Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-05-02

disciplrs any thing better than this, as 4 reward
for being idle? We apprehend not.
"According TO our belief, The common sense
of he world is. therefore, as we have already
-emakred, against MIR. Droz on this point, and
in favor Of the diligent pursuit Of some regular
occupation, as a principal element oil napp'-
ness. Ii is true, that We hear, at times, from
the Italians, Of the dolce far nienie, or the delight
of having nothing 10 do; but even IN the same
Quarter, there are not wanting respectable au'
,hori,ips in favor Of a different system. The
Marques Of Spinola, an Italian general ceier
brat,G for his military exploits in the war o,
the independence Of 1.-The Netherlands, passeo
the latter part of his lite in retirement upon d
handsome pension, aud, OF course IN the iuil
Fl tuition Of the dolce far niente; but being one oil
those persons without occupation, who are also
unoccupisd, he found himself Gas usually nap
pens, even according TO our 'author, win gym
llemen Of ,h,s description) rather III al ease
While 10 this situation, he was informed oi
The death Of one Of his ancient comrades oil IN
terior rank in the army, a captain perhaps, or
probably a colonel; and, upon inqnlring 'nlo
the nature Of his disease, was answered Thai mt
died Of having nothing to do. Mon deAd malal'
tia di non tenere niente a fare. Basta, replied the
uund1Dy NldIluIos "lih q oiO' 'N''o -
sympathy in The fate Of his departed brother Of
the war, basta per I'm generate TITS enough
20 have killed him, had ne been a general"
Such, even on Italian authority, are the
plea of The dolce far niente They appear
TO be eEjoyed in the same way in other ranks
and walks of life. Read, for example, in Lalon-
tame, the story ofthe cheerful cobbler, render
ed miserable by a presen, of a hundred crowns,
and finally returning, IN despair, 10 lay them at
the feet Of his would be benefactor, and recover
his good humor and his last Behold the luck
less school boy, torn from his natural occupa'
ton on some Thursday or Saturday. afternoon,
and perishing under the burden OF a holiday.
See him hanging al his mothers side, and beg
giug her, with Tears in her eyes, TO give him
something Is do; while the poor woman, aware
that he evil is irremediable, can only console
hlm by holding gu, the prospect OF return TO
school the next day. Observe The tradesman
who has m ldr his fortune Gas the saying ISL
and retired from business; or the o2uleDt pro
~prie,or, enjoying his dIgnih' d leisure. How
he toIls al me task # doing nothing; as a ship
without ballast al SEA, when it TAILS Calm alter
a heavy blow, labors more without stirring an
inch, than in gong zen knots an hour, with a
good breeze. How he { groans and swfats, as
Shakespeare has IL, under a happy lie! How
he cons over al night, for th" third time, the
newspaper which he read TIL ough twice, from
beginning to end. Immediately alter hieakf,s;!
a wealthy capitalist, reduced by good fortune
10 this nrlorn condi ion, has assured us, that
he Often begs the damestics, who are putting
his room in order, to prolong The operation as
much as possible, that he NAV e Joy again, for
a li,,le while, he losl delight Of experimenting
ana witne ,sing he performance Of useful la
Dor. But this is not The worst No soonet
does he find himself in The state Of unocoupied
blessedness, than a host Of uuwished for gi>i'-
ants doubtless the same with those who took
poss. ssicn of he garrished lodgings OF him In
Scr,pturel enter on his rem'se and declare
his body a gooc prize. Dyspepsia Ia new name
Of horror) piucks from hts lip, The untasiet
morsel and the brimm'ng bowl, brdims his
eyes with %unna'ur, j hli udness. and powders his
locks with premature old age. Hypocondria CHE
accursed blues Of the fathers ~plonsnS his cheeks
with burrows. and heaps a perpetual cl 'ud upon
his bow Hepnhtis, like the vuiture OF Pro-
me,heus, graws at MS liver. rheumatism racks
his johns: Gout grapples him BY the great zoe;
so that, what with : black spirits and white,
blue spirits and grey the poo- man suff%rs
marryrdom in every nerve and fibre. until Palsy
or .4ppopsry, aftec all The kindness OF '"r Tribe,
gives him the coup de grace, and relea''s him
from his misery His Ely,Ium is much like
that Of the departed Grecian heroes in the
Odyssey VIII, frankly avowed 10 Ulysses, lha,
they would rather be the mranest day ,laboirr
above ground, than reign supreme over all the
shades below"