Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1856-12-11
Wendell Phillip. Lecture.

On Tuesday evening a large and APP
from Wendell Phillips, al the Consrega-
tional Church, and il gives rs pleastrr TO
affirm that his lecture was no lursefy tale
with a"poItcal moral attached, but one
, Of The most instructive, iniert sting, aud able
! discourse ever delivered in our city. MI.
Phillips possesses those RAE scholarly at
'ainrneEts which polish aud refine, while
| they invigorate and enerei>r, every express
/ sion employed in the presentation Of his
subject. lie is euiinen'ly qualified for de-
served success as popular literary lec,ur-
er.
| His subject was the '.Lost Arts" and he
pr-faced his remarks by saying that the
Lectnrmg Institution, as now revived, was
one of the most valuable methods for dis
seminatins know led &c which we have in
! this suunty, aid II existed 600 years ago,
but fell into disuse. We Of this generation.
sad the speaker, are full Of self-concict.
We think what would be said by our forr.
~ al cur improvements We vain!y be
Eeve that IN every department of al, and
science we are IN advance of the ancierts
! Of every age. when in fact We are lust be.
! ginning 10 discover and apply wha, was
! formerly used and known by the ancicnts
I of Africa and Ala. He ir>' referred 10
4 the art Of makibs glass, which was gearr
ally supposed 10 be discovery OF modern
times. But, said he, il wa, known three
| ,housand years ago. The excavations of
! Pompei have brought 10 light numerous
| -pecimens of blown. cut, and figured glass,
! in goblei>, dishes, aud plates a conclusive
| proof OF The existence of glass among the
ancients. In the reign of Tibeiius existed
! the art OF making glass maleabic ,foi glass
| goblet was thrust upon the floor IN the pre-.
sence of the monarch, and was not broken
but only crushed, fer u hammer was used to
restore II TO lis original shape. The Moors
who came into Spain also claimed 10 have
| knovledg OF making maleaole glass
The exceedingly fine workmanship upon
many OF the ancient medals, and their finely
wrought devices in metals, which can scarce.
" be detected With The naked eve, Is proof
of the existence OF eye-gasse by artisan,
Even Galliieo, was said by Edward Ever
ell 10 be the first TO count the moons Of the
! planets with the naked eye.by the telescope
which he invented, but telescopes are p,o.
. ven to have been employed BY the Chinese
I thou.and> of Years ago, in making their a.
1 Economical calculations, ahd one OF these
Instruments has been actually found in Chr
! ma. the Use of which was unknown 10 the
natives, bu; the existence OF which acc cunts
! for theli exceeding accuracy in their systen
Of computing time.
So may il be said of making steel. and
9th er hardened mon. On the Ganses. the
art ct making sharp instruments exc eii,d oil
the theories upon tina, subject il Eng laid
OF America. The Damascus blade i Ia.
nous in history. When Richard Cour de
Leon and Sailadin were a. Jerus2lem,i in the
war OF tie Crusades, Richard cut into tmo
parts bar of iton an inch In diameter ,wi,h
one stroke Of his broad.sword, which aston
ished Ill beholders, and Salladen. with hi
keen Damascus blade ,un,ying his thin gaazs
scarf threw il up and with one sweep OF his
weapon severed it in twain, which feat ere.
ated equal astonishneni. There also exist.
ed in ancient times the art OF mixing coppei
SO hard, that 1t was harder than the hardes
Of our steel. Modern art has never reached
this point. 20 OF The art of dent istiy, for
many OF the Egyptian nun mics have then
teeth plugged with gold in the most scientific
manner. II is certain, said he, tina, no no
dern invention has been equal TO that Of ob
tanning the power used in erecting the Pyrs
II ids. and raising the immense stones in lhos,
, structures, 10 such an enormous heighth.-
That art 10 lost. So may it be said respect
ing the manufacture Il fabrics OF exceed
! ingly fine texture. There mus: have bee,
some kind Of machinery used in msnufac
turing thsss articles. Many Of such fabric,
haA enc Thousand threads 10 the square inch
~ piece u elsa hAs lssa tlAsn hes