The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-11-19
WHOLE NO. s9Os.
COLUMBUS.

l.
lumbus, is extracted from review of Irving's
History of the life of that distinguished man, in
the March number of the American Quarterly
Review.
J "A peculiar trait in his rich and varied
character, remains to be noticed; that ar
dent and enthusiastic imagination, which
Threw magni6cencs over his whole style
OF thinking. Herrera intimates, that he
had talent for poetry, and some slight
} traces OF 1t are on record, in the book Of
prophecies, which he presented to the Cath
Ole soyereigns. But his poetical tempera-
ment, is discernable throughout all his writ
lngs and in all his actions It spread gold
en- and glorious world around him, and ting
ed every thing with its own gorgeous coiors.
r 1t betrayed him into visionary speculations,
which subjected him to the sneers and cav
llllngs of men of cooler and safer, but more
grovelling minds. Such were the coniec-
lures formed on the coast of Paria, about
the form of the earth, and the situation of
the terrestrial paradise about the mines of
Ophir, in Hispamola, and of the Aurea
1 Chersonesus, in Veragua; and such was
the heroic scheme of crusade, for the re-
covery of the holy sepulchre. 1t mingled
with his religion and filled his mind with
solemn and visionary meditations on mystic
passages of the scriptures, and the shad-
owy portents ofthe prophecies. 1t exalted
his office in his eyes, and made him con-
celVe himself an agent sent forth upon 4
sublime and awful mission, subject to i'm
pulses and supernatural visions from the
DEITY; such as the voices he imagined
spoke to him in comfort, amidst the troubles
OF Hispaniola, and in the silence of the
night, on the disastrous coast of Veragua.
He was decidedly visionary, hut vis-
lonary OF an uncommon and successful kind.
l he manner in which his ardent magma
ton and mercurial nature were controlled
by powerful judgment and directed by an
acute sagacity, is the most extraordinary
feature IN bis character. Thus governed,
ms imagination, instead of wasting itself in
lcle soarlngs, lent wings TO mis- judgment,
and bore it away 10 conclusions at which
common minds could never have arrived;
nay, which they could not perceive when
pointed out.
To his intellectual vision il was giyen.
4 to read IN the signs of the times and ~.
reveries of past ages, and indications Of an
unknown wvriu, as sootnsayers we're said
to read predictions in the stars, and to fore
tell events from the visions of the night.
" Ills soul" observes a Spanish writer,
was superior to the age in which he lived.
D For him was reserved the great enterprise
/ to plough sea which had given rise 10 so
: many fables, and to decypher the mystery
n of his time.n
! With all the visionary feryor OF his imGg
y ination, its fondest dreams fell short of the
, reality. He died in ignorance of the real
! grandeur of bis discovery. Until his last
: breath, he entertained the idea, that he had
merely opened a new way to the old re-
ksorts of opulent commerce, and had discov-
cred some of the wild regions of the east.
i He supposed Hispaniola to be the ancient
Ophir which had been visited by the ships
of Solomon, and that Cuba and Terra Firma
were but remote parts of Aisle. What Wis
ions of glory would have broke upon his
mind, could he have known that he had
| indeed discovered a new continent, equal
to the whole of the old world in magnitude
and separated by two vast oceans from all
the earth hitherto known by civilized man;
and how would his magnanimous spirit have
been consoled, amidst the chills of age, and
cares of penury, the neglect of tickle pub
lie. and the Injustice Of an ungrateful king,
could he have anticipated the splendid en-
pires which were to spread over the beautI-
ful world he had discovered, and the nations
and tongues and languages, which were to
! fill its lands with his renown, and to revere
and bless his name to the latest Posterlty z
AN INVITATION TO DINNER. 1t was OBJ
served that certain covetous rich man new
er invited any one to dine with him, III
| Law wager said wag, 6 | get an invitation
| from him. The wager being accepted, he
| goes the next day to the rich mans mouse,
about the time he was known TO SIT downto
dinner and tells the servant that ne must
speak with his master Immediately, TOR tnat
he could save him thousand POUNDS
8 Sir said the servant to his master, mere
! is man in great hurry to speak with you;
who says he can save youa thousand pouhus.
Out comes the master, What IS that vow
say. sir-that you can save me thousana
pounds 2 'Yes, sir, | can--hut | see you
are ot dinner; will go myself and dine,
and call again. % pray sir, come IN ana
4 take a dinner with me- sSir ! shall be
I troublesome.' mot at ALL The invitation
I was accepted. AS soon as dinner was over
and the family retired, well, sir, said the
man of the house, 'now to our business.
PRIV let me know how am to save this
thousand pounds?' Why, sir sand the
other, / hear you have a daughter to dis
pose Of in marriage have And mat
YOU intend to portion her with ten thousand
nounds.' Il do so.' why, then. sir, letme
have her, and Twill take her with nine thou
sand.' The master of the house rose IN :
passion and turned him out of doors.
|
TASTE. A gentleman GRnvetlng lately IN
company with DIR. Hamilton Of Edin6urg: stop
n ned to lake some refreshment at HafwicN, on
: The Scottish border, and asked him why the men
|, wore plaids :" Oh to protect themselves "a a
gainst the sudden ehsnges Of tns variae's ~.
I h"ls nah cd said the traveller. "Oh that's all
e matter mai ere Of taste" said he Mem Taste i as
! oood defence against bad weather as 'oooue',
G soro.,,,tr three Yards long, by one and a hall