Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-10-31

looks back through the long vista ('the long
tract Of time is insuferably prosaic) OF
years, during which his locks have been
blanehed, he will always consider it most
shameful 10 mistake facts"
To show the disingenuousness of your
quotation. and the unfairness of your deal
ing, it will be necessary merely to repeat
the sentence of Philo-L. upon which yours
is critique. -" think the learned II.
himself will, upon reconsideration, admit
that he has met with many persons Tin the
long tract Of time over which he has alrea-
dy passed. If he find not the example at
honey who have not much accuracy OF
knowledge or superHuity OF ideas, notwith-
standing their lucuhrations." Icannot but
remark the absurdity of insisting that be-
cause prose composition is not poetry, it
is for that reason faulty; nor omit to say
that the word vista is always (when pro-
perly) prospectively used-never retro
speciively.
You romdly assert that Philo-Lucius un.
fortunately rather late in lite commenced
scholar" II is wholly Indifferent to the
public at what age the knowledge and ca
pacity were acquired which are necessary
to amuse or instruct them but it is very
important that he who attempts il should in
reality possess the ability. II is not plea
SAINT to me to give direct contradiction TO
any one, not even TO one whose writing has
exhibited no single feature of the scholar
or the gentleman but shall take leave 10
say that the foundation of whatever scho-
larship either myself or Phio-Lucius has,
was laid at very early age.
You say it is too humiliating that such
tyro in literature should speak disparaging.
ly of writer who first gave US what may
be called the philosophy of history" You
are wrong both in your fact and your infe-
rence--lt was Voltaire who first united
philosophy with history and every man Of
candor and sense will, upon looking at the
sentence as written by Philn-Lucius, see
that he has thrown in his unimportant mite
TO swell the strain of that noble historians
praise. But it will not be so easy to clear
yourself from the imputation of arrogance
when you charge Gibbon with going be-
yond his depth.
Now for your chef d'eupre in reasoning.
My friend H." you declare. " did say,
(as person would state a simple fact) that
the poem Of Christ's Kirk on the Green
(and he might have added that Of Pee
bles to the Play, very lately found at Ok
ford) was written by James I. of Sco,lari."
Well, this is your proposition about poem
acknowledge have neither read nor seen.
Now TO the proof: You quote from Robert
son the following sentences:
justice in OBTAINING that prince a prisoner,
by their generous care of his education.
II was the misfortune Of James that his
maxims and manners were too refined for
the age in which he lived"
From Hume you cite this:
But though the king. Henry W. by
OBTAINING James in England, had shown
himself somewhat deficient in generosity,
he, made ample amends by giving that
prince an excellent education.
Task emPhatically, do these quotations
prove that James |. was the author of the
poem called 'Christ's Kirk on the Green
or indeed that he was the author of any
book or poem whatever? Again you cite
sentence or two of what Hume says of
James VI
We shall mention the king himself at
the end of these English writers because
that is his place, when considered as an au-
thor" " 1t may safely be affirmed that
the mediocrity of James's talents in litcra.
ture, is one cause of the contempt under
which his memory labors, and which is Of
ten carried 10y party writers to great ex-
tent"
Philo-Lucius said James's productions
were "silly trash or learned lumber. -
Your own evidence distinctly supports Phi
lo.L. s idea il proves James VI. both an
author and silly one but any thing as
we'll as what you intended.
Pedantry is the display Of useless learn
ing: your knowledge has moi helped you
out of your NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. it should
be much more proper to assimilate you 10
your countryman, 1.-THE prince OF pedants,"
than PhlU-Lucius.
You accuse my sentences with languor,
and say they are wholly without nerve
Before conclude. permit me to tell you, if