The Misi; ! whateYr the Muse n-piri,
My soul the tuneful strain admires... ,ctt.
(ft
rott TtiE wtsrtus caiioi.iia.
imlsshs. nixcHAM Sc. white : The following-, you
will observe, was occasioned by that beautiful
little production of Miss Thompson's, publish
ed in your paper of the 19th ult. As it is in
form of a reply, it might lead your readers to
suppose that she addressed her lines to me
personally ; but that is not the case. I have a
partial recollection of Miss Thompson, having
had a slight acquaintance with her, about ten
years ago, in the city of Albany. As Miss
Thompson now forms the humble "clod of the
valley," may we not commemorate the spot
with a twig of laurel or a Cyprus bough ? It
is not often that we meet with so much phi
losophy, genius, taste, and feeling in the same
person ; but when we do, let us rejoice in the
possession let us mourn for its loss.
Jieply to some lines addressed "to ax-cry y?ir
JPoef," by Catharine Ji. Thompson, late oj
the city of Albany, deceased.
Angelic friend ! thy warning came
Too late to save me from the lyre ;
Too late to quench the latent flame,
To quench one "spark of feeling's fire.
Too late to make me hate the smile
Of fancy's lovely visage gay ;
Tho' " she is lovely to beguile,"
She will not "lead my soul astray."
I love the lyre ; it charms me quite,
On fancy's wings I soar on high ;
The lyre charms me in my flight,
And wraps my soul in ecstacy.
The phantom hope, I long hae known,
Is but a fire-fly's transient blaze ;
A fleeting gleam of light alone,
That leads us deeper in the maze.
But O, "the generous thought" I love,
It surely has a source divine ;
'Twill find its way to realms above,
Tho hcre't must ' bend to mammon's shrine.
I cannot, then, " forsake the lyre,"
"Forget to think," nor "cease to feel ;"
Tho " poverty and sorrows" dire,
Prepare my daily, scanty meal.
"What poverty could inflict, I've felt,-
Or ever will, or can I feel ;
To sorrow's shrine I've always knelt,
To sorrow's shrine shall always kneel.
Then let me tune my harmless lyre,
'Tis all that gives me pleasure here ;
And let me with its lays inspire,
For grief, a sigh for wo, a tear.
rrraiAS.
The following beautiful song is extracted from I
a poem called " Sfket," recently published in
Boston, and much in the spirit of "Tinny."
Catskill Ilcccrda;
SONG.
And they may say thy long dark hair,
Clustering its shadowy flow,
Is like the raven's plumnge there.
Veiling that moonlight brow !
The roseate flush that dyes thy check,
All bright with beauty's glow,
Is like the radiant crimson streak
Of sunset o'er the snow 1
There is no charm so bright for me -Thy
soul of sensibility !
And they may say thy soft blue ey e,
"When rais'd its living shrcud,
Outshines the diamond gem on high,
That lights von azure cloud!
Thy lips, as plants of coral red,
In bloom, where pearl-drops shine !
Th; breath, like heavenly incense shed
lYem virtue's holiest shrine ;
There is a charm more rich forme
rJ'Ly UearCs long proved sinctrity !
And they may say thy light .tep, where
They Make the graceful dance,
Is like a seraph's motion there,
Or wild birds swift-winr'd rlance!
And, lingering yet, thy form of love
Is like a dream of heaven !
Thy voice, like music breathed above,
Among the clouds of even !
There is a charm more dear to me
Thy spi: u'$ ipoilesi purity !
GOOD NEWS. I
Paul Allen, Esq. (says the Nat. Adv.)
wno is a poet mmacii, ami ui nu nieaii
order, and moreover, writes the best po- from us, and which has become cclebra
ctic prose in this country, has the follow- ted for its indolence and filthiness. But.
iriir article in one of his I ite papers : every thing in this world is in a state of
There is a lady, now living in the U.
States, whose poetrv, vvc win ue bold to
is sufitrhr to Ihjrvi in the f.roudcst
thv.v of his vmcc. It is renlete with
th and grandeur of conception,
m
s r.d originality ct thought, and
The clouds of epithet equally novel
pear to recede at tHde1, lecis himsclt
nnd reason. The st6' a superior
Fulton was full of passe ge l werc' h" a
:c touch ol
genius ; the spell is upon him and he sur
renders at discretion. We producc as we
observed before, the above as a specimen
of that infatuation, by which, in our en
thusiasm iov foreign productions, we over
look our native resources."
