Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-07-29


women. yet when he approached manhood his
attachment for their society became very strong,
and he was constantly the victim of some fair en-
SLAYER. The symptoms Of his passions were OF.
ten such as nearly to equal those Of the celebrated
Sappho. never indeed knew that he tainted,
sunk and died a,cay; but the asita,ions OF his
mind and body exceeded any thing Of the kind
ever knew 10 real life. He had always par.
ticular jealousy TO people who were richer than
himself, or who had more cn1saguenCe IN iffe.-
His love, therefore, rarely settled on persons OF
this description. " hen he selected any one
out Of the sovereignty of his own good plea
sure to whom he should pay his particular atten-
ton, she was instantly invested with sufficient
stock of charms, out of the plentiful stores OF
his own imagination; and there was often great
dissimilitude between his fair captIvater. as she
appeared to others, and as she seemed when 10.
vested with the attributes be gave her. One
generally reigned paramount IN his afecuonsi
but as Yorick's affections flowed out to Madame
| de l. at the remise door while the eternal
vows of Eliza were upon him, so Robert was Ire
quenty encountering other attractions, which
formed so many underPlots in the drama OF his
love-"
Thus occupied with labor, love and dancing,
the youth " without an aim found leisure oc-
|
! of his mind in rhymes. 1t was as early as Sc
venteeen, (he tells us.) that he wrote some STAN
zas that begin beautifully:
| 81 ,lresm'd lay whcrt the flowers were Swinging
Gily in the sunny beam;
| Listening to the wild bird singing,
by FILLING crystal stream.
| Straight the sky grew black and daring.
| Thru the woods the whriwinds rave,
TIees with aged arms were warning,
| o'sr the swelling DRUmLIE wave
Such was ife's deceiiful morning." Re.
| Then comes his more serious attachments, po-
etry and love still going hand aud hand:
81 was obliged (says he) to give up this
scheme; the clouds of misfortune were gathering
thick round my fathers head: and what was
worst of all, he was visibly far gone in con-
sumption; and, to crown my distress. belle file
who had pledged herself to meet me i'll the field
of matrimony, Tilted me, with peculiar circum-
stances of modification"
| Some letters referring to this affair are we'll
worth preserving, particularly when their early
date is considered. The first OF them begins
thus" verify believe, my dear E., that the
pure genuine feelings of love are as rare IN the
world as the pure genuine principles OF virtue
and pety. This hope will account for the un-
common style of all my letters to you. BY un-
common, mean their being written in such
serious manner, which, to tell you the truth.
has made me often afraid lest you should take me
for some Jealous bigot, who conversed with his
mistress as he would converse with his minister.
don't know how it is, my dear; tor though, en-
ccpt your company, there Is nothing on earth
gives me so much pleasure as writing to you, yet
it never gives me those gi'ldy raptures so much
IL r hora off hn,,nk,
that if a we'll grounded affection be not really
part Of virtue, tits something extremely akin to
it. Whenever the thought of my E. warns my
heart. every feeling of humanity. every princi-
pie of generosity. kindles in my breast 1t ex-
tinguishes every dirty spark of malice and envy.
which are but too apt to invest me. grasp eve
~ creature in the arms of universal beneVolence,
and equally participate in the pleasures OF the
happy and sympathse with the miserles OF the
unfortunate. assure you, my dear, often look
up 10 the divine disposer Of events. with an eye
of gratitude for the blessing which hope he IN
tends to bestow on me, in bestowing you.
What follows is from Burns letter, i'll answer
to that in which the young woman intlmated her
final rejection of his vows. 81 ought IN good
manners to have acknowledged the receipt Of
your letter before this time, but my heart was SO
shocked with the contents Of it, that can scarce
ly yet collect my thoughts SO as 10 write I'D you
on the subject. will not attempt to describe
what felt on receiving your letter. read it
over and over, again and again; and though it was
in the poitest language of refusal, still ii was per-
emptory; you were sorry you could not make
a return, but YOU wish me-, what, without you,
never can obtain. you wish me all kind of hap
piness' It would be weak and unmany to say
that without YOU never can be happy; but sure
am, that sharing life with you, would have CIV
en- it relish, that wanting you never can taste"
Ia such excellent English did Burns WOO his coun-
try maidens in at most his twentieth year.
Every one knows the manner in which he was
caressed when the name Of the hitherto obscure
peasant had become famous. The following ex-
tract from one of his letters shows with what s,ur
dy jealousy the poet received the patronage of
8. The Great:"
II never, my dear friend, thought mankind
capable of any thing very generous; but the state
illness OF the patricians Of tdinburgh, and the ser-
Witty of my plebian brethren, (who perhaps, for
meriy eyed me askance,) since returned home.
have nearly nut me out of cOnCeit altogether with