The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-09-06


more admire his productions. bgt even here
the SCENE Is variegated The tomb Of the
saf.iid aiscr TOO frequently towers Over and
oh4eufrs The earth which covers The once 20
nervous henrt nf sirinons Indulgence. The mag
nifeent rifles which hamnn vanity has reared
oyer the remains OF departed relatives, in all
. their splendid pomp, only note the place where
the remains of man nuulder silently INTO
ina Should the brow hayn been eufNined
with the wreaihs Of victory. or crowned with
tie lanre--shonld the deceased have lived in
yiftnnns inine---ahoyn all. should've have lived
in the affections of bis caunirymen. ve look
with reverence on The monument end rejoice
that departed worth Is told even in Tie gave
snd remembered IN the land But, little Of
thu Is seen in orr country The heart which
once sneled with the generosity and gloged
with ihc noblenc.s of frne greatness, Is coy-
cred in the eot7TTrr- garth with only green
sod or n few flowers 70 deck the place and
the only monument OF worth Is fixed IN the
remembrance of acquaintance, who will point
10 The spot, aud say, " There lies all that re-
mains oil good man" | was lately within
the enclosure Of burial plaee--nO church
halowed the spoi--no labored monument OF
human vanity aspired TO elevate the humbled
dnsi--bni the willow went Ger the fraily of
life, and the dark grove which encircled and
rosr above II. entwined is spreading branches,
as II 10 hide from view the place where the
pride Of man was BUNDLED Only in one or
two spots was seen the white marble, which
told The simple tale of life and 1eath--all
rlse were little mounds, With here and there
n board or rough stone, On which was marked
in rude characters the fate Of the sleeper
On one was roughly chiselled the brief histo-
nv of a patflot--no pompons assemblnge OF
idle words--no tale of woudrons virtues--but
only, III foachthi eounirys bafties, md dicd
IN her glorious eaust" And this was enough
II recalled the recolleetiens Of other tmes-
OF our blcssings---.our libertes--.onr peaceful
and plonirous homes--oi the proud foe who
had dared 10 invade our rights-and OF The
.lnniberng hero who bad sacrificed himself on
his conniry's shrine This simple monument
excited feelings of gratitude which the proud
pile could never inspire HARPER.
lIenrYs CANCELLATIONS, untopg The 7ombs,
cast n magic spell around the hallowed burial
places OF the dead, which they had before
wanted Who has rcadh his fervid pages, glow
ing with The most animated descriptions, and
the liyeliest similitudes, without emotions
which defy every effort at delneation =
While We read, we behold the tomba and &C.
metefics where are deposited the remains oi
those whom we have loved and admired. We
see the contracted mound which coneoals from
view the infant, that has been called 10 the
Joys of heaven ere j, had tasted of the Ills oi
earth Distinguished by no memorial, or at
most by rude one, we sec the grave. OF the
honest sen Of pennry and toi--no scupturod
marble tells us who rests beneath--yet the
grass looks as green aud grows as luxuriantly
rs though the bones Of the mightest nabob of
the land mouldered there We see the mo-
numents of the rich proudly rising above Che
turi-eovered hilloeks OF the poor, and read on
them The impassioned EXPLANATIONS of gief,
The unaffected mementos of friendship, and the
nduation of parasites. But what avail them
all Their bones rattle not In their colins
when their epiiaphs are rehearsed 10y the pass
ing traveller nor do their ETHEREAL spirits
which have fed TO their Father and their
God, bend from their mansions in the world
OF shadows, To catch the sounds as they are
waited by the "winged brcezcs'
How instructive are the lt ssons which nav
be drawn from .contemplations Of this ma
tnre
We beholdWe tomb of thu miser Whcrf
Is the wealth for which he laborod in the
accumulation of which he spent his days in
toll aud his nights in trouble In The hands
OF dissipated spendthrift.
We look on the grave Of the sensualist
Whore are the gilded toys which he so ar
DENLY pursued where the painted butterflies
at which he so eagerly grasped They are all
buried with him.
We contemplate the end OF the ambitious
Where are his golden dreams Where the
diRdem, 10 wear which he waded through seas
OF blood Does il glitter on his browo Alas,
That browis hollow now, andthe grave worm
riots on the brain that gave ii animation The
arm which Ind hewn down many stout foe
man in the hour of battle is nerveess and
Powerless The form, which moved with the
majesty ct u god between contcnding ranks,
giving life TO It's followers has itself LOST the
NitU spark, aud nothing remains but an mani.
mate clod of clay He who CRASHED at the
empire OF the weird, is at last content with
The narrow honse," from which the power
oil all the Caesars could not save him.
Where is the scholar and his fancied fame
Where is the name to perpetuate which he
wasted his life in study Buried in oblivion.
We reflect on the end of the wicked -
Where are they In the hands of the Ruler of
the Universe. Where are the joys which they
Rugged Sc closely to their bosomso where the
vicious pleasures in which they engaged !,
Where the brilliant sunshine which they tho't
| Their own forever Sunk TO everlasting n;obt
We witness the end of the virtuous! We
see him, in bis last hours, leaning on his