Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1827-04-07
PRoVIDEN CE.
CRITICISM.

before the public, are public property, and
are obnoxious to criticism. To this tru-
ism we offer our assent, and hold our pro-
ductions ready to be scrutinized by the lit
erary stickler and the scholar.
In our last, in giving very brief account
of the late caemitous fire, which visited
our neighbourhood, was the sentence which
will be found below, and the word FIRED,
which we shall mark in small capitals, was
objected to by literary acquaintance, who,
in the fulness Of his critical ocumen, says
there is no such word in the language; and
that if such word is recognized, it ,ras by
us, improperly applied.
As we do not boast Of literary infallibli-
~, and as We have real sins enough to an
swer for, and are not disposed to bear the
shame of any more than what we really
commit, we beg leave to dissent to the pro-
positions of our hypcrcritlcal reader; and in
few moments we shall proceed to prove,
to his, and to the public's satisfaction, that
he is most wofully ignorant of the "King's
English" But as we are disposed to take
a fair start, we will republish the offending
sentence:--
"CoNFLAGRAT1oN.-Y Yesterday morning, that
part of Central Building, occupied by John Miller,
Esq. the publisher of the Manufacturers and Far
mers' Journal, was FIRED Iand the newspaper and
JOB offices belonging to that gentleman, near
iy destroyed-much of the property was. howev-
er, covered by insurance."
The sentence, appears to rae TO 'be Por
fectly correct, and we insist first, that the
word FIRED, is a good English one, and
that it was properly selected and applied.
AS we will not attempt to carry point, by
mere assertion, we appeal to the writings
of men of acknowledged learning, and
whose productions, are ranked among the
classical publications of the times. In
Lewis's Tragedy of Adelgetha, we find the
following paragraph, as recited by Lothair,
when speaking of the chivalrous conduct
Of Guiscard, at the siege of Durazzo.
oh, that great proud day,
When scared by Grecian fire and hostile myriads,
Our troops resolved to raise Durazzo's siege,
And thronged to gain their vesscls swift light
ming
Flew Guscard to the crowded port, and dashIng
The foremost rebel back" turn, turn' he cried,
"Shame to the vanqushed! to the victors glory!
"No flight! no refuge! no resource but triumph!
"Normans, you conquer here, or die!'--he said,
Then hurled frebrand midst the fleet, and
swiftly
tl,o 90 Shi 10 CHI
Each trembed, each turned pale; till each and
FIRED by the hero's fire, with one accord
Brandsh their swords, struck their broad shields,
and shouted,
Fright, Gsiscard, right; we'll conquer here, or
die!'
In this paragraph, as the reader will
perceive, the word fred is used, and the
is quite sufficient to establish all the po-
sitions we assume, and confirm US in the
opinion that it is not only correct word,
but that it was by us properly applied.--If
the hypcrcrtical stickler,who has arraigned
US on the charge of literary outrage, should
contend, that the word, is used fguratvely
by Mr. Lewis, we will concede the pro-
position, though that will not in the least
lessen the force Of our arguments He
has said, that there is no such word in the
language:-we have proved that there is,
and if he wishes to avail himself of spe-
cies of quibbling about tropes, metaphors,
aud figures, he is at liberty to do so.
To adduce other proof Of the correct
ness of our language, we proceed to quote
from another author;-from the writings of
a man, whose poetry has won for him that
Immortality, which we fear our friend nev-
er will attain, either as a grammaran, a
Lexicographer, or writer. We quote
from Collins celebrat ed Ode to the Pass
ions.
when Music, heavenly maid, was young,
While yet in early Greece she sung,
The passions oft 70 hear her shell,
Throng'd around her magic cell;
Eudtms' trembling, raging, faintng.