Essential principle of self-improvement, again.

Conclusion.

And so in the other case. If our traveller starts with too much luggage, he must exercise as much discretion to be rid of the surplus, and to retain what he wants most, and to use that residue as he should. He needs the philosophy of self-education as much in the one case as in the other.

And so he needs it in all cases. He needs it, as his true nature is, not to live merely, as an animal, or to learn merely, as a man. It is, not to live to learn, but to learn to live. It is, for this end, to mature, in their due proportion, all the capacities of his constitution. It is to avail himself of all the means which his Maker has given him. It is, in a word, to act, and to become, as that Being designed, and as he requires him ;— as he requires him, when, in his Revelation, he bids him to be also perfect as He is perfect ;-as he designed him, when, at the dewy dawn of this beautiful creation around us, breathing into him the breath of his mortal life, he breathed into him a living and a deathless soul,— a spark from the flame of his own spirit,-instinct with powers as illimitable in their advancement as the flight of the far ages of the future, and destined to be but in the beginning of their career, when the stars, that sang together at their birth, shall roll no more. This will be working out God's will, and his own salvation, by working out himself. It will be working out himself, with His blessing, physically, intellectually, socially, spiritually,—in all things, for time and for eternity,—the model of a Man.— And that will be the end of his Self-Education.

SEMI-MONTHLY RECORD.

THE WINTER LYCEUMS.

THE operations of the Lyceums, throughout New England, so far as our information extends, and we have happened to have, in various ways, considerable means of keeping them pretty constantly in view,-have been generally carried on, during the season which may now be said to be closed-the Lyceum Season-with a good deal of energy and intelligent spirit; we are inclined, on the whole, to believe, with more than during any preceding campaign. This was, in some respects, hardly to be expected, though in others it was to be. Those who calculated very much on the attractions of curiosity, and the love of anything new, and very little on the attractions of knowledge, and improvement, and emulation, and the love of anything really good, and which wears well, must now be agreeably disappointed. The Lyceum System is not yet perfect, to be sure. It is not time that it should be. It is in its infancy still; the oldest in the United States, and that means, we take it, in the civilized world,—are not much, if any, over ten years old. Of course, it is not yet either matured in theory or established in fact. Just enough has been done in both departments,—in the theorization of the truth and in the realization of the application of it in practice, to justify all the rational expectations of those enlightened and excellent men, (Mr. Holbrook not among the least,) who so strenuously, in the days of small things and of great doubt and coldness, exerted themselves, and even exposed their reputation to some risk, in the anxious advocacy and the laborious establishment of the scheme. The state of the case, we say, justifies such rational expectations. Though faults appear perhaps everywhere in the system, or in the circumstances of its application, or its effect, they are also diminishing. The fact that they appear, ought to be an encouragement. They must ap

pear, in order to be remedied or removed. Such is actual experience, or such it ought to be, always. It has been so in this case, eminently. New improvements have been constantly making. Fresh interest has been excited in proportion. A few institutions, indeed, for special reasons,-prematurity or irregularity of formation, or some other accidental cause,―have gone into "declines,” and breathed (we hope) their last-or the sooner they do the better; but others, and far more, have arisen, under better auspices-the result of reflection added to experience-and multiplied, and flourished, in every direction around us, from the St. Croix to the banks of the Hudson. The Lyceum Science was never so well understood as it is now. The Lyceum System was never in so vigorous operation. The friends of the education of the people have occasion to rejoice that it is so; and so of course have the People themselves.

The BOSTON LYCEUM We suppose to be one of the comparative veterans in this field. This institution has never been in so prosperous a condition as during the past winter. Its course of exercises has surpassed all preceding courses, in worth and interest; and their popularity has been proportional. Patronage we do not call it. Nobody is said to patronize himself; and this Lyceum System, well followed up, is simply the people, in their education and best improvement, taking their own business into their own hands. This they have done in Boston, so far as the work of the winter goes, beyond all example. The Lyceum has had an audience perhaps double, on an average, that of even the most active season preceding the last; say from twelve hundred to twice that number, according to circumstances; very generally a punctual, and even crowded attendance. The MECHANICS' LyCEUM has also been carried on with great interest and benefit.

