Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1805-01-28
70 tie Pilgrim,

70 tie Pilgrim,
SIR,
6 OH ! that mine adverfary had written a
book, wasa memorable fnslng, Whole rpisnan-
cy has teen ieverelY felt by many write,, after
having irretrivvabiy expoied himfelf 10 ridicn.c
thru the medium Of tnc prrfs. Authors feel
tor tl'er works the tenderness Of a parent for
his offspring, aud their n ispIaced alfctaicn IS
frequently pnaiihcd by tilstace and contempt
In tile van hope of aniuiins OF initrn6ting man
KIND, many buckets ivights nave III an evi, hou
poured from the prets tie iscftd crudities
81 2 tersid ina snation; abu. when the vaeares
Of fancy are rtitrained by tic iuggeiions Of re.-
ION they iaitr for their prrlunption tic blfte,-
'iei, OF reflection and the paiigs Of dIfippoint
nent3a4 E0 an fz 70 0s al ttnl
The torrent of books, Which Las over wh sln-
Cd the prelent age, raig1t wei ind,icc a belief,
that mankind had Wonderfully improved in their
power. OF lnltructlon. thar the faculties of tile
mind had reached a perfection heretofore; deem
ed usiattainabe, and 7that Human ingenuity had
tf~velled beyond tbs boundaries, prelen,ed to the
aiplraslons ct te any ambition. he mnu4iser-
able mult!tudes of Novels, that fnile from the
iheIVes OF cur circulating liol aries, nut. give
Us an exalted IDEA OF the. ns fch of featiaelt, =
an eFenr 10 devoutly wnled for by the dilcipes
OF modern colcsopoli;ifn.s In rhelc popular
works ample anulemensmay be found by thoie
who delight IN liorios of ~ 41.l aaa is
Black fprs and ~hite, blue fpiri,s and sst,.'''
who are wrought into laprures and estaces BY
the widen iittisns Of lawleis Imagination, and
who lihcn with &c gefnefs TO narra,ives, oacula
led rqthSt 70 inhane the paiIions and pcrvert the
Judgment, than TO enlishten the head, or melio-
rate the heart
But Ncye!s arc not. me only trah, by which
the common lcnfc of readers has been uied,
and their taite offended. sonnetteers and tal-
lad niohGcrs have obtruded the,nfelyes into no
tice, with fuch usbluihing confidence, and have
received from many reaaers lach Indulgence, as
TO endaneer the reputation, and deitroY he IA
huence of works of unGcnied merit. The tLun-
der eF Clifford has ;ndesd uilcomhied aud dii-
pscd /, . hoR Of rby,,;rrs, that emitted usidcr
the ba ncrs of Della Srulea; but other nrag
gltrs and Migrants of the muics have attempted
to force an entrance into the haowed teuape
of Apollo. they 70 whom nature has denicd
the rare and exalted endowments of
m : maginarions chartered l;ber,ine." ratt
have facrilcs ou0y attempted TO counterfeit the
ricb AMI brilliant coin fIlegitimate poetry; and
70 unil1ifal are the MATS Of readers, 70 rarely
hare they poaeled pcwers of diicrimin alton
thar they have been eroisly cheated by this bale
currency. -i4
tjf tllofe whole works have been received
with undeierved indulgence, and Whole dullieis
and inGpidity have been fuifared to ullmp the
place of neglected worth, the rhymes Ct Robert
Bloomfield bold contiguous rank This
man was in Ills earlier DAVIS engaged in an en-
| ployment, for which he doutFefs poficaled ade-
quate abilities bat having unfortunately dream
cd thar he was born to cline the lteeps of Par
nai1us, he b5took hinifeif to the weaving of cob
webs Of fancy, in eesd 81 continuing to diaw
cords of Aronger and more tubitantal texture
/ The tirt Of this writer's publications Is poem
called the g Farmers boy Ii is divided INTO
four parts for lie teneft Of tie feafons, and
| frem ipring 10 wintcr plough boys and cows,
| barn holder aid houtc holders are led hatd in
| hand through all the diverGties Of their en-
| plovments and all this, doubtIeis, TO the in
| Fl ire anlu'ement and inltructlon OF thcic, who
can be ccnenred with tie weakeit nourlhment
OF the intellectual appetite. II, iubfeguent
pubic ation he has furriaieda fill more inlipit
| farrago of /" Rural ales," recounting itrange
adventures of antianated couples, OF Old men
ole dapples. and trot,ing fprites, I" V h al ofeir
trumpery," and the elegance Of his descriptions
is wonderfully faned TO the dignity Of his fab
je6s.
Bloomfield has been praifed for esfy, natur-
| Al and faithful delcription. ard srr rure, noaf
feeied fn'pheity. That hehas faithfully coFi-
ed from nasne the !cenes, he has dcicrihed, |
am far firm denying but thee arr certain
notifications of nature, and modes Of life, which
no reader Of delecaey and refinement can with
Ito Zee aefcrbed. The coarlcneis Of vul9arlty
fhaad not be inifraken for The cafe Of inlph