Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1811-09-30
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{" Surely The serpent zpiH bite WITHOUT enchnnf-
zaent, and q Sabbler is no etfcr."--SoLoMoN
Busy bodies, filthy dreaners, and such as
ran from house to house, fomenting discord
among neighbors, creating divisions among
brethren, and weakening the bonds of soci-
ETY.. have, unhapily, abounded in every are
and country. And they have invariably
leyelled the shafts of their malice, and Bit
ter examinations, against the characters Of
the good and great more especially those
In public life, such as have distinguished
themselves by virtuous, tho independent
acts and those who pyofess religion. As
well may we parry the arrows Of dedfh," as
good man, for great length Of time, a.
vert the envenomed sting of the slsnderer,
"Whose tongueis sharper than sword
Whose breath, outyenoms all the worms of
Nile"
This fatal poison, emenates from that caas-
tic anaiignity Of soul, which resides in the
breasts, and delineates the characters Of the
savage, the vulgar, and the wicked, and
such as have never learned, or acquired the
virtue of sell. government; nor to bride that
unrulg member the tongue; which, as the
apostle James expressed ii, Is often g set
on fire of hell" When the heart s,exceed-
ingiy corrupt, such will be, Of course, the
streams, as from corrupt fountain, which
flow from il for out of The abundance of
the heart the mouth sEeaketA, whether the
abundance be good or evil. A good man,
(says Christ) out of the good treasure of
his heart, bringeth forth good things and
an evil man, out of the evil treasure Of bis
heart, bringeth forth evil things. Yea, his
throat IL like an open sepulchre, and the
poison of asps, says scripture, is under his
lips. Some of these officioas characters,
these servants Of satan, assume also TO
themselves the character of Reporters. who
industriously circulate whatever scandalous
stories come to their :chihg ears, respect
ing the characters Of their neighbors on
which reports they put what colouring thev
please, or add lie of their own, as may
best suit their bellish purposes Report,
say they, ana zre viii report ~; and then, like
the adulterous woman, wipe their mouth,
and say, Have Z dose any evil This prac-
tice is most prevalent among certain class
of females, which class, lamentablc indeed
is far from being uncomfortable in point of
number. Their character and practices, IS
aptly expressed in the following lines Of
the poet -
Report is first, pigmy small,
That shrewdly cautious, dares but crawl;
She whispers this. hints that, looks shy,
SHeaks on, and sqitints and learns to lie
Cams as she groes, grows bold and strong;
Nor creeps, through fear, pigmy long.
But soon we see the monster rise,
Stride round, and swell to giant size
With unfit hand md oerant fat,d
Fright and smusc tile astonish'd croud
Wake all the passions rouse to strife
Neighbor with Deighbor, man with wife
Jar and derange the social spheres,
Aud set whole cities by the ears
Strange IS her form. She runs or flies
With spreading wings set full OF eyes;
Set full Of ears her monstrons head,-
Aud mouths and tongues that talk one dead.
And watches, listens day and night,
Please nothing less with wrong than right,
onlules--vents her molly tales,
Hsrrsngues ffs--lbeIs-slanders rails;
44d, zvherc permitted most 10 dz9r!l,
Renders TIE neighbouhood a HE'LL
In this manner. The 80 fame killers pro-
coed, and sheslle their dsggers Of tlelrac-
ton in the characters Of those Of whom they
are not worthy, and suffer lhem not 10 be
heard in their own defence, IN this cour1 Of
scandal and cos-d~asce. Still these abomin
able pests Of society, when ali this j. done.
go on sacr fc'Ag new Characters, as oppoi-
unity presents and like the grave, and
those things Unsuitable, say not, II Is ssenvA
But happily for mankind, 50 wsll sfe these
characters known, anl. human nature UNDER
s1ncd - TIE pfsaens Day, hat there j. q