Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-01-26


modern writers, who promise very fairly,
and say very pretty things, in the begin
ming, but as soon as the work is entered on,
show that they knew how to promise bet.
ter than do any thing else. l would advise
them to remember, as l shall do myself
throughout the short lamentations, which /
propose now to make on the Letters OF the
British Spy, the Story OF Dionysius the ST.
Gillian tyrant. and the courtier who shook
his cloak whenever he entered the court,
TO show that he had no weapon concealed
but was told by Dicnysius, that he would
rather he should do so when he went out,
that he might see he took nothing away,
which did not belong to him
The idea Of writing such work as the
British Spy, was perhaps suggested to the
author by the Letters of the Turkish Spy.
said to have been first published in Paris,
but which were soon translated and exten.
siyely circulated. The masner in which
the letters were SroHght To the press is al.
most exactly the same.s But plagiarism
OF this kind if any fault at all, is the least
which book can have, and much less than
Virgil was guilty ofiBthe Bueid. Perhaps
too it is the only kind of which the British
Spy can be accused. His illusions are nu-
merous, but those of Cicero aad Boiling.
broke, are numerous also Iii not my in-
tentioa TO invoke the curses of every man
OF taste upon my head, by comparing these
writers, the most eloquent perhaps who
have ever adorned the pages Of literature
with. the author Of the "pretty" para.
graphs of tse British Spy. i only menti.
on this >circumstance to assure him that i
do not mean to condemn in him what has
long been admired in greater men. am
sure, however, that shall be pardoned IN
Iregretting, that since the British Spy, pro-
badly, initiated them, ia some of his aiu-
! sions and comparisons, that he had not imi-
tated then> also in their accuracy. This
was duty particularly incumbent on him
who is to pass for British Lord, and ii.
terary desrot, aud who finds US so defici-.
ent IN "general knowledge" and original
ornament" However general his know.
ledge and reading may be, he has certain
ly never read the Meramorphosis of Ovid,
or else he has done it to very little purpose
since he has enlarged the achievements of
Hercules By labour, which, although Il
might not have been a great one, is one
performed. This labor is the strangiIng
of the serpent Python,f who Ovid says Apol-
10, shot with his arrows. And We her Ovid
Or the British Spy knows bss., is not for me
to determine.
The second letter in which the author
shows US pla;aly, that he succeeds better,
in polishing sentences, in the flowing and
watery vein OF Osorius, the Portugal Bishop,
as Lord Bacon says, than in matter, might
be a very fit theme for criticism and reiu-
,ation, had it not been already ably handled,
by an anonymous writer, under the signe..
ture of an Enquirer. The British Spy in
this letter, if ] understand him at all, GER.
tainly means to contend as the Enquirer
him to do: that a noun ain |
which had jsst emerged from the deep, |
would, In the revelation of the earth, en-.
Counter the resistance of that part of the o.
cean by wh,ch its eastern base was envelo- !
ped. Or why does he say, (" still to our
'snewly eaerge pinnacle. which is whirl- |
''ed by the carth's motion through waters |
s. OF Inc deep, tire consequences Will be tae
IS same as If there were this actual and |
sc strong current" Nov, if I understand |
the meaning OF the expression I" Ynirled /
tnrough," the British Spy intends US TO sap.
pose that hig newly emerged pinnacle IS
continually leaving that part of the sea
behind which WAS before IN contact with
the pinnacle--or if he means by the ex-i
PRECISION, that the p nnacle and water move |
on together, he had as welt say, that man
who marches in company WITH an army
without ever Chang Eg the re!atiye ,postIonI
which he has TO the soldiers VITO co,nPose
IL, marches through the army. He must |
mean then, that the pinnacle Is Continually
ring the resistance of the water as
Tie breast or a Swan does when she sWIms
over lake. This would isrimd Iacie be
very uucIvh in the pinnacle 10 run awayi
from the water which made it and 1t /
would fossrelf.T faeie be con-; rery to all
the known laws If moving bodies For tue
relative motion of all bodies on the earth |
is exactly such 2s it would DC were the |
e.rtk At rest. Since Whatever motion IL |
may give ~ q mare running to the east, the |
same motion will it give TO thu gecy noI -
at rs heels. AID 50 likewise 1t they run 10
the west. THS sagacity OF the British spy, |
or the furuisher OF the letters, or their ad-
vocate, whoever he may oe, will not. l
hope, enquire Of me, why then a hound Can
leap as far TO the west as towards the east.
Fer whatever he loses al mis- rise, Dy means
OF the ro,Atory mo,ion OF tae earth wards
tAe east, ne will regain oy means Of the
same motion being given u tue point
whereon he mIl lght. The same things
lake place wlth bodies noving IN hdids, and
with flu Dis themselves. Nor can con- |
ceiye now 10y the revolution of the eartn, !
any loco motion will be given to the p1Fii-
cles of auId upJn rs surface For, IT a cup
Of water be placed upon the deck Ola YES.
sci sailing srn Jorlily, the water Will DE AL !
mOst as perfectly without motion, as If II
" Is on terra 6rma. And If there was no
" or SOLterlDg in the vessel, IL |