South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-05-02

the subject Of Virgils story. in which
he portrays the birth OF a nation.
The author goes far back into his
tory as Homer told ~. 20 find a ma
tiona h.ro for his people. But his
story has one great difference from
the Had and the Odyssey, from
which ~ borrows 50 much besides
hero. HOmer's tales are spontaneous
stories OF tho great chiefs who stand
at the beginning OF Greek history,
while Virgil a man OF letters and
a patriot who would make plausible
the divine mission Of his race 20
rule the world. deliberately chooses
his hero and then makes for him
a history TO suit his needs. One
wonders sometimes whether Aeneas
or the Italian nation IL the hero OF
the great national story.
In Homer, Aeneas stands along
side Hector as one OF the great
champions OF Troy. When the city
falls he is one of the few Trojans
TO escape destruction. with his ven
cradle father Anchises on his shout
ders his son held by the hand, and
his wife following, ne makes his way
20 the shore and takes ship with a
large company OF his following 10
seek a new land and found a new
him the inveterate hostility % the
goddess Juno, the persistent zoe OF
all that was Trojan. II Is at this
point that Virgil takes up the tale
OF his Man OF Destiny. After the
fashion advised by Horace. ne
plunges into the midst OF things
After some six years OF wander
ing Aeneas sets sail for Italy. after
he has lost his father in Sicily. His
wife had long since persisted. At
JUnos orders the god Of the winds
sends forth a tempest which drives
the ships 20 Africa. His mother.
the goddess Venus, does her best 20
make up for the harshness Of Juno.
fOretells 20 him the greatness that
lies in store for him and his race.
and directs him 10 Carthage. the
rising city OF Queen Dido. Happy
chance brings the hero and the
queen together. a generous and kind
Is hospitality follows the ever
watchful Venus produces in place of
Aeneas' son Ascanius her own mis-
caievoas Cupid. The queen OF Car
thage can no more resist
regal entertainment is set be-
fore the visitors in a scene OF vast
IaaguiflcenCe. At the end Of the
banquet the queen demands his story
from the royal wanderer, just as
King Alcinous had asked the same
from Odysseus With all the mag
mates of her court gathered around,
with Aeneas' companions as Well the
queen fondliug the little Ascanius
in her arms-remember that rogue
cupid was playing the part-the
prince began the famous tale Of the
last night OF Troy. the stratagem of
The wooden horse. the story of Lao
coon. and all the rest 20 which fol-
low ms own escape with his people.
and h,s many years wandering his
meeting with Andromacho i'm Epirus
and all the events that had taken the
SIX years OF HIS life.
Then follows the famous fourth
hook OF tho Acneid. the great story
n the passionate love OF Dido for
he Man Of Destiny II is one OF
he most widely read. the most ad
1nired, the most discussed stories in
The worlds literature. Virgil sum-
raoned TO It his greatest art: he did
rot hesitate TO borrow from the
treat writer's OF the past. particu-
larly from the Medea OF Apollonius
Ehodius the fine tale of romantic
love which has come from AleXan-
dria in the late days Of the Greek
genius. Virgil is not n supreme
artist in the portrayal OF character
as Homer was. but I'm the picture of
he tender and pathetic passion Of
the queen he rose 20 his highest
point. The queens confession Of
her love 70 her sister; the great
hunting party for her lovers enter
tainment. the storm that separates
the hunters and drives the royal pair
20 a cave alone. the queens tender
ness: and then the fight Of the pious
Aeneas: the queens entreaties; the
portrayal OF all the passion Of a
sighted woman: and finally her own
self-infiCted death AS the hero fees
20 a higher duty-it is splendidly