The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-06
DIR. MITCHELL
SPLENDID ak
He Appeared Yesterday Before the A..
P. Y. A.
LARGE AUDIENCE HEARD HIM
He Read From His Drama, s.sir Fran
els Drake, a Tragedy of the
Sea- Thanked by
Mr.. Henry.
LARGE AUDIENCE HEARD HIM

The appearance of DR.. S. Weir Mitchell
Yesterday afternoon before the A p. "
A. and its guests was an event not likely
Ito be soon forgotten, certainly not by
those who were so fortunate as to be
OF his audience.
Long before 5 o'clock, the hour set for
the reading, the ballroom of the Jeffer-
son was filed to overfowing, and hum
dreds of disappointed people had to be
turned away.
Colonel W. Gordon NlcCabe introduced
the eminent scholar in a very delightful
manner, and DR.. Mitchell responded by
saying he. as a. son of Virginia. was de-
lighted TO be in Virginia, and especially
to speak before the Association for the
Preservation Of Virginia Antiquities, of
which he is a member.
After brief explanation Of the play,
which is laid in 1873, and every event
which actually took place during the
from his drama, Sir Francis Drake, a
Tragedy of the Sea-
Too much cannot be said either for
the masterpiece of English literature or
the manner in which it was rendered.
DR.. MitchelIs reading was most dra-
matte and inspiring, and the beauty Of
the poem could not but recall the inn
mortal bard of Avon.
From the beginning to the end of the
chapter the audience was spell-bound.
SIR FRANCIS DRAKE.
The story tells of Sir Francis Drake,
who starts from England on a voyage,
whittier no one knows but his dearest
friend Doughty. q sort of Iago of a rare
type. scholar a soldier, more or less
learned in Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
he had the power to attract the affections
of men but not their respect. Doughty
betTays his master, and this betrayal
results in his death.
One Of the noticeable features OF the
drama is that no woman appears in the
story. Some of the gems culled from
the poem are as follows:
Drake:
Yes, l am Admiral:
But there are moments In the lives of all
When the stern conscience of too great
Appals the kindl1er heant that fain would
Where indecisions breed less consequence.
1 said, be seated.
DOUGHTY'S REPLY.
Doughty says, as he is about to die:
do You remember once a thing you said
How for the wise the soul has chaoels
four:
One that 1 name not. One, a home OF
tears.
One, the grave shrine of high philosophy.
And one where all the saints are testers
Smile on me when I die. IN that dim
world
1 am assured men laugh, as we'll they
may,
To see this out-heap stirred. Oh, shall
look
To see your SMILE
And Weary, THE friend Of Doughty, an
swers:
He asks a smile, where nature proffers
/ have laughed tears before. and may
again.
Here dies a man who, like that heir of
Lynne
Has madly squandered honor, friend
ship, love,
And hath no refuge save the dismal rope.
Shall that bring other fortunes than he
spent?
An me, loved him we'll, and must
That will seem strange to men. | some
times wish
could feel sure that Christ did ever
s1nie!''
Again Weary says:
81 wandered tither, yesterday, at eve,
And found a skull. Didst ever notice,
Winter.
How this least mortal relic of a man
Does seem to smile? Hast ever talked
with skulls?
They are courteous ever, and good list
eners.
And never one Of them, or man or maid
That is not secret. There's another virtue;
For what more honest and more chaste
than death?
Now, then, this skull that grins an hun
bred years
Pray. think how mighty must THE jest
have been:
And then, how transient are our living
smiles!
one slight excess of speech some word
retold,
And thou art lost to life.
think it oft doth chance d man
Knows Let his nearest friend as others do
What were life without the splendid
prophecy of dream??"
At the end of the reading Mr.. ". w.
Henry rose, and on behalf of the audi
ence thanked DR.. Mitchell for his beauti-
full poem.