The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-07-27

" Beneath mnuntain's brow the most a,
mote
Aud inaccessible by Shepherds trod.
IN Il deep cave, dug by 10 marital hands
hermit h'rd---a melancholy man.
Who was the woudrr oil our wand'rlnr
SWANS;
Anstcre aud lonely-crucl to himself
INA they report hm-the cold tath IN.
bed.
Water his dunk, his food the Shepherd.
aims.
vent /" ser him, & my heart vas tourh'd
WIN reverence y 81 ilh pity Mid he spak.
And entering ~ dlscoursr. such stories told
As made me oft revisit hs sad cell"
ilOMEs DoUGlAs.
On the decliyity of a hill which
overlooks the pellueid waters Of the
S"ekonk Rleer. in a rude cell. re-.
sides 'hormit. whose history is rs
incxrlicahlc as bis affecting account
of himself is mysterious. lis name
Is Robert, but In What country he
belongs. or what are the inducements
which have led him Ia lead the soil
tary life of n he nit. m one knows,
and the fact puts con lecture N haZ-
ard. Certain 1t is. however. that
he Is not IA native of New England
and That he is not by education or
by principle attached to our habits
or our Institutions. the whole course
OF his life. since he has been wilhus.
has abnndaniIy proven.
II is now about eighteen years
since he first visited as, aud took up
his abode in a thick pine grove.
which threw It's luxurious foliage ~.
Yer the brow of Arnold's Hill. and
from that day 10 this. he has care
fully avoided answering any qurs.
lions, which might lead Ia disco,
cry Of his hlstory--or crafty the cn
rlo5ity ot the inquirer.
Months. years aud days pass by
him unnoliccd aud unrcgarded ; aud
il is only on extraordinary occasions,
that he energies from the confines
OF his solitary hermitage. In the
Spring he sometimes occupies him
sell IN Iaborions empluymcnts--snch
as attending gardens for the neigh
borhood t.; but 50 regardless is he OF
the things of this world, that he cars
not whether his labonre are reward
ed or not. by those " 10 receive the
benefits OF them.
Unused 10 the Injuries or cxtrav-
agane'"e e lie, he contents him
p. If with the simpiest IU"', IN "
as the bountfuI hand ot nature SUI
plies. The meats or iutemprra'c
liquids of social lie. are unknown 10
Inn.
Rui from the mountains grassy side
gultrs7 feaslhr ba.o's;
A scrip nth herb AM ir its supplied,
Aud water from the -priuss.'
In summer. he Cultl,atcs small
lot ofland. winch he IS kindly ALLOW
Cd to possess. by the Hon. NJ Bur-.
GEES. the owner 0tthe estate on winch
the hcrmtag &c Is located, but he rare
~ allows the plants To arrive at
maturity, before he plucks them from
the earth, and throws them 10 the
cattle that feed around his lonely
mansion. What should induce him
thus to destroy what he Ia, often
been at great labor 10 cultivate, he
assigns 40 reason, nor can any one
form reasonable conjecture. HIS
cell is decorated with Various shells
and bones, and is scarcely capable
Of accommodating himself alone, aud
! The furniture with which II Is sup
piled, consists of q stool, an oahcn
! bench, on which he REFUSES. and two
or three pieces Of broken delphi ware.
1t is as gloomy as darkness and So
ltudc can make it, aud appears to
be admirably fitted for amisanthrope
and recluse.
Ia winter he seldom energies from
his solitary mansion, but silently y
patiently waits for time 10 introduce
the vcrnal Spring, AID TO bring "a
bout that joy inI season, when once
more he can rove around the ada.
cent woodlands and mcads. The
rays Of the sun never enter the port.
ais OF his domiciI, and at mid day
/ il assumes all the darkness of mid
night. Content with his situation,
and at peace with all, he quietly
Looks forward for the arrival of that
day, when he shall bid the waking
world good night, and find in conn-
tries uucxplored that happiness whifl
life has denied him.
His cell is surrounded by a tliCl