ST. ANDREW'S LITERARY INSTITUTE,

Otago Witness, Issue 2326, 29 September 1898, Page 19

ST. ANDREW'S LITERARY INSTITUTE,

The announcement of a lecture by the Rev. Dr Waddell on "The Ethical and Spiritual Significance of Browning's 'The Ring and the Book ' "—the closing lecture of the session of St. Andrew's Literary Institute— did not possess tho same attractive power as did the announcement of the previous lectures of the course, and the attendance on Monday, though good, was smaller than on any other night in the series of 11 lectures which have been given during the session. "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 K-en a record one, and that seemed to indicate that there were a very large number in the community who took an interest in the study of literature not only for the sake of literature but for the sake of the ethical and spiritual principles embodied in it. He thougLt he might reasonably infer tbat from tiio attendance at almost every lecture right U.iough the whole ses&ion. Ec hoped if they lived till next year that they would continue to go on as they had been doing, aad improve as they had done. Whether they would meet again or not, he was unable to say, but he supposed he might be allowed to say this, whether they met again or not: They had been, as it were, like ships passing m the sea — ships, perhaps, that passed in He raght— and he hoped they were not the poorsr by him, and he knew that he was not the poorer by them.— (Applause.) On the motion o? Mr J. G. Patterson, the meeting, by acclamation, accorded a vote of thanks to. Dr W addell for his able and interesting lectures.