Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-02-13
Nc. IS.


habitants bestowing their worship upon the
god of the plough and the harrow, is il
wonderful that ancient Egypt, small as it
was, should have been the granary of the
world, in such abundance that Joseph's
arithmetic could not count the exuberant
products. which it seems. were in sufficient
abundance to lay up for the seven years
famine OF which Pharoah was forewarned
by that prophet.
It's wonderful that nation having such
political and religious basis, shogld have
leisure TO perfect the arts and rear school.
TO eniighten the residue Of the world!
1t appears from the Old Testament. tla.
the people of Egypt held their lands in alb
solute ownership until the time of Joseph.
Estates in fee simple, with protected indus
try. was the grand political secret of the
early Improvement Of that country. The
plough was free, and tie proceeds Of in
dustry were secured to the hands that held
its handles. Il was an employment pro-
tected by the government and pleasing to
the Gods. Then, ask again, if il BE- Won
derful that a nation, who had the profound
wisdom to connect the occupation which
supplies the wants Of man and gives him
leisure TO improve bis mind, with tie deep
est passions that connect bin with earth
and heaven, should have been considered
prodigy in all succeeding times.
When Noses sent his spies into the land
&c Canaan, they found i in the highest
state cf cultivation. II was filled with
walled cities, ard was flowing with milk
and honey; and It's whole appearance 50
formidable, that the hearts Of the spies sunk
within them. They did not beieve that
the followers of the divine lawgiver could
contend with the sons Of Anak.
We can understand how it was that the
Phpnicians Che Cansanitcs Of scripture
had arts and letters and cOmmcrce-wc
can readily comprehend the cause which
had enabled them to prepare the heritage
of the descendants Of Abraham, by making
it flow with milk and honey, if we Will but
look into their religion. The first mortal
to whom the Ph9nicans paid reverence
was Chryson, who had invented the bod
of founding metals and applying them 70
the construction Of agricultural implements.
With this deity they associated another,
called Agrotes, in honor Of whom they
erected a splendid temple, and whom they
held in the highest estimation fer having
invented the art of tiilage. This extraor-
binary people, under the guidance Of that
religion which taught them to worship the
god of tiI!age, cultivated the mountain:
with which their country Yves filed, up 10
where the SUBMITS met the Clouds establish
cd arts and commerce., by which the pol
ished world were supplied with the mos
exquisite workmanship. and prepared the
rugged mountain country of Palestine as
suitable home for the descendants Of the
Patriarchs.
1t appears that the Assyrian reared the
most powerful Of monarchies upon the ba-
sis Of agriculture. lie brought this noble
science to such perfection, that the fruitful
valley of the Euphrates yielded to the
hand Of industry three hundred for one.
The example of the Assyrian, which
would bring to bear upon my present pur.
pose is found in the facts, that the power
and resources Of the -Assyrian government
were brought to the direct advancement o
agriculture.
The power. and resources, and taste, anC
genius of the people and government, are
seen in the canals that united the Euphra-
tcs and Tigris in many places--in the in,
Land navigation which was opened in the
vast plains of these noble rivcrs-in the
artificial lake above Babylon, 100 miles il
ci-cumieI nee. which they filed by mean
Of canal from the Euphrates during fresh
cts, and from which, by siuices, they wat
cred and enriched the whole country be
low.
TAc:e monuments q. the in4u..ry ar
taste If the nation prove that agricutuI,
was the chief object Of the care of tina
renowned government The history o
that people proves that they had c!oa
conception that agriculture was the bas!
of every human improvement.
Ancient India. NJ the time under review
was possessed Of cop,ous and pois5c;
lanruage-maTnihcon temples, edocnc'
with exquisite paintings and sculpture
= Astronomical tables, constructed IN scien
tifc nrincipics-the figures Of arithmetic
the various systems Of phlloa0phy, ate.
= wards revived in the Grccian schools
= refined poetry, and religion that taught ~
unity Of one Supreme God. We can read
iiy account for these early and wondorr
improvements Of mind, if we Will but I,
fer 10 the fact thai the art of hu-banGr
had been perfected in the most fertile 7,
5 gion in the world, by the Joint influence ,
, government and religion, brought 10 III
! aid Of individual industry. Their rol;gic
; taught them that the art Of agriculture ";
2 an institution of heaven. aud divided Il
= people into separate CastcS, and devote
e the greater portion Of them to the cu,;jv
S ton of the earth; which occupation il W;
e sacrilcge ever to abandon. Then is ii at ,
d surprising that people possessing the w
d lcys OF the Indus and Gauges, and cuitiya