some of the principal streets, gaping in a frightful manner; but as we have no such corrective in our social system, it should be treated as a matter of policy to provide means for stopping up the mouths of some of our local literary clowns. Moreover, the progressive wisdom of the age has indorsed the attempt to educate imbeciles; for that purpose schools are already founded on both sides of the Atlantic; and natural history is one of the most interesting studies, which is a chief consideration in the system pursued. Hence, without allusion to the vulgar adage that "there is something to be learned from every fool," upon these grounds, among others, we go for the lion-hunts, lion-gatherings, coteries and petti-coteries, in all their length, breadth, and eminence. Do you still object, and say you don't like the way 'tis done? We can not weep with you. Ride si sapis. Be merry while you can. Now is the time; for it is no longer of any use to mourn over that scene in ancient history, when common-sense was an element in education. Listen to a Hindoo seer-without any democratic whims, however; for democracy has nothing to do with a man's private affairs; so said Gen. Fairweather, and such is the received opinion: "Sorrow is frequent-pleasure is rare; pain cometh of itself-delight must be purchased; grief is unmixed-but joy wanteth not its alloy of bitterness." And you may object to detail; but spare the principle. It is a dish for the gods; let us not quarrel about how it shall be served up. Do not damn the larder because there is dirt in the kitchen; for there is an old proverb which saith, "Meat is sent from heaven, but cooks from the opposite direction." Here you may get intoxicated from sipping the inspiration of crude poesie and feast your reason upon ruby romance until you are surfeited with the repast. So take courage; "laugh and grow fat" at the march of mind. Don't blench, if in a revival of ancient tragedy with such a host of desperately tragic dames all around you, putting in danger the multitude of impressible and downy-visaged knights, old and young, in their midst, you behold here, one rising lord vitally wounded by the brush of a petticoat; or there, another killed by the tap of a fan; or yonder, a third with his pet hobby shot from under him by a shaft from a flashing eye; for they do but undergo transition; and like the insects of summer, or hungry politicians, their number is incomputable, and by a singular hocuspocus of their peculiar natures, for every one that falls a thousand come to take his place and share his fate in turn. Besides, human sacrifices are a part of the game which perpetuates such assemblages as that before us. Hence the chalice of detraction is never drained, and the Rosicrucian flame of envy never goes out. And if we may take what is seen and understood here as evidence upon the point, Chamfort was not far wrong when he declared, as one among other maxims, that "There is nicely-developed nonsense, just as there are welldressed fools," for here there are both; and as another maxim, that "Society is not, as is supposed, the development of nature, but of decomposition," which seems to be the fact among this class of geniuses; and as another, that "Men, in order to enter on life, become little by congregating," which seems to be abundantly evident in the present instance, although their purpose is to show themselves very great-an undertaking, the disasters of which often remind one of the fable of the frog and the ox; in consideration of which fact, in all humanity, we commend to their attention that Latin line which says, "A man's knowledge is worth nothing if he communicate what he knows to any one beside." A radical reversal of their policy must be singularly and delightfully efficacious for them and the world. And here we stop for the present, trusting that the lovingkindness of our endeavor will not fail of appreciation, and promising to try again upon the first opportunity. If any one is in danger of losing the benefit of our sugges tions, merely on account of being indignant at our intrusion upon his or her literary felicities, we can only say in extenuation, that when we dropped in upon them, we had just been cogitating upon the gipsey maxim which says, "You never really amuse yourself anywhere but in bad company;" and being of an experimental turn, and what is singular for that class of minds, fond of amusement withal, we determined to prove the truth of the saying; the result is, that although our company has been various and some of it sufficiently bad, we reject the vagrant saw. And let not the taller specimens, male or female, whom we have presented to the reader, take exception on account of the age and extent of their renown, to our making a note of it; for veneration of age is ineradicable in our Puritan blood; and we could not forget to look at them once more, even though they had passed to the first sphere of authorial immortality by virtue of having visited Paris, or London, or Rome; hence we ventured to add, as a tribute of our esteem, another to their many coats of literary white-wash. And we did this without intending to reïterate the sentiment of that contracted scribbler who said: Those that beyond sea go will sadly find, They change their climate only, not their mind. And if we have been unjust to any dear friend to fame among our amiable sister-scribblers, gallantry will compel us to repent upon conviction. But as only a few of our coats have been made to order, we trust only those whom they fit will insist upon putting them on. We can only endure the holy horror of a half-dozen at once, and those in each case, from the proper quarter-where there is a double character to support, as in the case of some one of several gentlemanly genuises of which we already have cognizance-an individual who is a man on one side and a monkey or a monster on the other; or of some one of several women equally well known; one for instance, who, in her excess of perturbation, flies to her private chamber, where Together lie her prayer-book and her paint, At once t' improve the sinner and the saint, to find relief for her rage, in an electrical episode of terrible grandeur and destructive force, without regard to expenditure of hard words or damage of small furniture. In the mean time, to those who desire to bolster up the extrav agant and stilted literature of the day, we promise our sympathies and our best endeavors until our own literature becomes worse than that of France, whereof John Bull says: "No situation is too grotesque, no combination too improbable, no picture too revolting to be admitted;"-and until our morals become refined accordingly; and if we, the subjects of the literary lower empire, may but continue to travel on with our present velocity, they do not hope without reason who anticipate reaching that standard of eminence very soon; for the van-guard is already up to the knees in literary nastiness. And 'tis sweet to trifle; so let us be merry and sing as we go. The way is clear. EPAMIN ONDAS. BY COLONEL EIDOLON. THE history of Epaminondas is a history of the glory of Thebes. Living 370 B.C., his character is the most unblemished of any recorded in history. He is reported to have been possessed of the most eminent virtues, not counterbalanced by a single vice. His early life was passed in the quiet study of philosophy, unmindful of public affairs. But forced, finally, against his will, to take part in the business of the state, he proved himself, both as a soldier, statesman, and philosopher, the first man of his time. With him, Thebes "rose and reigned and fell." With his contemporary and rival, Pelopidas, he always lived on terms of the greatest intimacy and friendship; and all their rivalry was for the good of the state, and not for the aggrandizement of each other! What a commentary upon the Christian soldiers and statesmen of the present day. The origin of the war, which resulted in the battle of Leuctra, we need not discuss. Leuctra is a small town in Boeotia, between Platea and Thespiæ. The Lacedæmonian army was commanded by Cleombrotus, and consisted of 24,000 foot and 1600 horse; the Thebans, under Epaminondas and Pelopidas, amounted to only 6000 foot and 1600 horse. The Spartans were routed with the most terrible slaughter, losing no less than 4000 men; while the Thebans lost but 300 men, only four of whom were citizens. There are two curious facts, illustrating the manners of the times, growing out of the result of the bloody field of Leuctra. When the news of this defeat was brought to Sparta, the Ephori would not suffer the public games which were then being celebrated to be interrupted. When the victorious Theban generals returned from the expedition, they were brought to trial for having retained their command four months beyond the time limited by law. Pelopidas sued for his life; while Epaminondas, after having referred them to his actions and victories, boldly challenged them to condemn him to death. They were both acquitted. I. 'Tis morn in Thebes, and old and young Each eye is bright, Old men grow young, And boys have sprung In one day up to men. II. Yes, well might Thebes of glory boast, For Leuctra's hero is her son; The mighty leader of her host Achieved what he begun. Well might the city meet with pride This is, indeed, a festal day. III. Why seeks each flashing eye the ground? The shouts of grateful hosts to hear; |