Life in Athens, in the time of Pericles, illustrative of ancient and modern democracy. From the Germ. of T.H. von Wessenberg [sic]. - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1844 Excerpt: ...look at the beautiful, as it appears in things which have not the gift of reason. Do we not call all nature a work of the gods? And what can there be more beautiful than nature, especially when arrayed in her spring-tide glory, or at the rising and setting of the sun? How glorious appears to us the star-sown firmament! How enchanting the blue of the ocean under a smiling sky! Nay, even in the fury of the tempest, how sublimely beautiful! But when the rage of the elements breaks loose--when the lightning-stroke fires the peaceful dwelling--when the hailstone destroys the hope of the year, the seed and the vine--when the wide-yawning waves swallow up freights of men and merchandize--does nature then deserve the praise of beauty? Phced. Even then, according to my idea. Socr. But is there still aught of the godly in her? Phced. I think so, even here. Socr. But how is it, Phsedrus, that you now can find divine elements in a nature which is destructive, while but just now you denied any such to all works of art of an immoral or profane character? Phced. Who can fail to see the distinction between these two? Nature acts ever in accordance with her established laws, even when dealing out destruction; and she can act in no other way. But how different the relation between man and his works! Socr. Have, then, the gods released man from the observance of the laws to which they have subjected all nature; or is not man himself a part of nature? Phced. So far as he belongs to nature by his organs of sensation, is he subject to the same laws; but his spirit is endowed with free-will, to choose between the good and the evil. Socr. You think then, my Phsedrus, that man should only use the beautiful for the adornment of the good; otherwise this ceases to be divine in its nat...