Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-11-16
sounded with echo upon echo, caught

up and sent on, and hurled back
through the corridors.
In that building stood an image of
Diana, the goddess. The impression
was abroad, as the Bible records, that
that image had dropped plumb out of
heaven into that temple, and the
sculptors who really made the statue
or image were put to death, so that
they could not testify Of its human
manufacture and so deny its celestial
origin 1t was thought by intelligent
people that the material from which
this idol was formed might have dropped
out of heaven as an aerolite.
We have seen in the British museum.
and in universities of our own west,
blocks of stone hurled off from other
worlds These aerolites were seen to
fall, and witnesses have gone to the
landing places, and scientists have pro-
nounced them to be the product of
other worlds. But the material out of
which the image of Diana was fash
toned contradicts that notion. This
image was carved out of ebony and
punctured here and there with open
der the statue from decaying and make
it aromatic, but this ebony was covered
with bronze and alabaster
A necklace of acorns coiled graceful
Iy around her. There were four lions
on each arm, typical of strength. Her
heod was coroneted. Around this fig
ure stood statues which by wonderful
invention shed tears. The air by
strange machinery was damp with de
scending perfumes. The walls multi
piled the scene by conceived mirrors.
Fountains tossed in sheaves of light
and fell in showers of diamonds. PraX-
iteles, the sculptor, and Apelles, the
painter, filled the place with their tri-
umphs Croesus the wealthiest of the
ancients, put here and there in the
temple golden heifers.
The paintings were SO vivid and life
like that Alexander, who was moved at
nothing of terror, shuddered at one
battle scene on these walls, and so true
to life was a painting of horse that
when Alexander's horse was led up to
it he began to neigh, as one horse is ac-
customed to greet another. One paint
ing in that temple cost S193, $50. The
treasures of all nations and the spOils
of kingdoms were kept here for safe
deposit Criminals from all lands fled
to the shelter of this temple, and the
Inv could not touch them. 1t seemed
almost strange that this mountain of
architectural snow outside did not melt
with the fires of color within.
The temple was surrounded with
groves, in which rOamed for the temp
tation of hunters, stays and hares and
wild bOars. and all styles of game,
whether winged or four footed There
was Il cave with statue SO intensely
brilliant that it eXtinguished the eyes
of those who looked upon it, unless, at
the command of the priests, the hand
of the spectator somewhat shaded the
eyes. No wonder that even Anthony
and Alexander and Darius cried out in
the words of my text, Great is Diana
of the Ephesians."
One whole month of each year, the
month of May, was devoted to her
worship Professions in garbs of pur-
pie and violet and scarlet moved
through it, and there were torches and
anthems, and cboirs in white, and tim
brels and triangles i'll music, sacrifices
and dances. Here young men and
maidens were betrothed with imposing
ceremony Nations voted large amounts
to meet the expense of the worship
Fisheries Of vast resource were devoted
to the support of this resplendence.
Horace and Virgil and Homer went
into rhapsodies while describing this
worship. All artists, all psychologists,
all centuries agreed in saying Great
is Diana of the Ephesians. "
Paul, in the presence of this Temple
of Diana, Incorporates it in his figures
of speech while speaking of the spiritual
temple, ''Now, if any man build upon
this foundation, gold, silver, precious
stones, ETC., )" and no doubt with refer
ence to one of the previous temples
which had been set on fire by Heros-
tratus just for the fame of destroying
it, Paul says, IF any mans work shall
be burned, he shall suffer loss, etc, "
and all up and down Paurs writings
but had been nightly impressed with
what he had seen of the Temple of
Diana.
In this city the mother of Jesus was
said to have been buried. Here dwelt
Aquilla and Priscilla of Bible mention,
who were professors in an extemporized
theological seminary, and they taught
the eloquent Apollos how to be elO-
quent for Christ. Here John preached,
and from here because of his fidelity
he was exiled to Patmos. Here Paul
warred against the magical arts for
which Ephesus was famous. The sor-
cerers of this city pretended that they
could cure diseases, and perform al
most any miracle, by pronouncing
these senseless words, "Aski Cataski
Liz Tetrax Damnameneus Aision."
Paul having performed a miracle in
the name of Jesus, there was a lying
family of seven brothers who initiated
the apostle and instead of their usual
words of incarnation, used the word
Jesus over a man who was possessed of
a devil, and the man possessed flew at
them in great fierceness and nearly tore
these frauds to pieces, and in conse-
quence all up and down the streets of
Ephesus there was Indignation excited
against the magical arts, and a great
bonfire of magical books was kindled
in the streets, and the people stirred
the blaze until thirty-five thousand dol
lars, worth Of black art literature had
burned to ashes.
But all the glory of Ephesus [ have
described has gone now. At some sea-
sons of the year awful malarias sweep
over the place and put upon mattress
or in graves large portion of the pop
ulation. In the approximate marshes
scorpions, centipedes and all forms of
reptile life crawl and hiss and sting,
while hyenas and jackals at night stink
in and out of the ruins of buildings
which once startled the nations with
their almost supernatural grandeur.
But here is lesson which has never
yet been drawn out. Do you not see
in that temple of Diana an expression
of what the world needs? 1t wants
God who can provide food. Diana was