Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-04-11


Pians, ribosi A quest humu ptta,
E sosbi raj la mia perdata pace,
e dissi, o citta, a Dio Cos agH antici
Bosch tornanipdo, ho tratto al fehci %
TAsso, GIss. Lin. CANro7.
- When with fowery prime my hopes
were fed,
And my PASSIONS, except grief, were dead,
l wished, longed to live AN humble swain,
And sighed for the calm of the rural plain;
Then bade adieu to Towns; and, free from
strife,
Have since, in woods, enjoyed tranquil life"
HooLE.
l DEEM myself impregnable, a.
mid my rocks, woods, orchards and
hedges. In this fortress l mig t, if
such were my good pleasure, deride
tor years the menacing attitude of Gu
riosiiy, and battle her most active ap>
proaches. But shall l confess it !!
Philanthropy disarms me. Impelled
by that sympathy which identifies the
man of feeling with his fellow moTtals,
and entangles his heart even In their
weaknesses, | voluntarily propose a
conditional surrender. My only OBJ
ject in displaying this pacific, yield
ing, and conciliatory disposition, is to
spare to the inquisitive the fatigues Of
tedious campaign, and the probable
disgrace of an unsuccessful siege. I
trust, then, that no imputation of I'M
manly fear will attach itself to con-
duct evidently dictated by the noblest
OF motives, and likely to produce much
mutual ease and benevolence. If the
reader will only respect the citadel of
my name, (Which am resolved to de-
fend per Jas ct nefas) l agree gener-
ously to deliver into his possession all
my out-posts.
he letter of Mrs. Allear, that ex-
,celient lady, whose unshaken friend
ship clings to poor Launcelot Sensi-
tive, as the ivy to the PROSTATE oak,
has already done much towards this
conciliatory measure. l will now add
few necessary accidents of biogra.
phical light and shade, afie which the
reader and myself will discard, trust,
he The prosecutions OF inquisito'ial
espionage, and 1 the awkward reserve,
tremuious accent, and constrained at
titude of a timid stranger, who sees,
or imagines to see, the insidious at
tention OF criticism hanging on his
lips, and tn; dragon eye of hostile
watchfulness rivetted on his every mo-
ton and gesture. Then farewell to
egotism, aud hail the noble objects
which have in view
L was born in commercial town of
Virginia, at a period when, as my
father used afterwards to tell me, the
murmurs OF national discomfort, like
the confuse and distant roar of the
tempest, announced that great politi-
cal convulsion to which we owe our
independence. An only child, and
blessed with parents uncommonly af-
fectlonate, l enjoyed in the morning
ofliie, all the happiness of which boy
is susceptible. But to parental love /
was indebted for more, l mean, for
intellectual and moral culture. AT
that time, children were not abandon
ed to themselves, or entirely surren.
dered to the care of teachers. Par.
ents still thought it sacred duty, on
their part, to aid, at least, in rearing
the tender plant, in fostering and
cherishing its growth. There was
not then that devouring contagion of
principles, examples, actions & words,
which, If | must credit the complaints
Of our rhoralists, has of late infected
scfi4t& Subtle and abstract doctrines,
metaphysical chimeras, had not been
substituted to the powerful, irresisti.
BILE, salutary influences of sen iment !;
influences indispensably necessary to
direct and form to virtue that tender
age, which, yet incapable of deep and
complex induction, can only feel, love
and obey. Both my parents were
convinced of this. They considered
the innate sensibility Of the human
heart as the principle, as the basis OF
all perfection. They seldom used
with me any other means of excite
ment but those generous impulses,
which, when properly communicated
to child's bosom produce there the
, sublime efieVescence of virtue. and
react nDoD HE udsre go, J,oo. .l..s..--L