Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1837-10-07
thoughts.

Thoughts
.o,ahoo,. Ia ,,;,e and old friends" are daily
boya;no ,,er rarities than formerly, and we opine
Less esteened The spirit OF the age, so much lauded
by the utarian and by the aspirant TO another Al
mighty Dollar" has effected mighty revolution whose
benefits let others forth but the spirit OF the age
has M leisure for friends, 10 cultivate triendshp-
the vulgar rage for the juice Of the grape devours Old
wine in its infancy the faith OF It's baptisma record
and vinous poisons, gulped down without the sure
~ of Sponsors Old books sink into oblivion under the
enormous pressure Of legions of whose per-
shabie fabric attain old age, though some
times pervaded by genius worthy OF immortality
These thoughts suggested by visiting public
library contains many of the oden writer's who seem
to be generally neglected. OF one OF these we will
speak briefly and venture to commend to the lovers OF
poetry and epic, surpassed II equied by any other
in our language Kind reader are not about to IN
fct your patience or common sense, regular adj,
laaeen criticism crttqpe. You may ind enough OF
that in nearly every Review Gazette you meet II is
reduced TO mere trade without either knowledge or
art Could produce formal analysis oil the epic
alladed enjoning upon you 10 smile here and be
grave thereto condemn this as iaulf, and admire
that as beauty, should sooner think OF doing
So than since the advent Of the Dictionary OF Quota
tons of nterlardng English Ito be the better under
stood Of course with fragments of Latin French, &c
In the words of his learned and elegant translator
Mickle when the glory Of the arms of Portugal had
reached its meridian splendor Nature, as if in pity OF
the literary rudeness Of that nation produced great
poet Camoens record the numberess actions oil high
spirit performed by his countrymen The discovery
Of India by Vasco de Cana is the subject OF the Lus
ad The thrilling incidents of such navigation the
wars and conqaess Asia the martial achievements OF
the Portuguese i'll the Peninsula the expulsion OF the
Moors and the subsequent invasion OF Morocco, afford
ample and exciting them for the exercise OF the high
est poetic talent
less verse that ungraieiul country which suffered him
TO expire in an almshouse. OF such a man. it may
truly be said, that he
ais his own marble; and his merit
Cut him into any figure, and express
More art than deaths cathedral palaces
Where royal ashes keep their court"
Camoens felt that his age could not appreciate his
merit-and with what poignant grief must this ardent
patriot poet and soldier have mourned over the decline
Of his coun,ys glory honor, and approaching degrade
ton 80
natal soil, ne says:
Alas, on lagos hapless shores alone
The muse is sighted. and her charms unknown
In vain TO them the sweetest numbers flow;
UTnheard in vain their native pset sings,
And Geld neglect weighs down the muses. wings.
Rude and ungra,eiu, though my country be
This proud example should be taughtby me,
"wherere the hero's worth demands The skies -.
% that WORTH some generous oard shaii rise.
We did think of selecting for your readers few
OF the beautiful passages which occur IN the poem but
tastes differ and beside 2etaching part of epic 10
give an pre sion Of the whole reminds OF the man
who wishing sell house, carried about IN his peck
ct fragment Of the chimney a sample oil the edihce
We will conclude with extract from the transia-
tors introduction both that consider the remarks
Just and specially mostly OF serious in this
po-ahcad magnetic age of humbugs and humbugees,
when the multitude think, ut thinking part
ofther occupation that money, steam and gunpowder
are the only component of glory THE sole agencies
which exalt anaton which can make truly great
and perpetuate its greatness.
Polite literature not only harnonizes the heart bat
also wonderfully strengthens and enarges the mind
Moral and political philosophy are its peculiar provin-
ces and happily cultivated without ITS assist
ance But where ignorance characteristics the body oil
the nobility the insipd dissipation, and the very
idlencss and efemnacy OF luxury, sure to follow
Titles and family ther the only merit and the few
men Of business who surround the throne have u IN
their power aggrandise themselves by rivettng the
chains OF slavery stately grandeur 10 preservedbut
it is only outward-al is decayed within and on the
first storm the weak fabric falls to the dust Thus
and thus FELL the empire OF Rome, and the much wider
one of Portugal Though the increase OF wealth sid
indeed contribute ~ the corruption OF manners which
unnervcd the Portuguese, certain II IS the wisdom 81
the legislature might have prevented every evil which
SPAN and Portugal have experen ed from their acqui
sitions n the two Indies Every evil which they have
suffered from their requirements arose from their &C.
neral ignorance-an ignorance which rendered them
unable 20 uvcstgMe apprehend even, the principles
Of civil ana commercial philosophy And what other
than a total eclipse Of their glory could be expected
from nobility rude and unletlered those Of Portugal
are described by the author Of the Lss,ada and
nobility who sealed the truth Of all his complaints gainst
them by suffering that great man to die IN aims
house What but the fall Of their State could be e.
pected from like these Nor can the aanals
of mankind produce instance of the fall e empire
where the character of the grandees other than thar
ascribed 70 his countrymen BY Camoens W r M.
advent Of shad-N Csrr 8 Eng
CoAt-trs INFLUENCE on HEALTH.-There Is pro
badly no subject of much importance to society," that
issoule understood "a that OF fuel and fire heat none
by which the health is more sensiby influenced, or