New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-08
THE LECTURE FIELD.
EMERSON ON IMMORTALITY.
NEW LECTURE on AN OLD SUBJECT BY THE
SAGE OF CONCORD.

/
SAGE OF CONCORD.
BOsToN, Dec. THE lecture in the Parker
Fraternity course last evening delivered by Ralph
waldo Emerson the subject OF " Immortality A
large and cultivated audience present. This to be
Mf EmcrsOu's only Appearance the lecture platform
In Eo,tCn this lie said: feel that If this new
tith give more certainty. II deserves 20 be re-
ccivcd OF course, in the r records Of nation In any
degree thoughtful cultivated. belief in the life
beyond life wOad suggested. Tie whole lie Of man
IN Tie lrst ages seems have been ponderousy deter
. mined dslth-as yon know the poIty of the Egyp-
!s, tho bylaws OF towns, streets houses, respected
bEria5, and made every an undertaken and the
priesthood senate Of sections, the chief end OF man
being TO be buried we'll The Greek had quite another
philosophy. He loved lie and delighted In beauty. He
aiorcd drd'l. ne looked 40 death only the distrib
utcr " iupCr-hlhle glory. Nothing can eNcei inc
wisdom But Do. ruuc depends uIon the learner. No
moro Truth be conveyed than the popular mind can
ea uuu Inc DruaIaus who received Tie Gross TOOK tDe
doct az the resurrection the Egyptian took tilt
was IN affair OF the body narrowed again by tue Jury OF
/ sect .
II thcsr times We the dcfectso f old theology it'
inioIcuty 20 our habit OF thought Men 20 up ana
chrustrg, ~ Vegetation recoIupcnscs with lifo
every lrtOmp0iug ptrtiCle-the never dying the in
the age htty Of tho old arts Of cmbaming, give
or cr,h 90 earth sixty yearsago We were taught that
We WIRE born tc beyond that all the terrors that
theology could gather FROM savage passions We're added
T. increase tie gooa great chas e. has occurred
no.. ,Isaf man of our time caused TO be written on
h. to IN hi an i,lnc" The permauept healthy
~ tie Ubd and body Is the love OF life. What is 80
good c ~ endure. Tho skepc ahlris that the universe
ia nest Of boxes, with nothing m the last box Bona
psItc said OF the hcar-why, that's one ~ the Yscera
worla 6ur d.s,1st is tine protest OF human nature
against Doc. On the borders o. the grave tine wise man
10 Is f,rTard with equal elasticity of mind aud hope
and why not after millions " yc'rs the verge OF SIN
newer ,icuce for it is tho nature of intelligent beings
O. D. ever new 10 life. friend OF Michael Angelo say
to Inn tat his constant labor for art must make him
! h.tIl i, II
tur n life Doe pleasure yet since death u also sent by
the hand OF tie came Master? neither should that dis
pcsc u.s." Tueu should say with schiller what Is 50
/ universal as death must be- a benefit.
IIu"ccalIs b. the numcTatiou OF the few simple elements
OF the natural faith, the first fact that strikes US our
! delight IN Ieruaucnce. We wish to live for what ~
great, not Toy what b. mcan man OF thought is VIII
ing 60 de willing 10 live, suppose because he las seen
th thread on which the beads ar strung ana perceived
Thar Do rit, mp aud down, existing quite independ.
emily 90 tue present Illusions. man OF affairs Is AFRAID
90 Bic is pr-cr.d with terror, because hc has not TINS
vision, and H The victim OF those who have nodded the
religious doctrine into some new and plausible system,
&C aylis. Romanisn, svedenborgiansIn, for house
hold VINO rot said know my soul Is imuor-
tal' II perception that comes by the activity OF the
intellect, 20 tho lazy OF rusty mind The real GOO
Il books IS perhaps the ieeihg oi mlnortIl( VIII u
tbey awaken. TIE very names OF eminent scholars and
poets devoted 10 pure literature suggest ideas OF vast
lcisfc, new conditions OF existence. Goethe sald me
eternal eysen,c OF my soul Is proved from my idea of
activity" Il we're hard TO mend the saying of Marcus
iuIyt i there be- nome" Putarch had deep iath in
the doctrine ~ divine providence: Milton anticipated
What L earth be- but the shade" Of easen,
Moe th-u 90 ear 10 thought a.
