Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-08-26

reckoned. Then Rome was founded. Then too
Carthage that mighty rival of Rome, whose down
fall is fraught with such tragic interest, began to
be-
But who would ever think of Samara and Car
thage together? Or what association is there, to
most readers of the Bible, between Jezebel and
Dido?
Jezebei has come to US with associations only
Of horror. Dido, with associations of pity and
admiration. We never suspect that these two
distinguished womsn we're of the same house that
the same blood flowed 10 their veins that the same
genius the same sacred enthusiasm for the patri-
archa lrith as they understood it, blazed in their
souls.
Jez bel was Dido's aunt-and Dido and Athali-
ah were cousins. Yes; the Queen of Carthage
talked about "our royal aunt, the Queen of Sama-
ria"-"Our royal cousin Queen Of Jerusalem"
Jezebels father was priest of AsrARrE, t. e
VENUs, who had usurped the throne Tyre He
must have been man of genius his reign was
leng and his mental qualities descended to his chill
dren. Hence it is not surprising Jezebel that's hould
have tried to do in Samaria, what Dino afterwards
succeeded in doing in Carthage Jezebel failed
because she had devine system to contend with
Dido succeeded because no sIoh system opposed
her; but on the contrary, fystems compared to
which the Tyrian was far preferable, civily and
relgiously.
How far we might assist our Imagination to re-
produce Jezebe and thus form an idea what Jeho-
vab's prophets Rad to contend with, by the classic
pip of
paint Dido wholly from his imagination. or did he
make use of such sources of evidence as be possess
ed, to give the portrait air of verisimilitude?
If the latter, we must confess that the result is
somewhat imposing. Dido moves before US as u
woman Of massive strength OF character, open and
generOns sympathy, ardent passions, and uncon-
querable resolution.
Her history is fall Of romantic interest She is
married to Sychoes, whom she tenderly loves
Her husband is assassinaUed by her own brothtr
Pygmaleon, for the sake OF his veal h. Like a
true Tyrian she is not afraid of ships and the sea-
but prepares navy, embarks with all her wealth,
and POUNDS colony in Africa Here, rather than
compromise herself and the greatness of her en-
pire, by either accepting or rejecting the suit Of
African chief she sacrifices herself on the fune-
raj pile. Virgil, by an auachrOnism of two hun
dred years, represents this as the result of her
attachment to tbs Trojan hero Eneas, in which her
character loses in severe dignity and graDduer,
more than it gains in feminine genteness aud pa
thOs. Either way, we see il her the same deter
mined, desperate energy which breathed through
her kins-women Of Samaria and Jerusalem
And If they were ike her, or rather like Virgil's
picture of her, no wonder they facinated Ahab,
and facinated Jehoram, and facinated the whole
people of Israel
Jezebel's portrait was drawn by no loving lin
ner. She had no Virgil to embalm her m,mory
iu monumental verse. A piiiIess pencil gravtd
upon the adsmantine tablet only those sterne out
lines of evil which sufced to reveal her essential
antagonism to JshOvGhs spiritual system. And
in that craving all aesthetic considerations we're
disregarded. Had Virgil drawn that picture, she
would doubtless have appeared as bewitching as
does now her Carthaginian niece. And we should
have all understood how it was that she captivated
and subjugated by her spells the hearts Of all
Israel
There is matter of much moralizing in the
simple historic enunciatiOn that JEzEBEL was DI-
pos aunt.
GREY