The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-08-30
THE APOLLO BELyIDERF
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The following description of the A
polio Belvidere, though highly wrought.
will hardly be thoneht exuayagani by
those who have enjoyed the enviabls
privilege Of viewing the maclhless stanie.
Never, never was there revealed 10
The dreams of gifted genius vision Of
such celestial, such soul beamiDp beauty.
Tie god of lghi, and poesy, az d inaei-
milton, stands confessed ioihe d.. 2 edsen-
ses aud vol does he stand here, where
every thing seems To breathe and bum
viii his essence, where all around IS llis
creation, AMI every tributary form bows
to Inn tit IS 10 inhabnanl Of the earth,
though he de'ens 10 tread il. His hume
Is III the heavens. He locks, he moves.
lie breatles god. Divinity is stamped
Oh his brow godllAe majesty beams
from his front. Those Hyperion curly
cluster round brow formed to com
inand. Milton seems 10 have had in view
hls divine tolm, in his description oil eur
firsl parent:
Ills i'h bagf iroot AMI yc sublime declared
Absolute ,alf aud hyaelnthtne locks
neahd HON his PARTED tpfclock many hung
clustering hutnotheneath his ahouldetsbfond -
lis y not merely the rude power Of
physical strength, HAT nerves the mug
clos AMI swells the limbs OF "A Hercules.
II Is The might ot mind which raises hun
above bf1ic force, and makes us feel
thai god, visible god is before US.
and dat lils triumph is secure /: for YAM
" would mortal presume to contend
with him.
He does not bend on us that seren.
eye. Some object more distant, but bo.
meath him, iof a moment altraeis his re-.
gard. Some feeling Of transient indip.
nation aud dlsdain swels his nostriIs.and
slightly curls his full upper lip. Yet, dip.
nlhed and unPertnrbed, conscious of his
power 0nd undoubl0e Of his success. ho
gives one proud glancc to see the reptile
he seorns TO see perish by his dart, and
scarcely pauses III his majestic course
That the Deity has just de4pned 10 slay
The iytmah srpeut, IS, think, so eyj.
DEM IN The whole an, action, aud expires.
son OF the heavenly archer tlat am
aslomshed there can be any doubt .,
il.
The left hani and arm have been mos,
clomsily restored by some bunplins
sculptor. The right arm, and the toot
aud ankle which were fractured ara am.
cent; bnt lhcy have been so badly re-
paired, thai every thing possible has been
done 10 lhJnre II, but IA VAN. Thai il i,
the finest statue IN tho world. feel bel.
ter lhan all the Canons of criticism ca,,
provo II. Van, indeed, is here The cold
language oil critics aud cunnoisseurs. TIE
heart aud mind feel its power, and are
penetrated with It's tlanscendcnt bcauty.
The Venus dI Medieis is beautiful but
her : IS mere mortal beauty. How far
removed from the unapproaehable per-
lection OF The heavenly Apollo
How often, Whine | gazed upon i, IN
silent ana unullerable admiration. did il
seem to be instinct with spirit aud with
he! How often did | feel tins form was
indeed the hdbtatlon of IA Deity AID
IS II the creation Of mani Did ne call IL
forth III lis beauty. and endow it witbe-
teinal youth, to dwell in the Iioht ri
immortality on earth VS. u being so
infinitely superior, formed and fashioned
by ms hand! II IS ide0i beauty revealed
10 our senses and II IS perhaps the sole
instance that man is indeed capablr Of
personltylng the image OF that sublime
perfection which IS formed within his
soul. Canlhc mind fevertiothc period
when this shaPcless block Oh marble was
hewn from the quarry, without amaze.
ment-wlihont almost being TEMPTED IN
think that the BON. that formed il. and
impressed upon II those attributes.
must have been endowed with more 1l,an
mortal powers / could gaze upoult for.
ever with undiinlnlshed dniriltion and
like tie Athenlan, who tho'l hinlsrlfun.
fortunate that he had notseen he Jnpiter
OiympIas oil Phldlas, pi he III IN who
has not beheldthe Apollo Belyidere. -
Vol. !. PIP l27-l29.