signify days, and all round fronted upon concentric zones
of palaces, cross-cut by twelve grand avenues symbolizing the signs
of the zodiac, all radiating from the sun-dome in their midst. And in
that wild eastern tale of his, Marco Polo tells us, how the Great
Mogul began him a pleasure-palace on so imperial a scale, that his
grandson had much ado to complete it.

But no matter for marveling all this: great towers take time to
construct.

And so of all else.

And that which long endures full-fledged, must have long lain in the
germ. And duration is not of the future, but of the past; and
eternity is eternal, because it has been, and though a strong new
monument be builded to-day, it only is lasting because its blocks are
old as the sun. It is not the Pyramids that are ancient, but the
eternal granite whereof they are made; which had been equally ancient
though yet in the quarry. For to make an eternity, we must build with
eternities; whence, the vanity of the cry for any thing alike durable
and new; and the folly of the reproach--Your granite hath come from
the old-fashioned hills. For we are not gods and creators; and
the controversialists have debated, whether indeed the All-Plastic
Power itself can do more than mold. In all the universe is but one
original; and the very suns must to their source for their fire; and
we Prometheuses must to them for ours; which, when had, only
perpetual Vestal tending will keep alive.

But let us back from fire to store. No fine firm fabric ever yet grew
like a gourd. Nero's House of Gold was not raised in a day; nor the
Mexican House of the Sun; nor the Alhambra; nor the Escurial; nor
Titus's Amphitheater; nor the Illinois Mounds; nor Diana's great
columns at Ephesus; nor Pompey's proud Pillar; nor the Parthenon; nor
the Altar of Belus; nor Stonehenge; nor Solomon's Temple; nor
Tadmor's towers; nor Susa's bastions; nor Persepolis' pediments.
Round and round, the Moorish turret at Seville was not wound
heavenward in the revolution of a day; and from its first founding,
five hundred years did circle, ere Strasbourg's great spire lifted
its five hundred feet into the air. No: nor were the great grottos of
Elephanta hewn out in an hour; nor did the Troglodytes dig Kentucky's
Mammoth Cave in a sun; nor that of Trophonius, nor Antiparos; nor the
Giant's Causeway. Nor were the subterranean arched sewers of Etruria
channeled in a trice; nor the airy arched aqueducts of Nerva thrown
ov