Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-10-05
aaynrd Taylor's Lecture.

"ASclENT EaYPT'-THE LEcTuRE AT THE BOROUGH
HILL KENNErT SQUARE, SATURDAY EVENING.
Bayard Taylor, who has already made engage
inents to lecture throughout the season, In all
parts of the country, made his rc-appearance OH
the PLATFORM on Saturday evening, at the
Borough Hall, Kennett Square. His lecture is
npon "Ancient Egypt" and will provea valuable
contribution to the more solid and instructive
entertainments of the Lyceum. While he
sketches in it the known and presumed his
tory of that wonderful country, and dwellH upon
the characteristics of its ancient ife-its civili-
Zation, culture, arts, and political power-he
makes the general topic one from which to obtain
deductions that apply 30 our own further and fu-
ture career, pointing obvious morals for Amer.
cans by ttolght Of Egyptian experience. Thus
the period when art and literature flourished most
in Egypt was one preceding her highest political
greatness {; at the latter time her life had hard
ened into conservatism, and national vanity /;
precedent and custom ruled supreme and for
hnde research, speculation, or invention and
under such conditions, development ceased,
and other nations, seizing upon such elements
of her greatness as were OF vital force appro-
priated them for their own purposes. Her the
ology came TO the Hebrews, to be expanded under
the hand of Moses into higher and better forms
and preserved by his people for a still truer and
nubler divinity. Greece took her arts and other
nations her literature, while the aspiring and
ambitious Cambyssea, with his Persian hOrdes
accomplished, last of all, her political downfall
We draw from this the obvious conclusion that
nations must persevere like individuals, must
aspire mud seek
"sllll achieving, still pursuing"
and that when ardor reapses into satisfac-
ton and development ceases, decay begins. But,
after all have not nations like alINother things in
Creaton their period OF life ?-their birth, their
youth, their maturity, their age Of realized
tyttl, har uyo
thousand yearH from Menes to Nectanebo, lived
longer than any other and il therefore worth
our curious and reverentinl study, but shall not all
peoples, all civilizations, all nations, have their
own allotted period?
MIR. Taylor, referring to the researches of
archnologists, and their astonishing conirmn-
tons and corrections OF the historical records
previously possessed, spoke Of the labOrs and
successes OF CLampolion. Bunsen, Lepsius, aud
Chabas but especially OF tho later and most
wonderful discoveries OF tho enthusiastio and
systematic Mariette The hieroglypllics have
been made plain, the inscriptions become clear
and lucid information, tho papyius rolls arc add
ed to our collections OF veritable aud legible his
tory; even the buried cities are found. and
Memphis itself, the ancient capital, whose build
era laid its stones four Thousand five hundred
years before the era of Christ, IL opened to the
light OF this modern day.
The manner of the lecturer is extremely
graceful and easy, and his delivery rather IA
i'iN nv binio " Lio dAAiitt hSliiN hhs
over an hour and quarter. His audience was
large.tbough the hall was not too crowded, and the
respect Of close attention was paid him through
ont. At the close many persons pressed forward
both to compliment the speaker, and to express
their welcome home from his protracted absence
in tho Old World. He will start to-day for New
England, where he has four lecture engagements
this week at Dartmouth College, Tuesday even
ing; Providence, H. l., Wednesday evening;
Poughkeepsie, Thursday evening; and West
Menden, Conn, Friday evening. On Saturday,
he will return, intending. if the weather should
prove euitablo for the proposed gathering at
Mount Cuba, to attend 1t for short time
Spending Sunday at home. he will thon SC
Southward to fill other lecture engagements.
lemarking for moment, on his recent trip to
Egypt, lie observed that aside from his genera
desro to revisit that country, he Lad gone partly
on account of his health, to aid himself Of deep
seated cough, which had caused linn concern fol
a year or two. 81 knew" said he, " that Egyp
would euro it, and sure enough, three days after
arrived there, it had disappeared, and wal
never troubled with it again."