THE TABLET. No. CXLIV. " It is fane/, not the reason of things, that mates life so uneasy to us as we find it." I CAN think of no rule that will determine, whether the evil or the good we anticipate,be molt likely to turn out differently from what we expected. The imagination is equally apt to ex aggerate in both cases. Excels of fear and anx iety is not less common, or less foolilh, than the contrary extremes of hope and complacency. We are fomuch controled by fancy, and whirled about by passion, that it is difficult to acquire an habit, of viewing things according to their real character, or of regulating our hopes and fears by any rational standard. Though lam not of the opinion, that disappointed hopes are a source of so much pain, as to balance the pleasure result ing from the indulgence of such hopes, I never thelel's think that barely to escape the evils we have dreaded is 110 compensation for having clie rilhed needlefe, and anxious fears. We are, as has bfcen before observed, alike liable to meet with disappointment when we are swayed by fan cy, either as to objects of good or evil. The im pulses of hope are lo lively and conllant, that though they are frequently fallacious, they still return with frefli vigour and delight. So that up 011 the whole, we may reckon hope as a precious source of felicity. Nor do I conceive it very de trimental to happiness, to give wing to the ima gination in looking for the enjoyment of objects which we may never attain. The only reltric tion in thiscafe, is that we do not luffer ourselves to be so much elevated with alluring prospects, as to neglect ordinary duties, and to despise ordi nary occurrences. A sacred regard to support a clear conscience/and a fair character, will reilrain the pernicious effects of hope, and make it the source of much delight, intermingled with little inconvenience. But it is far otlierwife with refpeA to fear. This paifion, though implanted as a natural guard or forewarner against the various hurtful inci dents to which we are exposed, becomes a won ftrous enemy to happiness, when we surrender it to fancy. If there be any cale, in which reason fhouldeminently afiunie a sway over the passions, it is in moderating the excefles of a fearful, anx ious disposition. 11l health, lots of friends, and n tholifaud other misfortunes are apt to give a glooiny caf. ro the mind, and force it into an ha bit of cheriftiing imaginary evils. By this means, a fixed melancholy ensues, and a difrelilh for the innocent enjoyments of life. Wearethus depri ved of those gratifications which providfcnce puts in our way, and become the slaves of a servile pas sion. In this of the fubjetft, we can perceive the neceflity of examining the reason of things, when fancy suggests any circumstance that excites fearful apprehensions. It is true, that it may be desirable, to have a right view of objects, when hope is {tiuiulariug ns to acflion, but an error in this cafe is far less pernicious than an exceJTive and unreasonable degree of fear. For as evil is as uncertain as good, it is more eligible to hope too much of the one, than to fear too much of the other. NEW-YORK, September 2_> r Ky Captain Service, who arrived on Sunday from St. Peterfburgh, we learn, that a severe engagement between the Rullian and Swediib fleets took place off Wyburg the latter end of June —That the former had taken and funk five fail of tUe line and two frigates of the latter— The King of Sweden it is said had a narrow ef eapeYrom being taken—Captain Service mentions that there was a rumour of this intelligence at Cronrtandc before his departure, but when he torched at Copenhagen he obtained the above particulars of the evenr. Ou Saturday lafl arrived here the ship Union, Capt. Whitlock, in 53 days from Liverpool, which place he left the 26th of July ; nothing decisive relative to peace or war had at That time taken plate,but every thing was in the greatelt prepara tion. Some days before Capt. Whitlock failed an Envoy had been sent off from the court of Great Britain to Madrid, with positive orders to return vith an explicit answer from the Spanifli mini, ller, whether his court would accede to the de mands of Great Britain or not, and that any fur ther equivocation would be deemed a declarati on of war. Upwards of twelve hundred leamen had been imprefled at Liverpool about the mid dle of July. Amongst these were a number of Americans, who were, however, released upon their captains producing the proper tellimonials of theirxit izenfhip. We lienr from Rhode-Jfland, that a valuable addition of cnriofities has been made to the Mu seum of the college at Providence, by Capt. Jo seph Ingraham, of Boston, which he hadcolleift ed at Nooika Sound, and at the .'