Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-12-30
TO THE EDITORS.


I" The conscious ,cater sac us God and blushed."
GENTLEMEN Some discussion has lately arisen in your
paper among your correspondents, Smos," Thym-
brus and Others in regard to the authorship Of the fore
going pretty conceit" as it is termed
have nothing to say to Its authorship 1t seemss to
me Of little moment whether it be justly ascribed to Dry
den to Crdsa, to some such "tyro as he Of
Georgetown College. That question, in my humble judg
ment is baud dignus vindics nodus"
But If not an obtrusve in.erlocutor between these
learned dispuants would say word in relation to
the "prety conceit another concerning the ldtnity Of
both Dryden and the juvenile Of Georgetown College, in
which the spretty concet is dressed and commended,
may be- by professor Of that institution to the
admiration Of your readers.
The concet expressed in the English version, quoted
at the head Of this article suggested is known
by that passage in the I'd chapter Of St. Johns Gospel
between the lst and 9th verses which describes the first
miracle Of Saviour at the marriage in Cana of Cali
lee, familiar to all your readers O., the turning cvater
into Wins.
The poet whoever he was, in order to embody the
concet" in language INDUCES the widest and most
rayagant scope Of poetic license and endows the water
with both the moral and intellectual faculties Of
ent being It not only becomes conscious and sees
under the magic touch Of his poetic fancy, but bs
also Now, my objection is not to the attribute Of
sciousness and sight, the odesy which caused it
to blush Inanimate nature is too often made to see to
breathe to think to speak, to t and even to blush, under
the creative genius Of poetic felton, to dispute its
priety at this day. But the madness and inspiration
of poetry rarely without method consistency do
complain and protest that the "concet in question has
neither method consistency but is very poor one and
very false, and that enormous injustice is done to the
waer when after it is endowed with consciousness it is
made by the noet blush at the sight of It's God 1t is
very foolish, very vain. and very wicked tsconceit
that the conscious water should under the miraculous
and benevolent power of Onnipotence so sublime an
occasion, be filed with any emotions that might it
to blush for take it for granted that when the poet
speaks of the pat being conscious he blend
its moral and physical natures and, to interpret him
Alright in order understand his conceit it would be
unjust to suppose that he simply it to change color
The change Of color the result of profound
ton Of mind heart If the moral and intellectual sent
ments excited to the water to blush it
gess the inquiry what there in the or crcum
stances of the transaction, in the divine author of the
miracle, to cause the Water to blush? Blush to
betray shame or confusion" It means moreover, to
feel of guilt If this is the correct lexicogra-
phca Interpretation definition Of the word blush it
pays poor compliment to the conscious water to i'm
pute to it such unbecoming and unworthy emotions
would make it 6lHsh for any deed sits Cod might per-
FORM for any thing for which it would be selected
the agent to accomplish by such divine author Instead
Of feeling shame confusion, should rather sup
pose would have felt thrill Of joy and have smiled
with gadneSS Tor being the chosen instrument OF the S
vours first miracle Instead Of Of guilt we would
have ascribed to it of and feeling of
rapture and delight. Butnot SO the poet. The ''concet
would have been "conceit' unless he--wheher Dry
den or whoever he was-was licensed to violate
and right enable him to surprise the
learned world with Latin hexameter which, when
lated into English modern sentimentaliss call
pretty concet!''
concede that according to all legitimate process the poet
has succeeded in changing the color The conscious
water has s'bushed; that is, it has turned red To
make the concei perfect the operation is yet only
half complete may be red and yet not 1t may
be only red ca Abstract the line from its connection
and association and there is nothing in it that indicates
that after the ransmutaon the liquid contained any of
the constituents Of wine except color For the water to
blush simply will not answer. 1t fails to describe the
most essential feature Of the miracle. Where is the
Diae2 Where is the strength the body, the vinos qualify
Take the line as it is transmitted to u.s. and IL gives
only idea Of red The guests at the marriage
Haonr did something he converted the into
wine The water became something it changed
not into red wdter but into pe But look in vain in
the conceit for any thing that tastes smells like
wine The water bIUshe and there the poet leaves US
If We wish to have full idea what the "concet is de-
signed to convey, We must supply the deficiency by
exravagant and violent stretch Of Imagination must
throw double meaning into the word 5lsh, and con-
ceye that the water has not only changed color but apo
and that dushng aoatsr means wne 10 miracle if
cessu, worked upon minds by the poet in his pref
by the Divine Saviour upon the water itself am an
admrer of "pretty conceits when they concets 2
am willing to concede all proper SCOPE to the license Of
poets. am willing to allow all lawful range the i'm
aginaton when called upon give point to the fancful
conceits Of poetry But submit that the poet in this
case has transcribed all legitimate bounds and imposed
rather too much upon his reader II heavy draft
upon either cultivated taste unsophscated simplicity
to extort admiration for its beauty commend it to
our judgment gem sparkling with wit or wisdom.
am not SO ignorant of the enthusiasm and admiration
which this linelatey reproducedhas long excited
as not to foresee the contempt this criticism may bring
down upon It dem ands small share of courage
brave the with which shall be received by the
fervd voares Of the literature of the age in which this
'conceit' had its origin. know the Indignation with
which the poetaster the and reader
of scrap poetry will fout these boorsh sentiments But
deere quid Vetat r. "There is no disputing about
taste any more than the fancy Of others He is but
slave that is breast the pers to which this fugitive
structure exposes in defence of little
in poetry; and think that effort laudable which
aims to expose the absurdty Of those who either de-
luded themselves attempt to impose unmeaning and
uninteligble the world for brilliant wit or
pretty conceit albeit the author is Dryden any other
ilustrous wit or literary luminary.
With your permission, gentlemen, will reserve that
correspondent from Baltimore and that Of the tyro Of
Georgetown College, for another letter. QUITS.
Oak Grope, Westmoreiand county, Va, Dec IA.
ENTERTAINMENT OF ORPHANS.
We find by the Baltimore papers that the Odd Fellows
of that city have neen making glad the hearts of the
orphan children during the hoydays The standing