The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-07-22

mot always n beou IDEAL of every one d
the contributors 10 The New Monthly. a.
accurate, no doubt as the notion which La
water formed of men's characters from
tlieir autograph. Sometimes, however
TINS Promethean ART has been a puzzling
process. One Essayist, wishing 10 i'm.
mortalize himself, Ike the Wat T'yleriede
Mayor of London, by dagger, assumed
that note 81 reference IA his signature
and oecasloucd me infinite trouble Ia pro.
'ldins sheath of flesh Another, who
now hon0urahly wields the sword ofiuslice
m the land Of The convict and the kanga-
roo, used 70 distinguish his will written pa
pefs by three daggers AT once, taNiug my
imagination To the utmost by this tripatfiie
individuality, aud making expensive de
mands upon the wardrobe of my BRAIN
third held out hand at the bottom ol
his page, beekoniug me- Ia its welcome
pernsal-a symbol which my eye iif lhe
eatachrcsis may be allowcdl was always
eager 10 grasp aud shake, and 10 which
my fancy affixed body with as much
confidence rs he who conlured mp Her
eules from a foot. But the most Devil
was the subscription of star for, after !.
man had become sidereal and accomplish
ed his apotheosis, it seemed somewhat
lrreyerend to restore him 10 his ncarnatc
state.
This rais'd q mortal TO the skies,
That drew GaGuthOr down.
| brought dGwn these Astral from their
4
them a suit of clothes for nothing, and had
before my minds eye distinct present.
ment of their identity.
Even when we assume a necessary midi
vidualIty somewhat more substantial than
this lancllnl creation when one is Known
prop1a persona, as the real identical Tom
kiaS, who writes IN "A popular mag zine I'M
der the signature of any specific letter, tn
what does it amount ? an immortality of u
month, after which we are left 10 ENJOY an
eternty-of oblivion. Our very nature is
! ephemeral; we " come like shadows, 50
| depart From time To time some hene-
yolrnt and dsintercstrd compiler endea-
yours to pluck US from the Lrathcrn gulf
| by republishing our best papers under the
captivating title of Beauties of the Ma
gaines, ." Spirit of the modern Essayists, y
or some such embalming words ; but alas !!
| like swimmer IN the wide ocean, who at
tempts To uphold his sinking comrade, he
can but give him FEW moments respite
when both sink together in the waters o.
oblivion. We know what pains have been
taken to appropriate Addison's and StccPs
respective papers in the Spectator, dI5tin
gaiehed only by initials. Deeming my
own Iucubratious las what essayst does
not y fully entitled to the same anxious
research, occasionally please mysclfwitf
| dreaming that some iatnrt Malone, seat
| ed in library, as am at this present mo
ment, may take down surviving volume
Of the New Monthly aud naturally curlou'
/ TO ascertain the owner of the initial IL
may discover by ferretlng into obituaries
and old newspapers, that II actually deslg
mates a Mr. fIigglnbotham, who lies burr
ed in Shoreditch church. Anticipating I
! handsome monument with n full acc0un
! of the author, and some pathetic verses 10y
"A portral friend. he hurries to the spot
and after an infnity of x oplng, assisted bN
! the spxtan's spcctacles, discovers il1
stone, which, under the customary EN-
blems of deaths head aud cross bones
conveys the very satisfactory information
that the aforesaid Mr.. Higsinbotham wa
born on one day and died upon another
OF all the intervening period, its hopes
and fears, its joys and mseries, It's yers
and prose, not an atom further can b'
! Cleaned. And this il is 10 be writer o
Ephemcrides ! Verify, Mr.. Editor the ide;
is 50 dishcarleniog that should be tempt
ID to commit some rash act, and pcrpe
trate publication on my own account, bu
that have before my eyes the fate of Ger
tain Blackmores, impressing upon me th'
salutary truth, that if we must perish AM
be forgotten, it is better to die Of a month
Iy essay than an annual epic. IL.