Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-11-04
Beloved Ell Hanan,

Having devoted my two laf esiltles, ~
reconsideration Of American poetry, can
not reiitt the impulfe which feel, TO ex-
hibit iome fpecimens from the volumes Of
Hindu poetry; that by a>comparifon thou
mayeR be able to judge of the propriety
ofthe {enlifacnts which have exhibited
upon this fuojeet.
The following address to the Goddess
Serafwatte the patroneis of imagination
and invention of harmony and eloquence
and the wife of the God Brumma abolnds
with beautiful imagery and exqaiite har-
mony of numbers.
Sweet grace ST Brumma's bed
Thou, VIII n thy glorious Lord
Babe airy nothing breathe and blefs his power,
Sat'it wish illunn'd head,
And in lublime accord
Seven fprishsly notes to hail the aufpicous hour,
:, Leds't from their fecrer bower:
i They drank the air they came
With many fparkling glance,
And knit the may dance,
Like yon bright orbs, that grid the foar flame,
Now parted, now combined,
; Clear as thy fpeech, and various as thy mind.
Young pailions, at the found,
In fhadowy forms arofe
Joy,that o'erleaps all bounds,
Grief, that in fierce grows,
Hope, that with honey blends the cup Of pain,
Pale fear, and fern dfdain,
Grim wrath's avenging band,
z Love nurfed in dinlple imooth
That every pang can f"oh.
Thee, her great parent, owns
All ruling eloquence;
That, like full Ganga, pours her ftream divine,
Alary, h,fe aplf ,rcy
To fix the flying fenfe
Of words, thy daughters by the varied line,
tSturenious art y was thine;
Thine with the pointed reed,
To give primevai truth
TIL unfading bloom fyou'h,
And paint ION deashlefs leaves high virtues
need:
Fair fcience, heaven-born child,
Ard playful fancy on thy bofom ini.ed.
Who bids the fretted vene
Start from his deep repofe,
Ald wakes TO melody the quivering frame!
What youth with god!;se nnein,
o. his bright ihopfier throws
The verdsn; goard that fwclls with itrugg'ing
h1rie
Nared immortal name!
H.: ike his potent fire
Creative fpreads around
The mighty world OF found,
And calls from fpeaking wood etherial fire;
While to tn accordanr ftrings
OF, boundle(s heavens and heavenly deeds he
iings.
But look the jocund hours
A lovclier fcene dfplay,
Young N;ndol fpoEtive in his golden (wing
High canopicd with flowers,
While Ragnies ever gays
TOTS the light cnraage and in cadence fling
The fwcet return of fpring.
The perfonifcation of the " feven
fpriehtly notes" in the irf yerle is bold,
pieturefque and novel. Sc They drank the
air." is extremity exprefive of the infu-
ence which muGcal infruments when play
ed have upon the surrounding atmof phere.
The introduction Of theie airy beings in
to the may Dance" and the comparison
of them with yon bright orbs that grid
the folar Aaa,e," is very happy mode Of
defcribing the apparent intricacy but per-
feet harmony and regularity of fine mufic.
The power which mufic has to excite eve
ny PATTON is finely defcribed in the third
verfe, where the " young paGious" are
reprefsnted as ftarting into being +" at the
found" Their perpetual empire " are
hearts yet uncTeated," is elegantly told in
a Jingle line. What can be more concife
ard vet more glowing than the defcription
of the pa1ions
nope thar with honey blends the cup of paiu:"
! ". nuried III dinpie fmooth,
Thar evvsy pang can Tooth
The cnlnpariicn of eloquence:
hat like full Gsnga pours her cream divine,
Alarming ftatcs and thrones"
is IN the highea degree noble and dignia-
ed.
The invention oflctters is finely defcri.
bed 10 the fourth verfc. The fifth exhibits
with I'll the charms of varied numbers and
arproprlie image,y, the powers of Ma
rcd inlnitrumenra! and vocal mufc.
:" RE, ike bio potent FIRE
Il.