Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-09-04
To Curiio:

To Curio:
Solcitous as always am TO tighten the
Lurdens Of the heart, and soften the afflic-
tions of the mind, lcouid not refuse myself
the pleasure of sending you what con-
ceive debt due TO uncommon merit. You
accuse the world OF want of sympathy
in the rapturous anhcipations and highly
wrought expectations Of those whose "vio-
lent sen.ibility aud delicate feelings" are
exasperated by the consequences Of habi.
tual stle-building. You ought to be re-
minded, that according TO your own views
OF the feelings and comprehension of man.
kind, your finely turned periods, in the en-
hi5ition of your ove--delicate intellectual
tact, must be completely imperative.
The structures Of the castle builder do
not tend to the security OF bis own felicity,
think you acknowledge; and unless you
are mistaken in your estimate Of men, your
literary labors can have no sensible effect
or object but 10 show how pretti!y you can
complain, and how softly you Can censure.
You say, thoroughly TO understand the
principles you would inculcate, s. it is not
enough that man should derive from ma
ture nice sensibiity OF ul,--he must
have acquired sufficient knowledge OF The
human heart TO be master oil all the va
rious inlets by which il is vulnerable and
susceptible of pain, of those various opera
TORS of the mind by which lis suf1erings are
exasperated." Without stopping 10 remark
the nonsense OF the phrase of vulnerable
OF pain" we need only say that il such men
can only comprehend your system, it seems
as perfectly wild 10 expect the conduct OF
mankind could be Influenced by such mo.
rality, as any project which has occupied
for moment the most INDECENT and uniash-
toned fancy. This is so manifest, that it
woull be but following example and wri.
ting 70 no purpose, 10 attempt an extended
illustrstion the smallest attention rerihes
the observation.
But do not imagine have not the strong
est administration for ills flowing from the
Uncommon softness ofgour temper.--Eve.
ny thing you touch becomes liquid imme-
diately. Your man Of feeling is not salts
fed With letting loose the reins OF lmagi-
nation: but you say, she pours out the
wbola length Of the reigns of his glowing
fancy" The toughest substances melt in
the warmth of an irresistible sensibility.
"What then must be the torture Of such a
person, so susceptible of enjoyment from
an illusory expectation, on finding The wings
of his hope suddenly clipped, and, together
with all his fond imaginalions, plunged into
guilt Of disappointment? :"
The idea of man looking into gulf OF
disappointment after the wings of his hope,
which have been torn from the body and
thrown therein, with woetul visage, and in
despairing attitude, is bit of true subIi-
nifty, and equals any thing to be found in
the great masters of the bathos. "a large
share of his sanguine anlicipations, per-
haps, are built on the exercise Of benevo-
lence." The agreement Of your nouns and
yerbsis as exact and grammatical as your
philosophy is sound and incontroyerlible.
Your capacity, fancy, Curio, is much
better suited to the erection of castles in
Spain, than 10 the instruction Of nation in
new and refined principles of social mo.
rality. PHlLo-Vlhl 10.
Mr.. Snouden,
There exists sore evil in this part OF the
district, which, although severely felt and
much complained Of, has no' yet been pub
Al IS