ST. ANDREW'S LITERARY INSTITUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11229, 27 September 1898, Page 8

ST. ANDREW'S LITERARY INSTITUTE.

. Tho announcement of a lecture by the Rev. Dr Waddell on "The Ethical and Spiritual Significance'of Browning's 'The King and the Book' " —the closing lecture of the session of St. Andrew's Literary Institute—did not possess the same attractive power as did the announcement of the previous lectures of the course, and the attendance last night, though good, was smaller than on any other night in the series of 11 lectures which have been given during the Eession. "The Ring and the Book " was not only declared by Dr Waddell to be the greatest poem of Browning, but also to be perhaps the greatest poem, of the century, and his lecture was a masterly analysis of it, the moral of it all, the lecturer said, being " Love." The address, which was not one 'that would admit of summarising into small space, was listened to with keen interest and evident appreciation. At' its close Dr Waddell took the opportunity of returning hearty thanks for the attendance throughout the session. In the matter of attendance, the session had been a record one, arid that seemed to indicate that there were a very large number in the community who took an interest in tho study of literature not only for the sake of literature but for the sake of the ethical and spiritual principles embodied in it. Ho thought he might reasonably infer that from tho attendance at almost every lectues right il.iouprh the whole session. He hoped if they lived till next year that they woii'd continue to go on as they had been doing, and improve as they . had done. Whether they would meet again or not, he was unable Ij say, but he supposed he might bo allowed to nay this, whether they met again or not: They had been, as it were, like, ships'passing in the sea^ships, perhaps, that passed in Ue night—and he hoped they were not the poorar by him, and he knew that he was not the poorer by them.—(Applause.) On tho motion o!. Mr J. G. Patterson, the meeting, by acclamation, accorded a vote of thanks to Dr Waddell for his able and interesting lectures.