For the Anthology.

We feel a sincere pleasure in an opportunity of inviting our readers to the works

of an original writer. They form a rare curiosity in the inodern Lyceon, which invention has stocked with monsters, and where plagiarism has ex. hausted her powers in deforming, what she could not disguise. The essays of Mr. Foster exhibit in all the novelties of genius the vestiges of Nature, which, among the paste-board scenery and painted passions of our mechanick scribblers, is as delightful, as a rude rock and wild oak,among the chinese gardens and smooth-shaven lawns. Mr. Foster has certainly thought much, which is a peculiarity in our times, when books have supplied the place of reflection, and the writings of others have supplanted our own conceptions and judgment. His researches have not been directed by a wish to gaia the authority of great names, but to make his own name an authority for his own sentiments. He has not laboured to give form and system to the suggestions of others, but to develope and impress his own sentiments, His energy supports him through an enterprize, in which he demands submission to his doctrines, and enforces his demand by his own resour.

Mr. Foster writes as he thinks. He has expressed bold thoughts in the words, in which they were conceived. His arguments are support. ed by the language, in which they controled his own judgment. His opinions, in the moment of their conception sturdy as Hercules in the cradle, he has not cramped into form and symmetry with the swaddling bands of rhetorick. His style exhibits the manly majesty of a giant in the games, who challenges superiority more from the vigour of his muscles, than excellence in the art. He has all the ease of courage without the grace of taste, The letter we have selected, as a specimen of his style and sentiments, forms a part of his essay “ On decision of character.” After considering the evils of an unsettled and irresolute mind, and the advantages of a firm and settled purs purpose, he proceeds to examine the elements, which compose a decided character. The third letter contains part of this examination.

ces.

Tais indispensable basis, con- ing no effective forees to execute fidence of opinion, is however not its decrees. enough to constitute the character It is evident then, and I per, in question. For there have been ceive I have partly anticipated this many persons of clear independent article in the first letter, that any understanding, who have been sen- other essential principle of the sible and proud of a much harder character is, a total incapability of grasp of thought than ordinary surrendering to indifference, or men, and have held the most de- delay the serious determinations cided opinions on important things of the mind. A strenuous will to be done, who have yet exhibited,in must attend on the conclusions of The listlessness or inconstancy of thought, and constantly, as they their actions, a contrast and a dis- are matured, go forth to the ac. grace to the operations of their complishment of them with a ner. understandings. For want of some vous agency which nothing can dicogent feeling impelling them to- vertor control. The intellect of such ward the practical assertion of ev. a man is invested, if I may so des. ery internal decision, they have cribe it, with a glowing atmosphere been still left where they were ; of passion, under the influence of and a dignified judgment has been which the cold dictates of reason seen in the hapless plight of have take fire,& spring into active powers,

a

Revert once more in your This display of systematick enthoughts to the persons most re, ergy seems to indicate a constitumarkably distinguished by this de- tion of mind, in which the passions cision. You will perceive that in- are exactly commensurate with the stead of quiescently regarding the intellectual part, and, at the same conclusions, which reason has un- time, hold an inseparable corresdergone some labour to form, as pondence with it, like the faithful an apology for labouring no fur- sympathy of the tides with the ther, they consider them simply phases of the moon. There is as the preparation for experimen- such an equality and connexion, tal enterprise, and as of no more that subjects of the decisions of worth, till so employed, than the judgment become proportionally entombed lamps of the Rosicru- and of course the objects of pascians. They cannot be content sion. When the judgment delong in a region of such tenuity, as cides with a very strong preference, that of mere intellectual arrange- that same strength of preference ments : they go thither, as an am- takes place also on the passions, bitious adventurer anciently went and becomes intense devotion. If to Delphi, to consult, but not to this strong preference of judgment reside. You will therefore find continues, the passions will therethem almost uniformly in deter- fore be fixed at a pitch of constant mined pursuit of some object, on energy, and this will produce the which they fix a keen and steady style of condụct which I have delook, and which they never lose scribed. When, therefore, a firm sight of,while they follow it through self-confiding judgment fails to the innumerable multitude and make a decisive character, it is erconfusion of other things, of which ident, that either there is in that the world is full. They pursue it, mind a deficient measure of pasas a sportsman does a fox, at all sion, which makes an indolent or hazards, over hill and dale and irresolute man ; or that the pasbrook, through wood and brake sions perversely sometimes coinand every where ; and they will cide with judgment and sometimes grasp it at length unless it go into desert it, which makes an inconthe earth.

sistent or versatile man. The manner of a person actu- There is no man so irresolute ated by such a spirit, seems to as not to act with determination in sảy,... Do you think that I would many single cases, where the monot disdain to adopt a purpose tive is powerful and simple, and which I would not devote my ut- where there is no need of plan most force to effect, or that, have and perseverance ; hut this gives ing thus devoted my exertions, I no claim to the term Character, vill intermit or withdraw them, which expresses the habitual terthrough indolence, debility, or ca- our of a man's active being. The price, or that I will surrender my cliaracter niay be displayed in the object to any interference except successive unconnected undertakthe uncontrollable dispensations of ings which are each of limited exProvidence ? No, I am linked to tent, and end with the attainment my determination with iron bands; of their objects. But it is seen to my purpose is become my fute, the greatest advantage in those and I must accomplish it, unless grand schemes of action, which arrested by the sterner force of ca- have no necessary period of conlumity or death.