Montcsqueu did not wsb TO exchange the idea Of i'm,
mo taI,. for that 81 the beattuhc OF one day, anl
Franklin sand man a. not completely born TIL he has
pa Wat ,If'arty makes us immortal An admiration,
uCrp love, strong viii arms us hey ond Tear IL makes
tle day memorable We say we 1--we years IN that hour
And while | find ~ hints ana suggestions noble and
/ Wholesome, while ind that all the ways OF Vlrtnous
living lead upward and onward yet II is not my duty to
i.,.. myself the soul. That
very cunlngy Perhaps tho archauges cannot ma out
the secret of their existence as the eye cannot see
tH.r T.Ff le T-f
% i've while live. l. immortality only an intellectual
-ga y - and i aupS SuS VIZ e HysS c y All
u.Iue. persons thug, gAeI, JIG comes. No renRoh,
III IL i.st ny biology, Dies iof hiia. de WIVES
! on wi.us.caI OF occidental 0f unsrrgsrted. Nature
never moves by jumps hut Glwnys by steady anu Eg'
he No proof that jim the constitution Of that animal is
tc means Of IL qualification Is there not longing IN
tent which thought requires And what does that point
toi Where is its grathcationi Where but In the new
sphere with knowledge and power 1t Is because
life and knowledge are GOOD for us ana We are na'nT
! o. I said the most practical Of doctrines.
But the question arises whether all men are alike i'm
I mortal He who would live hereafter must live now
Tns sublime hope Of refuses TO deal with men ~
masses ana IL stey sewers the individual SOU
from th, whole world and deals with him alone How
M agrees tbs lnest.mabe mortality with the frivolous
| population! viii you build magnhcenuy Tor mice
WHY, these people cannot dispose OF day. An hour
/ hangs heavy OF their hands, and will you offer them
ToIl agcs without an Cudt lcOness DO not hke 70
hear hard b.got or a shallow sentmentalist talk Of
immortality Tho belief Of some people Ia their duration
suggests one those musty hOusehOders Who encuu Der
tucr girrcts with every wreck of pottery ana wooden
ware and preserve every irppcy OF their childhood
Not thus preserve the Old souls. what does he
save them You shall not get out OF nature tH You
have paid YOUR debts and other worlds and all worlds
will Resemble this III the eternal preparation ana oI oi
everything worth possessing. TIE future state Is an u
sion FOR present state IL Is not length OF me-
but depth life; is not DURATION but the taking OF the
soul out Of time, all moral sense, as oil high acton
dors: and when arc living IN sentiment, we ask 10
And this is the way we rise in being. Within every
mans thought is higher thOugnt-within the eharac
ter he exhibits today nODef Developments The youth
puts OF weakness OF the child tine man puts on Jne
Ignorance and tmutuOus passions Of the youth. Then
he tS egUtism Of manhood and becomes at least
"A Duhc and universal soul He Il rising 10 ideas. He II
rising also 70 raty-the outward circumstance dying
ont he entering deeper into the highest being, into truth
and know ledge The last garment OF egOtlsm falls on
and he Is the divinity, shares the VIII ana the immensely
of the first cause The anclents said IL vial or wafer
hroken In the sea. confess that everything with rel
ton 10 personality tails. Nature never spares the lnd
ytcual We have indemnity only IN complete sue
ce. and The soul stpu8tes for private good. That
! which Is private / see not to De good.
on these grounds think that wherever man rlpens,
tins condition of belief presently appears, IN the savage
.tyagey in good purely. AZ soon as virtue grows
mis- belief confirms itself IL cannot rest on legendit
cannot he quoted from TO another II must have the
o,sIrance of mans faculties, and they can NIL
iatrer fhcater aud a larger than life allows him.
know all appearances can
cciye no detrimeut; that there II remedy Tor every
rnuO and satisfaction for soul Tue evidence from
intel ,t is as valid the evidence from lie. Inc intel
lei NAT can share "a thought and feeling noble az
confidence i'm truth II no mushroom our dissatisfaction
win any other conception is blazing evidence OF mmOr-
/ tally
THE BRIGHT SIDE,