In a note, Mr. Allen says, that u the la
dy's delicacy prevents his mentioning her
t.ame." We are very sorry to observe
this fastidiousness. Such talents should
be the property of the country. We en
treat Mr. Allen to give a specimen of the
lady's poetry, and prevail upon her to
throw off all unnecessary concealments.
ATariety's the very juce of life,
That ghe: it all its flavor.
ITALIAN UANDITTI.
From an article in the North-American Uoview,
on Lyman's "Political Mate of July."
The twenty-second chapter on the rob
bers and banditti of Italy makes one ac
quainted with many new and entertaining
facts. It is a truth sufficiently humilia
ting for Italy, that notwithstanding the
pains taken by the governments to sup
press these outlaws, there is more danger
from robbers in travelling from Home to
Naples, and from Naples to Otranto, than
in travelling through any portion of Euro
pean Turkey, with perhaps the exception
of the independent or revolted country of
the Mainotcs in the Morca. We have
room to lay before our readers but one ex
tract from this chapter.
4 But the most extraordinary bandit,
whose exploits somewhat resemble the
celebrated ones of the famous llinaldo
Rinaldini, was a piiest by the name of
Cyrus Annichiarico, born in the small
town of Grotagli. on the road from Ta
rcnto to Leccc . His first achievement was
the murder of a whole family in the town
of Francavilla. lie had been a bandit for
twenty years ; the country people believ
ed him to be a devil or magician, and
laughed and scoffed at the soldiers who
were sent to pursue him. When the
French general Ottavio, a Corsican by
birth, commanded in this province, a man
presented himself one day before him,
and said, with a fierce air, u the bandit
whom you have so long hunted is now be
fore you, but if he is molested, you will
be assassinated before night-fall.' Anni
chiarico turned and disappeared, and from
that time general Ottavio doubtless had
faith in the belief of the people. General
Church, also, when one day in pursuit of
this man, was accosted by a peasant who
drew him aside, and gave some intelli
gence concerning Annichiarico. The
next day the peasant was found dead in
his village, and a paper pinned on his
breast with these terrible words : " This
is the fate of all those who betray Anni
chiarico.' he last band he commanded
was called the u decided each man pos
sessed a certificate, bearing two death s
heads with other bloody emblems, and the
words " Justice, liberty, or death," signed
by Annichiarico. I saw one in general
Church's possession, w ritten with human
blood. At last, in January, 1819, this as
tonishing man, finding himself beset tip-
on all points, threw himself, about sun-set,
with five followers, into an old tower, in
the midst of a farm-vard, near the small
town of Casuba, hoping that in the dead
of the night he should be able to escape
through the soldiers, many of whom were
his fiicnds, and all believed him to be the
devil. But in the course of an hour a
close line of light troops was drawn round
the tower, out of reach of musquet shot,
and after a siege of thirty-six hours, he
was' forced to surrender, having fired a
way all his cartridges, and hilled five and
wounded eleven of the enemy. He was
carried to Francavilla, the scene of his
first ciime, tried by a court-martial, and
there shot. It was on Sunday when he
was sentenced to be executed, and general
Church sent to ask the priests, if it was
according to their religion to shoot a man
on that day. They answered, " the bet
ter the day, the better the deed. Anni
chiarico dir'J like a madman. From eight
to ten thousand persons were assembled
to see him shot, and to the last moment
they treated with perfect scorn and indig
nation the notion that bullets would pierce
such a man.'
I ROM TANCOIGSe's JOUItNEV I5TO PERSIA.
Tin: pi;i:sian nobi.kmen.
Innervated in early life by the heat of
the climate, and by marriages contracted
previous to the age in which the man at
tains his full vigour, the rich and power
ful Persians spend their lives between
idleness, debauchery, and effeminacy.
