PRESIDENT HITCHCOCK'S ADDRESS. 175 



after distinction in political life ; nor does he learn, without* 

 much bitter experience, how far away from the abode of hap- 

 piness, the surges and storms of public life are driving him. 

 Another labors with untiring perseverance to stand high in the 

 learned professions, and discovers not till the desired elevation 

 has been reached, how far it rises, not merely above the fol- 

 lies, but the enjoyments of life. Another finds that the luxury 

 and leisure of great wealth and fashion, when time has disrobed 

 them of their novelty, and cooled the passions, bring little with 

 them but a tasteless and wearisome round of heartless pursuits ; 

 while the stream of happiness, which he was just ready to 

 quaff, is dried up, leaving only the empty channel, like the 

 streams of the desert, to mock desire. In short, men of all pro- 

 fessions, especially the most elevated, as the evening of life ap- 

 proaches, turn their thoughts with strong desire to the quiet and 

 healthful scenes of agricultural life ; and find in its peaceful 

 labors that modicum of enjoyment, which they have sought in 

 vain in other pursuits. There have many of earth's greatest 

 and best, found new chords of pleasure to awake and vibrate, 

 after all artificial pleasures had become insipid and disgusting. 

 There have they found how much truth and beauty there is in 

 the poet's well known eulogium upon the farmer's lot. 



" Ah happy swain ! ah race heloved of heaven ! 

 If known thy bliss, how great the blessing given ! 

 True peace is thine ; and life that knows no change, 

 And various wealth through nature's boundless range. 

 Content and patience youth's long toil, assuage, 

 Repose and reverence tend declining age ; 

 There gods yet dwell, and, as she fled mankind, 

 There Justice left her last lone trace behind." 



Should we now invert the tables, it were easy to show how 

 strong a reflex influence is exerted upon agriculture by personal 

 and domestic happiness. For unless men are deeply interested 

 in any pursuit, it will never flourish in their hands ; and they 

 cannot but be interested in that which affords them high enjoy- 

 ment ; and especially, if, as in the case of agriculture, the en- 

 joyment increases in the same proportion as the success. The 

 difference between feet and slave labor depends mainly upon 

 this principle. The slave takes little or no interest in his task, 



