4 REV. MR. EMER80N*S ADDRESS. 



of that year and sent him a correct diagram of them, without having 

 communicated his object for so doing. In compliance with this, the 

 calculations were made, and to his astonishment, on comparing the 

 result with the statmeats of his scientific friend, already referred to, it 

 was found on the 7th of Oct. 1722, B. C, the moon and planets had 

 occupied the exact points in the heavens marked upon the coffin in 

 the London Museum. 



The Egyptians dated their year from the rising of the Dog-star, 

 which they rep 'esented by the picture of a door-keeper with his key — 

 the one who opened one year, and closed another. Sometimes they 

 gave the picture two heads — the one old, representing the expiring 

 year, and the other young, to denote the new year. Thus were intro- 

 duced the arts of painting and sculpture. Now we have already 

 shown that the science of astronomy, and the arts just mentioned, 

 grew out of demands created by the pursuit of agriculture. Because 

 the farmer in Egypt needed to know the exact courses of the heaven- 

 ly bodies, men were set apart and supported at public expense to 

 study astronomy and keep people informed of their movements. At 

 the same point commenced the office of the priest ; for those* thus set 

 apart were ultimately looked upon as the priests of the power of 

 Heaven. 



But I shall not dwell upon the ancient bearings of this subject, but 

 come down to its relations with our modern life, and its vital every 

 day interests. I shall in this address, not attempt to show the 

 relations of agriculture to the arts and sciences which promote civiliza- 

 tion, so much as to show the effect of the pursuit of agriculture upon 

 mankind. 



There are many elements which go to make up mankind ; some of 

 which I shall point out, and endeavor to show how the pursuit of 

 agriculture affects them. First, health : 



Health lies at the foundation of every other good. All great efforts 

 of the mind, all productions of genius, have their root in healthy 

 blood and abundant vitality. Morality and virtue might almost be 

 said to be exponents of health. Old Dr. Johnson said, "A man is 

 a rascal as soon as he is sick." Ralph Waldo Emerson says, ''If 

 Eric is in robust health, and has slept well, and is at the top of his 

 condition and thirty years old, at his departure from Greenland he 

 will steer west and his ships will reach New Foundland. But take 

 •out Eric, and put in a stronger and bolder man, — Biorn or Thorfin, — 

 and the ships will with just as much ease, sail six hundred, one thou- 

 sand, fifteen hundred miles further, and reach Labrador and New 

 England. There is no chance in results. With adults as with chil- 

 dren, one class enter cordially into the game and whirl with the whirl- 

 ing world ; the others have cold hands and remain bystanders ; or 

 are only dragged in by the humor and vivacity of those who can carry 

 a dead weight." A good maxim would be, Sacrifice everything to 

 health. Sacrifice health to nothing. 



Health is not to be sacrificed, but put to service. It is the bound- 

 ing pulse that does the work and the thinking of the world. All 



