The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-21

IRIS, and bis S5ereb on the B,iii,5 Treaty, deli
T'ersdm '95. George Hay, Of Richmond, is eHti-
td 10 all tire honor of ia ving dedicated this Fart
bit ;at.yslgimg nfeD1oy@al, to fhe departed zuortb
efAiJ ycnng friend. Fe70 men, PERHAPS, sell Pc
y-4fr IBIS Bors j&etcb ofn yous;< man Of genirt,
sv;tboat feeling fke miagi-d emotions Of phrq/i~s
nnd aijisbboaineat. T5e lbieadid erdozVnlenfJ Of
Ei1e1 a mind as T5omlon'J, lis perlfssriss seal,
lis eoae.LGf0r1 manners, the fagfsF traits IF bis
OPENING character, eVoail baq'e bofgfa Iia1fcienf
attractions 70 ;ntejrR the mef indifferent and fri
gid Yiry;nian, iftbey 6nd ezem been pr into tire
banly Of TIE r3dce and mof Hnletferea Bi2gya-
pbsr TO dcGsn. Hosv mHcb hen is TIE Charm
beiebtemcd and or plea(ioe exalted, svhen sue
contemplate .be ISnMetr;cGi aid dejeribti1e pic
tArr ef lbs gusrfG, d,aqv1 by tie 6and Of n Bio
.7ruober, ev5o rad 70 diligently Ru1ied TIE lines Of
bis character, and svbo a9hSart 10 zveH acquainted
evitj the MOT f,;king indications cftbe infeilee-
TIA! character. Rosoeser 3eafed Ete mar be Scif6
RE ietcb, evbic5 Is !6fs deLneated far orr iAbec
foa, sue are compelled TO lay lozva svtb m emo
fio1 of t5s RrongeR di)Gp5oiatdHenf. ne may BE-
driebtfd g0fj tire correctness Of the P''ojf!e; sue
mar admire its .j4R determination efEg6t and
n'cAe b.it cys ca,.Net eoNcsal or DISAPPOINTMENT
fy5at this accurate portrait is not5;Rg more than
TIE contraf!ed miniature Of n mac. TIE srea!
beauty and eseeiisny Of diogrnply, eoHGR5 in its
itnrtieala,ity. II is not Efficient for rs TO knozv
t6eqnaiifies Of Tbomi5n. Il Lamdable cnrieftr
9ve boud dsfre to .ka2tv, evbat coers Tie p,Tnti-
pal cagisJ zpbieb mate linn 4vLnt be eVaS. Per-
6aas t5s courjc Of bis education and bis <f"Gie5
m.igbt haVs 6feH mare accurately dsjtJTbsd; and
otber yonng men might k.zUe been iieifed, By tie
bobe of fziiar ft-rej, 10 initiate tie conduct and
equal ths Gt.ainmehtJ If IhOzijoA. Perhaps
alio tie nsax:nJ Of dei;txcy, and tie obligations
due 10 Evine ebHr0iFers, might bnVs Ja7ersd TIE
6iogra5Ler 10 baT,s expatiatedat greater length
,sbon tbe remarkable a6f;ons Of bis life; and to
ba4'e dcjcri5ed him in tof EfnatiOns, zobic6 are
20 zOeN cairuLased to drag. forth the qualities Of
TIE man. HID Mr.. Hay devofed a longer period
ef.ime to The eon,beEtiOH Of this biographical
Reich, zve can 6az'e doHbt, from fbesbte lbeci-
zUbicb be baJ hcJle Prg/eHted to 0T eoHhdera-
tion, that be zv0uLd 5aUe rendered The NET am
biejy7ice 70 Gleb an explicit account Of bis ae-
eom9!j@tA. Ji&eHd.
II the letters of Curtius, were read, in this
rate only, the following iketch would be, per-
haps, unneceliary. Here the author was Known
A!tho' he did net live to complete his twenty
third year, his virtues, his talents, his unrivaed
eioquence, his ent'uIiaitic devotion to the cauie
OF repubiicaniiIn, gave to his character through
out VIRGINIA, celebrity, which no man, of his
age, had ever before attained.
John Thomion, the author of the letters of
Curtius, was born in the year III, in the town
OF Petersburg. His father died when he was
very young. Until he was about fourteen, he
remained under the care OF his mother. He
then went to the Univeriity OF William & Ma
~, where he retided abouttwo years and half.
Soon after his return TO Petersburg, he began
10 devote portion of the day to the ftudy of
the law. He had confant accefs to the library
of 4 friends with whom, tometimes, but not Of
ten, he coniuted as to the courfe that he ihould
puriue. From this period, until he conlmen
ced his profefIional career, he profecuted his
ftudies with degree of iliulry, which genins
too often difiainS, aud which even mediocrity
fcldom di(piays. At very early period Of his
life, his mind was imprefied with truth, which
vanity cannot perceive, and TO which Incidence
will not tend, that {; labor is necedary to cX-
celicnce." His application therefore was unre-
nltted, and the progrefS which ne made was IA
pd and great. He feemed to acquire know
ledge almolt by intuition {: and what he once
learned, he never forgot. Even in the ihort in
terval OF week, difference could be perceiv-
ed. He made daily additions TO his flock of
information but the vigor of his intellect ap-
pclred toincreate, even more rapidly than the
mnts Of ufsful knowledge which it WAS employ
ed to acquire. II fact, if | may adopt ex-
preilior, applied TO him I few minutes pat, by
a friend whom he Gncerely loved, and to whom
his nemorywil be forever mott dear, " nature
6: never lid more for any man, nor did any man
- ever do more for him[cIf."
Even when not engaged in tudy, he was not
Idle. His attention was directed to the mea-
fures OF the FEDERAL government, and the charac-
ters of I'll: men, throughout America, by whom
thoft meafurcs were brought forward, or oppo
ed. His information was accurate and extern
FIVE and the views which he then took of the
politics of the union, led him to the adoption of
thof- republican principles, to which he after
wards Readily adhered, and which be always
ably and eloaueatIy defended. Under the in
fleu-e OF The ftntiinent produced by thofe
views, he wrole and pu!IiHbcd the Petersburg
Gazette, feveral pieceg under the fignatures of
Cifca and Grdcchus. WAY they are not re-
publi,le.. now, know not. They are written
with great animation, and unufual elegance
The hyle would BE- ad4nircd even by thofc who
fhoul1 with hold from his opinions, that iDdul-
g.nce, w1ich may be iuGly claimed for the pro-
dnetioHs Of early youth.
Duringthis period, be wrote, but did not pub
E', di!lc5ne bs..@s>:: .,:s 49,, :;;is sii.;;Fi-
bic perionages that have ever appeared among
men. The fleets which contained Che manu-
fcript, were, believe, never pernttc,! to go
ont of his own hands. / therefore never read
IL but heard Il read by kimiSlf. The H..
pre.h0ns which it made, will never be cffaced.
| was atoHihed and delighted: aAoniihed at
the boldnec Of his plan delighted with the
Al &. Il