Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-10-20
COMMUNICATIONS.
THE HOTCHPOT.


"And it seemeth that this word hotchpot. is in
English pudding; for in pudding is not COM
monty put one thing alone. but one thing with
ether things together. '-LM. s267.
TUESDAY. OcToBER 10Th, 18sO.-No. l.
.Frona the .4ttie Of Nerius Nsgaion, Esg,ire. ]
Bot Write prologue -Shnks
Ny Dear PuJhc-You may rest assured that.
in commencing this voluntary effort for your gra-
E6cation, have not taken the pains to enquire
Shetner my DEBUT should be characterised BY a
confession Of inability to the task have under
taken, OF be graeed by modest ayowal of diff
3ence in my literary powers. Nor, if such a
course were necessary, should | think proper to
pursue ii. Be good enough to bear in mind, also.
that my own win is to be the sole regulator of my
proceedinss-aud that your appreciation, on the
contrary, will form but small impeachment to
nv progress. No further authority is to be Civ
en- Your nod than NAV be pleased to concede it,
rhis much promised, shall yet deeper - the
vein" az soon as have craved tax on your
memory, to the effect that YOU will consider what
/ have said rs a legitimate annuncaion from ca h
of my collaborators.
Hiying now given YOU foretaSte Of our in.
tended independence, it is but fair that you
should be acquainted with some Of rules which
are TO govern US i'll our anticipated career. In
the first place, deem 1t proper to remark, thai,
neither ut US will bore ynu with an auto.bionra-
phy-that elegant invention Of some modest wise
acre for trumpeting his own praises 10 the world
We think it TO b. of very little Importance that
ypt should know whether We are "re,ired ON
mon COuncil-nen." or broken-winded attorneys:
whether we are liable to the frontal decorations
Of tina Usage cornuted quadruped.a goat; Or wheth-
Ell We vet linger 10 survey thc land OF connubia
promise, without an attelnp, TO reach il. We
opine that IT IS equally unnecessary TO inform YOU
whether We wear queues or n0t-whether we are
given to Scotch snuff or rappee. Our object Is
two-fold: to rub of a little of your barbarian
rust, and to contribute to our own amusement-
the latter being always the paramount considera-
ton In attempting the former, we shall not. like
Chesterfield descend to the minutise f regulat-
ing the familiar intercourse between individuals
of your body, nor give sage maxims on the eti-
auette of the table; for We have too high an OPT
mon of you to suppose you composed of either
HottentOts or cannibals. Unlike the Spectator
si al on"s genus, We shall not PRIV into your pr,-
vate fOibles that we NAV carp at them; aud in the
quotations from the letter box to spice our own
dull lucuhra,ions, we shall have especial care
that even your prejudces be respected. Our
moraltv shall not consist of the :. cut and dried"
dogmas of the sChoolmen: for that our text books
shall be God and our own consciences. 1t NAV
BE- a. wei! To mention here. that We do not anti
cipate entertaining you with essays written with
the splendid and polished periods of Addison and
Steelr-with the cumbrous but magnihc ent learn
ing of Johnson-with the humor and pathos of
Sterne--or with the wit aud oh osophy Of Wi
taire and Boiling broke; we would undoubtedly
give our reasons for such a course. were they in
the least gratifying to our vanity or self love
Nevertheless, the preparuiion, and Combinations
from the nborafory of our poor brains, shall be
as entertaining ais We choose To make them.
II wa feel disposition to be lugubrous, we shall
Indulge ourselves; and the remark that d'd,e esi
IN loco deSipere shall not he lost upon us. Our
Ya,orite authors here, nv dear Public. speak
for myself) being shakespeare and Horace. we
anal favor you with frequent drafts upon both of
those gentlemen. Being something of poet nv
self. shall occasionally CRAFTY your taste and |
fancy by few heXameters. written neither in |
the style of Pope or Petrarch, Homer or Horg, !
but simply after the manner of Nevius Negation
Esquire. Politics we utterly eschew.
/ am not much given to pressing. or this first
number might be longer. Having now said as
much as is necessary. and as much as feel dis
posed 10 say, shall conclude by telling YOU that
il YOU get at all impatient las YOU undoubtedly
will should we delay long, for our second ap-
pearsuce, the only remedy will bs-to get over
/ as quick as possible.
Good bye. n. N