The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-06-18 00:00:00, page 2

28. I consider him happy, replied
Misano, who is contented and satisfied
with every thing; and it is now four
years* since 1 began to live in this man
ner.—Nothing that happens to me gives
me pain ; 1 am in want of nothing which
I desire. Die world, chance, and hell
have nothing to do with m ■ ; for I am
removed—(speaking, my friends, in the
phrase of the vulgar)—I am removed
beyond the jurisdiction of the fates.—
In a tvord, from the summit of this
mountain I have a view of the two fatal
sisters, I mean Fortune and Misfortune,
who employ themselves in burlesquing
and mocking mankind. The former
prepares the way for the latter; and both,
in concert, spread those destructive nets
into which mortals fall. Fortune allures
them by an attractive, Mi fortune alarms
them by a ter. ilying powe r, in order that
they may fall into the snare. At pre
sent, I see at a distance their cunning
wiles, and laugh at them ; and hence it
is that pain and pleasure, censure and
praise, riches and poverty, all, are alike*
to me; nothing disquiets, nothing alarms
me.
2'J. The count was in the great e t con
fusion that could bi imagined, lie nei
ther ventured to admit, nor was he able
to contemn, what he had just heard. It
was to him like the language ol Japan,f
which he could not understand_Mi
sano’s form and aspect vere so persua
sive, that he durst not condemn him as
a deceiver or a loo! ; but not being able
to comprehend a philosophy of that
kind, he frankly replied : Insensible,
my friend, must thy soul be, or thy
heart callous ; and tin re lore this singu
lar philosophy can suit thy self only ; but
as lor u.v, sister, we must give up the
hope ol imitating him.
JO. Believe me, s iys Misano, my tem
perament h is been eminently sanguine,
and the feelings of my heart extremelv
tender;—so much so, that the first fiery
assaults o! A■ her sit tjwound* d and Unus
ed me sorely, an 1 made me sutler an an
* Tiiel • four v a. d V! up t e :> ri\d be* ve *n
hr tun. o! . meeting w th li ho’y fes ip
Mires, in iif'., and the *1 -*y in whi-'h he is now
"pi k g—which is three month after he ti ft
toi’k up hi- ib;, ’e on thr ba -k** of the NM It- r,
in lie year 1106 S«.e B 111 $14. i, d B. viii.
§ *5
•f Iap.tr. is a ptonp of many Wands in the
italtcrn part of Alia I? is dih n/u ih»d a an
empire, and originates in Chi a I hc f-panefe
language contair.c .marly »» 000eh ra ter-, and
*fu wnrrif rto not xcred tooi bur th y I tve
iff • '•t li^iiification , aocon'iiii^ an thty ate
jircmwua-ct] or vjiutcn.
guish so keen, intense, and Insupporta- '
hie, that 1 almost died ; or, at least, was
reduced almost to madness and despera
tion.— But this Divine philosophy reani
mated me, being, as it were, a salutary
balsam, which cun d my old wounds,
and strengthened me with fortitude to
despise such as I might in future re
oiw. This superior light—(which I
doubt not will be communicated to you
ii you are willing to receive it)—this is
it which has placed me in the condition
wherein you find me.
31.1 never believed,said the count, and
pardon, my friend, this sincerity; I ne
ver shall be able to persuade myself,
that perfect felicity may be enjoyed in
this world. I am aware that I offend
thee ; but the voice of right Reason is
now crying to me, not to prostitute her
to shameless Error, notwithstanding the
latter may present herself, dressed in the
most specious adornments, and support
ed too by thy great authority. 1 cannot
believe the like, neither ought my rea
son to render tribute to any other than
God.
J2. 1 non art far from offending me,
replied the old man, when so faithfully
thou reverencest right Reason. I also
respect and venerate it ; and it is be
cause to it and Ciocl alone, 1 render ho
mage, like thyself, that I have assented
to the maxims I am declaring to thee.
Here iMisano paused a little while, like
one who is meditating how to explain
onc’ssell. He well knew that it was not
tii' light oi natural Keason alone which
had brought him to an acquaintance
with that in which his eternal felicity
consisted, and irom which his felicity in
this lite could be del ived. It was by the
mysterious discovery of the holy scrip
tures, as we shall hereafter relate,' that
his natural reason had been enlightened;
and it was the doctiinc of the (bonpel,
which had wrought the marvellous
change in his understanding and heart.f
llut he was not willing to dazzle Ins
guests, by sail ring the full Maze ot t!ii,
upciior light to dart into tluir i \ i s at
once. Like one who opes a window to
* Bo It ni
t 7 y R uueau, ctiit f of the de;f*8, fiy- in
f is K'Uii u : I'lie majdly of the holy I.r!;>
tut « :t< >i (lies nu, am: the purity of the G *i*
p» p kito my f e-irt — fl.o'/r, t ft - pyror it
whole undeiftan l*ng is n*e»l very h'gh by the
pl.’ii o phuofoph.r . affirms that teil m ai: u
is of no further f rvice, than to m ke n i
ki> twthnr ignoiance, an j to pro c tlie net
’ y of 3 ttvt ldUcfJj <ivb«b it tic tout ct of It t O'? •
’M.
him who is sick end in darkness, and
\\lu>, by removing a curtain, lets in the
light gradually, until his eyes, thus ac
customed to it, become capable of bear- •
ing the splendour of the sun ; in this
manner IVI isano vv as v iilingto impart and
withhold, as dexterously as he was able
the rwealed Light w hich he had become
acquainted with by means ol the sacred
volume. Having now made a short
pause, like one w ho ponders on w hat he
is going to utter, he addressed his guests
in this si} le : If you w ill have patience
to listen to me, I will unfold to you
those things which convinced me (when
stubbornly rooted in a different senti
ment) that it is possible to find on earth
this treasure of solid joy, which Clod
has hidden within it, for the consolation
ol his children, but 1 desire you to
hear in mind, that this treasure comes
only Irom Clod, and that wre can obtain
it only by drawing nigh to him.
Erratum....In the ninth line of § 25.
publ -.bed in the preceding number of
the pository, for virtue” read merit*
THE JUNKET.
By IIiciiaku Kummager, Esq.
Mu. V
.“There is nothing done for him."
Kings, governments and individuals,
are the same in all ages ol the world.—
Benefits are iorgotten, and Iaithlul ser
vants neglected by the monarch and the
peasant, tne Pagan and the Christian*
societies and individuals, as well in the
enlighten, i eighteenth century, as irv
the days ol darkness and idolatry.
It has seldom happened in any coun
try, at any period, that the reading ofi
‘* tile book ol records ol the chronicles’1
ol Iaithlul services, has awakened, as in
the breast ol Ahasuerus, an active sens©
oi justice. \Vc have but few instances,,
where a just and liberal remuneration
has compensated forgotten, or long ne
glecud services. The obligations of
gratitude are equally weakened by the
soporific draughts of oblivion, and the.,
torpor ol procrastination and delay.—
1 '-morrow, or next week, is set apart,
to be devoted to the duties ol gratitude;
but to-mori <.w, or next week, never ar
rive.,. “ ! h record ol the chronicles’*
| is retd. To good service ol Mordtcai
i, iu o . it is r numbered; but the
.1 . i ihigan is no larther imitated.*—
l here no occasion to inquire, “ whay