an address delivered at the opening of the third session of the belfast historic society

Belfast Monthly Magazine

An Address Delivered at the Opening of the Third Session of the Belfast Historic SocietyAuthor(s): John TempletonSource: The Belfast Monthly Magazine, Vol. 13, No. 74 (Sep. 30, 1814), pp. 189-194Published by: Belfast Monthly MagazineStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30075373 .

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1814.] An Address delivered by John Templeton. 189

articulate, in order to rectify which, he thrusts into his mouth a few plugs of tobacco. This at ,once excites a

copious portion of fluidity, and from its acid qualities aftects the nerves in such a powerful manner as to

produce an inimense quantity of those grimaces, which are frequently ihposed upon the vulgar, for the

genuine effects of that religion which is pure and without alloy, sin- cere, and u laftfectetl,free from super- stition and hypocrisy. He then takes out his two pocket handktrchiefs, one in each hand, and after blowing his nose with the one used to please the vulgar, he wipes it with this po. lite one; takes out his snuff-box, goes through all the genteel ma. nceuvres, and takes a copious pinch. lie makes a tedious introduction, with a few occasional interruption1s of sineezing and wiping his nose. After employing a considerable time in convincing his audience by ocular demonstration, that he has a

very handsome watch, he increases in vigour, takesa new quid, grows palhettc, thumps the cushion, enmp- ties his

snutyJbox (which lay opetn)

upon the nead and eyes of the un

offending clerk; his fury then in creases, Isis passion beconmes un. bounded, and amidst the greatest paroxysms of rage, he showers mouthfuls of the tobacco essence upon all around him, to the unspeak. able injury of silks and muslins.

Some of our fashionable preachers in the preseilt age, in order to

spin out the time, prolong every word to

its greatest extent, and articulate every syllable, so as to render their sermons a continuation of emphati- cal monotony. Others again who

delight in sacred music, sing all their prayers and sermons to the old tune of Dublin, and thus waft their meditations on the wiags of

imeludy, to the throne of God. The

vulgar ear is imnrdiately caplivat-

ed by these musical strains, and our singing orators all become quite popular. Habit has -,) recon- ciled the old people to this sort of canting, that should any one void of the melodious voice and fashion. able hypocrisy ascend the pulpit, he is itmmediately branwled with the

appellation of a new lig/ht heterodoxo- ian, qui:e devoid of that sancti- moniousair, lengthened face and Cal. vinistic tune possessed by the dowrr. right, red/hot orthodoxi divines. I would therefore strongly recol mend such parents as are apt tofmreordain their children to the church, early to teach themn the tune of Dublisa; to apply to their faces sucih emtul- lient plasters and salves as will

prod duce an extraordinary tension of the muscles, and suspendl the chin at least fifteen or sixteen inches. It will likewise be necessary to drill those elected sons of Levi, in the exercise of snuffing and sneezing, and using the white and dark poc. ket handkerchiefs. From the encreas- ing price of tobacco, it might appear advisable to teach them to chew, as while in their early state of probation their fitances might seldom allow them to get a quld. Upon a parity of reasonin4g soite people will affirm that, the use of snuff should likewise be prohibited ; but my reply to thisi is, that as the mouth gets so much food, the nose being a near relative, and peaceful neighbour, has certainly a claim to a little, ANs ANtzitURIAN,

For the Belfast AMonthly/ Magazine.

AN ADDRESS DELIVE IED AT THE OPEN. ING OF THE 'I'tlmD sLL-vtoN OF THE bELFAST HITis'ORIC soCIETY, BY JOHN TEMPLETON, H.M B.H.S, AUGUST 2r 2H, 18i3.

ROM.11 the firsl establishnwmnt of this society, I hailed it as an a-



190 An Address delivered by John Templeton [Sept. rent fraught with the greatest bene. fit to the individuals who compose it, and conceived that from it our

country must derive even more last- ing benefits.

lHow far the power of the orator extends, I need scarcely pretend to

display ; you have had examples enouhiih since the intitution of this

society to frm anopinion ; you can all say, how often have my ideas been changed when I have heard v what could be advanced in opposition

to my belire too promptly adopted opinion. From this it may be easy for 6ou to conceive how mankind

Must be alfxcted

when the full tide of elc(letm e flows, with its true ac- companiimetit of graceful action. The finger of envy, nay, ptrhaps even calumny may be pointed at you. But ket nothing retard you in your desire for acquiring knowledge. Your country demands your powers whatever they be, and you are bound to obey the call. She calls not now upon you to oppose an invading feoe, but site calls upon you to cultivate those talents with which nature has endowed you, that you may be equally qualified to quiet a turbulent people, resist the insid- ioo. encroachments of a tyrant, or plead the cause of suffering inno- cence.

