All musical in its immensities; Rich marbles-richer painting-shrines where flame The lamps of gold-and haughty dome, which vies In air, with earth's chief structures, though their frame Sits on the firm-set ground and this the clouds must claim. 5. Thou seest not all; but piecemeal thou must break That ask the eye-so here condense thy soul Thy thoughts, until thy mind hath got by heart, In mighty graduations, part by part, The glory which at once upon thee did not dart. 6. Not by its fault-but thine: our outward sense That what we have of feeling most intense Fools our fond gaze, and, greatest of the great, Till, growing with its growth, we thus dilate 7. Then pause, and be enlightened; there is more Of wonder pleased, or awe, which would adore Of art, and its great masters, who could raise - Its depth, and thence may draw the mind of man can. LXXII. THE PYRAMIDS. CLARKE. 1. We were roused, as soon as the sun dawned, by Anthony, our faithful. Greek servant and interpreter, with the intelligence that the pyramids were in view. We hastened from the cabin; and never will the impression made by their appearance be obliterated. By reflecting the sun's rays, they appear as white as snow, and of such surprising magnitude, that nothing we had previously conceived in our imagination had prepared us for the spectacle we beheld. 2. The sight instantly convinced us, that no power of description, no delineation, can convey ideas adequate to the effect produced in viewing these stupendous mountains. The formality of their construction is lost in their prodigious magnitude; the mind, elevated by wonder, feels at once the force of an axiom, which, however disputed, experience confirms, that in vastness, whatever be its nature, there dwells sublimity. Another proof of their indescribable power is, that no one ever approached them under other emotions than those of terror, which is another princi pal source of the sublime. 3. In certain instances of irritable feeling, the impression of awe and fear has been so great as to cause pain rather than pleasure; hence, perhaps, have originated descriptions of the pyramids which represent them as deformed and gloomy masses, without taste or beauty. Persons who have derived no satisfaction from the contemplation of them, may not have been conscious that the uneasiness they experienced was the result of their own sensibility. Others have acknowledged ideas widely different, excited by every wonderful circumstance of character and situation; ideas of duration, almost endless; of power inconceivable; of majesty supreme; of solitude, most awful; of grandeur, and of repose. * * * * 4. With what amazement did we survey the vast surface that was presented to us when we arrived at this stupendous monument, which seemed to reach the clouds? Here and there appeared some Arab guides upon the immense masses above us, like so many pigmies, waiting to show the way to the summit. Now and then we thought we heard voices, and listened; but it was the wind in powerful gusts sweeping the immense ranges of stone. 5. Already some of our party had begun the ascent. and were pausing at the tremendous depth which they saw below. One of our military companions, after having surmounted the most difficult part of the undertaking, became giddy in consequence of looking down from the elevation he had attained: and being compelled to abandon the project, he hired an Arab to assist him in effecting his descent. The rest of us, more accustomed to the business of climbing hights, with many a halt for respiration, and many an exclamation of wonder, pursued our way toward the summit. The mode of ascent has been frequently described; and yet, from the questions which are often proposed to travelers, it does not appear to be generally understood.. 6. The reader may imagine himself to be upon a staircase, every step of which, to a man of middle stature, is nearly breast high; and the breadth of each step is equal to its hight; consequently, the footing is secure; and, although a retrospect, in going up, be sometimes fearful to persons unaccustomed to look down from any considerable elevation, yet there is little danger of falling. In some places, indeed, where the stones are decayed, caution may be required; and an Arab guide is always necessary, to avoid a total in terruption; but, upon the whole, the means of ascent are such that almost every one may accomplish it. 7. Our progress was impeded by other causes. We carried with us a few instruments, such as our boatcompass, a thermometer, a telescope, etc.; these could not be trusted in the hands of the Arabs, and they were liable to be broken every instant. At length we reached the topmost tier, to the great delight and satisfaction of all the party. Here we found a platform, thirty-two feet square, consisting of nine large stones, each of which might weigh about a ton; although they are much inferior in size to some of the stones used in the construction of this pyramid. 8. Travelers of all ages, and various nations, have here inscribed their names. Some are written in Greek, many in French, a few in Arabic, one or two in English, and others in Latin. We were as desirous as our predecessors to leave a memorial of our arrival; it seemed to be a tribute of thankfulness due for the success of our undertaking; and presently every one of our party was seen busied in adding the inscription of his name. 1. LXXIII. THE FOREST. BRYANT. Father Thy hand Hath reared these venerable columns; Thou Didst weave this verdant roof; Thou didst look down |