The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-05-19
MISCELLANEOUS.


1
4 Diseo dsliusred before the Rhode Iand Historical
Society. o. ne evening Of Ihursddy february /, ls49.
BY George Washington Greene Providence: Glad
ding Proud
topic before the Rhode Island Society, he progress Of
historical science as qcith the progress Of
society lie traced this from the first unconscious utter
ings Of Clio through the lips of her sister Caope the
poet being he right popular historian as Sir Philip sgd
ney called him 'he right popular philosopher and in
connection with this idea exhibited how much OF history
what the narrator did not say being quite as memorable
of his times what he did Thus the neglect of the
people, and the sole consideration OF princes, exhibit
quite well the state of the people the condition of
the princes History was shown 10 be twoold in its de-
yelopment tle history of the individual and Of the
He traced The latter in Thucydides Through whom his
tory first aided TO her title of Recorder of the past The
nobler appeation of Teacher of political wisdom"
The imperfect idea of Roman development, even when
Rome had consummated all that Virgil had claimed tor
her destiny, point finely made. The universal do
mnion was shown to have wider privilege than that
assumed, the poet himself ruling the world which
the Roman sovereignty had expired, We would gladly
present many pages of this discourse to the reader Tor
their maturity of thought and force of expression, but
must content ourselves with descriptive passage, an
illustration of his text drawn from the writer's personal
observations at Rome-the study of history compared
to The view from the Alban mount:
.Ten miles southeast of Rome there stands. like
boundary wall, The edge of the Campagna, mountain
quakes and volcanoes in that remote period in which the
absence of tradition supplied by the divnations of
may be from hill of Rome and you naturally
turn to IL as landmark in tracing out the ruins OF the
Campagna When the traveller has completed his study
of Details ne often here classify his observations
and clear his doubts. by general survey Of the whole
The first halihour o.hs ascent leads him through
vineyards and olive oscard with here and there patches
Of rich meadow land smiling between aud his eye lin
the beauties that surround the PATH he hardly
thinks Of turning the soher Objects which each step is
bringing within the compass of his constantly expanding
horizon. But begin the toll and labor Of his way
The pathway grows rugged and Steep in parts awful with
precpces and impending cliffs, and in Others offering you
recognise because stands alone, opening through the
vista which stretches far away horizon
that remote before. AT length, aurn in
the path and few minutes of rapid ascent bring out
green platform, where the whole landscape with
its cites, and rivers, and plain, bursts your view
mountains on one side and the sea on the other-Rome
herself bu. point in the and the blue sky overach-
ing and spanning all. With single glance, how many
doubts dissolve How naturally does each object fall into
oper place How things shrink into specks
How many others brought forward in clear and distinct
outlines I'LL the whole landscape imprins itself living i'm
age upon the memory. with all its peculiar features firmly
traced and all its characteristics clearly defined"