The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-06
DANTE, THE VOICE OF ITALY.
REV. n. ~. sOWEN LECTURES ON
TIE FLoRENTfNE POET.
of = Scholarly md Interesting
Addr~ss-story Of I'll. Wsnderinxs

Fsy. VI. II. Gowen. rector % Trinity
Pariab. delivered a lecture on Dante the
Voice .. Italy" on last Tuesday evening al
the Chamber Of Commerce rooHss in the
Collins building. large and appreci8-
tive audience listened 40 the lecturer. Rev.
Gowea saIa.
Early Italian literature may te." said
the lecturer. divided into three periods
That from Dante 10 Boecaeeio. that from
Boccaccso 10 Lorenzo and that % the
golden age OF the Renaissance. The first
j. o. particular importance As showing the
Development, not only OF a literature, but
also OF language. Before Dante Chris
tendon had no poet and Itaiy 10 voice"
The lecturer went on 10 describe bow
italy gradually found a voice. and spoke
OF the Hiffuence ~ Dante on the eBifics-
fion Of Italy, tisuFgb il was Petrarch
rather than Dante wno vas The Iirss Ital-
Ian Danfe vss FloFeatins. ard there
never was a tisss when Florence was not
worth more 70 him rhsn the rest Of Italy
together. After describing the Florence OF
Dante's time. and explaining the political
strife between Guelfs and ahibeilinex. the
lecturer proceeded with the account Of the
poets life. his birth in MAY i25. his hap
flsm in @'the shsepfoid Of ST John and
his first sight Of Beatrice P0FfinaFi at d
May-day party The romantic love Of
Dante and Beatrice WIS described IN de-
-
years old and ske s. TO ner death In ie91
The poets visions. his canzoni as given
In the f''Sesa Naova." and his eoBce pti0n
OF love as something strong, divine and in
fellectusl were given at some length
Thus Was the idea OF the ''Diglna CONNIE
Ola" conceived In his desire To- write OF
Beatrice what had never before been writ
ten of any woman.
Then came a review Of Daute's public
life az an ambassador and magistrate Of
Florence, his journeys TO other cities and
his growing fame as poet. The jubilee
proclaimed by Pa4e Bontfaca VIII Ia
Rome. IN tho year 1879. marked A change
In his life. and shortly after the triumph
OF the Black" Party in FiOrence
led TO his expulsion and exile on
penalty OF death II he returned
The story OF his wanderings as
he carried his bleeding heart about Europe
was next told. the writing of his great
poem. no longer Ia the cumhrous Latin.
but In the sweet Tuscan tongue and vari-
Gus sinspscs of his Hfe were given at
Paris, oxford. Verona Ravenne and else.
where. The end came peacefully al RAJ
VIENNA In the autumn OF i32I.
The lecturer then went on to give some
account OF Dante's great work. The Di-
vine Comedy" Illustrating the plan Of the
poem by diagrams on the blackboard The
sources from whence the materials OF the
poem were derived. It's dsnattsneSS even TO
grotesaueness. and It's wonderful sense Of
form and color We're alluded to. and the
audience was then rapidly carried In i'm
aginaiion through the nine circles OF the
Inferno. along the nine cornices OF the
'Purgatories" and through the nine
spheres OF the Paradise"
The lecturer concluded with reference To
Dante az "A satirist, who has dragged the
naked souls of men out from their skuik-
Ing places to pin them like entomoioglcal
specimens before the gaze of men, as a
refofmer who did his best 10 sweep away
The corruption only too prevalent at the
time both In church and state and az a
reconciler bringing out in the Paradise
the reconciliation OF many men and
things which once appeared e.ernally at
xarnnce.
Even so has time dealt with him." said
DIR. Gowen He has had his revenge and
Florence has not only forgiven him. but
honors him as her everlasting ruler And
not Florence alone. nor Italy nor Europe
hut the world uuites in his praise today.
Hail. poet. who for mortal men doSt
pour
Strong wine of words that burn and serse
that sears.
Drawn from thy bleeding bosom's fiery
core.
And tempered with thy bitter fouut Of
tears"