The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-04-05

- FOR only FOOLS gard, .,
What seems obscure and intricate and hard.
have had strong doubts of the propriety
OF incorporating he following letter with
the Essays OF The Old Bachelor. For in
the first place it seemed TO me &c come too
near the verge OF party politics; a subject
entirely incompatible with the generality Of
my views. But on a closer inspection. per.
ceiviDg that he only political moral which
the letter inculcates is The lore Of country,
and remembering that, thus far, am war.
lraDted by the precedents OF all the cels.
DRAFTED periodical writer's abroad, determin-
ed to put this objection aside.
linen another one presented itself in the
extreme plainness of the letter itself. My
readers, Know, Look for a sty le, at least grams
matically correct, and will be very p, &c
turn OF, in disgust, from one which is nos
only destitute of the graces and ornaments
of composition, but which exhibits. also.
gross and frequent breaches of photography.
But know they are not of that class OF rea >,
aers described by Lucan in my motto, who
demand an arrangement and structure so
artihclai and inverted asto obscure the au-
thor's meaning. and lend to folly, the air Of
the solemn and profound. And if they can
conquer the Rfs< repugnance which false,
orthosraphy ~id give them, / think they
will see. with me, amid the rustic plainBess
OF this pen so many strokes of nature, as
viii amply atone for the Absence of all othe,.
beauties AS to myself, Iacknowledge that
the story which it contains, brought Strong
" to my recollection the compiimen. " hich
Sr Philip Sidney pays to the old song OF
Cnevy Chase and affected me very much
I'D the same way--tf stirred my blood ana
s7s,rffs ike the sound Of frumhes
me author is wholly unknown to me..~
nave not, even, the most distant copjec
ture who he is, nor am l at all troubled
with the idle curiosity Of knowing his reaa
name. 1t is enough for me to know that his
views are upright and his pen enlisted in the
Cause OF virtue While such remain his
| views and such his engagements, Ishail be-
ever grateful for the con inuance of his cor
respondence and prepared 20 greet him.
with the most cordial warmth, as fellow
iaborer in the same vineyard
had, at hrst, thought of correcting the
false photography in this letter; but on
maturer consideration, concluded that ir
would be best to leave all its characteristics
untouched and give it to the world exactly
as | received 1T.
FEBRUARY, 1911 !
Old Mr.. Bachelor,
You really have set me
thinking OF things that never would have
entered my head in the way they have. fife
had not bean for theIreading Of your peaces i'm
the Enquirer. Now, about reading Of News,
papers, 1 am not like our friend Squaretoes.
that wrote you letter concerning his
daughter have taken the Enquirer fog
scvrai years well as Mr.. Squaretoes. Z
was advised 10 it by worthy young man in
our county, who was offering fcr the Assem-
bly,, and 1 have never had aay reason TO re-
pent OF It that know of--'rho' read the
speeches 10 Congress and the essays when
there IS any, as well as the news and adj
yertise ments. &c, IGdeed, read the ss-
'sys with mere attention. than any thit