Gbe inntverslti? of ChicagoPrice $J.OO founded by john d. rockefeller Single CopiesPer Year 5 CentsUniversity RecordPUBLISHED BY AUTHORITYCHICAGOGbe XHnivexeity of Cbtca^o pressVOL II, NO. 23. PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY AT 3:00 P.M. SEPTEMBER 3, 1897.Entered in the post office Chicago. Illinois, as second-class matter.CONTENTS,I. A Study of the Song of Roland .... 199-200II. Official Notices 201III. Official Reports : Library 201IV. Current Events 201-202V. The Calendar - 202A Study of the Song of Roland*BY VIOLA PRICE FRANKLIN.There are two classes of epic, folk and literary.The folk epic is composed of the traditions of a primitive people, and frequently consists of several balladsthat contain the adventures of one hero, combinedinto a long story, making a completed epic with itsnecessary unity. The compiler considers himself themouthpiece of his race and feels that it is the nationmaking the poem rather than himself.The literary epic is a product of art appealing to thecultured classes rather than to the people. Instead ofbeing produced by the nation, and growing out ofsome strong race feeling, the literary epic is written bya single poet. Paradise Lost is a literary epic, whilethe Song of Roland is a folk epic.The first epic characteristic to be noted is the general action of the poem, which is the war betweenCharlemagne and the Saracens. The particular subject of the epic is the routing of the rear guard andthe consequent death of Roland.In studying the plot, the greatness of the actionfirst attracts attention. This is shown in the universality of its theme, that of war. Again, the inherentgrandeur exalts the action, since there are so many* Extract from a paper read before the Romance Club, March17, 1897. thrilling incidents enacted by heroes of great renown.It is a war replete with heroic deeds and the poembrings vividly before its readers the whole physicalmental, moral, and military life of the French.The unity of the action is another marked feature.There is only one action, no other clashing with it.The episodes all lead into the main plot.As to the parts of the action, the poem rushes atonce in medias res. There is no invocation to themuses. All the important characters are introducedearly and, from the very beginning, the action is clearlyset forth. The story is a mighty struggle between thehero and his opposers and fulfills the requirements ofArnold's definition : "An epic poem is one which tellsthe story of one great complex action in a grand stylewith fullness of detail." The plot is well constructed.so far as having all the episodes lead into the mainincident; but it is not well-proportioned, since thevengeance on the Saracens occupies too much space.It would have been in accord with classic models, tohave closed the epic at the death of the hero ; butpoetic justice called for the punishment of the traitor.Gautier considers the close dramatic and artistic, sincea new epic, on a grander field of action, opens on thevision.Epic heightening : there are many illustrations ofthe exaltation of the hero, as when he refuses to blowhis horn for the Emperor, thinking it will be a reflection upon the valor of the French nobles, and courageously declares, " I'll strike heavy blows with Duren-dal." Again, he urges his nobles to fight bravely so noman can sing a bad song about them after death. Hewins admiration by his actions in the council of thenobles, when he offers himself as messenger for theEmperor. His courage and independence recall200 UNIVERSITY RECORDAchilles, the hero of action. Or, like the brave knightsof the Round Table, he cheers his followers on the eveof battle with these stirring words :" Here must we do our duty to our king ;A man should for his lord and for his causeDistress endure, and bear great heat and cold."Many instances of the epic exaltation of Oliver, theEmperor, and Archbishop Turpin could be cited, butthe crowning form of epic heightening consists in thedivine intervention to further the cause of the hero.Charlemagne's prayer for the sun to stand still untilhe can avenge Roland's death is granted, and a marvelous storm over all France announces to the nationthe death of Roland