The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-07-02 00:00:00, page 2

gratified all my passion? to the full; if,
notwithstanding all this, I. have never
been perfectly happy, 7vho can be hap
py? Can the indigent be so, or the per
secuted, or the calumniated ? And what
becomes of those harmless wretches,
who seem to be designed, by Heaven,
as victims ot the ambition, of the ca
price, and ot the cruelty of men? Some
arc slaves in peace, others wounded in
war ; some are engulphed in the waves
oi the sea, others immured in dungeons.
And to go no further, if the graces, the
virtues, and the illustrious rank of my
sister, have not been sufficient to ex
empt her from the tyranny of Fate, tohoy
in this world, shall be able to find per
fect happiness ?
45. It in order to live contentedly, re
plied Misano, it be necessary to experi
ence no hardships, it would behove
those who desire happiness, to make
their escape from the world. Hut here
in the true happiness ot man does not
consist. Helicvc, my children, what I
now tell you.
*iu. in wnai,tnen, uost tnou place it/
nr.ked the count. I place it, said Mi
lano, in what appertains to the mind,*
and not in what belongs to the boclv.f
'l his body, in truth, is like an old gar
ment, in which the spirit is wrapped up.
Toil and pain, and whatever is without
me, forasmuch as they can only touch
the body, are thrusts given by a weapon
which penetrates not the drt ss. Where
fore, il the mind knows how to behave
in the manner true philosophy teaches,
'it abides cheerfully and contentedly in
me midst of slights and torments ; it a
bouncls with a constant peace, which a
Tises from a joy which fills it and satis
fies it with every thing; and it experi
ences an internal delight,which no t vents
can ever interrupt. In this happy state
the soul foils misfortune, triumphs over
the fates, despises envy, fears not death:
*it is never alarmed by enemies, and, in
dt-penden of all that is below the Su
preme Lh ing, it remains substantial!*
?;reat, and superior tp all the world.—
Heho’d in v:hul I place that solid hap
piness which is attainable in this life.
This sterling philosophy is undiscover
ed be men ; but 1 make no mvstery of
* Sense* and Zeno, with the Srnicti, an I
Ar.fi.otlc with »Se Peripnetice. four led h>p
pmefs upon thofe things which pnUn to the
mu d
t Ho c iruB an 1 Plato, with ‘he Academics
pi ■< d it ir. thyp; things which concern the
body.
it, and am willing to inform you how I
happened to find it.
47. The count and his sister eagerly
desired to hear the story of Misano; but
it was then late, and it was not well to
touch slightly a matter of so much im
portance. Sophia, then, requested Mi
sano not to take it amiss, if thev should
return, at a proper hour the next day, in
order to hear, from his mouth, the se
cret which they so much desired to
know. And doubtless, says she to him,
thou wilt not think hard of dividing
with us the treasure which thou hast
found, because riches of this nature are
multiplied by the division of them.—
Possessing the lountain of happiness
within thyself, thou oughtest not to de
ny us the favour we ask ; for it is but
reasonable that thou shouldst do, in such
case, what every other fountain does,—
and we know that they, after filling their
own basons, sprinkle the water about on
all sides for the benefit of others. When
not a single herb is to be seen in the
parched field, the panting sheep seek
the hard trunks of trees, or dry thorns,
and gnaw them to cool their burning
months ; here they slip down quite ex
hausted, after climbing high to reach
some solitary green leal which they had
seen at a distance ; there others, melted
uuo tenderness uy me (Heatings ol tlieir
suffering lambs around them, instead of
milk, which they have not lor them,
nourish them with tlieir own blood,com
pelled by maternal love to die for them
to whom they had given life. Ah/ what
confusion, what evils, what horrors
should w e not behold in nature, if the
covetous and selfish fountain should
shut up its treasures within itself* To
prevent these evils, (>od has command
'd otherwise, and in obedience to the
command, the carelul fountain is w ill
ing to extend her succours to all, and
runs, in haste, to do so; here she stum
bles over the stones, there she falls into
the elects ol the rocks, and yonder she
throw s In rself down, w ith alacritv, from
a precipice, for the express purpose of)
solacing the poor thirsty flock that art
panting for her. Well ! wilt thou not
do as much with this marvellous foun
tain w hich thou hast discovered within
thysell ? To! here are tin lambs in a
similar condition, in want g share with
us, then, this precious water, of which
thou hast-' notvgh and to spam, lor thou
wilt not diminish, thereby, that admira
hie delight whicji v • set gushing fron
thy eyes, and overflowing thy whole!
’ countenance.
48. Make thyself easy on that hea<!^
lady, answered Misano, for I am not a
varicious of the light, nor covetous of
those things which may conduce to the
felicity of others. To be desirous of
confining my happiness to my own bo
som, would be to dry up its very-Source
the same as if a man, by stopping the
aperture of an overflowing rock, should
strive to prevent the water from issuing
forth, when behold the consequence ;—
the repelled water, in going back, bursts
open another vent, and leaves the first
fountain dry. You may therefore, both,
remain easy with the assurance that t
will deny you nothing which can contri
bute to your happiness.
49. Relying upon this declaration,and
amidst many testimonies of kindness,the
count and the princess took their leave
of M isano. Misano remained at his
rustic employment, waiting for the tran
quility of night, in order to indulge his
soul \\ ith the consideration of the won
ders of God, and his fatigued limbs
with necessary repose.
End of Book /.
•gr-. .—»■■■ P: -p,
THE JUNKET.
By.Richard Rummacer, Esq.
No VII.
Ne pueri, nc tanta animiRafRUf "cite bella*
Neu patrix validai viscera vertite vites
Virgin
No more my aons with strife your hosorr ►tcel,
Nor turn your strength against your Coun
try’s weal.
It is a favourite notion, with many -
persons of the present day, that man* *
kind are much more enlightened, and
much hotter informed, than they were
at the commencement of the last centu
ry. So much has lately been said of the
enlightened eighteenth century'* that a
mind ignorant of the history of former
ages, might well entertain this opinion.
Such a mind would naturally conclude,
that in proportion as man bee ime en
lightened and informed, his prejudices
and vicious passions would be diminish*
( d. Hence it is too commonly inferred,
that there is at this time a more active
principle of benevolence in the world,
than ai any former period.
I mu .1 admit that a conclusion of this
kind may, with apparent propriety, be
drawn from the premises : but without
idmitting or denying that the, world has
inrre ised in knowledge, I do not fear to
hazard the declaration, that every de
scription of vice is as prevalent as ever.