The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1824-03-23
MISCELLANY.
MISS sEWARD'S RIDDLE /:
.4notAsT Solution.
r. 49,. Afnv.,.T-t. EInuuF1


Ia. PrTTHAN-Having lately noticed in
the papers, the ,0onderf4l riddle Of Miss sew
ard 40 English lady, and the more tC0Hderfui
solations of our 0tca o0uHtFyneH cannot re-
fraiu from congratulahng you, and through
YOU the literary world at large, on an aCces-
sion 50 important 20 the fun, OF human knowl-
edge, an accession truly gratifying &c Anglo
Americans, as Il raises 10 SUCH an eaviable
Ie1ninence the literature Of our mother tongue
~ 18th hemisyheres. What fame indeed can
Bri,ons ask, or Americans receive, more no
be aud durable than that Of puzzling, for
yew :, TIE mightiest genuses and phlloso-
Pie Of " all Europe with riddles 50 intrI-
ca, uat no human being, save the 6csr hunt
ess the New World, can search them out J;
N ben ia due time leading forth their
49, N and Gagged solutions, ready trained aud
tame for exhibition in the museums " " all
Europe to the sssonishment OF the natives
Indeed, sir, the advances made 10 our age
II the world are utterly without a parallel J:
scarcely q week elapses without the an
nouucelnent Of some splendid new novel OIL
prize poem, witch leaves the dull plodding
reniuses Of antiquity out Of remembrance.
True, indeed, there remain among as some
few withered and grabbed memorials Of for
mer and barbaTous age, who nov and then
gather courage 10 fauIter out the guesr names
Of Miltsn, Pope, Bacon, Newton, Locke, Ed
wards, or Franklin; and who are duly pun
ished for theirwant Of intellect and taste, by
the kisses Of this "polite generation" n
have. sir, a supeFannuated uncle Of this des-
cription. one Of whose unmannerly questions
Tor riddes) subioin at foot by way Of sau-
pies. But TO my subject. One Of the i'm
mortal bards Of this age and nation has giveRI
as the solution OF Miss Stewards riddle, the
claims Citu Of Rome" Allow me, sir. (be-i
ing neither a Jew or a Romau) 10 present
your readers with third solution, which sue
cessfully transplaBts to .4ieraadriG, the Iau-
rels claimed for Jerusalem and Rome. This
solution IS from the pen Of my cousin Samuel
Simple, esq. Of Poppersquash. Whether he
designed il for Alexandra in Egypt, or for our
own I'D. C.) Alexandra, | cannot say and
II matters little. But, at all events, my COu-
sin Samuel has determined to hit upon the
true solution and indeed | think he is in
fair way-for he showed me, last evening, 40
less than thirteen different ones, each unfold
ing different and : ancient city Of no small
renoln." On my inquiriRgs which Of them
all he considered the true one intended by
Miss Seward, he very gravely answered, that
@ much might be said on each Of the thirteen
sides of the question" For HIMSELF hOwev-
Yer, perhaps partiality inclined him--but he
was fain to hope that that honour was in re-
serve for his own dear native -Nel0 Castle !;
very sagely subjoining that New Castle was,
/ beyond question, one of the most " ancient
md renowned cities" 10 all Delaware. vii
Ing, however, 10 give satisfaction to all par
les, and anxious Ia la mode de Scott to de-
rive some fees as well as fame, from the EN-
Dloyment Of lis talents, he begs leave to pro-
pose and offer for one halt of the sum prom
I sed in miss Stewards will, to acc IMMEDIATE
md apply her said riddle to seven tenths Of
Ill the ancient and Renowned cities of the
earth: from Damascus to Dumiries from
Babylon 10 Bladensburgh; not emitting Pop
jprsquash, Pekin, or Piscataway. With the
most profound veneration for the riddle ma
( h1rs aud solution catcAcrs Of the age, re-
N ain, sir, yours, &c