev. ID. ]. MacGoldrick,
rector of the college, said in introduce
ing him, it was more of u family gath
ering than a lecture audience.
1t was a gathering that would have
given it's most enthusiastic plaudits to
any effort of DR.. O'Malley but the lee
ture did not strive for any evidences
of appreciation; in fact did not per-
NIT of il. Rather, it reached for a
quiet, intent reception and thus it was
most pronouncedly given. From start
to finish, the hearers never for a mo-
ment relaxed their wrapt attention.
When it is said that Dante is not a
popular poet it is meant in the true
sense of the word, not that he is un-
popular, but that his works are of such
subliniity, the hoi polloi are not often
tempted to ascend to their plane.
However with DIR. O'Malley placing
their beauties before the people in syl-
labus and accompanied with comments
such as he makes, the great Italian, 1t
is not rash to prophecy, will be as
widely read as Shakespeare. wherever
DIR. O'Malleys lecture is heard.
WHAT RUSKlN SAYS.
Half century after Dante's death
the lecturer said, Florence instituted a
choir of the Divine Comedy and even
before the close of the fourteenth CEN
tury five other Italian cities had imi-
tated this example. Since then the
study has gone on fluctuating from en-
thusiastic devotion i'm epochs of great
| culture to distant respect i'm days OF
ignorance until in our own time Pro-
! fessor Ruskin has grown bold enough
to say that Dante is the central man
of. all the world, as representing in
| perfect balance The Imagination, mora
and intellectual faculties, all at theiI
highest
| This praise is offered literally b,
many men and in the lecturers opinion
it would be no easy task to disprove it
Shakespeare and Homer are the only
poets to compare with him. He falls
short of their sense of humor but
proves that he possesses the power
by the fact that he is never absurd
for t is only an abiding sense of hu
NOR that saves a man from absurdity
1t is safe criticism, DR.. O'Malle!
thought to give Shakespeare the frs
place among poets; the world certain
| ly has never known a dramatist t
equal him, especially in characterize
ton. Dante's imaginations, however
give his creations a vivifying soul a
thoroughly as did Shakespeare o
Homer. In absolute precision of in
tellect, which, after all, is the poet
chief grace, he equalled either tn,
Englishman or the Greek. AS Carlyl
puts it Dante has given US faith o
soul; Shakespeare, practice or body
In an exact way Dante is an embodi
| ineHt OF the mluule ages.
THEY LOSE HIS MUSIC.
All modern poetical art, DR.. O'Mal
ley declared, was in Dante as in it
source. He divided the old classi
world from the modern romanti
world; he it was that first looked in
ward. Those that know him only i
translation lose his music. which i
half the poets art.
The Paradise is the work of Dante
last years. There is a sombre threa
in it's woof, but while he is sorrowfu
he Is at peace in his Paridiso.
In the Paradise the epic action
less prominent than in the other tw
parts of the divine trilogy, and it
less read than the Inferno or Pugo
lorio, but it is the part of the poer
most dear to the lover Of Dante.
In speaking of Dante's theology, d
OMalley said that Hettinger's enor
mously wide statement to the effec
that the whole Catholic system of doc
trine and morals could be reconstruct
from the divine comedy, was LITERAL
true.
Those who understand the Paridis
are necessarily few, the lecturer helC
Even as the sun doth conceal him
self
BY too much light"
Dante dazzles us by his brillianc
in this last part of his mighty poem.
After this estimate of the work, ID
O'Malley, with the aid of stereor
ticon, and by quotations, comment
and explanations, proceeded to TAX
his hearers over the path pursued b
the poet and his Beatrice. 1t was hel
he displayed deep study and research
which has won for him the distinctio
of being one of the greatest of Dant,
an scholars. and. it is needless to sa,
that mis- audience We're given SUI
passing intellectual treat.