westminster abbey-第3章

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palace；　where　he　sits　in　state；　mocking　at　the　relics　of　human

glory；　and　spreading　dust　and　forgetfulness　on　the　monuments　of

princes。　How　idle　a　boast；　after　all；　is　the　immortality　of　a　name！

Time　is　ever　silently　turning　over　his　pages；　we　are　too　much

engrossed　by　the　story　of　the　present；　to　think　of　the　characters

and　anecdotes　that　gave　interest　to　the　past；　and　each　age　is　a　volume

thrown　aside　to　be　speedily　forgotten。　The　idol　of　to…day　pushes　the

hero　of　yesterday　out　of　our　recollection；　and　will；　in　turn；　be

supplanted　by　his　successor　of　tomorrow。　〃Our　fathers；〃　says　Sir

Thomas　Brown；　〃find　their　graves　in　our　short　memories；　and　sadly　tell

us　how　we　may　be　buried　in　our　survivors。〃　History　fades　into　fable；

fact　becomes　clouded　with　doubt　and　controversy；　the　inscription

moulders　from　the　tablet；　the　statue　falls　from　the　pedestal。　Columns；

arches；　pyramids；　what　are　they　but　heaps　of　sand；　and　their　epitaphs；

but　characters　written　in　the　dust？　What　is　the　security　of　a　tomb；　or

the　perpetuity　of　an　embalmment？　The　remains　of　Alexander　the　Great

have　been　scattered　to　the　wind；　and　his　empty　sarcophagus　is　now

the　mere　curiosity　of　a　museum。　〃The　Egyptian　mummies；　which

Cambyses　or　time　hath　spared；　avarice　now　consumeth；　Mizraim　cures

wounds；　and　Pharaoh　is　sold　for　balsams。〃*



　　*　Sir　T。　Brown。



　　What　then　is　to　insure　this　pile　which　now　towers　above　me　from

sharing　the　fate　of　mightier　mausoleums？　The　time　must　come　when　its

gilded　vaults；　which　now　spring　so　loftily；　shall　lie　in　rubbish

beneath　the　feet；　when；　instead　of　the　sound　of　melody　and　praise；　the

wind　shall　whistle　through　the　broken　arches；　and　the　owl　hoot　from

the　shattered　tower…　when　the　garish　sunbeam　shall　break　into　these

gloomy　mansions　of　death；　and　the　ivy　twine　round　the　fallen　column；

and　the　fox…glove　hang　its　blossoms　about　the　nameless　urn；　as　if　in

mockery　of　the　dead。　Thus　man　passes　away；　his　name　perishes　from

record　and　recollection；　his　history　is　as　a　tale　that　is　told；　and

his　very　monument　becomes　a　ruin。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

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