The ladies' garland. [volume] (Harpers-Ferry, Va. [W. Va.]) 1824-1828, 1827-11-24
DtJcnce Of Riddles-hl iencrto a Lady.

grown such an adept IN the occult arts, and
that you take a iaudahle pleasure in the ancient
and ingenious study of making and solving rid
dies II is science, undoubtedly, of most ne
ccssary requirement, and deserves to make
part In the meditation Of both sexes Those
Of yours may by this means very innocently
indulge their usual curiosity of discovering
and disclosing a secret; whilst such amongst
ours who have :; tara lur deep spCcniatoHs, and
are fond of puztllng themselves and others, may
exercise their faculties this way with much pri-
vate satisfaction, and without the least disturb
ance to the public 1t is an art indeed which
would recommend to the encoura cement Of
both the universities, rs it affords the easiest
and shortest method Of conveying some of the
most useful principles Of logic, ard might there
fore be introduced as a very proper substitute
in The room of those dry systems which are al
present IN vogue in those places of education
For a, it consists in discovering truth under
borrowed appearances, it might prove Of won
dcrinl advantage IN every branch Of learning,
by habituatIng the mind to separate all foreign
ideas, and consequently preserving it from that
grand soCrrn Of error, the being deceived BY
false connexions, In short, Timoclea, this your
iavonrltc SCIENCE contains the sum of all human
policy and as there Is no passing through the
world without sometimes mixing with fools and
knavcs, who would not choose to be master of
the cniGmatical art, in order, on proper occa
sions, to be able to lead aside craft and impcrti
ncncc from their aim, by the convenient arti
1icc ola prudent disguise? 1t was the maxim
of a very wise prince, that " he who knows not
how to dlssembe, knows not how to reign:''-
and desire YOU would receive it as mine, that
" he who knows not how to riddle, knows net
how to live"
But besides the general usefulness Of this art
it viii have farther Recommendation TO all
true admirers of antiquity, as being practised by
the most considerable pcrsonages of early
times tits almost three thousand years ago since
Sampson proposed his famous riddle so well
known; though the advocates fer ancient learn
ing must forgive me, if in this article attribute
the superiority to the moderns; for if we NAV
Judge Of the skill of the former in this profound
art by that remarkable specimen of it, the &C
muses. Of those early ages were by no means
equal to those which our times have produced
But as a friend Of mine has lately finished, and
intends very shortly to publish, most learned
work in folio, wherein he has fully proved that
important point, will not anticipate the plea
sure you viii receive by peru>ing this curious
performance. In the mean while let it be re
membered. to the immortal glory of this art,
that the wiscst man, as we'll as the greatest
prince that ever lived, is said to have amused
himself and ncishbou1ing monarch in trying
the strength of each others talents in this way
several riddles, il seems, having passed be-
tween Solomon and Hiram upon condition that
he who failed in the solution should incur a Ger,
tain penalty 1t is recorded likewise Of the
great father Of poetry, even the divine Homer
off fi,atb ,al hat ,Cto nT ~