Covered with vermin under their dresses
of gold cloth, they might be, in some rcs-
pecis, compareu to a nation less nisiani
contrariety : as much as they neglect the
cleanliness ot their persons, so much do
they attach importance to that of their hou-
I ses : their com t-vards are kent mrrlv
- - - - - i T
swcpt5 their carpets and the felts that serve
them as seats, carefully beaten, and thev
never enter an apartment without leaving
J their slippers at the door :
The Persian rises at daybreak, and
first reccs his morning prayer, general-
ly aloud ; then; if a nobleman or public
functionary, he leaves his harem and goes
into the first court of his house, where he
gives audience, during an hour, to his vas
sals and dependents. At eleven o'clock
his breakfast is served up, and consists of
bread, cheese, raw herbs, or fruits, all on
a tray of tinned copper, He afterwards
washes his hands and beard, takes a cup
of coffee, smokes a kalioun, and goes to
the sclam of the king. If he be a trader,
or one who has no public business to trans
act, he goes to the buzars to attend to his
profession, or remains unoccupied at home.
At noon he says his second prayer, and at
U?o o'clock, especially in summer, he
shuts himself up and sleeps until four or
live. At sun-set he performs his third ab
lution and last prayer, and places himself
at table to dine. This latter meal is com
posed of meats cooked in various ways,
vegetables and fruits: the solid or princi
pal dish is always the pilaw which he eats
without bread.
rERSlAN" LADIE3.
I imagine that intrigue must be more
rare here than in any other part of the
world : the Persians have taken every pre
caution against it, and their jealousy is
seldom over-reached. An adventure which
happened, a few days ago, to several indi
viduals of the embassy, and which was
near being destructive to them, will serve
as an example of what I have just said.
Our friends were walking quietly in a gar
den, without any notion of plotting against
the honor of the master of the house ; the
door of a bath being halfopen, excited their
curiosity ; they entered, and a few paces
farther brought them into the midst of a
harem, which they had no idea of finding
so near. Suddenly the women uttered
loud shrieks; the eunuchs and slaves
armed themselves with axes and daggers,
and our comrades, who in their surprise
had still sufficient time to draw their swords
to defend themselves, finding all the en
trances fastened, could escape from the
jealous fury of those menacing Argusses
only by scaling the walls; This was more
than sufficient to cure a propensity to in
triguing in Persia i As yet we know no
thing of the harems, except from pictures,
one of which, representing an interior,
has been given to me by a native artist.
At Kasbin the author for the first time,
had the good fortune to be able to contem
plate a Persian lady without interruption ;
but this was only for the short space of a
few minutes. From the terrace of our
house, there was a view of the interior of
a harem, and we discovered a young beau
ty there shining in all the charms of youth 1
She was covered with diamonds, and wore
a blue Cachamerc shawl on her head, the
folds of which falling gracefully on her
shoulders, intermixed with her beautiful
hair. Only think of the effects of Persian
jealousy ; it was absent but a moment ;
for on the attendants perceiving that our
attention was constantly turned towards
the blessed spot, the consoling object was
immediately withdrawn from our view.
Full of the pleasing ideas inspired by such
a sight wc left Kasbin the next morning.
FE-FAW-FUM AND IIO-ANG-IIO.
We are extremely happy (according
to the general rules of bliss establish
ed by editors, on the receipt of rare
indulgence,; uj present uur cauci
with a specimen of Chinese poetry ;
- i
as tne puouc mina tins neen satuuea
with short Kean, it may luxuriate on
the love songs from Kien Long. The
club-footed muse of China has unfold-
ed a fact, upon which the doubts of
historians have rested ever since the
dynasty of Sing-sing, that the celebra
led classical allussion to Fe-Fazv-Fwn,
as appears in that relict of ancient me
trical romance, " I smell the blood of
an Englishman," was translated from
the works of Ras-tzi-tchln-txianp-hnm-
chou-ijuq'-G?i-san-honei. The English
of modern friendship or association,
chum, is also of Chinese derivation.
The astronomical and ingenious theory
of Capt. Symmes, which gives another
sun to the internal of our mother earth,
is exceeded by the half dozen Moons
that illumine the hemisphere of hair
pencils. The Shang-fec mentioned,
was a celebrated lawyer ; the name has
been corrupted into charge-fee by John
son and the oiflerence is, that here the
fee is expected to precede the charge.
The female Iio-an.z-ho, was the cele-
bratcd Sott-sionp'-T so well-known.
and made such honorable mention of by
Te-to-tum, in his 44 Comforts of Cor
pulence.' 1 Sa v a nn ah Gee rgian .