It is the cultivation of the mind which tlevates a man above his fellow men.

It is mind alone which raises states, it is the want of wisdom which de- presses them.

It was the mind of Alexander that conquered Ildia.

It was from a mind highly enrich. ed with sciesce that the immortal Cook derived confidence amidst the coral rocks of the vast Pacific, and when icy mountains threatened him with destruction in seas whose wares hail never yielded to the crooked keel. It is the mind alone

which can lead the mortal to conm- prehend the system of the universe, and to approach that I:nnmortal Spirit by whom all things are and were created.

The sublime effusi.,us

from the minds of Pvtha_,-ra4, Plato, and Ar:stotle, yet influence their suc- cessors in the study of phlloqnphy; and Euclid and Newton will remain among the first rank of benefactors of the human race, as long as the social chain shall bind society to- gether.

Whether then we view the gar- trnor of a state rousing the eineruies of the people to curb the oppressor, or rivetting the fetters of slavery ; the hand which launches a ship on the ocean, or yokes the peaceful plough, the superior powe rs of knowledge over ignorance are alike con. spicuous.

Whtever then wishes to make men happy and great, let them endea- your to extend the powers of mind. Let them endeavour to banish from society all those perwits, lhether entitled professions or amusements, which tend to raise the more turbulent passions. Drunkenness and gaming have too long disturbed civr- ilized society, carrying in their train a long list of evils. It is during intoxication the barrier of virtue is generally broken, the thorny path* of vice made smooth, and the hand of the assassin armed even against the breast of his benefac- tor.

Gaming with its mild insidious grace captivates the unwary victim; first gently pleasing dreams dwell on the imagmnation; attention soon becomes more fixed, then all the angry passionsare aroused, with their attending demon; remorse for friends, for honour, for subsistence gone, conspire to impel the despairing maniac on to self-destruction. But let as turn from these gloomy pic.



1814.] at the Belfast Historic Society. 191

turep. To the most active mind, the most fertile genius, the exhaustless field of science invites to pursuits with which health of body and

peace f mind are the constant at. tendailts.

Whether you trace the circling planets in their course, and investi- gate the laws which retain them ia their orbits, or directing, your inqulir- ies ut this world which we inhabit, you traverse it in pursuit of the alim lted and inanimate objects that

present themselves on all sides, each subject presents such charms, and gives such never-tailing pleasure, as the votaries of gaiety and dissipation never feel.

I wish I could impres it on your 4minds, and on the mind of every Irishman, that engagitig in serious pursuits was the true means of en-. joying happrmes ; we omy laugh at

mnimiLry and jests, we may be cap- tivated by music for the moment, but it is those ideas which dwell upon the mind,, which we fix upont our

imagination, and at distant periods recollect with pleasure, that afford true happiness.

The possession of knowledge gives an independence, a self possession in every situation, whether it is before the tribunal of a despot, or amidst the wild horrors of a tem- pestuous sea. I congratulate you on the happy Choiie you have made of subjects for diicussion. There are few subjects of study from which a member ol civilized society de rives greater advantages than that of the laws and constitution of his

country. A knowledge of the constitution

of his country is the must netessary information which a:i inhabitant canl be in possession ot, alter his immedi- ate necessaries are within his colt- mand.

Without this knowltdge his free-

dom is insecure, his property is not his own.

There is no man however law his rank in the scale of society who may tnot be called upon to defend either

himself or his property from aggres- sion.

Without a knowledge of the latws, a man may be induced to commit an act which will involve him in ruin; by a knowledge of the laws he is taught to govern his passions, and by knowing the value of their pro. tection to endeavour to preserve them from violation, and to tuifil their mandates.

By a knowledge of the laws, a man is enabled to judge of their utility, to support and hold sacred the good, and to demand in a legal, but independent tone, the abolition of the bad.

By a kiowledge of the laws he is enabled to fill with credit to himself; and advantage to his country, the i'mportant offices of legislator, ma- gistrate and juryman.

But I need not take up your time in endeavouring to display the ad- vantamges of this species of know- ledgie, more able men have already pointed out the path for you to pur. sue, and urged the necessity of di. recting yout attention to this study; and lear not that it will beunattended with pleasure. Examining the prin- ciples wnich form the bonds with which mankind are united, we find that even the wild inhabitants of New Holland are bound by laws; a few lessons of the father impress up. on his young successor the srmple coide, but in our state of society, connected as we are with the neiot distant regions, and where wealtl giving power produces a constant struggle for the acquirement of riches, a more complicated system of necessity prevails.

