The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-05-01
OAIENS !


mrus." recently issued from IN
press IN Edinburgh. the following
extract ~ taken. IN support Of III,
authors theory of preNarnings. |
j. my stical. but not without fin,
lmaglnincs. " /. Amer.
What Is genius. but sort oI
something which Distinguishes one
mind from another. ~ the diif'errn-
Ces OF figure aud feature. micn and
complexion, indiNidualize the per.
sons Of different men We all hear.
and src, and taste, and feel. aud
smell alike. though Some have a
kecner relish Of the enjoyment ol
one sense than those of another.
Some are delighted by the ear
with melodious sounds--others BY
the eye with well-orderrd forms q.
the musical distribution Of colours i.
OF such are those artists who address
themselves to the imagination. The
cpicure has his paradise IN the pa
late the voluptuary in his exquisite
touch aud have somutimcs tho't
that the faculty of the poet MAS live
liest in his smell for 10 other re-
wells 81 Iuxuriously IN the rrNcrics 4
rumlnailans of the aromantic sum
mer. nor finds in the perfume OF
leaves aud flowers such delicious re
mInlsfen, cs oi wisdom aud beauty.
Despite. then. oi all controversy and
metaphyslcs. II may be said. as The
scuses are The gates of the mud,
that genius sits as wardcr at that
which IL best constructed 10 give Gu
trance, or perhaps, that wnch the
circumstances ol fortune have ma,be
the most frcquentcd qniekness 81;
sense. or habit of observation.
d" Bat whether that melancholy
lorcknowlcdge. with which / was 80
o1cn depressed. came Of endowment
OF custom. il would be thrlltlees To
Investigate : for, ~ an old muslci-
an once told me, such things are too
shreWd and subtle ever to be tasted
by philosophy.
" lie MAS "A German by birth aud
came IL teach the flute. was one
of his pupils but soon discovering
thai lie Was curiousiy versed in a pc
Cullar experience. took lessons from
him III study more congeniai 10 my
disposition than even music lie had
been bred up from his childhood in
the band Of Il regiment and YET such
was The dominion which his genius
had over him. such his fascination
10 harmonious sounds, that he re-
manned as simple in his morals aud
imagIuatlons as the shepherd boy
when be tries his first oatcnpipr.
lone on the hills. III the calm of "A
sunny May morning.
is not the sense ! have Of the
speech which ~ III melody | have
often heard him say. "a gltt from
Heaven j? Think YOU il was given 10
delight but idle ears! That would
he 10 say Providence makes fiddle
strings.--No g.; there IL much pro-
phecy in all the sounds of nature
speaking 10 our instinct but the
use Of instinct We have lost, " there
fore do not understand them. Yes
| by the virtue of the oracle in mine
ear, have discovered many things
that are among the laws and reguIa-
tons OF nature. Those persons, for
example, who particularly delight IN
the drlicaCies Of CbromatIC mel0-
dies. modulated on fiat key, whc-
thrr they he composers, performers,
or listeners, are seldom long lived.
For the most part they die before
their forty-seCond year, though a
few. by reason Of more strength, do
sometimes reach to forty-nine. Such
truths cannot be put into the cruci-
bIcs Of philosophy
Aud then he would reckon on his
fingers innumerabIc instances oi nm
sicians Of that delicate order, who
died in their youth adding, And
have not the witness most believe
in mine own self? can tell by the
key to which the rising corn ruslles
in the winds Of spring, whether the
harvest Will be plcnteous or niggard-
~ for the world is but band of
instruments that were all once tun-
ed to the same pitch. the celestial
key 10 which the innocent angels
tune their harps. Whenever, there
fore, there is amy lack Of concord
with that Mhich was the universal