The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-11-17

nor the capacity of participating.
When he watches over the tender infancy or
his child,en-wheu he marks the early pronife
of future genius--whcn he obierves the germ OF
virtue, which had been implanted in the youth
full bofom-unfoiding its buds, extending its
foliage, and ihooting out thoufand branches,
each pendent with the fruit OF fome ripening
morality-it is then that he is moft at peace with
the world-it is then that he is the tr,leit lover
of his fpecies--it is then that along the bye path
of the domeitic affections, he reaches the high
road of general benevolence.---Andw when he has
difcovered all that is noble and generous in the
temper, all that is foft and benevolent in the
heart, all that is grand and comprehensive IN the
intellect il is then that he can exclaim, in the
facred frenzy of parental affection g Oh
who would not be father - Though lae, not
leait, is that faithful partner, vino mas kept with
him a contant vigil over the tenderness and
weakness of their infant charge; who has parti-
cipated in all the felici.ies of the parent who
has foftened TIE cares and frightened the tolls in
ieparable from the condition of man who has
itrewed rotes upon the midnight pillow OF
thorns, and invoked "gent,c leep" To tettle his
bamy itillnefs on the perturbed ipirit of imper-
feet humanity who has heightened ali the joys
of proiperity, 6. divided, mitigatcd, and "huih-
ed in,1 peace" al! the griefs Of adverfity.
! ItIrqures no lsger-dc-'nain, no potent fpell,
| to unravel the myfery, which, hitherto, has
heaped ridicule upon the devoted heads of old
bachelors, and old maids.
| But as if thefe caufes had been Inefficient to
complete the ditgrace of celibacy, the ftateiman
lteps in with his political :naxims, aud tells you
that it is patriotic to marry. While certain
emperor of Germany was making the tour of
| mis- dominions, his courters ilocked around him,
aud prefented, according TO the abilities of
each, rich nlantles, coitly viands, and ipiendid
equipages hoary peafant made his appear
ance among the reit, and prefented his imperial
matter with fone ten or a dozen br1wny tons---
this, iaid he, is the mott valuable preient which
lyour humble fave can offer at the footRool of
majety; and hiitory relates that the anointed
lpuppet received this tettimony of loyalty with
more cordiaty than the magnificent baublcs of
his cotirtiers. Thus we fee that from the
prince to the peafant, from the laws of Notes,
to thofe of the United States, " increaie, and
multiply" is the order of the day. Marry,
by all means beget children for the Rate the
| ftrength of country conifts IN the number OF
its inhabitants.
| Ihave thus endeavored 70 thew, as concifely
as the nature of an etlay like the prefent will
permit, the cauies which have elevated, in the
eitimaton of mankind, the married fate 10 far
above the Jingle. The jultice of this climate,
it is now nv hnGne{s r. examine.
Three queftions preient themlelves.
FirR, can neither virtuons love, nor the do
meitic affections, be INDUCED, but in the MARI
age rate {!
! Second, 1T be conceded that they cannot,
are not the want of thefe indulgences, over5a-
lanced By exemptions from poverty and care,
and other kinds of content, comfort and happi-
NETS, peculiar to ceiibscy?
| Third, is it the policy of an enlightened natl
on to encourage population?
| II is common obtervation that the days of
,tf arfst he har of L.
tual fruition we cannot exceed the bounds
which nature has prefcribed. But when the
imagination is at work, the entertainment which
it prepares is of different kind; it is thoufand
times more exquilite it may be as durable as
life as boundlefs as the regions of fancy. Mr..
Lifon, the late Britilh minifter at the United
States, is faid to have been engaged to his pre-
fent wife, eighteen or twenty years. 1t is obvi-
GUS then, that virtuous love may be induced
without being lgratjfed. 1t may indeed, think,
be maintained, as no untenable petition, that
there is greater delight in the INDULGENCE, than
the qualification of PATTON. Between eratifi-
ed and riiing want, there is void which the
majority of mankind find it extremely difficult
pieaanty to fiji up. 1t is the agreeable, or diff
agreeable, the virtuous or the vicious mode of
filling up this interval which alone contributes
the happy or the miftrab!e, the vrtuous or the
vicious member OF tociety. A want gratifed is
iJuOuiiIUuS WIFI pdtlOu ldtlSHSQ. lie then,
enjoys the truet felicity, and that NOT congeni-
| al to the nature of man, who cherlhes vrtuous
propeniity, and an agreeable and natural incli-
nation, without rathly encountering the tedium
and anxiety which follow qualification. How
delightful is 4 reverie how balmy to the fancy
of the fentmentalift, are thcfe delicious dreams
which awakenedreafo difpels IF Iwereto de-
eide upon the happief moment of my life, i
ihould mark thoie which I have dedicated to
the erection OF flich airy edifces when the au-
tumnal evening iheds its mild influence DER the
man offeeng when "twilight grey, has in
her fober livery all things clad" How poor,
compared with thefe, is all the {" fober certainty
of waking blifs % How Insignificant, in the
mind eye, is the dullroItine, of rifing and gra-
tilted wants, compared to the celeftia dream of
the imagination verify believe that there
are fome men who enjoy more of life in fix hours
than Others are capable of, in as many centu-
res. They live and die 81 like the rank weed
that grows and rots on Lethe's bank" Let us
then hear no more of the unhappinefs of the fin
gle Rate. There is more genuine felicity en-
joyed in one hour of contemplated pleafure than
in ages ofgratifed wants. Love by all means.
Life is poor without it. But it does not FOLLOW
chat marriage fhould be the confequence.
Let US fec, in the next place, whether the do
meitic affections cannot be INDUCED in fate
of celibacy. Are there no other domeftic af-
feetionS than thofe which Sill the bofom of the
huiband and the father ? Contracted indeed,
were this the cafe, wouldbe the range of our
enjoyments. Have we not brothers and filters,