to

misfortunes of his fellow creatures; and to confirm their aspersion, they appeal to the similar and well known circumstances, that whipping and hanging, and, where it is practised, quartering alive, will attract a crowd, proportioned to the expected sufferings of the victim, who is exposed as a publick spectacle. They allege that, were the multitude know, that at one place might be seen a poor starving wretch, partaking a banquet, at another, an auto da fe, the scene of torture would leave no spectators to the scene of relief and satisfaction. The mob throng the streets while the culprit is conducted to prison, but, when released, he comes forth to the world again, unobserved, unless he bear some mark of wretchedness or disgrace.

I repeat it, that I am not able to account for the general rage to witness or hear of calamity, on any principle, honourable to either our head or heart; but I do not believe it is to be imputed to natural malevolence. There is some plausibility, at first glance, in the inference, which some illnatured philosophers draw, from such observations as have been mentioned; but, on the other hand, if so explained, they prove too much. Not one in a million of those who are gratified with recitals of distress and horrour, or spectacles of misery, would voluntarily contribute,in any manner, to produce them. Yet this would be still more agreeable, were the popular passion for sights and tales of wo, the effect of a malignant disposition. An objection of no less force is, that the more amiable part of creation, the sex distinguished for kindness and sensibility, af ford the strongest illustration of Cicero's remark.

It is very easy to say, all this arises from CURIOSITY; resort is often had to words, where the causes of phenomena are not at all, or but imperfectly understood. But whence this Curiosity? I can' conceive of no motive to any action or volition, but the real or imagined pursuit of some good. A correct opinion on an important subject in politicks, an ingenious reflection on manners, a moral sentiment, all the treasures of art, science, and religion are useful : such, we should suppose, would excite the curiosity of rational beings and give them pleasure; yet all these yield to an idle tale of the varietates temporum or the vicissitudines fortune, which makes us neither wiser nor better, and has not the most remote relation to our personal concerns.

As this propensity for the wonderful is almost universal, it undoubtedly originates in some property of the soul, that contributes to its perfection. It cannot be extinguished ; but it should be directed, as much as possible, by reason and utility. Our American Cicero considered using the press to furnish food for this passion, as not only ridiculous but criminal. "It corrupts," said he, "both the pub"lick taste and morais. It multiplies fables, "prodigious monsters, and crimes, and thus “ makes shocking things familiar; while it "withdraws all popular attention from familiar "truth, because it is not shocking."

charms of poetry, sufficiently proves that he has been able to bestow on them, in detail, the interest which he has failed of communicating to the entire assemblage. Above all others, he has inspired that interest which is engendered by valour. In spite of the habitual absurdity of chivalrous combats, of the constant disproportion between cause and effect, and of the air of raillery which seems to accompany all his descriptions of battles, Ariosto always knows how to excite a sort of indescribable enthusiasm of bravery, of intoxication of heroism, which makes every reader burn to arm himself a knight. One of man's greatest enjoyments consists in the development of all his powers, of all his resources; the great art of the romance writer is that of awakening confidence in ourselves, of accumulating all the force of nature and even of magick in opposition to his hero, and displaying the superiority of individual will and courage over all the powers that are combined for his destruction.

The world into which Ariosto transports us is also one of our enjoyments. This world, essential y poetical, in which all the vulgar in terests of life are suspended, in which the only laws are those which love and honour enjoin, the only actions those which they prompt and stimulate in which no factitious want, no cold calculation, benumbs the soul ; | in which all the pains and uneasiness produced by variety, by the distinctions of rank or of riches, are forgotten ; this world of our own creation forms an agreeable relief from the world of reality: we love to traverse it for the sake of withdrawing ourselves completely from the solicitudes which are everywhere else our portion. True, it teaches us nothing, for the difference between chivalrous and real existence is so great that the smallest appli- | cation can never be made from the one to the other it even constitutes a remarkable characteristick of this description of poetry that it is impossible to derive from it any sort of instruction. Yet we may find a peculiar species of enjoyment, even in an occupation of the mind which does not pretend to the dignity of a lesson, and a "baseless vision" is most conformable to the very essence of poetry, which ought never to be the means, but is in itself alone its own proper end and object.

FEMALE PIETY.

Sismondi.

