The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-05
The Actual and the Ideal.

lecture was delivered Tuesday evening, in Hope
chape' By the Rev e. II Chaplin. The Actual and the
Ideal" There was large audience
The Rev lecturer said, that the subject suggested
common distinction between the ideas Of "sctual' and
" ideal"-between papable and known qualities, and
those OF beauty and higher truth Those terms he
feared had twofold meaning-it suggested those
cepons which belonged peculiarly to the region of the
Imagination and the province Of art and also indicated
what should be contrasted with what was-that tran
scendent visionthat standard of perfection which in
duced aspiration after knowledge virtue, religion
in short the ideal the conception Of something bet
ter in the actual and Of something better than the
"actusl lie should define generally that class of
ceptons which receive customs and essential and
views He proposed speak Of the ideal
element Of human culture, and although his
marks might be abstract, he would endeavor to make
practical application Of them to the present time
To some extent every nsn was an idealist. The
artist was haunted by visions Of beauty which
he could nsver paint - the poet with imagery
which but tie wagering thGdow OF his insprtio
the philosopher traversing the shoreless immsnsit
Of truth only illustrations OF experience
There was period Of life there sphere of &c
ton without It's influence 1t suggested rom .nce of
hope iu naurer years, and uncoilei those energies
which must grappe with the hard qualities of the world
in the street and at the forge From the ideal spruu
all enterprise 1t the very Vitality OF hope nor
this incentive to sehnes,the foremost sensual
expectation. There were moments in whoh the mos;
worldly natures detected In the horizon between
and heaven the light deepening into infnty and per-
bies and the discrepancy of that distinction like the
whole achievement begot lofer aim in its profoundes
aspect and propheced larger to thought and
ton This yearning Of the soul its flight, to
sphere the restless index Of mortal life. But
this ideal faculty Of nature like every other
pewer fourshed by exertion. There many ground
down by the drudgery of labor could have
ledge conception of higher reality than that which
sprung in hopslessr and which gded around child
hood. Blu. there many also who could lot quench
all the bitter sympathes and s0rddness AMI who did not
look beyond the service Of things. They exhibited
unworldiy enthusiasm in art Life there appeared in its
sensual gsrb 1t strange to of liberal
ton contradict the nobler of inspiration from
whom the world expected better prompting. Every
possessed the ideal faculty. and there part of
being without its end and part unmportsnt; but
all tended to the harmonious DEVELOPMENT Of the whole
body The glory Of astronomy revealing the celestial
movements and of geology leading down stone steps
into the tombs 10 the borrowed epochsthe glory of
these contested the ideal grandeur which they struck
open tor and in the proof which they fur
Dished, from splendor, Of its mantle stations aud
the msiesty OF its ,chool The uta rian offices of
ture were the least of her attributes The express
adaptation Of the ideal faculty in nature equally
apparent when considered how in the ardor OF Pro-
violence there appeared certain who oracles
IN poetry, painting and sculpture men who shrunk
from the rougher elements OF the world, and had
searched into the deepest and what they had
-eceved they had communicated as free as inspiration
--.they had carved 1t en- stone and he'd painted
canvass how enduring those expressions Of the
ideal Let them consider the noble influence Of the
ideal concept ms; nothing could be clearer than the
proof afforded By the radical Of every who
made bis own word and circumstances receive
our spiritual condition. lie contrssted rhis state
with the view and position taken by the mer-
cenary man Of the world Some lived more
IN an hour than others lived during their life
Tho lecturer remarked upon the spirit of aspiration
which was generally visible in the younr upon which he
dpelt IN eloquent manner at some myth. He next
addressed himself to this scientific We must take
care that scence did not too much influences
s in respect to beauty Of thought but in mat
tiers Of religion scenoe told 60 certain
law certain end; but the only purpose OF that BY
which the law given subseivad no end. The essen
t!s creative mind higher than the critical mind
Great thoughts and projects from inspiration.
Powerful genius did not work by rues. Raphael did
not woyk by rules, although many rules IN paint
ing he'd been derived from hin; and great dra-
matte poet haG written but who lad violated the dramatic
Slnties The man who worked into the movements aud
rympatheB OF men and who went home after his days
work and opened volume Of great poet, ami let
his thoughts sweep with the currents Of the poets
thoughtt-that understood that poet better than
The cold critic with bis dissecting knife This ideal
ception the beginning Of all dsooveries therefore
in the enterprise Of discovery imagination preceded
reason The great tuppor Ct science bad been the poets
lie alluded to the great power Of Imagination possessed
by Kepler Newton, and Columbus Whenever great
discovery had been made II always ecpsed anticipation
The reverend lecturer then dwet in general manner
upon the powers and superiority Of the Imagination, in
various phases in address marked by great eoqueuce
and in thet s hin closed his Lecture Of which the above
je but brief abstract.