and his nobles.Epic anticipation is manifested in the way that theaction is furthered by special revelations. Dreamsreveal to the Emperor the fate of his beloved nephew,and angels come to his assistance.Epic characterization : As in other race literature,so in the Song of Roland, there are to be found theseuniversal types. Roland, the type of the courageoushero; Oliver, the type of the loyal friend ; the Emperor Charlemagne, the type of the avenger ; andGanelon, the type of the traitor. The conception ofindividual characters is strong, and their delineationvivid. The poet with true epic spirit chooses a varietyof noble types ; emperor, king, earl, prince, and noblevie with each other in heroic action. Their bearingis dignified, whether they are in the council debating,or on the bloody battlefield. Like Shakespeare'scharacters they reveal their individuality by actingand reacting upon one another in varied moods. Thehero possesses all the high qualities necessary for anepic hero — he is courtly, dignified, courageous, tender,magnanimous, noble, and religious. Distinguishedby his royal lineage, he is a true knight without fearand reproach. He plays his part as a true hero, possessing the Roman sense of duty without regard todanger or death. He calls forth praise not only forhis magnanimous bearing and marvelous courage,but also for his 2Eneas-like endurance and almostsuperhuman prowess.There is no such characterization of womanhood inthe Song of Roland as in the Iliad. The mediaevalFrench poet became very enthusiastic over the horrorsof war, but the peers were not inspired to victory by thelove of woman. Roland was tender enough to weepbitterly over the death of his nobles, but he expressedno sorrow over not meeting the trusting Aide. Hisdying thoughts were centered upon his sword, Duren-dal, over which he lavished a wealth of love and tenderness. As yet love plays no important part in mediaeval poetry. Among the features of epic style to be noted are theplainness in thought and diction. The constructionis very simple, consisting usually of a succession ofbrief sentences. The author shows a good grasp ofhis theme, and the perspective is generally good.Just as the varied forces of nature and animal lifefurnished the Greeks with material for their imagery,so it is in the Song of Roland." His beard was as white as a hawthorn blossom."" As run wild deer before the chasing hounds.Before Roland the Pagans flee."The style is greatly enhanced by epic repetitionand refrain. Note the effect of the recurring line :" Friend Roland, sound your horn."The beauty of the poem is increased by the picturesque descriptions of the gathering of the knights andtheir elaborate preparation for battle by putting onsuch gorgeous armour. Epic details adds to the vividness of the style. There is much of this in the longlists of the Emperor's barons, the enumeration of thepresents sent to Charlemagne, the long list of knightsand the hosts of the Pagans. Thus in the battlepieces there is much detailed description.Epic handling is another skillful feature. It is wellmarked in the unbroken unity of the poem. Themain thread of the story is never lost, as with kaleidoscopic vividness, picture quickly crowds out picture,now a single combat, then the fiercest conflict ; now apause, as the good archbishop tenderly absolves thehosts, then a more rapid movement as the stern warriors, thrilled by the battle-cry " Montjoie," fling themselves into the fiercest of bloody conflicts. Anotherexcellence in the epic handling is the skillful use ofdialogue. A good illustration is the earnest colloquybetween Roland and Oliver about blowing the horn.The characters paint themselves in vivid colors as thedialogue proceeds in quick responses, until at lastdaring courage triumphs over wisdom and the unflinching hero carries the day.The battle in Roncevalles furnishes an excellentstudy for narrative power. The wealth of detailsmakes it very graphic and the enumeration, a specialfeature of epic poetry, enhances the effect. Skill isshown in marking off distinctly the different stages ofthe battle, and the poet, in the succession of events,follows the order of perspective, always a good principle. But the style is graphic in the highest sense,in those descriptions which suggest an actual observer.The sculpturesque picture of the horse, in laisse eighty-seven, is a good illustration. This is clear-cut andstrongly drawn as that of the horse in " Sohrab andRustrum."UNIVERSITY RECORD 201Official Notices.The regular and special meetings of the Facultiesand Boards to be held Saturday, September 4, andMonday, September 6, 1897, in the Faculty Room,Haskell Oriental Museum, are the following :Saturday, 9:30 a.m.