Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-04-17

COVTdITIIIlW VAfIrfV n rare
and precious private documents in support
of the statements made in the letters. never
published betore-making in all one octave
volume of o. 800 pages.
OmHes deteriOreS SINUS Rcentiq
ADVERTISEMENT"
" IN consequence Of the appearanre of new work
oYtitied sKEICHLS or THE LIFE OF PATRICK
HENRY BY HN wIKT, ESQ The author Of a series Of
letters Of FORMER date, signed DECUS has been called
on and advised by some oi his fleUds 10 az atr IA a.
long and silent rePose, aronse all his former recoli.ci
ons, ans r!ndicate his former reputation and
his numerous friends who then thought with connte-
nanced and even aided him with information for that
The severe lash OF This repre-
stnation OF The same subjects To do which the
mode, he conceves is the publication Of these same
letters themselves. with full iniroduct1 critical
view aud reply TO Tbs new work. IN such undrrta.
Ming and defence. he has little doubt of finding less Gif-
scult OF success than formerly when all ihe crcustan
9eTeIes and te characters concerned e their yea
lohs friends compile reused and deeply Dteres.d
aEd engaged. with All Their superior powers and abiu
ties establish and sustain the very same nosttn,,s
that are now taken and abored az, by the author of
these Sketches indeed these very Sketches them
selves, GO very far IN estali hing all he material posi-
tons taken nv the writer of these foTm. letters AS win
he seen by careful aud strict comparison Of The
tents Of each Of these publications and will shew how
Inpfnden II Is for any one however great his powers
10 undertake to write history of former characters
and oecnrfsntes. by collecting materials from and
taking and exhibiting ayiew Of one side only, in tho
rough contempt feNeTy thing thai ever has a, tba.
ever can he said the other. The documents 10 h
given In the sppcHdiX will consist OF sundry letters aue
other Important ard truly .,resfing lgers nom o,d
OF the hrst and influential characters IN this come
try, certain curious aud highly anisng and psrc.
tive subjects bolb II public aud private nature ne
g which nave never before been publicly cxhbited and
meme Of them explained aud accounted for uhlrb
docunens viii make 800 pages in Tie whole work
and which woik vii be- printed will good tyrc and
ven onud, wh exact kencsses ofthe aulhor AMI the
two PRINCIPAL heroes oftAe history"
ETtrTcfs from the Igfroditctiop
BIOGRAPHY Is Il species of writing which
either does more oOOn or harm than any other
kind. Being C0mmeDdation OF man ii reach.
es mere immediately and more pcuprall,
some OF the leading qualities Of human nature
than al others. II most always hauers and
magnities the best virtues, and pallistes, excr-
scs and diminishes. IL not disgnises and con.
cealS. the greatest vices"
80 Ia this respect. il is more dangerous than
even novel and romance, Of which " most al.
ways Parishes. BE one IS generally Known
10 be mere fiction, built up on the stnpossd
pcrfrctions OF human nature-Tle Other. pre.
tended reality. dccked out and ornamenicd
with all the false and borrowed dressOf fiction
and rendered popular by as borrowed and fic.
titiOus Style."
Novel and romance generally do harm. ci.
Their by their positive bad precepis. or their
oVer-siraiutd pictures Of imaginary huiDau
Projections, which FIJI empty heads with 700
romantic and vain cOuceits Of thems Ives. and
iurn light and giddy ones entirely around from
their own actual and limited possessions "
Biography but too often realizes romance.
and produces much positive vice. by straininp
and extending imaginary and supposed virtues
beyond tier real limits. When tie srailiicg
and vices, IN reality even, overbalance the vir.
tues and periectiousIn the picture 90 be drawn;
these fralties ard wees are so uuigfrsaiiy
thrown into the shade Of the representation by
TIE brilliant display OF the inferior virtnes aud
reflections, as 90 give general cast Of superi.
orltN 10 the whole, and thereby render actual
wee aud folly. not snly palaiable, but even de.
light ul aud cnucing For which reasons. that
species Of history ought always 10 be most
carefully and criiirails examine q aud scanned r"
The Introduction here iases rfH sud severe endcai
view - the 5keicAes -ite5 continues thus