Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-11-10

now to bereeesered from cbl;,;cr
records OF civil dissention. let i, be -. ief Tie
bsred IRE no' SO .asting as those &c ! smen-
Here | should be tempted 10 add ahng,
tnenaia OF Burke, and sappor, NV ~ eS,4
tils authority Of Goldsmith, who r by
70 lament that N''urya
Ike narrowed his MINI
And to party gave up VIA, wss msa'
mankind. "'' ir
But the awful history Of cur own t;n., t.
persuaded me to torbear for of Burke ;.
least posterity will never cease to say ,I :.
he gaze up to party, he saoe to r.aR1in1 D
The life, Of Milton, however, is meNs.I
bic instance Of the temporary desrad;;
of learning. For Notwithstanding the y,
lime fiction Of Gray,* thai the less q l.:
sight was occasioned by the brightness s
his celestial visions, it is, alas noihipp &,
affection. Those fine orbs we're ouen,b.i
in the service Of a vulgar and usurplnc e..
ton andhadthev net been thus earh seo
ed in endless night" the wor!d, prrh,,
would have wanted the Paradise Lost sp
that master spirit Of England have bee,
wasted in more praises Of Cromwell and
more Iibaldry against Salmasus. You .hca
who are impatient to take part in public
life, rem ember, that there is hardy to /.
found a censumma;e statesman or wsrrig
il a literary age, who was not hims:l ar..a
Of letters. / wlilnot weary you by an emu
meration but you will instantly cali 70
mind, Alexander the accomplished scholar
of Aristotle Cesar, at the head OF Rom,
the dsHcap Hterat9fum /; ChMlymasa5, mas.
ter OF all the science ihat al ignor4at axe
could aif,srd Alfred, the phl.osophy,I
translator Of Boetilius and Frederick, vic
gathered around him the great n.tn 0. Ii
age, not SO mach tsiair patroD,As .iyr CON.
petltor.
On the other hand, there are some Ga.H
a,t5mpered spirits, who, disguised a! It's
grossnyss which belongs to the coMnoa
contest and occupations Of active life, a:
in danger Of entirely rc,inqajshlng its red
duties in the iuSurious leisure d stud. IA
the actual state Of the politics of our corn,F
this opposite temptation has been alrtaoy
felt by many stulious minds. lhs yorS
man, early enamoured Of Ii,er1lur-, scnc'
times casts d.sdainiul g|aace AZ the void
and then siaks to rsPose III the lap q h'
mistress. He finds it easier TO read ttan1
think and still easier ia think than to act
His ind:sposition increases BY ln5ai5'n'a
His learning becomes efeminate. tx i'as
W f,.r..:-h "srr,a~rnent for his IrDag!@aI,a
not to provide materials tar i"'rii.:tod
greatness. He passes his ;mc anoag @s
muses., it is true bur it is he gra'ss VINO
mingle in the circle, thar snyrcsseS his Al
tcntion; and his life, though nam'naay SH
ento contemplation, is lizzie else tran ""
sport with Amary|Iis in he shade, and pay
with the tansles Of Nsarea's haIF'. he
goes to his books to enjoy certain MID d.
Iirium Of the mind, regardless OF ;he clans
of society, and of tae account VaI'o Nc
must give at last, Of his studies and aa'aH'
taqes. Whenever he comes Out mto IN
world he thinks it was not made Tor NM
and oonreturns in disgust, to seek F'!Idh
that employment which has been aamlfao"!
called The " invisible riot OF lie mind, TH
secret prodigality Of being secure from %
lection, sna fearless OF rrpFoach.
e Ode ON the progress q P2eSy, HL|