The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-01-05
(FOR THE ENQUIRER)
THE OLD BACHELOR,
No. v.
ct extremis 81 quis super halitus era,

No. v.
Virg. En. Lib Nv. v. 684
While in death.
Lay close my lips to hers, and catch the flying
breath.
1t is natural TO suppose that an old fellow
like myself, who have lived SO long single
that have survived The hope OF matrimo-
ny, would take very little interest in the
character of his country women or that if
think OF them at all, it would be only to
return the Indifference and aversion which
j have experienced at their hands. Yet
nothing would be more erroneous than such
superstition. 1t is true, that with all the
vanity natural to man, have sometimes
wondered why have been often aud so
uniformly rejected; ior although can boast
no beauty of person or elegance of manners,
yet think j have known uglier men. and
nwkwarder men han myself who have
succeeded 10 getting wives; though to he
candid, cannot say that have ever known
n,an who combined in himself. both those
properties in the same degree, that had
succeeded, Yet hatter myself that am
not worse in thesc particulars than Ksop,
osho we are cid was absolutely deform..
ed; and we learn from Herodotus, that
.Esop had the good for,uue to engage the
affections OF the beautiful and celebrated
khodope. 1t is tue, howe,er, chat Hero.
datus tells US ESQ.,, made this conquest by
tor oi his VIII SO, there again, / am
thr WIN out
hu 10 be s rious: my unifcrm miscarria
ges III courtship, have awakened no ( sent.
ment, have produced neither avers Ola nor
Indifference in my breast. Through the
frost of sixty winner, j still look upon that
enchanting sex with mingled tenderness and
venerasion; and regret only that ! have
always beer unable TO inspire ANY rrturn of
,neae sentiments As to my own particular
country women, i Contcmplate their oharac
tet with prize winch Is inc Xpressibly
encrt ased. whenever compare them with
tho-e of ane other nation. The other day
tor example, took down Tacitus' Annals
Tor half an hours Amusement; aud opened
him b. accident at he XItn book, IN which
he gives US picture of he Court of Clau.
dius, and alore particularly of Messalina
the Zap ror's wife. The bold and shame
less proflgacy Of that abandoned woman,
and, indu' . the general RIGHTEOUSNESS of
female manners at Rome. present the sex
an most degrading light; and would fill
the breast of the reader with unmiDglpd
horror, were it not for the rare examples
ot virtue which here and there break upon
us, iron she beautiful pages of that author
vi this description is the affecting portrait
W"ich he has drawn ct Agrippna retursing
to Rome with the ashes OF her dead lord, the
elegant and all accomplished, the gentle,
YET heroic GermanCus The account of
her arrival "A brundusum is drawn witt
the hand OF master: the whole scene is
touched with a skill and felicity so exqui.
,si'e. and the various objects which he iner y
duces placed befure our eyes IN so strong
amd fDe ! ight, "a / cannot deny myself
the pleasure of ext, acting she passage for
the sake of hose readers in the country who
may not have he book.
Agrppina pn' sued her voyage without
intcrmiss'on NeI,her he rigor of the
wintei, nor the rough navigation in that
season Of ,he year, could alter her resoluti
Or. ohe arrived at the island of COrcyca
Opposite to the coast of CalaJrla At that
place she remained a few days to appease
Ihe agitations of mind pierced to the quick
and nt yeI laugh, III the school Of afii iction
" suJiD't with patience. The news of her
arrival spreading far and wide, the intimate
fi'ends of The family and most of the officers
vino had served under Germanicus with a
number Of Strangers from the municipal
towns, some to pay their court, Others car
ared along with the curren., pressed for
ward Ill CT wds t. the city of Bruniusium
the nearest aud mot convenient port.-As
soon as the heet came in sight OF the har :,
Dor, the sea-coast, the walls of the civ.
rae tops OF houses and every place that gave
even distant view were crowded with
spectators. Compassion throbbed IN every
bre.,.t In the hurry of their first emoti-
ons, men knew not what part 70 act: should
they receive her with acclamations? or
would silence best suit the occasion. No
thing was settled The fleet entered the
hatbor, net with the alacrity usual among
mariners, Uut with a slow and solemn sound
OF the oar, impre,sDg deeper melancholy
Oh every hear.
"Agrippina came forth, leading two of her
children, with the urn of Germanicns in
her hand, and her eyes stedfastly fixed Nd
oil tina. precious object. A general groa q
was heard. Men aud women, relations
and strangers, all joined in one promiscu-
Gus scene of sorrow, varied only by the
contrast between the attendants of Agrip-
pima and those who now received the first
suppression. The former appeared with a
iansIid air, while the latter yielding to the.
sensation of The moment, broke out with ali
{ { vehemence of recent grief"
| know not how this description may have
affected others but for my own part. con
fess that | was unable to read il without a
Sush OF tears. l beg you, my reader, to
pause with me a moment, and examine the
structure OF the passage. With what adj
dress are we prepared for the appearance of
Agrippua! How natural every circum-
stance, how SIX fully selected, how impress
sively combined FIRST the news of her
arrival, spreading with such eagerness far
aud wide, brings before us that ardent and