Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-10-05

| powers, TO support the great weiph,
iot government, have abardoned their
power through choice, and retired a
Ithe Gains of private life. ard the
lpeacetnl shades OF scclusior, through,
uneonstrained and uncoerced election,
he former are numerous, and from
1the contempt in which weakness and
Jolly are held by the voriI, thew are
regarded with seorn aud derision. the
latter more rares rarer than the Phoe-
NIX, have received that tribute Of adj
miration, which is always willingly be.
stowcd, and is peculiarly due, to acti-
ons evincive Of superior Hrmness and
|msgnannNity. a monest the latter
stands Lnuis Napoleon tate King of
Holland, and amongst them here
stands pre-eminently conspicuous for
the generous reasons whichinfiuenced
his abdication. They were highly
honorable, and suspect, uuexampied.
no sovereign hitherto had had the en-
Ipohiiag integrity, the exalted magma.
Eiml'y, 10 come forth boldly in the
Face OF the world, and proclaim TO his
subjects in the halowed Ianpuape Of
truth, long have endsavoured, with
unfeigned and unwcaried zeal, to pro-
mote your happiness and confirm your
prosperity, but all my efforts have been
va'n;t. Is now time that my reign
should cease, since it has ceased to be
.eenehciai to you; ii is time that Il
should lay down my crown, since L
caneno losgcr WEIR it except at the sa.
cfIlice ofsny hcror ard integrity. and
she vrolasion Of that most sacred duty
whica binds ,pe to you, TO your inter.
ests, to your happiness, and prosperity.
O. this is atale, which my greedy mind
Genld ever feed OF listen and wonder,
listen and wonder s:;il, ard stIll in-atiaie.
[ defy the abduction of siugle in.
staTce from the records of time, from
t..c stored archives Of boosted cntieui-
fy, from the unfolded pages of more.
modern eras, which con be placed in
competition, with this singulafly spIen.
did excr'ipn of the raind, this bright
display ofsupcriof honor, and n,agna-
nimity. InSthe midstpf the sixteenth
century, at the age Of City FIVE, an age
when ambition is still unextiact in the
mind, and when il s,ows with prestine
ardour, we have seen Charles W. af.
ter haviDg convulsed Europe to her
cectre, with the intemperate struggles
of his inordina,e ambition, after ha-
viug with audacious efforts aad alarm
ing success aspiTed TO, and threatened
her uaiyersal subjugatiyD. anddenly
abandon his throne, his ambitious as
pirings, his ,overweering enterprises,
his comprehensive hopes, his widely
extended doDinions, his accumulated
power. This astonishing event was
probably the result of distressing re-
verse offortune, of disappointed hope.
of disturbing anxiety, Of eufeebling
disease, of the corroding anguish OF
vitiated mind, and of the ,ormenting
throes OF self-convicred consciencs. >
The rujuous and destructive rage, with
which Charles pursued his ambitious
hopes, and the inf xihl- and intoleraat
zeal with which he persccated reli.
glonssectsrle preclude him from the
praises and admiration Of dispassion-
ate posterity, and cast cloud over all
his greatness. We follow him 10 his
retreat in the monastery of St. Jus-
tus, without sympathy or compassion
for his infirmlties, and we sooa learn
to despise the monarch degraded into
r snperstitious monk, exercising On
himself all the seventies Of a monas-
tic life; fasting, chau6ting hymns, and
iascerating his body win the bloody
cord OF sell-ir fiction, lhs gloomy sug-
ges,ions of an ilIibsrAl superstition,
and timid spirit, aud the disturbing
companions OF the dark winter of his
boIsterous life,
AdverJng to antiquity we shall be-
bold in the Emperor Doclitian, the
counterpart of Charles CUNT. lie re-
sembled him in many of the more
distinguishing features of character;
he was assimIlated with him in many
OF the occurrences OF life; not his iu-
ierior in council, perhaps his superior
in the field Ike him IN intolerant per-
seeutor, savage 10 disposition, tyfan-
meal IN power, hardening in hate
and like him willing abdicstor OF
that power which he had all his lie