The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-08-27

A4H4RA~-
mon topics If praif- We gepefsly afrangS
foae coInnendation Sc ncline.s. + Involves
much. t fnppofss' 4 1--we Of order, Al after
ton to The LAWS II cuaom and decent pride.
My lord Bac1u fays tina good pcrion = per-
petual letter Of rccommendat on. TINS id<a
may b. extended. OF we'll drefed map i
mar b. aft. med, that he has 4 fre Pshpert
through the realms Of civity. In hrt inter-
views VIC can Judge Of 70 one, excePs from ap-
pearances. He, therefore, whafc exteT;cr i Al
greeable begins well ii any Getty. Men and
woman arc diloofed 70 ausur fayauTably, rather
Than othefwiic, OF him, who mani3eRs, by the
purity and proPristy Of his giab, dIpoliton
to comply, and 70 pleafe. AS IN rhetoric,
judicious exor sium j Of admirable ur 10 rem
der an audience doc le, altrntive anu benevolent
70 at your introduction into good company,
clean and modih apparel IS, though an hum
be At leaf : lsrViceable herald Of our exer~
tons.
AS thefe are very obvious truths and as
literary men are generally vain, and fonset mrs
proud, i IS Gngaar that one ST the eaiieit
modes OF gratifying fef complacsncy ihould,
BY Hem, BE, frthe maR part, neglected ana
thatthis Tort Of cagelcTaef IS 70 adt Give to one
are regarded as anonymous in The worlds
vocabulary.
This negligence in men Of l.iters f,mst mes
arfe. from Their inordinate application 70 books
and papers, ard may Re pal.iated ~ a gooi
natured man, as The natural product If mni
too intcnfely engaged III iubime fpeculatiors.
u attend to the blackn1fs of fhoe, or the
wiit.n s Of rufle. Mr.. Locke and Sir
Ilaac N wton might be forgiven BY their can
did cotsmpor 4ries tho the ira had competed
his Ely with "unwafh-n hands, ana the
fccnd Lad inveligated the laws of nature,
when he was clad in failed III ,ht gown. But,
1ovenlinefs Is cften affected by author, or a.
lhsr prelen5ers TO autborihip, 4 NUT theo
be conf dered as highly culPsble; As an -utrags
OF d.corum as defiance 10 tie WI u; and
as pitilul tcheme to attrad notice, by means,
which are equally in the power Of the drayman
and the chimney fweePsr. know poet If
this deicription, w-o anticipates renovn 90 lels
from dirty ihirr, than from al elegant cou5let,
and imagines that when bis appearance Il the
mott FORBID. the world muir conclude OF COURT
that his mind is iplenaid and fair. In his
opinion, /" marvellous foul linnen" is token
of wit, and ihky hngers indicate hunour he
ayers that Touched bat i demonarstive of
wen lored brain, and tha, genius away trudges
about in unbuckled lhcts. He look, for inven-
ton IN rumaled rutHes, and inds high found
ing poetry among the folds OF lo,ie ifock;ny.
Bot this finirched ION of Apollo may be alfred
| there IS 90 ne1eH3ry connection between dirt
and ability. 1t is nor necsHary to confunniate.
fuch mariiage 10 prudurc the f1ireR offspring
Of The mind One may write brilliantly, and,
ilrange as il may leem be dfeGed well. Ifneg.
ligerce b. the criterion Of genius, crigic vii,
in future, nfpsd poets wardrobe, rather
than his works. Siovenlincis, "a far from being
commendabe in an author, is more inercuIra-
be in men Of letters, than In many Others, the
nature of Whole employment comDeis them to
be converfant with otjetis forbid and inpure.
a fnith from bis forge, or a huibandman frcm
his heldis obliged fometmes to appear nained
with the fmut Of the one, or the dulf of the
other. writer, on the contrary, htting 10
al eaty chair at a polifhed deis, and leaning
on white paper, or examining the pages Of
book, is, by no means, e1lged to By foiled By
his labours. fee no reafcn why al author
hould not be gentleman, or at leaf as clean
AMI neat as quaker. Far.froni th;nkino thar
4 thy drefs marks a liberal mind, I iboulR
iuiped the good fcnf- and talents Of him, who
ttected.to wear tattere6 coat, as the badge
OF his protection. Should / fee a reputs a ge.
AUS totally regardless Of his pesfon, / fhould
immediately dcu5t the decacy of his tale,
and the accuracy Of his Judgment. | lhould
conclude there was fIm- obliquisy II bis mind.
duh ienie OF deccrnrn, and a difregard IF Or
er. | ihould fsncy that he conforted with
Nv iocie.iyi and, infead Of claiming the phi
vilege Of genius, to knock and BE- admitted al
ralsoes, that he chofe p fneak n at the back
door OF hovels. and walIow brutlihly IN the Rye
|of The vulgar.
1t is recorded Of Somervle and Sheaaone,
that they were negligent, and Of Smith, thar