The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-25

But his caee IL far from being singular.
There Is hardly a conspicuous character
I'm history that has not immortaized
some act OF folly or miserable mfsad-
venture. Our great progenitor Adam led
the way and sounded the key note TO his
Industrious descendants. As soon as Moan
set his foot on dry ground he built his
altar, offered his Offering and committed
a great act OF folly. Moses. as soon as
he got his education, went out to play
the patriot, committed an indiscretion.
and had 10 spend forty years in the
wilderness to learn little sense. Joshua
hardly entered the promised land before
he let the Gibeonites make fool OF
him with their clouted shoes, old clothes,
and dry crusts-a lesson to all Israelites.
Sampson let a silly woman cheat him
out Of the very hair of his head and all
his strength. And Nebuchadnezzar. the
great king Of Babylon, became the very
picture Of a brute beast. with claws and
feathers, TO pay for his Dragging.
Outside of the Scriptures profane his
tory abounds in fools. Was ever a big
ger fool than Xerxes. the king win
his million Of men lashing the waves and
the ocean? Did not Philip of Macedon
make perfect fool of himself after the
battle of Cheroneia? And did not his
son Alexander the Great. after many
renowned acts OF folly, ingloriously close
his life with a superhuman toddy? The
Roman Emperors Nero, Vlteliius, Call
gula, and Domitian are better known Tor
the enormity Of their foliies than Tor
any wise thing they ever did. All down
the stream of time the shores are strewn
with stranded wrecks whose sad story
is told in the few words: Played the
fool. Humanum est errare. 1t is all the
same with emperors and kings and states
men and generals, all go TO one place
inoculated with the same virus. 1t is not
stimulating to mark them. but it is
wholesome. In the light Of all the past
man had best prepare himself to find
some miserable defect in the best. and
some folly in the wisest, tit for fool
to fall by. 1t is only question of more or
less or good or bad covering up and
historic fraud.
How TO cure a fool was too much
for the wisest OF men. A pestle
and mortar wouldn't do It, How 10 profit
by the mistakes Of others. it is the bust
ness Of history TO show us But that
for the most part demonstrates that
as men have been, so they are, and so
they will continue to be. Unaided, their
story is that of the trees and plants
and heritage; In the morning green, IN
the evening cut down. dried up and with
cred: we consume away in the displeas-
ure Of the Almighty and are afraid at
His wrathful Indignation. And, as the
beginning Of wisdom is the fear Of Him,
so the greatest folly is Indifference 10
His supreme control and righteous will.
The prince OF fools Is he that despiseth
law. There is tattooed all over the luckiest
and wisest of this world Wretch
ed and miserable. and poor and blind
and naked" And the commonest sigh OF
the soul is: Lead kindly light, for /
am far from home; the most becoming,
the cry Of the publican, with the chorus
from the crowd I'VE are all poor crit
turs." 1t is fortunate for us that we
deal with one who knows our frame. and
remembers that We are but dust.