Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-03-27

Tor wisdom--When it rattles around thc {,
forehead, accompanied with wry face II
oetokens chaos aud old night Some
call it the alarm bell of the brain--startiue
thought from his sleep and bringing him
out half dressed, like an engine man at the
cry OF fire. The stickee is as necessary
to the top as the pilot fish is to the shark:
without 1t he can neither see nor move
IS his slinutum bonum, his sine o,,u non.
his ne Plus ultra, his guild pro quo. The
shckee Is the companion of tailors, order
~ sergeants, freshmen, young-eyed, So
phomores, horse jockies, amateurs of blue
bltters and dealers in stay-tape and buck
ram. In fine the stickee is an enemy IN
literature. and he who uses il may be
Knocked down for nincum--a skin flint
cor et pretersa nihit--a mere surface
dipper--a shirtee gentleman--a lob-lolIy.
boy.
The third class I shall mention is the
cudget or Shiilaiah. I am aware that in
this arrangement have deviated from all
the writer's on this subject that have pre-
eeded me. In every treatise that have
met with, the cudgel has invariably been
placed in the fourth class. This GRANGE
!meHt, however, to me appears evidently
improper being maderather with regard
to IT'S size and weight, than TO any order
OF time. The cudgel or rather the shiIla-
lah may be called the king of sticks. It
was first introduced by Hercules, obtains
universally in Ireland, and il known to
The vOtaries of Bacchus every where else.
The shitlalah is always a breaker of Ihe
N NIL fh. Il Al
time tbs confined to but few ;--and should
yau see one with his weapon, ten to one.
II he be not blood, bully rock or high.
way-man. In the evening, however, it Is
the general fayourite. Doctors and apothe.
carries, horse jockies and cocknies, sailors
and tailors, majors anu goalers, poets and
statesmen, poets and philosophers. Fudge
and Duns, Scouts, Ben Funk and Bundo-
rus, IN fine all that love the moon, grasp
the shilialah and sally forth in quest of
adventures and bloody noses. The shil.
lalah is the IrIshman's urILE puLc1--
With this he salutes friend and toe--he
considers rap from the shillalah as
KIND OF holc Dye 40, and is willing to be
knocked down with it because it is all Cor
love. So highly do they value shillalahs,
W NAiiCO AiiS lItSN J6nNtgS.
The fourth and last class is the cane
II IS the companion of affluence and learn.
ing when passion has subsidized and life's
current, chill and icy, creeps feebIy
through its narrowed channel. You NAV
see it propping the bloated cheeks of the
merchant, as he writhes in his elbow chair.
agOniLing under the govt, and like Mil
toms Death" grinning horribly ghastly
smile" You may see it with coHsump-
toms emaciated form, as from the piazza
1t gives a last lingering look to domains
soon to be sqpandered by some dissipated
heir---You may see it with the astronomer,
pointed to heaven to the unnumbered oros
that shine, " thus wond'tous fair (" or in
the hand ofthe venerable bard, guiding
his lonely way over scenes ne has immor-
taiized In song.--You may see it near the
tombs, swept by the silver looks Of one
whose house is made Neutrality-suspicious.
with his tears, and now the only friend
that Time hath left him. When this fails.
the scene is winding to close. " Death
drops the mask"--passes round the cup of
oblivion, and we may say with Rabelais
f" drop the curtain, the play is over"