49 
Turning to the poem, Mr. Joseland reviewed in telling 
language the story, as it traces the career of the dreamer 
dreaming away the whole of his life, and missing many a 
golden opportunity, till he finally sinks to the lowest 
depths of poverty and wretchedness, and is forced to see 
himself as the mean creature he has always been. Good 
resolutions lost themselves in idle dreams, and Peer Gynt 
was thus never the man he could have been. Mr. Joseland 
quoted largely from the poem, giving many valuable explana- 
tory notes, and making the whole a consecutive narrative 
which greatly pleased the audience. 
