Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-10-02

poetry, because its WORKINGS a.. 4 i
cealed and silent. 1t moves ,,., ar Co..
less tread along the pathwavoF N. Nylsa,
Its march to conquest and ia t. ages
unattended with the tramp NJ ~ ih.1 Is
with TIE sound Of trumpet a 9ol5-erE
garments rolled in blood " ~ With
though its influence is. TO gorno1l4 s al.
unseen, yet it is no less deenl,, -4l..1t
" felt. There are undercurrs,t. .a.ls-
ocean which are more rasistIae--- ID Zee
those upon its surface. The -, laa1
undercurrents of thought aud 20
which move the hidden springs If IN, r-
and heart, and these Sometime al -l-
results far greater in the worlds -, ~.
progress than those external 1Al
which move with clamor and co-s5
noise. We do not hesitate 10 asee-t
some of the finest touches ne , '-a
genius have often been more Ioe,irp- ,g.E
salutary in their effects uDon fb1
and character of the race that TIL
bleody conflicts which have deri5,5.
fate of empires. Who can belic-,o ---
the triumphs Of Charlemagne vera ~ -,
glorious than those of Milton-tba 5
auctions Of whose genius have sr-.E ~
the ruins Of the ages, have crossed 80
. and deserts with healing an -
wings. have brought Joy 10 marr nv.
mourning heart, illumined many d.,
ened soul, and will continue IN sll,
light upon the path of unborn rnfIli----
long after the influence of one of ca--I.
| greatest heroes shall cease to be falt,
1t is the mission Of the beautiful ,s
| poetry to shed sunshine and hone ,Ir,-
the worn and beaten walks of lff...
minister comfort to the sOrrowinr. =.
lift the thoughts into screper .r..;,.-
than actual life furnishes 10 Great
growing love for virtue. trush and b6r.
| ness; ard to inspire the soul with can
fidence in those eternll realities in com
paTison with which all Of eartb's non
and splendOr sinks into nOthinrnass I.
fingers alike above the couch of bearr
and the sick pillow. TO bless, TO animate
and to console.
The beauty Of painting. too. has
most purifying as well as inspiring ipfr.
| ence. Who can stand before one of fl.
master pieces Of Michael Angelo AMI
not be stirred, as if by some magic nowar
to a higher sense of duty, and not % fo-f
upon lifc's battle field animated with ro.
bier aims and purposes
We have spoken only Of the miBistr.
Of the beautiful Of art as related ia Is.
dividuals. Ii affects also the charaa-ar
of r5ati0Hs. The more q people dire,t.
its attention to the cultivation Of tba
fine arts, the purer viii be ifs religions
faith. the higher viii be It's standard NJ
civilization and refinement. and th4
.-4-. 10 l1s91 Of
We cite but a single example In history
The Greeks admired and cultivated
the beautiful in poetry painting
and sculpture, and it was during
the period in which Grecian an
was carried 10 the highest perfec
ton that the nation enjoyed the greatest
prosperity and glory. You talk Of ths
poems Of Homer saba mathematician.
''but after all. what do they prove
They prove far more than all the ariil-
meticians Of Greece crer proved The
inspired the heroes Of Iherm0ryie ami
Marathon: they infused strength into
the little republics Of Greece. which e.
abled them for so many years, 10 repa
the hostile invaders from her shores
The sublime pictures of tIi8l affection
of love Of truth, of devotion t. c9ua-
try. and reverence 30 the gods. portray
ed in such matches beauty in fine Had.
odyssey and AntiEOnc contributed te
those sterling traits of mind and heart
which adorned the Greciln character.
and shed glory upon the Grecian name
The beauty Of painting and scripture
had a power over the minds ri lie
Greeks, as great, perhaps As that of pr-
etry. They were wont to portray ll-
heroic deeds of their ancestors upon csl-
vas, or TO carve them upon the walls m
their palaces
1t was thus that they perpe.uatel ,he.r
history by atliring it in the fadeles
robes Of the beautiful. Each marble
column Of their magnificent ediioas
thus became an animated monitor ri
the glnrinus past, and il was by these
many memorials of departed greatnes.
that each generation OF this renowned
race was inspired to deeds. uojly heroic.
L was not strange that Greece, so long
taught the inspiring lessons Of the beau-
tiful in art. gave birth 10 an Alexander
who wept at AchilleUm IS al the tomb
of a rival
We shall next speak Of the beautiful
as revealed IN girtu01ts action. We dc
not assert that all virtuous deeds at
beautiful: yet there are some, which
from their peculiar surroundings and
from the nObleness of character dis
played. seem to be clothed with mora.
sublimity and beauty Sir Philip Sid
neY dying upon the field Of battle p
fusing a cup of cold water that IL might
be given to an expiring soldier by lis
side, affords Us all the elements Of
beauty. In such scenes as these, which
shine forth here and there from ths
pages of history, the noble ideal Of char-
acteT and action which is but Shadow65
forth in art. seems to be transforHea
into the actual. The beautiful as here
revealed has q ministry quite akin 20
that of the beautiful of art but it Is
fraught with the greater power as it has
the force of a reality. 1t shows 70 man
what God-like deeds spring forth from
the promptness of his noble nature, ard
sheds upon bis path the light which en-
arates from the example of highly cal-
tiyated humanity.
We have thus treated of the minis
tries Of the beautiful as they come 10 rs
HUH lltElI LAl2EE oDUlGte tt--+ t-- -----
noble action
How great is the power Of these silent
influences upon us in our everyday me.
few of US realize. The coarsestan and nosL
sordid natures are not beyond ileH
reach. Theirs is an influence refining
and ennobling, and they are ever 81
work upon the human character. IntE
are dispensed unto man at every step On
his earthly pilgrimage, and are ever urg-
ing him to a higher and purer life. Inel
impart to human existence a prot0uDGgI
meaning. They are the golden indlssolo-
BILE links which binds this lower EARN
to heaven, and they make human
hearts throb in love and sympathy Win
the great heart of God. 1t is true,
beauty does not, like the telescope, pen
citrate the remote chambers Of TIE
heavens to number the stars, nor does il
unlock to us the portals of the miscrop!e
world: il cannot demonstrate a single
problem of Euclid if wields not the
anatomist's knife among the marYels Of
the human frame, nor with the hammer
of tn egeologist cleaves the strong Tepos-
itories of unwritten history. There Is III
its essence no raiment for the body 10
pillow for the weary head. 1t cannoi
become. like science, the slave OF man,