Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-01-27
JHet) J2obrl.
PROPOSALS,
FOR PRINTING By SUBSCRIPTION,
THE LIFE OF
JASON FAIRBANKS:
Il MOVE L,
FOUNDED ON FACT.
WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF HIS
TRIAL AND EXECUTION.
Rv Gentleman of MsGa huierts.
By a Gentleman Of MslIa huiets.
Extrad fxpm TIE Preface.


&c IN recording the .ttipus o. ts.,le pe,fcns,
,sh,fe lives are to &c III ,itory ex mpes Of the
.ilions, ana III. drea'ilu; coniequcacs7 OF their
W ami Ell ilnlu g-nee--pru ,ence, as veil a. eu.
ability AID prncip pie. fhouid p,onptus &c deit
i, fuch 1la nner, as I. Unite he gIe-te,t p. t.-
Die uti.i.y to TIL, pua.ie, with the icai. p3iihi:
injury to the feelings IF tl,ir friends. o. the
former principle, tn ft,,c ihouid not be too
much ee a.co, ncr fluid it he too gty
.naryed with that kild OF fensiment, which,
however fafhlonsbe it may be, tends only m."ii-
- to the refinement and corruption of pam.
pcred imagination.
+" As III lass in them!elvcs Gand in no need
of Occurring embe!Iiihment 70 heieh,en their
efFea-lo neither will the fmpliciry the mo-
raj, which 10 naturally flows from them. derive
any new force iron, ,hetoi ical decoration. he
lfyle therefore ihould be Gmp;e and narrative.
withou. Alteration or falie fentiment, in orler
to nrike with undivided inprellion, the eufiofiiy,
as well as the understanding Of the youthful ard
gay. 1t "a ,uid be intermingled with iush refcc-
tons and remarks only, are intimately connect.
ed with the events, and flow Immediately from
them.
" The tIiGcry of JASON FAIRBANKS,
mutt neceharily be kind Of Hiitory OF the HUI
man Heart, wandering under the de'ulions of
diCordered imagination, irreGaabe paiions, and
perhaps the poilonous consequences Of wicked
and vifonary theories, wh"le effects he could in
deed feel, but whole faliehoed and fophiltry,
he had neither the maturity Of judgment nor
learning, to defpile or detect.
{" The mind revoits from evident falfehood,
and fiction ioles its force, when j, Departs from
the resemblance Of reality. As the action, tn e
fore, and the incidents are extremely limited aud
the regency of the event, however pious might
be the in.ention) preeludes the lubtituton Of &C.
neral fiction, fueh only can be introduced. is
in the mott intimate analogy with the fu} je9,
and might be iuppoGd reality, without any
violation of truth or probability. The gravett
h;torians furnih from their own flock, the
lpeeches CT their orators, and the harsngucs of
their heroes: and the wife fayings they put into
the mouths of all their great men, fervc to fluff
trate in the mott ftriking point o: view, the
manner Of thinking mott peculiar to the rharac-
rrrs aud tEs fituations Of thofe they eeiebrate.-
Thus far, then. an author may be allowed to
proceed, fulfilled by authority. and invited by
public sood:-whatever fentiments, therefore,
may be fuppoicd analogous to thofe opinions,
and luirative of thoie difpoGtions, whi1h pro-
duced the various incidents, and eventually the
tragic fceue in which the whole terminated, may
be eonGdcred as the faithful tranlcript, not in.
deed OF VIVA. was actually written or ipokeu, but
Of what wa. thought and intended by the princi-
pal actor in this fatal catahroIhe."