Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-02-03
NEW-CENTURY CLUB.

Tho second lecture Of the course by
Mr. Henry q. Spaulding of Boston
wRa delivered Monday night before the
club on "Romnla. " 1t was illustrated
ny very beautiful views Of the places
in Florence associated with this, thu
n0blest ethical and historical novel
over written. Mr.. Snaulding said: II
fear this ethical portions are not widely
read and appreciated by the young
people OF to-day. At the end of the
fifteenth century there came time
when learning was flooded with podan.
try. Florence was a literary centre; II
was to Italy what Athens was to Greece,
orr jpstinglyl what Boston is to America,
yet ii had oil of tho faults Of tho time.
Ii seemed impossible TO describe
Romola's father without many weari-
some pages of disputations on matters
OF scholarship, so that many young
persons are bor9d hafore they become
Interested in the story. A teacher in
young ladies' college told me she
used this novel as a text book in
ethics. That was an inspiration that
never would have come to man
teacher, to illustrate tho teachings by
20 noble character as Romola. THIS
must be u woman's age.
In Tito Meleuia, George Eliot malsos
clear how contemptible, how vain and
wretehed, ia life given over to self
soaking. that betrRyH every trust in tho
effort tn gain its own pleasure and
escape whatever is disagreeablo. Shake
spearo has also shown this 10 Falstaif,
who died unhonored and unwupt, but
We laugh SO much at Falstaif that We
do not renliza his baaeuess. The
4hu nj oF a, a.. Al
for us to ponder. One OF the grandest
chapters in literature is that in which
che declares what eternal right and
everlasting justice are. The character
OF Savnnarola is not easily apprehendad.
Pope Plus TX said, There is one
thing | hope to comprehend when 1
got TO heaven, the character OF Save.
narola. When be ceased to he seer
and became a political leader he antici-
pated the politicians Of our day in bis
willingness to sacrifice right and justice
to expudiency. We cannot charge it to
him as weakness that in those days.
he believed in visions, believed that
he was especially cared for by tho
Almighty. but his great moral energy
was strangely mingled with fanaticism.
add il not spotless, ne was yet nuble
victim of the narrowness ana bitterness
of his time
Mr.. Spaulding recited the main in
cldents OF the story while the appro-
PIRATE pictures were thrown on the
screen. lie said; difference ia the
brightest star of star bright Italy, not
alone in the galaxy Of illuatrious men,
Dante, Michael Angelo. Calico, Boo.
caccio. Allisri. MaGchiavelli. Donatello,
Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Leonardo Iii
Vinci. Raphael. Giotto Cimabue, Fra
Angelica, Andrea del SartD, lIutticelli.
who have conferred on her immortal
renown, hut in tho beauty OF her
magnificent Ouomo, of Giotto'e tower,
tho lily of Florence blossoming in
stone. with the delicate chasing Of
sea shell and ihe coloring of morning
| clouti. Ruskin said that the elements
OF power and beauty are nowhere so
united as in this town. The eastern
cato of the Baptista, the work of
Ghlberti. an early Tuscan sculptor.
was declared worthy Of being the gate
10 Paradise. The Palazzo Vecchio
seems symbol of the ateady strength
of the early Florentines. .
The next lecture Of this course will
be on next Monday evening on "Childe
Harold's Pilgrimage. !" A. S.