Asahel Clark Philomathesian Society oration

[attached label, centered]

[centered] MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

[illustration of building turret]

[centered] THE EGBERT STARR LIBRARY

[red stamp, centered]] Vermont Room

[diagonal red stamp, right of center] Pamphlet File

378. 743 KC 59

[centered] Middlebury

[right of center] @ 29^th August 1806.

[stamp, centered] MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE LIBRARY

[centered] John Kellogg Property [right of center] August 29^th 1806

[centered] Oration

Delivered at Meetinghouse in Middlebury on the 20^th Day of August A.D. 1806. Being the anniversary Commencement of Middlebury College

[centered] ~ Oration ~

Nature in perspective, is more a passion uniform and consistent the vale, Clothed with the willow and Jessamine breathing Zep=hyrs [zephyrs], perfumed by its own flowers, & the mounta=in [mountain] in its majestic pride deriding the thunders of heaven, fro form at one view, a pleasing, harm=onious [harmonious] scene. But observed in detail, the rose and the thorn are shaded by the same cypress, & the violet is invaded by the bramble, the regular=ity [regularity] of the mountain is interrupted by bold declivities and frightful precerpices [sic], and all appears wild extravagance and disorder, the planets in their several Orbits, with wild anomaly, now roll Coincident, now cross each other's Course, approaching or receding conj=oint [conjoint] or opposite. But viewed Collectively, the same Law governs all their motions, the same because Common Centre holds them in their Courses. Just so it is with man. Individually constant

by passions, Inclinations and Interests vary=ing [varying] with every circumstance of his life, each for himself holds his momentary course with no common principle to guide or direc=t [direct]. But seen in the existence of ages, his nature is a system, of this system, we have know not the beginning, we see not the end, we must ^ therefore judge of its probable issue (nature) from wha=t [what] we have seen. Oour [sic] knowledge of Nature is our observance of effects produced, that which is, is noticed by us as a fact: but the (modus operandi) is never revealed, deceived therefore by mistake by appearances we are very liable to mistake. But errors, which are only so in theory are harmless in fact. I shall therefore hazard an opinion concerning the nature of man, which if not true is certainly not dangerous, I shall reason from the past, to the future, from the progressive Improvement of man, to his perfectability. [in pencil, two vertical strokes, crossed at top] history Clearly proves, that man has been in a ^ state of progressive state of / Improvement from the earliest times