The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-01-19

Cuc IilSilus WIZ were 1OlIuudIC eAouSu
to be in the senator's company when
this absorbing topic was introduced
and his mood fertile.
cit is doubtful whether Mr.. Davis
found in any other author quite so
keen delight as in Shakespeare. Him
self gifted with a vivid yet sane i'm
agination, exquisitely sensitive to the
music and rhythm of perfect verse,
prone to comprehensive generalization,
and profoundly studious of the psy-
chology Of human character, the at
mosphere of the Incompatible poet
dramatist was most congenial to him.
"In his early manhood the study of
Shakespeare was. as he has told us
in a published essay, habitual. This
study was not only con amore, it was
critical, comparative and exhaustive.
Its results in one department of criti-
cism he made known in volume
called The Law in Shakespeare
which remains, believe, the best and
most thorough exposition of this
branch of Shakespearean learning.
zone passage from the Introduc-
ton of this volume I will quote as an
example of Senator Davis literary
style and of his method of thought:
There was everything in that ro-
mantle age to stir the Imagination.
There was Il spirit of chivalry abroad
which marched in quest of something
more substantial than mouldy relics,
and fulfilled vows sworn to something
more grarder than the achievement of
pious absurdities. Frobisher had
sailed northward into the science of
the eternal seas of ice. Ell Dorado lift
ed against the western skies it's shafts
and domes of gold. The Armada had
vanished like portcntious phantom,
smitten by the valor of Englishmen,
and chased far Off into the Hebridean
fogs by the waves of the eXasperated
sea, which fought for it's island nurse
ling. Hawkins, private and admiral,
had thrown his fortune into the Dit
which threatened to swallow I'D his
country, and had died under the dis
pleasure of his stingy yet magnificent
queen. Raleigh, having seen his
dreams of. the new world die out, lay
in the Tower, writing his history,
doubtless smoking the consoling weed,
while awaiting the end of so much
bravery, so much rashness, and so
many cares, in the summons of "elo-
quent, just and mighty DEATH" Drake
had sailed the seas and the cities
thereof. Captain John Smith had told
of great empires in the west, and their
swarthy emperors. Mary, Queen OF
Scots. that changeful enchantress. as
we see her now-at one time the
French lily, all sweet and pure and
fragrant; and again the Scottish this
tie, spinous and cruel to all who
touched her--had woven the cords of
love into the chains of empire, and
had pressed the cup of her sorceries
to the lips of many men, until her own
glorious head bowed to the long di-
vorce of STEEL
Little argument is NEEDED to show
that the author of this paragraph
might have entered upon almost any
department of literature whether Gre
alive, critical or historical, with abso-
lutte assurance of distinction.
Senator Davis facility in modern
languages was very unusual for an
American public man. He had for
: literary purposes practical mastery
of French, knowledge of Italian only
slightly less, and very serviceable
use of Spanish.
zone of the most valued sets of
books in his collection was a complete
and uniform edition of the Italian
poets, through which in leisure hours
he wandered, ever with senses alive to
each peculiar beauty, from Dante and
Petrarch to Leopard.
Contrary to the general impression
even among his friends, he knew and
read the German language; but his adj
miration for it's literature was confined
to its poetry, chiefly the folll-songs,
Heine and the lyrics Of Schiller.
"One Of the fnvorite subjects of his
youthful investigation was destined to
afford to Mr.. Davis his chief avenue
of distinction in public life.
81 think it probably true that no
contemporary statesman excelled him
in acquaintance with the literature of
international law, or in the ability to
state its principles and to argue their
application
'All the elementary works on the
subject in English, French and Italian
were familiar to him, and he was pro-
foundry versed in diplomatic preced-
ents and history.
Ellis conceded pre-eminence as an in
ternational lawyer in this body, where
several of his colleagues We're justly
ranked high in the same branch OF
learning, is the strongest certificate to
his abilities and attachments.
These qualifications We're recog-
nized early in his senatorial service,
and it is well known that many sue
cessive secretaries Of state awaited
themselves of his great store of knowl-
n1n al,