“Amid the noblest of the land Men lay the _sage_ to rest, And give the _bard_ an honored place, With costly marble drest, In the great Minster transept Where lights like glories fall, And the choir sings and the organ rings Along the emblazoned wall.” A YOUNG MAN’S MESSAGE TO BOYS. December 7, 1884. When I came here in April last I brought with me some friends, among whom was my son. And I said to him that some day I should wish _him_ to speak to you. He had so recently been a college boy himself, graduating at the University of Pennsylvania, and he was so fond of the games and plays of boys, and withal was so deeply interested in boys and young men, that I thought he might be able to say something that would interest you, and perhaps do you good. At a recent meeting of the proper committee his name was added to the list of persons who may be invited to speak to you. The last time I was at the college President Fetterolf asked me when my son could come to address you, and I replied that he was sick. That sickness was far more serious than any of us supposed; there was no favorable change, and at the end of twelve days he passed away. My suggestion that he might be invited to speak here led him to prepare a short address, which was found among his papers, and has, within a few days, been handed to me. It was written with lead pencil, apparently hastily; and certainly lacking the final revision, which in copying for delivery he would have given it. I have thought it would be well for me to read to you this address; but I did not feel that I had any right to revise it, or to make any change in it whatever; so I give it precisely as he wrote it, adding only a word here and there which was omitted in the hurried writing. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.――Proverbs xvi. 32. I want you to look with me at the latter part of each of these sentences, and see if we can’t understand a little better what Solomon meant by such words “_the mighty_” and “_he that taketh a city_.” Do you remember the wonderful dream that came to Solomon just after he had been made king over Israel? How God came to him while he was sleeping and said to him, “Ask what I shall give thee,” and how Solomon, without any hesitation, asked for wisdom. And God gave him wisdom, so that he became famous far and wide, and people from nations far off came to see him and learn of him.