The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1886-02-25
ROME AND GREECE,
~ Ok. &. ". wRorEN.

IkA llltINliltnr. TIC -hNtl Ho''S'i'N. ~
me by this Circle, no one knows
betterthan your humble servant
how completely I should fail. TO
draw a parallel between Rome and
Greece institute a comparison
between the proud dwellers OF the
Seven Hill City and those who CON
sidered the classic Athens the seat
OF all philosophy and art-to do
this work requires the pen of the
historian, inspired by the brain of
Macauley. / must needs be con
tent, then, with merely a brief essay
upon those two great nations OF
earth, as they appeared in the aim
and somewhat legendary past, and
as they are now seen in the all
penetrating light Of the present.
And as | do this the mind Of the
intelligent listner will instinctiyelY
seize whatever characteristics may
be presented and form contrasts
and parallels ofits own.
AT this day when one uses the
term Rome, one is naturally sup
posed to have reference to that
grand aggregation of palaces, chur-
Iches and novels on the banks OF
1.-THE muddy Tiber-that city which
has been in tnrn the mistress Of the
world and the plaything Of Princes.
Butte restrict our meaning TO the
seat Of the mightiest Cathedral OF
earth would be unjust 20 a once
great people. When, as was once
Che case, all nations turned to
Rome II WAS towards fair Italy. II
was to that once divided but now
Iunified nation that poet, priest and
painter twined for inspiration for
did not there dwell the tune ful
Tasso2 Did not Titan and Angelo
| live with in the walls,and was it not
from the Vatican that issued those
ecclesiastical thunders and church,
Nv dogmas which have shaken the
civilized world? Not all the sages
and seors of earth could have fore
told the grand destiny Of this city
whose founder nourished his life al
the breast of the wolf of the plain
of that race, who from n throng Of
rude barbarians should grow into
mighty people of warriors, States
menand Philosophers,
As. the philosopher from di stant
lands visits ruined Coliseum, and
there by the mellow and softening
light of some summer moon gazes
upon these relics Of former grand
eur-as England's great historian
has said the traveller from New Zen.
land would sit on london Bridge
and gaze upon the ruins Of Brit
taina's Capital -he must ask him.
self why has the language Of the
ancient Rome-the stately latin
place only III the technitalities Of
science and The liturgy Of the
church.Ancient Greece had her dis.
tinotiyo tongue, and to-day the
prattliue child Of modern A,hous
d.!ers us wants in the language OF
Homer, aid sitting upor some
flllen.statue upon the gentle accliv
ity of Gars Hill, or idly dGifinp
round some suhnyisieo Asyran
sen, the, lover tells his tll uew
story inthe language Of old Ovid
Aud while we lose ourselves in ad-
niration Of the stately measute and
musical rythm Of tongue Of Sdph-
oclesand Aeschvlus, let Us not b.
llorgatful of the fact that The liter
allure Of Greece is coevnl with its
Language. 1t begins, says an emu.
inent historian ina period of lndef-
mite antiquity One tlous in9
years before that pregnant sctEe ii
Bethlehem's maager poetical com.
position has reached its highest
perfection, and while the luNdiious.
Roman, TO while away the hours
from his bath TO thecombat Of the
lsladiator, had 10 summon n slave
give sensual amusement with I he
native danca of her, far offhomr, IL
| Academic grove the philosophH
EGrecl was listening to his own De-
mosthencs, or viewing with q
Fertile SIEVE the chaste and elias .ic
posings ola native Thespis While
| Rome, mtasurably because she. in
vitod the world to harschools, once
held and still contains much in
| Art TO challenge our admiration.