PIETY communicates a divine lustre to the

female mind. Wit and beauty, like the flow ers of the field, may flourish and charm for the season; but let it be remembered, that like the flowers of the field, those gifts are frail and fading Age will soon nip the bloom of beauty; sickness and misfortune will not stop the current of wit and humour; in these gloomy seasons, PIETY will support the drooping soul, like a refreshing dew upon the parched earth.

A FEW SKETCHES OF MILTON.

FROM AN OLD AND RARE PUBLICATION.

In his youth he is said to have been remarkably handsome: the colour of his hair was a light brown; the symmetry of his features exact; enlivened with an agreeable air, and a beautiful mixture of fair and ruddy which occasioned the Marquis of Villa to give his epigram the same turn of thought, which Gregory, archdeacon of Rome, had employed above a thousand years before, in praising the amiable complexions of some English youths, before their conversion to christianity. His stature (as we find it measured by himself) did not exceed the middle size; neither too lean

|

nor corpulent: his limbs well proportioned nervous, and active; serviceable in all respects to his exercising the sword, in which he much delighted; and wanted neither skill nor courage to resent an affront from men of the most athletick constitution. In his diet he was abstemious; not delicate in the choice of his dishes; and strong liquors of all kinds were his aversion. Being too sadly convinced how much his health had suffered by night-studies in his younger years, he used to go early (seldom later than nine) to rest; and rose commonly before five in the morning. It is reported, (and there is a passage in one of his Latin elegies to countenance the tradition) that his fancy made the happiest flights in the spring but one of his nephews used to deliver it as Milton's own observation, that his invention was in its highest perfection from September to the vernal æquinox: however it was, the great inequalities to be found in his compositions, are incontestible proofs, that in some seasons he was but one of the people. When blindness restrained him from other exercises, he had a machine to swing in, for the preservation of his health; and diverted himself in his chamber with playing on an organ. His deportment was erect, open, affable; his conversation easy, cheerful, instructive; his wit on all occasions at command, facetious, grave, or satirical, as the subject required. His judgment, when disengaged from religious and political speculations, was just amd penetrating; his apprehension, quick ; his memory, tenacious of what he read; his reading, only not so extensive as his genius, for that was universal. And having treasured up such immense stores of science, perhaps the faculties of his soul grew more vigorous after he was deprived of his sight and his imagination, naturally sublime, and enlarged by reading romances, of which he was much enamoured in his youth, when it was wholly absorbed from material objects, was more at liberty to make such amazing excursions into the ideal world, when in composing his divine work he was tempted to range

Beyond the visible diurnal sphere. With so many accomplishments, not to have had some faults and misfortunes, to be laid in the balance with the fame, and felicity, of writing PARADISE LOST, would have been too great a portion for humanity.

newspapers, will find that there is no time when popular credulity has not some hobby. The Cock-lane Ghost-Richard Brothers and his prophecies, Perkins's Metallick Tractors, -some prodigy or other makes a figure, and seems to engage the attention of a great portion of the nation, either in wondering at the miracle, or in laughing at those who believe it. It appears by some extracts which we have lately seen from English papers, that Joanna Southcott is now the rage, and makes more noise in England, and commands more col umns in their publick journals, than the Congress at Vienna, the negotiation at Ghent, or the war in America. About fifteen years ago, this distinguished character, then an old woman, set the whole country in an uproar; but her fame yielded to some more novel subject. Her history and her doctrines are given at length in Espriella's Letters :" from which the following particulars are extracted.

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT.

JOANNA SOUTHCOTT was born in Devonshire, about the middle of the last century, and seems to have past forty years of her life in honest industry, sometimes as a servant, at others, working at the upholsterer's business, without any other symptoms of a disordered intellect than that she was zealously attached to the Methodists. These people were equral ly well qualified to teach her the arts of imor to produce posture, or to drive her mad ; in her a happy mixture of craziness and knavery, ingredients which, in such cases, are usually' found in combination. She mentions in her books a preacher of an infamous character, who frequented her master's house, and used to terrify all who heard him in prayer, and make them shriek out convulsively Where such impious bedlamites as this are allowed to walk abroad, it is not to be wonder

ed at, that madness should become epidemick. Notwithstanding the irregularities of his life, in the house where Joanna lived, his pretensions to 'supernatural gifts were acknowledged, and he was accustomed to preach and pray; but after she became a prophetess herself, she discovered that this Sanderson was the false prophet in the Revelations, who is to be taken, with the beast, and cast alive with him into a lake of burning brimstone.

