-tijti JTZtk i i.'.t..W
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:wi
Tiik tidis or Civilization.
Vol. vii,
i
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u
' i
..'J
I "II
M
'I
III
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i
cry liantl a higher type of civilization
moots our view.
The knowledge of to.duy is not tlie
knowledge of antiquity Then knowl
edge was devoted to the cultivation oftlie
beautiful ratlier tlitin tbe rude character.
istirs of commercial industry. The citi
zen labored to erect a costly temple to
Olympian Jove ratlier than hoard his
wealth in iron vaults. The haughty King
stooped to wrestle in the arena with the
welltrnined llellot, or seated in his char
iot culled for n pursuer at the Olympic
games. Then the value of a man was es.
timated more in respect to his ability
than his boarded plate. Knowlodgomow is
of a different nature. It is not the lino
discrimination of logic, of oratory, of aes
thelies so highly prized in the Athenian
assembly. Knowledge is now gained as
a means to an end. Wealth lias become
the standard of value in too many instan
ces. In this commercial age man cannot
lake time to pursue thoroughly the clas
sical studies, but rushes on with a smat
tering of language and general facts to
become a linguist or a statesman. So the
refinement of antiquity has been laid
aside, and the rush for wealth has become
general.
The wants of modern civilization de
mand not the genius of old. Then man
was satislied to remain upon the earth
and from the hidden rock chisel statuary
of exquisite beauty to commemorate the
deeds of valiant men, and in the Are
opagus to sway the populace with hisolo
quenee.
Zeus who hold his court on the summit
of Mount Olympia was a siillleient reli
gion for him. His thoughts carried him
no farther. Thus in the tide ofciviliza
tion the changes have been grout. What
do they prove? The deeds of man stand
as the index of his nature. Tlie.se deeds
have undergone a complete change. So
then has the index of the great book of
his natuie. The index but shows the
contents, the index is changed, the
hook of human nature must be. Every
day witnesses the development of some
vague mystery, while the less recent in
dustries gradually slip from our grasp.
Every century lias its characteristics of
civilization, all of which have difl'orcd.
What then lies beyond only lbo changes
of human nature can determine.
OllTKOA.
Conscience has no more to do with gal.
lantry then it has with politics. S7ior;'
(hi i).
Knowledge is of two kinds. We know
a Bubjool ourselves, or we know whore wo
can llnd information upon it.' -Johnson.
The Puritans hated bearbaiting, not he
cause it gave pain to the bear, but be
cause it gave pleasure to the spectators.
MacauUty.
When bad men combine, the good must
associate; else they will fall, one by one,
an unpitied sacrifice, in a contcmptable
struggle. Burke.
If a due participation of olllcc is a
matter of right, bow are vacancies to be
obtained? Those by death are few: by
resignation none. JrjI'erHOii .
The law is a sort of hocus-pocus sci
once, that smiles in yer face while it
picks yer pocket; and the glorious un
certainty of it is of mair uso to the pro
fessors than the justice of it. Jfacklin.
When one cultivates to the utmost the
principles of his nature, and exercises
tlioui on the principle of reciprocity, hois
not far from the path. What you do not
like when done to yourself, do not do to
others. Confucius, JJ. 0. 500.
Read least the books you like best, if
you would retain the power to study or to
read profitable at all. A special, strong
liking for one kind of literature betrays a
one-sided nature or a one-sided develop
ment which demands complementary cul
ture in oilier directions. Holland.
