THE CULTIVATOR. 
107 
acquaintance with the general rules, which govern matter and mind, the 
power of man over the material and immaterial universe, is greatly ex- 
tended, and, by a cultivation of his taste and imagination, his nature is 
polished and refined. To acquire a knowledge of the laws which govern 
matter and mind, patient and long continued investigation is indispen¬ 
sable. A large collection of facts must be made before the mind can ar¬ 
rive at correct conclusions, or ascertain the principles upon which nature 
acts. - 
To bring the sciences to their present state of perfection, man has en¬ 
tered the burning and sandy plains of the equatorial regions, exposed to 
danger from wild and ferocious beasts, and from his fellow-man, more sa¬ 
vage than they. He has gone from the land of the orange and the vine, 
to the home of the storm and the tempest, the dwelling of a winter that 
knows no spring. He has traversed bfoad vallies, and climbed barren 
and rugged eminences. Exposed to storm and wind and raging tempests, 
he has pursued his onward course reckless of danger; he has disregarded 
the enticements of society, forsaken the friends and companions of his 
youth, and sought, in his lonely chamber, during the brightness and beau¬ 
ty of the day, and the darkness and stillness of the night, for eternal and 
immutable truth. Disregarding opposition and prejudice, sacrificing his 
own natural feelings of repugnance, he has visited the solitary grave and 
disintered its silent occupant, to discover the matchless skill displayed in 
the structure of the human frame. But the results of his labor are glori- 
rous, the triumphs of the physical sciences are magnificent. They have 
enabled man to command the elements, and convert them into servants to 
do his bidding, to ride upon the trackless surface of the mighty ocean, 
and guide with certainty the stately ship to its destined port; to rise be¬ 
yond the heights where the proud eagle loves to soar, and while sailing in 
the ethereal regions, to contemplate the beauties of his native earth. By 
the aid of science, they who pant beneath the burning rays of an equato¬ 
rial sun, refresh themselves upon the ices of the polar regions; and they 
who dwell in barren and desolate countries, feast upon the delicacies 
which nature loves to pour upon the temperate and torrid zones. Physi¬ 
cal science has formed the printing press, which, like a mighty luminary, 
is sending forth its benign beams upon the stormy surface of the moral 
deep, and shining into'its darkest , and "lowest recesses. Man has been 
enabled to analyze substances before deemed elementary, to melt the 
most refractory, and light into a blaze the most dense. The brilliant 
ligh's which existed in former days only in fairy visions have now become 
reality; (hey blaze along our streets and illumine our splendid mansions. 
Time and space are annihilated; with almost breathless speed the self- 
propelling car moves onward to its place of destination, speedy and pow¬ 
erful, yet yielding implicit obedience to the directing hand. Broad lakes 
and majestic rivers are covered with beautiful and rapidly moving steam¬ 
boats, pursuing their onward course, independent alike of wind and tide. 
Diseases which formeily spread desolation and despair wherever they ap¬ 
peared, now yield to mild and simple remedies prepared by the scientific. 
.Not satisfied with researches into the mysteries of this earth, man has en¬ 
tered the regions of space, and wandered far over its wide and trackless 
domain. He has -ascertained the distance, magnitude and motion of those 
bright and glorious orbs, which roll in an unchanging course around the 
dazzling king of day. He has gazed with eagle eye upon that shining lu¬ 
minary, and ascertained with mathematical acccuracy his distance, di¬ 
mensions and exact situation amid the wheeling spheres which surround 
him. He has, by accurate observation, learned the situation of multi¬ 
tudes of those distant stars which twinkle in the blue vault of heaven. 
Thus in a thousand ways have the physical sciehces ministered to out 
wants and excited our admiration. 
Investigatiens of the immutable and eternal truths which form the ex¬ 
act sciences, expand and strengthen the mental faculties. Owing to the 
nature of the proof, the precision" ofithe definitions, and the caution re¬ 
quisite to proceed one step in the argument, these sciences are admirably 
calculated to form habits of correct and systematic thinking, and sound 
reasoning. When combined with the physical sciences, they enlarge in¬ 
finitely our conceptions of that God who is the origin of all truth. 
Knowledge of the laws which govern the human mind, is of still great¬ 
er importance, than attainments in the physical or exact sciences, and 
promises, if attained, more splendid results. The mind of man is the re¬ 
cipient of all his knowledge, and the laws which govern it, are of the 
greatest importance to all classes of society. As the mental faculties are 
not cognizable by the external senses, and Ihe principles by which they 
are governed are not capable of demonstration, an acquaintance with 
them has been deemed impossible. But the little advancement made by 
the ancients, is owing rather to their mode of investigation, than to any 
real difficulty of the subject. Formerly philosophers speculated upon the 
essence of mind, and the manner in which it acts, and not until recently 
have they entered upon its investigation, by collecting facts and deducing 
principles therefrom. Mental science is even now little understood, but 
the acquisitions already made are sufficient to afford great advantage to 
all who would influence the minds of others, or improve their own. By 
dwelling upon the operations of mind, man becomes accustomed to the 
consideration of abstract subjects, a new field of knowledge is opened to 
him, in which he can luxuriate, whether in a bustling crowd, or alone in 
silence and darkness. 
