American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-07-15
From the Atheneum.
MODES OF EXPRESSION.

Authors are sometimes extremely careless in ex-
pressing themselves; others pIque themselves on a
Iquanness or oddly, more honored in the breach
than in the observance. However we do not pre-
tend to carp or cavi 10 the following article GU,
office being merely to exhibit the extremely odd
way in which some people think and write, and
great ones too among them but who, perhape, have
been caught mapping. Let us view some ii these
ecceDricitIes, not with the green magnyng glasses
of criticism, but with those OF student, who goes
to the theatre by way OF relaxation, determined to
|be pleased. The display mig hit have been increased
from the common place book for the present. how
|ever these will serve to mark a great variety OF
modes Of expression.
1t is scarcely credible that the tasteful Addison
should use the word autenticaLlesS for authentic-
Iy.
In the AK Ia Chapple Guide is a verbose des-
|criplion of the several paintings among which is
the " natural tooks Of poor souls IN purgatory.'
The Rev. JOHN Boraston, condoling with Sir N
Herbert the loss of his father says, "the bles-
sedness of our dear deceased relations is handker
chief enough to dry our eyes.
Hnne Boleyn2s mode of expressing herself was
truly astonishing. When on the scaffold she was
pleased to say, 81 pray God save the king, Henry
VIII: and send him long to reign over you for a
gentter, nor more mercitM, prince was there new
er, and to me he was ever good, gentle, and SOW.
eregn lord.'a This is toleraoe good character Of
a king who in his power spared no man, and in his
lust spared woman, and from the lips of one who
was then on the scaffold, probably dying innocent
because that Blue-Beard wanted TO marry another
Jane Seymour, which he did the next day.
DIR. CtarEe in his travels has this very suspicious
metaphor: he says, Jerusalem now occupies one
eminence alone, that of Morlah, where the temple
stood of old, and where like phoenix that hath a.
risen from the ashes of its parent, the famous
mosque OF Omar is now situated" Does not this
sound little unorthodox That a Mahome, an
mosque could arise out OF the Of the temple OF
Jehovah, as phoenix is fanced to arise out Of the
ashes of its parent?
Urban CkeUreaa, French historian tells u.s.
|" when was young, remember attending ser
mon, preached by prelate, who was celebrated at
court for the greatness Of his talents. TWAS on the
feast of Mary Magdalen. The bishop having en-
larged much on the repentance of Mary, observed
that her tears had opened to her the way heaven ;
and that she had travelled By aoater place. where
few other persons had gone By tnnd."
Catrin's, the reformer, mode OF expression was
rather coarse. Luther had, in OF his writings,
called him declaimer and Calvin, 10 justify him
self from such title, breaks out " Your whole
school is nothing but sinking sly Of pigs. Dog I
do you understand me? Do you understand me.
& admans Doyou understand me, you great beast?"
dryden, the great poet, once caught nap
ping for, in his play Of the Conquest OF Grenada"
he makes Almanzor say 10 Boaodelin, king OF
Grenada,
"Obey'd as sovereign by thy subjects be;
But know that alone am king of Mf.'
This mode of expression well retorted upon
him by col. Heylen, the cosmographer. Not long
after the publication of his book the doctor had the
misfortune 20 lose his way upon large common
which created an innocent laugh against him. as
minute peographer. Mr. Dryden, falling into the |
coIonel's company at coffee house, rallied him up
on the circumstances which had happened TO his