Lecture by the Rev. Father Bice.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2621, 2 June 1877, Page 2

Lecture by the Rev. Father Bice.

The Eev. Father Bice delivered a lecture on the " Orators and Poeta of Ireland " at the Theatre Royal last evening to a large and fashionable audience. The Rev. Father Chastagnon introduced the rev. lecturer in a few well chosen remarks, who, on coming forward, was received with applause. He congratulated the audience on the unanimity existing between the Catholics and Protestants of Ireland at present, and said that whatever political views he might express to-night, tiny must remember, belonged to an era now happily passed away. They all loved eloquence. It had achieved triumphs over obstacles when the power of gold would not. He then referred to the dying out of the Irish language, and sta'ed that Irish literature in' the language of the siranger was of comparatively recent growth. At the time when England attained its highest literary glory, Ireland was under t'ae heel of tyrants such as Mountjoy, and was desolated with fire and sword. She bad been one of the most persecuted nations on earth, but in less than a century she had produced a whole host of literary men. The rev. lecturer then gave an interesting sketch of the life of John Philpott Curran, and related a number of amusing anecdotes concerning him. He stated thatCurran's oratory was of the highest order, as it sounded from the depth of the human heart. Curran's speeches in the House of Commons were inferior to his speeches from the bar, and in support of this assertion gave instances of his eloquence in the defence of Finnerty, Finlay, Lady Fitzgerald and the brothers Shears. He then made a comparison of Curran with Sheridan and Gratlan, and of the latter, he said that Ms memory would always be honored by Irishmen, and his speeches formed one of the chief elements of Ireland's greatness, and were, perhaps, the finest specimens of intellectual oratory in the Irish language. He next referred in eulogistic terms to Edmund i3urke, and said that he was one of the wisest statesmen of his time. Next followed Ireland's

uncrowned king, Daniel O'Connell, the emancipator. (Applause.) He was peerless as an orator. They must go back to the Acropolis of Athens, and to Demosthenes for .an orator possessing his power, while liis rhetorical graces equalled those of Qicero. The lecturer then related several amusing anecdotes of O'Connell, amongst whicji was the trick ;ho played on the :reportcrs at a great political gathering.jof the Irish. At this tinle there were many attempts to prosecute O'Connell for libel, and the reporters had come over from England lo report his speech. There were about 5000 of his ! cbuntrymen present,and knowing thatthey I knew their mother language, judge of the astonishment of the reporters when he -began to,address the assemblage in that most beautiful of languages—the Irish. At the conclusion of the speech, turning to the reporters, he said that he believed their paper was cleaner than their faces. He then briefly referred to Thomas Moore, Shiel, Meagher, Davies, and John Joseph Callaner. , He concluded the lecture by reading part of one of the late Chief Justice Whiteside's speeches. The lecture was attentively -listened to throughout, and was frequently applauded. A vote of thanks, proposed by Mr MacDonnell and seconded by Mr Dillon, was carried by acclamation. Father Eice thanked the audience for their appreciation of his efforts to please them, and the audience separated evidently highly satisfied with the lecture.