The sun., 1919-03-30
SCHOOLS COLLEGES AND ACADEMIES

swer in his attitude toward the future
and In his attitude toward human life.
"Virgirs attitude toward the future
was fundamentally optimistic. He he
came q poet of hope, aspiration and
progress. Human society carries with
In Itself the seeds OF Its own redemp-
ton and ultimate perfection. This Is
very remarkable. II 10 the attitude OF
modern times. We did not derive Il
from either Rome or Greece. The idea
OF drawing on the future to make up
for the deficiencies Of the presnt. or
or making progress toward some worthy
goal. seems to have been Of Hebraic
origin. The New Jerusalem 10 repre-
sented as on the way. When Matthew
Arnold visited this country no found II
embarrassing. Europe had cathedrais
and palaces and ruins and O long his
tory. But In America everything
looked new and crude and unfinished
This feeling was Greek rather than
Firgilian The Greek lived and moved
and had his being In the present. He
cared only for the completed thing.
Virgil. on the contrary. felt an inter-
est IN the process which leads to the
completed thing. To mind Of that type
America would DO wonderfully Interest,"
Ing because Of its future, rs inexhaust-
ibis resources, its growing powers its
mission In history and the mighty part
1t ie destined 10 play among the nations
OF the earth,
"Virgils attitude toward human life
may. for want of better word. be
described as human. This Ii shown by
his feeling in regard to war. It 10 not
IKE Homsr'A II 10 not what you
might sxepect In the representa- tive
writer OF great military nation. For
n ANh 10 d.
the twentieth century, outside of Ger
many and other backward countries I;
especially Ia It the feeling Of our own
country-namely. the feeling OF aver
sion. War Ii simply . dreadful neces-
sity.
Virgil. with his attitude of sympathy
for humankind. takes a long stride out
or his own ago toward the one in which
We live In spite OF his devotion to
Augustus and the Roman State, I be-
iieve that at heart he sympathized with
individual freedom and initiative, and
that II he lived in our day he would
range himself on tho side Of the great
demooracies Of the world What ground
Is there for such q notionf This. IN a
word. that Virgirs regard was for man
as man. While rejoicing IN the thought
OF Roman domination over the whole
earth. he never lost sight of the great
ethical end that end was to be not more
Tor the advantage Of Rome than for the
happiness and progress Of all nations.
I'm the 1Tneid Virgil teaches the
moral government OF the world. He bids
men learn Justice and not despise the
gods. Tor day Of reckoning will surely
come. But the humanity of Virgil has
in 1t also an Astounding tenderness He
Is poet. not only OF Romes greatness.
but of family ties and affections This
same humanity 10 perhaps accountable
for the poets attitude toward dumb and
even inanimate nature. He exhibits q
kindly feeling for everything that walks
or files or creeps. Virgil was also q
landscape lover but wherever possible
the landscape was humanized. That Ia
to say. II was connected with some hu-
man interest.
considering seem to link Virgil with the
present age there ID q third characteristic
which less obviously, though not less
certainly, does the same thing. ! refer
to Virgirs attitude toward truth. Virgil
maintained an opsnminded hospitality
for whatever truths came his way. Old
ideas. old customs, old methods did not
enthrall him and new ones did not
frighten him. Like the god Of the gate
he could look In two directions at the
same time He saw something OF in
terest on both sides OF the question. We
detect again and again the note OF doubt
and hesitation in regard TO some of the
great problems of life"