New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-08-12
AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES.

IL .
Many win deem it almost absurd TO speak Of the
anfiouties of country that had no historical classi-
iii N uopular existence four hundred years ago
country that WIS not dreamed Of when Charlemagne
was III His glory, overthrowing thrones,
natfoils and establishing new bounds to old countries
country that was written about as terra
iii Atlantic an Ethiopia, by the great lights Of the
middle ages-by men who could quote Plato IS read
as they could run through the alphabet, and who
could sum up % their fingers all the eras and epochs
of Roman greatness. E HI 4.
4 So far as the existence Of America is connected
with the history Of Europe, it has no age. When
viewed, however in its other light as great hemis
phere that has existed since the foods that has seen
thousands Of generations Of men born and buried !;
that has had political histories, wars revolutions
sciences and religions. even art and refinement In
some rude measure, ever since the flood sit shows its
claims TO an antiquarian importance far surprising
that Of Europe Asia Or grey haired Africa because
it was, probably, peopled when the Pharaohs were
unborn and had chronicles before the Jewish people
went forth against the Philistines.
How far these speculations of its origin may, Or
may not be correct, will never be discovered. The
monuments which should have preserved its chroni-
cles have been merged, with comparatively slight
never yield up the secrets once confded to them.
Some few facts are all that now remain on which
even Tile widest speculatons can base themselves for
future investigation. These specnations, like all
which are of any worth or usefulness, proceed upon
grounds that have been explored, and rest solid
| foundation. What was--when the kingdom Of the
| Montezumas was discoyered-by process of specu-
atye logic Is made to account for what was long be-
iI,aniv tglr1-
ming back to the great deluge @G
1T is known that at the time when Cortes invaded
the realms Of the Mexc monarch thirty knights could
tilt with ease on the terrace roof Of his palace; that
his armories were filed with weapons almost as de-
structye as any to be found in the arsenals of
christian rulers; that his granaries were furnished
with provisions paid by tributaries after the manner
of the tthes Of Israel that three hundred servants
were needed to tend the ayaries, stocked with birds
Of beautiful and gorgeous plumage and charming
song that his enageres contained beasts as terrible
as any that ever graced the exhibitions of Roman
trnmphs that his dwarfs were like children Of Sir
Godfrey Hudson, and were even more hideous than
the paintings ancient vaults and that the ladies
compared 5adyantageously in personal charms with
the Georgian hours, whose beauty is said to have
been SO brilliant in the harems Of Gonstantinople
to increase day light and pale the fires Of artificial
illumination. The master Of all this magnifcence
changed his apparel woven of the richest materials,
four times daily, never putting the same garment on
twice; and eating and drinking from gold except
on state occasions, when his table was laid with ser
vices Of eholnlan porcelain, far surprising that of
china or sevres-never twice using the same dishes.
The Partisan chefs de cuisines boast that they have
six hundred and eightyve different ways Of prepar-
ing eggs. Even the poor heather of American bar
barism had thirty ways Of preparing meat, Three
hundred dishes were daily set before the monarch,
and as silver chatting dishes had not then been in
vented, such as were required to be kept hot were
placed in heated earthen stands prepared for that
purpose The dishes Of ordinary use at the table Of
Montezuma surpassed in richness the varieties OF
Caligulas and Dioclesians times. The carp was to
them the most exquisite of fsh--merely because it
did not swim the Tiber; and peacocks tongues were
the richest of meats owing to their great rarity.
Montezu1na and his court fed on more substantial
fareon geese, partridges, quail, yenison, pigeons
wild hogs hares rabbits and above all else dairy-fed
baby, when the article was in season Fruits of all
kinds from temperate and tropic cnles, graced the
feasts and drinks Of mild but stimulating charac
ter, pressed from the grape orange, pineapple, and
other fruits circulated freely.
In cold weather, enormous torches, fingng forth
not only light and warmth, but aromatic odors be-
You'd pastles, placed behind screens of solid gold
with curious devices upon them, lent an additional
splendor and attraction to a scene truly royal and
magnificent scene vieng in every respect with the
barbaric splendors described by Milton:
ttrto a.