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IN LIFE'S DISASTROUS SCENLS, TO O l\fcLLRS_ DQX C AM DEN Number 30. * V'peo >' BV w hat you would wish by others dunk to you, DaHWIN. ) "g" azette7 Tlmrsday. Octobfr 24. 1816. Volume I. Terms. THE price to Subscriber ? is three dol lars per annum , for Jifty-two numbers , <>.r elusive of postage ; and in all cases where j papers shall be delivered at the expense of the ? the firicr will be three doli ars & fiftt cents a year} to be fiaid six month* after subscribing . v i* i* expected, however riAena ving at a distance , f rom the inconvenience of collection^ will fiay in advance. 1 erms of advertising in this Gazette. -idvertisements not exceeding eight lines wut be printed for fifty cents, Jor the first publication , and half that price for every subsequent insertion. Larger advertise ments xvill be charged in proportion . %? liberal discount will be made * on the i'.tls of those who are constant or consider ble customers in this line, fit // no directions are given with an ad vertisemrnf, it ^killije continued till forbid. October 3, 18 I G . ! - !1 i?L . "* ? M iseeljany. ? E-HflM? THE ttaBTiflo. View of the (xrtient Mate of Polite Learning, j CHAPTER XI. ?=! Of Orato+y% 1 . j - There naturally obtains a locality of supreme ?excellence, In many branches of polite learning, which confines perfection to some parti cular people, or tract of time. Yet this amiable privilege, does not prove an insuperable obstacle, to their moderate cultilfe, in a country less auspicious to genius, or refined in letters. On. the contrary, it ra ther proves a spur to exertion, and kindles an ambition of excellence, by presenting such incomparable^ models, than induces either lan guor or despair. Throughout the progress of this inquiry, 1 have always tacitly rea soned upon this principle: If inci dental mention of the ancients has been frequently made } yet their supreme perfection was never deem ed an argument, against the advance ment of any modern nation, to a middle, or even exalted point of beauty, in the same pursuits j when modified by the accidental circum stances of. time, manners, and si tuation. In this sense, we climb the steep acclirfty of fame, by the help of the steps provided by the ancients j we proceed securely, by the light of the Grecian torch /and by adapting their productions, to our peculiar state, we make them so far our own. Besides this, how ever, there are some subjects, pe cular to our natural genius, and ex clusively our own possessions. ' This principle ? locality, is more pecuhar to some arts than to others, as different plants will flourish in a i soil, and degenerate or perish in one, that is rigi4| or ad verse. Poetry , and the sciences, seem to mingle among every peo^ pie, and live in every clime, with nearly the same success, regardless of the checks of ambition, or the blasts of tyranny. But the genius of Oratory , more delicate and re served, selects her abode with cau tious hesitations} and shuns the tc gions of despotism, with religious care. If she ever wanders, when she is once settled, it is only to follow the flight of freedom, and spread her wings over the temple, consecrated by reason, co genuine philosophy. In the modern world, the genius of oratory seems to have fixed her favourite residence in Great-Britain. Almost a total stranger to the other nations Europe, they neither court the assistance of her power, nor suidy the embellishments of her graces, liven the Augustan age of Italy could boast no model of Ora tory, in the bar or the pulpir, much less in the senate. Yet in the arts of painting, sculpture, and poetry, she shone with unvaried lustre. In my judgment, France possesses no great examples of forensick or par liamentary eloquence ; nor has her native genius, made any great ac quitions to painting or to sculpture. Yet her Museums have been the en vied despository, of every remnant of ancient art, and every paragon of foreign gemus. Are they a na tion of connoisseur*, who though eminently endowed with a produc J^ive facuitv, yet fail or neglect to exercise ic ? That faculty, which can irabody its conceptions, give living examples of a correct taste, and a shape, colour, and form, to r^h^-slvadows-of -f^hcyy and the out lines of invention." - If we limit our inquiry into the oratory of Great- Britain, to the middle of the eighteenth century, -we shall encounter stupendous mon uments of perfection, not an/ way