“And now the land,” said Othear, " Bent southward suddenly, Then I followed the curving shore, And ever southward bore, Into a nameless sea. " And there we hunted the walrus, The narwhale and the seal; Ha! 'twas a noble game! And like the lightning's flame Flew our harpoons of steel. " There were six of us, all together, Norsemen of Helgoland; And dragged them to the strand !” Then to the King of the Saxons In witness of the truth, “Behold this walrus-tooth !” LONGFELLOW. WELLINGTON. For this is England's greatest son, And England pouring on her foes, PUBLIC ADDRESS BY THE PRINCE CONSORT. I conceive it to be the duty of every educated person closely to watch and study the time in which he lives, and as far as in him lies to add his humble mite of individual exertion to further the accomplishment of what he believes Providence to have ordained. Nobody who has paid any attention to the particular features of our present era, will doubt for a moment that we are living at a period of most wonderful transition, which tends rapidly to the accomplishment of that great end to which, indeed, all history points,-the realisation of the unity of mankind. Not a unity which breaks down the limits, and levels the peculiar characteristics of the different nations of the earth, but rather a unity the result and product of those very national varieties and antagonistic qualities. The distances which separated the different nations and parts of the globe are vanishing before the achievements of modern invention, and we can traverse them with incredible speed; the languages of all nations are known, and their acquirement placed within the reach of everybody; thought is communicated with the rapidity and even the power of lightning. On the other hand, the great principle of division of labour, which may be called the moving power of civilisation, is being extended to all branches of science, industry, and art. Whilst formerly the greatest mental energies strove at universal knowledge, and that knowledge was confined to the few, now they are directed to specialities, and in these again even to the minutest points; but the knowledge acquired becomes the property of the community. Whilst, formerly, discovery was wrapt in secrecy, the publicity of the present day has this effect, that no sooner is a discovery or invention made than it is already improved upon, and surpassed by competing efforts; the products of all quarters of the globe are placed at our disposal, and we have only to choose which is the best and cheapest for our purpose, and the powers of production are intrusted to the stimulus of competition and capital. So man is approaching, a more complete fulfilment of that great and sacred mission which he has to perform in the world. His reason being created after the image of God, he has to use it to discover the laws by which the Almighty governs his creation, and by making these laws his standard of action to conquer nature to his use,-himself a divine instrument. Science discovers these laws of power, motion, and transformation; Industry applies them to the raw matter which the earth yields us in abundance, but which becomes valuable only by knowledge; Art teaches us the immutable laws of beauty and symmetry, and gives to our productions forms in accordance with them. THE EXHIBITION OP 1851 has given us a true test and a living picture of the point of development, at which the whole of mankind has arrived in this great task, and a new starting-point from which all nations will be able to direct their future exertions. I confidently hope that the first impression which the view of this vast collection will produce upon the spectator will be that of deep thankfulness to the Almighty for the blessings which he has bestowed upon us already here below; and the second, the conviction that they can be realised only in proportion to the help which we are prepared to render each other;—therefore only by PEACE, LOVE, and READY ASSISTANCE, not only between individuals, but between the nations of the earth. ALEXANDER'S FEAST. His valiant peers were placed around, So should desert in arms be crown'd. Amid the tuneful choir, With flying fingers touch'd the lyre; And heavenly joys inspire. The listening crowd admire the lofty sound; With ravish'd ears Affects to nod, The master saw the madness rise; He chose a mournful muse, By too severe a fate, Fallen from his high estate, With downcast look the joyless victor sat, The various turns of fate below; And tears began to flow! 46 Now strike the golden lyre again! Hark! hark!--The horrid sound As awaked from the dead; Revenge! revenge!" Timotheus cries- Behold a ghastly band, Each a torch in his hand ! And unburied remain To the valiant crew! How they point to the Persian abodes, And glittering temples of their hostile gods!”- Thais led the way, To light him to his prey! And, like another Helen, fired another Troy.-DRYDEN. |