THE LECTURE ON “GEORGE ELIOT.”

Kumara Times, Issue 1442, 12 May 1881, Page 2

THE LECTURE ON “GEORGE ELIOT.”

The attendance at the Theatre Royal last evening to hear the lecture by the Rev. Thomas Flavell did not quite come up to expectation, perhaps ; but then it is always a grave consideration with the promoters of any charitable or other object whether solely a lecture—when “ there is to be no singing, no music, no interval, no quiet smoke, and no nips” —will be inducement sufficient to draw a house with a result that must make the affair a pecuniary success. Considering the weather, however, which would perhaps deter many from coming any great distance, there may be said to have been a good house; yet we notice this same cause did not prevent the fair sex from mustering in great force, doubtless to hear what the reverend lecturer would say of the gifted authoress who had chosen all her intellectual lifetime to ignore her gender and assume to be one of the “ lords of creation,” under the nora de guerre of “ George Eliot.” His Worship the Mayor (J. O’Hagan, Esq.) presided, and in a few appropriate remarks, introduced Mr. Flavell, The reverend gentleman commenced his discourse by proposing to “ take the bull by the horns,” as the saying is,

and declaring at once that “ George Eliott” was hot George Eliot, although she wished 'to he taken for a man, and in writing an Article on “ Metaphysics” she specially endeavoued to evade her sex. For a long time the disguise succeeded. But Charles Dickens was the first to detect inker writings~tfre mind of a woman, and declared concerning a certain passage that appeared in a review to which “ George Eliot” was regularly contributing that no mail could so truly depict the character, And the writer mrtst be a woman. The reverend lectured made allusion to some mistakes that had been made, notably ; “ Men of the TirAe” in stating that Mary Ann Evans George Eliot”) was the daughter of a clergyman. She was the daughter of a plain honest John Evans, a surveyor, of the John Bull type, and Mary Ann EvaAs Vras the plainest of women, as “ ugly as sin,” She received a good education* which she completed on the continent. The lecturer read several extracts from the works of .the gifted .authoress. The cabinet, picture of the Rev. Amos and his wife (whom the weight of work has pressed gradually intb the grave) is somewhat poetical—.. “ She was gone from him, and hb Could never show her his love any more, never make up for omissions iri the past by filling future days with tenderness, O the anguish of that thought that we can never atone to our dead for the stinted affection we gave them, for the light answers we Returned to their plaints or their pleadings, for the little- reverence we showed to that sacred human soul that lived so clOsb to us, and was the divinest thing God had given Us to know 1” Mr Plavell divided his subject into three parts—pathos* wit, and humor—(gifts of which the reverend gentleman seems himself to be endowed in no small measure) and cleverly He linked together the various selections he had made from the renowned aiithoress; The passages of “ first love” and “ trite love” are worth quoting. We give the latter—“ That adoration which a young man gives to a woman whom he feels to be greater and better than himself* is hardly distinguishable from religious feeling. What deep aild worthy lovb is so ? whether of woman or child* or art or music. Our caresses, our tender words, our still rapture under the influence of autumn sunsets, or pillard vistas, or calm majestic statues, or Beethoven symphonies, all bring with them the consciousness that they are mere waves and ripples in an unfathomable ocean of love and beauty; our emotion in its keenest moment passed from expression into silence, our love at its highest flood rushes beyond its object, and Joses itself iu the sense of divine mystery.” The selections of wit Were amusing* of which the following is one—“ Cdme* Craig,” said Mr Poyser, jocosely, “ yoii mun get married pretty quick, else you’ll be set down for an old bachelor j an’ you see what the women ’nil think on you.” “ Well,” said Mr Craig, willing to conciliate Mrs Poyser, and setting a high value on his own compliments, “I like a cliverish woman— a woman o’ sperrit—a managing woman.” “ You’re out there, Craig,” said Battle drily ; “ you’re out there; You judge o’ your garden-stuff on a better plan than that; you pick the things for what they can excel in. YoU don’t value your peas for their roots, or your carrots for their flowers. Now* that’s the way- yon should choose women; their cleverness ’ll never come ■ to much—never come to much; but they make excellent simpletons, ‘ripe and strong-flavored.” “ What dost say to that ?” said Mr Poyser, throwing himself back and looking merrily at his wife. “ Say 1” answered -Mrs Poyser, with dangerous fire kindling in her eye j “ why, I say aa sbttie folks’ tongues, are._ like'the'clocks As cun on 'strikin’, not to tell you the time o’ the day, but because there’s summat wrong i’ their own inside.” We should have liked, if our space had permitted, to have added the dialogue between Mrs Poysey and Bartle Massey; perhaps we may do that at another time. At the close of the lecture, to which the reverend gentleman limited it to one hour, a vote of thanks was proposed by Mr Janion to the Rev. Mr Plavell, for the very interesting and amusing lecture he had delivered; in responding to which, the reverend gentleman returned the compliment to the chairman, and the people went home, well satisfied with their x’eally good and intellectual treat.