A CIIINESELOVE SONG.
O daughter of the great Ching-Chum,
"Whose eyes with diamond lustre glow,
And wilt thou love thy Fc-Faw-rum,
My sweet, my lovely Ho-Ang-Ilo.
The swans their downy plumage lave
Where Lano's wandering- waters fiou';
But can the swans of Lano's wave
Compare with thec, my Ho-Ang-Ilo ?
Six moons have travelled through the sky,
And softly gleam 'd on Kiang-o,
Since first thy beauty met my eyes,
Light of my soul, Ho-Ang-IIo.
O when I clasp thee to my breast,
Chang-Fee to whom the nations bcw.
Shall not be half so truly hhst,
As Fe-Fuw-Fum and Ko-Ang-IIo.
FASHION.
There is scarcely any subject in
which men differ more, than concern-inr-
the obiects of their pleasures and
amusements; and this difference sub
sists, not only among individuals, but
among ages and nations ; almost every
generation accusing that which imme
diately preceded it, of bad taste in
building, furniture, and dress ; ana al
most every nation, having its peculiar
i i .1 r ,r n -Vcr
moues unu mcu ui cacuch u iv.jv
matters, to which it pertinaciously ad
heres, till one particular people has ac
quired such ascendency in power and
reputation, as to set, what is called the
fashion : when this tashion is univer
sally and indiscriminately adopted on
the blind principle of imitation, and
without any consideration of differences
in climates, constitution, or habits of
life ; and every one who presumes to
deviate from it, is an odd mortal, a
humourist; void of all just feeling,
taste, or elegance. This fashion con
tinues in the full exercise ot its tyranny
for a few years or months ; when an
other, perhaps still more whimsical and
unmeaning, starts into being, and depo
ses it ; all are then instantly astonished
that they ever could have been pleased,
- .u:
even ior a moment, wini any uimg
tasteless, barbarous, and absurd, The
revolutions in dress only, which have
taken place within the last two centu
ries, afford ample illustrations of this
remark ; and it is not the least ex
traordinary circumstance in these rev
olutions, that they have been the most
violent, sudden and extravagant, in the
personal decorations of that part of the
species, which, having most natural,
has least need of artificial charms ;
which is always most decorated when
least adorned ; and which, as it ad
dresses its attractions to the primordial
sentiments and innate affections ot man,
would, it might reasonably be suppos
ed, never have attempted to increase
them by distortion and disguise. Yet
art has been wearied, and nature ran
sacked ; tortures have been endured,
and health sacrificed ; and all to ena
ble this lovely part of creation to ap
pear in shapes as remote as possible
IVnm tbnt- ir vhirh if; nntivp loveliness
consists. Only a few years ago, a beau-
ty equipped for conquest, as a heter
ogeneous combination of incoherent
forms, which nature could never have
united in one animal, nor art blended
in one composition.
Sir William Jones and Thomas Bay, Esq.
One day upon removing some books at
the Chambers of the former, a large spi
der dropt upon the floor, upon which sir
William, with some warmth, said, " kill
that spider, Day, kill that spider ! No I
said Mr. Day, with that coolness for which
he was so conspicuous. ' I will not kill
that spider ! Suppose, when you are go
ing in your coach to Westminster Hall, a
superior being, who, perhaps, may have
as much power over you, as you have over
that insect, should say to his companion,
' kill that lawyer ! kill that lawyer ! how
would you like that, Jones ? and I am sure,
to most people, a lawyer is a more nox
ious animal than a spider.'
TVeWgiows.
It is not the equivocal fact of having
been entrusted with a few more pieces of
money, or a spot of earth a little larger
than others, but the retribution that fol
lows the use or abuse of that trust, which
conveys to the universe, the evidence of
God's eternal and impartial justice. To
ascertain whether religion be or be not
advantageous, something more than the
fugitive joys and sorrows of this illusive
world must be considered. Is what we
sec the whole of being ? or is there an
after scene ? And if so what is its dura
tion ? What its character ? And will that
which precedes give a complexion to that
which follows ? These arc questions
which awaken a solemn interest, and ques
tions too, which must be answered, before
it is possible to pronounce, with even a
shadow of truth, upon the destiny of man.
