Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-16


Sure there n something more than WITCH
craft in them
That masters ev'n the wisest Of us all.
RoUe Jane Shore.
Whatever may have been the unex-
pressed introspections or retrospections
OF the author of these lines he embodied
truth Of which history sbounds in con-
frmstions. 1t may be said TO have come
in with our first garments, and bids fair
TO last until the race has run its course.
Indeed, the latest llustrious example
may derive peculiar satisfaction from
the reflection that our common fore
father lost very desirable position
somewhere between the Tigris and
Euphrates by yielding TO a similar
temptress on memorable occasion.
That marvellous character Of whom
we delighted TO bear in boyhood, Sam
son, could, il he were alive. sympathize
with him. The Biblical character had
no Tory party to contend with, no Libe-
raj allies to conciliate, and is not re-
corded as having made any struggle for
home rule or rule of any sort, but he was
o man OF great strength and had an i'm
perious way Of overriding opposition,
carrying off city gates, swapping new
cords as flax that is burned, overcoming
remarkable Philistine majorities, and
conceiving and carrying out other radl-
cal measures in a somewhat Parnelllan
fashion.
Whether in these days no would have
carried his iaw-bone Of an ASS into the
ranks of the landlords or pulled down
the supports of tho House Of Commons
is a matter Of speculation. The tale OF
Samson's glory was told and the scroll
laid away when in the valley of Sorek he
loved woman. Then cams the shears
of Delilah and the world has the won
derfully pathetic picture of tho blind
giant trailing his cianking shackles the
weary round OF the tread mill.
DAVID AND BRTH-sHEBA.
The ROYAL warrior of Israel, OF whom
IL is said that his fame went out into all
lands, and the fear of him was upon all
nations, wac conquered by the trick OF
a smile. His long life passed TO the
ringing Of steel shafts on brazeD shields.
Gle smote the Pbilistines from Gideon
even 10 Gazer." Moab and the Moabites
met him and were like dry grass before
the flames. From the time the death
mismve OF Goliah the giant whIstled
from his sling until mt a good old age he
died full Of days, riches, and honor, he
was clad IN bresstplate and helmet, and
his wars we're victorious. But David, TO
his sorrow. had weakness for tho soft
light of dark eye and the ripple Of
dusky hair over the white CLEAN OF a
woman's shoulders.
One night in Jerusalem David walked
on the roof of the royal palhce to be
alone with his thoughts. There was to
be battle in the morning and the
streets of the city were filed with his
chariots and horsemen, foot soldiers, and
archers. He could hear below him the
murmur of voices in the tents and around
camp-firesthe clanking Of armor and the
inpatient stamping of the war horses.
The palaces about him doomed up IN the
blue moonlight, pale and ghOst-lke, and
afar of among the barren rock-faced
hills he could see the glitter OF gold,
where bristlod the spears OF the hosts OF
the foe he was TO meet in the morning.
But across the court the King eye fell
upon the shining white form of a woman
bathing. 1t was Beth-Sheba, the wife
Of Urah. the Hittite, aud "she was
beautiful to look upon" David evil
Ill, lonLo1 too long
Everybody knows the sequel and to
what numberless complications THIS
moonlight stroll of the royal observer OF
women was the prelude. For his SIN the
sword never departed from his house,
and evil was raised up against him out OF
his own home.
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.
A great many years ago there stood in
front of the Roman capitol gentleman
of good address and fluent OF speech,
engineering with as great skill as the
Irish leader ever displayed q campaign
for Office, and hiding his purpose under
copious flow Of tears over dead
Caesars wounds" Marc Antony had
sown his wild oats in his youth, and a
plentiful crop it was, too, if the pub
lished accounts are correct, but at
twenty-five he was presumed to have
settled down into respectable Roman
citizenship, and. until he appeared IN
his famous Grafton over the body OF
Cesar, had been steadily climbing the
ladder. -.
He had shown himself brave soldier
during the war in Syria. and in the
three years campaign against Arlstobu-
lus in Palestine, when he led the Roman
troops through a series OF brilliant VIC
tories. Such bravery and military skill
had he displayed under Caesar, In his
Gallo wars, that the imperial butcher
had made him tribune Of the people,
and later the Governor of Italy.
Antony's political star was decidedly
in the ascendant till he undertook the
restoration OF Ptolemy Auletus to the
throne OF Egypt and met that digRi-
tary's attractive daughter, Cleopatra.
The fact that his enchantress had been
publicly known as the mistress OF the
great Caesar years before, and the addl-
tional fact that he was the spouse OF
most estimable wife, Octavis, were for
gotten, and the great Antony, orator,
statesman, and warrior. flung away the
world with laugh, and held out his
wrists to be bound--a slave, enmeshed
IN the net OF the accursed Egyptian.
Frail hnman nature will find many ex-
cuses for Antony, for it is said that
The city cast
Her people out upon her; and Antony -.
Enthroned in the market-plaee did SIT
alone
Whistling to the air, which, but for her
Had gone 10 gaze on Cleopatra, too,
And made gap in natIa-
sARDASAPALUs AND hYRRHA
There was another, long before the
DAYS of Antony, in whose veins flowed
the blood of Nimrod and Semiramis
" descended from a race Of kings who
knew no predecessors )" OF civilization
which looms dimly up to us through q
deem mist of years, majestic and mys-
- n TINA vhan the stOried hills