Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-06-16
THURSDAY MORNING, 1912

bless mankind by advancing the Interests
of commerce, manufactures, agriculture
medicine, and education itself; so lmagI
nation and Fancy find their noblest oc
cupaton in selecting and combining al
thoughts and feelings Of man, in their re-
deemed and elevated state, whether at
trbuted to man himself or to the externa
world, and in leaving il for their own laws
of activity and unstimulated energy TO de
velop them, like flowers in a congenisl
soil in all their divine and countless hues
and forms. And these we feel and know
to be something more than "airy moth
ings," and 1.-THE forms Of things unknown
For though no, objective to our bodily
senses, yet are they to the active sympa-
thes Of the soul. 10 the society Of these
realities does the good man delight, until
they mel, into, mingle with, and become
subjective OF, himself.
II has been said that one, to be poet,
must first become a mailman, and that po-
etry is but the rawlings of a maniac who
reasons correctly from false premises -
This may be the case when lis objects are
the passions oil mankind, for then the poet
builds upon the sands Of fasehood and
none could be SO short-sighted, SO seEse
less as to fee to this structure for safety
when the tempcsts OF life are abroad.
But that Imagination whose soul is love,
whose eye is faith, whose wings are hope,
builds her aerie in the everlasting cliffs oil
truth. She discards that doctrine-which
is libel on human nature-the doctrine
of leading US captive at her will, through
the mire and filth of vice. to make us viz
iuous-through seas Of blood to teach US
the blessed arts Of peace. For the paltry
moral at the end is a sham. antidote, which
can never purge the soul Of the pollution
which she imbibes from familiarity with
guilt and impuri,y. But she introduces
US to virtue direct and leaves it for her
own matchless worth, to waken in US
love which will not be satisfied with any
thing short Of an eternal union with this
bride of the skies. For it is gross Sian.
der upon virtue 10 think that We must be
driven to her by the frigh.iulness of vice.
Thus she acts upon the principle, that
every impure habit and thought and de-
sire and attachment, will die Of itself, (if
let alone by cultvating its opposite.
The christian poets imagination, there
fore, institutes a school of virtue, whose
business and aim it is, to educate the NOR
al feelings. He draws his books and ex.
amples from the purest sources which
earth can sfTord-the simple incidents OF
humble life. or humble life. where the
immortal rises subllmely above the tenn
poral-where poverty rouses to action,
Industry and enterprise, toll giving to eve
nv ioy its soul of swcctness-where hea-
venly grace is fed to for stay and a
comfort, and not the naughty arm OF
weal,h-where the blasphemous complaints
anG prcsump,uous prayers OF selfishness
are not heard, but man goes out OF sell,
and in thankfulness worships the nvsl-
BILE alone"-where suffering from infancy
has impaired the power to understand the
griefs of others and the pure delights of &C.
tive OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the little brook
let of individual sorrow loses its identity
in that ocean Of human woe which heavcs
from shore to shore. In such school,
What wonder if our being should become,
Sublime and comprehensive"
The effect is seen ia the hallowed sc.
renity which pervades every avenue Of
domestic life-in the rational mlrth and
in the chasteness Of the social circle
whence is banished the coquetry of love
and of literature, and heart speaks to heart
in tho swiftness Of charity, whom nei-
Their storm nor tempest can stay-in the
warming and ennoblng sentiments of pat
rio,ism, which party spirit canno, seduce
and in the expanding arms Of phllan-
,hropy which embrace the world.
Do you ask where such poet may be
found answer, at Rydal Mount, West
moreland county, Scotland; where resides
the not-altogether desplsed, and honry
headed poet, William Wordsworth. Dc
YOU sheer at that name he whose pride
will s,oop so low os every day to commune
little with his truly great and divine
mind, will every morning rise wiser ano
better man. Do you scorn that poet 7
take then your Byron and your Shelley
with their impurity and impiety-but give
me my Wordsworth, and
"His concord of well tuned mind-which
| Hath been so set BY that all working hand
| OF heaven, that though the world hath done hi
| worst
! To put il out by discords most unk'nd;
! Ye, doth it still in perfect union stand
| With God and man. nor ever will be forced
! From that most sweet accord, but still agree,
Equal in fortune. inequality
| -