and arrived to the fair land of promise, that was to be illuminated by the ray of reafon and the infpiration of genius. ex Let the impartial critic compare the former of thefe produc tions with the celebrated and well known Hudibras of Butler, and pronounce it lefs chafte, or more fecble in genuine wit and pointed fatire, if he can. Let him compare the latter with Joan d'Ark, or any modern Epic, Milton cepted, and if it fall fhort, in plan, or incident, fublimity or pathos, dignity of expreffion, or harmony of numbers, (of which I cannot be fenfible) it is certainly entitled to the highest praife, as the pro duction of an infant country, and a young author. Both of them, if they do not exhibit the perfect fymmetry and gigantic ftature of a coloffus, difcover the nerve of a Hercules. The firft, by a rare exception to a general rule, has yielded the living author his tribute of fame. Ifthe other has not been fo fuccessful, we can only fay of its author, as of other men of diftin'guished talents, "The fun of glory fhines but on their tomb." cannot avoid comparing the pro- To do justice to the subject, which has been the theme of the preceding effays, and to the capital of New-England, I cannot pafs unnoticed, a real prodigy of Genius;a man, whofe merit as fuch, is known in every part of his country, and acknowledged in Europe. I need not add that I allude to the author of the "Invention of Letters," the Ruling Paffion," and the Patriotic Ode, "Adams and Liberty. I have endeavoured to comparé the first of these with the most approved writings of Pope: As a model of verfification, it does not appear to me to be furpaffed by the most finished productions of this standard of English poefy. For originality and boldness of thought, lively defcription, happy metaphor, and elegant diction, I look in vain, among the works of Pope, for its fuperior, and I think, for its equal. The " It was my intention to have particularized a number of our beft writers. But when I call to mind, the numerous effufions of genius, of effays in poetry and profe, on an endless variety of fubjects, the many proficients in the profound branches of fcience, the political refearches and hif torical treasure, flowing from the pen of an Adams, and of the Ramfays, Belknaps, Minots, and Morfes of America ;-when I take a furvey of thefe, the abundance of matter confounds my choice. I His "Patriotic Ode," has been The Ruling Paffion," exhib its a variegated group of the moft striking pictures, drawn by the magic pencil of a master, from, "That little world, that greater wonder, Man," echoed, THE EXCELLENT PREACHER. A YOUNG preacher, who had profound filence i every one rea a very handiome mien, a melodious voice, a graceful action, and all the other agreeable charms which please in declamation, having mounted the pulpit, suddenly lost his memory, and not a word of the fermon could he recollect. To quit the pulpit would have been difhonourable; to speak was more difficult, for he had nothing to fay. What was to be done in this extremity? He refolved to remain collected, and to make the best use of his voice and action, without pronouncing any thing but unconnected words, imperfect fentences, and pathetic exclamations; fuch as, fors, buts, ifs, yets, obs! abs! you'll please to observe, &c. Never did a preacher appear with more grace and animation. He expanded his lungs, he made pathetic exclamations, and waved his hand in a thoufand graceful manners. The pulpit fhook; and the vault of the church, which was vaft, re-echoed to all the vociferations he fent forth. The audience preferved a clined his ear, and redoubled his attention, to catch fentences which were never spoken. Those who fat near the pulpit, faid, "We are too near: we cannot hear a fentence!" Thofe, who fat remote, complained of the distance, which caufed them to lose the most wonderful fermon they ever heard. In a word, our preacher kept his auditors in this manner for three quarters of an hour, all of them complaiming of their feats. When he withdrew, their acclamations followed him; and they refolved, the next time he preached, to choose their places with more care, and not to deprive themselves of the fruits of a fermon which they were fenfible was never equalled. This anecdote will fhew, that a preacher may fucceed without reafon or imagination; and, if we judge by fome who enjoy a good reputation, it will tend to prove, a mufical voice, balancing the hands, and uttering warm exclamations, are the chief requifites for ́a declaimer in the pulpit. THE * While the numerous friends of Mr. Paine congratulate him on his late exchange of the Attic loft, for the Forum, and while his