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attributes of two of the prime devils in Milton’s hell—Molech and Chemos.. 
On the other hand, Machiavelli was a master of irony and ridicule; he 
was indeed over- subtle i in the satirical explanation of his doctrines in the 
“ Prince ”—-that, if he had taught Kings how to oppress their peoples, he- 
had simultaneously taught the peoples how to destroy their Kings. And, 
if only by giving an excuse for the insanities of hero-worship so painfully 
developed in men like Froude, Machiavelli was much to blame. It is. 
always a relief for anyone treating of Machiavelli to turn from the 
activities of the man of affairs to the qualities of the man of letters, Of 
all students of modern times, Machiavelli was the first to write history at 
once as an enthralling narrator, a penetrating psychologist, a profound 
philosopher. In his “ Mandragola,” he shows himself unquestionably as. 
the author of the greatest comedy known to the Italian stage ; Goldoni, his. 
competitor of two hundred years afterwards, is utterly outclassed by him. 
For literary craftsmanship, Machiavelli stands out to this day entirely 
unapproachable as a master of prose in the long and splendid line of the 
writers of Italy. 
The second lecture delivered was by the Rev. Harold Graham, 
M.A., of Stockport. The subject was “ Marlborough.” Here again was 
a theme which was, perhaps inevitably, approached by the lecturer from 
the point of view of an apologist. Thackeray, in his “ Esmond,” says of 
Mariborough: *‘ Perhaps he could not have been the great man he was, 
had he had a heart either for love or hatred, or pity, or fear, or regret, or 
remorse. He achieved the highest deed of daring, or deepest calculation 
of thought, as he performed the very meanest action of which a man is 
capable; told a lie or cheated a fond woman, or robbed a poor beggar of 
a halfpenny with a like awful serenity and equal capacity of the highest 
and lowest acts of our nature.” Macaulay says: “The splendid qualities 
of John Churchill were mingled with alloy of the most sordid kind. Some 
propensities which in youth are singularly ungraceful, began very early 
to show themselves in him. He was thrifty in his very vices, and levied 
ample contributions on ladies enriched by the spoils of more liberal 
lovers.” In face of these unsparing strictures, Mr. Graham could 
scarcely do much more than plead that Marlborough was little or no- 
worse than his contemporary adventurers inthe world of war and politics. 
If he was alternately a willing slave and a cold, shameless traitor to: 
James and to William, so were James’s own two nephews, the Hydes, and 
so were Godolphin, Halifax, Grafton, Sunderland, and scores of other 
time servers. But the lecturer was able to do something more. He cited 
instances of unpretentious beneficence bestowed by the ‘miserly 
Marlborough.” He dwelt on the fact that at a time when religious 
apostasy was common among English courtiers, John Churchill remained 
unaffectedly loyal to the creed in which he had been brought up. Mr. 
Graham, also, in turning to the general aspect of affairs, had some 
cogent revelations to make as to the opposition which King James's. 
fanaticism in the propaganda of the Catholic religion throughout England 
hadaroused at the court of Rome. The very men who were clamouring, 
“No Popery” in every part of the three Kingdoms, had unwittingly 
found one of their most vigorous adherants in the Pope himself— 
Innocent the Eleventh, the man who was afterwards canonized. 
The second lecture was no less welcome than the first to the- 
faithful and always appreciative attendants at the Literary Section. 
ASTRONOMICAL SECTION. 
Of the two evenings allotted to the Astronomical Section the first 
was dropped, as the lecture the Secretary had prepared for it was 
modified, and delivered before a “ General” Meeting of the Society. 
The second evening was to have been devoted to an account of the- 
Secretary’s work at the *Khedivial Observatory, Helwiin, Egypt; but an. 
