Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-03-27
of them than of Barlow, is more than probe
masicd. Family links might Be rivettsd.

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masical. Family links might Be rivcttsd.
joel Barlow is an excessively vain man. An
eminent French statuary executed bust Of
this ''young hero,'' He contrived to get it
into Mr.. Madison's parlor; where it long did
stand, and perhaps long will stand, as thing
that must be gazed upon by every visitor. A
reputation thus forced is ever of short continu-
ance. In some respects, Barlow resembles
Doctor Mitchell; who, however, is very
good man but who will probably b. longer
remembered for his vanity than for his chemi-
Cal or medical knowledge. We are told, and
We doubt it not, that Dr. Mitchell wrote his
own life in an English publication, several
years ago. But neither Mitchell's Life, nor
Barlow's Bust, will render them Immortal.
However, such things are qualification and
why should we say any thing to displease
those who are SO greatly and SO harmlessIy
pleased with themselves The same attempt
to court most coy and unwilling fame, induced
Barlow to supply the poetica! deficiencies Ct
his Colum5iad, by the richness of paper and
the elegance Of type and engravings greatly,
as We are informed, to the injury of his private
purse. Commentators on that work, two cen-
turtles hence, doubling in difficult passages,
vii! always refer to the first folio edition cor
rected BY tie author! More seriously speak
ing, We confess we never expect to see another
edition OF this work, notwithstanding the re-
commentator of Inchiquir the Jesuit, 70 pre-
serve it national work.
While On this subject, we will not omit the
present opportunity Of noticing some Of the
very good and some of the very foolish re:
marks Of " Inchiquin, or me Jesuit's Letters"
he declares hiarshall's history and Barlow's
Eric, " equal if not superior 10 any that have
appeared in Europe since the independence
OF America. With as much propriety might
he Call the volume of Humphreys poetic,l
works an Epic as the Columbiad. The Co.
m.nbi,.d is not an epic poem, and has indeed
little of Tic nature OF the Epopeia in it,
Dwigtr's ".Conquest OF Canaan" is an epic
poem and, as such, and as genuine poetry,
is E,r superior to the Coiumbad: but the au-
thor Las not been agent at Algiers, nor has he
specuiated in French assignats: he mas not
acquired sufficient property to be able to at
ford the world, at the expence of thousands, a
splendid revised edition, like the Columbiad
He has not been able /" to contribute large
sums from his private fortune to the embel-
lshmcnt" of such an edition, and for " rich
encravings" The Conquest Of Canaan is al
most forgotten, as the "Visions of Columbus"
were, till revived and revised, and the title
changed by the author.
But who can read Inchiquin's recommen-
dation of the Coumbiad as national work,
and the following remark, without smile -
Yet cannot help rcsrettiny that so excel
lent, Giy;tassionate and benevolent writer did
hot bestow the time, talents and expence, ap-
propriatcd to poetry, on some theme better
suited to his genius" g Smoothness of num-
bers, gularity of measure, skilfulness in short
in the SuSireas # rhyming, are more common
since the invention oftypes." That Mr.. Bar
low is =" dispassionate," having little of the
PASSION of poet that he is skilled in the
business Of rhyming," we readily agree; as
we'll as, that poetry is rot " suited to his gent
u.s." But why then should work not poeti-
cal be recommended as a great poetical work?
The Jesuit gives US curious dihnition ofpoe-
try" By poetry mean not generally the
language Of harmony or fiction, but netrical
DISPOSITION Of articulate sounds, varying accor-
ding to the taste of different nations, but dis
tinguished from all other writings as to BE-
universally designated poetry" That is by
poetry l do not mean language of harmony,
but harmony of sounds tune to suit the
&C S,ccor,,,S Oh would