Joanna's career began humbly, with prophecies concerning the weather, such as the popular English almanacks contain, and threats concerning the fate of Europe and successes of the French, which were at that time the speculations of every newspaper, and of every politician. Some of these guesses having chanced to be right, the women of the family in which she then worked at the upholstering business, began to lend ear to her, and she ventured to submit her papers to the judgment of one Mr. Pomeroy, the clergyman whose church she attended in Exeter. He listened to her with timid curiosity, rather wanting courage than credulity, to become her disciple; received from her certain sealed prophecies, which were at some future time to be opened, when, as it would be seen they had been accomplished, they would prove the truth of her inspiration and sanctioned, or seemed to sanction her design of publishing her call to the world. Mr. Pomeroy, afterwards wishing to be clear of the connexion in which he had so unluckily engaged, burnt the sealed papers, which had been entrusted to

his care.

From that time all the Joannians,

who were now no inconsiderable number, regarded him as the arch-apostate. They call upon him to produce these prophecies, which abe boldly asserts, and they implicitly believe,

have all been fulfilled, and therefore would convince the world of the truth of her mission. If he is silent, no matter ; on they go, printing copies of all that they write, and when he is worried into ? repl ing, his answers also serve to swell Joanna's books. In this manner was this poor man, because be recovered his senses, persecuted by a crazy prophetess, and her four and twenty crazy elders, who seemed determined not to desist, till they made him as ripe for Bedlam, as they are themselves.

And thrice a week, above, below,
The house was scour'd from top to toe,
And all the floors were rubb'd so bright
You dar'd not walk upright
For fear of sliding;

But that she took a pride in.

Of all things else, Rebecca Strype
Could least endure a pipe.

She rail'd upon the filthy herb tobacco,
Protested that the noisome vapour

Had spoil'd the best chintz curtains and the paper, And cost her many a pound in stucco :

And then, she quoted old King James, who saith,
Tobacco is the devil's breath."

66

The books which she sends into the world are written, partly in prose, partly in rhyme, all the verse, and the greater part of the prose being delivered in the character of the Almighty. It is not possible to convey an adequate idea of this unparalleled and unimag- Dick mourn'd and miss'd his favorite tobacco,

inable nonsense by any other means than literal transcript. Her hand writing was illegibly bad, so that, at last, she found it convenient to receive orders to throw away the pen, and deliver her oracles orally.

It is not unlikely, that the woman, at first, suspected the state of her own intellects; her letters appear to indicate this; they express a humble submission to wiser heads than her own. But among her early believers were three clergyman, one of them a man of fashion, fortune, and rolle family. When she found that persons, into whose society, nothing but her frenzy could ever have elevated her, listened to her with reverence, believed al! her ravings, and supplied her with means be wondered at that she went on more boldly; and money to send them abroad, it is not to the gainfulness of the trade soon silenced all doubts of the truth of her inspiration. She who was used to carn her daily bread by daily labour, has been taken into the houses of her wealthy believers, regarded as the inost blessed among women, carried from one part of England to another, and treated every where with reverence little less than idolatry. Meantime, dictating books as fast as her scribes can write them down; she publishes them as fast as they are written; and the Joannians bay them as fast as they are published.

When wives WILL govern, husbands Musг obey; For many a day

And curs'd Rebecca.

At length the day approach'd, his wife must die.
Imagine now the doleful cry

Of female friends, old aunts, and cousins,
Who to the funeral come by dozens ;
The undertaker's men and mutes
Stood at the gate in sable suits,
With doleful looks,

Just like so many melancholy rooks.
Now cakes and wine are handed round,
Folks sigh, and drink, and drink and sigh,
For grief makes people dry;

But Dick is missing, no where to be found,
Above, below, about,

They search'd the house throughout,
Each hole and secret pantry,

In every corner, cupboard, nook and shelf,
And all concluded he had hang'd himself,
At last they found him---reader, guess you where ?
Twill make you stare---
Perch'd on Rebecca's coffin, at his rest,
Smoking a pipe of Kirkman's best !

OF

A

TRANSLATION

SONNET, WRITTEN BY MICHAEL ANGELO, THE PRINCE OF SCULPTORS, NEAR THE CLOSE OF HIS LIFE.

