Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-02-14

ANUS, says Iuc oouy oi Mug Arthur,
found in Glastonbury in 1889, was two
feet higher than any man that came to
see it. AS Camden, who gives an ac-
count of the discovery, fails to note this
popularity sof the corpse, the story is
probably without foundation. In like
manner, Charlemagne and his pladius
have been represented as of great stat
ure. Eginhard says that the great EN-.
peror was "seven of his own feet" in
hight; from which we must infer either
that he had very small foot, entirely
out of proportion to his size, or that he
was very tall man. The old heroes
would have US believe, too, that Rou-
land, the hero OF Roncesvalles, was also
of gigantic stature and strength. Hap
PLY we had some direct evidence of this
point. Hakewill, quoting Camerarius,
says "Francis |, King of France, who
reigned about one hundred years since,
being desirous to know the truth of those
things which were commonly spread
touching the strength and stature OF
Rouland, nephew to Charlemagne, caus-
ed his sepulchre to be opened. wherein
his bones and bow were found rotten, but
his armor sound, though covered with
rust, which the King, commanding to be
secured off, and putting it upon his own
body, found it so fit for him, as thereby
it appeared that Rouland exceeded him
little in bigness and stature of body,
though himself were not excessive tall
or big" We have similar evidence in
relation to the body of William the Con
queror. which was reported to have been
dug up four hundred years after the
burial, and found to be eight feet in
length for Stowe says when the Eng.
lish took Cannes in 1862, some said iers
broke into the monument in search OF
booty and found nothing remarkable
ABOUT the bones.
Were it possible to get at the truth
concerning the giants of antiquity, ther,
is little doubt but that half of then
could be shown to be pure myths, ant
that nine-tenths of the remainder coult
be reduced in size materially. Pliny'
assertion that mankind is gradually de
generating, is wholly gratuitous and ha
no foundation in fact. Indeed, vas
deal of proof can be abduced tending t,
show that the men of to-day are equal
and probably superior, in stature to th
ancients. The Greeks and Romans wer,
undoubtedly of small size. The helmet
and sword hilts that have come down t,
us from the heroic ages could not b,
used by the majority of soldiers Of th'
present European nations. Ancient ring
also are generally too small for moderl
fingers.
But the classic writer's give testimon,
enough on this point. Caesar, speaking 0
the Gauls, says" Our shortness of stat
ure, in comparison with the great size 0
their bodies. is generally subject 0
great contempt to the men of Gaul.
Tacitus also describes the Germans as O
robust form and of great stature; an
Strabe says that he had seen Britons a
Rome who were half foot taller tha
the tallest Italians. Yet there is no proc
that the men of these nations we're an,
larger in ancient times than they ar
now. On the contrary, the graves an
barrows tell a different story. The re
mains are usually under the averag
height of men of the present day. 1t
the same with the Egyptian mummies
According to Athen@us, man of fou
cubits, or six feet in hight, was consider
ed of gigantic size in Europe.
| Apollodorus, the grammarian of Att
ems, gives the hight of the "giganti
Hercules" as four cubits and Phya, th
woman who was selected to PERSONAL
Minerva, at Athens, in the time of Pi:
istratus, on account of great hight, whlc
was considered wonderful, did not es
ceed in stature four cubits, less by thre
fingers, or only about FIVE feet ten.
Numerous other examples might b
given, but the facts cited are sufficient t,
prove that mankind at the present day
if no greater, is certain no less in heigh
and size than in the days of old; an,
fully as many instances of abnorma
stature have occurred in comparativel
modern times as when "there were giant
in the earth.
, QUOTATIONS FROM THE BIBLE
: Tbara arc many familiar nhrasas in no,