LECTURE ON ROBERT BURNS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1565, 21 December 1883, Page 2

LECTURE ON ROBERT BURNS.

Only a moderate attendence gathered at the Presbyterian Church, Maatorton, last evening to hear the lecture by the Rev, D. Fultou, on Scotland's great bard. MrD, McGregor was voted to tho chair and said that had it mil been for a prior engagement that position was to have been filled by Mr Buohanan, Ho regretted to seo bo few present, but'the fact that outsido work was in arrears through the late bad weathor would aooount for the absence of many who had taken tickets, He had no doubt those who were present would enjoy the leoture and hear something fresh about the life of the poet. The Rev, Lecturer, after a brief prayor prefaced his address by Btating that tome apology was necessary for his appearance in a role with which ho was unfamiliar, but the object for which he bad come forward (the building of a small church on the Opaki) was a good 0110 and a leoture a legitimate means of raising money. He then commenced his leoture by pointing out that though the presont was full of absorbing interest, the wine man neither neglected the history of the past nar ignored the possibilites of the future, It was with the past they had to deal that evening. Poetry was the vehicle which showed the dawn of intellect, and poetry was the vehicle by which wai recorded its maruh to the highest degree of culture, and a study of the works of Robert Bums could not iail to be useful and entertaining. He then briefly sketched the history of Burns from his birth in 1759 to his death in 1796, alluding to his struggles with poverty, his great social qualities, his sound common sense, his tendernoss of aoul-so true, so gentle, so kind—and lo the wonderful genius which caused his readers to feel as though they could really see with his eyes and feel with his souses. In these respects he thought Burns excelled more than any poet lie had rend. Burns' love of man for man's own suite, as shown in hia lines " A man's a nun for a' that," his humor,as shown in "T, ut O'Shanter," his tenderness, as shown ' y tho lines to the" Poor Wee Mousie" his plough had turned out of house and home, and the pure morality and exalt A sentiments shown in " Tho Cotter's Samrday Night," were all dwelt upon, as well as the great writer's easiness of character and love of the sooial pleasures that ultimately proved his ruin, The lecturer maintained that lor -vividness of description, purity of sentiment, and passionate dovotion to his country and friends. Burns has norer been equalled. Burns lived m the hearts of the people, because he was really of the people and knew their struggles and their woes. His writings had oheerod them when they were in the deepest despair, had taught them their rights and how to maintain them, and to Burns' writings to a very great extent was to be attributed the improvement that had taken place in the class in Scotland from which ho sprang, a class from which had risen some of the noblest names in history. It was to Burns' writings that it was mainly; duo that hia countrymen went about obtaining their rights in a patient constitutional way, and not by such means sb were being resorted to ill Russia and Ireland. -Though it could not be denied that Burns had writton some coarse pages, their very coafsoneee prevented them doing the harm that the polished poison of some other poets waß responsible for. Ono trait in Burns' character would be greatly appreciated by many deluded creditors in New Zealand, and that was hisextreme honesty,He owed no man any thing, and his oreed was "An honest imu's 'lie noblest work of God." The leoim-or also alluded to Burns'sturdy independence, iiis lovo of liberty, his keen eye for detecting hypoorisy, and to the spreading spirit of true democracy which he had helped to kindle, Mr Fulton oloiod his leoture by reading several seleotions irora Burns' works to the evident pleasure of the audienoe, teauming his seat amid applause. Mr McGregor complimented the leotarer on his success, and moved a cordial vote of thanks to him whioh was carried bv acclamation.

Mr Fulton thanked them for the compliment, and after a few supplementary remarks on the anbjeot of the lecture, closed the meeting with prayer,