Western Sun, Volume 7, Number 49, Vincennes, Knox County, 9 November 1816 — Page 4

POETRY. Gloom of Autumn. 7TTAIL, yc fighinjr fons of forrow !

earn from hnce vour fte tomorrow,

Ded. ptrrh p3, la':J in the tomb !

See ail nature fading, dying? .Silent all things feem to mourn ; 1fe from vegetation flying, Galls to mind the mouldering urn. Often Autumn's tcmpeft rifing Makes the lofty forrfl nod ; Scenes of nature, how furpriung ! Read in nature nature's God, See our (bvereign, Pole Creator Lives eternal in the ft:y ; While we mortals yield to nature, Bloom a while, then fadt ai;d die. Nations fallby dread Brllona, Through the tyranny of kins ; Jufl like plants in pta Parocn y, Fall to rise in future fprtngs,

Iournfi.1 femes, when vegetation

Dies by frcd, or worms devour ;

ou'dy pr-i. 1'ui when a nation

Falls by neighboring nations power.

Death and war mv mind opprefs Autumn Glows my own decay, Cslta to mind my pad dtftrefc, Warns me of my dying day, Autumn rmkes me melanrho'v.

Strikes dej-ion through my foul;

While I mourn my former Lolly,

Waves of forrow o'er me roil.

Lo ! I hear the air refounding With expiring infeda cries ; Ah, to me their moans how wounding, Emblem of my own demise, Ho!' tw winds about me roaring, Noisy waters round me rise ; While I lit my fate deploring, To .us fafl dreaming from my eyes. What to me is autumn's treafureti Si .f- I know no earthly j y I ve 1 " all youthful pleafurea, - ' youth and health dcHroy. i ne 1 fondly courted, ta i g like the blofhtng rofe A me, when once I'v? fportsd ; .-w emhitters all my wots. Age and forrow fir.ee has bhfted Every youthful pleafing dream Qjiveriog age with youth contrafted, O, hovv fhort our glowing beam ! As the annual Crofts are cropping Leaves md tendrela from the trees, So my friends ate yearly dropping By old age and dire dcleafc. Former friends, how of't I've fought them J oil to cheer my drooping mind ; But they're gone, like leaves of autumn Driven before the dreary wind ! 4 When a few more years are wafted When a few more days are o'er When a few more griefs I've taftcd, I muft fall to rise no more 1 Faft my fun of life's declining, Soon 'twill fet in endlefs night ; But my hopes are part repining, B'.lt in future light and life, Ceaie thy fearing, tremblincr, fighin,

n i

Ueath hIl break the fullen cloom :

Soon my fpirit fluttering, flying,

Mullbc borne beyond the tomb ?

MISCELLANY.

FYvm the Connecticut Courant THE BRIEF K E M A RK K R. u Jove once upon a time"' us

an old heathen fable relates) " having ordered that Pleasure and Pain should be mixed in equal proportions, in every dose of human life, upon a complaint that some men endeavoured to sepa rate what he had joined, and taking more than their share of the sweet, would leave all the sour for others: commanded Mercury to put a stop to this evil, by placing upon each delinquent a pair of invisible Spectacles, which should change the appearance of things, making pain look like pleasure, and pleasure like pain, labour like recreation, and recreation like labour." If, by the Invisible Spectacles we are to understand the illusions which mislead the judgment in regard to the true corn forts and interests of life, it is pretty certain that no kind of spectacles else is in so general use. In youth almost every thing is seen thro' these false glasses, which a great many wear all their life time, in spite of age and experience. One of the most needfujrfall arts is the art of computing, is deemed indispensabl y necessary in all kinds of business. Arid hence we sent! our children to school, to learn the use of figures and how to cast up accounts & foot them to a nicely. One who has no knowledge at all of the 9 figures of arithmetic, who even knows not that 2 and 2 makes 4 is regarded as fit for no sort of business above that of a scullion. But besides the knowledge of figure . there is another branch of the art of computing, which is of sup i ior importance : I mean an accurate knowledge of the ilue of tilings, considered in relation to our real comfort and happiness This is a kind of knowledge not of ifcseif so very difficult to learn, but which, nevertheless, is hidden from multitudes of men and women of good natural pairs, by reason that their manner is to view things thro' the medium as it were of magic spectacles, rather than with the naked and unprejudiced eye of reason. Apart from considering the common and fatal illusion, thro' immortal joys are sacn to transient pleasure, a great parry, for want of s ill in the art of computing, make wrong judgements about Pleasure on the right choice of which their worldly weal depends in no inconsiderable measure. Scornings or overlooking the simple and innocent pleasures of which arc given in common to human beings, which no art of refinement can considerably increase, and whiah excess never fails to embitter ;Vthey lose the good they have, b their perpetual hankerings "after some unattainable state of earthly felicity. Pursuing pleasure with eagerness, and as an employment they purchase pain ; and that, at the expense of fortune, health, character, and peace of mind. At this dear rate they purchase the most grievous of pain, to wit, that of satiety, which consists in loathing life and its enjoyments, lie that is not man enough to govern his appetites, cannot make himself brute enough to indulge and pamper them without remorse ; and therefore, in the very circumstance in which he places his chief good, he is far less