intcriour to the orations of antiqui ty. And here, let me pour the tribute of applause, to the genius of Ireland ) whose fancy touched by a di v ine ? spark | can blaze ^with the purest fires, and act like ma gick on the coldest passions whose reason like Urial can ride on a sun beam in safety, and descend from the height o^f sublimity, to melt an . audience. to tears ! In the excessc of panegyrick, I only copy the beauty of reality. In the speeches of Chatham, what a constellation of beauties crowds upon the reader ! Specious, and often close in his reasoning, vehe ment in his style, and rapid in his thoughts, his icason always keeps pace with his imagination, even when it soars the highest* and riots in sublimity/ Imagery flows upon kin* uncalled, and flashes enthusi asm, If it does not light conviction, in the minds of his auditors. The eloquence of Chatham, is literally a torrent, pouring its stream with resistle s fuiy, and sweeping down ?U before it. Every adversary bends beneath its power for the time, and if not vanquished, ceased to oppose, l ltSi SPCI^ Such was the eloquence, whose last strain was t xpended, in attempting to suc cour American freedom. Pitt, Burke, and Fox, are suf ficiently known as distinguished or-i ators j and what higher excellence, can imagination paint ? Langrishe and Curran, are harmonious, vivid, and persuasive ; and command the reasons, as readily as they move the passions of their audience. The former, " whose tongue dropt man naV CVCr caPtIvatc fancy, ana please in the perusal. Whether real, or feigned, as to the personages to whom they are appropriated, and there exists no distfust of tiieii fictitious character, what parliamentary eloquence can be fancied more pertect, more splendid, beautiful, and sublime, j than the orations composed by?Dr Johnson ? What reasoning more I ingenious and compact, more logi c aland profound, can b e produced T~ They ail stream in copious diction, and sparkle in rich embellishments ; his argument are eloquently con ceived and skilfully combined: and his images striking, varied, ana appropriate. Rvidence such as this, and more will easily suggets itself to every reader, must be admitted as abun dantly competent, to evince the unparalleled eminence of this kind of oratory. Pulpit eloquence, how ever, is not equally supported j but proof not inreriour, sustains the excellence of forensick speaking. The Oratory of the Bar, inspir ed by the genius of Lord Erskine, Curran, and many others, has at tained a lofty preeminence, that may reasonably dispirit every fu ture attempt to surpass it. Learn ing and elocution, led by the pow ers of mighty minds, have accom plished the pathetick, the sublime, and the beautiful, in their highest degrees ; they have given birth to varied sentiment, refined emotions, and* affecting passion ; and have touched every chord of the heart and fancy, with the hand of the master. If excellcnce still higher" i* (o exalt and improve It, it must be effected in a different manner, and through another channel the passions, the reason, and the judg ments of men, must undergo a mutation, and render other means necessary, ro influence the under standing, move the feelings, and impress conviction, bishop Butler and Dr. Barrow, exhibit some excellence in pulpit oratory ; but it is rather negative than absolute. The French lay claim to renown, fof their sacred eloquence. Perhaps it is because they possess no other, but what pervades their polite compositions, that they thus exaggerate the merits of their sermons $ which after all, arc more the pictures of imagina tion, and the declamations of so phists, than argumentative orations, by the dictates of rea and enforced by the arguments of piety. The style of the French is always florid ; and seems there fore less adapted to devotional pur* poses, than elegant discourse, and fine writing. Is there not some thing adverse aho, to pious elo quence, in the Komish ritual j and does not the peculiarity of their creed, fetter the exertions, a nd re strain the flight, of a bold and vig orous eloquence ? The want of free dom in the church, must affect this in the same manner, as the want of freedom in the state, depresses and chills their parliamentary speeches ! Mas'illon, has left no finished and complete orations of the pulpit. In f rr id exhortation, and swelling in vective, the French more than suf ficiently abound. It j|. scarcely to be expected, from the great lapse of