Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-09-03

grasp of Eros, and the pale severity of Athene
judged her without mercy.
A mans step-a mans low whisper-a
hasty blessings warm embrace-and Myrrha
was in the arms of her lover, pressed to his
heart, his dearest treasure on earth.
The Egyptian passed and saw them BOTH
He had just come from the door of Pythionica
to hear that she was dead.
death yonder, here life and love; so goes
on our world" he thought. "only in the
tombs do they meet in one with the Greek,
DISTINCT because unknown intheirtrue essence
with us, understood, and united, and indis-
soluble.n'
Not many days after this, Meidias and the
son of the Dark Land were again walking
| through the city, conversing as usual on the
great and painful difference between reality
and custom, when they fell in with the funeral
train of Pythionica. They followed it through
| the gate, and for some distance down the
| sacred way ; when close by the roadside, in
a spot more beautiful than poet or painter
ever imaged, the procession stopped, and the
funeral rites began-the most gorgeous that
Athens had seen for centuries. Sacrifices by
the hecatomb were made gold and jewels
lavished like sand and incense and precious
ware, and all valuable things scattered forth
with profusion unheard Of. A magnificent
monument was erected to the memory of this
fair woman, this all-charming stdiga and the
men returned home to bar the doors of the
woman's apartments and to sue for divorces
il their wives looked out on the street.
Going home, another party was encounter
ed, rather different from this. A young girl,
reviled, cursed, tied with cords, and weeping
bitterly, was brought for judgment before the
heliasts, the magistrates of the Sun-court. II
No voice was raised in her favor, and the
whole yolume of the law was against her.
The gods, the statues, and custom, all con-
demned; and MyTrha was adjudged to per-
petual infamy.
" Is this rightl Ia this yirtuous ~ asked
the Egyptian.
sc stranger wise and yet foolish" an
swered Medals 'Ecanst thou not judge better
than thine indgriationp 1t is detection which
creates crime. Had Myrrha escaped, she
would have been leniently spoken of-some
would even have praised her being pursued
and captured, she must be condemned for
examples sake.'s
But Lysistrsaes was the greater sinner
He
" Deserves to be stoned2 Granted. Yet it
is not the customs in Athens for maidens to
choose their own husbands, however virtuous
nor to run away from their betrothed, how
ever vicious. Myrrha was right in morality,
but wrong in custom; and every nation holds
conventional forms far dearer than it does the
highest morality. A melancholy fact but
true. Offend against everything but social
rules Let the gods judge thee, and hope /;
but never raise thine eyes if man is the arbt-
ter of thy punishment Cheat, lie live vicious
| ly in secret, but keep to the rules of the So
| ciety of the time, and thou art respected
| live by the laws of truth and real virtue, and
break mans, and thou art condemned. Ly-
sistrates was'wicked, Myrrha impIudent he
will be general, she is an outcast. Farewell.
Think of this the next time yet put to death
the slayer of a cat, and honor the conqueror
of nations; for ye, too, fulfill This lar Of So
eietur'
The Egyptian turned away, full of bitter
thought.
The Greek had spoken truly. Vice and vir-
tue are not as facts in themselves, but as OBJ
servances in the world :" When" he
thought, twill men know and practice truth,
and care more for the award of the gods than
for the opinion of societyi'i
He asked himself this question in the days
when Athens was in her glory and Thebes
had long declined now both are in the dust,
but the answer, The time has come, i" hath
not yet been given. Iii the DIM distant fu-
ture, ever