The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-08-07
For he Democratic Adeooate
The Abderites "A Satire.
Translated from tie German Of Wielaad,
BY c. T. W.

came under the beautiful sky that eneircles
this land pampered by nature, like Bur.
gundy grapevines transplan,ed on the prom
tory. Ia preference to all other ma
tions of the earth, the Ionic Greeks were
the darliugs Of tho muses.. Homer himself
was, according to the greatest probability,
an loniau. The amatory songs, the mile.
sian fable, (the models Of our novels and
romances) acknowledge Ionia as their
birthplace, Alcaeus, the Horace Of the
Greeks, the glowing, fiery Sappho Anac.
reon the bard, Aspasia the instructress,
and Apelles the painter, were all from
lonia; Anacreon, indeed, being Teian by
birth. The latter may have becn, if Barnes
the commentator has computed correctly,
youth OF eighteen years when his fellow
citizens sought to induce him to remove TO
Abdera. lie went with them; and as an
evidence that he did not dedicate his Tyre
to the loves he left behind, he there sang
the song to Thracian maiden, Gin Barnes
edition the sixty-firsD in which certain
Wild Thraelan air CONTRACTS with the Ionic
charm peculiar to his own songs in
quite a singular manner Who ought not
TO think that the Texans, in their FIRST origin
Athenians-so long inhabitants Of Ionia,
fellow-citizens of Anacreou, should also
have in Thraee, maintained the character
OF spirited people But be the cause,
whatever it may, the contrary exists, be-
yond doubt, for scarcely had the Texans
become Abderites when they degeuerated.
Not that they had lost their former yiyaci.
ty and transformed themselves into simple.
tons or blockheads, as Juvenal accuses
them Ct doing their yiyacity merely took
singular turn and their Imagination got
so far ahead Of their reason that it was
ever alterward impossible for the latter to
oyertake it. The Abderites were never at
q loss for iancies, but their ideas seldom
lifted the occasions to which they applied
them, as they generally failed to strike
them until the opportunity had passed
They talked great deal, but always spoke
without moments thought as to what
they should say or how they should say it,
The natural consequence was, that they
seldom opened their mouths without say.
ing something absurd. Unluckily this bad
habit extended to their actions also; for
usually they did not shut the cage until
the bird had flown. This brought upon
them the charge of imprudeuce; but ex-
perience proved that they did not fare any
better when they deliberated before speak
ing or acting. If they ever became guilty
OF a very silly trick, il was when they at
tempted to do something exceedingly we'll;
and when they, concerning the ordinary
affairs Of their commonwealth, held long
aud earnest consultation, one could depend
upon it that they 10 all probability would
adopt the very worst method. For exam-
pie it occurred to them, that city like
Abdera must have n beautiful fountain it
was to be placed in the centrr of their
great market place, and in order to defrny
the expense OF its erection, new assess
meut was made They sent for famous
scul ptor of Athens to make group Of sta
tnary which should represent Neptune sur
rounded by nymphs, triions aud dolphns,
and seated upon a car drawn by four sea-
horses. The sea.horses and dolphins were
to spout forth continual streams of water
from their nostrils, but when all was fn-
ished it was found that scarcely enough
water could be found even to moisten the
nose Of single dolphin; and when the
fountain began to play it looked just as if
all these sea-horses aud dolphins had the
influenza. To prevent themselves being
laughed at, they placed the entire group
in the arsenal, and whenever it was shown
to a stranger the oyerseer lamented very
grayely in the name Of the honorcd city of
Abdera that SO noble work of art, had
to remain useless merely because of the
stinginess Of nature
At another time they obtained very
beautiful ivory statue of Venus which was
reekoned among the masterpieces of the
Grecian sculptor Praxiteles. 1t was about
i've feet high, and was to be placed upon
an altar Of that goddess. When it arrived
the whole city OF Abdera went into ecsta-
cies over the beauty of their Venus, for
the Abderites pretended to be critical
judges and enthusiastic lovers Of art. at
is too beautiful, they cried unanimously,
Ito stand on n low pedestal A master
piece that gives the city so much honor,
and which has cost so much, cannot be |
placed too high; il must be the Il st thing
that meets the eye Of the stranger upon his |
entering Abdera." In consequence Of
This happy thought they placed the cxqui- I
site little image on an obelisk eighty feet /
high; and although it was now impossible
% distinguish whether il represented a
Venus or water-nymph, yet they com.
1elled all strangers to admit that they never
Jaw anything more perfect II seems to
Is that these examples more than demon.
trate that one does the Abderites no in
ustice when he regards them as enthusias-
ic, but we doubt very much whether a
eature or trait can be traced which eau
lelineate their character more strongly
han this: that they, according to the ics-
imony Of Justin, suffered the frogs to so
,ct the upper-hand in aud around their
ity, that they themselves were compelled
inaly to give room to their eroaking fell
Dw-ciIizens, aud until tho matter should
'e settled, to remove TO another place un-
Ter the protection of King Cassandcr
his calamity camo not upon them unfore-
iarned. A wise man who dwelt among
hem told them long before what the con
equencc would be. The fault lay merely
! the means they employed to prevent
Misfortune, although they never could be
rought to see this. What, nevertheless !
hould have opened their eyes, was that
hey had been away from Abdera only a
Nv months, when a multitude Of cranes |.
'om the regions Of Gerania came, aud so
annihilated all the frogs that
n four and half miles around not sin :
10 frog remained to hail with his sabre
sker Kodn Koar' the returning spring. !,
"A comical imitation ofthe frog
Certain Dutch naturalists are testing the :
,ility Of the domestic cat to act as post c
an. Selecting LUX for their hcadquar- Il
h.. A IL. u. . al