Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-11-20
B a b y l o n

olation that surrounds and eushrouds tht
once mighty Babylonian empire;
In the distance, high above the plain
doomed a great mound of earth. Or
both sides of US lay what looked lib'
long parallel ranges of hills. These
lines are pronounced to be The remains
of those canals that once conducted the
waters of the Eupbrates over the length
and breadth Of the ancient Babylonia
What mighty canals must they have
been, that still showed after the lapse Of
centuries such substantial traces now
not SO much as drop Of water no, moi
even drop Of heavens pearly dew ever
glistena, where once ships must have
navigated. These mighty banks thai
carried fertility to every corner Of the
ancient kingdom are now mere useless,
sghtless mounds. No morning mist,
moistenins the thirsty earth, eyer hangs
over them. No rain clouds ever shadow
them, tempering the rays Of fierce dai-
ly returning sun. The end of her that
"dwelleth upon many waters" has been
brought only too surely. The awful
prophecies had been fulfilled, and desola-
tion, in all its nakedness, in all its dreari-
ness, was around US. After riding some
two or three hours we arrived at the foot
of tue great mound that we had seen in
the morning We dismoun!ed aud
scrambling to the top, for we had even
arrived at the ruins Of Babylon; and
this great mound Of earth that we were
on was the grave of the golden city.
believe from tue summit, raised
some hundred feet above the plain, the
walls of the ancient city may be traced
But hot wind driving burning sand and
the mplacable dust Of ages into the pores
of our skins, made every effort to open
an eye so terribly painful that we gave
up the idea in despair of either tracing
walls, or indeed looking about us much
anywhere.
| remember seeing, away to the west,
lines of willows, and silver thread wind
ing away into the distance, and nearer,
some unsightly bare mounds, looking as
If volcanic fire had been at work under
meath tie smooth surface of the plain,
and had thrown these mounds up in the
spirit of pure mischief. That silver
thread was our first glimpse of the Eu-
pirates, and the mounds all that remained
of the once beautiful hanging gardens OF
Babylon at least so the conjecture of
men of research has accounted for them.
But SO completely have the prophecies
been fulflled---so completely has the
shame and the remnant been cut off
of all pertaining to the once mighty city,
that even the great hill on which we were
standing is only by conjecture supposed
to be the ruin Of some great building or
royal palace that stood within the walls
possibly the palace Of Semiramls.
We descended from the great mound,
and made for those lesser mounds which
are supposed to be the site of the hang
ing gardens of Nitocris and Semramis.
In one spot--the only thing we saw 10
the shape Of building in a state of ruin
was mass OF vitrifed brick work,
piercing the old soil and debris of centu-
res, angle upwards. The bricks were
square, Of large size, and beautiful make
the angle of some clear and sharp, as if
the brick had but left the kiln yesterday, {
instead of nearly twice two thousand |
years ago. Turning into little hollow ,
way between the mounds, we came sud. :
denly upon a colossal stone lion. Time S
with its leaden hand had knocked away
all the sharp angles Of the statue. The a
features OF the lion are completely oblit, &
Grated, as are also those of the PROSTATE {
form that lies so helpless, so utterly and G
wholly human, beneath the appraised paw |
of the king of beasts. {
The group presents itself to the eye, v
owing TO the wear Of old Time, much IN o
the appearance Of those vast blocks OF {
Carrara marble which the bold chief Of c
Angelo struck into, and then,
At the point that the shapeless marble had
begun to assume the merest form Of the r.
great scu ptors idea, the block was sud d
lenly abandoned aud left as a wonder d
md puzzle to future ages, or does this 81
group of the lion and the man now bear o
An unfinished, unwrouelt appearance e
but you cannot look at it a moment and e.
not instantly avow the majesty and gran "
1eur Of the idea that once lay there SO p,
nightly embodied. This dark colossal II
statue, which may have once stood under Il
he gorgeous roof of a temple, and before la
which the queenly Semiramis, proud and n
upremely beautiful, may once have bow.
d, stands now canopied by the grandesi C
f all canopies certainly-high heaven
tut never noticed but by the wind that
weeps moaning over it and the jackals
hat yelp around, as they hold high revel