Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-03-19
For,he oaze,,e.
Criticism. A Icu D'Esprit.

d
err which DR.. Johnson calls passage OF
rarely equalled beauty:
/ "Tho' the sar,e sIR. with ell dirn.ive rays,
Eissh 10 th- and in the damon blaze;
We pfize TIE higher influence OF his T., q,
And jcs,s. set the gem above The flower.
Road these lines aloud, aud they fail
generously upon the ear. Examine them
closely. and they still retain their beauty !;
but. lie, u anslyxe them with yet greater
minuteness, and see i, we cannot find some
| fault " tn them. In the first place, the
poet saws we are to prefer the gem to the
/ flower, because it results from higher in
/ Aueuce of the suns power. Now, the sun
/ has no more to do with the formation oil
diamonds, than with the formation Of ice.
and if you shaped piece of ice like
/ diamond, it would present the same appear
ance and reflect the light in precisely the
same manner,-and it is from this iaSt that
the pures. gems are called diamonds OF
the first water. We are not examining the
durability of the two bodies, but only the
influence which the sun execis in their tor
nation, and the appearance they respect
! lively assume when presented to the light;
and in this view, tho same reasons when
| would induce US u prefer the diamond To
| the rose, wcui aso induce Us to prefer the
niece Office to the same ioTef. Bat we al
know that ii the sun did not warm the eaFth
! there would be 10 roses. W. can imagine
our globe being entirely deprived OF the
linh, and warmth of the sun. AMI, in that
case, though the geological formations, and
! diamonds among the rest, would remain as
they had been, no roses would adorn ITS sur
/ face: and further, if, in the state OF cold
and darkness we have supposed, diamond
were in a situltion 10 be seen, it could not
| be distinguished from any thing else in the
surrounding gloom, butif it were carried to
/ some planet where there was light, It would
| then shine as beautifully as it shines here
now. But the withdrawal Of the suns
I power would entirely kill the roses. So
much for the influence which that lumiary
exerts respectively upon the dover and the
/ gem.
/ In the second place, il we rogrrl the
diamond and rose simply as beautiful OBJ
I ;eets, the preference will be awarded ac-
cording to the tastes OF the 5eholders. We
/ must look upon them with a strict exclusion
OF all qualities except those which affect
the organs Of sight. The diamond may
: have a market value Of halls million, and
the rose may not have any market value al
, all; but counterfeit diamond may be s.
cunningy made, that, at the distance OF /
few feet, the most skilltul lapidary canno
detect the fraui. Let US suppose diamond
TO possess no mare value thln such coun
; terfeit resemblance, and we will then be
prepared 10 decide fairly upon the intrnsi,
beauty otthe two objects. We see, then,
hard, sl4ss--pp elring sIbstlnce. peculiarly
shaped, which emits in various directions
rays Of beautiful brightness, and which
, will continue so 20 dazzle as long az the SUI
or any artificial lght shines upon it. But
: YOU shield it from the difect rays Of light
it Immediately assumes avery tame appear
! ance. It's ike your full-trained courtier-
when the royal rays fall upon it, it is lik'
! the courtier in prosperity, bat when those
! rays are withdrawn, it IS ike the same cour
e tier in disgrace.
D Not so with the rose. Though it ma,
e bloom unseen in the solitude of its nativ
n dell, il continues to luxuriate in the richnes
! of its own fragrance, and salutes the sigh
r OF the first fortunate finder with all the fin
ished beauty Of Its natural perfection. |
needs aot the aid of man u polish it into
4 presentabls Appearance, for the pllsti'
L, hand of nature has enluel it with 4 beaat
, beyond the reach Of arts EXTREMIST power
aud, when it is thus presented to Us in il
) living freshness, and blushing, as it were
at its own loveliness, W. may justly set j
above the competitor, which, before being
fit for public inspection, had to be fashione'
BY the labor OF the lapid4ry and arranged b.
the skill of the jewelIer. When fixed il
the clasplet of gold and blazing upon tn,
, brow Of beauty, the diamond may be th'
cynosure Of the ballroom, and attract to it
fortunate possessor the ardent admiration 0
enyying bellies and apPlluding beaux. l.
it be asc .rtiinei that It is paste imitation
and though the reflected rays woald con
tinue to be Of the same beauty and bril-
!, lance, the detected counterfeit would i'm
mediately become the object Of ridcule AM
contempt. Place the rose in similar 20
sition, and while it was regarded as only