Laying however, the necessity of



192 An Address delivered by John Pempleton [Sept.

the study aside, we may view it as the best introduction to the history ot our country; in our statutes we perceive what vices have prevailed, what public works have been un- dertaken, and what new inventions, infant manufactures, branches of

comieniirce, or improvements in agri-

culture, have met witl national cn- courageniert ; was this portion of knowledge alone necessary, and were we contented with this, here then might we cease our pursuit, but the unsatiated anid ever activ'e spirit of Man stretching his re- searches fiom earth to the celestial spheres, which roll their mighty orbs above, and desirous of penrtrat- ing even into futurity, is naturally lea to inquire into his origin, and the history of his species.

The page of the historian forms the connecting link between the former and the present age. On it we view as in a glass, man in every stage with one hand grasping at Heaven, while with the other he clings to the infernal regions.

It is the canvass on which is por- trayed the virtues andti vices of mankind. It is the Polar Star to guide us on our course, but guard your- selves with a dragon's never

ceasinlg d ;atchfulness against the false ideas,

erroneous opinions, and prejudices vhith it has transmhitterl rid and which time has nrow const crated.

Examine its possibility by bringing it into comparison ;vith piesent existing facts, its probability by scru- tiniziig the moral principle, the means of inIm omation, rid impartial- hy of the narrator, by this review

you will hbe enableld to deterlninie what degree of certainty, of import- ance, of practical utility may be derived from history.

It is not the marching of armies, the numblers of slain, the

arrarc.e- ments for the battie, the passing of laws, peculiar customs fthich appear,

it is to the circumstances which pre- ceded these acts; you should direct your attention to the series of events which produced the battle, the law, and the Custom,; by this mtians you will derive benefit from vour stud- ies, you will derive experience front those who have already acted their parts on the great theatre of tilhe world.

That the proper study of mankind is man, is a long acknowledged max- im. And as long as man is a social being, as long as man meets his fellow man, either with the smile' of a friend or the frown of an ene- my, a knowledge of the human mind, its feelings and propensities must form one of the first, the most important parts of education: and happily there are few who are not impelled by curiosity, and gratified in tracing the progress of the human mind, and reviewing the actions of men, from that period, hein ti.e spontaneous produce of the earth afforded sustenance, and the umbra- geous trees of the forest gave pro- tecti,,n lfrom the summenr's inoontide heat and winter's cold, to the in. considerate, unambitious inhlabitants of the almost trackless waste, and comparing it with succeeding times, when the most distant seas are tirade to present their inhabitants, aiid the inmost recesses of tire earth are perel rated, and its splendid ontents reared upon its surlace either to de- cor'ate tire habitation or gratify the boundless vanity of man.

By means of the labours of the historian, we are enabled to trace the progress of the still improving mind, from the simple and scatnty ideas evolved during the savage state, through the splteshd ages of Greece and Rowne, to the still more enlarged display of intellectual powers %hich mrark this period in which we live, when the widely cultivated field of ki;owledge, br iings tile

wholaL



1814.] at the Belfast Historic Society. 193

energies of the spul into action, when the elements are made invisi- ble at the will of man, and the ada. mant resolved into air. \hen the waves on their ever restless surface hear hist to the most distant climes, and he mounts into the regions of infinlite space borne on the wings of the wind.%

It is by contemplating the history of man, that the mind ind nds repose when disgusted with the events which forever present themselves to our view. It is by the study of history we are led to look with com-r posure on the soul haras;ing trans- acti:ms of our day, to perceive the narrow boundaries to which our view of futurity is confined, and to see the sublime truth fully illustrat- ed, that however our most sanguine hopes may be disappointed, and that although mighty empires may he overturned, destructi(n sweep the land and sea, the same Almighty Governor of the world presides. Thus is the philosophic mind enlight- ened by historical research, led to exclaim " whatever is, is right."

Bit to none of the objects em- braced by this society shoild your atteniion be more par icu arly turied,, an.l from onite can you derive greater advantages, than from the s lnly of individual characters, the biormra. plhy of great men.

