Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-01-05
The Pleasures of KnowIedgs.

9 But musical IA is Apollo's Lutte,
And perpetual feast of nectared sweets,
Where no crude surfeit reigns."
So sung Milton two centuries ago. and long
before that date Plato had announced that
Z" the world is Gods epistle to mankind. -
1t is the grand book in which all may read,
and whose pages are so full of varied interest
and genial knowledge that the being who,
having the power, neglects to study it, sure.
ly may be written down an ass, for he de-
prives himself of an enjoyment such as no
other pursuit can give
Wearc sometimcs inclined to be vcxcd with
our own race when we find them all toilng af-
ter every vain fancy, some bent upon one am
bition. some another, and but minority dig
ging in the deep mine of the grandest of all
possessions-Truth. Granted that its gold is
not yellow, nor its ssilvcr white, for its tres. g,
have not the color of material wealth, but
they are as glorious and beautcous MS the spar
kle of the diamond and as enduring as the
hills Science clothes not her votaries in
purple and fine linen, but dresses themin love
ly flowers or in indesccnt shells, and gives as
her reward a contcntcd mind and pure soul.
The poetry of science sometimes flashes i'm the
Grafton of professor or in the pages of a book
but her truost epic is written upon ali materi-
ality, which proclaims that in all things there
is q law which, when known and applied, shall
make man happier, better, and more truly hui
man. BY the Investigation of the laws Which
govern the objects that arc all around U.S. the
motions of the planets, the relations of life
and health the destiny of man, and the glory
of the Diety, are better undcrstood and tho
lighting of II cottage, the building of Il pal
ace. or the cooking Of dinner, are better
performed We can never be in any position
in which knowledge is not of value to us. and
we can never prophecy the moment at which
VIC may most require it. Indeed many of us
only know that there is more to be known
than occurs to us in the daily round of Lusi-
ness life, by the discovery that something we
do not know is calculated to make us richer
or give us more case. GO But" cXclams ma
ny a pctulcnt person, chow shall study
withoI6 an instructor, or how investigate
without apparatus? Foolish notions The
best workmen always uses the simplest tools.
Have you eyes, cars, nose, and hands Thcn
you are provided with apparatus, and memo
ry is the tablet on which to write down your
Impressions. Each one of us is better fur
nished than college laboratory or profess
or's lecture room, and all that we have to do
ls to learn the use of our apparatus and there
is no place in the universe where man cannot
lind some object to interest, some study to
pursue. Goldsmith foun,, time to observe
nature ard record his thoughts, and in glow
ing language he tells us "the blushing beau.
ties of the ro1c, the modest blue of the vio-
let" are not in the flowers themselves but in
the life which adorns them. Odor softness,
and beauty Of figures arc their own, but it is
IIpLt ulpnp ibnt lrocscc thn,, IN, -,
robes, which shamcs the monarcll's glory
As concluding incentive to our readers to
study for themselves, MS well as to read books
and scientific periodicals, We will yivca quota
ton from lecture by Prince Albert of Eng
land. Man." observes this eminent Sarunt,
e" is approaching n more complete fulGlmcnt
of that great and sacred mission Which he
has to perform in the world His reason be-
ing created after the image of God, he has to
use it to discover the laws ty which the al
mighty governs his creation, and, by making
these laws lis standard of action, to conquer
nature to his usc-himsclf being divine in
strument Science discovers these laws of
power, motion, and transformation industry
applies them to the raw material which the
earth yields US in abundance, but which be-
comes valuable only by knowledge"
Oh that all would study nature more, and
think of themselves little less; then wc
should indeed be n people of kings, whose
empire would bcthc world, and whose subjects
would be all created things
ENTHUSIASM IN RELIGION need
more of it, hundred fold more than we have
Enthusiasm in science, in trade, in politics
we have plenty of; and Ill that is done by
enthusiastic men.
Tl'o word needs to be guarded but the
pruuent reader knows that enthusiasm is not
fdna'icism. The gandcst subject of the sou
ought to fill it with intense emotion 1t shal
profit man nothing, to gain the whole world
and lose his own soul and if we praise him
who pursucs business with so much industr,