object, whose feelings and taste were so widely different from his own, should have so strongly attracted his regard; but either he had not a true conception of her character, or the violence of his love caused him to disregard the dissimilarity in their minds. It is indeed affirmed, that he was not violently enamored at first, but that his passion grew by being repelled, and that he no sooner found his object unattainable, than, with the disposition so natural to men, to value highly whatever is beyond their reach, he exalted her in imagination into a being of transcendent excellence, and his susceptible heart was kindled with a most intense flame. The more firmly the lady repulsed him, the more vehemently did he urge his addresses. He could not believe that a passion so ardent and sincere as that which he felt, could fail to move the heart of his mistress, and the coldness with which she steadily met his protestations of love, only caused a persuasion that he was not fervent and earnest enough. He found her inaccessible, and his solicitation hopeless; but desperate as his case was, he continued his assiduities, and occupied his mind with this romantic and unfortunate passion to the last hour of his existence. In the prosecution of his hopeless suit, he called to his aid the powers of his muse. He committed his woes to verse, and the lady was annoyed with a multitude of poetical epistles, in which the strength of his affection, and the keen fine-toned sensibility of his feelings, are most eloquently displayed. In common cases, we are inclined to doubt the sincerity of that passion which can vent itself in the artificial and labored utterance of verse; and Doctor Johnson has declared, that a man who courts his mistress in rhyme, deserves to lose her. But the truth of our poet's grief is not to be doubted. A convincing earnestness marks every line that he utters. The unhappiness under which he was suffering is depicted in language too earnest to allow us to believe it a fiction. There is a tone of deep, sincere feeling in these outpourings of his sorrow, that must have come from the heart. He called these epistles, The Letters of Arouet to Amanda.' The lady con tinued inexorable, and Ladd becoming weary of so much ineffectual endeavor, yet not at all cooled in his passion, resolved to tear himself from his beloved Amanda, with the hope that absence and new objects would exert their usual influence in estranging his mind from the griefs which preyed upon his repose. He accordingly sailed for South Carolina, intending to remain there and practise his profession, but though at a distance from the object which had aroused his passion, it lived on with undiminished force; absence could not weaken it. Amanda became the wife of another; our poet received the information-he could no longer hope, but he loved still. In 1786 he became engaged in a newspaper controversy, in Charleston, upon some political matter. This led to a personal misunderstanding, and a challenge was sent him, and accepted. A duel was fought, and Ladd received a wound which was not considered dangerous; but this unhappy man was languishing in despair, and had become weary of life. He refused all medical aid, and a mortification ensued. died in his thirtythird year. He A collection of his writings was published at Charleston in 1786, with the title of The Poems of Arouet.' It is said this volume contains but a small portion of his best Poems, and that the most of his epistles to Amanda are now lost. Those which remain show his poetical talent in a favorable and striking manner. They are written with the full energy of feeling, and are marked with none of the stale conceits, and worn-out figures of common love ditties, but come gushing from the heart in a strain of deep, poignant, and undissembled His other poems are not so impressive, for they want the fervor and heartfelt earnestness of his epistles, but they have ease, and liveliness of fancy. We are told that his volume was hastily compiled, and probably there are many of his pieces still extant, which are not included in it, as it was published soon after his death, at a distance from the region where he had passed the most of his days. Should any of these remains be discovered, we think their publication would be a 29* sorrow. VOL. 1. service to the literature of the country, as well as a justice to the character of a person whose talents and misfortunes conspire to make him a signal object of interest. AROUET TO AMANDA. ONCE more, dear maid, the wretched Arcuet writes; These lines may haply waste your precious time, A friend could cheer me, and a book could please; How have I listen'd when your accents broke, REMONSTRANCE OF ALMASA ALLICAWN, WIFE OF ALMAS ALLICAWN, TO WARREN HASTINGS. It was said that Warren Hastings, having taken the husband of this lady, one of the eastern princes, prisoner, agreed to save his life for a ransom, and that he took the ransom and put the king to death. My subjects slaughter'd, my whole kingdom spoil'd; O say, vile monster! art thou satisfied? In souls so black, it seem'd almost a virtue. Laden with horrid crimes without a name, Shall stalk through earth, and we want curses for him, THE WAR HORSE. PARAPHRASE FROM JOB. AGAIN the Almighty from the whirlwind broke, And thus to Job, in stern continuance, spoke: "Didst thou the horse with strength unequall'd mould, "See all around him spreads the flamy cloud, "When clouds of darts a sable horror spread, "Lo where the strife the distant warriors wage, RETIREMENT. HAIL, Sweet retirement, hail! To smooth the tide of passions frail, And bear the soul away from scenery of wo. When, retired from busy noise, Vexing cares and troubled joys, To a mild serener air, In the country we repair: Sportive o'er the meadows green: Speaks the genial month of May, |