Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-06-30


muse me xithhis adventures on Mont Blanc,
in the crater Of Etwa, or the gallery Of The
! Fhuilleries, though ] knowssry well that his
peregrinatons have bssu cOhSnedtoths pur-
Iieus ola few European CUSTOM houses, the
entertainment night derive from his ihge-
NOUS Romanees is entirely overwhelmed in
my disgust at his enormous violations OF
truth.
Bot there Is another species Of fhese cha.
rdctsrs, who. without having in view sisher
their own Importance or the Amusement Of
others, ste equally vast in their conceptions,
and miraculous in theft rotations. Suchap-
pear sosbe influenced BY that lawof optics
whiehsh ersases the apparent magnitude Of
an Sbisst ia Proportion to its<proximity to
ones ssif, and according to which the sun
may be,cxcfuded from the view by the neat
interposition Of moat. They are in the
prsdicament Of q man whose ideas derived
from sight have never been. corrected by the
touch, who will mistake fly for a'crow, and
amole6ih Cor mountain. They appear to
be surrounded by"such an atmosphere Of self
admiration, that they DISCERN through it no
object relating only to others, while those
connected with themselves are Historically it
into an unnatural magnitude. Hence they de-
scribe as monsters what are Seen by others as
mere every day objects, and incur the blame
of exasgeration, when they speak what they
implicitly believe to be true.
1t is wifi Such psllIating considerations as
these that compIacently listen to narratives
from honest Jack Bouneer of hair-breath
Escapes and direful accidents; ofexpedi.ions
In which rain, wind and thunder, and oil the
elements had combined their vengsll fury
70 eVtFwkslm him, and then hear them dss-
et4bsd BY another % ordinary occurrences, Or
journey whisb iIkG most others had bees
only diversified ny fair and foul weather. by
sieuds and sunSbipe,by wind and cain. With
equal 'Glis*sRsG I can dc by the Ers with my
oldlriend Rigmarols. and listen 20 tales of
wosfui ages long ago bs.i'd," Of tho fsats Of
his soyhood, or bis adventures In the last fn-
dian war; and enjoy my fifth pipe while,
with honest partially and spscies ofegotism
akin 10 that I mentioned just now, he enter
tains me with anecdotes of his extraordinary
son Bob, or the merits Of his nd grey stud ::
eBut for my ancient fiend as welt as all
other old gentlemen who, like Ossians old
heroes, are apt to slide into the track of long
stories Of the "deetls OF days OF other years."
there is another very natural apology. The
frolits, exploits and adventures of youth con-
tinually reeur to the memory of the old with
an indeRnaOle charm which affects not only
remembrance but imagination, and the agree.
able visions of the last thus brought out and
associated with these pleasing recollections
insensibly acquire an equal share of belle { and
seeming reality. The embellishments, there
fore, which are usually bestowed on the mar,
ratives Of old age have what is termed in
law the right of prescription" to belief, a
right which i,'the courts is equally venerable
and powerful. And upon the whole LIDO not
know. after these reflections on the character
of the lovers Of the marvellous Of the class
of Scapswell, Marvel and Bouncer as we'll as
Mr.. Rigmarole, whether they are not all
very excuseable, innocent and entertaining
personages i; and have il partly in contem-
plation to recommend TO my friend NEEDLE,
who, / End is engaged in several very useful
schemes Of reform ir the fashionable world,
such an equal distribution Of the most noted
inventions Of fans and long stories of the day
as will be most conducive to Its edi6cation
not forgetting toreeommend in psrticular to
his provi5ent sattehti on the supplying oftHo
Or more Of these useful articles to every
rout, saueeze or convsrsdziase party, pre-