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THE EVENING STAR. 97 



sewers of kome, which had been opened by Turquinius Superbus, 

 were arched over by Scipio Africanus. Livy, who lived 200 

 years after Scipio, doubtless drew his information from documents 

 extant in his time, and which fully authorize the conclusion that 

 the principle of the arch was applied by the Romans 200 years 

 before the time of Augustus, and this being the first record of 

 any application of that beautiful and useful order, at least the 

 first with which I am acquainted, this deduction may be fairly 

 made, that although the principle of the arch may have been 

 discovered by Aristotle, yet such principle was not practically 

 applied before the period stated by the Roman historian. 



It is difficult to do justice to so extended an inquiry as my 

 subject demands in so short a space as I have occupied ; but I 

 have thrown before your readers hints for investigation, and 

 gratified shall I be if they should be taken up and a more con- 

 clusive light thrown over this interesting subject. 



I am. Sir, 



Yours very respectfully, 

 R. F 



THE EVENING STAR. 



Star of the Evening ! — brightly shining. 



Some token thou are surely sent 

 Of promise, in the day's declining — 



Gem of the firmament ! 



How sweetly is thine eye unclosing 



As the bright daylight slowly dies ; 

 Thy silvery beams of light disclosing 



Across the evening skies. 



Oh ! there is something in thy seeming 



So sweetly like, in fancy's view, 

 To love, amid the darkness beaming. 



Our day-dreams never knew ! 



For, there are hearts which, almost broken. 



Flee from the brightness of our joys j 

 But yet give forth their sweetest token 



Of love, when grief destroys ! 



Hearts, which had shrunk from us in sadness. 



In our high day of sunny bliss ; 

 And only shed on us their gladness. 



On some such night as this ! 



ANNA. 