WELL nigh the voyage now is overpast,

And my frail bark thro' troubled seas and rude,
Draws near the common haven, where at last
Of every action, be it ill or good,

Must due account be rendered. Well I know
How vain will then appear the favour'd art,
Sole idol long, and monarch of my heart,
For all is vain that man desires below,
And now remorseful thoughts the past upbraid,
And fear of twofold death my soul alarms,
That which must come, and that beyond the grave :
Picture and sculpture lose their feeble charms,
And to his love divine I turn for aid
Who from the cross extends his arms to save.

WEEPING BEAUTY.

FROM morn to night, or griev'd or glad, Lucilla's looks are always sad;

Her kerchief she with tears is steeping! Same think the pretty wretch gone mad, But lately I the reason had

"She looks most beautiful, when weeping!"

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED FOR
JOHN PARK,

BY MUNROE, FRANCIS AND PARKER,
NO. 4 CORNHILL,

Price threolars per annum, half in advance.
New subscribers may be supplied with preceding numbers.

VODI.

POLITICAL.

FOR THE BOSTON SPECTATOR.

PROCEEDINGS AT HARTFORD. THE New England Convention adjourned last week, and have laid the result of their deliberations before the publick. It is not with in the compass of our limits to insert their entire publication, which consists of a pamphlet of thirty pages, every one of which merits the perusal and attention of their fellow citizens; the reasonings and facts are of the utmost importance, calculated to animate patriotism, instruct the publick mind, and assuage the asperity of party spirit.

Our readers, we trust, will give the whole paper their serious consideration; but we deem it proper to republish the conclusion of the report, adopted by the Convention, and the Resolutions which follow it.

treasuries thereof and appropriated to the payment of the balance due said States, and to the future defence of the same. The amount so paid into the said treasuries to be credited, and the disbursements made as aforesaid to be charged to the United States.

Resolved, That it be, and hereby is, recommended to the Legislatures of the aforesaid States, to pass laws (where it has not already been done) authorizing the Governours or Commanders in chief of their militia to make detachments from the same or to form volunta

ry corps, as shall be most convenient and conformable

to their constitutions, and to cause the same to be well armed, equipped and disciplined, and held in readiness for service; and upon the request of the Governur of either of the other States to employ the whole of such detachment or corps, as well as the regular forces of the State, or such parts thereof as may be required and can be spared consistently with the safety of the State, in assisting the State, making such request, to repel any invasion thereof which shall be made or attempted by the publick enemy.

Resolved, That the following amendments of the Constitution of the United States be recommended to the States represented as aforesaid, to be proposed by them for adoption by the State Legislatures, and, in such cases as may be deemed expedient by a Conventrun chosen by the people of each State.

"And it is further recommended, that the said States shall persevere in their efforts to obtain such amendments, until the same shall be effected.

numbers of free persons, including those bound to serve for a term of years and excluding Indians not taxed, and all other persons.

Second. No new State shall be admitted into the Union by Congress in virtue of the power granted by the Constitution without the concurrence of two thirds of both Houses.

Third. Congress shall not have power to lay any embargo on the ships or vessels of the citizens of the United States, in the ports or harbours thereof, for more than sixty days.

"Such is the general view which this Convention has thought proper to submit, of the situation of these States, of their dangers and their duties. Most of the subjects which it embraces have separately received an ample and luminous investigation, by the great and able assertors of the rights of their Country, in the National Legislature; and nothing more could be First. Representatives and direct taxes shall be apattempted on this occasion, than a digest of general portioned among the several States which may be inprinciples, and of recommendations, suited to the precluded within this Union, according to their respective sent state of publick affairs. The peculiar difficulty and delicacy of performing, even this undertaking, will be appreciated by all who think seriously upon the crisis. Negotiations for Peace are at this hour supposed to be pending, the issue of which must be deeply interesting to all. No measures should be ade, which might unfavourably affect that issue; none which should embarrass the Administration, if their professed desire for peace is sincere; and none, which on supposition of their insincerity, should afford them pretexts for prolonging the war, or relieving themselves from the responsibility of a dishonourable peace. It is also devoutly to be wished, that an occasion may be afforded to all friends of the country, of all parties, and in all places, to pause and consider the awful state, to which pernicious counsels, and blind passions, have brought this people The number of those who perceive, and who are ready to retrace errours, must, it is believed, be yet sufficient to redeem the nation It is necessary to rally and unite them by the assurance, that no hostility to the Constitution is meditated, and to obtain their aid, in placing it under guardians, who alone can save it from destruction. Should this fortunate change be effected, the hope of happiness and honour may once more dispel the surrounding gloom Our nation may yet be great, our union durable. But should this prospect be utterly hopeless, the time will not have been lost, which shall have ripened a general sentiment of the necessity of more mighty efforts to rescue from ruin, at least some portion of our beloved Country.

