The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-11-26
TELEMANCHUs.

There are characters in history that
we love to contemplate. It is not for
the noblest personages that the pen of
record is most lavish with its ink; or
the brain of the historian most racked
in the discovery of rhetorical embellish-
ments to illume and begem. Heroic
and martial prowess is ever surrounded
with halo of scintiltaling glare, faseina-
ting to the thoughtless ard giddy The
man of real worth, whose big soul, like
a great cup Of gold, is filed with the
enduring mental and moral rubies, pos
sesscs least enehantment to the popular
mind, and occupies cramped, unnotic-
ed corner on the page of episode in his
country's history. So with Teleman-
chus. to.55 -5--.s
This monk and anchorite of Egypt
was endowed by nature with superior
mind. His especial gift was that of a
disinterested and fearless moral hero
ism.
In the rude rural seclusion, chosen by
him and his associates, to lead their
lives of religious devotion, there throng-
ed to the simple oratory of tLis unsoph-
isticated child of. nature, the afflicted
whom he consoled, and the needy whom
he relieved. In these useful and unos-
tentatious labors passed twenty years
of the life of Telemanchus Chance or
curiosity threw a traveller temporarily
into the monastery. He came from
Rome, that proud, profgate and imperi-
al city that sat upon her seven hills and
ruled the world. Of this great centre
of civilization the traveller spoke. Hour
after hour he entranced the ear of the
eager monks.
He, spoke of her aggregated trophies
gathered by the valor Of her conqueriDg
armies in every zone; of her noble and
ignoble rulers; of her virtue and vice;
of her enormous revenue and squander-
ed treasure ofthe happiness and misery
Of her subjects; of her victorious bat
ties and disastrous defeats; of her stu
pendous temple and gorgeous palaces;
and of her marble streets and her gladi-
atorial Coliseum vra
On the last he dwelt, and recited the
brutal gladiatorial exhibitions tolerated
by Christian emperors, to infame the
worst passions of the licentious rab-
Bile.
This revolving relic of paganism, en-
dured and approved by Christians, con-
stituted to widen chasm between the
ory and practice, for the jealous and
scrupulous mind of Telemanchus.
he rose in his place, and said to his
brother monks " While such hideous
pagan evils exists to disgrace and shame
our holy religion, supineness or any
thing short of an open, bold-faeiug pro
test, is unworthy the monkhood of Tele-
manchus. viii go to Rome, enter the
arena of the Coliseum, separate the com
batants, face the emperor, and theexeited
crowd, and in the name of Jehovah
openly inveigh against this horrible traf-
fc" H- 1880. Ia ..1it5s .s-
Telemanchus started, and travelled
and reached the Coliseum just before
gladiator's death. The exulting shouts
that broke from the gathered thousands
stunned him with alright, his heart re-
coiled moment from it's stern purpose,
but true to the great impulses of his
devout soul, it gathered courage equal
to the great emergency. Telemanchus
descended into the arena, boldly inter
fered between the astonished gladiators,
and with uplifted voice, in the presence
of assembled Rome, denounced the sin,
cruelty and cowardice of such amuse-
ments. The boldness of the intruder
for moment choked in the crowd all
expression of passion; but balked in
Witnessing the beastly consummation of
the fight, the current of rage and mer-
ciless revenge set strong against the OBJ
iect that had thwarted the final revival
of the brutal feelings of the debauched
throng. That object was the determined
Telemanchus. -
The menacing gestures, and madmen
shouts from the multitude in the am
phitheater, announced to Telemauchus
the doom he had anticipated, The
crowd had seized whatever missiles they
could lay their hands on. Telemanchus
calmly folded his arms, and calmly waited
the shock of the rising storm. 1t came
like bursting thunder cloud, and over
whelmed him. He fell beneath the
shower Of stones that dismissed his soul
to its final home.
Thus fell the hero of the Coliseum.
Thus fell the noble martyr of humanity
Wonderful changes often take place
in the feelings of popular assemblies.
Shame and remorse succeeded murder.