The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-04-14

'oui iame, OF sndt OF any OF us HdHsCCbu
this mountain Caucasus, or be waited
over yonder Ganges9 Who, in the ex>
tremities of the east or the west, the
north or the south, will ever hear Of your
renown /? Within what scanty limits,
then, IS your glory circumscribed, and
even those who speak of you, how long
will they speak 70
"Posteri,y," proceeded Africanus,
"may desire TO transmit to their descend.
ants the praises of some of US ;--bu, still,
deluges,c onfiagra,;ons, physical ravages,
which sometimes necessarily occur will
deny to our fame eternity or even long
duration. OF what concern to you arc
the praises of future generations, which
'ou can never hear, especially as none Of
these eulogists can outlivc single year
Men, indeed, commonly measure the
year by one revolution of the sun, that is
ola single. sign but the true year is not
consumma,ed, until all the sigDs after
revolving around the whole system, re
turn to the place whence they first pro-
ceeded. In this long interval / scarcely
venture to say how many ages Of man
are comprised. When the soul OF
Remulus returned to heaven, the sun de-
MED his light to mortals, and seemed to
be extinguishsd when he shall be OBJ
scured in the same region of the universe,
all the signs will then have finished their
revolutions, and the year will be cem-
plete. Know that of this celestial year
not twentieth par; has yet passed. 1t,
therefore, you despair of returning hi,h-
er the abode Of illustrious and pre-emi-
nent men, consider Of what value is that
glory, which continues for only misera.
Bile fragment of a year Ii, on the other
hand, you aspire highly, and to this G.
ternal home, contemn popular applause
N''NeS Ao' A' Auui@b 81 Sa'iiSsS, ouA iS
virtue herself allure you to true glory -
What others may say OF you is their owr
concern. The renown, which they bes
| tow, is, you have seen, trammeiled with.
in narrow boundaries in no instance has
it been immortal, and it is the victim oil
death and of oblivion"
After he had thus spoken, said
"though' from childhood, have walked,
Afrioanus, in your steps, and in those of
10Y fathers and have been always faithful
10 your glory, if heaven be offered as the
exalted reward OF patriotism, shall still
more earnestly and zeaously persevere.
"Do So" answered Africanus, "know
that the mind Of man is the man himself,
and that though your body is mortal,
you can never Gle know that you are q
God !; for he is God who lives, feels.
recollscts, foresees, provides, and who
governs the mortal body subjected to
him, as the Omnipetent God governs the
universe. Eternal mind animates the
bodies OF men, as He pervades and in.
spires all creation. What is excited by
foreign impulse is extinct, when its mo.
ton terminates; but the principle oil
motion which is spontaneous and self sus.
| tanning, is eternal, and is, moreover, the
source OF animation to all things eIse.-
But the primitive cause of all things is
uDcreated for to have been created is
inconsistent with its nature. From il
proceeds the universe as it never be-
gan, II will never ond for being ones
destroyed, il could neither be revived.
nor could it be reproductive Thus. in.
deed, universal first cause is necessary,
and though the heavens may fail, and all
nature be annibiiated, this self moving,
immutable principle, as il is without be.
ginning, is also without end"
"Sinco .hen, the Great First Cause is
everlasting, who can deny that quality to
the soul for of the soul only is the ener.
gy intrinsical, and independent on exter-
nal causes. The peculiarities which
distinguish her from all other natures