Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-10-24


COMPLAINTS AND Scarcely
q day passes over our heads, without affordng
us some trilling trouble, ant. a goodly quantity
of complaints. II We say civil thing Of a
cotemporary, ho complains because we were
not still moro civil, and il we utter rude word
in relation to another paper, we the next day
receive hearty scolding, with many hard
rap over the knucklos. Mr.. Woodwork. the
excellent American poet-and We admire hun,
because he is a printer aud a selEeducated
genius-has at last made his complaint, which
is contained in tho last number of the New
York Mirror, and thus it reads:
FROM THE NEw-YoRK MIRROR.
" The Bucket-We arc not suro that our
friend Woodwork int nded the following letter
for publications; but we have not time TO COM
ply with the concluding request in any other
way, than by giving it uer6atim:"
"The Literary Caie, is excellent .cmi.wcckly P,pe,
published by Mers Smith Prmcner in Providence, Rhode
and and have be very highly pleased with its
tents, until The last numhcs to hand dated October TO-
Pe:hnp excessive molc,,," would have Induced
to p1" the objectionable article in silence, cacu
rated (novevc unncaio,al!) produce wrong ,mpre,on
Introduce, our little .ans c ,hc Bk,, in which The editor
Presses himself as follows
awe think our correspondent is in error, in ase,ing the
production to the pen OF rauJs. If We are not m,aLca,
written by Woolwoh, a"i ;rns one If the han!. cd
PARODIES that ,s.r criltea hs time a very
popular song TO u a, il pa'ody, it i' very agree
able, though think po>sees much merit palolies
seaeraiy do Eut iom pao1ieS and F, heaven protect u
The word parody is thus defined by Doctor
Johnson: "A kind of writing. in which the
,oords Of an author. or his thoughts, are taken.
and by slight change, adopted to some new
purpose" Now, the little production in ques-
ton, was written on a hot day in the summer
of 1917, and Immediately published in the Re-
publican Chronicle of this city. If the editor
Of tho CGdet will be kind enough to point out
a single thought or expression contained in
this song, that ever appeared IN print previous
TO that date, we will acknow ledge the song
to be a ,lGrody-not else. Parodes on the
Rucket, We know, have since appeared with
ot number, such as the Blanket, by q lady of
this city; the Bible that lay on The stand, &c.
We may be accused Of giving an undue impor-
tanco to 80 trIiiina an affair. But, as the Le-
vite said "Yc havo taken away my gods
what have more 7" II is killing tho poor
mans only lamb. II is blighting the only fresh
leaf Oh our little sprig. We speak in the plu-
raj number, George, because tcc are editors.
ne TACT l9, tnlS llllic n HChCt VI oWo has bcCh
banded about strangely. John Ball claimed
it, within six months after 1t appeared, and it
ran through the English Magazines as the pro-
duc,ion oT Wordsworth. This we considered
as compliment. The next thing we saw of
il was in a Southern paper, rs the production
of our counryman, Pauld.ng. This was also
a compliment. But finally and lastly, to hear
the poor bantling accused of WegitimQey, was
too much -boiicr have thirty-six fathers than
none. So do ii justice, George, in your next
Mirror, and obigc yours. truly,
S. wOODWORTH.
GEORGE p. MoaRis. Esq"
REMARKs.--we proceed to surrender such
information Us We possess. in relation to tins
affair, and VIC arc sorry TO say, that we rear IL
will not prove 50 satisfactory us we might WISH
The Bucket, as celebrated as it may be- did
not meet our eye ill the year is22' when wo
found il in an Alabama paper, ana iooked
upon /, as nothing more or less than parody