Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-06-05
Alexandria, June 8, 4S1S.
Communicated for she Guzefte.

who live out of Europe or America-par
,icularly if they essentially differ from
ourselves in complexion ard religion as
almost entirely destitute of erudition.-
We remember TO have, when perusing
some If the report o. Hastings tral, or
at least the proceedings preparatory to it.
10 the British House Of Commons, Oh
seryed with surprize, indeed with more
unpleasant emotions than sarprize, the
iudicrous effect which Mr. Burke's glow
ing account of the literature and etudi.
ton Of the Feast, produced upon the
squire Westerns Of that day. Not
Tony Luupkin was there present, who
did not chuckle, as if that great man had
talked ola college Of Catfrarians issuing
editions ct Homer, or Virgil, or Milton,
with critical notes by it, professors -
Yet we have the authority Of very en-
lightened and honorable travellers and
scholars, for saying that not Only letters
are understood. but that universities have
been founded, and that libraries exist IN
places much less likely to possess them.
From cardinal Perron we nave the fol-
lowing curious article Of intelligence,
which the reader will find in the Perro-
niana.-"1n that part Of Tartary which
belongs to the kingdom Of Persia, (says
the ca,dinal) there exists aourishing
university, where the Arabs cultivate Ii.
terature. GIohN BAPLIsLA REMoSl,
who was the FL st that caused books IN
the Arabic language to be printed in Flu
rope, and who had even studied in this
university, has pretended to say, that
there were q number Of Arabic book,
translated from many Greek uuthurs VIII"
remain unknown to the Europeans. 1t
is the Arabians who have preserved a
book Of Archimedes with many authors
who have written Oh mathematics; such
as the Apollonius Pergeeus, and even
Hippocrates and GaIen.
BELL. in his travels to Tartsry tor,
gives Us the following account. 'ln 81
IBERIA, there exists an uncommon library
the room. Of which are filled with scrolls
Of glazed paper, fairly written, and many
Of them In gilt characters. The Ian.
guage In which they are written is that OF
rongusts or CaImucs. Perhaps" aids
he, they may contain some valuable
pieces Of antiquity, particularly ancient
history"
Mr. Andrews in his anecdotes lnioms
US, "Travellers agree that at Monnt
Atho. there are several mcnasteries with
Libraries full Of books, which are illeglble
to those holy brotherhoods, bat whose
contents are probably well worth 'nspec'
ton"
Every tou.ist who takes msmoran'
DUN, every commander or mate OF a YES.
sci who can write his own log, obtrudes
his observations. sets forth his discore
ries, however unimportant--Pufs the
trumpet Of bombast till he almost cracks
il, and WORKS up into pathos his relation
Of hair breadth escapes, storms, short
provisions, and God knows what. But
i! on their return home, these men would
endeavor to bring some information, or
some materials of the kind to which we
allude, new source Of knowledge would
be opened to the world: many books
which are nov supposed to be irretrleva.
bly, list. would probably be recovered;
and, Of the works Of the illustrious anci-
ents which have come down to US, in an
imperfect, mutilated form, many cha'm'
might be filled up, science might be en-
larged, and the thirst for literary infonma-
ton be gratified.
TREASURY IMPAIRMENT,