Therefore Resolved

THAT it be and hereby is recommended to the Legislatures of the several States represented in this Convention, to adopt all such measures as may be necessary effectually to protect the citizens of said States from the operation and effects of all acts which have been or may be passed by the Congress of the United States, which shall contain provisions, subjecting the militia or other citizens to forcible drafts, conscriptions, or impressments, not author.sed by the Constitution of the United States.

Resolved, That it be and hereby is recommended to the said Legislatures, to authorize an immediate and earnest application to be made to the Government of the United States, requesting their Consent to some Arrangement, whereby the said States may, separately or in concert, be empowered to assume upon themselves the defence of their territorygainst the onemy; and a reasonable portion of the taxes, collected within said States, may be paid into the respective

Fourth Congress shall not have power, without the concurrence of two thirds of both Houses, to interdict the commercial intercourse between the U. States and any foreign nation or the dependencies thereof.

Fifth. Congress shall not make or declare war, or authorise acts of hostility against any foreign nation without the concurrence of two thirds of both Houses, except such acts of hostility be in defence of the territories of the United States when actually invaded.

Sixth. No person who shall hereafter be naturalized, shall be eligible as a member of the Senate or House of Representatives of the United States, nor capable of holding any civil office under the authority of the United States.

Seventh. The same person shall not be elected President of the United States a second time: nor

William Prescott,
Harrison G. Otis,
Timothy Bigelow,
Joshua Thomas,
Samuel S. Wilde,
Joseph Lman,
Steph Longfellow, jr.
Daniel Waldo,
Hodijah Baylies,
George Bliss,
Chauncey Goodrich,

NO.LV.

Zephaniah Swift, Nathaniel Smith, Calvin Goddard, Roger M. Sherman, Daniel Lyman, Samuel Ward, Edward Manton, Benjami West, Benjamin Hazard, Mills Olcott, William Hall, jr.

REMARKS ON THE REPORT, &c. As the Resolutions which accompany the Report, and embrace the only measures proposed at present by the Convention, were first given to the publick without the reasons, which induced them not to recommend any thing of a more decisive character, it was not surprising, considering our calamitous situation, and the anxiety of the publick mind for immediate relief, that a considerable portion of the community thought them too tame. A perusal of the pamphlet, we presume, has produced or will produce, a general conviction that the course adopted by the Convention was dictated by the soundest wisdom, and that their recommendations point out the most judicious, safe, justifiable and practicable methods of obtaining a redress of our wrongs, and the utmost alleviation of our sufferings that present circumstances admit.

We cannot consider the report too tame, for it contemplates, conditionally, the strongest step, that any intelligent friend to his country could wish ever to see realized. It proposes for immediate attention several important measures, probably as much as will be supported by the degree of unanimity which would be requisite to carry any thing into effect. It was for the discernment of this body to ascertain, not only what might in theory be right and expedient, but what would be practically adapted to the views, the feelings, and the energy of those, for whose conduct they were assembled to devise a plan. In this respect, we sincerely believe, and trust the event will prove, that they have been admirably successful.

But we cannot content ourselves with an expression of general approbation; we have experienced the warmest respect and gratitude towards the authors of the excellent ap

two terms in succession.

Resolved, That if the application of these States to the government of the United States, recommended in a foregoing Resolution, should be unsuccessful, and peace should not be concluded, and the defence of these States should be neglected, as it has been since the commencement of the war, it will in the opinion of this Convention be expedient for the Legislatures of the several States to appoint Delegates to another

Convention to meet at Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, on the third Thursday of June next, with such powers and instructions as the exigency of a crisis so momentous may require.

tents, and we wish to be indulged in pointing out, more particularly, why we have been so much gratified.

George Cabot,

Nathan Dane,

James Hillhouse,

John Treadwell,,

their measures, and they will claim countenance from the precedent, which they will allege exists in this Hartford Convention This is an evil, which every well informed