第103章

But it is not mere blind power, and eternal duration, that is attributed to the deity, besides this, all men ascribe to him unerring wisdom, and most men, boundless benevolence.Regularity of design, then, especially if combined with visible utility, renders any object of great and changeless power, more fitting to inspire religious sentiments.On this account the sun, of all objects continually before our eyes, is that most generally turned to with religions feelings.

Symmetry of design may be given to collections of columns, by preserving them at regular distances, and forming them into circular, or straight fines.The circles of the Druids in Scotland, and in other parts of Europe, are examples of this sort of form.Greater unity would be given to an erection of this sort, by the addition of horizontal pieces, stretching from the top of the one pillar to that of the other, and partially roofing in the fabric.Such an addition would also heighten the motion of power embodied in the work.The poising large masses of stone on the summits of elevated columns, must have appeared a stupendous exertion of power, to those who first contemplated it.Such seems to have been the character of the t:amons druidical temple of Stonehenge.A form similar to this, would therefore seem likely to be that, which the ancient Egyptians must bare been inclined to give the religious edifices they constructed, when leaving the higher grounds, they began to descend and occupy the plains, and such is, in fact, the general outline which the ruins of their edifices yet present.But they possessed arts, which enabled them to give their edifices a degree of grandeur, far superior to the rude structures of the ancient Britons.

They were probably either themselves workers of stone, or had the means of knowing how stone may be wrought.The more ancient Troglodytes were perfect in the art of cutting stone.Their labors were confined, however, to forming excavations in rock, they do not seem to have ever thought of dividing these rocks into fragments, and again reuniting them into some required form.Indeed, this is an idea, that could not very readily occur as a means of t:acilitating the formation of structures of the sort.Here, as in other instances, the beginnings of art are simple, but laborious.

It is invention that abridges the amount of labor necessary for attaining the end, and substitutes skill and contrivance, for toil and perseverance.

A sort of necessity, brought about by the occupation of a new region, and the desire to have rocky edifices on the alluvial plane, probably led the Egyptians to effect this revolution.

The possession of another art, made it of less difficult execution.

Egypt, a long level valley periodically overflowed, afforded peculiar facilities for the transport by water, of even the heaviest articles.The largest masses separated from the rocks that bordered the great cared, into which it was transformed during the time of the inundation, had only to be moved to rafts stationed close by, when they could be transported to ally required situation.The riches also of that celebrated valley, then probably recently exposed to human industry by the retiring waters, and which the efforts of fifty centuries have not yet exhausted, gave the inventive faculty as its instrument, an almost unlimited command of labor.Genius was not wanting to reach lofty conceptions, or to apply the means put ill its hands so as to give them an adequate form.The works it produced, were the admiration of antiquity, and are the astonishment of modern times.

Architecture, with the other arts of Egypt, was carried to Greece.It retained, nevertheless, the same essential character, the effects it produced arising from the magnitude and proportions of massive blocks, arranged in columns and transverse pieces.A comparison of the two, does not give the one nmch superiority over the other.Both possess sublimity and unity of design, and beauty of execution, and if the Grecian has greater elegance, the Egyptian has greater grandeur.But if the colony did not much excel the parent country in architecture, there is no comparison between them in the sister art of sculpture.Architecture and statuary were combined by the ancient Egyptians.The earliest human figures cut in stone, that have come down to us, are those executed by them, on their columnar fabrics.