rapid progress in the laborious pursuits of an honorable profeffion, prove the uncommon powers of his mind as happily formed for analytical and profound investigation, as for the creative works of fancy, the Amateur cannot but indulge a with, that his leifure hours may continue to afford, as they have done, the most exquifite specimens and conclusive proofs of American genius and literature. THE WANDERER. Huc natas adjice feptem, Et totidem juvenes; et mox generofque nurufque Seven are my daughters, of a form divine, SOMETIME ago I happened to be turning over Johnfon's Dictionary, when the word Bachelor caught my eye. I had the curiofity to hunt for the etymology of it, when I found that Junius derives it from Banna, which fignifies Foolish. I must own the derivation startled me; for being OVID. CROXALL. not fo ruinous to happiness as infidelity, are equally calculated to promote vexation and excite ridicule. Some of thefe confequences will appear in the following ac count: who, as the poet sings, At fight of human ties, Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies, Frank Homely and myself were panions as good-humour and port in early youth as infeparable comin my own opinion a man of pro-wine could make us, till Love, found wisdom, though a Bachelor, I felt a little hurt that the fraternity, of which I have the honor to be a member, fhould thus be wounded by the arrows of a fanciful Etymologift. From difliking the derivation, I proceeded to quarrel with the position, and to inquire whether the cap and bells may not be added to other decorations of the married head. The man who, misled by the cunning of another, fuffers himself to be drawn into a contract by which he is ruined, and the author of the calamity unhurt, is generally fpoken of with more ridicule than compaffion; nor do I think the ridicule would be leffened, if the knavish party fhould happen to be a woman. In other words, by marriage a man runs a greater risk of being made a fool of, than by remaining fingle; a fact which the annals of Westminster Hall and Doctor's Commons are by no means backward in authenticating. threatened in an evil hour to fet us at variance. Alike in ftudies, and alike in pleafures, the fame arrow fmote us both, and both became victims to the bright eyes of Mifs Rachel Barnaby, daughter of Mr. Giles Barnaby, an inconfiderable farmer in the neighbourhood. For myself, being a man of an invincible modesty, I "never toid my love;" content that my patient affiduities fhould tell it for me. But, alas! patient affiduities could effect little, when placed in competition with the more fubftantial qualifications of my friend, namely, affurance and three per cents. By means of thefe, Frank increafed fo rapidly in the damfel's good graces, that in the fpace of two months he led her to the altar. I had, during the progrefs of my paflion, with a prudence rarely attainable by per fons fons in that fituation, concealed it from my friend; nor do I think Rachel herfelf, with all her fex's penetration, ever once dreamt of it. Being foon cured of all remains of fondness, I fet out on my travels, and, year after year, received from the English newspapers the important intelligence, that the wife (I beg her pardon, the Lady) of Francis Homely, Efq. was delivered of a child. This brings to my mind an odd obfervation, made to me by a lady of eminence at Venice, that the English, wifely knowing that the true wealth of a country confifts in its population, never fail to record the birth of a child in all their public prints. But to proceed in my story. Fourteen years had elapfed fince the period of my quitting England, and every year had witneffed an increafe to the noble family of the Homelys. In that prolific house, the human figure might be feen in all its fhapes and gradations -"ab ovo ufque ad mala"-from the infant "muling and puking in the nurse's arms," up to the tall coquettish girl aping the airs of womanhood. I had not been long landed when I received a letter from Mr. Homely, acquainting me, among other things, that he had been long married to Old Barnaby's daughter, Rachel, a woman "poffeffed of every accomplishment to make the married ftate happy;" that he had already bleff. ed him with feven fons and feven daughters, as fine a fet as ever I faw in my life, and that nothing was wanting to complete his felicity, but to find his friend a witnefs to it, &c. &c. Eager to enjoy the fight of fo much connubial happiness, I fixed an early day to dine with him, and bufied myself in the anticipa tion of the elegant delights which my poetic imagination figured my friend to poffefs. When the hour arrived, I repaired to Mr. Homely's