Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-03-04


CATLIs-and Published by request of the As,
sociation.
In engaging your attention this evening, for a
short time, know of no subject better calcu!a.
ted TO give the mind an impetus, than review
OF The Sciences aud their application to the
tul Arts. II is IA subject, which may say has
been universally reelected, and which am
conhdent is the cause OF so much depreciation
OF Character, which our mechanics aud operas
yves nave TO suffer in literary point OF view.
we never can expect TO obtain eminence in the
woild without coupling with our me chanical
productions not only the genius of nature, but
also TIE elects of the midnight oil All our inn
prONoue,n5 are gradual and from a state of ma
ture, "" have become what we are-an intelli-
gent people but il does not stop here every
day OF our lives witnesses some new improves
nent in the useful arts If we retrace our pa III
over the ages of discovery, how are we struck
by the slow and painful growth of human dis
coveres and inventions. Fixing undistracted
attention upon the life of any one Artist who
has contributed to the general mass Of intorma-
ton, how crowded with anxetirs and active
industry, mus, that span have been! To the in,
dividual. how momentous those cares. yet how
feeble their results, compared with the final sum
of knowledge, which they were valuable only
as they contributed TO swel-a lie sson of huml.
ity to the greatest, yet again how precious as
portion Of the general experimental subject of
congratula,ion to the weakest, how sma Il the
drop of liquid nectar with which each labourer
has,eus TO the hive, yet how grea, is the accu-
mutation OF the whole treasury of sweets 1be
collective energies and discoveries of thousand
years were required 10 rear the arts of Greece,
not 10 their perfection, bu, TO the state whence
the first approaches towards excellence began
TO be apparent Praxiees was the first, per.
haps The only sculptor who attained the true
ideal of the Goddess Venus, and il is thus de.
scribed by nm amateur of those ancient days:
There too the, Goddess loves in stone, and fills
The air around with Beauty; we inhae
The smbrosial aspect, which, beheld, insts
Part Of its immortality, the veil
OF heaven is half withdrawn, within the pale
We stand, end in that form and face behold
fail"
II Here we can see tina, some centuries before
tn CEIisiigr scin had comm need its
rolling tide OF discovery, preparatory to future
Developments. Ages passed, and during their
slow and snail like pace, the mind Of man be.
came fitted to receive every new Improvement
as beacon light to guide him to the harbour of
knowledge, There is not question, but that
previous TO the dissolution of the Grecan gov.
eminent, with which we are all acquainted the
sciences and the arts were more fully cultiva.
ted 10y the labouring class of men, than they
are al the present day. And what pro duced this
result? Ii was an honorable emulation that
then existed between the principal mechanics
of the age, TO vie with each other in the con .
sruciion OF their temples, their houses and 9th.
er edihces, suitable 10 the character of the coun.
try and the climate in which they lived. To do
this it required the toll of years, and but few men
ever arrived at the zenith of perfection. will
now ranspose the picture, with a few remarks
TO the present age, and those observations will
be rather in the shape of questions-and first
How came we at this late period TO know of the
existence of this naton.-how conld we be able
1000 years after, TO represent Gin panoramic
view their greatness and ascendency over sll
the other nations OF the globe Does il not live
, in story lis il not engraved in the heart of ey
cry true freeman, that The oratory of Demos.
e themes was sufficient 10 dispel The clouds of an
e archy and despoiism which then lowered over
: that fated country Are we not aware that some
of the greatest discoveries in the mathematical
, branches were effected al this period? Who is
there present that does not know the great En-.
n oreka OF Pythagoras, which revealed to the
r world forever the reasons and conclusi ions in
4 Geometry. We read of Socrates, of Homer
. aud TO be SHORTY of a consle aton OF worthless
: that then existed, as we exist creatures of the
day, but each destined by the great Creator to
: be an instrument OF usefulness with their fellow
q men. What again | would ask, has given
this precious history 10 us, and left us in the
dark with regard to other nations that we hav,
O but little knowledge of, but by their monument,
a which they have left standing as lasting me.
II mortal that they were great nation, and once
n existed in all the pomp and grandeur of eastern
magnifcence. Look at the pyramids of Egyp,
g the wall of China, the slupendous fabrics in fine
of all those eastern countries and where is theft
history, Buried in oblivion and they now
/ stand stalking monument TO remind u.s. tina, in
consequence Of their non,connexion of science
5 with the useful arts, their memory has gone Ia
e the tomb of the Capues. Not so with Greece
all were artists, all were laborers, all were re.
spectacle in their professions, and nothing earth
ly can destroy the tie which binds such men IL
I they are energetic, fearless and faithful TO the
e cause of Republicansm. But, alas they be,
came luke.wsrm in their fee lings puerie in their
Lnh md ncenlinns in The liz living nnIn nj La.