STATUE OF GEN. HAMILTON, out of the rude block of the quarry! To accomplish

MERCHANTS' EXCHANGE, NEW-YORK.

it, must be the attribute of that high order of genius to which we may apply the adage, nascitur, non fit. Of this order we may class Mr. Ball Hughes of this city, to whose skilful hand the country is indebted for this magnificent production. For him, the statue of Hamilton speaks higher and more endearing encomiums than the most lavish praise. To look on this statue, or the monument of Bishop Hobart in Trinity Church, or the busts of Edward Livingston and others, is to be convinced of his superiour talents.

WHATEVER may hitherto have been the obstacles in this new country to the successful cultivation of the fine arts, it is a matter of congratulation that they are now rapidly yielding to the triumphs of genius; and that every day is developing new evidence that we have the capacity within us of assuming, in any department of the fine arts, a rank equal to the most liberal and polished nations in the world. No nation is before us in useful inventions; none can excel us for a great length of time in the fine arts. A few years ago, and a painter could scarcely procure a reThe statue of Hamilton was chiselled from a solid spectable livelihood by his profession amongst us, block of white Italian marble, weighing nine tons; and not a specimen of native sculpture was to be was about two years in the hands of the artist, and found in the land. Now, we have academies of paint- weighs now one and a half tons. It is purely white, ers, and the finest productions of their art adorn al-highly finished, and finely contrasts with the blue most every dwelling; and we are introducing the granite pedestal on which it stands, fourteen feet noblest works of the chisel to grace and dignify our high. It adorns the centre of the great room in the publick buildings. The fine arts go hand in hand Merchants' Exchange, where it was first exposed to with each other, and, with the exception of garden-view about the middle of April last. It was erected ing, which is yet pursued amongst us mostly as a by the merchants of the city, at a cost of 6000 to useful art, we are making honourable attainments in 8000 dollars. We are happy to coincide with Col. all their branches. They require but the fostering Trumbull in this matter, in thinking that "there are hand of affluence and taste, to raise them to a stand very few pieces of statuary in Europe superiour to beyond the reach of envy or cavil. But at present, this, and not twenty-five sculptors in the universe we will direct our attention to the beautiful, the no- who can surpass this work." ble, the wonderful art of sculpture.

As germane to this notice of the statue, we have annexed below a succinct biography of the great original, with a view of his monument.

BIOGRAPHY.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON was born in the island of Nevis, in 1757. He accompanied his mother to New York at the age of sixteen, and entered Columbia College as a student, where he remained three years. He early evinced fine talents, and his juvenile pen asserted the claims of the colonies against respectable writers in the contest with Great Britain. At the age of eighteen he entered the army as an officer of artillery. He soon attracted the notice of Washington, who selected him as an aid with the rank of lieutenant colonel, in 1777. He commanded a battalion of light infantry, throughout the war, which terminated in the capture of Cornwallis. He led the advanced corps of the American troops at his own request, when they carried the British works at the siege of Yorktown, Oct. 14, 1781.

If any specimen of statuary can impress the beholder with exalted ideas of the art of sculpture, it is the statue of Alexander Hamilton. To look upon it, is to see Hamilton himself; and to feel almost conscious that we are in his living presence. When we disburthen ourselves of the impression that it is he, the mind is filled with admiration at the triumph of that noble art that can make the marble almost warm with life. There stands the form of Hamilton in majesty, yet repose; there is the broad and noble forehead, the majestick and thoughtful brow, the free, intelligent, commanding eye; you almost perceive the temples throb, you mark every line of feature, and every expression of countenance. The limbs and form are chastely imagined, and the whole is invested with dignity and grace, eloquence and power. The Roman toga hangs gracefully over the left shoulder; the right hand, resting upon an oblong, polished pedestal, holds a scroll, which may represent the act empowering the funding of the national debt, with the seal of government appended; the left arm hangs gracefully by his side. It is almost a speaking statue; beautiful in design, and wonderful in the execution, which has carried the minutest parts to ex-law. In this profession he soon rose to distinction, traordinary perfection. What a powerful concep- and in July, 1792, was chosen a member of Congress. tion, strong imagination, discriminating taste, excel- He was chairman of the committee, which reported lent judgment, and skilful hand, must distinguish the a resolution to provide a sinking fund to pay the na artist who can chisel such a "human form divine" tionak debt. In 1786 he was chosen a member of

