The New-York Weekly Magazine, or Miscellaneous Repository Part 165

I've felt, alas! this fatal truth, And been a prey from early youth; Have drank of sorrow's bitter cup, But pleasing hope still bears me up.

With our lov'd friends we here must part, Death, unrelenting, aims his dart; We all must his stern call obey, And sink into our native clay.

You mourn a tender parent's fate.

Now summon'd to a future state; Whose kind solicitude while here, Prevented each corroding care.

Ah, mourn no more, my lovely friend, Let grief no more your bosom rend; Dry up your tears, suppress your sighs, And seek a mansion in the skies.

The orphan's parent be your guide, On his sure word of truth confide; He ever faithful is, and just, To succour all that in him trust.

REBECCA.

_New-York, March 28, 1797._

SPLEEN.

A SONNET.

Curse on thee, Spleen! or liberate my soul, Or I must call on Madness for relief: Madness is bliss, compar'd with thy controul Of nerveless yearnings, and lean, tearless Grief!

For Madness sometimes will give ear to Mirth; Yes, I have seen him sooth'd into a smile: But thou, O Locust! of the sickliest birth, Gangren'st all humours with thy vapoury bile!

Not even Love--and Madness sits by Love, And hears his tale, and sighs, and oft will weep: While thou, worst horror of the wrath of Jove!

Would'st dash him headlong from the wildest steep!

I can no more.--Heav'n save me! lest despair Drive my poor struggling soul to tax thy care!

+ALWIN and RENA.+

Ask you, why round yon hallow'd grave The myrtle and the laurel bloom?

There sleep the lovely and the brave; O shed a tear upon their tomb!

"Oh! cease, my love, these vain alarms!"

--For war prepar'd, young Alwin said-- "For I must quit my Rena's arms; My bleeding country asks my aid!"

"Yes, I will check this bursting sigh; Yes, I will check these flowing tears: A smile shall brighten in my eye; My bosom shall dispel its fears!"

"You try indeed, to force a smile, Yet Sorrow's drops bedew your cheek; You speak of peace--yet, ah! the while, Your sighs will scarcely let you speak!"

"Go, Alwin!--Rena bids thee go; She bids thee seek the fields of Death: Go, Alwin, rush amid the foe; Go, and return with Vict'ry's wreath!"

A thrilling blast the trumpet blew; The milk-white courser paw'd the ground: A mix'd delight young Alwin knew; While Rena shudder'd at the sound--

Yet strove to check the rising fears, Which now with double fury swell; And, faintly smiling thro' her tears, She falter'd out a long farewel!

Three tedious moons, with chearless ray, Had vainly gilt the face of Night; Nor yet the hero took his way, To bless his drooping Rena's sight!

At length, thro' Rena's fav'rite grove, When now the fourth her radiance shed, He came--and Vict'ry's wreath was wove--- But, ah!--around a lifeless head!

Distracted at the blasting sight, To yonder tall cliffs bending brow, With beating b.r.e.a.s.t.s she urg'd her flight, And would have sought the waves below!

But while, with steady gaze, she view'd The foaming billows, void of fear, Religion at her right-hand stood, And whisper'd to her soul, "Forbear!"

And now the storm of grief was o'er; Yet Melancholy's weeping eye Distill'd the slow and silent show'r, Nor ceas'd--till Life's own springs were dry!

For this, around yon hallow'd grave, The myrtle and the laurel bloom: There sleep the lovely, and the brave; O! shed a tear upon their tomb!

[[Possible Source: _European Magazine and London Review_, vol. 16 (September 1789).]]

_NEW-YORK: +Printed by JOHN TIEBOUT, No. 358, Pearl-Street, for THOMAS BURLING, Jun. & Co.+ +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._

THE NEW-YORK WEEKLY MAGAZINE; or, Miscellaneous Repository.

+Vol. II.+] +Wednesday, May 3, 1797.+ [+No. 96.+

ON IMPRUDENT FRIENDs.h.i.+P.

In considering the instability of the ties that bind individuals in unison and communion with each other, I cannot but lament the disgrace which some miscreants have brought upon themselves by wilfully abusing and burying in oblivion the origin of all happiness, and at the same time profess themselves advocates for, and supporters of, the genuine principles of Friends.h.i.+p; under the mask of which, they deceive and render unhappy the honest and unsuspecting part of the community. A few remarks on this important subject may not be unwelcome to the reader.

The words _parodox_, _problem_, &c. are never misrepresented; whereas others, such as _honour_, _reputation_, _friends.h.i.+p_, &c. are scarcely ever quoted, unless to be misapplied.

The words _friends.h.i.+p_ and _friend_, are used, indeed, in such a variety of senses, all different, that it is almost impossible to recognize the genuine features of that old-fas.h.i.+oned thing called Friends.h.i.+p among such a group of unaccountables. A spendthrift, after various attempts to borrow money, complains, with a sigh, that he has not a _friend_ left in the world; and another, who has not quite reached this period, talks, with some pleasure, of meeting a dozen or two of _friends_ to dine at a tavern.--Benjamin Bribewell, Esq. invites his friends to meet at a public hall, and proceed from thence _in a body!_ and Captain Swagger, who has accepted a challenge, requests a brother officer to go out with him as his _friend_, and see that he be _fairly_ run through the body.

A highwayman who quarrels with his accomplices concerning the distribution of the booty, wonders that there should be any bickering among _friends_. Nor is it very uncommon that two who always own a friends.h.i.+p for each other, after cutting and bruising one another until they can scarcely stand, are separated by their _friends_--nay, what is more remarkable, they sometimes shake hands, and agree to part _friends!_

Such are the common ideas of Friends.h.i.+p; and if such is the only Friends.h.i.+p men expect to contract, surely they have little reason to complain if they should be disappointed. After having prost.i.tuted the _name_, how can they expect the substance? After having dreamt only of the _sign_, how can they expect the thing signified? If we consider how those connexions which are called Friends.h.i.+ps are formed, we shall the less wonder that they are unstable with most men: it is sufficient to have been twice or thrice in each others company, they become thereafter _friends_, and we are not to be surprised, if what is formed so hastily, should be as hastily dissolved. Houses that are thrown up quickly, and while the materials are green and unseasoned, cannot be expected to last long.

There are, on the other hand, some persons who entertain a notion of Friends.h.i.+p so very celestial and romantic, as is not to be expected from the frailty of human nature: They mistake the nature of a _friend_ just as much as those of whom I have been speaking. They expect _every_ thing from a friend, and in this are as much in fault as those who expected _any_ thing. Romantic notions of Friends.h.i.+p are much cherished in novels and sentimental writings, but their tendency is often fatal, and at all times pernicious. A very short intercourse with the world of men, convinces them that they have been reading of ideal beings, and their tempers are apt to be soured; in consequence of which, they entertain worse perceptions of men than they deserve.

There are two kinds of men who are strangers to true Friends.h.i.+p, although they may attain the habit, and appear in outward profession to be sincere; and these are the profane and ignorant, or the immoral.

Those who are unsuspecting may antic.i.p.ate great satisfaction and delight by the outward concessions of the designing friend, but they will sooner or later find, by awful experience, that they have misplaced their sincere regard, and in retaliation for their good offices, receive nothing but impious insults and all the injuries that their depraved _friend_ can inflict.