.andwich islands. The corporation of the town have vo ted him rheir sincere thanks, and ordered their fecrerary to address him on the fubjeci as soon as pofiible. Avertifer. PICTURE OP fcEW- YORK—AUGUST W THE observation is not new, Bat still tho ancicnt, not less tru?, That where men cluster thick together, (Like cackling geese in stormy weather) Arnidft the din of news and noise, Some wond'rous theme cach tongue employs 1 Some oae great fubjeft thro the town, Runs all inferior topics down. As for example look at London, Great Britain's heir by debt is undone; Then poor Mad Peg, with carving knife, Aims at great George's—<o*l—or life — \ A Pig,* or Cat+, as is the fafhion, Gains the attention of the nation ; Some boxing-match, to which the Prince Flies, his great courage to evince ; Where fomcgieat CobUr maims a Weaver, Or Butcher fights a iam'd Coal-heaver; Where bones are broke, and joints are put out, Where bruises kill, arid eyes are cut out ; Such glorious themes fill English papers, Cure English ladies of the vapours ; Nay, ot such consequence are grown, That faith they nearly fill our own ; Aiendoza's battles, or fad work 'Bout duel fought by Duke of York, Of how his Higfrnefs' curl was hit, Or when George wore his Epaulet, Conve/ inilru&ions to our youth, And teach them (entiment and truth : Thus in all places some small matter. Is found for uuiTerfal chatter— Aflumption, Residence, M'Gillivray, Treaties, trainings of Artillery, Coweta's, Cufiitahs, and Cho&aws, Tufkabatchees, and other Crackjawy. When Congress wifti'd to go away» Thus said our cits—ol feem'd to fay, 44 Ungrateful men, and will ye go, 44 And can ye—dare ye —leave us so ? 44 After we've turn'd Old City Hall, 41 Into fam'd Mansion Federal; 44 After difmifling all our pavers,\ 44 Worne smooth by trampling fwcepsand 14 Those venerably ancient stones, That bore our great forefathers' bones } ' 4 That made the ploughman, wbeq at work, 44 Remember, he had Teen New-York, 44 And limping, tell his neighbour Clods, A 44 That city ftrcetsa'n't pav'd with sods. 44 After new mod'ling all our matters, 44 And treating ye, as if our betters ; 44 And fee ! Tnc lofty fort is down, 44 The harmlejs guatdian of our town; 44 All open to the bay and seas, 44 T'invite—for you—the summer breeze; 44 And fee yon tow'ring pilearife, 44 A Babel ! —threatening the ikies ; 44 Rising—on! mod unapt all ufion, 44 I do not mean to our confufion : 44 And can ye so ungrateful be, 41 From such kind patriots e'er to flee ? 44 Where will the foft, sweet, southern manners, 44 So soon allure to pleafure'x banners ? 44 So soon convince theartlefs maid, 44 That love at best is but a trade ; 44 Beauty, a saleable commodity, 44 Marriage, a state aid fafhion'd oddity; 44 For which free joy t may be exchang'd, 44 In cafe affairs flioQld be 4; But otherwise a girl of merit, 44 Should manage matters with moreJpirit; 44 Taile uncontroul'd the joys of love, * For ever ?—that is—till ye move. 44 Oh think, and think, and think again, 44 Our thick, deep, complicated pain ; 44 How much we wifli, and wifli, to keep ye, 44 Altho long speeches make us flcepy ; 44 Remember all our anxious toil, 4% The Philadclphians arts to foil ; 44 That we to keep ye—glad and willing, 44 Gave fix pence, hoping for a shilling. Thus rav'd the wife ones ot our city, Some feiote t'was fhwne; fomeJuid t'was pity ; iien iuddenly this topic dies, A..d all the rage is blank and prize ' No longer bluster, bounce and zounds, But ev'ry thought—three thoujandpounds : J rom National Allcmbly prancing, They seek th' Aflembly Roonl for dancing : No longer loiter, nod and slumber, But watch the wheel, and catch the number ; No longer, peeping thro the grates, See Senators desert their feats, And walking forth as if for air, Strait to the anti-ioom repair, || View Trumbull's forms sublimely blaz^, /ftid fee! the paint—with wondering gaze. Jnftlyadinirethe glowing work, A laftmg honor to New-York; An honor to our corporation, A future honor to our nation. Weft Lottery! Blest thirst of gain ! That makes us Idle all sense oi pain : While our grave citizens were watching, And every rumour's rumour catching, Of who is blank, and who is prize, Mine is four pounds young Noddy cries I'll not put up with it, not I, But oft to Roofevelts'and buy Four pounds ! Why tis'n't worth a thank— D n it, I'd rather have a blank. While thus all ranks were deep engag'd, And various war with fortune Wag'd ; Congref's perceiv'd the lucky minute,' Slipt off—left us—to bear and grin it. " Slipt off! but pray what did they do, " By way of recornpence to you ? " You ! who in pur« good natur'd pity, " Granted them house-room in your city ; " And gave them beef, and fifli, and mutton, " And genteel Congrefs coats to put on ; " Their horses, cows, and goats, found hay for, «' And ev'ry thing—that they could pay for ?" What did they do ? Why Sir, I'll tell, They gave what we deferv'd full well— 1 hey met in form—good Heaven guard us, Refolv d nem. con they would reward us ; Voted for gieat Potowmac's banks, And gave us—" What They gave us—thanks. •Thetarred P'g.-—> Lumrdi'sCat. \ Stone, for bavint PtV'p I'""" W V d ' aZL '" thc dancing AJfemf/'y h Tr~\ ■ Th ' the Senate Chamber, where Mr.TruZ (I 1 " y hjlonca! portraits of The Pufiient, and Governor n ' New-York, Sept. iy t 1790. 