Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-05-01

RUsKIN ON IRoN.-The eloquent and eccen-
trio Ruskin lately delivered a characteristic
lecture on ''iron," at Tunbridge Wells, Eng
land We make room for the following ex-
tract:
Everything that was good, fruitful, and
beneficent was imbued with this precious me-
tal-the stones with which we built, the rocks
we saw around us, the mountains, and the
sands that were On the shore. 1t was i'm
possible to take up the most insignificant
pebble without reading this most curious les
son, that it was earth and air in one, and that
without the air il would be cruel and life
less thing: without il had that life it was use
less; with it, it was useful and capable of
good. The most beautiful objects in nature
derived their chef beauty from iron. 1t stain
ed the most choice marble, and the finest
stones which men had ever taken, and still
continue to take, great delight in polishing
and furnishing and making to appear more
beautiful still. Iron the great coloring
matter which colored the globe for the service
of man. 1t was not long since they had seen
their hills covered by snow, and doubtless
they much admired them. But would they
always like TO see them covered with white
not a pure white, but a dirty white, as when
snow was melting? That is what they would
appear like if it were not for iron. Their
garden walks covered with beautiful iron col
ored gravel, would be of gray uniform color.
Their beautiful paths winding across the COM
mon would all be of the color of cinders.
The arabic land, with its rich, deep-brown
fruitful hue, wonld suddenly become changed
into gray dust. All would become mounds Of
mourning-all would be turned into gray
slime and the sea shore, instead of the golden
sands, would be covered with drab sands
quaker colored sands-dismal grey sands.
In these days, when people travelled. there
were doubtless very few who had not left this
country tor short time Whatever impress
sions they had about them, they would not
fail to notice one thing in England-the com
Portable look of the towns and villages.
However picturesque the foreign villages
might appear, there was not the wholesome
air of comfort and quiet about them which
our English Villages only had. Now let them
take the trouble 10 ascertain the source
whence by the greater part of that satisfacto-
~ appearance was derived, and they would
find il to be from the scarlet-colored bricks
and tiles. There might be very neat aud
respectable building without them, but moth
ing could come up To the waTm-looking, moss
grown, tiled and bricked houses. This warm
scarlet, which burnt amongst the green moss.
was caused by iron coloring matter. 1t was
oxide of iron that painted that warm, scarlet
hue. and without that oxide of iron the bricks
and tiles would all be Of a disagreeable pep
per-and salt color, and monotonous and dis
pleasing 70 the eye. There was another ma
ierial which assisted 10 produce this effect
the beautifully subdued purple of states, sof-
tened down by the effect OF the atmosphere.
Aud whatever power to charm the eye there
was in the states was owing 10 the presence Of
oxide OF iron, without which they would be of
a stone gray or black color. There were
three kinds of earth-clay, limestone, and
fint-apd nature seemed % make these three
substances as interesting and as beautiful as
she could. Clay was soft and yielding, and
Nature did not appear 10 take much pains
with It, except when 10 assumed some perman-
ent form. With limestone she seemed 10 have
taken much pains, and TO have performed
some very strange work. forming creyices,
aud filling them up with yaeions materials.
Nature, indeed. seemed TO have taken especial
delight In amusing us with pretty colors.
Hence We had the varied veined marbles, and
colors aud stained iiints. and agates. jaspers,
ard blood stones, and Nature bad accomplish
ed all this by that very oxide OF iron which
stained the marble barin o. our Tanbridse
Well springs.