After the capture of Cornwallis, he returned to New York and applied himself to the study of the

the Assembly of New York, and he introduced the use of any expression derogatory to the honour of bill for acceding to the assumed independence of the former. This demand was deemed inadmissible, Vermont. He was appointed, with two others, in and a duel was the consequence. The parties met 1787, a member of the Federal Convention for New at Hoboken, July 11th, and Hamilton fell, on the York, and assisted in framing the Constitution of the same spot where his son a few years before had United States. "It did not, indeed, completely meet fallen, in obedience to the same principle of honour, his wishes. He was afraid that it did not contain and in violation of both Divine and human law. He sufficient means of strength, for its own preservation, was carried into the city, and died the next day, July and that in consequence we should share the fate of 12th, 1804, aged about 47. He assured Bishop many other republicks, and pass through anarchy to | Moore, who administered to him the communion, despotism. He was in favour of a more permanent that, if restored to health, he would never again be Executive and Senate. He wished for a strong government, which would not be shaken by the conflict of different interests through an extensive territory, and which should be adequate to all the forms of national exigency." But he believed it better than the old confederation, and contributed much to its adoption. In 1789, Washington placed him at the head of the Treasury. In his reports he proposed plans for funding the debt of the Union, and for assuming the debts of the respective states, for establishing a bank and mint, and for procuring a revenue. Many of them are very voluminous, and display great powers of mind. Some of them are preserved in the American Museum.

engaged in a similar transaction, but would employ all his influence to discountenance the barbarous custom of duelling. He disavowed all intention of taking the life of Col. Burr, and declared his abhorrence of the whole proceeding. Like his antagonist, he was small in person and short in stature.

ty, and supporting the coalition of the European powers against France. He wrote a letter, endeavouring to prove that John Adams was unworthy a re-election to the presidential chair, and several other political documents, and a defence of himself against the charge of peculation while Secretary of the Treasury.

Hamilton's works have been collected and published in three volumes, and his biography has recently been written by his son. He published the letters of Phocion in favour of the loyalists, in two pamphlets, 1784. The Federalist was written by him, in conjunction with Mr. Jay and Mr. Madison. It is said that Hamilton wrote all the numbers of that work, excepting 2, 3, 4, 5, and 64, which were Mr. Hamilton, and Mr. Jefferson, then Secretary written by Mr. Jay; and 10, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, of State, were opposed to each other in politicks. 37 to 58 inclusive, 62 and 63, which were from the The former apprehended danger from the encroach-pen of Mr. Madison. In 1793 he wrote papers signment of the states, and wished to consolidate the ge-ed Pacificus, justifying the proclamation of neutralineral government; the latter entertained little jealousy of the state sovereignties, and was rather desirous of checking and limiting the exercise of the national authorities, particularly the power of the executive. Their disagreement increased till it resulted in such open hostility, and made such confusion in the cabinet, that Washington found it necessary to address a letter to each, recommending forbearance and moderation. No reconciliation could be effected. In his opinion, as to the effect of the revolution in France in 1793 upon our relations with that country, he was opposed by both Washington and Jefferson. By the latter it was deemed not to weaken the obligation of treaties. In 1794 a detachment was sent out under Hamilton's command to suppress the insurrection in Pennsylvania. In 1795 he resigned his office. Soon after this period, circuinstances were disclosed which placed his private character in no unequivocal light. When a provisional army was raised in 1798, he was made second in command, Washington being at the head. After the army was discharged in the summer of 1800, he returned again to his profession in the city of New York, where he passed the remainder of his life.

Col. Aaron Burr, Vice President of the United States, in June, 1804, addressed a letter to Hamilton, requiring his acknowledgment or denial of the

A monument is erected to his memory in Trinity Church yard, and is sufficiently illustrated by the engraving p. 44. It bears on the north side the following inscription :—

TO THE MEMORY OF

ALEXANDER HAMILTON,

The Corporation of Trinity Church have erected this

MONUMENT,

In testimony of their respect

FOR

The Patriot of incorruptible integrity,
The Soldier of approved valour,
The Statesman of consummate wisdom;
Whose talents and virtues will be admired

BY

Grateful posterity

Long after this marble shall have mouldered into dust.

He died July 12th, 1804, aged 47.

HISTORY.

GREECE.-1004-752 B. C.

Greece, at the commencement of the present period, was in an unsettled state. By the emigration of many of its inhabitants, colonies had been formed, particularly in Lesser Asia. Afterwards colonies were sert to Italy and Sicily. These, owing to the freedom of their governments, soon rivalled their parent states; a circumstance which induced the latter to put an end to despotism, and to adopt popular constitutions. In this work of reformation, Lycurgus, the legislator of Sparta, was distinguished.

