Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-05-04


Contemplating. des tous les hommes.
- Es Citoyens des tous les lieux."
!he other evening, called on lrien,
and from glance as I entered lis room
perceived him sitting in detected po
ture at tab.e---nis head reclining on h
arm. He arose hastily, and welcome
MT with great cordiaiity, and his coun,s
nance instantly frightened with smile
lie told me she was glad had como, e
that he would as willingly be in Green
land, as be- without company, that he hat
been lonesome, and knew not how TO pas
away the time, and that If had no obJec
tion, we would play game of Backgam'
mon."
After my return home, was rejecting
on this trait, in the character OF my TREND,
who is far from being an iiiiteratc man,
and on the disadvantages To which the
mind is liable, that has not within itself,
or viii not resort to, the sources ofits own
era i6cation-whcn the following ideas
occurred TO me.
To person who is partial TO reading,
the indifference Of many, to the pleasure,
and utility of which it is productive, is
sometimes subject Of surprise. He is
apt to think that if desire of improve
ment is not sufficiently strong to recon-
mend il, that knowledge of the delight
it affords him, would have that eHecl--
delight pure and innocent--iree from all
those evils, SO preludicial both to our
selves, and 10 others, that are often conse-
quent OH the pursuit, and attainment, OF
not few OF the objects of human re-
gard
The man who occasionally withdraws
his mind from the levities and tumu.t of
society, and deyo,cs il TO books, becomes
as my motto suggests, by pleasing delu-
sion Of the imagination, the contemporary
of men ia every age, and the inhabitant OF
every country. He may select what COM
pany he choose, and if he associate no,
with the yirtuons, the learned and the pa.
triotic, the fault will generally be his own.
He may form it of the religious, the mo-
raj, the gay, the witty and the humorous,
and enter into, and retire from it, at plea
sure, without that disgusting formality,
and ceremony, commonly imposed by an
intercourse with the world.
When autumnal showers descend, and
man retreats, from the "pslling of the pi-
tiiess" torrent, or in that dreary season,
when nature is as itwcre bound in chains,
and the storms of bleak December howl
around his mansion, or when indspostion
confines him, and produces depression of
spiriis, without an acquaintance 10 con-
verse with, he may by The narrative Of the
traveller be transported, from the inho.pi
tally OF his native cline, to regions ar
rayed in all the variegated charms of yer
nal beauty, and may feast his curiosit,
with the wonders of nature, the stupen
dous fabrics OF art, and the novelty, an
di5simiiilede OF tie manners and custom
OF men. He may for instance ascen
Etna, and contemplate his W ondrous mis-
ture, of beauty and horror, OF luxuriance
steriliiy, and from the nJial summit Of III
" Father of Mountains" enjoy magnii
csnt,--a sublime prospect, bounded OIL
by the imperfection of the eyes or if h
We foon after LETT Nieoloii and in an no,
and an halfc travelling (up Aetna) over barre
slhes & lava, We arrived on the confines Of the r,
gione Syivoia, or the temperate Zone. So foe
as we entered theie delightful forens, we feem,
70 have go. into another world. The air, whis
before was fuitTy and hot, was now cool ar
refreihipg; and every breeze was loaded with
thouiAnd perfumes, the whole ground being G.
vered over with the rieheff aromatic plants. NJ
ny parts OF this region are really the moft he:
ceoIy f?ots upon earth and IL Aetna rcfembl
hell within, IL may with equal Juice be faid
refefnble parable vi,hcut.
IL is indeed a cusio-ts conf icration that m