Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1836-09-06
gss- ~ .Ns-4s. Da3s .4sssrsss,-
con TENT EMIT.

ssnsis 20 the sctisgr ~ 81 olc scqpnnhnee-
ssass tctiinned bc ~ eonepimeu' 70 to be found
ia tho World. tSe heart tha, is humble might hope
fo- !. here sach, too. .. the laususge u thou
sss5s sad the popular delu.ioa 10 elsrshcd more
or less thtsssh oil the rsnt. Of human life. The
,slae q thlns /. sa,d 20 be in proportion 10 Ne
scarcity. end th. may be IRE res'on ~hy this -
much lonssd for ooncn;n.eu has fund s9ch IA or
Ia the syes Of tie mrltiiodc. lie, us look al 1t
moment.
To be eon,en, IL TO b. ssiished-,o wish for moth.
Tag TO aim OF no,hng Nos look 81 the world ~
IL srs,ss Ne aud little such thing snd well
10 II 90. wh., is,i that heiehis the ships-bcau-
tie. the cities the srts-and promotes
the wealth. Intelligence and importance OF a free
and en,srpnsine ns,ion Assurediy not content
rDen' II iss passive principle, and a. such, man
can have bot hiilc sympathy WITH IL he is on ao-
tive animal hs pleasure hes net 20 much 10 The
posssssion 90 IN the pursuit. fstno mcrensnI nap
pier when. retiring from the din and hustle Of the
city bic ships b., freghs and bis specula,ions. he
hss,ens to thc enjo, ineni Of rural he purchases
beautiful villa. and looking around h'm With com
plseeney says. i am content -
Delosion all! he is not content. lie mus, still
busy himself With the news, the business, and the
exchanges; or. if he looks al home. every thing is
wrong or wants improving. part OF his houses
ere misbvilt-bis wslks are badly laid out, or
olump OF trees spo,ls his prospect. These mendcd
give rise TO new wants, and fresh Improvements
40 he goes on. and dies a, last amid all the mighty
hustle attendant on the planting Of an orchard-,he
cutting a csDal-,be building green house.
Perhaps the beet persou6oa,Ion of con'entment
vs. fat London Alderman, seated after pleptiful
dinner in his easy chsr--bs wine before him his
pipc-his optics half closed and not idea IN his
brain Of the past, present, or future. This dull
4 r
Conteniment snd corpulency have never failing
relationship. and accordingly Byron once exclaimed
10 the remark that a certain modern Fulstsff was
hieratsur-"hes the latest hog IN Epcurus sly"
There is no analogy bctwixt conlentmen and lean.
ness-a thin conten,ed man is paradox. who
are your bold. fiery active, daring. en,erprisrg
dunng spirits Are they your men Of fat and oIll
How many fdf men are on record for noble daring 7
Cesar dsliked CassiUs for bis nldermsnic charac
terisics-"That Cnssins Is too thin he cSclams,
"slthoueh fear him not, would he we're faiter."
The handspring Of the complicated mechanism
81 hunsn nature Is the love OF dstinc iion-fame or
wealth. !, is this principle which promotes TO no
bic and adventurous deeds: i, is this principle that
calls talent into action that produces poets, pain
tiers, ttsie.men- ,hs, sends men to the frozen
If the arctic circle and to the burning deserts OF
Africa, and this pnbciplc ia wholly opposed to con
ten,ment IN the long list OF glorious names tina,
belong to history, few will be found in whom con
tentnien, VAS prominent trait Would content
ed meo have painted the Cartoons, or discovered
America Had this contented humor prevailed
the mobiles, energies Of the soul had been repressed
Caesar, careless of the empire of the world, might
have saun,ered through the streets Of Rome ga
laning Cleopatrs-Shakespesr would have idy
snged in The Avon. and lested with Warwickshrc
Doors Milton would have logged tr1ants al his
school IN Bunhill elds--and Washington, Viz
gina planter, instead of warning in the tented field
would have overscen one OF rice or indigo, aud
smoked tobacco ofhis own raising, sutnely in the
shade.
No! le, con,entmeni prevail and iis benumbine
influence would spread itself over all the actiy,
principles OF our nature. The wheels Of societ,
would be stopped, aud the whole order Of naiur,
be reversed The kish nonsense OF content
ment and cottage is on, Of place IN world Of i'm
provement. II may sui, tbe degraded serfs in the
s,sgnsnt pool Of Russian tespotism, but shall The
free and LOFTY spirits who have shaken of fcuda
le,hsfgy give pause IN their career, Conentmen
only exists with ignorance. Blu, suppose il gene.
raj -ths, every man sat under his own Vine and
Flg-,ree-ihe netgss Of commerce relaxed-,he
heart sstlsied. and The whole stir Of the great worl,
hoshed. What al appalling picture
The very distinction between vice and yrtu,
would be lost In the entire nulhiy of the human
character man might rather be said TO yegetat,
than live. Like other animals he would psss iron
the earth without leaving trace Of his existence
not one glorious emsnsilun OF genius not one use
ful monument 10 transmit his name TO future ages
geneisiioo would succeed generation, de rot .nc
be forgotten.
We have lived much in the world mixed m
OIL classes and descriptions, and yet il La. been ou
10, TO NEE, but one thoroughly eonlenled man; ana
ss Byron ssys, private eGsmples are as good a.
any" take his portrait
E3hsm Easy vas the only son Of gentleman
farmer, who cultivated has own land. When Chi,
he quiescsnt disposition Was quite remarkable. -
He never cried for toys. like other cLdten--playes
DO msseh'esous Pfankt-est ~heh 1t IVES given to
han. ADD slep, whenever he could At school he
never shoAed the least desire 10 be distinguished
either &c the sports Of hs fellows. or 10 he class
Growing too big CO.. school and unlike other young
sisfs, msnilssling no disposition see the world
he vss removed to his fathers farm, where. taking
root, 40 course Of time. be sprouted into man. =
The death 81 his isther after pat han IN pos
session Of his estate Still