The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-10-23
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
" THE SPIRIT OF THE BOOK" Scc


the gentleman who some years since pub
1ished his travels in America, and although
he neither made us more wise, nor more
happy by them, we are fully as much in
debted to him for his former as for his pre-
sent work. He could not gain credit in
England for falsehoods which he wrote a
bout this country, and we think it nothing
but Justice that we should be equally in
credulOus as to facts which he states to
have occurred between English ladies and
gentlemen. We have no concern i'm this
country in the guilt or innocence of the
Princess Caroline, except our feeling res.
pect common to every gentleman for the
purity OF her sex so we will not give an O.
pinion on the defence, or accusation (for it
IS hard to determine which it is) that Mr.
Ashe has made for or against her. We will
consider the spirit of the book merely as the
literary performance of gentleman who
says that the speeches in the American
Congress are written by Scotch and Irish
Journeymen.
We commonly expect to find something
new in Book which has a title we never
before saw, and of Course the reader will
be not a little astonished when he peruses
the first letters of the Spiri. of the Book %
In the second page of the first letter marx
ed page, Of the Book, he will find on Count
ing the 'bnesthat % ont of 81 lines are CO.
pied with few variations, word for word,
from Mr.. Curran's argument i'll the cele-
DRAFTED case OF Mds,ie against the MARQUIS
of Headfort. On page 9 he will find the
whole page taken from the same speech
This Plagiarism continues with a few inter-
walls OF less interesting original composition
through pages 10, II, 10, 13 and u, with
out any mention of Mr.. Curran, without
any inverted Commas, or Italic characters
to give us the remotest suspicion that the
Prlncess Caroline has dipped her pen in the
eloquence OF the Irish Orator. ANY account
OF the narrativ which is perpetually bro
Ken and interrupted by ponpous rhapsodies,
characters badly delineated and scenery
worse described, would be both tedious and
unProhtabls. We will give the reader
lew specimens OF the most brilliant para
graphs with which the Spirit of the. Book is
adorned. But as critics in ali ages have gil
ven decided preference to Poetry over
Prose, 1t follows in the natural order of
things that we first make few extracts
from the verses of M. Ashe. In page go
one of his chief Heros, Aigernon, enters the
room OF full assembly while Caroline and
'Milina are singing the German air I" Del
Rosa on hearing them he exclaims
Iiark to the music of the trembling spbere
WHAT nightingaies do sing in concert here
Il say lining OF the rudeness of Aleer-
non IN bursting out while the ladies were i'm
the full career of song, with so fulsome a
compliments, the lines themselves remind us
OF couplet with which Baltimore bard
honored TWO OF our statesmen on a late &C
cason.
Sam Smith and Robert names for ever dear.
And Commodore Rodgers too who formerly sailed
from here.
The success which attended this exclan =
,tion OF AlgerRon induced him TO proceed
according to Mr. Ashe in the same raptu-
rous strain, t.c
Sing on Sweet chauntress, Souls of melody;
closely attentive to your harmony,
The heayeus cheek " stop their pondr6u sbbere g
Mnu all the world is now attentive ears.
ms sudden conversion Of the world into
ears, is an effect never before known to be
produced by music, and one which would
very much facilitate the process of making
souse. .
AS to specimens Of Mr. Ashes prose COM
position 1T Is all Of piece so we will oulv
take the following extract:
re Charming flowers, We various plants
eaid - that have ever been my dear de
nght ana tue object of my Algernon's care (;
dreams teil ME we soon must be, YOU will
wither, tor JOY shall be for ever banished
from this place and from inv heart -
Ihoaeed vii you be with weeds, while the
moro ana brlar hang over your thin fatal
sha1e and your young trees, planted by
ms hands, you that bcar such drljci3us
fruits, despolled of all your gry attire, in his
absence, your witherei Branches mo,rof,il-
W shalt rise over this savage place, while
snail pass the remainder of NV DAYS i, s,r-
row, signs and tears" This is we ave in.
ccined to think a sentence rather favorable
-. i".r. Ashe than otherwise. Th, reader
Sh oserve in it a great effort and ycry
"''T" performance, as vas the case with