The Federal mirror — Concord, N.H., 1796-06-21 00:00:00, page 1

'^fa lebefflWo: ■
.11 the BUDGET.
a polite and obliging Corref-
: fl dent, we acknowledge the receipt of a
'lifer of papers, the Tablet, and the
j htingale, printed in Boston, and
' 4 npanied with the following note:
I~HE EDITORSOFTHE MIRRQR.
j ' MESSRS. Editors,
% 2afe to accept the enclosed papers— —
>fShould you feled from them any matter
/ worthy a place in the Miscellany depart
-Imerit of your ufeful and entertaining
t paper, I shall be happy in having con
tributed A MITE."
^ % cheerfully accept the prefect— and flhall
, cafionally, in the dearth of Political In
gence, make extracts from those papers,
11 has may " mend the heart, end make the
, ' dtaore wise,” and which we will prefect
~der the title of the budget.
ry favor from the Sons and Fair D,ugh
( ers of Apollo, will be cordially received,
feud duly honored.
j From the Nightingale.
[ THETHEORIST.
Let gentleness my strong enforcement be."
Shake/,tare.
THFRE are certain rules and ob
servances, to which a stria ad
herence is necessary, by every public
writer. As Society is in a greater or
tyfeh degree, interfiled in hit lucubra
tion, and at the most inferior capaci
tty, 'wants knowledge and inftruc
.non, he ought to adopt that method,
/Which will fubferve the advancement^
of morality, and hold up the bright
est precepts to mankind. To this
fed, be must carefully avoid obso
lete, and high flown expressions, and
choose a fimpte stile, calculated to af
ford equal facility and pleafu re, to all
! who are disposed for this kind of
Iwriting.— It is too frequent that lan
(guage is more attended to, than fob
jeft, and the fee* sentiments buried
in an obfeurity of words : This stag
-1 nates the channel through which in
^ formation is derived, and renders the
Iwork inutile. Nor do I think a prop
fer refpea of language, unimportant,
I but rather as an object, which claims
ttif'tiigheft consideration in an au
, (hot, and a point, in which confifti a
great share of hit merit; for the
best design, with poor didion, is in
ftpid; and the famefentimenti cloth
ed in pleasing language, have double
theeffea they would, vulgarly ex
preffdj I only condemn pedantry as
being differviceable, and all abstruse
t phrafei, tending rather to perplex
than enlighten the imagination.
/ A writer, ought likewise to point
out the vices of the age, but never
aim at individual; ; uninfluenced by
prejudice, and unbitt'd by custom,
he should impartially reprobate fol
ta, however (andion'd by fafhion,
and extol virtues, whether confpicu
oui in the higher or lower clafi of
community.—'Often times intrin fie
merit paffei disregarded, while obfo
lute refpea is paid to gorgeous infig<
?),mficancy, and the mag of wealth
finds many friend,, while the virtu*
so out Philanthiophift, diet neglected in
' that foctety, of which he is the great.
est ornament. Such a wrong diferi
minatioo the Theqrift hopes never to
be guilty of, but shall endeavor, to
observe liberally, Invariably, as his
motto. Callout to every prejudice,
if foe wishes to keep reason in constant
^^&^^^
4 -— _-— ; CT
i; /OLUME IV.]
CONCO RD, TUESDAY, June 21, 1796.
— I - mtfww ,^«»^w^ trema
view, nor ever diviate from its prin
ciple!—and great as may be the
scope, for inveaive, or panegyric, he
will aim at being delicate in Criticism,
and just in Eulogy. Previous to the
close of his exordium, he most forfeit
that candor m the peiufal of his fpec*
ulationa which have ever distinguish
ed this metropolis, and though the
lineaments of a novice may be traced
by the many inacuracies liable to
young writers, he cannot but hope
for that lenity which will fix an eter
nal monument of gratitude id hit
breast.
AN APOLOGUE.
A GENTLEMAN, after having;
travelled through different parti
of the globe, returned at length to
his own country. His friends, as u-;
fual in such cases, flocked round himl
with eager expreffiona of welcome.
