Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-11-19

over while amid the ruins Of Diana's tenn
pie, saw afterward eight of those pillars
Mt Constantinople, to which city they had
been removed, and are now a part of the
Mosque of ST. Sophia. Those eight col
umns are all green jasper, but some of
those which stood in Diana's temple at
Ephesus we're fairly drenched with bril-.
liant colors. Costly metals stood up in
various parts of the temple, where they
could catch the fullest flush of the sun.
flight of stairs was carved out of one
grapevine Doors of cypress wood, which
had been kept in glue for years and bor-
Tered with bronze in bas relief, swung
against pillars of brass and resounded
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 it's celes-
tial origin 1t was thought by intelligent
people that the material from which this
idol was formed might have dropped out
of heaven as an aeroitc. 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 fashioned contradicts that
notion. This image was carved out of
aho or,I har and !,
openings kept full of spizenard so as to
hinder the statue from decaying and make
it aromatic, but this ebony was covered
with bronze and alabaster. A necklace of
acorns coiled gracefully around her. There
were four lions on each arm, typical of
strength Her head was coroneted
Around this figure stood statues which by
wonderful invention shed tears. The air
by strange machinery was damp with de-
scending perfumes The walls multiplied
the scene by conceived mirrors. Fountains
tossed in sheaves of light and fell in show
ers of diamonds.
Praxitees, the sculptor, and Apelles,
the painter, filled the place with their tri
umphs Croesus, the wealthiest of the an
clients, put here and there in the temple
golden heifers. The paintings were so
vivid and lifelike that Alexander, who was
moved at nothing of terror, shuddered at
one battle scene on these walls, and so true
to life was painting of horse that when
AleXander's horse was led up to it he be-
gan to neigh, as one horse is accustomed to
greet another. One painting in that tenn
pie cost Sl93, $50. The treasures of all ma
tons and the spoils of kingdoms were kept
here for safe deposit. Criminals from all
lands fled to the shelter of this temple, and
ha lou t1ft Il 4
almost strange that this mountain of ar
chitectural snow outside did not melt with
the fires of color within.
The temple was surrounded with groves,
in which roamed for the temptation of
hunters, stays and hares and wild boars,
apd all styles of game, whether winged or
four footed. There was a cave with statue
SO intensely brilliant that it extinguished
the eye Of those who looked upon it, unless.
at the command OF the priest, the hand of
the spectator somewhat shaded the eyes.
No wonder that even Anthony and Alex
ander 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 Pro
: cessions in garbs of purple and violet and
scarlet moved through it, and there were
torches and anthems, and choirs in white,
and timbrels and triangles in music, sacri-
fees and dances. Here young men and
maidens were betrothed with imposing
ceremony. Nations voted large amounts
to meet the expense of the worship. Fish
cries Of vast resource were devoted to the
support of this resplendence Horace and
Virgil and Homer went into rhapsodes
while describing this worship.
All artists, all archeologists all CEN
in Is
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 reference
TO one of the previous temples which had
been set on fire by Herostratus Just for the
fame of destroying it, Paul says, IF any
mans work shall be burned, he snail suffer
loss, etc" and all up and down Paul's
writings you realize that he had not only
seen, but had been nightly impressed
with what he had seen OF the Temple of
Diana.
HERE MARY WAS BURIED
/ In this city the mother of Jesus was said
to have been buried Here dwelt Auuila
aud Priscilla of Bible mention, who were
professors in an eXtemporized theological
seminary, and they taught the eloquent
Apollos how to be eloquent 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 sorcerers
of this city pretended that they could cure
diseases, and perform almost any miracle,
pronoucing these senseless words, "Aski
Cutaaki Liz TetraX Damnameneus All
SION"
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 incan.
tation used the word Jesus over n man who
was possessed of a devil, and the man pos
sessed flew at them in great iierceness and
nearly tore these frauds to pieces, and in
consequence all up and down the streets of
Ephesus there was Indignation excited
AGAINST the magical arts and n great hon.