602 REMARKS ON THE ENGLISH LANGOAGE. DRi Franklin remarks, that in modern times, notice and advocate are become verbs ; a man advocated a certain meafnre ; 1 noticed his argti. menrs. It is doubrlefs true that the life of these words as vet ht is modern ; but 1 queltion the pro priety of dilcarding this use of them, iri this I (honld differ even from so refpetlable an autho*' rity as Dr. Franklin; altho 1 entirely concur with him that progress nfed as a verb, is both " abom inable and aukward." Let us carefully attend to the idi6mi of our language, as well as to the harmony of its confirmation. It is observable that multitudes of our verbs, perhaps one half of them that may be properly called English, are mere nouns, used in the form ot verbs. This is the cafe with love, fear, hope, Jorm, fafbion, pen, interefl, provnf-, &c. which by the prefix Jo, or the affixing the terminations of verbs, become real verbs ; as to love, he /oveth,Hic. It is evident to any person who looks into old English authors, or examines the true ftrmture of our language, that this was the original me thod of forming our verbs ; it may therefore be considered as the genius of onr language. When ever therefore modern nouns or new words be gin to be used as verbs, we have only to coufider whether by afTuming a new form, or taking the personal terminations of verbs, they do not be come harsh, unharmonious, or of difficult accent in pronunciation. If they donot, 1 feenoration al objection to their use as verbs. The words notice and advocate are not liable to this objection. They are, in mofl vaiiations, of easy pronuncia tion ; and as they abridge the number of words necellary to convey certain ideas, I fiiould, with deference to abler judges, suppose the use of them as verbs, proper and admillible. The lame can not be said of progress ; for to make it a verb it would be neceflary to change the accent to the lalt syllable, and even then it would be a harrti and aukward word. The fame objection lies a gainst the use of dijfculted, a word that cannot be pronounced, without •violence to the organs. The Doctor's remark on the use of opposed is very just. For a man to fay "he is opposed to a mcafure" is neither English nor sense. He may oppose a measure and he opposed by another man ; but not opposed to a meaOire ; tor this last pnffive sense, fuppofesan agent which oppofei him to the measure ; whereas the ast of oppolition, is limited to the person, which neitter sense lhould not be exprefied in the palfive form. I am not a little surprised at the revival of the word flricken, after being disused for centuries. It may be fairly said that the word does not be long to modern English, The participle offtrike is jiruck ; the word flricken being used in one phrase only in the vulgar translation ofthebible, " flricken in years," and this phrase, as well as the word, flricken, is wholly obsolete. 1 should as soon have expected to fee the words wit and trowed' revived in our national legiflavure, as flrick en. For the honor of American Belles Lettres, I hope the word may be permitted to reft in obli vion. If Lowth's authority ihould be produced against me, I would just observe, that he gives Jlricken as an old participle of Jlriie, and Co he does Jlrucken ; but where are the words used !— Words are like leaves octrees, alwayscbanrhi*, as Horace remarks ; but -when a word has bs ufid by a nation, it no longer belongs to the but* guage of that nation ; and thccompiler qf mar has no right to fay it does. This is bdt of>4 of a j*reat number of egregious efrors* which we find in Lowth's Introduiftion, a work which tea done some good and some hurt. Evendn EwHW authority we may as well use ftrucken a» firfekfr, but neither of them belongs to the present SajWk language. , N. W. •" FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED ST4TIS. REMARKS OM THE ENGLISH WRITERS. MR: FINS'O t I WAS much pleased with the " remarks o* the Englilh Language," and hope they will be duly attended to ; 1 am determined to puofic by them, being conscious of their being applica ble to myfelf. The New-England people arc not the only persons who might be defervedl* laughed at tor such blunders—for their foutliern brethren are not wholly free front them. That attachment to ancient customs Ihould takeftrong hold of the illiterate, and thereby prevent the adoption of improvements in literature, or ufe ful arts, tho it must pain every benevolent mind, yet it is not surprising. But when we behold those on whom the rays of jfcience have fallen, whose understandings are expanded by cultiva tion, and who consequently ought to be guided by views of public utility—l fay, when we be hold such persons acting a similar part,it not only gives pain, bat must chagrin every philanthro pist. 1 hefe refletflions have repeatedly occured to me, when I beheld Englifli writers larding their labors with fcrapsfrom other languages,by way of embeHifhment—l think this practice, (so justly branded with the epithet ofpedantry) ca" s equally loud for ledrefs, with the blunders com fliijed by common people in fpeaking —and is / x
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