Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-07-11

the intellect are put into ambitious opera
ton; when the Judgment and the fancy
considerable their akli.lo accomplish some
arduous enterprise OF the miGd; then il
IS that the possessor of those faculties, ri
ses iato language, boast'ul victorious and
Insolent. Feeling, perhaps too sen >iS!y,
the majesty and towering subdnity &C his
strength, I've chances p oud and sCoYniui
eye on the advcrsaries TO which he has
opposed himself, and deems 1t his prero-
sotive, by a single word, to- speak them
into the deepest conviction, humility, and
silence. In this way, does an author of
ardent temperament and illustrious, i'm
perial Talents, lose sight of that prudence,
which is always OF in,!iscrbablc advantage
to him. But this difficulty of retaining
clear and perpetual view of this nece ssary
prudence, under these peculiar oircum
stances, renders the retention Of it more
glorious, lin the rare instances, in which il
is displayed.
Throughout that profoundly learned,
perspicaously elegant, and superby rhr-
tOricel work, Tie commentaries on tic izzvs
a. Angt1oG, we pcrcsive not the siigh,es.
traoSgse sion upon modeSiy. The author
every where observes the chaslest delica.
cy in laying down his principles, and de-
llvering his sentiments. He no whe.e am
nounces a dogma. Every chapter, para.
Ereph end sentence, Thought be the lux.
uriant growth Of mind, stored with the
richest and most vare1 information, and
osckctl With the most beat. Fnl ornaments
OF fancy, is unprecedented by that dictate
rial manner, tia. magisterial lone, in a
word, that seemingly proud self sa,iSiac(i
on, which abilities like his most common,
ly pTo|uce IN their happy possc,sor.-
and, wien. at the close of his work he
night well .adcpt the pompous and high
sounding panegyric, which Horace pro
noorced upon himself, I've never so mach
as touches on the precincl, ofvanity- Sir
William Jones and some others, celebrat-
ed Tor Ne rare union or industry and learn
ing and gsuius. might be added To Black
stone as examples OF The most attractive
and engaging modesly.
We have dwell longer upon this part Of
our Criticism, than we at first intended
bur as 1t constitutes an animedvcrsion on
the subtiest and most important deGe0
cf our Author--a dsfe6l not obvious to or.
binary eycs-ve are anxious To bestow
upon it a faithful and copioua commsnla
ny.
We ROW como u one or two minor lie.
feds. The critical reader cannot but ub,
serve hat, IN the passage above quoted
from The letters, WOW under examination,
the i;ynre, which closes The sentence, is
rendered confused and Imperfect by the
iClprcnriety Of The word, 6l,ed." This
word, most certainly, viii not literally ap
ply to th- imag'ned IA. IRE &c tie piinci-
pal suAie&t. OF coarse, The whole meta.
phor IS broken and 0isordered. The ex
preston wi;her, droop, or languish, could
have been much happier, because these.
eGsfl, are strictly and literally appl!ca6l,
10 n " biogsom"
We have already remarked that the Ian.
guage Of these letters is that Of unhl@7nish-
ed uu;ity. THIS remark Is Gen rally add
almost universally true. This leads US the
more 10 regret that the au hor should, in
single instance, have made use OF such
rcfncte and obs cure words as .so6.freh5e-
rms" g dcnpGafcG,' "mquCrc," " crff,,ls.
GUAR" {" h,Fn5,fo~7." because the Engiis'.
language Affords other words, at once, more
familiar, more elegant, and equally re pre-
sentative Of the authors ideas.
iiy some, it may he thought, that in the
preceding objections, we have been too
scrupplously nice, and even frivolous that
We have been stndious to detcG faults, and
10 crown our presumption, have examined
these faults, with an eye ton microscopic.
II may be said, and perhaps with
some plaUsi6i,ity, ;hat man Of elegant
genius and profound eruditon, like the
author Of The British shy" scars in re-
Pion too lofty, too sublime, too celestial,
to be annoyed b. the shafts uf criticism.
il may be commended tina; il he has in only
cne CT TWO instances, delivered himself in
Z, tCme too naughty, con,empiuou5, and
vein; il he has mangled only one poor me.
taphor; If he has written oay five or six
knGtiy words it may BE commended, say,
if these be his only faults, they stand not
justified, but consecratcd. by the mighty
rcnius from which they fell, and the blaze
~ beauties in which they are cnvcloped.
True--we profess Above Of iiberaIity, and
cordial dctrs,sion of that austere and
rigidlT pun}ua Judgment, winch like
%tcrnc's Critic, regulates all lis decisions
hg iho mechanism Of the rule and com.