The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-05-30

Yours fraternally,
Signed HORACE GREELEY.
For the Citizen
Letter from New York.
In the many hours we spent il
the "Art Metropolitan Museum" w
cannot hope to convey to you
readers half the sensations of pleas
ure and profit experienced. On en-
tering, through the courtesy of oul
/ friend Mrs. DIR. ClarksOH, who is
one of the Patrons, we seated oul
body, by invitation, in the chair
used by Napoleon while sojourning
at St. Helena, and just opposite is
the warriors statue, in his last mo.
ments. This is hewn from Carrav-
va marble. Seated in his invalid
chair, head reclining upon his pill
/ low, hands, with lace ruffies, laid
outside the drapery which falls in
rich folds across his lap, resting up
on the floor. His eyes are cast
down, and the whole aspect is that
of one who waits in sadness the end.
In the same room is statue OF
Eternity. This, to us, is one of the
most remarkable pieces of sculpture
we have ever looked upon. 1t is a
yeiled female figure, the marble veil
falling over the marble features as
naturally and as gracefully as any
lace veil over the features of a liy-
ing beauty, and each outline of the
face as clearly and as distinctly Wis
ible. Hanging in this room are
two wonderful pieces of tapestry. A
scene upon the Rhine, with the
broad slopes of an ample valley, fra
grant oleanders, and in the distance
a range of mountains. The other 4
peacock pleading, with head erect,
to Juno amid the clouds, to give
him a voice to correspond with his
gay and beautiful plumage. Pass
ing into an interior room, we
''VYalkcd about, how strange a story,
In Thebe's streets three thousand years
ago."
and were made as it were contempo-
rary with Abraham, with the Israel
ties in Egypt, by witnessing speci-
mems of rare art made in their time,
and with Tnich they were familia~.
In this collection we see the stene
head Of the Pharaoh of the Exodus;
the burned and un5urned bricks
ma Re by the Children of Israel in
Egypt; the gold necklace and ear
rings bearing the name of Menes,
the first Pharaoh of Egypt; the
large gold signet-ring of ShOufou,
the builder of the great Pyramid;
the mummy case which was handed
round at banquets to remind the
guests of their mortality; fine spec
linens of p9pyrus upon which the
writing is quite visible; the various
talismans and charms -hu-
man mummies; and three ponder
Gus mummied bullocks, all make
real to the observer the daily life
and habits of a people which, after
centuries of supremacy, exist for us
only in these relics. What sadness
creeps over us as we look. All hu
man passions, thoughts and impul
ses, the dreams of love and ambi-
ton, our own existence! is this the
end? Among all the collections Ct
beautiful and costly paintings by
the Old Masters we shall only men
ton two or three. The MARTYR
dom Of St. Benjamin" by Guido, is
Il work of life size and of astOnish-
ing vigor; the eoloring strong, bril-
liant, and true to life. Bound to a
large rock by a cable cord, passing
round the waist, which cuts into the
flesh-the blood flowing over it and
down upon the white nap
kin which girdles the loins OF the
nude figure; the head laid back ap-
sn the rock, large veins starting
from the brow, throat and arms, and
beaded drops of perspiration burst
ing from every pore; his arms ex-
tended, and from every finger-nail
prortudes long splinter, driven an
inch beyond tie nail, around which
the dark blood has settled and drip
ping slowly down each splinter!
His torturers, four in number, two
Of which watch the agony of the up
lifted counteuance, while the other
two complete the driving of the
splinters beneath each toe-nail, from
which flows a continuous stream of
dark blood upon the greensward.
The demOniacal cOuntenances of the /
torturers, with their different ex-
pressions. cannot be described as
they watch the physical suffering of
their victim. Neither can the resig-
nation of the martyr be understood
until you look closely upon the pic
ture. In the background lowering
amid the clouds is seen the Angel
Of Faith with a face full of hope and I
tenderness, upon which the
eyes are Tiveted with an
Of mingled agony and
All, that face! with
hat holy solicitude il watches over
him, seeming 70 say, '-be faith sul, !
fait1fill." Earth's soFoWs are soon
O. er, and a heritage awaits thy freed |
spirit in Heaven! Be faithful. No
one can look at this painting with
out being moved to tears. Aside
from its marvellous sxactness to ma
ture. it teaches US 8 lesson, y we
viii only accept it. Recently has
been added to this old collection Of
art, q great curiosity Of more mod
srn date,-a small portrait Of Geo.
silk asoVeB throughout
on 8 jacquard loom, and cost $io,-