Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-07-27

with terror. j WONDERED tudt Hdu
never seen it before. | expected that
some nation was burned with fire IN
the distant country. did not know
who made these, and l was very igno-
rant not to think THAT God was Gre
ator of the universe.
IMPRISONMENT OF THE LEARNED.
Imprisonment seems not to have
disturbed the man of letters in the
progress of his studies.
1t was in prison that Boethus COM
posed bis excellent book on the Con
solutions of Philosophy.
Grotius wrote in his confinement,
his Commentary on St. Matthew.
Buchanan, in the dungeon of a mo-
mastery in Portugal, composed his
excellent parapbrases on the Psalms
of David.
Poisson, during FIVE years con-
fnement for some state affairs. pur-
sued with ardor his studies i'm the
Greek language, in Philosophy, and
particularly in Theology. and pro-
duced several good compositions.
Michael Cervantes composed the
best and most agreeable book in the
Spanish language during his captivi-
ty in Barbary.
A well known and very excellent
law production, was written by a
person confined in the Flee! prison
for debt. but whose uame has not
been preserved.
Louis theoTwelfth, when he was
duke Of Orleans, being taken prison.
er at the battle Of ST. Auban, was
long confined in the tower of Bour-
ges; and applying himself to his stu
dies. which he had hitherto neglect
ed, he became in consequence an "a
bic and enlightened monarch.
Margaret. Queen of Henry the 4th,
King of France, confined in the
Louvre, pursued very warmly the
studies of literature; and composed a
very skiIful apology for the irregu.
larities of her conduct,
Charles the First, during his cru
ell confinement at Holingsby, wrote
that excellent book, entitled "The
Portrait Of King" which he al
dressed to his son, and where politi-
cal reflections will be found not un.
worthy of Tacitus. This work,
however, has been attributed by his
enemies to DR.. Gawden, who was in
capable ofWriting a singleparagsaph
of it.
Queer Elizabeth, while confined
by her sister Mary, wrote some We
ry charming poems, which We do not
find she ever could equal after her
enlargement; and Mary, Queen of
Scots. during her long imprisonment
by Elizabeth, produced many pleas.
ing poetic compositions.
Sir Walter Raleigh produced in
his confinement, his History of the
World, of whom it is observed, to
employ the language of Hume, "They
had leisure to reflect on the hardship,
not to say the injustice, of his sem
tence. They pitied his active and
enterprising spirit. which Ianguished
in the rigors Of confinement. They
were struck with the extensive ge-
Mus of the man, who, being educated
amidst naval and military enterpri-
ses, had surpassed in the pursuits OF
literature even those of the most re.
cIuse and sedentary lives; and they
admired his unbroken magnanimity,
which. at his age. and under his cir
cumstances, could engage him to un-
dertake and to execute so great a
work as his History of the World"
In one of the Courts of Judicature
in Massachusetts, some IS or go
years ago. an uncouth young fellow
of the age of eighteen was introduced
into court as a witness for the plai n :
tif-upen which the defendant arose
and objected to his being admitted as
witness, "for (said he) he does not
know enough to understand the ma
ture of an oath; therefore he ought
not to be allowed his evidence in this
court-and to convince yeu, gentle.