True, the ultimate reward of virtue, is
at present a matter of faith and not of
sight ; but of faitii, however, resting on
high and responsible authority. All the
phenomena of nature, all the economy of
providence, all the forebodings of the
heart of man? intimate, what the scrip
tures declare, That after death comes the
judgment. The impious may sneer ; the
sceptic may doubt, and guess, and conjec
ture ; but dare even he, in the face of all
this evidence, affirm, that he knows that
this is the case ? And if he dare not, then
even the sceptic being judge, the inter
ests of virtue may be secure, and the rap
turous anticipations of Saul of Tarsus weli
founded, who, in the near approach oi
death, triumphantly exclaimed, iavc
fought the good jight And should the
rapturous anticipations of Saul of Tarsus
be well founded, how will stand the bal
ance of. account ? Ah I hearer ! when
weighed in the balance of the sanctuary,
bonds and stripes, and imprisonments,
are only light afflictions, unworthy to be
put in competition with that exceeding
and eternal weight of glory hereafter to
be revealed.
But eternity apart, it is not true that
religion has no reward ; and the arrogant
assumption, that it has not, to whatever
period of existence it be limited, or to
whatever part of God's creation it be ap
plied, is as false in fact as it is impious in
theory. Not that its heaven approved
possessor, is uniformly, or even usually
signalized by what the voluptuous call
prosperity. And what though he is not ?
Is he an rnimal merely, that his health
and thrift should be estimated by the limits
or the luxuriance of the pasture in which
he ranges, or by the quantity of fodder
that is flung before him by his keeper ?
In testing his well-being, the things that
concern the body are of small account.
Here, as elsewhere,
"The mind's the measure of the man."
Food and raiment, to an incarnate spirit,
arc desirable ; but they are not the only
things that arc so. To such a spirit the
precious metals have their value ; but
there are other "gifts 'within the compass
of God's almightiness, quite as valuable
as the precious metals. So David, having
made the experiment, decided ; so Solo
mon, having made the experiment, deci
ded. Net all the honours royalty could
confer ; not all the luxuries that affluence
could procure, furnished, in their impar
tial estimation, so pure or so perfect a
pleasure, as that which is conveyed to tho
heart through the consecrated channel of
devotion. dr. i:ott.
Religious and virtuous principles
are the best legacies which parents can
bequeath to their children. Since vir
tue is the greatest ornament and high
est felicitj' of human nature ; since it is
probably the road to health, reputation
and prosperity in this world ; since it
certainly brings with it the most inval
uable blessings, a peaceful conscience,
the favor of the Almighty God, and
the hope of eternal life ; how can pa
rents so judiciously manifest their love
to their offspring, as by " training them
up in the way in which they should go ?
What compensation will the greatest
abundance of riches, the highest honors,
or even the most extensive learning
make them, for the wrant of those reli
gious principles and virtuous habits
which are the only true and lasting
foundation of happiness ?
" By all the nameless sensations of
tenderness which ye whom heaven hath
blessed with children feel towards them,
be entreated, then, to make their im
provement in piety and virtueyoui chief
concern. That you should provide as
far as you are able for their comforta
ble support and happy settlement in life,
is undoubtedly your duty. Nor is it
less your duty to afford them every op
portunity in your power for improving
their understandings, and laying up
stores of useful and ornamental know
ledge in their minds. But, let it ne
ver be forgotten that the principal part
of education, is the education of the
heart. Endeavor by every method in
your power to inspire them with a rev
erence for the Supreme Being, with
gratitude for his innumerable mercies ;
with a sense of honor and love of vir
tue ; with sentiments of generosity and
compassion towards their fellow-creatures
; with regard to truth ; and with
a consciousness of the dignity and ex
cellence of their rational nature. On
this foundation assist them in raising
the superstructure of a manly, virtu
ous and useful character."
SELECTED
JIEDITATIOJW
Hail Meditation ! happy maid !
"With thee Fll seek the tranquil glade ;
"With thee the lonely cell explore,
Or haunt the gaily smiling shore ;
With thee inhale the breath of morn.
And sip the dew-drop from the thorn ;
Or when the sickly moon-beams creep
In silence o'er the craggy steep,
With thee, instructive fair, I'll climb
Those heights stupendous, yet sublime,
vVhere tow'ring reason 'gins to nod,
And Nature Vividers in Ntiue?s God..
4