The Port Gibson reveille. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 185?-1857, 1854-02-22
MISCELLANEOUS.


The Lost Arts.
On Wednesday evening, January 20, Wen
dell Phillips gave the third Of a series. Of leo
tures now in the course Of delivery at the New
England Church, Williamsburg. His subject
was the Lost Arts Mr. Phillips commenced
with a reference to the conceit Of the age about
being in advance Of all previous ones. This
reminded him Of the German Poet who al
WAYS took off his hat when he spoke of him
self Only in the fine arts, such as painting
sculpture. music. &c., are we willing to con-
cede that we have been outdone
When We speak of poet. the highest praise
/ is that he is Homeric. The Italians admit
the great merit Of our own Powers, but they
persist in comparing him to the "great mas.
ters" Even in the srt Of joking we are mere
copyists and imitators. As to the useful
arts, we will have much to do before we can
equal the achievements Of the despised Pa
pans uf old Her0dotus, the father Of history
was regarded by many vain moderns as the
= father Of lies also, because of his telling Of
such wondrous achievements made in and be-
fore bis day But later investigation had
confirmed his statements, and MS historic
stock had gone up to par The story Of Ar
chimedes having set the enemy's ships on fire
at a distance with mirrors, was regarded as
fable, until its possibility was realized In Ger
many and France.
The lecturer then proceededto TO specify some
Of the practical arts which he was disposed to
class as lost. The article Of glass manuiac-
ture was cited and the authority Of Pliny Civ
en- for its discovery on TIE shores Of the Med
iterranean, long before this day. The manu-
lacture of stained glass was even better under
stood five hundred years ago than now
When any Of the magnificent windows OF the
ancient cathredrals got broken, it was well
known that the panes supplied by modern ait
were inferior to those which had transmitted
the light for 300 years. The famous Bar
barini, or Portland Vase, exhibited in the
British Museum, is Of a material utterly un-
known to modern art. So Of the famous sa-
cred dish 10 the Genoa Cathedral. Not even
microscopes and telescopes were Of modern
invention. In regard to colors. the lecturer
contended we were far behind the ancielts.
The same ground was taken in regard 70 met
ais. Ii was recorded that recently. when an
American vessel landed on the shores Of Afrl-
"a. a son Of that benighted region took from it
an iron hoop, aud made a knife superior TO
any on board and another made a sword OF
Damascus keenness from the same material.
The ancients must have been acquainted with
the Archimedian screw, or some other similar
instrument for gaining power, else they could
not have elevated the massive material used
in their pyramids. Nor was steam modern
invention as locomotive power it was un-
: doubtedly known to the people Of antiquity.
Araeo had given convincing evidence OF this
The lecturer proceeded TO name Hydrostatics
MS among the lost arts. and to show that canals
were no recent invention. Not even rail-
roads could be claimed as such. Mr.. Stevens
had found these even in South America, to
say nothing Of those used by other and more
ancient people. Passing to the sciences, the
lecturer stripped Mesmer Of the credit Of An
imal Magnetism as an original discovery and
put Hydropathy among the ancient medical
systems. Whether it was practiccd more sue
cessfully than now, be could not tell IL
doubtless had its disciples and opponents.--
Charles Lamb once expressed his hostility TO
it by facetiously inferring that the Deluge
killed more than it cured but the Hydro
apth's reply was, that all we're saved who were
qcoyth saving. Our boasted Loom was not
! an invention Of Arkwright, however reluctant
} we we're to yield it to antiquity. We boast Of
our muslin as fine. when it was $50 threads
to the square inch. while Egyptian mummy
cloth had furnished threads averaging five
hundred to the inch The Ducra muslin is
, finer than any Of our day. No wonder Juvc-
+ nil. the ancient Hudibras. sang Of garments
woven Of the wind.7 The lecturer closed
with the deduction, admirably made, that We
differed from the ancients not so much in
: knowing more as applying better. Ancient
science was for the priesthood modern sci
ence for the people The great Christian
law Of Human Brotherhood forbade US from
keeping any knowledge from our neighbor
that would make him wiser or happier.
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