第 10 节
作者:辩论      更新:2021-02-27 01:30      字数:9321
  To rouse her people from their lethargy?
  Was there no sentry on the Parthenon
  No watch…fire on the field of Marathon;
  When science left the Athenian city's gate;
  To seek protection from a nameless fate?
  The sluggish sentry sleptno cry was heard
  No hands the glimm'ring watch…fire's embers stirr'd。
  Fair science unmolested left the land;
  That she had nurtured with maternal hand;
  And wandered forth some genial spot to find;
  Where she might rear her altar to the mind。
  〃Long thro' the darken'd ages of a world;
  Back to primeval chaos rudely hurled;
  She journey'd on amid the gath'ring gloom;
  A spectre form emerging from the tomb。
  Earth had no resting placeno worshipper
  No dove returned with olive branch to her:
  Her lamp burned dimly; yet its flick'ring light;
  Guided the wanderer thro' the lengthen'd night。
  Oft in her weary search; she paused the while;
  To catch one gleam of hopeone favour'd smile;
  But the dim mists of ignorance still threw;
  Their blighting influence o'er the famish'd few;
  Who deigned to look upon that lustrous eye;
  Which pierced the ages of futurity。
  〃For ten long centuries she groped her way;
  Through gloom; and darkness; ruin and decay;
  Yet came at last the morning's rosy light;
  A thousand echoes hail'd the glorious sight
  Joy thrill'd the universeone iningled cry
  Of exultation; pealed along the sky!
  Science came forth in richer robes arrayed
  She trod a pathway ne'er before essayed;
  Up the steep mount of fame she fleetly pressed;
  And hung her trophies on its gilded crest。〃
  CHAPTER IV。
  CLASSICAL INK AND ITS EXODUS (CONTINUED)。
  DESTRUCTION OF THE PERGAMUS LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA
  SOME OBSERVATIONS BY SIR THOMAS ASTLE
  COMPARISON OF HIS STATEMENTS WITH THOSE OF
  PROFESSOR ANTHON RELATIVE TO FRAGMENTS OF
  ANTIQUITY WHICH REMAINAUTHENTICITY OF
  THEM NOT DISTURBED IF THEY ARE OF PROPER AGE
  TAYLOR'S VIEWS ON THIS SUBJECT。
  THE storming of Alexandria and the destruction of
  the Pergamus library; composed largely of ink…written
  volumes; by the Saracens; A。 D。 642; has already been
  reverted to。 Astle observes:
  〃Thus perished by fanatical madness; the inestimable
  Alexandrian library; which is said to have
  contained at that time upwards of five hundred
  thousand volumes; and from this period; barbarity
  and ignorance prevailed for several centuries。 In
  Italy and all over the west of Europe learning was
  in a measure extinguished; except some small remains
  which were preserved in Constantinople。
  〃Theodosious; the younger; was very assiduous
  in augmenting this library; by whom; in the latter
  end of the fourth century; it was enlarged to one
  hundred thousand volumes; above one…half of
  which were burnt in the fifth century by the Emperor
  Leo the First; so famous for his hatred to
  images。
  〃The inhabitants of Constantinople had not lost
  their taste for literature in the beginning of the
  thirteenth century; when this city was sacked by
  the Crusaders; in the year 1205; the depredations
  then committed are related in Mr。 Harris's posthumous
  works; vol。 ii; p。 301; from Nicetas the
  Choniate; who was present at the sacking of this
  place。 His account of the statues; bustos; bronzes;
  manuscripts; and other exquisite remains
  of antiquity; which then perished; cannot be read
  by any lover of arts and learning without emotion。
  〃The ravages committed by the Turks who
  plundered Constantinople; in the year 1453; are
  related by Philelphus; who was a man of learning;
  and was tutor to aeneas Sylvius (afterwards pope;
  under the name of Pius the Second) and was an
  eye…witness to what passed at that time。 This
  tutor says; that the persons of quality; especially
  the women; still preserved the Greek language
  uncorrupted。 He observes; that though the city
  had been taken before; it never suffered so much
  as at that time; and adds; that; till that period;
  the remembrance of ancient wisdom remained at
  Constantinople; and that no one among the Latins
  was deemed sufficiently learned; who had riot
  studied for some time at that place; he expressed
  his fear that all the works of the ancients would
  be destroyed。
  〃Still; however; there are the remains of three
  libraries at Constantinople: the first is called that
  of Constantine the Great; the second is for all
  ranks of people without distinction; the third is in
