New-York daily tribune., 1843-01-21
THE TRIBUNE.
s1r. Fnrni.s,s Lecture.


cred a, the Tabernacle before the Mercantile Ii
brary Association On Tuesday evening last. His
subject as announced wa, the Characteristics
of Genius /" but from ths definition which he gave
to Genius, his discourse became rather an attempt
to indicate the true nature OF the Mind, as made
up of living powers which are to be developed and
cultivated; and to poin, out from this principle
ssme serious errors into which we are ap. to fall
In attempting precisely to define Genius-which
he acknowledged was very difficult task-he
said the rst remark he had to make was, that tits
an original power, true growth Of nature-a free
gift of God-net the product but the producer of
Art; not learned from books, for it makes books
not the creature of Education, but native nher-
ent, indwelling force Of the mind. 1t is born and
grows; and the best education that can be devised
is to it what water-rasing apparatus ia TO well :
1t canno, create spring. nor can it ever draw any
thing up which is not first in the well.
But Genius, again. when used in this general
sense is universal possession belonging to all men
in some degree. Its greatest, achievement is not
in a great poem or painting any other work of
stout hands are its most miraculous organs He
who, by the majestic dignity Of his daily walk gives
the beauty of truth to common life, is great
Genius-because he illustrates and sets forth in its
nobest form virtue and true worth. THUS the
great majority of those who live in the world
display more or less of genius-even in the art Of
living: for to make ones way through all the
distractions Of the world requires some Unborn
force-some inherent pswsr, for life is never wholly
artificial and mechanical. All life springs from a
living force, and this makes the meanest kindred
with the greatest
MIR. Furniss thought that there exists very
general disposition to overlook the existence this
innate power of Genius in the Schemes of Educa-
tion and Of Socialfe: and to LOCKE is often traced
this tendency. Whether he be responsible for it or
not his comparison of the mind to sheet of blank
paper must be in srespect to be most unfortu
nate. The fact that such atendency does exis, ap-
pears, first, in the overanxiety of the mother, who
forgets thath child has powers of action oits own,
that it has hands, and feet and eyes, and seeks to
supercede the use Of them by her own care and
watchfulness. This, in her case, springs from the
blindness of natural affection; but its effects are
most injurious. She rcars, thus, not man, but an
overgrown babe, who totters along amid the stern
realities of life, never becoming equal to his re-
sFonsibites or to the discharge of the duties that
devove upon him. And this same influence may
be detected all through the business of Education
Men seek nowadays to multiply books and per-
feet the other machinery of Education, while for
tho teacher they take but little thought. They
forget that the mind is a germ-to be planted and
treat it like post, to which, by threads of memory
they strive to attach branches of knowledge, so as
to give the whole the semblance of vigorous,
fruitbearing tree.
Sometimes nature vindicates herself even against
all this; and we see the great Philosopher or
Artist spring up from some neglected nook or
corner Of society, where least we look for him, and
putto shame the mechanical teaching of the schools
Two hundred years ago weak and sickly lad, less
industrious than his ct school, the sport
and butt of one of them; and he bethoughe himself
Of some feasible plan of lrevepge. Flog him, he
could not for he was not strong enough; but this,
said he, will do; will bestir myself and get
above him. and so he did; and not above him
only but the whole school-and the whole world;
and now the whole Solar System bears the record
OF the honor and greatness of ofNEwToN. Here the
instrument of Education was neither the ferule nor
the time honored birch; but the fists and feet OF
schoolboy. The apparatus Of the school to him
was nothing; but his spirit was reused and his
genius quickened to life and vigorous activity
Another instance in which we trace the irrecog-
milton of this living power is in the prevailing
methods of scientific inquiry. Men too rigidiy
ard narrowly apply the Baconian method In
their haste and eagerness to observe facts they
forget the observing faculty; and if this be not
keen and discerning all the facts in the world are
Of no significance; but if only this be eagle.eyed
and able to see 'qute through the shows of
tbngs,' single fact, simple as the fall of an ap-
pie, will often lay bare to it whole world of know
ledge. The discovery of Columbus, first hoot-
ed at by the learned of Salamanca-and all the
greatest inventions Of the world testify to this
truth. They sprang not from logical deductions
but flashed upon the mind in some unexpected
moment. So was it with Coperncus and Frank
lin, and SO is i, always. The view which any man
takes of any subject, no manner how visionary 1t
may appear, is always worthy of observation; and
this is enc of the factswhch fond OF the Bsco-
Man method should always observe.
These intuitions OF genius are too often contound-
edwith the visions of fancy and utterly disrcgarded
in the culture of the mind. SO it is with Artists
when they betake themselves TO classic lands to
seek the power which can exist only in them
selves No, SO with Hogarth, who found in the
coarse,t scenes of every day life material for pic
tures which shall endure through all time. The
lite of the Scottish peasant was thought tame
enough TIL Burns lived in it and found II a MANS
lie aud made it Poetry. BY this, too, did Words:
worth make good his claim TO the possession OF
high genius. BY lending dignity and truth 10 the
common scenes and events OF life, in an age when
mens,rosites alone were sousht-when men went
abroad for Moslem or Cersair heroes and sought
IN foreign lands the power for which they should
have looked into their own hearts.
Again we see this influence in the too great
value We attach to constitutions and systems in the
State, Wo look Cor political security and great
hess in these and notnthe character of the nations
HE, which in reality shapes and gives worth 10 all
Written constitutions. Whatever then exal,s it,