The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-03-26
" Modern Degeneracy."

hAOuOih OOtChSboNJ'
BAYARD TAYLOR, one Of the pets of the
Tribune, but a clever, shrewd man, of con-
siderable information, nevertheless, has leen
delivering a lecture in Hartford, on the sub
iect of Modern Degeneracy." But not
wiihstanling his sagacity and general intel.
ligcncc, he seems to have fallen into the
prevalent vulgar error on the subject, assum.
ing tha, we moderns have degcnerated from
the good old stock in the mater of " broad
chests, stalwart frames and noble bearing"
There is no evidence 10 support this assump
tion-on the contrary there is evidence al
most conclusive to establish the converse Of
the proposition. Major Noah, who has ex-
amined an extensive assortment Of Roman,
Norman, Anglo Norman, Spanish and other
ancient armor, covering a period Of man,
hundred years, during which the crusades
were prosecuted, and the star of ohivalry
| shone the brightest,is certain that the average
| dimensions ofthat ancient harness we're under
the size which would be required forthe aver
| age of the same races at the present day. We
are inclined 10 think that in the power of
endurance, the men of old surpassed the
moderns but that was owing 10 their superb
or physical education. Athletic exercises
were far more common. BOYS were taken
from the nursery TO back horse and cast
spear in mimic war. Woodcraft was taught
to gentle and simple, and all were trained
in such manner as thoroughly TO develope
all the muscular powers. With the same
physical training, the man of the 10th cen.
Jury, is as fine an animal as son of Rome
in her palmicst days, or the Goth OF the thlr
teenth century. The Major thinks Milo
was no better man than Ben Gaunt, and
he doubts whether Richard the lion hearted,
could have punished Tom Hyer. or all the
many suits Of mail that he saw, very few
would have encased either Of those huge
samples OF Modern Degeneracy." As TO
the enormous two-handcd swords welded by
the earlier No-mans, many Of our dragons
would easily swing them with the sword arm
alone. 1t will be rccollected by many of
our readers, that several years ago there
we're exhibited in this city number of suits
OF ancient armor and other old curiosties.
Among them was perfect suit of mail worn
by that famous Spanish knight, Alonzo IL
Aguilar, one of the most renowned warriors
of the latter part Of the fifteenth century.
He was distinguished in the earlier wars of
the Spzniards against the kingdom of Graz
NADIA, aud his prowess and feats Of personal
strength we're made the theme of song and
story. This steel harness fitted a middle
sized man Of the present age. It's original
wearcr could not have exceeded five feet
ten inches in height, and must have weighed
less than hundred and seventy pounds.
That he was man of great muscle and
wonderful powers Of endurance there is no
doub, but with similar equipment he
would have been no match for any OF our
strong and skilful fighters.
1t has long been the fashion to decry the
current age, and extol the virtues ard won
dcrs Of the old time, an1 many men whom
research, or even reflection, would have car
ried to contrary conclusion, have unihink-
ingly yielded to his clamor because it was
the fashion. But the truth is, we doubt not,
that the superiority of other ages is wholly
imaginary, and the illusion has been pro.
luced by looking through the mist Of tradi-
tion, and taking for gospel the inventions
! 4 .Ft tia eIr MI harle
who, from Blondel down, were accustomed
to celebrate the achievements Of their pat
runs in terms of extravaeant laulalion. We
discredir all their tales Of superhuman Prov
r ess-of fcats of arms little less than miracu-
lous, performed by pa!adins in lands paynim
and Christian. In our opinion, the mailed
bonds of Conrad of Moniserrat would have
gone down before the Imperial cuirassiers
with Murat at their heal and that Murat,
with picked men from the hosts of France,
could not have withstood the " hurricane Of
man and horse" which hundrred over the
field when Ilarncy led the 2d dragons III
one of his iempes,uons charges We believe
our races has been growing wiser and better
more skilful in all the arts incident 10
high state OF civilization, without losing al
, all in courage and marhood, ever since the
beginning of the Christian Era-that the
Ensishman and American of 1851 have as
much advantage over their ancestors at the
time the bold bArons extorted Magma Charta
from King John, in all that renders life de-
srabIe, as was then enjoyed by the most re-
fined and nflluent community in Europe or
America over the british tribes of Central
Africa.-Bgt Com. Adc.