The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-02-08
For the iSdi.ihoiu.
THE PROGRESS OF INTELLEcT IN
AfOUTH.

venth annual revolution fince the birth of Eu-
genio, when his attention was caught by fmal
volume elegantly bound upon his mothers toll
let. Upon opening it, he found il to be Raj
felas, the Prince of AbyIiinia. Great was his
furprife to find happiuefs, as phantom, purfii-
cd by prince and princeis. The fate of fuch
had, by ignorance, been Represented to him as
proverba,ly to be envied. The fubjeets, per-
fpicuouly & elegantly developed in this fafci-
mating little volume, excited in Eugenio Thrift
of knowledge, which occalioned an unealinefs,
that incenantly required to be alayed by con-
itant and gradual influx of information to his
mind, rs the electric aura communicates cafe
to part of the body difquieted by pain. He
who is active in the punuit of happinefs, of
knowledge, and of wealth, the three great goals
towards which all men direct their undertaking
courfe, If he arrive not at the ultimate object
which attracts his fteps, receives a portion of
thefe bleiiings in his courte, according to the
intenfty of his ardour, and his approximation
to the point of purfuit. Demoithenes has faid
that action was the arit, fecond and third part
of oratory. With at leait equal truth NAV il
be aiisrted, that action in doing good is hsppi-
nefs, and that by activity are knowledge and
wealth to be attained. Whoever wifiles to find
either, unlefs prevented by fome very uncom-
mon and irregular Multiplication of exertion,
or within of fortune, will fee the means of pro-
pelling him to his favorite Object, distributed in
his path. Thus Eugenio, who had dfcovered
the tory of Raifelas to be fiction, beautifully
wrought to enforce that abiolute happinefs was
only to be found in future fate, tho delight
ed with the richneis OF Gefcriptiou, and initruc-
ed by the wiidom of the authors obfervations,
wifhed, as ardcntly as the hero, to know what
had really taken place on the earth.
Infearching among thebooks of adiiforted libra
ry,thcl ivesof iluitriousperfonsby Plutarch, pro-
mied delightful repaft to his mind. The afro
cioufnefs of one of Romuus's uncles, affected
our young hero with difguft, which was height
sned into horror at the blafphemy of imputing
4 crime to one of the Heather Gods for Eu-
genio was franger yet TO mythology, which
attributed to Deties the vices of men. The hui
mainly of the female who preierved the exit
ence of thofe, whom the cruelty of their deprav-
ed relation had expofed to the fury of dettruc-
tive element, drew from his youthful eve the
tear of fympathy and Joy. He naturally ex-
pected iuch fenfations to actuate the breaft of 2
woman and was touched by the purity and
fenlibity of nature, neither fophificated by
afeetation, nor itified by the ambition of prince
ly circles. Little fufpecting that the leiions of
policy were fhppoied to be different from the
dictates of juftice, Eugenio was ihocked at the
conduct of the Romans and the Sabines but
in the fubfeGuent union of their two kings, fore
faw, with delight, the future greatness of CITY,
which, in its origin, had been indebted to rob-
berry and the mott hideous crimes. The fable
On the Sacred Mountain, or the neceility of uni
on, riveted more firmly the chain of mis- frater-
nal affection, and the immediate political an
pcaton of the moral to the country which had
matured him, was too prompt to efcape his
youthful chferyation. The controversies be-
tween the orders of Patricians and Plebeians,
ensrafted in Fugenio the principles of equality
as tlofe of iuitce- ard when he fiv The mother
and fifer Of Coriolanus intercede between their
armies, Whit he honored his filial piety and
affection, he lanented that a mind of fuch
intelligence, and heart OF 20 much feeling
and virtue, fhould have been blinded or peryert-
ed by the darkness of prejudice, or the inexo-
rable powers OF pride and ambition.
To trace the progrefs of Eugenio's mind, as
he fwallowed with avidity the important facts
OF the Roman and Grecian tory, and animad-
yerted on them what would it be but to re-
ct .hs :!:.;r G. N!i,!.;2 2: n&5!icaIa,
proved by their fubfequent virtues and talents,
TO be unaffected the delightful viiions with
Egeria, thro' whom wifdom from heaven was
fuppofed TO be communicated the furprfe of
youth, that the year did not always contain IL
months, which melted to companion oftime
with the motion of the heavenly bodies the
opprefiioh Of Tarquin; power abufed & fharp- |
ened by PATTON in the cafe of Sextus the re- |
verge Of virtue and patriotifm, with their VIII |
dom in Brutus and Collatinus-liberty and pu- |
rity once retored aud then detroyed by foreign |
conqucf, and . relaxation of manners too Tee |
be to oppofe the energy Of talents and ambi-
tion--and the black cloud of private vice aud |
public opprelion now and then enlightened by |
the virtue ola Trajan or an Antonnus
In the Grecian tory, the powers and heroifn |
of Thelcus, hisattachmentto Ariadue, rewarded |
by the clue which faved him from the horrid |
Minotaur his early union of the Rates of |
Greece the rigors which, becaufe it was right |
to oppofe vice in the beginning, demanded the |
blood Of the NOT venial offenders the wifi |
dom ofSolon in infituting the Senate and Are |
opagus the Juice of Artides too uniform for |
political jealoufy, perhaps too far TRAINED; the |
difference of his fyfem with that of Themiao- |
Giles; the wonderful Versatility of Alcibiades's
talents, and his power, as was faid of Pitt, to |
WELD whole ration in his hand the diviiion |
amongft the different ftates, not to be prevent |
ed by the wifdom of the Amphictionic Coanfcl, |
which BURT into a flame in the Peliponefian |
war; the fruitlefs warnings from them elliflu- |
emf and energetic eioquence of Demoftthenes a. |
gaaft the dangers of foreign inyalion ali thcfe
facts attracted his attention.
As Eugeuio gradually proceeded thro' theCc |
facts, his mind was maturing. Points of fmila- |
riiy between Greece and America were appa-
rent TO him. The Amphic.ions were the Con-
grslS of the United States; they alto were an
union Of democratic ftates they were partly
commercial; they had what were fuppofed diff !