The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-29
Prof. Higley's Lecture at Poultney.

able to organize the next house of repre-
sentatives.
Prof. Higley's Lecture at Poultney.
On Monday evening March &c, Prof. E.
II. Higley OF Middlebury college lectured
before the students of Troy conference
academy and the citizens of Poultney, at
the Methodist church, subject 1.-THE study
of the past" The professors reputation
as lecturer has been constantly growing
and the effort of Tuesday evening fully
sustained and gratfled the anticipation
with which 1t had been looked forward to,
II was eminently fitted In character for
such an audience as assemble 90 hgar 1t.
1t was such discourse as CO.. rot fail to
interest, and above all instruct the teacher,
the scholar or the man of = Y tastes.
The evening was not at all 40 Tor a
large audience but despite nc rain, the
body of the church was well nllI with an
intelligent audience who maintained strict
attention to the end. Prof. Cady of the
academy has shown commemorate enter
prise in giving its students and the citizens
of the town the opportunity of hearing
such men as have responded to his invita-
tions during the winter.
OF course, lecture must be heard to
be appreciated. Written abstracts are e.
pecially unsatisfactory, but we will attempt
to give the thread of Prof. Higley's dis
course. He began by citing an ancient
legend of a youth who won the imperial
prize offered to him who should first an
nounce the spot which the rays OF the
rising sun soonest tell upon. All save this
one turned to the east. He alone, amid
the jeers of his comrades, turned to the
west, marked where the reflected rays gild-
ed the mountain tops, and announcing it
with shout, won the prize. 1t was a yery
happy illustration OF the speakers subject.
He then proceeded to review the fruitless
efforts OF men to ferret out the future;
their invocation of supernatural aids TO
this end. First, he mentioned the sun
worship, whence arose the Appollo or Del
phic oracle, which with its grand notices
"know myself" and Sin all things mode
ration" had its good influence in uniting
all the provincial tribes into Greeks, but
which soon destroyed the peoples faith in
its power to unveil the future, by it's eng
maticGl answers. He quoted from the
knights of Arstophanes to show how the
belief in this Delphic oracle soon became
subject to sarcasm and ridicue. This at
tempta 10 fathom the future, as were all
others, was a cause of darkness, dissen-
sion and decay Appollo's "twin sister
Artemis," the moon, together with the
seven planets, was next worshipped, whence
the mystic number seven, the seven heavens
of the Mussulman, the seven ages, made
famous by Shakespeare, and even our
seven days of the week. 1t also gave rise
to astrology, which extended through at
least sixteen centuries of the Christian era,
traces of which we still retain in many Of
our words, such as jovial, martial and
mercurial.
Leaving the worship of Fetishism the
Professor proceeded to notice the attempt
ed use Of analogies to interpret the future,
which had been more productive of delu-
sion than even Fetishism itself.
Under this head he instanced many pop
ular superstitions, some of which still
cling to us, such as the influence of the
moon on the weather, the use of witch
hhbCl W dioSOfCI tuG bOuICt Oh WAFER.
prosperous right and sinister left hand
omens, the breaking of mirror as a pre-
cursor of death, from the analogy between
the destruction of the real and reflected
images. This passion for pursuing "that
elusive will-o-the-wisp, the future" result
ed, said the Professor. in palminstry,
necromancy, spiritism, Katy Kings, and
the like. For this fruitless pursuit lie rec
commended the substitution OF the study
of the past. st. Paul's declaration, ''for-
getting those things that are behind" and
Lots wife turning to salt as a penalty for
looking backward, were pleasantly alluded
to and torcibly applied. Names and dates
were considered useless in this study of the
past unless accompanied by the discovery
of the social and spiritual forces set in
motion by a nation. Archaeology, pal
eontologY and geology eshould also lend
their aid. Such a study of the past will
be calculated to help US. In this connec-
ton the Professor alluded to or political
needs. He said the celtic republic went to
pieces because ignorance was not sufficient
ly guarded against and dllated 7cnewhat
upon its lesson. In finance said we
have given ear to those who ,nored the
past, the result of which was the silver
bill and the double standard value.
He then pressed home the ia Of
an intelligent study of the pa 3, nsG.ers
of religion, instead Of tryiue O fad in
communism or free love or some similar
doctrine, the religion of the future. He
said the historical method showed US that
the Bible was not intended to make men
scientists, or, as Calico said, SIT showed
US how to get to heaven, but not how the
heavens CO." The so called conflict be-
tween science and religion was in his mind
more of a conflict between mechanical,
formula. He held that the Divine meth
DDS were the best, whatever they were, and
that they would bear scrutiny. He Illus
trated these views by very happy anec-
dote, which was take off upon Millerism,
another instance Of the results of attempts
to pry into the future. If Darwin's theory
OF evolution is true, said the professor, let
1t be so, but meantime be collected. He
closed by again impressing upon his audi
ence the futility of attempting to unyeil
the future, and the profit ard Importance
OF study of the past.
After the audience had mostly dispersed
the professor favored few with some fine
music from the new organ, bringing out i,s
sweetness and power to the best advantage
The whole evenings entertainment was
exceedingly enjoyed by all. Tuesday even
ing the students of the academy gave a con-
cert at the church.