Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-05-09
From an English paper.

RUSSIAN ANTHOLOGY, BY Nh. BowgIyc
Ii is curious 10 observe the progress a,
literature 10 a country which has SUDDEN,
emerged from comparative barbarsm ,O
respectable station in The republic Of Letters.
and no other empire could perhaps furnish
a more singular intellectual advance1sD,
than that OF Russia since the time Of Pete,
the Great. Before that time in state Of
ignorance and rudeness, i! received from III,
policy OF that monarch an impulse which
has hitherto continued TO urge it forward
From that era, Mr.. Bowring has produced
notices and productions Of northern poet,
and of liierati which might grace even
southern CLINE: yet If appears that neithe,
OF these is an index Of the national cuga.
ton, aHd that tie greater part Uf the I'm.
pire is still little removed from the unciyj.
zed state in which il was left BY the Ruriks
and VIadimirs of former times. From ID.
constitution OF civil society in that country,
there is, probably, little hope Of speedy /
and general diffusion Of knowledge I'M
England" Mr.. Bowring observes, the spirit
of information, bereveT elicied. rapidly
spreads over aud CLOVIS in every link Of ID. !
electrical chain OF society. It mounts as.
piringly, If it have its origin among the les
privileged orders-and it descends Through
all the beautiful gradations Of rank, when
it has its its birth in the higher circles-itS
dIffusive-it is all enI.gbtening. But IN
Russia. however bright the fame, it is peI
up, it cannot spread. The noble associates
with the noble-the slave herds with the
slaye-but man has no communion with
man.
The work contains several elegant tran.
stations from the Russian poets, OF which
orr limits allow Only one short extract, SCI
lected less as specimen OF excellence than
as a proof OF ne progress vi thought and re.
6nement produced in tie space OF little
more than bali a century.
Death makes all nature tremble. What are |
we!
Tomorrow dust. though almost gods 10 Gay
A ixture strange Of pride and poverty
Now baskIrg il hopes tar and gladden1s
ray,
To I1oTrow. what's man Tomorrow ~ ought!
How swiftly rolls the never-,arying stream,
Hour alter hour, TO gloomy ehsos brought;
nile ages dawn and vanish like drean
Evea like an infants sweet imagining,
My early, lovely sprlng-t,de hurried en-:
Beauty just smiled and sportet; then took
wing;
Joy laugb'G moment, and then JOY was
gone.
Now less susceptible OF Hiss, less bIessd,
Wiser and wordller, painting for lame,
With vain thirst OF honor. PAIN q oPPIess'
| labor wearied up the bill OF zane. ~
But manhood TOO and manhood's care WI
pass,
And glory's struggles be ere long forgot,
For tame, like wealth. has busy wings, alas
And joys and sorrows sound will move
not.
Begone, ye vain pursuits, ye dreams oil bli:'
Changing and false. no longer 6st.er me!
stand upon the sepu'chre's abyss,
In the dark portal OF eternity.
/ o-day my friend may bring our FINAL do0n'
u not 10 day, 10 noIrsw surely sriA :,
Why look we sadly on Meshchersky's iOmD'
Here he was happy-he is happy still
Life was not given for ages to endrre,. !,
Though virtue even On death may hnu .
rest:
But know spirit ordered well and pure,
May make life's sorrows and life's charge
hIsst