ORATION, 



DELIVERED BY 



Doctor S. L, MITCHELL, 



BEFORE THE 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY of NEW-YORK, 



On the loth of JANUARY, 1792. 



Mr. President, 



and Qentlemen of the Agricultural Society , 



O INCE you firft did me the honor of appointing me to deliver 

 ^^^ you an Oration, I have been feveral times ready to relinquifli 

 the undertaking, thro' an apprehenfion that I fhould fail to do 

 tolerable juftice to the fubjeft, and Ihould tire your patience 

 without even amufing your imaginations. For I know that on 

 occafions like this, more ingenuity and fprighdinefs of thought, 

 and more of the polifh and ornament of didion are expefted to 

 embellifli the phrafes and fentences of the Speaker, than on 

 common occafions; and therefore felt, as I judged, a well- 

 grounded fearfulnefs, left fomewhat of bluntnefs in fentiment, 

 and plainnefs in expreflion, might found rather harfli oruncouth 

 to the nice ears of my audience. Bear with me then, while I 



exprefs my meaning in my own way, without declaiming in the 



A 