It may be mentioned, in connexion with this subject, and previously to an account of the reformation of Sparta, that the poems of Homer were introduced from Asia into Greece by Lycurgus. He met with them in his travels in that region, carefully preserved them, and brought them home on his return, 886 years B. C. Their effect on the national spirit and literature of the Greeks, was at length highly propitious.

Homer flourished about 900 years B. C. He was a poor blind man, and used to travel from place to place, singing his verses. But his genius was transcendent. All succeeding ages have bowed to it; and his poems have been taken as the model of all epick productions of any note written since his day. The present form of his poems is supposed not to have been the ancient form. They were probably produced in separate pieces and ballads; and were united into continuous poems, it is said, by certain learned men under the direction of Pisistratus, king of Athens.

The era of Grecian splendour was several centuries after the time of Homer; but by the preserva

tion of his poems, the progress of the Greeks in arts and literature was effectually secured.

Lycurgus, by his peculiar institutions, raised Sparta from a weak and distracted state, to superiority in arms over the other republicks of Greece Sparta became truly republican in its government, though the form of royalty was retained. Its kings were merely the first citizens in the state, and acknowledged the superiour authority of the Ephori and the people, to whom they were accountable. Their privileges, however, sufficiently distinguished them from the mass of the citizens.

With many things in his institutions that were commendable, there was much that was pernicious. His sole object seems to have been, to render the Spartans fit only for war. The chronological date of the commencement of this reformation, is 884 years B. C.

After the return of the Heraclidæ, Sparta was divided between the two sons of Aristodemus, Eurysthenes and Frocles who reigned jointly. The occasion of this was, that Aristodemus having been killed while his children were infants, their mother was unable to tell which of them was the firstborn, since they were twins. The Spartans consequently agreed that they should be joint kings.

This double monarchy continued in the one line under 30 kings, and in the other line under 27 kings, during a period of about 880 years. Polydectes and Lycurgus were the sons of one of these kings. Upon the death of his brother, the crown devolved on Lycurgus; but his sister-in-law being with child, he resigned it.

She however intimated to Lycurgus that if he would marry her, the child should be destroyed immediately upon its birth. Lycurgus, with a view to save it, desired that she would send it to him, and he would dispose of it. Accordingly, the boy, as soon as he was born, was sent to his uncle.

Lycurgus was at supper with a large party when the royal infant arrived, but he instantly took it in his arms, and holding it to the view of the company, exclaimed, "Spartans! behold your king." The people were delighted, and the boy was called Charilaus.

Lycurgus, with a view to suppress the calumnies published against him by the faction of the queen, determined upon a voluntary exile. In his travels. he made it an object to acquire knowledge, and especially to ascertain the best means of government. It was during this journey that he discovered the poems of Homer, as abovementioned.

Upon his recall to Sparta, he found things in so bad a condition, that he set about a reformation of the manners of the people. He began his labours by instituting a senate to make laws, and see that they were executed; this senate was composed of 30 members, the kings being of the number.

He next made an equal division of the lands, so that all the Spartans shared it fairly between them. When he endeavoured to do the same with the furniture, clothes, &c., he found the rich very averse to his proposals. He therefore took another course. He substituted iron for gold and silver, as the medium of exchange.

As this iron money was of no account among the neighbouring countries, the Spartans could no longer indulge in luxury, by purchasing foreign costly arti

cles. The necessary arts of life he allowed to be | It became, as we shall hereafter learn, very power practised only by slaves. ful, and under Philip overturned the liberties of the other states of Greece.

In

He then commanded that all persons, even the kings themselves, should eat at publick tables, and that these tables should be served only with plain food. This regulation, more than any other, offended the rich citizens. They rose in a body and assaulted Lycurgus; and one of them, pursuing him to a sanctuary, struck out his eye with a stick. Lycurgus no otherwise punished this offender, than by making him his page and attendant. time, these dinners, at which they served up a kind of soup, called black broth, came to be much relished, and very pleasant discourse often enlivened them. An admirable part of the ceremony at these publick meals was the following. When the company were assembled, the oldest man present, pointing to the door, said, “Not one word spoken here, goes out there." This wise rule produced mutual confidence, and prevented all scandal and misrepresentation.

The children were taught in large publick schools, and were made brave and hardy. All the people were accustomed to speak in short pithy sentences, so that this style of speaking is even now called after them, laconick; Laconia being one of the

names of Lacedemon.

