ANCIENT Greece, that classic land, once the chosen home and haunt of the muses, abounds richly, though now in ruins, with material full of interest to the contemplative mind. Scarcely a spot is there but what is embalmed in the recollections of scholars, for something grand and noble in the triumphs of either science or art, or in the exploits of the warrior. The genius of her scholars, and the unrivaled abilities of her painters and artists, were not overrated by the orator, when he aptly and elegantly remarked, "they could almost make the marble speak-could almost make the brook murmur down the painted landscape." Even her ruins are endeared to the recollections of those who have wandered through her academic groves, or rested beneath her classic shades; and, therefore, I shall give in this article, a description of one of the most magnificent of them, depending upon the Penny Cyclopedia for most of the facts incorporated in it.

The Parthenon, the temple erected to the honor and for the worship of the virgin goddess Minerva, the supposed protectress of Athens, is situated upon the Acropolis of that city. This edifice was erected in the time of Pericles, B. C. 448. The architects were Callicrates and Ictinus, and the sculptures were executed by the celebrated Phidias, and his assistants.

This temple has always been considered the most refined example of the Grecian Doric style, and one of the noblest monuments of

antiquity, yet its grandeur was by no means owing to its extraordinary dimensions, since, in regard to size, it falls very far short of many other structures, ancient as well as modern, its extreme length being only two hundred and twenty-eight, and its breadth one hundred, and the interior of the cella only one hundred and forty-five feet six inches, by sixty-three feet six inches, which is little more than the size of Elgin Hall, in the British Museum, viz., one hundred and forty-three by forty-six feet.

Technically described, this temple was peripteral octastyle, that is, it had columns along its sides and at both ends, eight beneath each pediment, making in all forty-six columns, there being, including those at the angles, seventeen on each side, or sixteen intercolumns. Besides these external columns, there was likewise a range of inner columns at each end, forming the pronaos and opisthodimus, namely, six; not, however, placed in antis, as usually, but the extreme columns in front of the antæ, extending from the walls of the cella. The cella itself was hypæthral, that is, the central space between the columns along each side was open to the sky.

This portion of the structure, however, was so shattered by an explosion, in 1687, when it was used as a powder magazine by the Turks, at the time the city was besieged by the Venetians, that its original design is now altogether a matter of conjecture; besides which, the interior of the temple had been more or less injured, by having been converted first into a Christian church, and afterward into a Turkish mosque. Still, even in its present shattered and mangled condition, it is the admiration of all travelers and artists who have beheld it, and some of whom have spoken of it in terms of enthusiasm which appear quite exaggerated. It is said, that what now remains of it far exceeds any idea that can be derived from descriptions or drawings, and that it appears to be upon a much larger scale than it really is. In its original state, indeed, the effect must have been exceedingly fine, grand, and impressive, and, taking the building by itself, without reference to site, locality, climate, &c., it was distinguished by beauty of material, exquisiteness of execution, and grandeur of style; while, to these architectural merits, must be added the extraordinarily rich display of sculpture in the pediments,

the metopes, and the frieze along the exterior of the cella, and also the decoration of painting and of bronze ornaments.

The chief portion of the sculpture of the edifice was removed by Lord Elgin. This circumstance, at the time, called forth severe animadversions, although it is now well known that there was imminent danger that those relics of art would be utterly destroyed by the wanton barbarism of the Turks and others.

One object of art, that originally decorated the interior or shrine, was the chrysalephantine statue of Minerva, thirty-nine feet high, which was the work of Phidias. This figure was ornamented with gold to the amount of forty talents, according to Thucydides, but according to Philochorus, forty-four talents, or about £120,000 sterling; of which, however, it was stripped by Lachares, somewhat more than a century and a quarter after the death of Pericles.

Since the establishment of King Otho's government, in 1833, excavations have been made on the Acropolis, and around the Parthenon, and a great number of fragments of sculpture and architecture have been brought to light. Some of the fallen columns have also been replaced, and measures taken to restore the structure as far as circumstances will permit.

In 1823, an edifice was begun on Calton Hill, Edinburgh, which was, externally, at least, to have been an exact model of the Parthenon, but, after fourteen columns were put up, it was discontinued, nor is there any prospect of its being ever completed.

"Defendit numerus," is the maxim of the foolish; "Deperdit numerus," of the wise. The fact is, that an honest man will continue to be so, though surrounded on all sides by rogues. The whole world is turned upside down once in twenty-four hours, yet no one thinks of standing upon his head rather than on his heels. He that can be honest, only because every one else is honest, or good, only because all around him are good, might have continued an angel if he had been born one, but being a man, he will only add to that number, numberless, who go to hell for the bad things they have done, and for the good things which they intended to do.