The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-11-22

commercial enterprise, but also to the
improvement Of her husbandry. They
RACED her walls and laid her beaut,
in ashes; but while smoking ruins
marked the spot where her commerce,
her magnificence and wealth had
llourishcd, they saved her learning
Her genius and her arts were trans
planted into Rome and amongst other
decrees of,he Senate, We fld the re-
cord Of one, ordering the twenty
eight books of Mago, Charthaginian
General, who was styled the parent
OF llnsbandry, to be translated into
Latin, by the most learned scholars,
for the education Of the people,
From about this period, therefore, we
may date the origin of Agriculture,
asa science, in the Roman Empire :;
and us Rome from her local stu ton,
was not well adapted for commerce,
she now directed all her energies and
resources to the promotion ofhusband
ry. Its operations were conducted
by the greatest statesmen, and its
knowledge inculcated by her profound
cs, scholars; and what contributed
most to its pr"gation, was the great
number OF books, both in Greek and
IN Latin, that were written upon this
subject, by eminent authors as we'll
rs political leaders. Societies too
were formed and public lectures were
delivered for the Information Of the
people, and under the quickcning in
flucnce Of this new and aninating
impulse, the blight and desolaton az
the civil tcuJs soon vanished from the
land. The name of Cato was rcvcrcd
hS the people, not mn,e for his instirc
aud generalship III war, than for his
rigid honesty and extensive learning !:
yet nc was c"nfesscdly the best hls.
bamdman OF his age, and Agri ulture
can point to no proudcr name, in her
long list of scholars, than the nncxi.
bic censor. But while labour was
thus plodding in her difficult furrow,
and wisdom WAS teaching her lessons
ct practical r".ie.ce, the magic
numbers Of the Mantuan bard now
sweIled upon the air, and shed acounti
the u!pn%1unan' path he fairy visions
| .yala !.t.>.a GuLry nowi siru'I
lci nafp, anu ihv master hand ut vi
gil swept the chords. His rustic pipe
disc urscd sweet music to tho weary
farmer, and animated aud refreshed
! h' in his toilsomc occupation. The
! a'Fri wars had ia,a%rh inly of hel
| u.uEs, ;T1Id nc 4, @.4>t fields had been
stripped OF tn,i, >rrdurr ard ,lrcnched
| in blood. This hands tia, had TILED
them we're turned to pillas,, and her
| former hnsbandmen were now the
| plunJcrers. But " hen his sot. Area.
dian notes brealhed out their harmony
the wilder passions o: i..e wars we're
hustled, and peaceful industry regain
ed her sway. The spear and tie sling
were hu:.g upon the walls for monu.
m"nts. and Tie implements of hus
handry were bright again with their
busy work. Tie soldier no longer
mixed his bread with blood, but now
sweetcned it with his sweat, and the
fields, where caInage had lately riotcd,
were once more glad with til.
harvest, and blushed with ripcnne
fruits, The vine. the olive, and
p"mlter"us trees now spread their
green branches to the happy sunlight
and the land was waving witl
lnxuriant corn, where but lately til.
rank thistle had nodded in the wind.
Such was the pc, c,suasivr inhuenc.
upon the human Heart Of Virgil:
gentle but Immortal muse.
But there is perhaps no country Q
the World that offers ma ter of nor,
curious speculation than the land o
Egypt. From her earliest records
learning and refinement had filled he
palaces; powerful under the PlaroahS
and w' alihy under the Plolcnes, sh,
was the mother of the Arts ari tn,
Sciences, and the teacher of W,s,lol,
to the Greeks and Hebrews, from
whom, through the Romans, it wa.
transmitted to the nations of modcr,
Europe. Her wonderful monuments
covered with the mysteries of her Ions
lost learning, her cavern temples anc
funeral gr"tt'es have for ages en-
iloycd the Iabors Of the anlquary, anc
lretted the curiosity of the scholar
But to the Agricuturisi, the peculis
means Of her productions suggrs
reflections Of equal interest and won
DIR. With soil, naturally barren
surrounded by hills of rock upon tho
one side anu deserts Of sand upon tn,
other, aud never visited by tho rain:
of heaven, she is yet highly fertilized
by the annual overflow of the myste
! rIous river, upon which alone sho is
dependent for the purposes Of irriga
ton, and produces in luxuriant abunt
ance, not only tho ordinary fruit anc
| prliuS of Other raunf rioS Ia, 81 .