The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1842-12-03
(From the Bait. Sum
Introductory EectHre


BEFORE THE '.MARyLAND INSTITUTE OF
EDUCATION" DELIVERED BY MIR. ELIHu
BURRITT, THE LEARNED BLACKSMITH"
Mr. Burrltt, was, on Tuesday evening
last, favored with toerably large audi
ence. He was introduced by MIR. Sebasl-
ian F. eler, chairman of the curators,
who informed the audience that Mr. B.
would, OH Monday night next, deliver his
lecture on Self Culture" SO highly ap-
proved last winter, and on the succeeding
Thursday, lecture again. lie would also
deliver at a future period, the closing lee
luIe of the course.
On Thursday evening, the subject of
the lecture was the elements of
Genius" in the discussion of which we re-
cognlzed similarity Of argument, and in
part of language, to a discourse by the
same gentleman last season.
The speaker commenced with some re-
marks on the origin Of genius, and obser-
we'd that it was not even yet rescued from
the heather mythology with which error
of opinion had associated it. Its irregu-
laliles were considered, and many Of the
errors of the world attributed to false no.
tons Of the origin and nature Of genius
The familiar maxim OF the anclenls,
N ascitur non ft,-born, not made-was
quoted as the basis OF the erroneous opin-
IONS he combaued. Nascitur non. fit, is a
royal motto, and is directly hostile to the
democracy of mind. An individual sees
men upon an eminence, which eminence
he determines to reach; he sets himself 10
work; he is in the situation of a prisoner
in dungeon, and he begins to work a!
the wall with rusty nail and knife; he is
obliged to practice concealment of his la
Dor, at every inch he encounters some OPP
posing effort; he lays siege to every OBJ
slacle; at length he scales the wall, but
has yet to ascend the rock; he continues
his labors, and presses to his service the
seemingly opposing roots, shrubs, and
projections, until he caches the top and
plants his foot firmly there. He wipes
his brow and casts his eye below; her per-
ceives that the obstacles which seemed to
oppose his way, were indeed friendly
though lrowning giants, which had helped
him step by step unto the goa, ne has at
tanned. Fortune assailed him, but he
seized her violently in his embrace and
dragged her with him to the top, prison.
er. Chance, like black tiend, tapped
its heavy wings about his head, but he
despsed its influence, trusting in the pro.
violence OF God. Native genius consists
in the gift to the human being of SO many
faculties and no mole. These faculties
are weak at first, but susceptible of cult
walton, and capable of any attain ments;b ut
he who believes this dares not tell the
world SO, he conceals it till, he is half
way up the ascent, and when he is disco
vered there as he makes his way to the
top, he is called and crowned, genius
Modern genius is made by the biographer,
who sends his subject up to the noun
tain, smoothing the path, cutting away e.
very obstacle, and having brought him
to the top stamps upon his forehead
.Nascitur non ft-"Born not made" This
is the laIlacy which ssrves to impose upon
the people, and forbid their efforts; fill
non nascitur is the true maxim-"made
not born" Genius is not gift but re-
ward, not a cause but a consequence; all
genius is acquired.
From this position the lecturer proceed
ed to the exemplilication Of the growth
of genius by vegetalon; he supposed a
dozen grains Of corn submitted to micros-
cope inspections; the impossbilty of de-
lecling their integral parts or dssimllarl-
ty of their properties; they are planted,
and variety CT diverse influences, IN the
quality of the soil, the location of each,
distractions to the shooting of the germ
and tender spear, occur; he followed these
influences throughout their growth, to a
striking variety in color, quality, height,
amount of produce, Sc, of the malured
ear. Reference was made to the parable
of the sower in The coangellsts, as sustain
ing this view; the quality of the seed was
the same, but how different the result ac-
cording to the ground upon which it
fell! Returning to the subject, two chill
dren were supposed to be sleeping side
by side, in whom it would be impossible
to detect any dissimIarity of proportion
or even feature; let the neighbors be call
ed in to determine what could be the ln-
ture color of the eyes of each; the shape
of the nose, or the character of any other
feature: the physician shall be called in TO
say whether one should be taller, larger
boncd or more robust than the other; the
phrenologlsl to say,by his fancful science
ola mind in protubcrances, what shall be
the bent of the disposition Of one or the
other, and they will all refer you TO some