The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-20
THE LECTURE SEASON.
Miss Bacon's Historical Lesson.

MISS BacOn's Historical Lesson.
Miss Bacon delivered one of her historical lessons on
Tuesday morning, at the Stuyvesant Institute. Her
subject was the Oriental Empires" She began by
referring them to her last lesson, which was not well
attended, owing to the state of the weather
That lesson ofthe most mportantth she had
given The first empire was comparatively limited
regon-it reached only to the coast Of the Medter-
mnean. Recent discoveries which have been made
at Nineveh prove not only that Syria did belong to
that empire but Phenicia ITSELF But as they traced
the growth of the empire they should notice that each
successive takes in wider space than that which
preceded it. The circle of the first empire was
limited; it took in the northern kingdom Of Jerusa-
lem, and sought to take the southern of Judea.
At the walls of Jerusalem their progress was stayed
" Thus far shalt thou so and no farther. This was
in the middle Of the latter part Of the eighth
fury. The first emperor, elated with his success,
had not the least idea that his fortune was
owing to the ways Of Providence but, on
the contrary attributed all his glory and sue
cess to his own superiority. His heart dlated with
pride when he demanded the surrender Of Jerusalem
on those grounds. But in Jerusalem there was one
who understood the laws Of the world and the history
and lives Of emperors. From that city the law was
proclaimed, which all succeeding empires obeyed.
Here she sad they should see the value of attending
her arrangement of lessons regularly. Hers was
continuous history, and by leaving out one days
lesson they would not understand the next BY
reading the Bible, they would understand it more
thoroughly. They should not look upon that book
with superstitious awe, as some people did, but
should consider it a history of the past and pro
phecy Of the future That the book TO which they
should look for eternal life, and close perusa Of
was necessary to understand it. The Israelites on
thousand years before Christ were the most power
full of all nations. At the period whom their over
throw was Nigh there appeared new class OF
writers. In those writings may be found a
complete history of the Hebrew nation. She
then said that she would give description of
the prophets in groups separately. The dates ut
those periods could not be distinctly ascertained.
The earliest writings Of the prophets dated at the
commencement OF the eighth century. At this
period may be found vivid history ofJoc and also
complete state Of affairs rs they existed in Sana-
ria. They would find that when Jerusalem was be-
sieged it was the words of Isaiah that repealed the
invaders from the walls of that city, She had al
ready explained to them the distinction between the
Hebrews and the other surrounding nations, and,
therefore. would not go into details Of that subject.
What was that element in the Hebrew light that
enabled one to put to flight thousand and that
enabled two to put to fight ten thousand who had
not that ighti They should consider the Hebrews q
stand their history thoroughly. They knew the dis
tincton between right and wrong no other people
did. They arrived at their conclusions from sub
lime intuition, not by process of reason. They,
with the characteristics OF the Semitic race, went
out Of themselves into the world Of luck and space. All
historical writers ascrbe the movements Of the Holy
One to them and il was one OF their peculiar occ,l-
pations to show their people how their movements
could be referred to the Holy One They made that
great step from the interior conscence-that which
convinced them that the right should prevail, and
that the wrong should he snbducd-that the wrong
in process OF being annihated, and that the
right would ultimately triumph. They made the
great step from the soul and conscience into history
and declared that the God Of history was the God OF
conscience They would find that at the time when
| the prophets appeared the lsraeles had lost all OF
their original power, md were spending their rei-
| gious sentiments with rites and ceremonies They
appeared as refomCis aud declared that the God Of
| Israel was not satisfied with the sacrifices that
| had becn made,--tbat the sacrifices he required