  the palace; and is called the Ottoman library; but
  a fire consumed a great part of the palace; and
  almost the whole library; when as is supposed;
  Livy and a great many valuable works of the ancients
  perished。 Father Possevius has given an
  account of the libraries at Constantinople; and in
  other parts of the Turkish dominions; in his excellent
  work entitled; Apparatus Sacer。 (He calls
  attention to no less than six thousand authors。)
  Many other losses of the writings of the ancients
  have been attributed to the zeal of the Christians;
  who at different periods made great havock
  amongst the Heathen authors。 Not a single copy
  of the work of Celsus is now to be found; and
  what we know of that work is from Origen; his
  opponent。 The venerable fathers; who employed
  themselves in erasing the best works of the most
  eminent Greek or Latin authors; in order to transcribe
  the lives of saints or legendary tales upon the
  obliterated vellum; possible mistook these lamentable
  depredations for works of piety。 The ancient
  fragment of the 91st book of Livy; discovered by
  Mr。 Bruns; in the Vatican; in 1772; was much defaced
  by the pious labours of some well…intentioned
  divine。 The Monks made war on books as the
  Goths had done before them。 Great numbers of
  manuscripts have also been destroyed in this kingdom
  (Great Britain) by its invaders; the Pagan
  Danes; and the Normans; by the civil commotions
  raised by the barons; by the bloody contests between
  the houses of York and Lancaster; and especially
  by the general plunder and devastations of monasteries
  and religious houses in the reign of Henry
  the Eighth; by the ravages committed in the civil
  war in the time of Charles the First; and by the
  fire that happened in the Cottonian library; October
  23; 1731。〃
  Mr。 Astle's comments on the volumes or remnants
  of volumes which remain to us; becomes most interesting
  in the lights thrown on them by Professor
  Anthon in his 〃Classical Dictionary;〃 1841; which are
  quoted in part following those of Mr。 Astle。
  Mr。 Astle remarks:
  〃The history of Phoenicia by Sanconiatho; who
  was a contemporary with Solomon; would have
  been entirely lost to us; had it not been for the
  valuable fragments preserved by Eusebius。〃
  Says Prof。 Anthon:
  〃Sanchoniathon; a Phoenician author; who if the
  fragments of his works that have reached us be
  genuine; and if such a person ever existed; must
  be regarded as the most ancient writer of whom we
  have any knowledge after Moses。 As to the period
  when be flourished; all is uncertain。 He is the
  author of three principal works; which were written
  in Phoenician。 They were translated into the Greek
  language by Herennius Philo; who lived in the
  second century of our era。 It is from this translation
  which we obtain all the fragments of Sanchoniathon
  that have reached our times。 Philo had
  divided his translation into nine books; of which
  Porphyry made use in his diatribe against the Christians。
  It is from the fourth book of this lost work
  that Eusebius took; for an end directly opposite to
  this; the passages which have come down to us。
  And thus we have those documents relating to the
  mythology and history of the Phoenicians from the
  fourth hand。〃
  Mr。 Astle continues:
  〃Manetho's History of Egypt; and the History
  of Chaldea; by Berosus; have nearly met with the
  same fate。〃
  From Anthon:
  〃Berosus; a Babylonian historian。 He was a
  priest of the temple of Belus in the time of Alexander。
  The ancients mention three books of his
  of which Josephus and Eusebius have preserved
  fragments。 Annius of Viterbo published a work
  under the name of Berosus; which was soon discovered
  to be a forgery。〃
  By Astle:
  〃The Historical Library of Diodorus Siculus consisted
  likewise of forty books; but only fifteen are
  now extant; that is; five between the fifth and the
  eleventh; and the last ten; with some fragments
  collected out of Photius and others。〃
  By Anthon:
  〃Diodorus; surnamed Siculus; a contemporary
  of Julius Caesar and Agustus。 He published a
  general history in forty books; under the title
  'Historical Library;' which covered a period of
  1138 years。 We have only a small part remaining
  of this vast compilation。 These rescued portions
  we owe to Eusebius; to John Malala and other
  writers of the lower empire; who have cited them
  in the course of their works。 He is the reputed
  author of the famous sophism against motion。 'If
  any body be