clusion, which continue onward through successive years, and ex- dreadful designs conipeis a sentitend even to that frontier of dark. ment of deep respect for the unness, where the acting spirit itself conquerable mind displayed in: becomes invisible.

their execution. While we shud, I have repeatedly remarked to der at his activity, we say with re. you, in conversation, the effect of gret, mingled with an admiration what has been called a Ruling which borders on partiality,... What Passion. When its object is no- a noble being this would have been, ble, and an enlightened under- if goodness had been his destiny. standing directs its movements, it The partiality is evinced in the appears to me a great felicity ; but very selection of terms by which whether its object be noble or not, we refer his atrocity, rather to his it infallibly creates, where it exists destiny, than to his choice. I wonin great force, that active ardent der whether an emotion, like this, constancy which I describe as a has not been experienced by each capital feature of the decisive reader of Paradise Lost, relative character. The subject of such a to the leader of infernal spirits ; commanding passion wonders, if a proof, if such were the fact, that indeed he were at leisure to won- a very serious errour has been der, at the persons who pretend committed in the tremendous creto attach importance to an object ations of the supreme poet. In which they make none but the some of the high examples of am. most languid efforts to secure. bition, we almost revere the mighThe utmost powers of the man ty spring of character which imare constrained into the service of pelled them forward through the the favourite cause by this mighty longest series of action, superiour passion, which sweeps away as it to doubt and fluctuation, and disadvances all the trivial objections dainful of ease, of pleasures, of and little opposing motives, and opposition, and of hazard. We seems almost to open a way tlırough bow to the ambitious spirit which impossibilities. This spirit comes reached the true sublime, in the on him in the morning, as if it memorable reply of Pompey to darted directly from the clouds, his friends, who dissuaded him and commands and impels' him from venturing without delay, on, through the day with a power from a tempestuous sea, in order to be which he could not emancipate at Rome on an important occa. himself if he would. When the force sion : “ It is necessary for me to of habit is added, the determination go, it is not necessary for me to becomes altogether invincible, and live.” seems to assume rank with the The spirit of revenge has progreat laws of nature, making it as duced wonderful examples of this certain that such a man will per unremitting constancy to a pursist in his course, as that in the pose. Zanga is a well-supported morning the sun will rise.

illustration. And you may have A persisting untameable efficacy read a real instance of, I think, a of soul gives a seductive and per- Spaniard, who being injured by nicious dignity, even to a character another inhabitant of the same and a course, which every moral town, resolved to destroy him : principle forbids us to approve. the other was apprized of this deOften in the narrations of history termination, and removed, with and fiction, an agent of the most the utmost secrecy as he thought,

to another town, at a considerable distance, where, however, he had not been more than a day or two, before he found that his enemy was arrived there. He removed in the same manner to several parts of the kingdom remote from each other; but, in every place, quickly perceived that his deadly pursuer was near him. At last, he went to South America; where he had enjoyed his fancied security but a very short time, before his unrelenting enemy came up with him, and effected his tragical purpose.

been the amount of that bribe, in emolument or pleasure, that would have detained him a week inactive, after their final adjustment. The law which carries water down a declivity was not more unconquerable and invariable, than the determination of his feelings toward the main object. This ob ject he pursued with a devotion, which seemed to annihilate to his perceptions all others; it was a stern pathos of soul, on which the beauties of nature and of art had no power. He had no leisure feeling, which he could spare, to *****. But not less of this in- be diverted among the innumeravincible pertinacity has been dis- ble varieties of the extensive scene, played by the disciples of virtue which he traversed; all his suband the benefactors of mankind. ordinate feelings lost their separate In this distinction, no man ever existence and operation, by falling exceeded or ever will exceed our into the grand one. There have great philanthropist, the late illus not been wanting trivial minds to trious Howard. The energy of mark this as a fault in his charac his determination was so great, ter. But the mere man of taste that if, instead of being habitual, it ought to be silent respecting such could have appeared in an inter- a man as Howard; he is above mitted form, operating only for a their sphere of judgment. The short time, on particular occasions, invisible spirits, who fulfil their it would have seemed a vehement commission of philanthropy among impetuosity; but by being con- mortals, do not care about pictures, tinuous, it had an equability of statues, and sumptuous buildings; manner, which scarcely appeared...no more did he. Or at least, reto exceed the tone of a calm con- garding every moment as under stancy. It was the calmness of an the claims of imperious duty, his intensity, kept uniform by the na- curiosity waited in vain for the ture of the human mind forbidding hour to come, when his conscience it to be more, and the character of should present the gratification of the individual forbidding it to be it as the most sacred duty of that less. The habitual passion of his hour. If he was still at every mind was a measure of feeling, al- hour, where it came, fated to feel most equal to the temporary ex- the attractions of the fine arts but tremes and paroxysms of common the second claim, they might be minds as a great river, in its cus- sure of their revenge, for no other tomary state, is equal to a small or man will ever visit Rome under moderate one, when swollen to a such a despotick consciousness of torrent. duty, as to refuse himself time for surveying the magnificence of its ruins. Such a sin against taste is very far beyond the reach of common saintship to commit. It im

The moment of finishing his plans in deliberation, and commencing them in action, was the I wonder what must have Vol. III. No. 11.

same.

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