We start on infant lips to find

The wisdom of the sage,

The strength of virtuous manhood's mind,
The piety of age.

But on that limit verge of life
The spirit waxes pure,

And catching glory from the strife,
Bursts all its bonds, mature!

She died, I heard the sullen sound
Of earth fall on her breast:
It seem'd one echo's voice profound,
From those vast realms of rest.
No lordly tomb, no pompous line
To thy fair form are given:

For monument our hearts are thine,
Thy epitaph's in heaven.

W. A. F. B.

ON THE DOWNFALL OF EMPIRES.

A SKETCH.

BY H. NACHOT, DR. PH.

WHOEVER in his mind can take a survey of history, from the remotest times down to the present period, will be struck with a truth which may explain the necessity for the ruin of even such empires as were by no means undermined by the poison of inward corruption and weakness. If we look over the annals of history, dwelling less on the events of a particular year than on the working of periods, we shall find, that, if a nation was destined to extend her sway over vast portions of the world, conquering powerful and noble rivals hitherto deemed invincible, she was always possessed either of a superior degree of culture and civilization which she was ordained by Providence to impart and communicate to such people as she subjected to her rule, or a sound strength of youth, fresh and unbroken, which it was her task to infuse into a sickly age worn out by the moral tempests of centuries; and thus by overturning a frail antiquated order of things, she was the instrument in the hand of the highest ruler by which he prepared the germ for new and youthful life in the decaying body of mankind. Persia, for instance, was most powerful under her Darius and Xerxes. The greatest part of the then known world bent the neck under her sceptre; but she was hurled down from the eminent seat she had fixed so high above the vanquished nations, and her sun was doomed to set before the rising star of Greece, Why must Persia with her numerous armies and well established and matured power fall before a handful of men, as Greece appeared? Because

the latter bore in her lap civilization superior to what Persia possessed. Through her means the arts and sciences spread over formerly rude and barbarous nations, and mankind by the interference of Providence, which manifestly assists in bringing to a happy issue those frequent crises in men's moral and intellectual developement, (politicians call these revolutions) entered on a new period of advan cing civilization. At a later period an equally glorious destination was that of Rome, which by splendid victories subdued in rapid succession the greatest nations of the east and west; the humble colony of Alba Longa became the arbiter of powerful empires; and her glory-the offspring of and nourished by patriotism, heroism and an iron consequence in her polity-shone forth over the world for many centuries. The arts and sciences, which she fostered with maternal care, flew hand in hand with their sister civilization to distant climates ;-Rome first subdued, and then humanized their tribes of barbarians. When the Roman Emperors embraced Christianity, it was chiefly owing to their supremacy over the greatest part of the known world and the consequent unity of language-Greek in the east and Latin in the west that the new religion which they professed, spread with an amazing quickness from the shores of Albion unto the Atlas mountains, and from the mouth of the Tagus to the frontiers of China. This, however, was the last of those benefits which Providence had destined Rome to confer upon neighbouring nations; her work of bliss was done; her hour was come; dark clouds, big with her fate, rose in the north and south, which at last prostrated the proud edifice of her grandeur. From her downfall is dated that new era which, though at first attended by heavy struggles, settled at length peacefully and formed the beginning of modern history and modern civilization. We have here an instance of that truism in history, that when Providence designs to form a new order of things, she makes powerful and polished nations-but worn out by centuries-fall under the fresh vigour and unbroken strength of tribes every way their inferiors in point of civilization. The rude tribes issuing from the German forests overturned highly enlightened Rome, and bid her disappear from among nations. When every thing great and firm was trampled down under the feet of savage hordes, who might then have augured aught but ruin and relapse into the state of barbarity from which Rome had so considerably emancipated the people? But this great revolution gradually settled into harmony and peace, having laid the ground work to the stupendous and magnificent edifice of modern history. We find that the conquering tribes soon embraced Christianity and became the channels through which the new doctrine was carried to the farthest north; and the progress of civilization, being so materially influenced by the same, acquired a direction so different from her sister in Asia, and the nations of Europe reached more or less that high degree of perfection both in science and morality which the nations of antiquity, owing to Polytheism and slavery, could never boast of. We cannot leave, however, this subject without pointing out, in an especial manner, one circumstance which is not little conducive to show the necessity of Rome's downfall for the sake of Europe's future prosperity. We have argued, and nobody will dissent, that European civilization was highly influenced by the new doctrine;

VOL. II.

