Mr. Wendling's Lecture

Geo. A. Wendling was greeted with a fair audtence at university hall Friday night to listen to bis ofteu rcpeated lecture on -'Voltaire." He bas someof the qual kies of an orator, euse upon the platform gracefnl gesticulation and earnestuess o manner; but bis voice is not good, bis articulation is imperfect, bis pronunciation occasionally bad, and be fails to im press bis audience with sincerity, caudoi and truthfulness, impressions which mus be made by a true orator, llerein lies the real distinct on bet wee d oraiory and winti. The tille of his lectura was a misnomer. Il sbould have been ' Bob Iugersoll and his want of originality." O tliat " Jïi3':il Bob" - so named by the sainted Garïeld, had sorae of the " originality" of his opponets ! The " originulity" of Wendling was marvclous, especially his definí tion of " infldel " - one who rejeots tbc teachiugs of Jcsus - a definitiou whicli would not had included Voltaire himself, as he dld not condemn the teachings of Jesús- but the teachings of the thcologians of his day and of the daik ages. Wendling's estímate of Voltaire, so far as he made any estímate, was just about the sanie that has been made of him by the average doctor of divinity for the last eighty years. -lust about as fair, impartial, candid and juct. Of the value of such an estímate all intelligent persons are able to judge. Ilume, Gibbon, Voltaire, Paiue, these four - the greatcst of whom was Voltaire - were not perhaps as " original " as the average country parson. but it will be several months before theirpersonalities will be forgotten or their writings cease to havo an influence upon mankind. Vollalre still lives, but one by onc his innumerable slanderers are gathercd to their fathers and are forgotten. The memory of Wendüug himself will soon "rot" if we are not mistaken, but the memory of the brilliant and courageous Frenchmau will be held in "evèrlaBting remembrance."