16 POWER OF KNOWLEDGE. 



for their time and in their spliere; but they cannot 

 be said to form part of that mighty tide of mental 

 embody ment which has been collecting its rills and 

 its feeders from every generation since the eyes of 

 man were first opened on the sun, and which, in 

 these latter times, and more especially since the 

 press dashed away the chief obstacles to its course, 

 rolls onward like some giant river, the streams 

 whereof not only encompass the earth and the sea, 

 but diffuse them-selves through the atmosphere and 

 cause fertility to abound at every spot. It is this 

 which is the grand mental heritage to man in all 

 nations and in every succeeding age. It was this 

 which the eagle eye of Bacon saw with a prophetic 

 glance at its future mightiness, though in his day it 

 was but as a brook to the ocean compared with what 

 it is now— and the future promise increases much 

 faster than the present reality,— it was this which 

 made him leave to the world that aphorism which is 

 more redolent of matter, and more mighty in ex- 

 pression in its tliree simple words, than many books, 

 and good books too, are in thrice the same number of 

 volumes— '• Knowledge is power." 



So fully and so forcibly is the demonstration of 

 this gi-andest of all elementary truths coming upon the 

 world, that every other power is feeling, and virtually 

 and often in words, confessing its superiority — bow- 

 ing before it as the Governor sent of Heaven, in place 

 of which they only held temporary sway during its 

 nonage, to restrain the wrongs and the waywardness 

 of ignorance ; but that, now that it has come of age, 

 they deliver up to it the universal sceptre— a sceptre 

 of peace and of prosperity — " Peace on earth and 

 good will to all the children of men." 



This mighty power cannot be wielded, or, to follow 