B

but how, if, instead of Christianity, Mahomedanism had become the religion of Europe? and very likely it would have been the case but for the well-timed invasion of the northern nations; sudden and irresistible was the progress of the Crescent since it started in the sandy deserts of Arabia, and a new religion, a new empire was founded. What would then have been the fate of Christianity, exposed to the sudden attacks of a fanatic and most valiant nation, if the south of Europe, her only stronghold at that time, had been left to be defended by the worm-eaten power of Rome? Had the conquering Arabs but for once taken possession of southern Europe, there is every probability that the Crescent would have supplanted the Cross in all the rest of Christian countries, and the civilization of her people would be now what we find still in those nations of the east which have held themselves free from the influence of European manners. But Pro vidence called from the north rude and powerful nations whose energies were still unbroken, who hurled down the tottering pillar of Rome, and, having embraced Christianity, stood up in its defence-a bulwark firm and strong. These iron men did not only cherish their religion, but had the power to defend it against the conquerors of Arabia and Africa, and having been, from the very infancy of their political existence and religious life, roused to defend both against a formidable enemy, they learned to associate the security of their political existence with that of their religion; which association, intimate as it must be from early contraction, has until this present day upheld them in religion and love of their country. Thus the downfall of Rome was a blessing for Europe, and so was the repulsion of the Arabs; not a little owing to the total separation between the east and the west, which at that time took place, European civilization, unmolested during her period of developement, rose high and still seems destined by Providence to be extended in course of time to the nations of Asia, as has already been done in some respect with regard to Turkey and the East Indies. We say in some respect, because little has hitherto been done, and the great eastern revolution may be said to have but begun. Streams of blood, the horrors of war, will probably redden her annals, before the great boon will be obtained for Asia-Asia will receive the benefits of European civilization,-if we can read the signs of the times, explained by the pages of history,Asia, the native home, the birth-place of man, will not for ever remain stationary in the progress of civilization as it has hitherto for two thousand years; but with the downfall of her independence and that partition wall which stands between her and the rest of Europe in point of science, arts and religion, she will learn to sympathize with enlightened Europe and be brought nearer that great and glorious end, for which mankind was created, and to which gradual approach is the type of their history.

Who will be the happy instrument in the hand of Providence chosen for bringing about this glorious revolution for the greatest part of the world? Indeed the future lies veiled before our eyes, but the past discloses its treasures of truth. If we look to the east, we see a giant nation stretching its arms from the extreme north of Europe to its southern limits, from the frontiers of Germany to those of the Chinese empire; powerful and dangerous rebellions and bloody wars with the

most warlike nations of Europe, so far from weakening its youthful strength, have but been the means of cementing its grandeur. Fortune, that fickle goddess, has shewn herself a constant friend to Russiathat huge and awful power whose civilization is most rapidly advancing, whose resources are inexhaustible, a power which within a hundred years has risen from the state of a rude, barbarous and almost unknown mass of savages to that of the greatest European power, conforming with the greatest zeal to European civilization, which she in her turn confers again on such tribes as fall under her dominion. Can we, after all this, still doubt that she will be the nation destined to impart European civilization to the nations of the east? What power is better able to do it, if geographical situation, physical strength, warlike habits, nourished by splendid victories, and implicit obedience to the will of their ruler are taken into consideration as means for accomplishing the conquest of Asia,-the "sine quâ non" for that great beneficial revolution. We would greatly trespass on the narrow limits of the nature of a sketch, if we were to dwell longer on the subject of Russia's part in the civilization of Asia, but believing as we do, that every person who can reason on history will, in noticing the hints we have offered above, agree in our assertion, we shall conclude by turning our eyes to a late event, a deplorable downfall of a noble na tion, crushed under the arms of Russia. Poland is no more!

