Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-01-31

italy are small compared with the
Pompeiis and Herculaneums under
meath Ceylon.
Yonder isan exhumed city which was
found five hundred years before Christi
standing in pomp and splendor 1or
twelve hundred years. Stairways up
which fifty men might pass side oy
side. Carved pillars, some OF them
fallen, some Of them aslant, some OF
them erect. Phidiases and Christopher
Wrens never heard Of, here performed
the marvels of sculpture and archltec-
ture. Aisles through which royal pro-
cessions marched. Arches under when
kings were carried. A city with
reservoir twenty miles in clrcumler-
ence. Extemporized lakes that did
their cooling and refreshing for twelve
centuries Ruins more suggestive than
Melrose and Kenilworth. Ceylonlan
Karnaks and Luxors. Ruins retain
ing much of grandeur, though wars
bombarded them and time put ms
chisel on every block, and moro than
all, vegetation put it's anchors, ana
prizes, and wrenches in all the crevlces.
Dagobas, or places where reilcs OF
saints or dieties are kept. Dagooas
four hundred feet high and their 1ai-
len material burying precious things
for the sight of which modern curiosity
has digged and blasted in vain. FRO
cession of elephants in imitation,
wrought into lustrous marble. troops
| of horses in full run. Shrine, chapels,
! cathedrals wrecked on the mountain
side
Stairs of moon-stone. Exquisite
scrolls rolling up more mysteries than
| will ever be unrolled Over sixteen
square miles, the ruins OF one Guy
| strewn. Throne rooms on when at
| different times sat one hundred and
sixty-fve kings, reigning in authority
they inherited Walls that witnessed
coronations, assassinations, subJuga
tions, triumphs. Affairs at which mil
| lions bowed ages before the orchestras
| celestial woke the shepherds with MID
night overture.
When Lieut. Skinner, in 1882, dlscov-
| cred the site of some of these cities, ne
found congregated in them undis-
turbed assemblages of leopards, porcn-
pines, flamingoes and pelicans; rep
tiles summing themselves on affairs
r,rima donnas rendering ornithologicai
chant from deserted music halls. one
king restored much of the grandeur;
rebuilt fifteen hundred residences; pul
ruin soon resumed its scepter But al
is dow; the spires down; the pillars
down: the tablets down; the glory OF
snleudid arches down. What killed
those cities? Who slew the New YORK
and London of the year 500 y. y? "as
it unhealthed with host of plaques
Was it foreign armies laying serge.
Was it whole generations weakened
bv their own vices? Mystery sits anne
the monoliths and brick dust Finger
on lin in eternal silence while the cen
turtles guess and guess in vain. W.
simply know that genius planned thos'
cities. and immense populations IN
habited them An eminent writer es
Inmates that a pile of bricks in on
ruin of Ceylon would be enough u
build a wall ten feet high from Edin
burrh to London. One thousand pillar
with carved capitals are standing senti
no, for ten miles. You can ludg
somewhat Of the size OF the clties o.
the reservoirs that were required
Stake their thirst; judging the size
the citv from the size OF the Gu
ont of which it drank. Cities crowde
with inhabitants, not like American o
English cities, but packed together
. onlv barbaric tribes can pack thel
But their knell was sounded; thel
) light went out. Giant trees are Tn
only royal family now occupying thos
palaces The growl OF wild peast'
! where once the gutfaw OF wassali a.
cended. Anuradhapura and Poll'
/, marina will never be rebuilded, ne
all the living cities OF the earth TAX
warning. Cities are human; having
! time to be born, and time to die. ~
more certainly have they cradle ina
, grave A last Judgment is appoinoe
for individuals, but cities have the
last Judgment in this world. lac
,, bless, they curse, they worship the
!, blaspheme, they suffer, they are r.
! warded, they are overthrow.
/ Preposterous says some one, to thin
that any of our American or Europea
! cities which have stood so long, ca
3 ever come through vice to extinctlo'
, But New York and London have stoc
: as long as those Ceylonese cities stoo'
: Where is the throne outside OF Ceylc
, on which one hundred and sixty-f'
. successive kings reigned for ilfetlme
/ Cities and nations that have lived II
: longer than our present cities, or n
: ton. have been sepulchered. Let a
{ the great municipalities OF this an
| other lands ponder. 1t is as true no
as when the Psalmist wrote it, and
i true Of cities and nations as OF IND
: yiduals: '.The Lord knoweth the wa
a Of the righteous; but the way OF u
ungodly shall perish"