exists outwardly and acts in Nature, and standing near a heap of baskets and cloaks. that by virtue of which it lives inwardly Whilst Awad advanced and asked for a and as soul, and excludes mere passivity present to celebrate the occasion, the Arabs even from Matter; Painting on the contrary withdrew the screen they had hastily conmay soften in favor of the soul the charac- structed, and disclosed an enormous human teristicness of the force and activity in Mat- head, sculptured in full out of the alabaster, and transform it into resignation and ter of the country. They had uncovered endurance, by which Man seems to become the upper part of a figure, the remainder more generally susceptible to the inspira- of which was still buried in the earth. I tions of the soul, and to higher influences. saw at once that the head must belong to a This diametrical difference explains of winged lion or bull, similar to those of itself not only the necessary predominance Khorsa bad and Persepolis. It was in adof Sculpture in the ancient, and of Painting mirable preservation. The expression was in the modern world (since in the former calm, yet majestic, and the outline of the the tone of mind was thoroughly plastic, features showed a freedom and knowledge whereas the latter makes even the soul the of art scarcely to be looked for in the works passive instrument of higher revelations): of so remote a period. but this also is evident; that it is not enough to strive after the Plastic in form and manner of representation, but that it is requisite before all to think and feel plastically, that is, antiquely. And as the deviation of Sculpture into the picturesque is destructive to Art, so the narrowing down of Painting to the conditions and forms belonging to Sculpture, is an arbitrarily imposed limitation. For while Sculpture, like Gravitation, acts towards one point, it is permitted to Painting, as to Light, to fill all space with its creative energy. DISCOVERY OF A COLOSSAL AUSTIN HENRY LAYARD, the orientalist and traveller, was born of English parents, in Paris, March 5th, 1817. His work on "Nineveh and its Remains" (1849), and later volumes on related subjects, are justly celebrated for their high interest and value.] I was not surprised that the Arabs had been amazed and terrified at this apparition. It required no stretch of imagination to conjure up the most strange fancies. This gigantic head, blanched with age, thus rising from the bowels of the earth, might well have belonged to one of those fearful beings which are pictured in the traditions of the country as appearing to mortals, slowly ascending from the regions below. One of the workmen, on catching the first glimpse of the monster, had thrown down his basket and run off towards Mosul as fast at his legs could carry him. I learned this with regret, as I anticipated the consequences. แ Whilst I was superintending the removal of the earth, which still clung to the sculpture, and giving directions for the continuation of the work, a noise of horsemen was heard, and presently Abd-ur-rahman, followed by half his tribe, appeared on the edge of the trench. As soon as the two Arabs had reached the tents, and published the wonders they had seen, every one mountOn the morning I rode to the encamp-ed his mare and rode to the mound, to satment of Sheikh Abd-ur-rahman, and was isfy himself of the truth of these inconceivreturning to the mound, when I saw two able reports. When they beheld the head, Arabs of his tribe urging their mares to they all cried together: There is no god the top of their speed. On approaching but God, and Mohammed is his prophet!" me, they stopped. Hasten, O' Bey," ex-It was some time before the sheikh could be claimed one of them-"hasten to the dig-prevailed upon to descend into the pit, and gers, for they have found Nimrod himself. convince himself that the image he saw was Wallah, it is wonderful, but it is true! we of stone. "This is not the work of men's have seen him with our eyes. There is no hands," exclaimed he, "but of those infidel god but God;" and both joining in this giants of whom the prophet-peace be with pions exclamation, they galloped off, with-him-has said that they were higher than out further words, in the direction of their the tallest date-tree; this is one of the idols tents. which Noah-peace be with him!-cursed before the flood." In this opinion, the result of a careful examination, all the bystanders concurred. 66 On reaching the ruins, I descended into the new trench, and found the workmen, who had already seen me as I approached, FIRST VIEW OF THE SUPPOSED SOURCE OF THE NILE. WHY EQUALITY IS COMMONLY PREFERRED TO LIBERTY. [ALEXIS CHARLES HENRI CLEREL DE TOCQUEVILLE, & distinguished statesman and political economist, was born in Paris, July 29th, 1805. He studied law, and after several years' practice was (in 1832) commissioned to investigate the penitentiary systems of the United States. The outgrowth of his visit to this country was the famous work On Democracy in America, which appeared in 1835. He became a member of the French Academy in 1843. In 1839 he was elected a member of the Chamber of Deputies, and in 1848 a member of the Constituent Assembly. In 1849 he was minister of Foreign Affairs. After the coup-d'état he retired from public life. His Old Régime and the Revolution was published in 1856. He died April 15th, 1859. Our extract is from "Democracy in America."] That political freedom may compromise, in its excesses, the tranquillity, the property, the lives of individuals, is obvious even to narrow and unthinking minds. On the contrary, none but attentive and clear-sighted men perceive the perils with which equality threatens us, and they commonly avoid pointing them out. They know that the calamities they apprehend are remote, and flatter themselves that they will only fall upon future generations, for which the present generation takes but little thought. The evils which freedom sometimes brings with it are immediate; they are apparent to all, and all are