" Blefi me, how happy am Ito fee
you I" cried one and all of them.—
" Come, do tell ut some of your ad
ventures." After relating to them
a number of miraculous ciacumftaoc
ei, " You know gentlemen, (added
he) whata prodigious distance 'tit
from this country to that of the Hu
rons !— Well, about twelve hundred
leagues farther off, I met with a ve
ry ftraoge set Os men, who often fit/
round a table the whole night, and
even till the morning is well advanc
ed; but there is no cloth laid for
them, nor any thing to gratify the
appetite; The thunder might rattle
over their heads, two armiea might
engage beside them, heaven itfelf
might threaten an instant chaos, with
out making them stir, or in the least
disturbing them ; for they are both
deaf and dumb. At times, indeed,
they are heard to utter inarticulate
founds, founds which have no con
nection with each other, and very
little meaning ; yet will they roll
their eyes at each other in the oddest
manner imaginable. Often have I
looked at them with wonder; for
they never want fpeftatori, who are
feemiogly attracted to them by curi
osity ; and believe me, my friends, L
shall never forget the horrid counte
nances which I have observed among
them upon such occasions ;—counte
nances, on which were painted, by
turns, despair, rage, and now & then
a malignant jay, tin&ured with unea
siness. Sometimes they appear furi
ous al bedlamites, sometimes ferioas
and gloomy as the infernal judges, &
sometimes gasping with all the an
guith of a criminal, as he is led to the
placet of execution."—" Heavens I
(exclaimed jbe friends of our travel
ler) what can be the object of these
unhappy wretches? Are they fet
vants of the public ?—"No," "Then
they are in search of the philosopher's
float ?" —No/' "Oh! now we
have it ; they are sent thither in or
der to repent of, and to atone for
their crimes." —? No,': you are as
much deceived, my friends, as ever,
—-Good God I then the, must be
madmen. Deaf/dumb and ipfenfi
ble' What in the name of wonder,
can employ them ?" " Why Gam
ing."
0./ {Let ^ th MORAL be left.)
\
f^ ^ % ^&^ ^O^€^ dr.-' V^ "'
BY RUSSELL and DAPIS, CONCORD, NEWHAMPSHIRE,
\3m&BßaßT^==™=aFYrcrc^B.ramrajrarammramnmmrcmreCT=—=^^^——^
From the Tablet.
THE FARRAGO.
"If J 9 * '"" Mildren, never give them kntivl
'Twill fril their fortune. Fools are all
THE FASHION,'
Otway.
MORE than two centuries ago,
Erasmus, one of the greatest
wits of his time, wrote an ironical,
humorous treatise, intitled The prat/t
of Foil,. As this book is something
advanced in years, and, as folly mer
its praise, more than ever, , have
thought, in the sincerity of my heart,
that it was incumbent on some well
wisher to this personage to cause a
new edition of her panegyric to be
I fairly imprinted. But, as this enco.
I mium of Folly is written in the lao-
I guage of learning, and as those, who
Iwould1 would most exult io the praises of
!tfieir pacronefs are least (killed even
lin the horp-book of Latin, 1 deem it
Imy indifpehfible duty, having been
I from my..youth up of an obliging
I temper, to, advance the cause of Fol
ly, by cempofing an essay, which,
with a bluffing on my honest endeav
ors, may Qiffcminate Dulnefs among
my loving countrymen. If any ob
jefyr fhoul.d arise, and, in the spirit
lof cavil, prefomptuoufly call in quest
ion the utility' ,W \my attempt, by
wildly declarinfy&t Folly fhogld be
coupled with cerifore, and not with,
its opppfite, I will remind this igno
ramus, if an event of such notoriety
has escaped his attention, of that re
volution in the sentiments of man
kind which is of late so happily ac
complished. In consequence of the
ignorance of those of old time, more
especially of the.filly Greeks and Ro
mans, it has long been a pretty gene
rally received opinion, that a road
through the low grounds of Folly,
was a round about way to Parnassus.
