THE DURANCE OF LIFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2262, 8 January 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE DURANCE OF LIFE.

How long may a human being live in perfect possession of his faculties aud powers for good or evil ? The question is important to all. Conceive a statesman with a despotic power of influencing men's wills who should last as long as Old Parr. .Think of a beauty who might eclipse the maidens of each fresh season, and whose hcitturnon row, should outglow their fresh loveliness, as long as Ninon de l'Kn'cloa was a toast, or Marion Delonne, to whom Balsac assigns 130 years. History. social or political, would be altered ; the whole progress of humanity might be advanced for toons or retarded by one man, who varied from the kindly race of men and lived twice as long .is his oldest neighbour. If we may believe a curious old French book, "History Persons who have lived for many Ages, and grown young again," (Paris, 171G), this fancy is not wholly absurd or impossible. All Europe expects great changes from the deaths of Prince Bismarck, of Von Moltke, of the Emperor. How won id all Europe look if they retained their vigour till, say. 1030? Before the Delude such lives would have seemed prematurely cut short at 150. And since the Deluge. Hereon, our French author, enlightens us with learn ing from Pliny, Cornaro, and Phlegon of Trallaj. Thus Fohi, the founder of the Chinese Empire, reigned 115 years, and so did Apaphus of Thebes an Egyptian ; but he, surely, was the son of Zeus! Antioehus Epiphunes died at 14i) ! A king of the Orrimaninns lived to 115, but that was in Arabia Felix. Tacitus gives 17-) years to Tuiseo, a German prince, D.iddon, an lllyiian noble lived for 500 years, according to Alexander Cornelius. Anacreon gives Ciuyras of Cyprus 100 years, aud Angauthouius, a Spaniard, saw 150 summers. According to B.mfinius, Attila was 121 when lie died of the consequences of a revel on the night of his marriaire—his second marriage. How long had he lamented his first consort? Epimenides was 157 (others say 299) at his regretted decease. At 100 Emphranor gave up taking private pupils. Sophocles perished, by an accident, at 130. The Apocrypha mentions the circumstance that Mattathias died by misadveuture at 146. The Countess of Arundel ( temp Charles I.) employed a Mrs Gamp of 123. Thus, even in its natural way, we need never despair of any man attaining, say, 130, a pleasant thought in the case of really great men, whose lives are useful to their country. Why, we might have Cromwell with us yet ?—Lons/m a n'a M•> /.i >i <\