more or less affected by them. The evils which extreme equality may produce are slowly disclosed; they creep gradually into the social frame; they are seen only at intervals; and at the moment at which they become most violent, habit causes them to be no longer felt. Political liberty bestows exalted pleasures, from time to time, upon a certain number of citizens. Equality every day confers a certain number of small enjoy. ments on every man. The charms of equality are every instant felt, and are within the reach of all; the noblest hearts are not insensible to them, and the most vulgar souls exult in them. The passion which equality creates must therefore be strong and general. Men cannot enjoy political liberty unpurchased by some sacrifices, and they never obtain it without great exertions. But the pleasures of equality are self-prof fered; each of the petty incidents of life seem to occasion them; and in order to taste them nothing is required but to live. 383 Democratic nations are at all times fond of equality, but there are certain epochs at which the passion they entertain for it swells to the height of fury. This occurs at the moment when the old social system, longmenaced, is overthrown after a severe intestine struggle, and the barriers of rank are at length thrown down. At such times men pounce upon equality as their booty, and they cling to it as to some precious treasure which they fear to lose. The passion for equality penetrates on every side into men's hearts, expands there, and fills them entirely. Tell them not that, by this blind surrender of themselves to an exclusive passion, they risk their dearest interests; they are deaf. Show them not freedom escaping from their grasp, whilst they are looking another way: they are blind, or, rather, they can discern but one object to be desired in the universe. I think that democratic communities have a natural taste for freedom: left to them selves, they will seek it, cherish it, and view any privation of it with regret. But for equality, their passion is ardent, insatiable, incessant, invincible: they call for equality in freedom; and if they cannot obtain that, they still call for equality in slavery. They will endure poverty, servitude, barbarism; but they will not endure aristocracy. FIRST VIEW OF THE SUPPOSED SOURCE OF THE NILE. [JAMES BRUCE, of Kinnaird, county of Sterling, Scotland. Born December 14, 1730. He devoted much time to the study of Eastern antiquities, and travelled extensively in oriental lands, his graphic descriptions of which give him an honorable place in literature He died April 27, 1794.] Half-undressed as I was (says Bruce], by the loss of my sash, and throwing off my shoes, I ran down the hill towards the hillock of green sod, which was about two hundred yards distant; the whole side of the hill was thick grown with flowers, the large bulbous roots of which appearing above the surface of the ground, and their skins coming off on my treading upon them, occasioned me two very severe falls before I reached the brink of the marsh. I after this came to the altar of green turf, which was apparently the work of art, and I stood in rapture above the principal fountain, which rises in the middle of it. It is easier to guess than to describe the situation of my mind at that moment-standing in that spot which has baffled the genius, industry and inquiry of both ancients and moderns for the course of near three thousand years. Kings had attempted this discovery at the head of armies, and each expedition was distinguished from the last only by the difference of numbers which had perished, and agreed alone in the disappointment which had uniformly, and without exception, followed them all. Fame, riches, and honour had been held out for a series of ages to every individual of those myriads these princes commanded, without having produced one man capable of gratifying the curiosity of his sovereign, or wiping off this stain upon the enterprise and abilities of mankind, or adding this desideratum for the encouragement of geography. Though a mere private Briton, I triumphed here, in my own mind, over kings and their armies! and every comparison was leading nearer and nearer to presumption, when the place itself where I stood, the object of my vainglory, suggested what depressed my shortlived triumph. I was but a few minutes arrived at the sources of the Nile, through numberless dangers and sufferings, the least of which would have overwhelmed me, but for the continual goodness and protection of Providence: I was, however, but half through my journey, and all those dangers through which I had already passed awaited me on my return; I found a despondency gaining ground fast, and blasting the crown of laurels which I had too rashly woven for myself. FROM THE ZEND-AVESTA. [Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) founder of the ancient Persian religion, was born in Bactria, and his family name was Spitama; but the time of h's birth is alto gether uncertain, being variously assigned to periods ranging from 500 to 6000 years B. C.] When you are doubtful as to whether an act be good or bad, beware of doing it. He who sows the ground with care and diligence, acquires a greater stock of religious merit, than he could gain by the repetition of ten thousand prayers. AN OLD BACHELOR'S REGRET. Where is the man at thirty-eight There never was a tidier body,- MARK LEMON. 1809-1870. APHORISMS OF PLINY. His own pleases each, and wherever we go the same story is told. Nature has given to man nothing of more value than shortness of life. It is not possible to determine whether Nature is a kind parent or harsh stepmother to man. be believed to attend to the affairs of man, It is advantageous that the gods should and that the punishment for evil deeds, though sometimes late, is never fruitless. The power and majesty of the nature of things fail to receive credit at all times, if one merely looks at its parts and do not embrace the vast whole in our conceptions. PLINY THE ELDER, A. D, 23–79. |