of　a　first　love？　　What　is　the　value　in　tangible　dollars　and　cents
  of　a　beautiful　landscape；　or　a　speaking　picture；　or　a　marble
  statue；　or　a　living　book；　or　the　voice　of　eloquence；　or　the　charm
  of　earliest　bird；　or　the　smile　of　a　friend；　or　the　promise　of
  immortality？　　In　what　consisted　the　real　glory　of　the　country　we
  are　never　weary　of　quoting；the　land　of　Phidias　and　Pericles　and
  Demosthenes？　　Was　it　not　in　immaterial　ideas；　in　patriotism；　in
  heroism；　in　conceptions　of　ideal　beauty；　in　speculations　on　the
  infinite　and　unattainable；　in　the　songs　which　still　inspire　the
  minds　of　youth；　in　the　expression　which　made　marble　live；　in　those
  conceptions　of　beauty　and　harmony　which　still　give　shape　to　the
  temples　of　Christendom？　　Was　Rome　more　glorious　with　her　fine　roads
  and　tables　of　thuja…root；　and　Falernian　wines；　and　oysters　from　the
  Lucrine　Lake；　and　chariots　of　silver；　and　robes　of　purple　and　rings
  of　gold；these　useful　blessings　which　are　the　pride　of　an
  Epicurean　civilization？　　And　who　gave　the　last　support；　who　raised
  the　last　barrier；　against　that　inundation　of　destructive　pleasures
  in　which　some　see　the　most　valued　fruits　of　human　invention；　but
  which　proved　a　canker　that　prepared　the　way　to　ruin？　　It　was　that
  pious　Emperor　who　learned　his　wisdom　from　a　slave；　and　who　set　a
  haughty　defiance　to　all　the　grandeur　and　all　the　comforts　of　the
  highest　position　which　earth　could　give；　and　spent　his　leisure
  hours　in　the　quiet　study　of　those　truths　which　elevate　the　soul；
  truths　not　taught　by　science　or　nature；　but　by　communication　with
  invisible　powers。
  Ah；　what　indeed　is　reality；　what　is　the　higher　good；　what　is　that
  which　perishes　never；　what　is　that　which　assimilates　man　to　Deity？
  Is　it　houses；　is　it　lands；　is　it　gold　and　silver；　is　it　luxurious
  couches；　is　it　the　practical　utilitarian　comforts　that　pamper　this
  mortal　body　in　its　brief　existence？　or　is　it　women's　loves　and
  patriots'　struggles；　and　sages'　pious　thoughts；　affections；　noble
  aspirations；　Bethanies；　the　serenities　of　virtuous　old　age；　the
  harmonies　of　unpolluted　homes；　the　existence　of　art；　of　truth；　of
  love；　the　hopes　which　last　when　sun　and　stars　decay？　　Tell　us；　ye
  women；　what　are　realities　to　you；your　carpets；　your　plate；　your
  jewels；　your　luxurious　banquets；　or　your　husbands'　love；　your
  friends'　esteem；　your　children's　reverence？　　And　ye；　toiling　men　of
  business；　what　is　really　your　highest　joy；your　piles　of　gold；
  your　marble　palaces；　or　the　pleasures　of　your　homes；　the
  approbation　of　your　consciences；　your　hopes　of　future　bliss？　　Yes；
  you　are　dreamers；　like　poets　and　philosophers；　when　you　call
  yourselves　pack…horses。　　Even　you　are　only　sustained　in　labor　by
  intangible　rewards　that　you　can　neither　see　nor　feel。　　The　most
  practical　of　men　and　women　can　really　only　live　in　those　ideas
  which　are　deemed　indefinite　and　unreal。　　For　what　do　the　busiest　of
  you　run　away　from　money…making；　and　ride　in　cold　or　heat；　in
  dreariness　or　discomfort；dinners；　or　greetings　of　love　and
  sympathy？　　On　what　are　such　festivals　as　Christmas　and　Thanksgiving
  Day　based？on　consecrated　sentiments　that　have　more　force　than　any
  material　gains　or　ends。　　These；　after　all；　are　realities　to　you　as
  much　as　ideas　were　to　Plato；　or　music　to　Beethoven；　or　patriotism
  to　Washington。　　Deny　these　as　the　higher　certitudes；　and　you　rob
  the　soul　of　its　dignity；　and　life　of　its　consolations。
  AUTHORITIES。
  Bacon's　Works；　edited　by　Basil　Montagu；　Bacon's　Life；　by　Basil
  Montagu；　Bacon's　Life；　by　James　Spedding；　Bacon's　Life；　by　Thomas
  Fowler；　Dr。　Abbott's　Introduction　to　Bacon's　Essays；　in
  Contemporary　Review；　1876；　Macaulay's　famous　essay　in　Edinburgh
  Review；　1839；　Archbishop　Whately's　annotations　of　the　Essays　of
  Bacon；　the　general　Histories　of　England。
  GALILEO。
  A。　D。　1564…1642。
  ASTRONOMICAL　DISCOVERIES。
  Among　the　wonders　of　the　sixteenth　century　was　the　appearance　of　a
  new　star　in　the　northern　horizon；　which；　shining　at　first　with　a
  feeble　light；　gradually　surpassed　the　brightness　of　the　planet
  Jupiter；　and　then　changing　its　color　from　white　to　yellow　and　from
  yellow　to　red；　after　seventeen　months；　faded　away　from　the　sight；
  and　has　not　since　appeared。　　This　celebrated　star；　first　seen　by
  Tycho　Brahe　in　the　constellation　Cassiopeia；　never　changed　its
  position；　or　presented　the　slightest　perceptible　parallax。　　It
  could　not　therefore　have　been　a　meteor；　nor　a　planet　regularly
  revolving　round　the　sun；　nor　a　comet　blazing　with　fiery　nebulous
