Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1858-07-29
The Complete Man.

The Complete Man.
William II. Bureigh, ESQ.,, of Albany.
says the Ellenville Journal, has deliv-
cred his lecture on The Complete Man
before Lyceum and, Literary Associations
in other places, and we were prepared,
by the many complimentary notices it
has received from the press, 10 expect n
rare literary entertainment it is hardly
doing justice to the lecture to say we were
not disappointed. .......
Where asked the lecturer, "may
the perfect man be found 7" We have
glorious fragments of the perfect man,
scattered along down through the ages,
in some of the noblest specimens Of our
race. Strength was represented in Sam
son and Hercules; Faith in Abraham
Wisdom in Solomon, and so other single
qualifications have been largely exempli-
fled in the character of distinguished in
dividuals. But time has yet to furnish US
an example of complete integral manhood.
We find the animals in our menage-
ries complete and perfect in their kind,
unless they have been too long under our
superior training the horse superbly ex-
hlbits his qualifications of strength, speed.
and docility, justifying the grand descrip-
ton communicated to the man Of Uz:
Hast thou given the horse strength ?
hast thou clothed his neck with thunder"
ETC.; the elephants and lions exhibited are
in general complete specimens of their
kind. Why is not the same completeness
found in individual specimens of the hui
man race .... -.
The " complete man" is essentially an
ideal creature, an embodiment of the tri-
une principles of Wisdom, Power. and
Love, so unsqually and inadequately re-
allied in our disintegrated humanity. In
him are these principles developed in
their largest and purest sense his wis
DOM puts him in communion with the
noblest, best existent things, and by that
communion is he exalted it lights his
way TO the goal of noblest purposes, which
proceed themselves from his large, loving
nature. His love is more and higher
than the mere love Of "ladie faire !" Il
embraces all the race in its scope, endear-
ing to itself the inanimate things of Ma
ture by its warm, ETHEREAL sympatbies. 1t
takes in the love of God, of God the
Father, and the benefactor: "no arbitra-
ry, capricious tyrant, thronged in the ulti-
mate heavens, and grinding mankind on
the wheel Of inexorable fate" To him
God is an object of love, whether reveal
ed in the sublimer aspect Of things; in
the night, within its million high-hung
lamps, like golden censers swung by some
giant angel before the supernal throne
in the hushed MONDAY; IN the gorgeous
sunlight; and the multitudinous things Of
the living world, or ip human nature
struggling up through its imperfect frag.
mentary developments TO nearer approx
imation to the s-sf 4r-.. ,.,
"First Good, first Perfect, and first Fair"
His power flows from combination of
the other principles, manifesting itself in
true chivalry; not that conventional chiv-
airy that consecrates the murderous hand
Of the duelist, that exalts brute over NOR
al courage; that steals upon its unarmed
victim in the Senate Hall and lays him
low with the bludgeon of Cain but
chivalry all kindness. and tenderness, and
honor, and ye. terrible 10 avenge and
swift to redress the wrongs of outraged
humanity chivalry that faces the Ills
of life unblenchingIy, and faces the last
dread enemy with calm composure.
But man must be magnificent animal
before he becomes the perfect man.
Therefore physical training must not be
neglected. 1t is not impossible that
mind Of great power and capacity may
be enshrined in feeble body. But the
mind needs sound. healthful physical
organism to put forth its full measure of
fervor and energy. The great charac-
tiers of ancient and modern times had
hardy, robust bodies. He would have bis
heroes vigorous, athletic, as well as ae-
complished scholars. 's