Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-05-13

" v iih the rude cabin OF the savage -
Still the spirit Of adventure, that elastic
energy. which elicIied the praises OF
BURKE Tor our infant marine, pervsdes the
American character, and ehhIbii' itself in
every department OF thought and OF action
would seem to be scarcely desirable.
that in that species OF composition, called
novel writing, any effort should seriously
be made among US as the standard pro-
ductions OF England anlVe with The IRE.
ouency of the eastern breezes. there ex-
Isis in behalf OF foreign literature, too, the
same predileCliOn which used formerly 10
prevail in relation to all, and still does
with manv OF their manufactures. Many
of our population. it is to be remembered,
have been transplanted from the east, or
have derived from their slres, trans.
TIC feelings.
Still wayward, and, in nine cases out
of ten, an unsuccessful effort at literary
eminence may be made among US, by
those. who careless OF praise, run the risk
of censure-or those. VINO, devoted 10 he
enthusiast influence Of feeling, seek and
find their pleasure and their reward, IN The
imagination. alone.
The attention OF Great BrIts n has re.
GENTLY been drawn to the America In.
vino, dropping honey from his pen-snd
IN. memory OF the novelist who Recorded
the Philadelphia peslilence, ls kno"n!u
England by the coDtagion ol bis genius.
Other recent American pubhcai'oEs Jus.
tEy the talents and the claims oil the coun.
try. and of the most recent OF these, we
propose to speak. .,,,..,
The novel called the "Hiiderness, or
Braddock's Times" !, like the loshiona-
bic or modern novels, based upon hIs'ai.
cal isci>. partly revealed. anu party OBJ
scure--Iike the trunk OF az oak. which
vines a6oTh. without cOnctaling 1te
situation is inter- oIhg--jus! On the Dor
ders, of savage ami q ,isI.iZe, lie. | he
period Is highly interesting Jusi al The
confluence Ut the French anu B.Itisb IOr-
ces. contendIHg Tor an empire, oI hich
both are nov GPpIVeu and involving IN
their common destiny, the unhappy lu-
dIans, wbc derived nothing from tier
friendship, but always suffered by their
enmity.
The story is interesting. Ii IL the uar.
rat,re OF The character and conduct OF an
industrious European couple, Mo having
settled I'D the back part OF PennsyiVanIa,
were carried by the Indians INTO The Cap
tyiiy Of the desert-bul even there pre-
served their happiness, by their concilia-
tory behavior. and raised their lovely tam
lily in comparative security amid the terrors
OF savage and civilized warfare.
We will not by any further detail OF
the incidents contained IN this interesting
work, lessen the anxiety OF the reader to
peruse it.
Some OF the northern prints had otserv'
ed of II, chiefly tbis-that WARRINGTON
was represented by the author, a. all un-
successful lover. This was such scam
| dal on the fair sex, that we tet inclined TO
undervalue the book. But on reading il,
| it would be uwus, 10 deny. that in beauty
| OF style in richness OF incident, in aptness
! of illustration, and stern morality OF
thought and deed, no American novel has
yet equalled the "Hiidsrness. Such
pictures oil human nature are suited for the
raptu Jus glance Of youth and must ar
rest The hallowed contemplation OF age.