The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-07

- = NJ. ~ - -r- = - - CIV.
, mainly or curiosity o. soroe ncis;st,orins ehii.
] dren perhaps had reared sel,o,, the hoase-
: this sage philosopher behe.d the buainc bird.
OF whom the anciepts were SO apprehensi,yS
Perhaps it appeared to him rs the n,afns
%corUus, whom Virgil has SO striNingly de
picted in his first Eclogue. Perhaps it Seem
ed to him as some embodied Spirit, who had
Icomc from the ~inferna! shades 70 announce
ms INTENDED dissolution. Perhaps it was the
Prince of Darkness himself. who had thus,
lnpwlentiy put on the plunes Of the R.;-
ven. but, SIR, from whatever cause this
won>rous visitation russIed 50 powerfully uo-
on ms fanCy-lIot more disastrous 10 a~itrit!,t-
ca nations Is tho moon in dim cciiuNe'-
not more portcatcIs to Wondering mol,arciis
rs the ometstai.-tha was this graz bird
70 TINS grarer philosopher. He returned
home fnii ot uepidation, d;spir;tod aud sick.
HIS last end seemc, at hand-unul the dis.
lcovory of the dornesUcutiun OF the poor
bird had dissipaied his Illusions al,d ret.ov-
cd ms. fears. 1t was Men known that it was
no longer 4 spirit or a devii, bat. an u~nu!ien-
ding Crow. 10 this moment however, ii is
yet an undecided problem for The amuaeuelt
OF the learned, whether the scere cfo,U that
: is placed IN our Germ fields in ferrarrns, be
a more alarming spectacle TO the wild crows.
,han was this don,esticateG aaimal 10 the
iotdiy proprietor at the fields and the scare
49, EA'' uNo tttC SttIN, Sill tEHf II!I e
got "inu-but as triiics cf dis sort are :Ot
to be exaggerated, perhaps loi. s;r, who
I'VE IL The ncighboihood ct tbc philosophers,
Can give MS more Correct INFORMATION.
Far be the insinuat;oii, Sir, that y5n have
any acquaintance with this poor bird. You
had served me by calling mp the shatie Of
: frahkiIh for M amusenient-lnd it was bat
cannon gratitude Ia me to attemplto return
the compliment. If my story of the bird is
not as good as your's OF the printer, is net
my fault You were unreuerous eno,eh 10
forestall me in the "bes5 Story in the worIdn
and was force 10 teli you one, that had
as much truth in ii, though not as much s,,i-
rit. However to be serious, sir-it general
; ~ appears to have been your fu:e u have
Deeii disturbed by Il crow in some form or
other. For your own comfort, though not
ilor the amusement OF your friends, l Should
wlsh you to shake them of for ever.
During the wars of he Revolutions, Sir.ifthc
world does not much misreprcscnt voa. some
malignant, i'll, on.encd Raven. 81. other. W.,
always lighting upon Your kield. Yol
, wisely lett the hustle of camps * that world
, of spirits.
y lhisNncn6uS of the brain has not vet n.
> bondoned you. If a poor printer WHISPERS
ANY thing abott ynn IN his q eatttf,t,i.t;, :
2 'hithy paper, Innocence itself is no charm
l against thi9 wondrous visitation. The pool
Cio" 10 again upon yOu.
: III b0naparte happens toapproach an ZACH
bearer to the Atlantic Ocean. Won are in
: the horrors Your ill-omehed bird, like IN,
Fuiture OF Promethcus, is again devourinp
a - the ever-growing Liver" And rea!Iy
: l should not be much astonished, if yon, Sir
were 20 propose ito pay a tax for the sup
port of the British navy" by the wav OF pct
ing clear ri these horrors. Such n promo
sition would be @orthy 81 your pubic spi.
rlt' For my own pare, Sir, I am NOT alto
gStaer pleased with the great accumulation
OF oohap'rtc'S power-but let me whisper
= one secret IN Your ear, that we have mncl
m.re TO fear, from the yolIi.d y,l,ures q
d John huil, towering about cur coasts. ,ha,
IRON any french {! gnt OF crows, which he3e
may arrest IN their passage 10 cur country.
i am done for the present, Sir--yhen il
! suits M iiumour, | shall resume the Drn-
Il BE assured that this address has been iusni
req y" Iia same ardent friendship for vor
"hi~A your !.t- letters have expressed fo,
me--ANd {oat II have not SAID less, it wa.
because did not despjse you alora. Their
n biS some ta.ehts about you which omman
/, my reSpeCt-and there was once a time
e when hen&me of JOHN Taylor stood high
al my e'tfcm 1t cpaS an object of mv van.
tition that at this Tine when a black temDes
T. lowers III our h~orizou, my energies sa0u,d
be turned against the foreign enemies of nv
country, rather than in tanning new however
p trIhiAg dissentions within the bosom Of the re
public. But gou have thrown down the c,uut.
I let and am bound to assume it. It was Pri.
am tiat struckfhe blow it was tcI4u in5eX
SINE fcI~ bur ri such a literary champi
OF, aSs"Ine have affected 20 admire & who's,
{ chaieaga IaEl NOT disposed 10 decline.
Dir, you have eminentiv d!sappointed m,
$ expectations. What course would a mar
h or an illustrious and dignifed mind have pur.
sued, IN The situation which you have assum
f edf Such a man might have beheld the cen
: sures OF a public print with conposure
Perhaps he would have passed them bv i,
I silent contempt. For it is not exalted irno
cence, that the arrows OF calumny can reaci,
g 1t has been said, that . It's the midd!,
and compound character, which alcnc feel
= itself deeply vulnerable the man, wht
without hrmness enough TO avoid a dislon
{ orabie l%ction, has f-eing enough to be 4
shaned oF it," These arc the men, VIII,
1t are the most apt to indulge the virIience q
e resentments. But, sir, If the feelings of ;
9 dignlfed man had demanded some iudu}
gence, he would have submitted to this he
cessity with the dignity ofa man, and not In,
petuianoe of a monk. Instead of formii,,
r subtle and sophisticated constructions Of M
own, he would have addressed himself [,
II the Editor OF The n~ews-paDer, and demand