— The Faculty of the Junior Colleges.10:00 a.m.— The Faculty of the Senior Colleges." 10:30 a.m.— The Faculties of the GraduateSchools." 11:00 a.m. — The University Senate.Monday, 4 : 00 p.m.— The Divinity Faculty.Registration for the Autumn Quarter of Resident Students will be held as follows:Graduate Schools: Monday and Tuesday, September 13 and 14.Senior Colleges : Monday, September 13.Junior Colleges : Tuesday, September 14.Official copies of the University Record for theuse of students may be found in the corridors andhalls of the various buildings in the University quadrangles. Students are requested to make themselvesacquainted with the official actions and notices of theUniversity, as published from week to week in theUniversity Record.The Germanic Department offers the followingadditional course to members of the Senior Collegesand Graduate Schools for the Autumn Quarter 1897 :XIV, 23. — Henrik Werg eland and Henrik Ibsen,the two Poles of Norwegian Literature.I. The awakening of a nation. The romantic age and therevival of an heroic past in literature. Henrik Werge-land, the genius of youth, of strength, will, and hope.The lyrical and satirical vein. The champion of thepeople, the herald of independence. " Only a poet andnothing but a poet." His early death.II. The Period of Doubt and Inquiry. The Scandinavianunion. The Dano-German war. Political dissension.The ultra-Norwegian element. The Bureaucratic Party.The Peasants' Party, The religious upheaval. HenrikIbsen.Mj. Autumn Quarter.Dr. Wergeland.The Examination of Harriet Stone for the degreeofS.M. will be held Saturday, September 4; at 9:00a.m., in Room 20, Kent Chemical Laboratory. Department : Chemistry. Thesis, " The Constitution ofUric Acids." Committee : Head Professors Nef andMichelson, and Dr. Kurt Laves, and all other instructors in the department principally concerned. The. Junior College Finals in Public Speakingwill be held in the Chapel, Cobb Lecture Hall, Fridayevening, September 3, at 8:00 p.m. The members ofthe Junior College Faculty present will act as judges,and as large attendance as possible is desired.Graduate Divinity Debate.— The successful contestants for places in the Graduate Divinity debatefrom the Graduate School were :Edward Sherwood Meade.Frederick Albert Cleveland.Official Reports.During the month of August, 1897, there has beenadded to the Library of the University a totalnumber of 385 books from the following sources :Books added by purchase, 251 vols., distributed asfollows:General Library, 6 vols.; Philosophy, 16 vols.; Pedagogy, 10 vols.; Political Economy, 8 vols.; PoliticalScience, 33 vols.; History, 10 vols.; Sociology, 3 vols.;Sociology (Divinity) 11 vols.; Comparative Religion,4 vols.; Semitic, 7 vols.; New Testament, 10 vols.;Comparative Philology, 5 vols.; Greek, 8 vols.; Latin,6 vols.; Latin and Greek, 1 vol.; German, 6 vols.;English, 33 vols.; Astronomy, 3 vols.; Physics, 1 vol.;Geology, 7 vols.; Zoology, 2 vols.; Neurology, 1 vol.;Church History, 1 vol.; Systematic Theology, 4 vols.;Homiletics, 2 vols. Morgan Park Academy, 53 vols.Books added by gift, 102 vols., distributed as follows:General Library, 74 vols.; Pedagogy, 9 vols.; Political Economy, 2 vols. Sociology, 2 vols.; Sociology(Divinity), 1 vol.; New Testament, 6 vols.; English,4 vols.; Mathematics, 2 vols.; Geology, 1 vol.; Music,lvol.Books added by exchange for University publications, 32 vols., distributed as follows :General Library, 1 vol.; Political Economy, 11 vols.;Sociology, 2 vols.; Sociology (Divinity), 1 vol.; Anthropology, 1 vol.; Semitic, 3 vols.; New Testament, 6 vols.;Church History, 1 vol.; Haskell Library, 6 vols.Current Events.The Final Examination of Nellie