'Tire general

historian gives to our view the traos- actions of socie:ies, but the htsimy of individuals not less

intcrest.r ,

lost amlidst the great events whicik enigae his attention, presr(;Its a r1.m- del for inmmediate

intitation. The portrait deineated by the biogralpher is either useful or detri- niental to society in proportion as the virtues which adorni, or the vices which deform his picture,are sketch. ed by the bold hand of truth. How oftlct have we seen the man whose mad ambition led him to rejoice in tihe waste of human lile, who look.

ed with complacency on the ensan. gained plain covered with the mang- led limbs of his fellow creatures, at the flaming town lurying be- neath its ruins the peaceful inhabi. tants, whose stern heart was un- moved with the dying groans, the shrieks of widows and orphans, presented to our view in the most fas- cinating colours His ambition called the love of glory, and his un- feeling cruelty said to le justified by the peculiarity of the circumstances; while the friend of virtue. whose bosom heaves a sigh when his benevolent exertions cohld not succour the distressed, received no mark of approbation, his plain un- varniihed tale is incapable of ex- citing the turbulent passions, or of bringing forward a youthful hero. Yet if we viewed the indnstrious citizen, the artist, and philosopher, in their course, if we were present. ed with a faithful record of their successful and unsuccessful efforts in their various pursuits, it would be more worthy our attention than the more brilliant progress of the mar. tial hero It is however fro

n bio.

graphy we receive the true idea of the exalted station which iJan oc- copies ia the creation. In the pages of the biographer may be seen the path which leald towards Fame; it is there we are presented with the u!nJviatin.g nted!e, wunereiy tosteer olr course, antd there we perceive what dlficulties well direc:ed perse- verance may overcome.

RMiti a. an individual is more bedlpess, than the beasts of the field; t rine his infancy he requires the tembll-rt.t care to rear his body to matnuritv ; on h's approach towards

nla.hon,l his iaind requires equal

attelition, aiAl when arrived at man- hood, the coillisiin of iii mnd in uni- son with hii owvi, and a continual series of bright examples presented to hihn, can alone stimulate him to



19& An Address delivered by Robert Grimshaw, [Sept.

that application, that exertion re- quired to ensure success in the at- tainment of knowledge.

To be contemporary, with New- too, Locke, Ialler, Linnaus, Black, Lavoisier, or Laplace; to converse with them, tohave such men daily before our eyes. to hear the praises bestowed on them, to see the high station which they occupy, and be- hold the honours conferred on them by the wisest and greatest men of

every nation, may rouse the fire of enthusiasm, create adesire to pur. sue their course, and to emulate their fame. Few, however, can

etnjoy this

enviable situation, and to supply the deficiency, the biographer re- cords their actions in the annals of the world, and thus presents an e;- ample to future ages.

Learn to admire the virtuous and the great: true admiration naturally excites a desire to imitate and I am happy that the investigation of character forms so prominent a portion of the labours of the Historic

Society ; you will learn by this*" that your confidence is a jewel not to he staked on the cast of a die, it must be deserved, not won," and remem. ber that intricate are the paths which lead to truth, how thankful must we therefore be, to those who

guide our wandering steps, tell uS how others erred, and how they were successful.

The brazen statue and the mar- ble columnt fall into dust, but the

pen of the historian confers all eter- nity on the actions of tmen, andi

*transmnits them to the most distant period of time. The writings of Moses remain, and the heroes of

Plutarch pass before our eyes, al-

though the poalpous cities which the one describes, and thc statues which were erected to the heroes of the other, have long since united with the earth from which they fprung.

But the truths which even this so-

ciety may establish, may remain a monument of its existence long after we have

desce,,dell into the

peaceful grave, and those walls which surround us, crumbled into dust, have been dispersed by the winds of heaven.

For the Belfast MontBly Magazim.

AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY ROBERT

GRIMSHAW, AS PUESIDENT OF THE

BELFAST HISTORIC SOCIETY, AT

THE CLoSE (IF THE SESSION, END-

ING SIsT MAY, 1814.

GENTLEMEN,

IT is now about three years since a nuomher of young men, desir-

ous of promoting the study of history and the cultivation of oratory, formed themselves into a society which they named the Belfast His- toric Society.

In framing the constitution of this establlishment, it was thought advisable that each session should be opened by an address from the cphair, and closed in the same man- trir.

One month prior to the close of the session a member is ballotted for, to fulfil this duty ; when this ballot took place, the gentleman who had the most numerous votes, found it recessary to decline the of-

fice, in consequence of expected absence at that time : the task then devolved on tle, and uotwithstanid- itg the pride I felt Irom the honor

cornferrea on me by the society, in thus overratin, my merit, 1 feel a

painful consciousness of my inability to perform the task with satisfaction to them or credit to myself. I ac-

cepted it with ftelieigs of regret, that the gentlemnan who was first ap-

pointed, could not now address you,



an address delivered at the opening of the third session of the belfast historic society

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