Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-04-14
Marriage Of Vulcan and Venus.

At public meeting held in Sheffield, England
on the occasion of laying the corner stone OF a
new building for the Sheffield Athenmum and
Mechanics Institution, Lord Mdrpeth made an
admirable Speech in the course of which he
made allusion to the fabulous story of Vulcan
and Venus, in the following happy manner:
"Those of you who have the opportunity of
consulting the old legends and classical mythol-
ogy, are aware that among the fancied deities
with which they peoped their world, one more
especially was regarded as the god OF labor and
Of handcraft, Vulcan by name, who was always
represented as employed in huge smihies and
workshops, hammering at heavy anvils, blowing
huge bellows, heating furnaces, and begrimmed
with SCOT and dirt Well, ladies and gentlemen,
for this Woodworking and swarthy looking dl.
vinity they wished TO pick out wife, cloud
laughter.) And they did not select for him a
mere drab-a person taken from the scullery or
kitchen dresser, but they chose for him Venus,
the goddess of love and beauty.
snow, ladies and gentlemen. pick out for me
the moral of this tale, for believe that nothing
ever was misunderstanding nothing by the
polished and brilliant Imagination of the Grecian
intelect-which has not its meaning and its
moral. have no doubt that all the legends of
our country-that the one even of your own
neighborhood, the Dragon of Vanity, itself, has
only knew how to find them ont But what is
the special meaning of the marriage of Vulcan
with Venus-of the Woodworking artificer with
this laughter-loving queen-of labor with beau
y?
What is it, ladies' and gentlemen, but this !:
That even in a busy hive of industry and toll
like this-even here, upon spot which is in
many respects no inapt representation OF the IA
bled workshop of Vulcan-even here, amid the
clang of anvils, the noise of furnaces. and the
spntterng of forges-even here, amid stunning
sounds and sooty blackness, the mind-the un.
trammelled mind-may 60 forth, may pierce the
dim atmosphere which is posted around us
may wing its way to the freer air and purer light
which are beyond, and may ally itself with all
that is most fair, genial, and lovely in creation
(appause.)
$50, gentlemen, say, your labor, your down.
right, hard, swarthy labor, may make itself the
companion. and help-mate, and the husband of
beauty. | dare say, and have reason to believe.
from the inspection which am able even now
to command, and have no doubt a more init
mate acquaintance with your wives, sisters and
daughters, would enable me to prove that was mt
wrong in my illustrations. But above this beau
ty. | say your labor may ally itself with intel
lectual beauty-the beauty connected with the
play Of fancy, with the achievements Of art and
with the creation of genius-beauty such as paint.
ing fixes uponthe glowing canvass--such as the
sculptor embodes in the breathing marble-such
as architecture deveopes in her stately and har-
monious proportions and as music clothes with
the entertainments ofsound. But there is beau
ty of still higher order, with which feel more
assured it is still open to it to unite itself.
mean with moral beauty-beauty connected with
the affections the conscience, the heart, and the
life. loud cheers.)
st is most true that in the busiest and black
est of your Workshops" : ,-.dgery. as dr,r
in the very humbest of your own dwellings-b!
the smallest of your firesdes-you may, one an'
each of you, in the jealous and cheerful dis
charge OF the daily duty, in the respects for thu
lust rights, and in consideration for the feeling
of others-in meekness and sobrety of spirit
and in the thousand charities and kndnesses o
social and domestic intercourse-even thus you
NAV attain to, and exhibit the moral beauty t.
which have spoken-beauty beyond all Others
in degree and excellence, because in proportion
as it can be reached it makes up the perfection
mans nature here below, and is the most faith
full reflection of the will of his creator, applause;
and thus close my explanation OF the marr'as
of Vulcan with Venus, of labor with beauty