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SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS OF SCIENCE, LITERATURE, AND ART.

EMBELLISHED BY SEVERAL HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS.

EDITED BY ROBERT SEARS.

"The greatest error is the mistaking of the true end of KNOWLEDGE, for men have entered into a desire of
LEARNING and KNOWLEDGE, sometimes, to entertain their minds with variety and delight; sometimes for
ornament and reputation; sometimes, to enable them to victory of wit and contradiction; and most times for
lucre and profession; but seldom, sincerely to give a true account of their gift of reason, to the benefit and
use of men : as if there were sought in KNOWLEDGE, a couch, whereupon to rest a searching and restless
spirit; or a terrace, for a wandering and variable mind to walk up and down, with a fair prospect; or a tower of
state, for a proud mind to raise itself upon; or a fort or commanding ground, for strife and contention; or a
shop, for profit and sale; and not a rich storehouse for the glory of the CREATOR, and the relief of man's
estate."-Bacon.

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Y.:

BOSTON: SAXTON and peirce, 133 WASHINGTON STREET.-PHILADELPHIA: R. S. H. GEORGE; THOMAS, COWPERTHWAIT,
AND CO.; AND B. R. LOXLEY.-PITTSBURGH, PA.: R. G. BERFORD.-ALBANY, N. Y.: W. C. LITTLE.-UTICA, N.
BENNETT, BACKUS, AND HAWLEY.-HAMILTON, N. Y. : GRIGGS AND GRANT.-BALTIMORE: J. H. BESORE.-CHARLESTON,
S. C. SILAS HOWE.-PENFIELD, GA.: W. RICHARDS.-NATCHEZ, MISS.: H. M. GROSVENER.-ST. JOHN, N. B. G. AND
E. SEARS.-HALIFAX, N. S.: JOSEPH GRAHAM.-AND SOLD BY BOOKSELLERS GENERALLY, AND THE PUBLISHERS' author-
IZED AGENTS, THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND BRITISH PROVINCES.

MDCCCXLV.

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PREFACE.

inquiries would spread a broad dark shadow over the picture of the march of intellect-that the winnowe would find but a few measures of grain in the im mense heap of chaff!

"EDUCATION is the cheap defence of nations," was the wise sentiment once uttered by that great statesman, Edmund Burke. By qualifying it with the prefix, correct, we have in this sentiment one of the noblest truths discovered by modern political sages, We have viewed with pain the development of and one, too, that demands large consideration in the this fact, in the slow improvement, in a moral point canons of jurisprudence. By correct education, we of view, of society around us, while general intellimean the cultivation of the moral faculties, in a de- gence is so rapidly increasing. Everybody readsgree commensurate with the improvement of the in- few study. Mind acting upon mind, through the tellect, and, in addition thereto, a corresponding medium of the "cheap literature" of the day, is physical culture. The perfection of these three developing on every side a vast amount of hidden combined form the perfect man-the image of God; intellectual vigor, destined to exert a powerful influand where either is wanting, or exists in an inferior ence over the future character of the race. But degree, the symmetry of the whole is marred. The amid all these ministrations to the wants of growing mere cultivation of the intellect-the arousing of the intellect, there is too much apathy on the subject of mental faculties to vigorous action, while the moral corresponding moral culture. There is now a vast sentiments are allowed to remain dormant or become amount of mental dissipation visible around us; and corrupt, too frequently proves a curse to the indi- the more exciting, the more intoxicating, the characvidual and to society, rather than a blessing. Every ter of a publication, the greater is the number of ray of light that illumines the understanding should purchasers-the greater the profits of the vender. also shed its influence over the habitation of the pas- Out of this traffic spring evils as deleterious, and as sions; and the head and heart should be equally much to be deprecated by the wise and good, as the warmed by the glorious luminary, KNOWLEDGE. This traffic in alcohol; and every true philanthropist mighty power, which is bearing the human race should labor to arrest its progress, and counteract its rapidly onward toward perfection, has many agents degenerating influence. Like those who first raised at work; and every true philanthropist feels solicitous the Temperance banner, such laborers must expect concerning the character of these various ministers small pecuniary reward, but enjoy the present remuto human improvement. The TONGUE, the PEN, and neration of an approving conscience, and the anticithe PRESS the utterer, recorder, and disseminator pation of a final and glorious triumph. With this of knowledge-should all be subservient to the dic- class of men-men who love their kind, and aim to tates of pure morality and sound judgment; and elevate man, by a due improvement of his faculties, whosoever labors for the good of society-whosoever to his proper standard of excellence, we delight to longs for a happy change in the social character of labor, and press onward, shoulder to shoulder in the his race, should strive earnestly for the purification diffusion of useful knowledge. Our humble literary of this triad of forces, now powerfully at work efforts, heretofore, have all been made in this field, wherever the beams of intelligence have shed their and we have the heartfelt gratification of believing radiance. On every side, the Lecturer and the Es- that they have been appreciated by the public at sayist are laboring in the fields of Knowledge, and large, and especially by the thinking class in comthe Press is busy in scattering their seedlings broad-munity. The present volume is the result of these cast over the intellectual soil of society, there, whether tares or wheat, to germinate and yield a harvest in kind, to be reaped and used by the young and inexperienced. In other words (without metaphor), thousands of books, pamphlets, magazines, and newspapers, are daily scattered throughout our land, bearing the sentiments of the thinkers and writers of our day and of past times, and contributing largely to the formation of the character of our youth of both sexes.

continued efforts, and we send it forth with the ardent hope that it may prove a USEFUL GUIDE TO TRUE KNOWLEDGE to those who, through youthfulness, deficient education, or inexperience, are liable to wander away from the true path, into the mazes of error.

In the following pages, we have endeavored to garner up treasures drawn from every department of human knowledge. We have endeavored to make the pen and burine subservient to the best interests of society, by portraying those various truths respectTo the truly benevolent mind, the momentous ing men and things which form such important feaquestions present themselves :-What proportion of tures in the constitution of the social compact. this mass of information is really useful? How From the mines of History, Biography, Natural Hismuch of knowledge thus offered to the intellect car-tory, Moral and Physical Sciences, Fine Arts, and ries with it a salutary moral influence, and while it General Literature, we have prepared the choicest enlightens the understanding, improves the heart? gems, such as emit the purest moral lustre; and at And as, in a critical sense, information is not a price commensurate with the means of the most knowledge, superficial and evanescent, not deep and humble in worldly goods, we offer this casket to th abiding, how much of this vast amount of the daily public, with the sincere desire that it may prove productions of the press contains the seeds of genuine valuable acquisition to the moral and intellectual knowledge? We fear that a correct answer to these wealth of every possessor.

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