Inspired by the love of liberty, roused from the agonizing tortures of a despotic ruler, she rose in despair; the dear blood of her noble sons flew in streams; her virtues pleaded in vain, but she was doomed to fall, and it has pleased Providence that her name should no longer live among nations. Taking it as an individual event, we must certainly feel deeply sorry for her unhappy fate, but if we take our stand higher, and in a comprehensive view judge this single event by its relation to the whole, we shall find much to soften down those painful emotions to which the fate of Poland has given rise. A happy issue on the side of Poland, in the struggle in which she engaged with Russia, would have proved fatal in the highest degree to the stability of the latter. Russia, a compound mass of nations subdued by the sword, was likely to see the end of her gigantic power, if those conquered people, encouraged by the example of victorious Poland, had one by one thrown off the yoke and declared themselves independent and free, a consequence which the Emperor was well aware of, and which may therefore account for those immense exertions on his side, to extinguish the revolution. Had it been the fate of Russia to succumb in the death struggle, had the rising spirit of revolution spread in her vast domains and decomposed the awfully august edifice of her grandeur, what would have become of our glad hopes, those cheerful views of seeing Russia work out the great revolution in Asia? That powerful arm, for which is reserved the great task of regenerating a hemisphere, would have been broken. The civilization of Asia was not to be endangered-therefore Poland fell, and her downfall forms another proof to that truism in history, that when Providence intends to bring mankind a step nearer the great end for which man is created, or when a new order of things more beneficial to man is to be established, any obstacle that is found to check the progress, how innocent soever it may be in itself, must give way, or, if continuing to oppose,

will be crushed. We are indeed deeply grieved at the sight of the bleeding victim, but we bless the end for which it was sacrificed; and though we can not always distinguish this beneficial result, our resignation will be the work of studying the history of man where we find that when the welfare of mankind is at stake, a special providence achieves a glorious end through means and ways which baffle man's reason and his notions of right and wrong.

Nations rise and fall-the smiles of sunshine and the roaring of tempests follow each other alternately, but amidst all the confusion of things, civilization advances calmly in the path onward. We may often see it stationary, and deem it even making a retrograde march as in the time of the middle ages, but, like vegetation where growth is checked during the winter cold, yet at the first approach of spring will burst forth with renewed vigour, and bloom with greater luxuriance in proportion to the intensity of its former depression-thus the light of civilization always shone brighter after centuries of ignorance thus its springs, whose elasticity has been preserved by Him who is best served by an enlightened mind, began to work with renewed activity, and hurled aside every check. Such periods of emancipation from ignorance, religious and political prejudices, are indeed attended with the horrors of party hatred, persecutions and war, downfall of empires and destruction to thousands, in a greater or less degree according as the age to be emancipated occupies a higher or lower place in the scale of civilization; but this time of horror is merely the crisis, over which the physician of the world watches,-it will terminate in a healthy state of things, the new day will appear, and the sun of civilization shining bright over the lately terrified creation will be hailed with joy.

In short the downfall of great empires, revolutions of a mighty nation are in themselves the sorest disasters which may befall a people, but they are the crises from which emerges a new and better order of things.

SAPPHICS, TO MY UMBRELLA.

Written on a very rainy day.

VALUED companion of my expeditions,
Wanderings, and my street perambulations,—
What can be more deserving of my praises,

Under thine ample covering rejoicing,

Than my

umbrella?

(All the 'canaille' tumultuously running

While the rain streams and patters from the housetops,)

Slow and majestic,

I trudge along unwetted, though an Ocean

Pours from the clouds, as if some Abernethy

Had given all the nubilary regions

Purges cathartic!