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real on?, but that it proceeded from a hatred to him and a wifh to bury as foon as poffible in oblivion, his fervices as a prelident of the United States ; fo that the influence which a recolleftiun of the fervices might have, in oppofing their view,, might be foon deftroyed.Ans. I have never been in tavor of the ereion of a monuments to the memory of any man ; but certainly, if one W3$ denied to the memory of gen. Wafliington, none ought to be granted to any other perfon or ptrfnns whatever; the conduft of Congrefs, therefore, at their laft fellion, on this fubjeft, meets my difapprobation.I have thus anfwered concifeiy and candidly the queftions that have been propounded to me, and I fliall be pieafed if they are fatisfaftorv.JOSEPH LEWIS, jun. tm y—-For the HERALD.No. I.CRITICISMona piece figned “ Ven-triloquus,” being the firft attack of Major p*****y, againft the juftly celebrated Ventriloquift, Mr. Rannie, who lately exhibited in this place—As it is our wifi) to refcue from oblivion, thofe fublime ptoduftions of the Major’s, we fliall give them entire, rather than fubmit their immortality to the common fate of fugitive fcraps, or the more difgracefu! ultimatum of ordinary handbills. Unfortunately for us, but happily, for the Major, we cannot in the remotell degree lay claim to Pindaric powers, eilei the name of p****»y ftiould be handed, in glowing colors to pofUriry. Not for the elegance of his pro dubious, (as the Major has lately com menced poet,) not for tile keenness, of his fatire, nor the fmoothnefs of his verfe, not for his wit, nor for his humor; bu. for his absurdity, stupidity and meanness.The unlettre’d Ionian, knows and praices, the virtue of hofpitality, bu the Major, the enlightened Major, the man of Fortune, anJ refpeabiiiiv (as he vauntingly ftiles hiitofeflv) clt;tn ftoqp from his fancied greatnels, to attack a ftranger, who by every iaw of humanity, is entitled to protection, nay, he has been even bafe enough, to profer a reward to others, to maltreat him, who he dared not, either as a man of honor, or gentlemm perfonallv to meet. O ! flume whefe is thy blufti— Perfidy, and Cowardite, ye are twin brothers and are c vcr hand in hand.But it appears by his fubfequent publications, that he was not pieafed with Mr. Rannies performance: This puts usin mind of the juror whofe opinion was always diff: rent, from thereflofthe jury ; when alked the reafon, faid he had ever the misfortune, to be placed with eleven obflinate men who fiould never be of his'opin’oti.It feems, the company then prcfent, were determined, to be pieafed, with the performance, not withftanding ail the Majors petulent obfervations, to put them out of humor. To fee our feilow-men, pieafed with themfelves, aud with each other, is to a good min i, in the highefl fenfe a-greeable, but that man, who wiflies the contrary, indicates a fpirit of the cisrkeft malignity ; in his breaft, the grand archives of pandemonium, can be fafely depoflted. But to proceed to our remark on this piece, we mod' allow, that it is far behind thofe which have fucceedecf, in BiUingfgate and abufe aud on which we fliall obferve in rum.“ Piturient Montes nascitur, reJicu'us mus.** The mountain labored lo ! .1 mouse was born.”In our opinion, the Major’s feieftion of this motto, is the belt of the whole piece, for bv fuppolFng himfelf, to be the mountain, and the piece the moufe, you have at once a full length portrait, of the man and as complete an idea,of the merits of the production as poflibly cm be, or in other words, the Major or rather the Major’s rhymster laureate, after great labor, and indnftry, produces a few vapid verl'es of miferable doggrel, without plot, fenfe, or itigenuitv :—“ Behold the showman of renown,“ Rolls in his l’haton a o u n d the town”In thefe lines, there is a monotony, in the words roils, and round, which is hv no means poetical, and we fuppofe the Major took the jingling of renown, and town, from fome old ballad which began in that way, as “In London town “ Of great renown “ There liv'd a comely lass, See. c.But independent of the rhyme, we can perceive neither wit, nor even fenfe, as we ftiould fuppofc from the line* themfelves, that the lhowman roll'd in the Pfurton, not the Poaeton with the flinwmanv“ Decendent of that noted brawl,“ Who thew’d the prophet unto Saul,“ Fam’d in EncvIopaeJias page,“ The ignis fatuus of the age.”We cannot avoid exprefling our fur* prife, at the deep refearch of the Major, in tracing, the genealogy of Mr. Rannie up to the witch of Endor ; polliblv as he belongs to the tribe of Judah, or Iflachar, or fome other of the unforeskinn’d race, fie cla ms kindred, wi h the Endor family, and m ghtbe in poflelfion of their