Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-04-15
ron THK AMknIcAS.
The Golden Age OF The reetS


and sung, by the Grecan and Roman poe's, as HE
golden Age AN era when virtue reened on earth,
and sublunary bliss was In its meridian spendor.
The earth was then man,led In beauty. Forests
and groves were clad with foliage, which retained
its verdent hue, through autumn and winter, sf-
fording sensations Of such deep delight as nature
only gives clothed In her gerb OF loveliness. Al
this age. mankind knew neither malice nor guile.
Innocence and moral goodness found a congenial
home in every breast. "Poetry spoke In harmo.
Nous numbers, not to vanish evil deeds, but to
praise the virtuoup and celebrate the friends Of hu
man kind. This was the poets office. The in
spired train enjoyed the hghes, honors they held
commerce with the Gods; they par'ook Of the am.
brosial feast they were at once the interpreters
and messengers Of tae Supreme command" They
held perfect sway, not only over the passions of
the human heart, but even nature fingered in her
course and, in erta,ic delight listened to the rap,ur
Gus melody Of their poetry and music. In these
fabulous ages lived Linus and Orpheus, though no,
ill some of the vices had received theii brh. At
his death, Linus was wept and mourncd by every
nation what the poet said respecting the death
Of Agricola, is equally applicable to his. Address.
ing himself to the fountains he desired to know
why their waters were dried up They replied:
ave have wept for Agricola, and the stream which
before was hmpid, is now absorbed by his ashes"
The tradition relating Orlheus's musical talents;
his intimacy with the muses. his connt c,ion wi,h
Eurydice; his descent TO the realm Of Pluto, and
b,y, Iat IL. a.,
matte muse Of Eulipdes of old. and of Shakspear
in modern times, besides numerous other poets #
no less repu'e though favorites of different muse.
The story OF Orpheus is familiar to the classical
student. He was the son of Apollo. and rec ived
his Lyre fom Mercury, divinity who presided
over eloquence, and was, Likewise, a messenger Of
the Gods. The poets have represented him as so
skillful musician that the most rapid rivers ceas
ed to flow, the wild beasts of the forests came near
him, enchanted by his melody, and "the mountains
moved TO listen to his song" BY reason of his
illusrious descent he permitted to be a com
psnion of the sacred nymphs. He became enam-
oured Of Eurydice; their nupuls were celebrated !;
bu, she, is often the case, was destined to be The
remote of her husbands death, and of slI his
wo.' Their matrimonial bliss was of short durs.
ton. For as she was fleeing from Aristaeu., she
was bitten by serpent, and death, the destroyer of
mankind, Immediately took to himself the lovely
nymph and bore her to "regions of eternal bliss" !"
Her husband-to quote from his Argonautcs-
"trode the dark way Of Tartarus into Hell for the
sake of his Spouse" trusting TO his Tbracan harp
end harmonus strings By reason of his melody
ne lulled to sleep Cerberus the guardian Of the
lower regions, and easily obtained audience from
Pluto. The internal God was melted by his music
and the poets beautifully express it, "the wheel o
Ixion stopped, the stone of Sisyphus stood still
Tantslus forgot his perptual thirst, and even the
Furies reentcd." Encouraged by SO favorable &
reception, he boldly petilioncj for his beloved Eu
Iydice. Pluto moved by his sorow, cons nted tc
restore the nymph. provided he did not look behint
him till he reached the upper air. He joyfully &C
cepted the condition hu, when already near III,
extreme limit of the internal regions, forgetting tn,
Injunction of Pluto he looked back to behold 'hi
long lost Eurydice." Immediately she vanishe,
from his sight, and was compelled to return to th
loss. W hch was now irreparable, and endeavore,
to alleviate his suf1erinss by the music Of his Lyr
in the grottos and upon the mountains. He re
nounced all intercourse with society and by hi
codness offended the Thracan women, who a
they celebrated the orgies Of Bacchus. a,tacke
him, tore his body in pieces, and threw his hea
into the river Hubrus. As !, flowed along dow
the stream toward the Aegean sea, it continued t
repea, the name Of Eurydice, as is beautifully el
pressed by Pope, which I quote from memory.
yet cen in death Eurydice he sung;
Eurydice the rocks Eurydice the gloves,
Apd the hollow mountains rung."
Such was the mighty power and influence a
oribed by the Ancients to their earlier barJs, VII
sien, their time and talents in refining and polis
ing the manners, and in regulating the laws ar
morals Of their bsrharous countrymeD, who
"Devoured each other like wild beasts
Gorging on human flesh"
Their only object seemed to he TO benefit ma
kind, and to raise them in the scale of being, to
level with the Gods. II was not their purpose
paint nature as it then existed, low and degrade
nor to pamper the base sPpe,iies Of men with
view TO further their own sordd interests but
mark out path in which men might walk u
rightly here, and be better prepared for life he
after. But how unlike these are many virtues
this brozen age
Hot, enVious, proud the scribiing fry,
Bum, hiss, and bounce, waste pspei"-and .