New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-15
ELY AND ITS ELOQUENT DEAN.
LYCECM THEATRE.

Yesterday afternoon. at the Lyceum Theatre IN
the presence Of a numerous and representative
audience. the Dean OF Ely gave the second OF his
present of lectures. and. with the instructive
establishment of some excellent lantern-slde plot
ures. he epitomzed portions Of the history OF the
famous cathedral church al which ne presides and
he made that stately beautiful and venerable
building q living reality TO al who saw and heard
him. The Dean is a speaker OF exceptional force
and, grace. His words flow naturally out OF his
thoughts and. his thoughts earnest and sim
cere. his words have the ease OF soontanei,y and
the powe. Of conviction III deity conceals the
method of his art and thus he is naturally fluent
imparting NJ sense of effort but holding he pleased
attention Of his audience. and leaving il informed
with knowledge and refreshed and cheered by
tact with sweet and genial mind. HIS aspect y
princely bis yJce is copious and sympathetic; his
gestures are natural.-because sequent on his men
tai purposes and on his transitions Of feeling and
he possesses that authoritative distinction Of
manner which is the result Of innate nobility
Of character and Of long association with high
themes and with the august environments OK
religion. In depicting Ely Cathedral he became
the expositor of a subject that has enthraled bis
heart. and therefore he impressvey eloquent
and at times. winning and tender The Deans
prose Is of the kind that is only written by men OF
the poetic temperament: It has rhythm and color.
balance and pictorial phrase: his colloquia delivery
is gracious and agreeable but 1t is in his rhetor-
cal style that he reveals himself most fully and
causes his best effects.
The exordium Of the Deans discourse devoted 10
A portrayal of the physical beauty OF the wide
dream-ke fen-lands OF England. with Ely caths.
dral--an image of submity and mystery,-tower'
ing through the white mist and the hazy. golden
light. fell upon the like a strain Of music, and
easily lured mis- hearers into a mood OF fancy and
sentiment making them sympathetic with ue
gores of the Past and reverent OF the grandeur
Of that passionate religious devoton.-expressedS
well in those wonderful old ministers OF Europe
which seems to have utterly died out OF the earn
Later it pleased the Dean 10 make his lectures
familiar talk, and TO grace II with occasional thn
of playful humor the coloquial and the rhetofSi
strains not harmonious. and it Is never eayt
mngle them. but. certainly. the speaker manasea
this difficult involution with singular grace oM
the last. reverting to his poetic vein. he rounaeo
his work with noble eoquence and power No's
than seventy pictures many OF them very lovely
were incidentally Gisplayed.-the spectacle euinF
mating in view Of the shrine of Saint Awdre''
from which the white marble sarcophagus OF wv
virgin Queen Etheldreda has disappeared-hlddeh
II is believed somewhere In the great cathedral
perhaps to be restored in purer. because NOV
spiritual. age now dawning on the world
Another lecture Ely Cathedral continuing the
subject will be given on November a. This affer'
this eloquent and deeply interesting clergy
will speak OF Milton and the Purtans.
is no common privilege TO listen to such orator
and teacher and those lovers OF learning ana
poetry. high ideals and helpful thoughts. will SUI
fer loss. who fail 10 hear the Dean Of Ely
Wv