23 



By cool Siloam's shady rill 



How sweet the Lily blows ; 

 How sweet the breath, beneath the hill. 



Of Sharon's dewy Rose ! Heber. 



I have thus endeavored, gentlemen, to discourse to you 

 in a manner, let me hope, not entirely inconsistent with 

 the spirit of the occasion. It has been my purpose to 

 avoid that course of technical remark, which, before such 

 an audience, might have proved presumptuous in me 

 rather than instructive to you. That scientific knowl- 

 edge, which the genius and enterprise of modern times 

 have brought to the pursuit of your liberal objects, may 

 be found in sources easily accessible. Of the dignity and 

 value of these objects it were unnecessary to speak. To 

 apply any elaborate eulogium to this pursuit were as rea- 

 sonable as to justify the great sun of Heaven himself, in 

 the fullness and glory of his illustrious beams. The 

 beautiful and costly edifice which you have erected is 

 the most fitting testimonial of your liberality, as its pur- 

 pose affords the surest evidence of a refined and intel- 

 lectual community. "God Almighty," says Lord Bacon, 

 "first planted a garden; and indeed it is the purest of 

 human pleasures; it is the greatest refreshment to the 

 spirits of man ; without which buildings and palaces are 

 but gross handy- works ; and a man shall ever see, that, 

 when ages grow to civility and elegancy, men come to 

 build stately, sooner than to garden finely ; as if garden- 

 ing were the greater perfection.'' 



There can be, indeed, no question whatever that Horti- 

 culture, as a scientific pursuit, is of very recent date. 

 The most famous gardens of antiquity, we may be sure, 

 could enter into no sort of comparison with those, which 

 would now be considered as exhibiting the most moderate 

 pretensions, in point of the variety and beauty of their 



