And is there then no Hope in Laws?
No generous Friends to urge his cause?
Ah! no:--his Friends have not the time, And DEBT, you know"s the GREATEST CRIME.
Thus like the Starling in his cage, He moulders on to life"s last stage; And all his cry, and all his rout Is, Well-a-day! I can"t get out.
THE FADED ROSE.
Yon Rose, that bloom"d with tincture bright, That shed its od"rous sweets around, And smiling with the orient light, Diffused its beauty on the ground:
That gave its fragrance to the air, And waving kiss"d the gentle breeze, And though it gave, appear"d still fair, Still yielded nectar to the bees.
But blooming with uncommon pride, And blushing with the rain-bow"s hue, Upon the foliage by its side, That glitter"d with the morning dew.
A fair that watch"d her fleecy flock Beside the bending poplar shade, And resting on a mossy rock, Espy"d it waving in the glade.
Eager to seize the envy"d rose, And with it deck her glowing breast; She left her charge, forsook repose, And pluck"d it from its th.o.r.n.y nest.
That instant droop"d its spreading leaves, And soon its beauteous colours fled; In vain Cecilia"s bosom heaves, For with its charms the rose is dead.
So the fair damsel in her prime, That blooms with all the pride of May, Feels the corroding hand of time, And all unconscious fades away.
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF An Amiable Young Lady;
Whose virtues richly merited the eulogium here offered by a friend.
Soft as the balm the gentle gales distils!
Sweet as the fragrancy of new-mown hills!
Her op"ning mind a thousand charms reveal"d, Proof of those thousands which were yet conceal"d.
The loveliest flower in nature"s garden plac"d!
Permitted just to bloom, and pluck"d in haste.
Angels beheld her ripe for joys to come, And call"d, by G.o.d"s command, their sister home.
NEW-YORK: _+Printed by THOMAS BURLING, Jun. & Co. No. 115, Cherry-street.+-- +Subscriptions+ for this +Magazine+ (at 6s. per quarter) are taken in at the Printing-Office, and at the Circulating Library of Mr. J. FELLOWS, No. 60, +Wall-Street+._
_UTILE DULCI._
THE NEW-YORK WEEKLY MAGAZINE; or, Miscellaneous Repository.
+Vol. II.+] +Wednesday, March 15, 1797.+ [+No. 89.+
GRAt.i.tUDE.
"If aught gives one virtuous man a superiority over another, it is only by as much as he exceeds the other in Grat.i.tude."
Grat.i.tude, though a single word, contains a volume of expressions: it is the brightest jewel in Virtue"s diadem. It comprehends every social duty, and every celestial virtue, that adorn mankind; it renders them objects of Almighty love, and worthy the admiration of their fellow-creatures. Divested of Grat.i.tude, what are we? Nought but solitary reeds, blown by every breeze, and beat down by every shower, that G.o.d, in the plenitude of his mercy, sends to chear the rest of the world.
Grat.i.tude may be said to consist of two orders--to G.o.d, and to man.
Grat.i.tude to G.o.d is indisputably our first and chief duty. Can we for a moment contemplate the creation of the world, the coming, sufferings, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, without acknowledging that Grat.i.tude to G.o.d is our first and chief duty? G.o.d forbid! There are few, in this world"s sphere, but daily, nay even hourly, experience the goodness of the Almighty. How are we extricated from difficulties? How are we relieved, even when desponding misery rankles in the heart? And how do we enjoy our health, or happiness, but from the excess of that mercy which gently drops from Heaven? Can, then, our lives be better spent than in devoting them to those purposes esteemed worthy in G.o.d"s all-seeing eye, and expressive of our grat.i.tude for the blessings we receive?
"Never let day or night unhallow"d pa.s.s, But still remember what the Lord has done."
SHAKESPEARE.
Of Grat.i.tude to man, much has been, and much still remains to be said.
It may be urged that, in our Grat.i.tude to G.o.d, every kind of grat.i.tude is contained. This may be granted; and, therefore, to Him should we give the glory. If we are really grateful, we shew it not only to Him, but to those whom he makes the instruments of his goodness.
From the earliest period, we find that centre of every virtue, Grat.i.tude! honoured, revered, and even adored. How many have sacrificed their lives in grat.i.tude for services received from others; and, dying, blessed the cause in which they died! Grat.i.tude to man consists in a grateful remembrance of every favour, however trifling or essential. It is to be hoped that a man, plunged by misfortune into dire distress, confined within the narrow and dreary cell of a prison, surrounded by an infant family, some senseless of the misery they endure, sleeping on a bed of straw, a helpless babe in his arms, pining for it"s mother, who is gone, alas! in vain, to soothe the obdurate heart of a relentless creditor---it is to be hoped, I repeat, that human nature does not produce such a man, who, were he relieved from this horrid situation, by the benevolent hand of smiling Affluence, would ever cease to remember, without the softest emotions of extatic pleasure, the truly generous act: if he could, he should cease to live.
Other instances, equally forcible, might be brought forward; but man who ought not to forget the smallest obligation, or neglect the slightest opportunity of manifesting his grat.i.tude. It matters not, whether our grat.i.tude be called forth into action by pecuniary a.s.sistance in the hour of distress, solace in the hour of misfortune, or help in the moment of personal danger. He who relieves another in a pecuniary manner, he who sighs with him in his misfortunes, or he who saves the life of another, is equally ent.i.tled to our prayers, our praise, and our grat.i.tude.
PLEASURES OF STUDY.
There is unspeakable pleasure attending the life of a voluntary student.
The first time I read an excellent book, it is to me just as if I had gained a new friend. When I read over a book I have perused before, it resembles the meeting with an old one. We ought to lay hold of every incident in life for improvement, the trifling as well as the important.
It is not one diamond alone which gives l.u.s.tre to another; a common coa.r.s.e stone is also employed for that purpose. Thus I ought to draw advantage from the insults and contempt I meet with from a worthless fellow.
THE VICTIM OF MAGICAL DELUSION; _OR, INTERESTING MEMOIRS OF MIGUEL, DUKE DE CA*I*A._ Unfolding Many Curious Unknown Historical Facts.
_Translated from the German of Tsc.h.i.n.k._
(Continued from page 283.)
I hastened to conceal myself in a corner, and slipped out of the church as soon as the s.e.xton had entered it. In going home, I fancied I observed Hiermanfor at a distance, nay he seemed even to advance towards me; however, I fled from him with horror.
"About an hour after my return, I was joined by Alumbrado, who entered my apartment with awful solemnity. His countenance spoke more plainly than his lips. We went to the Marquis who seemed to have awaited our arrival with impatience, and bowed respectfully to Alumbrado.
"You have been watching last night," the latter said to us, "and dedicated it to devotion. Is your resolution still firm and unalterable?"