Bancroft for thedegree of Ph.M. was held in B 5, Cobb Lecture Hall,Tuesday, August 31, The committee comprised Professors Abbott, A. C. Miller, and Chandler, and Mr. A.W. Stratton.Mr. Y. E. Warner of the department of Sociologyhas recently been elected to the chair of Greek inMississippi College, Clinton, Miss.202 UJSTIVERSIAt a meeting of the Calcutta Missionary Conferencein Calcutta in July, the question was raised about thesecond Barrows Lectureship, and it was agreed thatthe trustees should be recommended to appoint Rev.A. M. Fairbairn, D.D., Principal of Mansfield College,Oxford. The circular letter from the Conference recounts Principal Fairbairn's experience, and says,among other things : " His extensive reading, his profound scholarship, his fidelity for evangelical Christianity, his sympathy with young men, his popularityamong students in Edinburgh, Yale, Aberdeen, andOxford, and the living enthusiasm he creates amongsuch wherever he goes, may be regarded as indicationsof Providence that he should be the second Barrowslecturer on Mrs. Haskell's foundation, the Universityof Chicago."THE CALENDAR.SEPTEMBER 3-10, 1897.Friday, September 3.Chapel -Assem bly ; Graduate Schools.— Chapel, CobbLecture Hall, 10 : 30 a.m.Meeting of the Cook County Teachers' Institute.Public Lecture : The Problems op Organic Chemistry, by Head Professor Nef. Kent Theater,4:00 p.m.Junior College Finals and Public Speaking. Chapel,Cobb Lecture Hall, 8: 00 p.m.Saturday, September 4.Faculty of the Junior Colleges, 9:30 a.m.Faculty of the Senior Colleges, 10:00 a.m.Faculties of the Graduate Schools, 10:30 a.m.The University Senate, 11:00 a.m.Examination of Harriet Stone, 20, Kent ChemicalLaboratory, 9:00 a.m. (see p. 201).Visit to the Clark Street Mission, leaving Cobb Hall6:45 p.m. All are invited.Sunday, September 5.Vesper Service. Address by Professor ShailerMathews on Natural Religion and Historical Christianity. Kent Theater, 4:00 p.m.Union Meeting of the Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A.,Haskell Oriental Museum, Assembly Room, 7: 00 p.m. RECORDMonday, September 6.Chapel- Assembly ; Junior Colleges.— Chapel, CobbLecture Hall, 10:30 a.m. (required of Junior CollegeStudents).Meeting of the Divinity Faculty, 4: 00 p.m.Public Lecture : The Literary Life op ElizabethanEngland, by Assistant Professor Crow. Chapel,Cobb Lecture Hall, 8: 00 p.m.III. How the young Shakespeare came to London and perambulated the city, looking at all the main buildings,and how he visited the book-stalls, what books he found,and what great people he saw there. (London, itsexternal appearance.)Tuesday, September 7.Chapel- Assembly ; Senior Colleges.— Chapel, CobbLecture Hall, 10:30 a.m. (required of Senior CollegeStudents).Readings from recent books, by Assistant ProfessorCrow, D 8, Cobb, 3: 00 p.m.Public Lecture: A Chapter in the Beginningsop Individuality, by Associate Professor Tufts.Chapel, Cobb Lecture Hall, 4:00 p.m. [Open to allmembers of the University.]Public Lecture : The Founder of Sociology, AugustComte, by Professor Lester F. Ward, of Washington, D.C., in Faculty Room, Haskell Oriental Museum, 8: 00 p.m. Under auspices of the SociologyClub. [Open to all members of the University.]Wednesday, September 8.Vesper Song Service on the steps of Haskell OrientalMuseum, 7: 00 p.m. All are invited.Public Lecture : Nature and Nurture, by ProfessorLester F. Ward, of Washington, D. C. Chapel,Cobb Lecture Hall, 8:00 p.m. [Open to all members of the University.]Thursday, September 9. vChapel- Assembly ; Divinity School.— Chapel, CobbLecture Hall, 10:30 a.m.Friday, September 10.Chapel-Assembly ; Graduate Schools.— Chapel, CobbLecture Hall, 10 : 30 a.m.Public Lecture : The Literary Life of ElizabethanEngland, by Assistant Professor Crow. Chapel,Cobb Lecture Hall, 8: 00 p.m.IV. How Raleigh and his friends met at the MermaidTavern and talked of adventures and poetry, new booksand new plays ; and how Shakespeare defended his play-making "fellows" of the Globe Company, and theirway of making and setting a play. (Trade and art ofthe playwright.)Material for the UNIVERSITY RECORD must be sent to the Recorder by THURSDAY, 8:30 A.M., inorder to be published in the issue of the same week.