The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-12-20
ToR THf VIRGINIA..
TIE M1sCELLANIsT-NO TX.
Teach me 10 feel onoib.r's woe,
10 hide the iault SEE"
Mar Lgnehtmg, Nor. eBti, 1879.
To CIkIIIS



SIn-ln the paragraph which YOU append
ed To- Old squirc's sketch, you promised 10
comment upon it'll did not. shall cheer
fully resign the Task 10 yon, ITS, perhaps, |
am noi, AS Old Squire seems To think, over
flowing with the milk of human kindness--l
have mote of Tho composition in my nature
which d tiasuishcd the wife of the Gre
can $40 lnm oinrr females of her day,
aud which contributed 10 exhibit in 50 "a
,orable light the patieuee aud philosophy
ol her lord | lnteriered, IN tIie Gfst place,
with the only design Of defending the le-
male character, which | thought IN danger
OF an attack from the splcnctic humar oil an
Did Bachelor, in which supposltion think
was warranted, from The Threat which was
evidently contained in Old Squire's pro-
mise. As this parpose, il he originally IN
iended il, was forsaken by Old Squire, aud,
as he, on the contrary, culogizes the lady,
whose melancholy story he relates, a rca-
son ~ longer exists for my using the cud-
gels, and ! gladly lay them down. |
should pay you compliment, If | thought
you deserved il but, Is do not, | shall
content myself with subscribing, (what you
seelned 10 think very aPropoe 10 my char
actrr,l the fictitious name under which |
FIRST addressed You. XANTIPPE.
| am extremely glad that Xantippe has a
due knowledge OF her pcriecton-and,
what IL extremely Uncommon, hasthe eau
dor 10 confess it, She may pour her VITA
prratyc gall on me, Until the bladder which
contains il il exhausted. shall copy the
example Of Josselin Dc NonlmoreDcy, the
pink of chlyalry, IN the Time OF the Cru
sades ; preferring rather To iaIl beheath the
assaults Of a female, than RESIST her at
tack' My gaiianty only, has induced me
II notice h'r AT all-for, were the remark
pTdonable, should say, that she deScrres
il, n'Sther fer the mod asly she has lorsahen,
nor for the imperious tone she has adopted
IN her assumed character. Ii ~ IHclGn 10
my purpose, even if it were not contrary 10
my dispositions, to enter into a coa,rorcr-
sy ; and | shall therefore not take up the
snauilct which Nantppe hao thrown down
with 81 much readiness.
In my last number, conditionaiy pro
missed 10 offer a few remarks on the story
rIaled by Old Squire ; and notwilhstap1
Ing thu stipulated condition has brcn unul
filed, haze been induced to decline the
task because the Utject is oac ofmdisida-
nj concern alone, y one winch in men gene
rally feel but little, if amy interest and, as
! cater for the public appetite, and have no
other object III view, shan 20 amusc them,
and charm away lsw OF nay own duh mo
mcDts, think IL best 10 select such subjects
as are OF Il nalure TO engage their sttcn-
ton.
There is a natural, or it be not a natural,
II ~ AT least "A common propensity IN some
men, 10 drlract from The merits oil others
Reversing the prayer of the poet, whose
lines have selected as my motto, they
feel degree of pride in emblazoniug tn
faults of their fellow nnorials Instead of
being mortified, and feeling portion of
SEIZE egradation, when they SET human ma
tnrc lowered from It's pristine elevation and
ourity, and sunk beneath level with the
keasis that pci4h'-in.tead OF hmentlng
nat such things are, aud wishing, IN the
language of the Bard of Avon, that they
were . IN the deep bosom of the ocean bu-
rled,' they eNuIt at their own tancied sn-
perlofity, and with the Pharisec in the
Temple, proudly boast that they are not
so bad as other men! There is no charac-
- " Foo'S hiib illi'lf - lbHt 81 dslbeti DilS
10 society, rs the SlGndCrr and tdHirr i; (ior
the woqualitics are mscp arably connected
For my own part, had rather be conliacd
in "A cage with wild beasts, than fall in COM
.pany with persons (aud there are such cv-
cry nhere) who, having IA high opinion of
their own immaculate purity, seize with 4.
rldlty, every occasion 10 enlarge upon their
good qualities, and depreciatc the charae-
ters of their ncighhors. 1 have never Yet
seen one of this description, who was no,
nj heart has" and prond-who did not de
light IN contentIan-and repine, whenever
there was no opportunity reproducing dis
sentions and broils among their associates
Ii is somewhat singular trait in the human
character, and 1t Is a good comment on the
penetration Of men, that, while they drtest
this cl ISIS of persons, they still swallow any-
iouSly, every dose which they administer :;
ana often to their own injury, aud il may
be, To the interruption of harmony between
friends, credit the tales which, it not wholly
colned in the fertile imaginations OF the
taticr, are at least always much emiciiiShed
and cHtarged Instead of the attention
which is paid IL such characters, they
slohld be secuted from society, as a baue 10
harmosy, and lash should be "put into
the hands of every honest man, 90 lash them
naked through the world" II this course
were universally pursued,wc should see less
contention, and more of the spirit of peace
pcrvadnS every class of the community,
than we now behold. But 50 long as they
are taken INTO company, and can find gree
dy listeners, ii will be in vain to hope for
thHr eAtirpation. Curiosity is the food
they feed ON and it is passion which ex-
lsts with 50 much force, in the human
breast, that before it every consideration of
prudence, and, in many instances, even pro-
prlety itself, bends before it,
Man is in himself Il complete paradox
II Is enough to make i person of sensiblity,