The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-14

Jones greatly praised the Bible. in
we'll known words:
l try to practice what I would
preach to others" | read the Bible
habitually and several times every
day." Mr.. Pearson. the able, deeply
pious evangelist, closed his meeting in
Wilmington, after twenty-five days
preaching, on 23rd April, 1S88-sev-
enteen years ago. Since then ] have
read the old Testament regularly
through five times, and portions per
haps dozens of times. / have read
the New Testament eighty-siX times
and will soon somplete the S7th time.
/ read it because l love it. 1t is God s
Book. 1t is the lamp unto my feet
ands the light unto my pathway. 1t
alone tells of Gods own personal ex-
istence, his projections, attributes and
acts. 1t embodies His plans, purposes,
wisdom. and shows how great is His
love for the human race, and the
exceeding wealth of His promises,
perfections, and resources and conso-
lations.
Among the authors who have APP
peared in England in the last decade
surely Mr. Sidney Lee is one of the
most interesting and remarkable. His
work on the life of William Shakes
peare attracted wide attention among
cultivated Englishmen. While sonic
opinions were examined and rejected,
the work as a whole was regarded 90
full of research and interest, and
was probably the best discussion of
disputed events in the life of the
greatest of poets. Z o this time it re-
mans unique somewhat and the most
valuable Since then he has publish
ed two works. an excellent, faithful,
candid life of Queen Victoria, and still
later volume of biographical essays,
Great Englishmen of the Sixteenth
Century" 1t is in one volume. The
eminent men considered in it are
limited to six, but what a six they
are-Sr Thomas More Sir Philip
Sidney, Sir Walter Raleigh, Edmund
Spenser Francis Bacon, Lord Verut-
lam, and William Shakespeare.
They We're all wonderful men of uni
que and resplendent personalities.
Probably after Shakespeare Bacon is
the greatest of all Englshmen. John
Milton is the only possible contestant
for that place. When Mr.. Lee visited
the United States a year or two since,
he lectured upon these six men or a
part of them. Mr.. Lee is a clear,
vigorous, independent, incisive author.
In a notice of Mr. Lees studies an
American reviewer said of Sir Philip
Sidney that he wanted to colonize
and for a long time steadily fixed his
eyes for the time on the Atlantic
horizon? Sir Walter Raleigh'S nam
ing of the new land Virginia delight
ed Sidney and no less than three mill
lions of acres of undiscovered land in
America were set at his disposal
I saw it mentioned by that very
eminent Shakespearean critic, Prof.
Dowden, or possibly by another
Shakespearean, for they count by the
scores, that the greatest of poets did
not live in such obscurity as many
supposed, and as some ignorant
writer's essayed to make it SO appear.
In a paper written some two years
ago on Shakespeare. ] tried to lay be-
fore the reader no little evidence con-
corning his life. | noticed that the
review quoted from above gives a
brief abstract of Mr.. Lees discussion
OF the same abundant facts concern
ing the poet, and the facts of his life
being really better known than the
lives of Ben Jonson Marlowe, and the
numerous contemporary dramatic
writer's. The reviewer gives this, and
it is certainly valuable and entertain
ing "In his essay on shakespeare
Mr.. Lee says that the obscurity with
which shakespeare biography has