By pursuing the sciences, man is rendered a systematic thinker, a close 
reasoner, and an accurate investigator. His memory is strengthened by 
retaining facts, and his powers of association and abstraction are fully de¬ 
veloped by exercise. But though he may have made great advancement 
in science, and by imitating the operations of nature, may have acquired 
extensive power over the material world, his manners will be unpleasing 
if the finer feelings of the soul are not cultivated. The mind which has 
received strength and precision by attending to scientific subjects, re¬ 
quires to be embellished and ornamented by the cultivation of the taste 
and imagination. Science forms a solid base, but the temple is incom¬ 
plete, without the beautiful and ornamental decorations of literature. 
The individual .whose taste has been sufficiently cultivated to relish the 
productions of mind, finds in them the most agreeable relaxation from the 
active duties of life; they are companions in his lonely hours and consola¬ 
tions in affliction. He feels a thrilling pleasure when listening to the elo¬ 
quence of the orator, or perusing the works of the gifted author; he dis¬ 
covers beauties which are concealed from the minds of other men. Na¬ 
ture’s lovely scenery fills him with delight. The broad expanse of hea¬ 
ven, the romantic vale and “cloud-capt eminence,” the foaming cataract, 
and the “dark, unslumbering” ocean; all fill his bosom with the most 
rapturous emotions, for his feelings have received a gentler tone from cul¬ 
tivation. The-rich and varied stores of literature, accumulated by the 
brilliant geniuses of all preceding ages, are open to his admiration. He 
lives with those who have been; he holds communion with the master 
spirits of other times, and finds in them a congeniality of feeling he may 
seek in vain among the living. He is never lonely, for his mind has sour¬ 
ces of enjoyment within itself. When age has dimmed the lustre of his 
eye, and rendered dull the acute perception of his ear; when the pleasures 
of sense have ceased to gratify, and all the -fond visions of youth have 
vanished; when ambition has lost its enticing sway, and youthful joys, 
and manhood’s hopes, have proved alike unsatisfying, then the literary 
man has a never failing fountain of delight. His volumes are still left, and 
his enjoyment of their treasures increases by indulgence. The beautiful 
sentence, the classical allusion, and the sublime sentiment, still awaken 
the purest emotions of pleasure. 
If the literary man become an author, he exerts a mighty influence over 
his fellow-men. Monarchs may command the wealth and labor of their 
trembling subjects; generals may lead thousands to glory or an untimely 
grave; but the author rules the mind, and with a sceptre more powerful 
than Cromwell or Bonaparte ever swayed. A nation may acquire honor 
byits extensive conquests, its unlimited commerce, and boundless wealth; 
it may, by superior strength, exact the submission of many surrounding 
countries; it may be celebrated for the bravery of its warriors, the skill of 
its generals, and the vastness of its interna) resources; its sails may whi¬ 
ten every port, and its flag wave triumphantly over sea and land; but, 
though these may^gain the applause of the multitude, intellectual great¬ 
ness, the brilliant productions of mind, ever receive the highest admira¬ 
tion of the soul, the purest homage of the heart. The literary works of 
a nation are the only lasting monuments which can be reared to its me¬ 
mory: the country itself maybe desolate, the lights whfoh once shone 
brightly in its halls of pleasure may be extinguished forever; the people 
may be degraded and oppressed, or even extinct, yet the country will 
live in its literature “ till time shall be no more.” When the beautiful 
edifices, the splendid temples and stupendous structures of fallen Greece 
are entirely destroyed, by- the reien'less hand of time, its literature will 
receive the just tribute of honor, now paid it so freely, by all nations. 
The scientific acquisitions of a country soon mingle with the common 
mass of knowledge, but its litera’ure is exclusively its own. The writ¬ 
ings of Homer will never cease to spread a bright halo around his native 
land; arid those of Virgil will be associated with Rome until the “last 
syllable of recorded time.” Literary men exert a no less powerful influ¬ 
ence over their contemporaries, than over succeeding generations. The 
man of taste forms the public opinion and guides its decisions; his mind is 
the model for thousands. 
Literature possesses a remarkable ascendency over the morals of a peo¬ 
ple. The pure and elevated feelings of a community whose taste is cul¬ 
tivated, and imagination refined, can never allow those grosser crimes 
which-fix a/oul stain upon a nation.’s glory. The literary find no plea¬ 
sure in those scenes of licentiousness, in which so many degraded beings 
love to mingle. 
Thus does literature delight and captivate the intellectual-being, and 
elevate him to the head of created intelligences. It perpetuates the re¬ 
finement from which it springs, affords pure and lasting enjoyment to 
man, and immortalizes a nation. Physical science improves man’s con¬ 
dition by the power it confers over the material universe; literature re¬ 
fines and polishes the manners and feelings. The study of science strength¬ 
ens, that of literature elevates and purifies, the intellect. Truth is the 
presiding genius of science, beauty of literature. The former is the hand¬ 
maid of the useful , the latter of th efine arts. Both are requisite for the 
full development of the character. If the sciences are too exclusively 
