nature in her vegetable kingdoms, | or street wherein he was born, would whispering to the conscious heart, inquire for the house, or if that "The God invisible-or dimly seen has decayed, the place where it stood. As there are persons who. "In these his lower works" Or teaching us, (to use the express-know, and no doubt many of your ion of another poet,) readers, hope through the medium of your paper, they will communicate it to the public, and satisfy "To look thro' nature up to nature's God." CURIOSITY. For the Emerald. DESULTORY SELECTIONS, AND ORIGINAL REMARKS. THOSE readers who are in the Hence it is universally conceded by the philosopher, the moralist, and the politician that the study of both civil and natural history is one of the highest gratifications of which the soul is capable, and one of the most useful that genius can recommend and present to us-History is the sister of poetry and of painting: it exhibits the most pleasing pic- habit of devoting their first attention tures to the imagination, and calls to this department of our paper, forth the utmost resources of judg-will not listen to the monition of ment. It usurps command over the Martin Luther, who advises stupassions, awakening the most ten-dents to confine their attention to der emotions of pity, and raising the blush of anger at the view of imposture and treachery. It leads us from the consideration of what is agreeable, to that which is beautiful; from the beautiful to the subBeholding examples of patience, of fortitude, we become better men, better citizens. Warmed by the animated description, we emulate what we see. We follow the demi-god through the heat of the battle, we anticipate his renown,. we tremble for his danger, we partake of his triumph, and forget we are mortal. CASTIGATOR. Mr. Editor, FOR THE EMERALD., As the most trivial incidents in the history of great men become more or less interesting to every one, I think it might not be considered too unimportant to inquire after the birth spot of FRANKLIN. Not satisfied to know the town, district, some well selected and well informed authors, and not to distract and confuse themselves with too great a variety of books. Miscellaneous readers, observed Luther, never learn any thing correctly, but are led away by vague and crude notions; as those persons who dwell every where, and settle in no place, cannot be said to have any certain habitation. USES OF STEDY. There are four principal ends which students should aim at in reading good authors. 1st To discover the real character and genius of the writers. 2d To find out the extent of their understanding, whether their genius is superior to their erudition or inferior to it. 3d To make themselves masters of what they read, so that they may make new discoveries by the means of ancient knowledge. 4th To bring as nearly as possible their own minds to a state of perfection, and purify their dispositions in the same degree to which they carry the improvements of their intellects. God made the country, and man made the town. What wonder then that health and virtue, gifts That can alone make sweet the bitter draught Conjugal felicity though a subject of pleasing contemplation admits not elaborate description. Be-That life holds out to all, should most attie has not been unsuccessful in his attempt to sketch its outlines. No jealousy their dawn of love o'ercast, Nor blasted were their wedded days with strife: Each season look'd delightful as it past, To the fond husband and the faithful wife. Beyond the lowly vale of shepherd life Which in ambition's lofty land is rife, tire worm Of pride, each bud of joy industrious to deform. THE POWER OF FORTUNE. The freshest flowers, the most verdant meadows, the most beautiful gardens, and the most cultivated fields, lose their various charms at the approach of night. The first dawn of the sun restores them to their abound, And least he threaten'd, in the fields and groves? about Possess ye, therefore, ye, who, borne harm. Our groves were planted to console at The sleeping leaves, is all the light they wish; Birds warbling all the music. We can spare The splendor of your lamps; they but eclipse Our softer satellite. Your songs confound Our more harmonious notes: the thrush departs former splendor. The most honor-Scar'd and the offended nightingale is mute. Men are like plants, that never flourish if they are not well cultivated. Among a miserable people able birth, the most eminent merit, and the most useful virtues, strike not the eye, nor attract the attention of the world, till Fortune brings to light these fostering rays, and every spectator is dazzled on a sud-the species not only decreases, but den with their effulgence. Anacharsis, a Scythian philosopher, having attended an assembly of the people, observed, that wise men proposed questions and fools decided on them. Poets have often sung the beauties and pleasures of the country. but we are yet untired by the theme. The reader cannot but admire, in the following lines by Cowper, the comparison between the evening of town and country. sometimes degenerates also. Why statesmen have so frequently been decried by poets we will not now inquire, but that sounding epithets have been often pressed into the warfare, must not be denied.An indignant poet thus vents his ire. Oh! what a mire of mischief is a statesman! Ye faries, wirshwinds, and ye treacher- Ye ministers of death, devouring fire, tainted air, All you are merciful and mild to him. Sewal. GARRULITY. and under some regulation, it deMen of great loquacity and mod-generates into absurdity. A pertrate intellects are sarcastically rep-son, on the contrary, may have a resented by an Arabian proverb as very useful