  light；　nor　a　satellite　of　one　of　the　planets；　but　a　fixed　star；　far
  beyond　our　solar　system。　　Such　a　phenomenon　created　an　immense
  sensation；　and　has　never　since　been　satisfactorily　explained　by
  philosophers。　　In　the　infancy　of　astronomical　science　it　was
  regarded　by　astrologers　as　a　sign　to　portend　the　birth　of　an
  extraordinary　individual。
  Though　the　birth　of　some　great　political　character　was　supposed　to
  be　heralded　by　this　mysterious　star；　its　prophetic　meaning　might
  with　more　propriety　apply　to　the　extraordinary　man　who　astonished
  his　contemporaries　by　discoveries　in　the　heavens；　and　who　forms　the
  subject　of　this　lecture；　or　it　poetically　might　apply　to　the
  brilliancy　of　the　century　itself　in　which　it　appeared。　　The
  sixteenth　century　cannot　be　compared　with　the　nineteenth　century　in
  the　variety　and　scope　of　scientific　discoveries；　but；　compared　with
  the　ages　which　had　preceded　it；　it　was　a　memorable　epoch；　marked　by
  the　simultaneous　breaking　up　of　the　darkness　of　mediaeval　Europe；
  and　the　bursting　forth　of　new　energies　in　all　departments　of　human
  thought　and　action。　　In　that　century　arose　great　artists；　poets；
  philosophers；　theologians；　reformers；　navigators；　jurists；
  statesmen；　whose　genius　has　scarcely　since　been　surpassed。　　In
  Italy　it　was　marked　by　the　triumphs　of　scholars　and　artists；　in
  Germany　and　France；　by　reformers　and　warriors；　in　England；　by　that
  splendid　constellation　that　shed　glory　on　the　reign　of　Elizabeth。
  Close　upon　the　artists　who　followed　Da　Vinci；　to　Salvator　Rosa；
  were　those　scholars　of　whom　Emanuel　Chrysoloras；　Erasmus；　and
  Scaliger　were　the　representatives；going　back　to　the　classic
  fountains　of　Greece　and　Rome；　reviving　a　study　for　antiquity；
  breathing　a　new　spirit　into　universities；　enriching　vernacular
  tongues；　collecting　and　collating　manuscripts；　translating　the
  Scriptures；　and　stimulating　the　learned　to　emancipate　themselves
  from　the　trammels　of　the　scholastic　philosophers。
  Then　rose　up　the　reformers；　headed　by　Luther；　consigning　to
  destruction　the　emblems　and　ceremonies　of　mediaeval　superstition；
  defying　popes；　burning　bulls；　ridiculing　monks；　exposing　frauds；
  unravelling　sophistries；　attacking　vices　and　traditions　with　the
  new　arms　of　reason；　and　asserting　before　councils　and　dignitaries
  the　right　of　private　judgment　and　the　supreme　authority　of　the
  Bible　in　all　matters　of　religious　faith。
  And　then　appeared　the　defenders　of　their　cause；　by　force　of　arms
  maintaining　the　great　rights　of　religious　liberty　in　France；
  Germany；　Switzerland；　Holland；　and　England；　until　Protestantism　was
  established　in　half　of　the　countries　that　had　for　more　than　a
  thousand　years　servilely　bowed　down　to　the　authority　of　the　popes。
  Genius　stimulates　and　enterprise　multiplies　all　the　energies　and
  aims　of　emancipated　millions。　　Before　the　close　of　the　sixteenth
  century　new　continents　are　colonized；　new　modes　of　warfare　are
  introduced；　manuscripts　are　changed　into　printed　books；　the
  comforts　of　life　are　increased；　governments　are　more　firmly
  established；　and　learned　men　are　enriched　and　honored。　　Feudalism
  has　succumbed　to　central　power；　and　barons　revolve　around　their
  sovereign　at　court　rather　than　compose　an　independent　authority。
  Before　that　century　had　been　numbered　with　the　ages　past；　the
  Portuguese　had　sailed　to　the　East　Indies；　Sir　Francis　Drake　had
  circumnavigated　the　globe；　Pizarro　had　conquered　Peru；　Sir　Walter
  Raleigh　had　colonized　Virginia；　Ricci　had　penetrated　to　China；
  Lescot　had　planned　the　palace　of　the　Louvre；　Raphael　had　painted
  the　Transfiguration；　Michael　Angelo　had　raised　the　dome　of　St。
  Peter's；　Giacomo　della　Porta　had　ornamented　the　Vatican　with
  mosaics；　Copernicus　had　taught　the　true　centre　of　planetary　motion；
  Dumoulin　had　introduced　into　French　jurisprudence　the　principles　of
  the　Justinian　code；　Ariosto　had　published　the　〃Orlando　Furioso；〃
  Cervantes　had　written　〃Don　Quixote；〃　Spenser　had　dedicated　his
  〃Fairy　Queen；〃　Shakspeare　had　composed　his　immortal　dramas；　Hooker
  had　devised　his　〃Ecclesiastical　Polity；〃　Cranmer　had　published　his
  Forty…two　Articles；　John　Calvin　had　dedicated　to　Francis　I。　his
  celebrated　〃Institutes；〃　Luther　had　translated　the　Bible；　Bacon　had
  begun　the　〃Instauration　of　Philosophy；〃　Bellarmine　had　systematized
  the　Roman　Catholic　theology；　Henry　IV。　had　signed　the　Edict　of
  Nantes；　Queen　Elizabeth　had　defeated　the　Invincible　Armada；　and
  William　the　Silent　had