houfe, and was fhewn into his study, which, instead of being furnished with books and maps, was ftrewed around with go-carts, dolls, whistles, penny trumpets, and "cheap publications." I thought this rather strange furniture for a library, and imagined that nothing fhort of the ingenuity of the Sage of Laputa could extract food for study from fuch a jumble of materials. Scarce had I made this reflection, when my ears were alarmed with a tremendous found, which afcending the ftaircafe, and bursting open the ftudy door, exhibited four of my friend's fons and fix of his daughters, fhouting like wild Americans, with their arms strongly fastened with cords, and urged forward by another of the hopeful race, who brandifhed a whip over his head, and fent forth founds from it which might have filenced the thong of a French poftilion; this gentle paftime, it feems, they cal led playing at horses. banditti had paced round the room, and thrown down three chairs in their progrefs, when the fecond horfe in the team fell down, and was dragged by his playful affociates along the floor, in spite of his angry cries and remonftrances. It required all the authority of their father to quell this hideous din, who fhortly made his appearance; and, notwithstanding the increafed wrinkles on his brow, welcomed me with a cordial shake of the hand, and led me up-ftairs to the drawing room, to introduce me to his wife. The drawingroom had discarded all fuperfluous ornaments, and boafted a negli The infant gence gence and plainnefs that Diogenes might not have been afhamed of. In one corner two mifchievous urchins had torn open a new pack of cards, and were building houfes with them. In another stood a cradle and cawdle cup, while rufhbottomed chairs, back-boards, fteef collars, and ftocks, ufurped the places of candelabrums, filk hangings and mirrors. On my entrance, Mrs. Homely fhook two children from her lap, and one from her fhoulder, and arofe to welcome me; exhibiting to my aftonifhed view the once flender Rachel converted into a broad clumfy dame, with all the marks of premature old age. After the ufual ceremonies I took my feat, and now my torments commenced. One child fastened my button with packthread to the back of the chair; another pierced the calf of my leg with a black pin; while a third infifted upon mounting behind me, and fwinging by my pig-tail. I bore thefe tortures with the firmnefs of an American captive, hoping that the call to dinner would put an end to my fufferings. But my expectations were vain, and I queftion whether Sancho fuffered half the vexation that I did during the mockery of a banquet, though I confefs my fufferings were alleviated by obferving that the reft of the company came in for their share. Mrs. Homely fat at the head of the table with a rickety child on her knee, and infifted, like an indulgent mother as he was, that nine of her numerous brood fhould feat themfelves at the board, which caufed all the din and difturbance that I expected. Two butterboats were overfet on the fattin breeches of Mr. Deputy Maroon; the immaculate muflin of Mifs Bridle was fated to receive the contents of a wine glafs; and, to complete the calamity, a fine leg of pork was entirely flayed, that the children might devour the fkin, under the fignificant name of crackling. My friend, not quite reconciled to matrimonial trammels, feemed rather difturbed at this fcene of folly and confusion ; but his help-mate, who had long buried politenefs, and even decency, in the vortex of one inftinctive paffion, love for her offspring, was delighted with the bustle, and would not have the poor things fnubbed for the world. She looked round upon her diftorted brood with exultation, even priding herfelf upon their defects, and appeared to think that she had obtained a difpenfation from rule and reafon from the fole circumstance of having favoured the world with fourteen children. Now, Mr. Wanderer, is it not a fhame that a parcel of idle fellows fhould fit down and write poetical panegyrics upon "wedded love," when it is notorious that nine times out of ten the married state is as I have defcribed it? We collegians, who take our ideas of life from books, are apt to imagine that marriage is attended by all that elegant felicity which your Thompfons and your Shenftones defcribe. I confefs, that at the age of nineteen fuch was my opinion; but the cafe of my friend Homely, and twenty other, cafes which I might produce, have fince tended to diminish my credulity. me, Sir, I entreat you, why fhould Hymen's torch and Cupid's bow be thus eternally at variance? Shew me the policy of this conduct, that one woman, elegant and Tell |