But this ridiculous prejudice, after
long tyrannizing over the mind, is at
length destroyed by the almost uni
versal consent of the enlightened
moderns, who, after the maturest de
liberation, have, in their wisdom, de
clared that the wreaths of fame, nev
er looked so vivid, as when twined
round the head of dullnefo. Such,
however, has been the coyness of the
age toward: innovations, though ev
er so ufefu!, that, to our shame be it
spoken, we have but recently reduc
ed our new and judicious theory to
practice. Those, who are witnesses
to the encouragement, which fools
now receive, and to the immunities &
privileges they enjoy, of greetings in
the market place, of the highest felts
in the fyoagogue, of acquiring Eaft
indian fortunes, and lastly, of enjop
iog the exclusive smiles of rhe fair,
will scarcely believe that charaaers of
an opposite description, ever could be
tolerated. Yet, whimfical, it may
appear, there was a time, w hen this
was aaually the case. Although, to
a modern philosopher it may seem
incredible, I can tearmtably assert,
from the best authorities, that in the
days of yore, wisdom and genius were
io some small degree of estimation.
Talents, instead of being considered
obflacles in the path to fame were by
some, perhaps too sanguine spirits,
viewed in the light of ufeful auxilia
ries. Men of sbiiies, though in
sooth it was a little mfflerious, were
the pride of their own fx, and the
favorites of the other, they were
venerated by the popu'ace, and ad
vanced at court!; their books were
read, and their sentiments remember
ed ; and parents, affeflionatav mind
ful of ,he welfare of their offspring,
bade them v^w, with the eye of im
itarioD, such fair and perfea models.
The ancients were so deplorably defi
cient, in enterprise, their navigation
was so impeded to the isles of Cape
de Verd, that neither Lycurgus cor
Solon, ever promulgated a law, for
the encouragement of jack-afo. Ho
mer and Plato, Vngil and Horace,
never dreamed that their philosophy
and poetry would ensure them neg
led; and that to be noofer fical was
the surest way to become popular.
Now, another face of things is seen,
and, if one may judge from every
day'# experience, mankind have con
vened with a laudable resolution to
annihilate Minerva'i temple, and co
form a general combination in favor
of ftopidity. That long eared ani
mal, renowned for wisdom even to
a proverb, whose afioine excellencies
were so injuriously flighted by Gre
cian law-given, is now exiked to?
that post of honor, which his superior
meritxlaimed: , ^oei.iny ambhioui,
.4pmt, wish co arfare prefelrifr • ,
or-tfe pefk of Paro,ffiii ? Qet; lira
choose an ass, for hit companion or'
vehicle; and lo! he is there. . E
ven to my lady's bed chamber he
kicks his way ; for who ever heard
that, by his graceful gambols, toilet,
or dressing glafi was ever difeompof
ed. Such being the fitnation of
things, I cannot conceive of a great
er misfortune, than for a man to be
born, what is ftifed in vulgar phrafa
a Genius. For neglect is his birth
right, and his inheritance infelicity.
The prudent shun him, for a Genius
is not always noted for circumfpec
tioD. At the fight of one, who a
vows a contempt of csfh, and whois
more willing to spend twenty pounds,
than to earn one, ftockho!ders, like
the Pfieft and Levite of old, " pass
by on the other fide." Among the
profeffions, he is no body ;'Genius is
too lazy to become a dray-horse to
the law, too proud to submit to pill
and bolus drudgery, and too impa
tient of Body to peruse Boston's Four
fold State, Erfkint's Gospel Sonnets,
or Wigglefworth's Day of Doom.
The ladies, who are remarkable for
avetfion to reptiles, one unlucky ia
ftance, recorded by a divine writer
excepted, have the fame antipathy to
Genius, that they have to a toad. For
Genius, will sometimes argue, and, I
have been told by some, perhaps ly
ing philosophers, that the ladies love
fancy, more than reason. From ir
ritability of nerve, Genius is full of
whim and caprice ; and the ladies,
knowing the evil, and wifely provide
iog the remedy, are so generous that
they jrifh to Keep these foibles to
themtelver. Hooted bemihe bauo,
of men, and unadmitted to the toil
ets of the fair, it is high time for Geo.
ius to be ftqueftered from the world.
I The @ of monkery must ^
[number 191.]