The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-06-27
POWER In TIE PAST.
No. II.
BY GAsKRLL.

and chow the constant dread rule
in ancien! times we're in OF assassin
ton and death DAmoclss was
courtier to Dionysius the elder, tyran
"A or king, OF Syracuse. One day, as
y was enlsrginR, as usual, on the pow
OF the king, extOlllng mis- grandeu
and eulogizlng upon the bappine
be enjoyed in the possession of Ct
preme control, Dionysius asked hir
II be would like to exercise that powe
81 for a single day. DamocIes, enrap
IA tured at the proposition eagerly 81
cepted it, and thu king, willing {
honor him, and al the same tune
] perhaps, read him lesson, ordsre,
2 grand feast to be prepared to homo
the occasion. When all had beer
done and the guests were assembled
' Damocles, clad in the royal robes,
( entered and took the place usually
occupied by the king. TINS feast was
at lie height, the wine and jest circu-
lated freely and Damocles was in
ecstscies OF delight at the acquisition
of power and the dsiereuce shown
him. But not long did ne exhilera-
ton OF spirits continue. CHANGING
to cast his eyes upwards to the cell
ing, he behed q sight that turned
his blood to ice and filed hia soul
with terror. Directly over him, sus-
pended by angle hair, Was a sharp,
gliEteriDg sword, that the slightest
breath of air might release from its
slender fastenings and prove to him
unerEing death. His hllsrity wac
gone in an infant. he no longer
reioiced in bis newborn power, it was
forgotten, or merged iu the greater
feeling of fear that had come upon
him. BE no longer gszed with glow
ing eyes around the festive board,
every nerve was strained in the fear
fol lock be kept upon the aWord. He
could not rest until the feast was
over and be had taken of the royal
robes. In 3 private station he was
comparatively ssis And hs had had
enough OF royalty; and he vas per-
iectly satisfied that Dionysius, aid not
himself, Shopla occupy a station OF
such constant peril.
This sAue DioDysius WGs 10 constant
dread. Net even his wives and chill
dren could enter bis presence without
first being searched fox concealed
Weapons, by the guards al the door. |
Il Is said also, that when he was
shaved, net daring TO entrust . razor, |
or any sharp Instrument in the hands
OF his dauthters, lest they should kill |
him he had thsm SINCE his beard ST
with fire. What a lie WAa this TO |
lesd-Where nlan dare not entrust |
his life to his own pTogeny-where |
every one is suspected OF evil inten-
tions aud OF designs calculated to |
shorten his days, or subvsrt his
authority.
DlOnysius was no extraordinary ez-
cept'oa to the praeIice oI rulers in |
those days. Goaded By toeir fears
they prsoiieed all kinds Of receptions
and made use OF all kinds of strats-
gems 10 ensure heir safety. Alex
ander OF Pheres, ds:sstabls tyrant,
had 2 room built ia the centre of his
palace to which be assembled by
means OF q step-ladder, which he
would draw up after him and thus
cut of oommunicat en- with the
guards below. To make assurance
doubly sure he chained beside the trap
door leading ID this room, D huge |
mastif, fierce and implaeable in
nature, which no one but himself
and his wife Hsbe, dare approach.
Notwithstanding bis precautions. this
man ss length met tbs doom he
feared, yet neEitsd; his wife utterly
disgusted with his brutal cruelty and
hendish WICKED Asss, even holding the
light and sitting the dog, while her
brothers slew him as he slnmbered.
Here instead OF the noble conf
dence, which a course of uprightDess
snd rectilude egsr bsgets, We find
man, who rather than entrust his
fellow creatures with his safety, leaves
it 10 the care OF g dumb beast. The
man whose Intentions and actions are
good and beneficial to humapity,
never has his soul overcome by
craven, abjecI fear. He lives in an
atmosphere ofpurity and judges others
in a great measure by his own stan
dard of right. He fears not others,
for he has their welfare and prosperity
at heart and be i. fall Of confidence.
Power to the majority Of persons is
very adhsring, many being willing 10
wade through any amount OF blood
and sin to gain it. There are, how
ever, in the chronicles OF the past
bright examples, where noble natures
disdained that power when not pro
ductive of good and procured by sin
and wrong. Lycurgus was offered
crown, but refused it, as 1t rightly
belonged to babe yes unborn. Gin
cinatus was called from following the
pillow, given unlimited power as die
tator, led the Romano to Victory and
laid down bis commission at the end
OF three days.
SlmiIis, a general in the service of
the Emperor Hadrisn, asked for and
obtained permission to retire from
public service. He spsnt the femaiD-
der of his life in rural retirement aud |
when be died, seven years afterwards, |
he ordered TO be- inscribed upon his
tonb an epitaph purporting, that
| though he had dpsft on the earth |
msny yeara, yet be had hoed but
seven. /
Phocian, an Athenian of great
ability and virtue and sincere lover
OF Justice, refused sll Alexander's gifts,
alleging it was unbecoming the hon.
esty OF a man to ba bought. Regulus,
taken prisoner by the Carthsgenians
had so much regard for his word and
love for the benor Of his country, that
when sent to Rome to solicit peace,
under promise to return il unsucoesE-
ful, that he advised his countrymen
to refuse and returned 10 Carthage
though ne knew he WAS going to G
lingering death. II iE said he even
refused to see his wife and children,
lest the sight OF them sbould shake
his resolution. FAbriciua, Roman
ambassador and general, bad 80 high
an opinion OF honesty and virtue,
that when the physician OF the enemy
Of his country. Pyrhui, offered for 8
compensation, to poison his master,
though to advantage OF his county TO
accept, yet he instantly sent the letter
to the king, telling him he had mis-
taken bis friends aid enemies snd
that the Romans never Conquered