Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-09-11
MASONIC.

1t is now nearly three thousand years
since the foundation of Masonry; esyet
it has resisted the destroying hand of
Time. Kingdoms have arisen, flourish
ed and fallen-the rock OF power, the
adamant of genius have crumbled mo
raj earthquakes have dashed in ruin the
strongest, the fairest fabrics of human
enterprise and human wisdom: Masoh-
ry has remained unbroken, it hes net
bent to tbe storm, nor has it died in the
sluggish calm. If we examine the na-
.ure and progress Of mans institutions,
we shall find them all parta!xing cf that
ngtabiity which characterizes his own
strange, and fitful, and feverish existence;
perishable himself, how can he confer
eternity upon his works, He erects his
statue of brass, the colossus Of ages
triumphan t Time! thou hurIest it to the
dust! True, he can ascend the ever
during arch of Fame, and inscribe there
the letters of his imlnortality--he can
kindle the fire of his renown which bIa-
yes for ages, beacon to the universe;
but he cannot recall the last faint SIGH
Of existence, nor protect his trophies "a
galnst the scythe of destruction. Go,
and learn the melancholy picture of His
tory! 20, and moralize amidst the ru-
ms of Thebes, and ask where are her
hundred gates, her thousands Of chart
OTIS, and her million of warriors'
"Ah! there in'1esolation cold
The'sesert serpent dwells alone.
Where grass DER grows each mould'ring stone,
And stones themselves to ruin grown
Are grey and death like od'
TO, and learn wisdom from solitary
Tyre, and ask, where are her golden
palaces and her numberless navies, Go
and ask of Egypt, where are her twenty
Thousand cities, her temple of the sdn,
her oracle of Ammon, and her sacred
fountain; there the sun now shines on
bleak waste, the voice of the oracle has
been silent for ages, and the wild weed
has long waved in the bed of its foun-
tam! Let Macedon produce the tro-
phies of her conquering sons; let Per-
STA shew the diadem of Cyrus and the
spear of Cambyses; they are envelop-
ed by the Obvious pail, and the mourn
ful voice of history tells only that they
have been. So it is with man, and that
the works CT man-child of doubts and
danger; the sceptre ofuncertainty bends
over his Graded siumber, darlteas the
warm noon of his manhood, ard extends
ms dusty arm over the evening of his
decline. He walks forth in his majesty,
tire image of God and the Lord of Crea-
tion--his path is on the mighty deep
his footsteps are on the lofty mountain
ne stands on his proud eminence and
looks down on subject world. Look
once again, and where is he' The mys-
ferrous fire of his existence is extin-
guished-the cold clod presses on his
colder bosom g the dull worm banquets
on that brow where once sparkled geni-
us and beauty and the charnel shroud
enwraps that form where once glowed
the star of honour and the purple of
dominioni
Since then instability is Inherent in the
very nature of man, and spreads itself
over all his works; we can best Judge
OF the value OF all institutions by their
longer or shorter resistance to subduins
lime. We are safe in the assertion that
no society can compete with ours in du-
ration, it has resisted every change. and
hraved every tempest-that stood firm
and beheld the wide spreading pine of
Assyria strewmg the earth with its BRAN
cbes, in vast and gigantic ruin-it hath
seen the rising food of mighty hosts de-
ISOLATE imperial Babylon-it hath seen
the starry throne of the just Haroun
broken down-it hath seen the majestic
eagle OF the Roman extending his dark
form over battle fields.
t'Where deaths brief psng was quickest
And the battles wreck lay thickest
Strewed beneath the advancing banner
Ot the Eagles burning crest;
mere with thunder clouds TO fan her
who could then her wing arrest
Victory beaming from her breast"
All, that wing was arrested, and the
proud bird struck down, prey to the
Vultures of the northern forests. So il
hath been-the pomp, the pageantrv, the
mlghhness of nations have been hum
bled; the hand of obscur;ty had spread
ms folds over palace, and temple. and
tower The fierce storm of war and the
lazy moth of luxury have united in this
work OF destruction, and the impetuuus
wave OF Time hath ever been cheouer-
ed by the fragments of glory and the
wrecks OF magnificence, floating along
IN fearful and melancholy ruin.
Edward Short who was arrested in
this city on the 9th instant y, a., obaroo