Arkansas intelligencer., 1857-03-13
Correspondence.
Travels through the Mind, No.

Tie mind of an ercessiee forer of ,corks of
fiction. (ffoan The unpublis.ed manuscript of
Baron Pan .Snoozle) in allegorial language.
| ken the mind 10 kingdom which Eas its
battles, its strategems its revolutions, it, peace
AN minds are necessarily in some particular
unlike. but all have the same essential facul-
ties and qualities. In this chapter | propose
TO consider the state of the kingdom Of the
nind (mens) untler the control of ono who
allows the imaginations. that most sublime
faculty Of the mind. t. grow rank and become
pamperea BIZ nm excessive indulgence in the
practice Of novel reading OF course. refer.
ence Is made to the lower order of works of
fiction, such as are written for "paltry pay
not those higher, aud sublime ebutGtions of
sound Imagination which inculcate some
principle Of sound philosophy, of ethics or Of
history. The former distract the mind and
prostitute reason to the purposes Of a morbid
appetite or of unholy passions, the latter ex
alts the mind, purify the imagination and be-
gat within us determination to become wis
er and better. Butlet US commence our Jour
ney through the mind Of a 'nove6 reader" no
time is to be lost since there is n labarynth
Of distraction and anarchy to be threaded
Entering this once holy realm we will pro-
ceed to the princely mansion which has tho
appearance Of 50 much spIendor that at a
distance the beholder Is struck with awe at
its apparently imposing grandeur. Upon u
nearer approach we find al this-scen.ar
m9gnifecnce ejvcs p'ece t5 tavlv arI .1.
rorfcal beauty Entering lhi deceptive el-
itico ~o are az once in the presence Of l.s ,.a-
ant Imagination. Bsin. 4 nuz ar Ar,a..
tie history Of this per.aa (es We c,'' him, vc
that his history has % a.. I.ariul u,.ar
the history Of the kina'o.a o. tte mind, we
beg of him that he narra.e At to US, which lie
does in the fyIlowin- manner:
My FIRST remembranee is Of being a sub
Jet of our former kings (;ea-on) and being
governed by him in, what thought thop.
to be a very mild and goolly u.pnner. lie
was then 4 mere stfiplng as well a, myself
and the rest of the inhabitants of this realm.
In progress OF time found that almost al!
the subjects were growing very fast with the
exception of our king. He appeared weak
and unhealthy whilst | more especially, be
come of goody stature, 50 much so that
greatly longed to be released from the rule
of one whom began to contemn. Dissats
faction among the subjects, you know, is the
mother of every overthrow Of government,
you need not be surprised when | tell you
that soon began to devise expedients for the
oyerthrow Of our king | was fearful that a
forcible oyerthrow would be impossible and
so to make myself safe in my scheme | in
duced the passions (a very powerful flmilv
in this realm when the king Is not able to OPP
pose them) to join in my plan. BY working
them mp to the highest pitch by the assist
ance of the substance which xas By daily
food, | soon made them subser,ient to my
will. Thus associated we began to under
mine the power aud authority Of the king
Since be seemed to lose rather than gain
strength, We believed, with good grould>.
that our scheme must speedily be e.ured out
and the end in view quickly accomplished
was daily fed with works Of fiction; love
stories and sentimental poetry, and, Of course
continued 70 gain strength, whilst reason lost
strength lie had but l.ta exercise, Gor he
said he could not take il "-ince tho whole
time was devoted to Indulgence OF the pas
sions which was alas too true" You seem
sad, we here remarked, are you not glad that
you have dethroned your king and set up a
government upon your own plan?
You little know" he answered "what a
deceptive strength was boosting of, when
harrangued the passions urging my right to
the throne Ny power was evane-cynt as
the dew which sparkles upon the trembling
petal Of the smallest flower, the first breath
OF adNer.ities stotm threw ne back pg@eg ss
to the ground. Is soon is trouble came ap-
on Us we were glad to cry out to our dclhroa-
ed monarch 70 save Us by rcsumng the sccp-
tre and throne. He did So, bat his a,vrv
was 50 diminished that he often tramo.yl
upon h,s lettering ;hrone. uhsn ,ha passions,
over whom even Asol lost control, wou.l
bel and rush il.a..y upon him. The whole
realm is now in a state OF confusion aud an
archy, and our king IS banded about in lhe
storm like a 10y upon tle angry wave"
'At our request imagination consented to
show US the palace Of the unhanpy king.
1t was, indeed a sad spectacle, to see The work
Of devastation which had ragged around its sa-
cred walls. Preserving few traces of pris-
tine splendor, the palace was a pile of wreck
and ruin. The throne was yet to be seen,
but the gossamer shreds which floated around
1t told too plainly the departure of the glory