Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-11-02

Cal hrilneh ara oHc i'ifS etal1opla, MS
attendants, and remembe ring how thy
foul ufed to glow with cclettial fire, and
thy tongue TO roll in harmonious periods,
] enlarged my lait epiitle by feverel ex-
tracts from the volumes of American poe
try. To thee, my friend, who art both
philosopher and poer, it cannot fail Of
afording delight TO know how peo-
pie who are ieperated from Hindufan by
one half the globe, exprefs the emotions
of PATTON and the flights Of fancy. But
American poetry is as different from that
of Hinduifan as the American himfelf is
different from the Hindu. The poetry
of every nation is Characteristic of itlelf,
and it all hittorical records were dearoyed
and the poetry of every country prelerv-
ed, it would not be difficult from that
iourcc alone to diicover national characters.
AS in my laft epiftle, mentioned the
principal American poems, thou wilt per-
ceive that only fmall fhare ofattention
has ye, been paid to the cultivation ofpo-
etry In Amarica. This does not arife
from a deficiency Of poetical talents but
from 1.-THE fate of fociety. For have
converted with many Americans whole
foals were elevated by the pure& poetical
fire; whole minds were familiar with eve
ry dreadful and every pleaGng lcene; who
had been accuftomed to contemplate every
thing which is 6 lawfully watt or elegantly
little and 70 whom nature had opened
her mott copious flores of language. am
told ,alfo, that their fchools and colleges
frcqently exhibit very handlome proofs Of
poetical talents, which cultivation aud
'ieiinre would probably ripen into the resu-
lar poetical character. But every man is
here aman of buGnels. SO universally is
this true, that no American poet, BY pro-
f2y1Fon, Can be found in the lit of their H.
terary men. All thole who have made a.
ny figure i'll poetry have been men of buff
nefs, who amuied their leifure hours with
the charms of verle. Nor does the pub
lie saite encourage the cultivation of poe
try. Party fpirit and the lua of gain rule
the American nation with fuch undivided
fway, as to epgrofs every patton and in
lift every propendty. The meaneit man
is apolitician equally with the greateit,
and feels as if " the weight of mightieii
monarchies," were to be fuitained upon
his ihoulders. At fome future period,
when the fate Of fociety fhal be 70 much
matured as to afford literary men the
means Of undivided leiiure, and when H.
terary taite,;n the nation ihaN in fome de-
gree controul the prefent ruling paflions,
it is probable that poetry will be 70 far
cultivated and encouraged in America,
tn at the number of American poets will
be equally great and their names equally
respectable as thoie Of Great Britain
The natives of England and of Englilh A
merica excel the Hindus in frength and,
clearneis of reafoning. They are more
addicted to logical and mathematical en-
quiries; and in theie, the Englifh have &C.
CURED an unrivalled celebrity, and the
Americans are making very handlome i'm
proyements. Indeed, the 6rR poets both
Of England and America, are more difein.
guifhedfor frength Sc fublimity than thoie
of Hindufan; but they are greatly inferior
In that delicious luxuriance of imagination
and playful elegance of fyle, for which
the Perfian and Hindu poets are 70 remark
able. Indeed, my dear Ell Hanen, when
indulge myfclf, as frequently do, in
peruGng the volumes of Hindu and Per.
fian poetry, which have feleefed as the
companion; Of my travels, and the folace
OF my penfve hours, l lofe myfelf in an
ideal prefence in my own dear native land
iuffer myfrlf 70 be deluded into con-
yittion that lam wandering 10 fragrant
grove, on the banks Of the holy Gauges;
marking the reflection of the moon beams
from its dimply waves, and liftening to
the longs Of the night loving birds, that
fling from the fruit dropping trees, and rem