Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-01-19

pierced BY ObeiIsks and pvraihius' W s"'Pe.,
over crumbling towers and temples, solemn WIN
decay. He has, in word, done for the landscape
Of his country with his pen, what Cole DID Tor IL
with his pencil, and brought mine OF those urea
sures to light which Byron, when wishing to ex'
press his conception of the highest stores Of fan
cy, termed .the poetry which inhabits the forests
of .4nerica."
Though this volume contains much that Will
he new to many of our readers, they are already
sofamiIiar with the princpa! pieces Of it, s. The
Ages" &c Thanatopsis" and "The Past" that
we shall quote neither of them at present. To
these, after ALL and especially the two latter SUBJ
lime productions, their author will probably be
indebted for the rank which shall be assigned
him hereafter among the poetica arlstocracy OF
The age. But our business is not at present with
his fame, nor the order of poetry to which his
writings belong; we aim at nothing more than IL
Illustrating here their more popular beauties-those
which, in their unpretending charms, make more
familiar appeal to our sympathies, and cause the
witchery Of his muse 70 steal over the senses as
delightfully."- as the warm haze of an Indian sum-
lner's day in autumn; thawing out the heart from
the icy letters with which the world invests II,
and breaking up for the time the coating OF fac
titious tastes, that envelope and benumb Its lac
uties.
Mr.. Bryant sketches nature with charmed
pencil, and his outlines are not the less bold and
tree, than their filling up is minute and elaborate
~ finished. All the incidents OF the scene ne
would describe are rehearsed. but there 's moth.
ng of the vocabulary in the enumeration OF their
forms. The whole volume is not less distinctly
before you, that you can place your finger upon
any passage. He draws tulip tree for instance,
and brings the towering mass Of vegetation 50
haf
CALLING on sumac berries. or the froic chpmuck
wantOning in the urze at its base, but the fame OF
the forest and the eagle that is settling on its
summit. are what arrest and fix your attention.
Susceptibility to the beauties of nature. amour
ting almost to tenderness of thought; close OBJ
servation of all her visible forms. and an exqui-
site decacy of expression in painting them when
detected; these, with breathing freshness Of i'm
agery, and dlcton deliberately polished, are the
characteristics Of Bryant's poetry. There is no
weakness or redundancy in the mechanical part
no wire drawn ideas are accumulated, no epithets
TO Iengthen out a line, and, We may add, none OF
the sparkling cOnceits or pompous mystfyings
which are such favOrtes with the poets OF our time.
The simplicity of his writings would find favor
for them with either a child or philosopher.
There is one merit in these poems to which we
have only as vet alluded. and that is their strong
nationality. They are American IN every line,
and relish throughout Of land and a cline which
Nature has richly endowed with poetic objects,
though man wants soul to appreciate them. Mr..
BRYANT has done we'll in identifying himself
with the soil of his country; like Antsus he
draws his strength from his mother Earth, and
his strength Is that of giant. We are content
that this volume should 20 abroad as a specimen
of "American Poetry"
1t is probable that there are as many manufac-
turers of anecdotes for the British press as there
are "dreadful accidents makers employed for
the same purpose. In recent London paper
the following anecdote fresh, in all likelihood.
from the prolific Imagination Of some caterer Of
the press, deserves passing notice for its inge-
nuity.
Who's rot the Cholera MorJus?-The excite
ment which is now so general throughout the
metropolis occasioned by the fear and alarm
which pervade the minds Of every class of sOcie-
ty, at the expected visit Of this dreadful scourge
was considerably heightened by the following
circumstance, which lately occurred at news
paper Office in Fleet.st The editor had sent
down to the printer, to be composed. long ar
ticle on 1.-the cholera morbus!' From its ex-
treme length, it was divided into six parts, and
given to as many composiiors TO " set up" just
afterwards. timid gentleman, who had been for
many weeks past adopting every precaution to
prevent an attack of this fatal complaint Selling
him, came into the office to chat away half an
hour with the {" Reader" He had not been there
five minutes before the " reading boy" entered
in great haste and inquired Who's got the cho-
lera morbus?''-ssI navel have"-I've got
it, )" Iondly responded the aforesaid half-a-dozen
compositors, - The d you have: shrieked
out the timd gentleman in question. more dead
than alive with fear and agitation, 'then I'm off
and, ''sultng the action to the word" he jun
ped down the first iigh, Of stairs, and was clear
off the premises ia a twinkIing.
Extract from the Message ofthe Governor Of
Delaware.-The Governor abiding to the late
excitement in Delaware, makes the following re.
marks:-
l, is not at all probable that any such design
has been for,nedo paItcisated in. BY our blacks;
they have few motives, or indictments to such