time that has been unmarked by improve ment, since the sermons of Dr. Blair were published, that any great advances should be speedily made, in the fc.nglish oratory of *thc pul pit. Yet if wc arc destined to rc ceivc any additions to eloquence, it vvili most probably be in this de partment, which of every species of polite learning, is most imper ftt?T. ~ ? ? Delaplaine a Hffiontory oj the Live* and for trait* of di*ti>i?ruigfic jt Jt>ni rienn*. No work could have come before the A merican public with stionger attractions* than those which are held out, in the fore* going title* A fietioa tory of the lAvea and iJovtraitn of diu tin guided American*, makes an appeal to the pride and patriotism of our countrymen, which cannot tail to en sure it a warm reception. Heretofore, we have had nothing like a regular system of \merican Biography ; nothing to which wc could refer, either for the gratification of a laudable curiosity, or for evidence of national distinction. And, though it may subject us to the impution of national van - ityy we are not afraid to hazard the asser tion. that there never was a country, in the short period of forty years fro qii& _exis> <.nce as a nation, that could boast so great a number of nun, wiiose lives deserved to come under the notice ot the biographer, as the United Slates of America In every department of science i in every branch of useful knowledge ; we have had our illustrious men; of many of whom, scarce ly a record is to be found, e .cept in their own impel ishable works. Of this penury ot biographical memoirs, we have found reason to complain, on mote than one ac-~ count i and there- is, perhaps, no other country, where civilization has made any progress, in which this speck s of writing does not constitute an interesting portion of iu literature. Iiintory has been called, by a great man, th c*/i<culum mundi : but this phrase, we think, might, with much greater propri ety, be applied %obtog>afihy. For, as it is only by studying the nature of the consti tuent parts, that a knowledge oi the whole can be acquired ; so we can only expect* to become acquainted With the world, by a knowledge ot the'individuals, who com* pose it. To speak of the utility of biogra phical writing, however, is not our pre sent object ; its advatanges are too numer ous and too manifest, to require the feeble support of our approbation. Hut we may be permitted, to say something, in favour of the novel plan, whih has been adopted in the 4* Repository," of combining the " operations of the type and i he graver." I o the cotemporariesof the eminent men, whose mind* at e here delineated, the ac companying ? portraiture of the ^ body" may, perhaps, afford no additional interest; becau?e they have seen, and bear in re membrance, the features of the deceased j and it is in this limited sense only, that the observation oft Thales can be true, nil mortem a vite differre ? But posterity will know how to value, that combination df talents, by means of which, ?* correct image of the whole man it exhibited to view." ~ In the execution of a task so laborious, - and so extensive, it was hardly possible to give universal satisfaction. No tnan call be expected to unite, in his own person, all the various excellencies of the artist* the author and the critick ; much of such a work, theiefore, must necessarily be tubmiited to the influence of circum stances, over which, the proprietor can have, at ?nost , but negative control. He must confide in the genius, the taste, and the judgment of others ; and if he do not possess all those qualities himself, the chances are m thou-and to one, that his confidence will be sometimes misplaced* The arrangement of the subjects, however, we must consider as falling, exclusively, under the province of the proprietor ; and upon this, a large majority of the publick, will, most probably, form their judgment of the whole work without giving them selves the trouble to inquire farther into its met its. In every undertaking, it is of the first importance to be% nrU/htly. Ce n* est que Ic premu r fianqui coute , is an old French proverb, which, if properly at tended to, would teach us 4o avoid many difficulties, and much confusion, which never fail to result, when we set out with the turonir foot foremont. "We have many objection- to urge, apainst the arrange ment of the 11 Repository." In the fir I: place, we cannot see propriety of placing the I.ivjs of Columbus an ! Vespucius,