records, which would cerrainlv,be veil worth feeing ; but iet him be Turk, Jeiv, or Ci.rtf* tian, we are very certain, that he has no inheritance, in the name of Solomon—“ See Where he comes a crof3 the plain,“ Involved in smoke and duiky flame;“ Ranine arrives but not in fhoweis,“ To (hew his VentriloquU powcib.”The fecond line, is fublimely defcriptiye of the Major’s brain, nothing can exceed it, and we mull do him the juflice to lay, that it is really a happy thought bad he but applied it properly—But when we con-fider the drought, that had been for fome-ti.ne and which even prevailed at the time the piece made its appearance, we think it would have been fuff as well, had it been thus rendered—“ See whcse he comes across the plain,“ Involved ;a dust from want of raiu.” The two laft lines of the ftanza, contain a miferable pun, beneath criuciun.“ The dogs aud squalling cats retire,“ The chimniea inioke with troubled fire,“ Ag'J 'liietis, bathing parent earth “ Shrunk back affrighted at In birth,“ yEolus choak’J with fear of d a u,“ Hugg’d in his sides and held his breath ;“ The hills that erst with splendor llwne,“ R acilow’d with a dying groan ;“ T ,z rivtr* in their downward course “ kctieaied to their antint touice,“ Nor e *.i tii nor mture ituil again “ 1 eem with iuih throes aud labor pain.”We haveoniy toobftrve on thefe lines, that tne fubjeA of them is floien in part, trom Shakelptar’s, Henry the Sixth, and vhilft *c are wrapt in humble aomira-non of this bolt4, and grand imitation, we mult extoll the poem throughout tor lupe* rior diftion, and that ponderous sublimity of jtile, which hath ever tie(1grated ihe exalted genius of ****** jor poflibly, the next edition of that poets works may come out, as altered and c- nbelhflied by ** **** if Co. “ the Impartial World” will then be able to judge, tor themfelves of the weight, that ought to attach to the Major, and his coadjutor in their literary relearch.“ .eolus clioak’d with fear of death,“ Ilugg’d in his fides and held his breath.” Awfully fublime ! Reade , perufe this delightful ftanza with attention that you may be acquainted with its intrinfic btau-ty,and furpaffing excellence.—“ The Hills that eril with fplendor fhonc,“ Re-bellowed with a uying groan.” Undoubtedly the dying of hills, is a moft poetical effufion, but bel.o.v.n , with a dying groan is abfurd, the word groaning, is perfectly applicable, to an object dying, but bellowing, and groaning at the fame time, is a molt prepollerotis idea— With regard to the rivers, running up to their diiiant fource, we fb -H make no other comment but that it would.be much ivorfe for us, than even the flop-page of the navigation, of the Mifliflippi.To an/ perion, wiftting fully to comprehend, this effufion of ****** genius, we recommend him to-turn it ir.to profe, and fhal! venture to fay, that he will in the end find his labor am, ly rewarded — Thus, you fee Major, the effect of fathering the puny .offspringof a not hers brain—Do, in the name of all the mufes, let w hatever comes out again (as we have no doubt but you will write)' be really your own production. Indeed, we mult do you the juflice to fav, that your addrefs “to the Impartial IVorld” which is genuine, is preferable to the flimfey rhymes, which have been hammered out tor you. The one has the good effect, of creating a laugh, whilR the other, raife the mere difagreea-ble ienfations of difgufi and contempt.ZOILUS CoCritics Corner,Seneca- Row,’’jqth May, 1803.BOSTON, April 13.New*Eng!and is looked up to from all quane^s, as the rallying-point, from whence ,t is to recommence the march of that glorious orderorthings, which, under W a'sh-isgton and Adams, conducted the Unites! State^ to the pinide of profperity at home, and of refpeftability abroad.— It is therefore of high importance it ftxiuld be known, that i’s charafter for1 feder.difm continues undiminiflied. Heaven be prai-fed, it does fo.— In the barrier of the ftate of New-Hampftiire corred Rulers have been ciw len—Her governor is a man, who, “ sake him for all in all, the. State will ne' - 'o '- -n his hi- again. Of her Coun-fe iors fo r of five are federaltfls of the old fchoo:.— Jr her Senators, tight of twelve ; and in htrldoufe, a majority of upwards of twenty. Maflachufetts fltll continues the “ head-quartos of cmeH frincif.es.”—HerGfiy.torhowiwtoRfterwfinianrettorOrcetrecex]CllovvelchiHanoaffithefeeam tor abl fee pre flat fe£ pie of« rev of 1 kin vin ter the in ele tio the lin patin{WfroretThofSuno(nlt;piemethsofAitDtyeS]yndifITTWifoitf)(ricceiwi
Newspaper Details
Augusta Herald
Augusta, Georgia, US
Wed, May 11, 1803
Page 2
Full Page
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Anonymous
GB 02 Apr 2025
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