happy than some of the irrational animals around him. But to return to the fabulous spectacles, it may be taken for certainty that, tho' invisible, they arc actually worn by all persons belonging io either of the following classes. They certainly wear them, who fondly hope to lind happiness in a life devoted to idleness and an unrestrained indulgence of passion and appetite. AVith respect to their true good, as relates even to this life alone, they are undif deplorable mistake. For it is an axiom built upon irrefragable experience, that if mere corporeal gratification were intended to be the main object of our pursuits, vet, even then, with regard to the real enjoyment, industry would be preferable to sloth & temperance to excess. They wear them, who incessantly moil & toil, are hard dealers, illeberal, uncharitable incompassionate to the poor ; & all for the sake of hoarding up treasure for their children. Blind infatuation ! Often, very often it happens that such hoards are squandered in a much shorter time than it took to gather them. They wear them, who, though possessing a competence, fret their hearts & embitter their lives with covetings after riches. Were they to view things in a true light, they would be thankful, rather than discontented 6c querulous ; since their condition is precisely that which is best calculated to furnish the greatest amount of genuine earthly comfort. They wear them, who sacrifice realities to appearances. substanJk tial comforts to airy notions, who had rather feel misery than not to seem happy, who impoverish and beggar themselves for the

sake of appearing more prosperous and felicitous than people of the common sort. The folly of such people's calculations is seen by every body but themselves. rJhey wear them, who lays scenes of their happiness abroad rather than at home. It is a certain truth, that one who lives on easy terms with himself can find very little eniovment in extrinsic objects. So that the very first step in the road to solid happiness, is the acquirement of the contented mind ; because without a predisposition to contentment, any change of place or of outward condition is only the ex change of one sort of disquietudes for another. And as the spring of happiness is found in our own minds, or no where, so " well ordered Home" is the true centre of its enjoyment. Mothers, whose chief satisfaction lies in circles of fashion and scenes of amusement have their vision woefully distorted by means of the magic spectacles : else they would clearly see that the occupation of nursing, rearing, and instructing their infant progeny, is what furnishes the sweetest of pleasure at the same time that it is one of the first of duties.

able to bequeath to my dear children sufficient to secure them from poverty, I desire that one hundred pounds be applied to the purchase of four tickets in the present state lottery, and the amount, which I hope may be considerable, as I find it my amount to more than one hundred thousand pounds, be equally divided amongst them." First Juries in Pennsylvania. The first Grand Jury in Pennsylvania, Thomas Lloyd foreman, w as summoned to meet at Philadelphia, on the 2d May, 1083, upon one Pickering and two others, his accomplices, accused of issuing counterfeit silver money. The Petit Jury, of whom John CI ay pole was foreman, found them guilty. Sentence of the Court, consisting of the Governor and Council, upon Pickering, was that he should make full satisfaction, in good and current pay, to every person who should within the space of one month, bring in any of this false, base and counterfeit coin (which the next day was to be called in by proclamation) according to respective proportions ; and that the money brought in, should be melted down before it was returned to him ; and that he should pay a fine of forty pounds towards the bidding of a court house, stand committed till the same was paid, and afterwards find security for his good behavour. Of the value of the fine, some idea may be formed from the fact that at that time, ten pounds was the price for the diet, lodging washing and schooling of a boy for one whole year. Aurora. CAUTION TO PARENTS. There is no greater error in parental government, and yet none more prevalent, than for the parent to threaten punishments, which, from their nature, they never intend to inflict. Such a practice can only operate as a temporary restraint, for the child soon learns the difference between the words and the actions, and transgresses without fear: and as the parent threatens w ithout executing his threats, so the child feels authorised to promise without performing, & grows up in the habitual disregard of truth, These are natural consequences, and should induce parents carefully to abstain from the practice Northern Post. WOMAN, A beautiful romantic animal, that may be adorned with furs and feathers, pearls and diamonds ores and silk. The lynx shall cast its skin at her feet, to make her a tippet. The peacok. parrot and swan shall pay contribution to her muff. The sea will he searched for shells, and the rocks for gems, and every part of nature furnish out its share, towards the embellishment of a creature that is the most consummate work of nature.

A Lucky Thought. On the will of a person who lately died in the west riding of Yorkshire, England being opened, the following curious codicil was found annexed to it : " That whereas I have not been

Tilings in their right places. A certain judge after hearing a florid discourse from avounglawyer, advised him to pluck out some of the feathers from the wings of his imagination, and put them into the tail of his judgmt.