New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-02
LECTURES,

THE USES OF BEAuTY----Br "IK. MARVEL"
Last evening, at Hope Chapel, Mr.. Mitch
ell repeated his Lecture before GRO weed audsncs
1t was graceful plea for the refining innusaces Of
Beauty in the social and more extended relations OF
life, ard was presented in tia, impid and musica
STYLE already familiar to our readers in the "Revs
riesr and Dream Life" Mr. Mitchell remarked
that it was not only of the beauty of sunsets flowers
and rainbows that he proposed TO speak, but Of thai
other and higher beauty tina. bloom OF character ana
action, Of which flowers and sunsets were but the
symbols. Plato says of Beauty, that it lubncaies
the pinions of the SOUL and although it is evan
escent quality that we can scarcely say any obec.
is intrinsically beautiful ye. men love to dwell spon
it, and are not content that so delicate an essence
should be subjected to terms and formulas. The
iumpof calcareous stone lying in the quarry is not
admirable or charming, but shaped into head
stone and glistenins among waving grasses In
the summer sunshine, It directly touches US
like q song or a poem, though We can hardly
indicate the reason. Beauty is felt rather than per
ceived. Few men can have been more Impressed by
il than those wanderers in the vast Arctic continents
ice hearing around them the grim Ice oergs shiv-
En- and watching on the far away horizon the iasn
and sparkle OF the mlDsrets OF snow. Yet these
same men, transported to the Nubian Desert, would
not less feel the presence among those shifting
yellow sands. The Lecturer spoke OF the differing
estimates of beauty now Is was ibis thing now that
There could be nothing inrinslcaly more oar5arous
in the Chinese girl squeezing her foot than IN the
American belle squeezing her waist. After some
elaboration of this view he remarked that the facul-
ty by which Beauty is spprehended we cali rsste'
which may differ in form but never In essence.
This il is which takes cegnizance OF all Beauty,
material or sPiriual--if We may draw those DIS
tinctions. He spoke OF the essential loneliness Oh
great aciions-of L.onidss fighting all summers
day-of King Cotrus-ot the many famous men and
women whose actions are ilustrious IN history, and
which, from then heroism and devotion, are beau
tful
We are reru.ed a utilitarian race. We sacrifice
10 the palpabe and the profitable, and VIC do this
with a needless disregard OF aesthetic claims. Az
the Great Exhibition IN London, our space was vast
and III arranged, and not full 1t made great pre-
tenke but performed little Other nations, with q
quarter the space, had skllfully arranged their
wares that the effect was harmonious and pleasing.
Our space flled with objects OF pure utility
Nor o complain of the fact, said Mr.. Mitchell
speak of II as an illustration. Yet cali attention
to the striking fact that among these SIMPLY useful
inventions ana dexerous mechanisms OF ours, shere
was work OF the puTest art, not allied In the
slightest degree to any common sense OF use. Is
was Powers's. Greek Slave and note 1t because
there was TO mean-n0thiDg between this statue
and the Reaper or the Lock. The lecturer, with
great beauty pointed the moral of this fact. tie
passed to the consideration of the means OF deyel
oping and Confirming the taste for the Beautiful
The frat obvious method is Education. Ii
child is taught that the tree and the sunset
are to be disiegaIded, he will not love them
If ne is surrounded with forms and an atmos-
pheIe of elegance, his mind will be elegantly
attracted and trained. The influence OF this senti
meIt was traced into detail with amusing and
graceful illustrations We must confess tina. Fash
ION and Taste are not synonymous Taste may
contain Fashion, but never Fashion Taste. Some
WY necked Queen Elizabeth may wear high ruffs
ana a snobbsh world may initiate, or pimpe-
faced Duchess may indulge her imperfections
with black patch, and ind enough TO deform
Al. 0t,s haw. .Nft hAsA lia n(
caste to scale, are Of that nobility whose hertz
age is good name and OF whom honor is the crown.
He followed the thought into the details OF life. lie
sroke of the external beauties of ait and Datureof
the ihoue htfu soace OF the library and garden, and
with touching grace alluded to the sweet ministry
Of flowers upon the grave. Throughout the lecture
lie sdverted to the fact that in elder lands more re-
gard had to permanent beauty with use In street
architecture, In the laying cut OF public grounds,
&c. After n shad0wy allusioD. under the veil oil
Spersers verse from the Faery Queen, to that most
fascinating and spiritual OF al forms OF beauty, Its
presence IN the human face. Mr. Mitchell closed
the lecture, which had held the undivided attention
OF the audience throughout by renewal OF the
claim Of this spritualizlng influence upon the pyac
tica genius Of country and time, and with fer
vent appeal and hope that IL the fair federation OF
these States must be sbivered, they may leave some
token OF their higher aim, as well as their lower
achievement, some trace at least OF the, love they
bore the be autlful, the spiritual and the infinite.