When Lycurgus had firmly established his new laws, he ensured their observance by the following contrivance. He left Sparta, after having made the people swear, that they would abide by his laws,

until he should return. As he intended not to return

at all, this was to swear that they would keep his

laws forever.

Lycurgus died in a foreign land. By some it is asserted, that he starved himself to death. His laws continued in force 500 years, during which time the Spartans became a powerful and conquering people. The institutions of this legislator were impaired by many blemishes. The manners of the Lacedemonian women were suffered to be shamefully loose. The youth were taught to subdue the feelings of humanity. The slaves were treated with the greatest barbarity. Even theft was a part of Spartan education.

The object of this was to prepare their minds for the stratagems of war. Detection exposed them to punishment. Plutarch tells us of a boy, who had stolen a fox and hidden it under his coat, and who rather chose to let the animal tear out his bowels, than to discover the theft.

The first of the Olympiads, an era by which the events in Grecian history are reckoned, occurred 776 years B. C. The Olympick games were first instituted about 1450 years B. C., but having fallen into disuse, were restored at different times, and from the period above mentioned, form a certain epoch in history.

MACEDON.

ASSYRIA.

first kingdom of Assyria, we find a few particulars
After a chasm of 800 years in the history of the
respecting one or two of its last sovereigns. Pul,
who is mentioned in Scripture, subdued Israel in
This Pul is supposed to be the king of Nineveh,
the reign of Menahem, who became his tributary.
Jonah. If this be the fact, he flourished about 800
who, with his people, repented at the preaching of
years B. C.

the Divine judgments against this people on account
The object of Jonah's preaching was to denounce
of their wickedness. The prophet after great re-
luctance to obey the command of God, and a signal
chastisement for his disobedience, repaired at length
to Nineveh, and executed his commission.
selves before Jehovah, in consequence of which
The Ninevites took the alarm, and humbled them-
they were delivered at that time from destruction.
The Assyrian empire, of which Nineveh was the
capital, ended, however, soon afterwards, as we

shall now learn.

the Assyrian monarchs. In his reign a conspiracy Sardanapalus was the last and the most vicious of broke out, by which the kingdom was destroyed, 767 viz., Nineveh, which preserved the name of Assyria, years B. C. Three monarchies rose from its ruins, Babylon, and the kingdom of the Medes.

Sardanapalus was the most effeminate of mankind. his women and his eunuchs. He imitated them in He never left his palace, but spent all his time with dress and painting, and spun with them at the distaff. Being besieged in his city, by Arbaces, gov ernour of the Medes, he at length set fire to his palace, and consumed himself, with his women, eunuchs, and treasures.

CHYMISTRY.

HYDROGEN.

If, into a bottle, containing filings or turnings of iron, or zinc, we pour sulphurick acid, diluted with six or seven times its weight of water, a strong action will take place, and a gas will be given off, which may be collected in the manner described in our article on oxygen, by means of a bent tube, fitted to the mouth of the bottle with a cork. This is hydrogen gas.

It is colourless, and without taste; but, as commonly prepared, has a faint disagreeable smell; which, however, is supposed to depend upon some slight impurity. It is speedily fatal to animal life when taken into the lungs. It is not absorbed by water except in very minute quantities. It is lighter than atmospherick air; and, indeed, the lightest of all Macedon, a kingdom in Greece, and sometimes bodies which are known to possess weight; 100 cuconsidered distinct from it in its history, was founded bick inches only weigh 2.1 grains. If a bladder be by Caranus, an Argive and descendant of Hercules, filled with it, and attached, by means of a stopcock, about 795 years B. C. The government continued to a tobacco pipe, upon dipping the bowl into a strong in his line 647 years, i. e. till the death of Alexander lather of soap, bubbles may be blown with it which Ægus, the posthumous son of Alexander the Great. will rise rapidly into the air; and it is upon this The history of Macedon under its first kings is principle that it is used for filling airballoons. It is obscure, and presents only some wars with the Il-inflammable, but it extinguishes flame. lyrians, Thracians, and other neighbouring nations. Fill an inverted stoppered bottle with the gas, and

Oxygen and hydrogen gases may be mixed-toOxygen and hydrogen combine in the proportion gether in any proportions; and their disposition to of one volume of the former, to two of the latter, to form water. become equally diffused in any given volumes, as with all gases, is so great, that even the vast difference in their specifick gravities will not keep them