Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-05-26
IN OLD ROMAN DAYS.
A VIVID PRESENTATION OF SCENES
IN THE LIFE OF CICERO.

Ihe second conference OF tne Latin
teachers of Vermont and vicinity, con-
Quoted under the auspices of the Latin
department of Middlebury College, held
its sessions in the college chapel Friday
and Saturday, May 10 and 20. The at
tendance was large, about 30 guests being
present from out of town. and the dis
cussions were animated and profitable.
A delightful feature of the conferences
thus far has been the good fellowship of
those participating and the informality
of the proceedings; the unrestrained ex-
change of experience aud opinions has
shown itself to be in the highest degree
stimulating and helpful. Among the
topics up for discussion were "Sight
reading" "The place of the grammar in
the work of beginners" GOOD Latin
into bad English, "The extent to which
Latin should be made vernacular in the
classroom" and "English etymology
through the Latin" There were three
sessions, the first from II 100 till II :00
Friday, the second from 2 100 till 500,
and the third from 80 till II 100 on Sat
urday morning. The afternoon session
was presided over by Professor Eaton;
at each of the others Professor Sanford
was in the chair.
The chief interest, however, for the
general public and the members of the
conference as well, centered in the enter
tainment of Friday evening. 1t is seldom
that the expectation of the community is
so thoroughly aroused by any college
event. and the audience that gathered,
despite the rain, was large and repre-
sentative. When the curtains at the
front of the enlarged stage parted at S 10
O'Clock, disclosing the temple of Jupiter
Stator, the meeting place of the Roman
senate, a spontaneous burst of applause
attested the delight of the spectators in
the beauty of the scene. The rising tiers
of senatorial benches, the rows of marble
columns receding to seemingly impossi-
BILE distances, and the majestic statue of
Jupiter that lowered beneath the over
arching dome, combined to give a fore
taste of what the evening had in store.
Then followed the entrance of the sena-
tors, the appearance of Catiline in his
place, the fiery attack upon him by the
maddened consul, his bold command that
Catiline betake himself into exile, and
the uproar attending the withdrawal of
the conspirator as with threats of ven-
geance he rushed from view. AS the
curtain closed upon the first scene, it was
evident to all present that what had been
promised was far short of the reality;
and indeed to those who had had some
part or another in the reparation, the
beauty and the smoothness of the entire
production were largely a surprise. The
second scene was laid in the Forum and
again burst of enthusiasm greeted the
remarkable background. 1t was a veri-
table triumph of the painters art that in
each of the various settings all the effects
of magnificent distance were produced
on so shallow a stage. The place ac-
corded to Mr.. Witham at the head of his
profession has been fully justified by his
Middlebury work of the last four weeks.
In the third scene, the longest of the
play, the conspirators are examined one
by one before the senate and the guilt of
each is made evident. In the fourth, the
senate deliberates on the punishment
that shall be inflicted and in conclusion
votes by large majority for the penalty
of death. The fifth scene, again in the
Forum, reveals the growing antagonism
to Cicero for his unprecedented boldness
in the conduct of the prosecution,-the
hostility showing itself In the refus-
al of the tribune Metellus to grant
to the consul the privilege of ad-
dressing the people. The events
connected with the sending of Cicero
into exile are not part of the ac-
tion, but intervene between the fifth
nd ha ixyth ha latf
in the Iude ment of many, the most effec-
tive of the play. 1t is In the house of
Quintus Cicero and to say that the pic
ture was marvelously beautiful is TO
keep we'll within the fact. The scene
opens with the lament of Pomponia, his
brothers wife, over Cicero's exile, the
opposition to his return, and the misfor-
tunes of his family. Joined shortly by
Terentia and Tullia, the exile's wife and
daughter, she encourages them to hope
foI happy issue of the election to be
held that day to determine the question
of return. A letter from the absent
one is received and read and directly
after, amid shOutings of the populace
without, other members of the family
enter with the glad news that the elec.
llOn mas gone IarRely III HIS IaNOr anO
that Tullius will once more be honored
in the state. Scene seven presents the
return from exile. In the Forum, greet.
ed by the plaudits of the people, the
triumphant Cicero moves with slow dig
nifty across the stage and as the throngs
close about him disappears finally from
view amid song and flowers and acclama
tion. Althogether it was one of the mos
charming pictures of the evening. The
applause was long continued but thu
hour was late and did not permit of repe
tition. The eighth scene, while not con
nected with the drama proper, was
most fitting close. Those who had seei
and heard the presentation of year ag'
and those who had not were alike anxiou
for its repetition and its introduction