Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-11-12
REFLEoFIONs,


Human Grandeur. faithful
mirror Of History reflects few objects
so frequently and so strikingly as the
instability Of human grandeur. The
votary ofpleasure, while he pursues the
ever delusive phantom of earthly happi-
ness, may forget although he cannot a.
void seeing, that the glory OF this world
is transitory aud fleeing But the eye
ofthe true philosopher, intent upon far
different objects, discovers deeply en-
craven upon every act Of man, "n,orta-
ko factn pcribunt" Whether he looks
back to the creation of the world, or
whether he looks forwnrd as far as un.
prophetic ken can reach, he sees the
same immu.able decree operating upon
the deeds Of the great and the small,
the rich and the poor mortalia facta
peribmnt." The picture Of antiquity is
to him sad aud gloomy one. Far in
the background, and shrouded in al
most lmpenetrable darkness, appear the
faint and shadowy outlines of the ante
deluvian world. A little nearer, but
equally dark and obscure, the ruins of
the Tower of Confusion exhibit an hu-
muliating example of the shott-sighted
ambition of mankind. The massive
walls, the ever-during gates Of Babylon
and Nineyah have long since crumbled
into dust, and uncertainty has spread
her mantle over the places where they
stood. The wandering Arab and the
bigoted Turk are now lording il over
The Holy Sepulchre, and the crescent
of the Noslem now glit,ers in the pride
of conquest whore once the Cross oi
the Christian beamed it's peaceful light
The temple Of Jehovah has sunk be-
meath the Mosque Of Mohammed, and
the lamps Of Islamism now illume the
place where once the Shechihah shone.
Whittier has fled the glory of Egypt,
once the cradle Of the arts aud scien-
ces? Where are her priests, from
whose minds once emanated the light
of knowledge? Where her renowned
schools, once the nurseries of Wisdom?
Her glory has fled before the storm Of
barbarism; her wise men have yielded
to the strong arm Of oppression, and the
impure aud communicating influence Of
Ignorance and Superstition now flow 10
an overwhelming tide over that once
fair and happy land. Her works of art
are fast falling to destruction, and the
time-defying pyramids stand only to
proclaim the folly of their builders,
whose very names they could not res
cue from oblivion.
Who can behold with indifference
the fate of Greece, the theatre in which
have appeared the most illustrous Or
naments Of our species, in which have.
been exhibited the nob!est actions Of
which our nature is capable. Review
her history. Look back upon the wor,-
derful spectacle of past ages. See the
fire of patriotism, as it burned in the
bosom of Mlltiades and Leonidas, and
spread with sympathetic rapidly thro'
the hearts Of the sons of thens and
Lacedemon, immortaiizing the names
ofMarathon and Thermopylse. Listen
to the heavenrinspired eloeluence Of
Pericles aud 'Demosthenes, cheering
the iaint-heatted, giving new courage
to the dispirited, and nerying the arm
of the brave with fresh and redoubled
yigor. Survey the splendor and mag
nifcence of her temples. at once mon
umenis ofthe inimitable skill of her ar
lists and the boundless muni6cence Of
her children, What is Greece now'
We have heard of ancient Rome
We have read of her tfiumphal arches,
her Capitol, her Forum. The chroDi
cles of oiden times tellus ofmagnifcent
palaces. ofspacious amphitbeaires; but
where are they? The effemiDate tia
liam walks unconsciously over the ruin
ed labors Of antiquity. The splendid
column, the enchanting statue, would
have slept forever beneath the dust, but
for the eager hand Of curiosity, or the
unexpected interposition OF chance
The spade and the plough often bring
TO light monuments of ancient skill and
ancient luxury, which tell the astonish-
ed peasant OF people once the lords
ofthe earth, now living only on the page
of history. But this is not all. Man
himself is passing to the grave. There
have been AlexaDders, Hannibals, and
Cesars. There have lived mighty
warriors and wise statesmen. But
their names only have survived. Their
lives and their achievements seem to
us but the fictions Of a dream. They
whom, when alive, the world could !