American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-08-29
ELEGANT EXTRACT.

From an Address to the Members of Solomon
Lodge, No. 8. Of Poughkeepsie, on the anniver
sary of st. John the Baptist, June "a, A. L
5S2S; by James G. Brooks, Esq.
1t is now nearly three thousand years since tn,
foundation OF Masonry; as yet it has resisted the
destroying band OF time. Kingdoms have arisen
hourished and fallen--the rock of power, the ada
mant ofgenius have crumblrd--morai earthquakes
have dashed in ruin the strongest, the Unrest fabrics
OF human enterprise and of human wisdom; Ma
sonry has remained unbroken--it has not bent to
the storm, nor hath il died in the sluggish calm.
If we examine the nature and progress ofman's in
stltutions, shall find them all partaking of tina,
'mutability which characterizes his own strange,
and ftful, and feversh existence perishablc him
SELF how can he confer eternity upon his works =?
He erects his statue of BRASS the colossus OF ages
triumphant Time thou hurlest it to the dust
True, he can ascend the ever-during arch of Fame,
and nscribe there the letters of his immortality
he can kindlc the fire OF his renown which blazes
for ages, beacon to the universe but he cannot
recall the last faint sigh of existence protect his
trophies against the scylhe Of destruction. Go, and
learn this truth from the melancholy picture Of
History Go, and moralize amidst the ruins OF
Thebes, and ask where are her hundred gates, her
thousands OF charots and her millions Of warriors
''Ah there in desolation cold
The desert serpent dwelS alone,
Where grass o'eTgrows each mould'ring stone,
And stones themselves to ruin grown
Are gray and deah-like Old"
Go and learn wisdom from solitary Tyre, and ask
where are her golden palaces and her numberless ma
vies Go ask OF Egypt where are her twenty thous-
and cities, her temple Of the sun, her Oracle OF
Ammon, and her sacred fountain there the sun
now shines bleak waste, the voice Of the oracle
hath been silent Tor ages, and the wild weed hath
long waved in the bed OF its fountain Let Maccdon
produce the trophies Of her conquering son-let
Persia shew The diadem of Cyrus and the spear of
Cambyses; they are envcloped by the oblivious
PAIL and the mournfu voice OF History tells only
that they hare been. So it is with man, and with
the works of man-child of doubt and danger-the
spectre Of uncertainty bends over his Graded sum-
Der, darkeDs the warm noon of his manhood and
extends his dusky arm over the evening of his de-
clne-he walks forth in his majesty, the image oil
God, and the Lord of creaon-his path is on the
mighty deep-his footsteps are on the lofty noun
tain-he stands on his proud eminencc, and looks
down on subject world. Look once again, and
where is he? The mysterious fire of his existence
s cxtinguished-he cold clod presses on his cold
-r bosom-the dull worm banquets on that brow
where once sparkled genius and beauty--and the
'harnel shroud enwraps that form where once glow
ID the star OF honor and the purple of dominion.
Since, then, instability is inherent in the very ma
ure OF man, and spreads itself over all his works
We can best Judge OF the value Of all institutions by
heir longer or shorter resistance to subduing Time
We are safe in the assertion, that no society can
compete with ours in duration-it hath resisted eve
y change and braved every tempest-it hath stood
irm and beheld the spreading pine of Assyra
trewing the earh with its branches, in vast and gil
,antic ruin-it hath the rising fool of mighty
losts desolate imperial Babylon--it hath seen the
tarry throne Of the Just Haroun broken down--it
ath seen the majestic eagle ofthe Romans extend
ng his dark form over battle fields.
&C Where deaths brief pang was quickest,
And the battles wreck lay thickest,
Strewed beneath the advancing banner
Of the eagles burning crest;
There, with thunder-couds to fan her,
Who could then her wing arrest,
Victory beaming from her breast :"
All, that wing was arrested, and the proud bird
truck down, prey to the vultures of the northern
orests. 30 It hath been--the pomp the pageantry
he mightness Of nations have been humbed the
and of obscurity had spread its folds over palace,
nd temple, and tower. The fierce storm of war
nd the lazy moth of luxury have united in this
,ork OF destruction ; and the impetuous wave of
ime hath ever been checquered by the fragments
t glory and the wrecks of magnifcence, floating
long in fearful and melancholy ruin.
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