e past, in
which our fathers lived? And what do these repinings mean? What is the
charm that has for ever faded? The answer to this question, if complete,
would occupy a volume, for the composition of which that of Mr. Phillips
might well serve in the character of _une piece historique_, abounding,
as it does, in apt and instructive illustration, and giving, by its
aggregation of anecdotes and descriptions, a somewhat confused but
still interesting and lively picture of a very curious and stirring
period. There lies, indeed, at the bottom of this inquiry a question
with which the practical statesman has now little reason to trouble
himself, but which, nevertheless, to the speculative philosopher, cannot
fail to be a subject of never-failing interest.

The great physical discoveries of modern times, by which the powers of
nature are made to act in subservience to the use and comfort of
mankind, steadily tend to one great political result, viz., the
permanently uniting and knitting together of much larger numbers of men
into one and the same community, and subjecting them to one and the same
Government, and that Government one of law and not of force, than was
ever known or possible during the early days of man's history. This
result, as regards the peace of the world and all the material comforts
of life, is highly favorable. Whether the same can be said, of the
mental vigor and moral excellence of the human race is a question upon
which men may speculate, but which time alone can satisfactorily answer.

The small, contentious, and active communities of Greece; the little,
ill-governed, yet vigorous Republics of modern Italy, stand out in the
history of mankind bright and illustrious beyond all hope of comparison;
and, from the wondrous intellects that appeared among them, they have
proved to all succeeding times a never-failing subject of admiration,
envy, and despair. Just in proportion to our own advancement in art,
literature, and science, is the intensity of our astonishment, of our
envy, and of our despondency. We endeavor to compete with, but can never
equal them; we imitate, but, like all imitators, we are condemned to
mediocrity; it is only when we attempt to explore some new and untrod
region of art or science that we can pretend to the dignity even of
comparison. And these regions are rare indeed.

But, if we compare our own social condition with that of the Greeks or
the Italians--if we look into their hous