The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1899-03-22

spont and marches on to satisfy an am.
bition, which is not gratified even win
conquering the whole world. As he
marches we see everything submitting
before his unconquerable soldiers
until at last he had the world so drawn
together, that the waters of one ocean
almost kissed the laughing waves o
the other. Thus preparing a way fol
the spread of Christian teachings.
Hislife though short WIS indeed a great
one, but with all his greatness, Re had
his faults, and as Thenistoclese has
we'll expressed it. "He was g eater in
genius than in character"
About ione hundred years later We
see a child OF nine years being led up
to the altar by his father, and there,
with his hands upon the sacrifice, this
youth swears eternal hatred to the
Roman race. Ut is no other than Han
nibal, the Carthiginian, and in ate:
years, we see him driven on to his
hardfate, not only by the restless fires
OF his warlike genius, but by the sacred
obligations of this now, which could
not be broken. He saw the time when
tie shouts of victory fell from the lips OF
his own men, hen is banners waved
triumphanl'y, and wien it seemed as
though his armies were invincibIe.
Eut there came time when mGn and
fate opposed him and we see him s;uk
at last in defeat.
His noted passage of the alps. His
success at tlrst followed only by over
whelming defeat, cannot help but pre-
sent TO us striking resemblance be-
tween bis and the fortunes o. Napo-
leon. He too, had his faults, but with
all, he was TIE foremost man of his race
ami time, perhaps the highest genius
of any race ana of any lime.
Let US next turn to Caesar, that CON-
bined general and statesman who in
his time. was virtually lord OF the
Roman world. His career was filed
with success and his brilliant achieve
ments will ever brighten the pages OF
history. 1t has been said, that when
he returned from his famous conquests,
there were marching beneath his STAN
dafds, soldiers gethered from nearly
every county beneath the heavens; in
his procession were led captive princes
from all parts of the world; and his
triumph celebrating his many victories
far eclipsed int magniicance anything
that Roman had ever witnessed"
Caesar had his marks of greatness
and his many friends, but he also had
some glaring faults, and the ides OF
March has shone that he had his
enemies.
Let us now turn to the Civil War in
England For three years it has been
raging, when there rises to prominence
a man destined'to be one of the greatest
characters in history. 1t is Oliver
Cromwell, and in connection with bis
Ironsides, he has left subject for all
historians. A man whose talents were
of the highest order. gifted in military
genius and keen insight into human
affairs, he did a mighty work for Eng
land. To-day he lies sleeping "while
the tides of life 90 ebbing and flowing
besides him. Sleep on Thou Match.
less Cromwell. Thou vast wrong in
some things, but thou didst intend to
do right, and for thy death-weil may
old England's winds mourn on more
sor-Owfully, well may the cedars bow
their dropping heads,a and the oceans wave:
break more doleiully along old Elg
lands ragged coast. Thy work is done
o. Cromwell, aad it shall not be forgot
ten. No-not while Anglo Saxon BLOOD
flows from Anglo-Saxon hearts.
Why wish to travel 20 ancient Athens
Why wonder among Ionian Isles il
search of classic ground? Surely
though the old Greeks were the foun
ders of all good and noble literature
they have reached their eliminating
point in the English Shakespeare, anC
the old Warwickshire lanes, deckeC
simply with the hawthorn and th,
sweet briar roses, through which Mar,
Arden walked leading her boy-angel by
the hand, are as sacred as any parts o
this earth once trodden by the feet o
Homer or of Plato. So let us stop fo
a moment at Stratford, and glance a
that little gabled roof. low room HON,
of English king, whom-as Carlisle de
clares-''no time or chance, Parliamen
or combination of Parliaments can de
throne"
AS the son of poor farmer, he wa
undoubtedly deprived OF some of tb'
advantages OF thorough education
but he had nature to study and b.
seemed to know the flowers OF ever
month. To understand the very move
ments OF the birds of Inc air and tn
creeping insects at his feet. The his
tory OF cid Stafford itself was indeed
study. Then there was old 7 ;nit
! Church with its interesting history. J.
the North was the great forest OF Al
den, "wbile here and there, we're thos
warm sunny slopes, gay with thos
wild flowers, that boom forever for th
world in Shakespeares' verse"
No doubt one OF the secrets OF hi
usefnl life was his wonderful love fo
home, and while he was In Londo
contributing to the stores of thi
worlds literature, the desires and an
billions of this country bred Shakespeare
seem to return and center about tn
Sratford of his youth, and his last day
are spent amid the scenes aud associ,
tions OF his boyhood.
1t seems strange indeed that Shake
speare could have arisen go bright
from the darkness of such surrounding
That this poets song, sung in the dee
forest of misfortune, could have eve
reached the hearts Of men. But
''No song is even vain. The shiest bird.