The SALEM LYCEUM, though it now owns a large, ample and convenient hall for its meetings, intended to accommodate at least five hundred, has sold tickets enough to fill that room twice; and its lectures have therefore been regularly repeated on successive evenings, for the accommodation of all. The SPRINGFIELD LYCEUM has found itself none too amply provided for in the spacious town hall of that place. The same

is true at Charlestown, where the room will seat perhaps from seven hundred to one thousand. At Portsmouth, as in Boston, an old theatre has been converted into a lyceum hall. Pit, boxes, galleries, stage and all, we have seen covered with the audience; and to carry out the transformation, at Portsmouth, a small but excellent band of musicians, playing half an hour before the exercises commenced, occupied the place of the orchestra of the days gone by. This is a transformation to some purpose. The building referred to in Boston was formerly occupied by the followers of Abner Kneeland. At Newton Falls, and other places, they use a church; and this and other institutions have been in the habit of adapting their exercises, in some degree, very properly, to the sacred character of the place. The NEWTON LYCEUM has grown out of an old temperance society, the soul of which still lives, and thrives, more or less, in the body of its successor. The RUMFORD INSTITUTE, at Waltham, is another of our best lyceums, adapted specially to the factory girls and women in the place. It is also among the very oldest; we believe, ten years. At Brookline, they have gone on prosperously under the form of a debating society, with lectures by turns. In Boston, and other towns, many courses have been got up without so much of an ostensible organization, which have been attended by crowds. In the city, there have been six or eight very considerable simultaneous operations of this sorthistorical, literary, scientific, miscellaneous, and otherwise.

These are signs of the times, and very encouraging ones. It is pleasant also to see the disposition manifested, not only by the mass of the community, but by those individuals among them whose example and aid are of especial importance. Our first men are taking hold of this matter;-the first in all their several departments. We have noticed with pleasure the appearance of such men as the Everetts, Sparks, Bancroft, Barber, Cushing, Farrar, Palfrey, Choate, Silliman, and other veterans in their several departments, in company and close competition with their younger associates. The introductory lecture before the WORCESTER LYCEUM, We notice, was given by one of our distinguished senators in Congress, the other of whom is the President of the Boston

Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. Our present governor has not thought it unworthy of his station, to fill the humble but useful place of presiding officer of the Lyceum in his own town, and to appear as a lecturer, in the midst of all his other duties, before that and others. This, we say, is encouraging. We want our first men to take hold with us. We want every man to contribute his share; and theirs is a large one. The People themselves must see to that. If they respect and help themselves, they will be respected and helped accordingly.

TEMPLE OF EDUCATION.-We trust that the project of erecting a building on a magnificent scale, in some central part of the city, for the use of our popular associations, will not be abandoned. It was not for want of encouragement, but in consequence of the public mind being almost entirely engrossed by the Bank question, and the pressure in the money market, that the movement made some time ago to this purpose was suspended. It was the unanimous opinion of the joint committee of the various associations, that such a building was needed in the city. The Odeon has since been made to supply the deficiency to some extent, but we believe that such an edifice is yet needed, to supply the increasing demand of the growing population of the city, for more and more of the means of improvement, of all sorts, and that it would not render any other less profitable. It would be at once an exemplary proof, and a noble monument, of the devotedness of Boston to the cause of popular education and improvement.

HANOVER LYCEUM.-This Lyceum was established only a few weeks since, through the enterprise of a few individuals, who were of the opinion that such a society was needed to accommodate the north and west portions of the city. Several interesting lectures have been given, and the Lyceum is now in a flourishing condition. It promises to be of considerable benefit to those for whom it is specially designed.