Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-05
COLLEGE OPENING.
REV. DIR. DUBB's ADDRESS.
he Function Of the Imagination in the
Study OF History.

Tho Function Of the Imagination in the
Study OF History.
The winter term of Fra nklin and Mar
shall college opened this morning. The
address was delivered by Rev. Prof. J: II.
Dubbs, d. ID. The following is an al
stract of it:
When Lord Bacon undertook the task
of classifying human knowledge he seems
to have bcheld a vision of three streams,
springing from distinct sources and flow
ing in different directions. For" said
he, cit is clearly manifest that history,
poetry and philosophy spring from three
distinct fountains of the mind, viz. the
memory, the imagination and the reason,
without any possibility of increasing their
number"
Though we have not the temerity 70
criticise Il writer who. besides bearing a
less honorable title, has long been known
as the "wsest and brightest of mankind, "
we may, perhaps. he allowed to say that
the vision of three separate streams Of
knowledge "springing from distinct foun.
tains would hardly present itself to tie
mind of an investigator of the present
age. We have learned to know that
science, like nature itself, is thoroughly
one from the heart to the rcmOtest cx.
tremities. There is no room for break
anywhere there has never been cata-
clysm that rendered necessary a new crea-
ton. Lille in the universe, as in the robins
egg, purSueS tine course Of its develop
ment until at last it stands revealed in all
its symmetry and beauty.
So, in the world of mind, We see how
the higher faculties rest upon the lower
and are involved by them, how in beau
tiful gralatiOn the Preventative faculty
rises into the Representative, and the rep.
rescntative into the Elaborativc, SO that
there is no room for a htdtus anywhere.
We feel that it would be unsatisfactory tC
consider the faculties of the mind, without
due regard to their mutual relations :; and
that the various branches of learning,
which spring from 4 knowledge Of the
world and man, cannot be regarded as sew
orally Independent. Or each under the con-
troll of a single mental faculty. If we were
seeking figure to express our idea of the
nature and extent of learning we would
hardly find it in Il series of rivers, even
though they were the rivers of Paradise.
Would not the imagination rather call up
the mystic tree Yggdrasil, whose roots
twine around the earth while its branche:
spread over the skies, and bud and bloom
in heavenly consultations.
Our subject is The Function of the I'm
aginatiOn in the Study of History We
hope to show that history is not tho ex,
elusive domain of the memory that a:
the record of the development Of life il
not only furnishes the reason its grandeS
employments, but that it is precisely here
that the Imagination paints it's noblest pic
lures, and lifts up the soul to the contem
plation of the loftiest ideals. VIA
is the Iwagin1,tions DIR. Pauch define.
it as s. the power to call forth images fol
the purpose of clothing an i, "a which
arises in the mind" Johnson $ dictionary
describes it as ''the power of representing
absent things tOyOurself and othcrs.'' 1t
may be called, The Representative Fac
ulty-the faculty that represents thai
which is absent, of which it would other
wise be impossible to form proper con
ceptiOn.
This is 4 marvellous power. Like al
beltus Magnus, in the legend, it ca,
clo'he the wintry lanscape in Il garb o
vernal beauty. Like the sOrccrcr-popt
Gerbert, it can make the shades of tn,
departed dance upon the roofs of tn,
houses.
Ii a perverted imag gnatiun is the fruitful
source of disease and crime, how powerful
must be its influence for good when di
rected into q proper channel In literature
its influence will be readily acknowledged
Without its presence in author. tcachel
and student, every branch of study is dry
and uninteresting-by its power every
science becomes Il beautiful enclantrcss
No one should attempt to write book O
travels who is deficient in the faculty o
making absent things appear present
Some OF these are less interesting than
railway guile-tOO dull to create an i'm
preston Oh the mind too incomplete tt
serve rs book of reference. The books
of travel which We admire are those il
which the author sketches scenes that will
live forever in the memory, Or brings Il:
into the presence of the great men of Other
lands SD that We imagine We could rccOg
niZe them if We were to meet them on the
street to- morrow.
or course, to appreciate all this there
must be a certain rcceptivity on the par,
of the reader. The mirror of tho mind
must be highly polished to enable it to
catch the passing vision. There are plenty
of good, sensible people who cannot ap
preciate the delights OF the imagination
Like those who have no ear for music they
do not know what they lose, or they would
be miserable. What can bo more delight
ful than to enjoy change of scene with.
out leaving your daily employment. Will,
an active Imagination iireside travels
are i'm some respects the most pleasant
You escape all the inconvenienceS, and
remain in possession Of the highest enjoy
ments.
We can hardly moro fully illustrate this
branch of our subject. Wherever VIC 60
we find imagination at work erecting fairy
palaces. Without it poetry can neither he
produced nor appreciated. Above all it
creates ideals of character and conduct.
He who has no such ideals is like drift.
wood, floated hither and thither. lie
who has them, and follows them, is like a
vessel which every zephyr is waiting near
er to the port.
Has the Inauguration q .fuacti0R IN tie
study Of history We can imagine mega
tive answer from several different classes
There are those to whom history is nothing
but ga record of events" They regard
it as valuable only in SO far as it furnishes
information, to be laid away in the
memory for future reference 1t may
supply subjects of conversation in society,
or furnish al occasional illustration for 4
political speech ; but from this point of
view it has less value than descriptive
geography, which is sometimes useful in
commercial transactions, and it cannot be
compai ed with branches which fit man
for b,ead-winning, such as telcgraphy or
book keeping. To the man who cares
only for studies which may be expected to
bring him a direct financial return. the