18655 July 14 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. BOSTON. H. W. DUTTON AND SON, PRINTERS, 37 Congress Street. PREFACE. THE first three articles in this volume, together with that on a disputed passage of Shakespeare, never have been printed before. That which stands earliest in the order of arrangement was pronounced at the request of the New England Society of New York, in December, 1856. The author has thought it proper to retain, for this performance, the title under which it was written and spoken, although it will be seen, that a suitable reason induced him to modify somewhat his original plan. The second production was delivered a year ago, and also more recently on several occasions, as a Lyceum Lecture; and the third was given, also as a Lecture, before various similar associations, about ten years since. The Address, at the dedication of Horticultural Hall, originally published by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, has been subjected to some slight changes, chiefly of expression, for the purposes of the present publication. The brief eulogy on General Taylor was offered to the Circuit Court of the United States for the First Circuit, at the opening of its session, July 15, 1850, while the author held the office of Attorney of the |