Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-06-05

sweet attractive grace.
Could it be possible to turn such a
being loose in aworld Of men, and
say to her, thou shalt have no-inau-
ence? Such a command might be
ventured by man. Hewoufd find that
his very nature would be- first to
violate his own command, by causing
him to do homage to her upon whose
wonderful influence he had just cast
scornful eye. But this pe,0er is OF
very peculiar nature, and cannot
possibly be properly defined on ac-
count of its extreme peculiarity. 1t
is kind Of hidden or secret power
an influence to which man is by his
very nature forced to yield obeisance.
A most striking example of Wo-
man influence may be given iu the
case of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
From Roman history we learn that,
after the death of Julius Caesar, Au-
gustus aud Antony became warm
friends. Augustus Cesar, as the
kinsman of the great Julius, natu-
rally became the first man in the Ro-
man world but Antony, owing to
his personal accomplishments, I. was
looked upon with much favor by the
Roman people, and was much beloved,
it seems By young Augustus. Finally,
however, Antony went to Egypt, and
there met the celebrated beauty-the
famous Queen of Egypt. Soon he be-
came slave to her many charms and
fascinations, and found it impossible,
proud soldier as he was, to extricate
himself from. the sweet bondage into
which he had fallen. Closer and
closer around him did his lovely en-
chantress weave her irresistible iphu-
ence, until finally the destiny of the
illustrious warrior, and the great Ro-
man empire was lying at her feet.
So enraptured had Mark Antony be-
come, SO completely had he been
csaslaved by the varied accomplish
ments of his exquisite charmer, that
he seemed to forget he was scarcely
second in the great Roman world, and
acted so queerly, extravagantly and
rashly that he lost much Of his popu-
larity. So that when quarrel arose
between him and Augustus, the Ro-
mans aided Cesar with all their
might.
At length the two commanders met
in their respective galleys, and fought
the famnns hattie of Actium. -Cleopatra
had accompanied her lover to the
scene of action in her splendid gal
ley, and was lying off at safe dis
.tance from the combatants, watch
ing, no doubt, the valiant exploits OF
her gallant and daring admirer. The
battle had not by any means been de
cided, and the chances in favor oi
Antonys success were equally as
good as those in Caesars favor. But
Just at this critical junctu e, Cleopatra
became uneasy, and steered for hes
Egyptian shores. Upon observing
this, Antony, forgetting all, save that
his lovely paramour was leaving him,
turned from the contest to follow
and thus madly threw world
away" dashed from his grasp the
brilliant sceptre of the Roman EN-
pife, fled from the post Of duty and
of honor, basely deserted those who
were struggling and dying in his
cause, to follow Cleopatra, and to
revel in the charms Of Che sorceress,
of the Nile.
II can but be remembered how
graphically. history speaks of the
manner in which the cruel Sextus be-
came enamored of the charms of the
fair Lucretia nor can the beautiful
legend of the virtuous Virginia be
forgotten. The student of Grecian
history will ever retain lively re-
collection of the. striking manner in
which the classic writers bear testi-
mony to the fact that the famous
Trojan war was occasioned by an
sffront offered to one of the fairest of
Grece's lovely daughters.
To attempt to cite all the instances
of character somewhat similar to
those. mentioned above, would require
probably an extensive volume. Ma
ny Of the best and greatest men have
been influenced, in some way or other,
to very great degree, by Woman. :.
Going back to Biblical facts, atten-
ton must be called to the two lead
| ing cases which come under this head:
Then, first, David committed his
greatest, if not his only recorded sin,
in having the husband exposed in the
front ranks Of battle. so that he
might be killed, and that he DAVID
might then be free to appropriate to
himself the dead mans beautiful
wife. Also, Solomon was pronounced
the " aoiscst Of men, aad yet he COM
mittea ;his.grosssst' sin am taking too
much time from the service of bis
God, and devOtiug it to his lovely
concubines.