understanding, and not mills, whose clatter only we hear, be a brilliant man. The excellenwithout ever carrying away any cies of genius consist in the vivaciflour. SILENCE: ty, variety, and grandeur of its exertions; gifts which nature alone boasts to bestow, and which art and study endeavor in vain to acquire. A good understanding consists in a certain equable, regulated tenor of just thoughts; which qualities are i The deficiencies of Addison in conversation are, says an elegant essayist, well known. He preserved a rigid silence among strangers; but, if he was silent, it was the si-likewise conferred by nature, but lence of meditation. He probably at that moment labored more in his reflections than had he been in his study. It was this silence that enlightened a whole nation diurnally GOOD FORTUNE. lowe, says Thomas, much to Peter's care; Once only seen, he chose me for his heir; True Thomas; hence your fortunes take their rise; Hi: heir you were not had he seen you twice. BON MOT OF ARISTIPPUS. which art may considerably improve and augment. and evil, so interwoven-in whom MAN! strange compound of good self is often so contradictatory !where extremes touch!-in whom blind fanaticism rivals in splendor the deeds of enlightened heroism. O man where end thy vices?→→ where do thy virtues begin? Nay, what are thy vices, if sanctified by the motive of virtue ?what thy virtues, if they lead to the commission of crimes? Who then shall pronounce on their merit, if reason bewilders, if instinct mistakes its aim, and if deluded conscience is mute, when her voice should the louder call on thee? This philosopher was very fond of magnificent entertainments, and loved a court life. Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse, asked him in a sarcastic manner the reason why philosophers were seen often at the gates of princes, but princes never at the doors of philosophers. "For the same reason," replied the philosopher," that physicians are found at the doors of sick men, and not sick men at the doors of physi-adorned with more charms than cians." A LUDICROUS STORY. The question has frequently been asked, Whether painters should represent the persons who sit to them, they really possess? The following anecdote may serve as an answer. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MAN A young man in a distant province OF SENSE AND A MAN OF WIT. received the picture of a lady whom To be possessed of wit, it is ne- his friends had destined for his fucessary to be endowed with a good ture wife. Struck with the beau understanding. The converse of ties which the portrait presented to this proposition is not true. How-his eyes, he hastened immediately ever brilliant, fertile and active a to Paris, to see the enchanting origmind may be, yet, if it be not steady final. Finding his mistress void of every grace, and, in short, frightful, he wished to withdraw his pretensions. The parents of the lady became indignant, and pressed him to the performance of his promise. "I will marry the picture which you sent me with all my heart," replied the disappointed swain. PANEGYRIC ON DRUNKENNESS. Who by disgrace or ill by fortune sunk, chus) and! Drunkenness; so nearly are they allied. Then FLACCUS af firms that wine makes us eloquent; and this is confirmed by KoTZEBUE, in his Benyowski, where we read, that fish are mute for no other reason than that they drink nothing but water. Beside, when are men so full of morality, truth, and charity, as when they are half seas over? And let me add, that HOGARTH observes, that, "all the common and necessary motions, for the purposes of life, are performed by men in plain or straight lines; but that all the graceful and ornamental movements are made in curve lines." Such are all the movements of a drunken man; he must, therefore, be the Ho-most graceful of men. HIPPOCRATES says, that it does a man good to get drunk once a month. I won't say it follows, that it must, of course, do him much more good to get drunk daily; but I know there are many people who seem firmly persuaded of it. RACE* next tells us, that poets who water can never make good poetry; and ATHENEUS assurés us, that By premature essays like thine, ALCEUS and ARISTOPHANES Wrote poems when they were intoxicated. SOCRATES, too, was a clever fellow; and he, according to LUCIAN, was always drunk; for, in conformity to his own confession, he saw all things double. Farther, let us take the It may be said, indeed, that the vine has produced much evil; and I may be told, as a proof, that Erithe shape of a bunch of grapes.gone was deceived by Bacchus in Well I know it; and I know also that Erigone is not the only girl who has been deceived by means of the grape. But now in opposition that circumstance, which is so triword methe: what does it signify? fing, when compared to the advanWhy, both Mirth, (the son of Bac-tages I have already stated, let me ask whether soberness has not its The following beautiful epitaph is copied from an old Magazine. If you afford it a place in the Eme rald, perhaps some of your poetical correspondents may furnish a translation. B ORIGINAL POETRY. Vexus cried, in accents wild, But if he'll bring the rover here, Tho' o'er his head, his brow of snow, His hands are powerless to view, His form is unconcealed by art, *On him who the haunts of my Cupid can A kiss of the tenderest stamp I'll bestow; Shall have something more rapturous Yet it can mount the distant skies. If my runaway is found, For the Emerald. ALAS! by every female told: D**. Thy beauty, youth, and manly pow'rs. The weary thoughts of death t'assuage A GENUINE BULL. W. SAYS Dennis to Paddy, "I can't for Since they can't with the form and the you fool, they take each Says Paddy, " |