Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-10-06
Fran the Sulem Gazette.
T II L. Nj 0 NIT r E SIS.

! IL IL M y n | X T. S S.
Calling upon young friend few days
since, ! found her bathed in tears over a
small volume, which she held open before
her. Why HARRIET, exclaimed, what
is the matter? What disaster has befalen
you? 6 feel ashamrd,' she answered,
laying her book down, " but l have cried
my eyes OUT over the Sorrows Of Werter.
know you will blame me; but the story,
dear Madam, is founded on fact" And
what do you cry for, Harriet? Is j, for
grief, that woman should be SO weak, and
a man so ridiculous Or do you weep over
their merited suf,ripes " Me,ited !" ex-
claimed Harriet; IS Is not Charlotte the
most excellent of women, and Werter the
noblest and most amiaole of men !" NV
young friend, said | seriously, let us ana
lyze their characters, and NOT be imposed
upon by sentimental harangue. You know
am neither cynic FOR stole. Love ard
friendship are the choicest blessings of life,
and | glory in the capahii'y feel of exer
cising both But, my dear, we should care.
fully distinguish between those ennobline
principles, and that fever of the brain, that
bind nfatuaIion which is digp6ed by their
names.
We will pass over the ball scene, cvnsur.
able ] as. WIS, and begin after Charlotte
became the wife of Albert. You will readi-
ly allow, Harriet, that after a woman is
lawfully unite q to man, who was her own
free choice, whose character is unexcep.
tionsble, and whose attachment has been
long and steady, She ought faithfully to per.
form her marriage vows. What excuse
then DO you make for Charlotte !? You will
say perhaps, in the true sentimental a,eon.
" That Noe IS blind; that ne caunet resist
the 1s:tuIse ef the feelings; that aur attic.
tlons are not IN eur Gun bawer," Sc
Mere words, my dear love is not blind.
(askire pardon of the poets J we can resist
the impulse of feelings our affections are
in our own power Charlotte, and all, pre-.
sumo to say, who'like her have suffered af-
lection to stray from a deservine' object.
were actuated by vanity and self love. The
sentimental rapture of Werter was soothing
10 her pride. Alherl's love had subsidized
from the tumuIt, natural when the new born
passion tlFSt anln1ates the soul 10 that calm,
deep rooted attachment, which would have
lasted, would even have increased, when
Charlo1tr's every external charm had faded.
Werter met her with txpr essions of ectacy;
and the weak, unfaithiul wife belle we'd, that
he only could inspire her with love. In.
stead Of spurning him from her with dis.
da:n, instead of calling upon him to conduct
with honor to himself and Albert, she al
lows private visit, suffers him first to read
to her a romantic love story, which fires his
iohammabe brain, then weeps at his self
created suferings: permits him to clasp her
in his arms, TO declare an attachment that it
was proclamation for wife to hear and no!
till the dread other husbands return reused
her to sense of danger, could she, with
the determined voice of virtue" oblige
him to leave her. Positively, my young
friend, my cheek CLOVIS with indignation,
when think of this pernicious book. I
feel no pity for any character, but the wor-
thy and injured Albert. Had not Charlotte
INDUCED weakness Of mind that would
have disgraced boarding school miss of
IA, she might have cured Werter of his i'll
placed passion. Had she uniformly met
it with the disdain it deserved, or forbade,
with the determined voice above alluded
to, from the first, his visits, and refused G.
very offered attention, pride weuld have
aided the restoration of his reason but.
when he found she listened to his rhapso.
dies, responded sigh for sign, dropped tear
for tear, pronounced Kletstock with won
fulpathos, and even outdid himself in