Rabbinical Distinctions [pp. 344]

Potvhatan: u4 New Work.-Rabbinical )istinctions.
I would not-oh! I could not lie,
Within a dark and dreary tomb,
Beneath a cheerless northern sky,
And chilling airs, and clouds, and gloom.
No-no- a sunny grave for me,
In some green forest, wild and free,
And hidden from the vulgar eye.
Such spot there is near that bright lake,
In my own distant, southern clime,
When zephyr's gentle music wake,
And carol birds, at even-time:
A spot, where ruder sounds than these,
Of tuneful bird, and murmuring breeze,
The greatful quit never break.
Beloved friends! in that sweet glade,
Beside the slightly-curving shore,
Let my cold, lifeless limbs be laid,
When the last heavy sigh is o'er.
And for me do not idly weep,
For death is but a gentle sleep,
Which care nor sorrow can invade.
And let magnolias grow around,
With fragrant blooms, and foliage green,
And live-oaks shade the mossy ground;
And let the yellow jessamine,
In Spring-time, round my humble bed,
Its soft and mellow fragrance shed;
And the sweet woodbine there be found.
And when the friends I dearly love,
At evening's mild and pensive hour,
To my low resting-place shall rove,
To plant some shrub or tender flower,
My spirit, fondly hovering near,
Shall sooth each grief, shall wipe each tear,
And point to brighter scenes above.
Athens, Ga., March, 1841. F******.
POWHATAN,-A NEW WORK.
Powhatan, A Metrical Romance, in seven Cantos, by Seba
Smith..\ew-York: Published by Harper * Brothers 1841.
We have not leisure at this time to enter into a full
sis of this Poem, intending as we do to take it up at
some future number of the Messenger.
POWHATATN cannot fail to be acceptable to all Ame
based as it is upon a point of our history, full of wi
chivalric interest; presenting the most varied and
reaque scenes to the imagination: but to Virginians
strong and local claims, appealing to their pride as a
their veneration for the illustrious names that decorat
scroll of history, and their love for that unrivalled r
scenery which it worthily describes,
Mr. Smith has brought to the task an enthusiastic t
in his subject; a thorough acquaintance with the be
thors, who have made our early history a theme of in
a mind stored and disciplined by classic studies; and
familiar with the best literature of our mother tongue
is no tyro in the noble art of poesy, who tries his "pr
work" on a theme beyond his grasp, and mars whate
undertakes; on the contrary the effusions of his pen,
often anonymous, have been long before the public, a
servedly favorites. His style is concise and natu
ways adapted to the subject in hand, stirring or ten
the case may require.
The Poem of " POWHATAN," opens with a descrip
the warrior-monarch, reposing after the fatigues of w
conquest, in the midst of a peaceful and happy peo
whom his will is law. The primitive emperor, pre
over a confederation of thirty tribes, whom his own
ess has compelled to submission, is represented in his sylvan robes, surrounded by his family, and unconscious of
danger; when their security is broken by the intrusion of
the whites. These pale and mysterious visitants, dealing
in the lightnings, and thunderbolts of Heaven, strike a
strange awe into the hearts of the simple-minded savages.
POWHATAN alone is firm and collected, penetrating their
nature, but standing aloof in his dignity, neither seeking nor
repelling an intercourse. Then comes the gentle ministry
of the wonderful POCAHONTAS, or METOKA, as she is called in the Poem; with her woman's tenderness, her feminine grace, and more than masculine perseverance an(l
energy. POWHATAN; who fromn the first had regarded the
intruders with suspicion and distrust, at length resolves to
rid himself of their presence. War and bloodshed are the
consequence. Perplexed by the subtle artifices of his own
people, and the intrigues of the whites, the wary chief is
still collected, undismayed; his regal spirit unbroken; till
his favorite daughter, by some treachery, is betrayed into
the hands of the English: then the father prevails over the
monarch, and he retires from the cares of state, delegating
his authority to his brother, OPECHANCANOUGH, noted for
his deadly hostility to the whites. The wily chieftain improves his power by breaking the truce, which had been
agreed upon by POWH.TAN. A general massacre ensues.
The whites are roused to deadly retribution. The Poem
closes with the total discomfiture of the savages, their retreat and final rallying about the lodge of POWHATAN.
The old monarch again appears, rushes with a shout to battle, and with his single arm turns the tide' of victory. He
stands, like Marius, alone in the midst of victory,' king of
the bloody plain.'
Throughout the whole Poem, POWHATAN is preeminent,-the monarch and the hero; and the most perfect
unity prevails. It commences and ends with POWHATAN.
The contrast of the proud and regal chief, happy and secure in the midst of his people, going forth at eventide in
converse with his daughter, and the same monarch compelled to fight again the battles of his youth, witnessing the
rout of his people, the subversion of his own authority;
and finally, weary and sick of heart, turning his back upon
his depopulated and carnage-covered domain-to seek a
resting place, and a grave in the far west-is touching and
beautiful in the extreme.
Such is a brief and imperfect outline of POWHATAN. It
possesses all the interest of a well-wrought romance, clad
in musical and appropriate language. We anticipate for it
the most complete success.
We should add, the first edition is brought out in very
beautiflil style, on fine heavy copperplate paper. Every
Virginian, who reads any thing at all, should possess a copy
of this book.
Ial Distinctions.-The rabbins taught that upon a
st day, it was not lawful to catch fish in their
they might hunt the hens and catch the geese in
They might not blow the fire with a pair of
cause that was too like the labor of smiths; but
blow it through a hollow cane; they might make
et on their pot, but they must not lay on their
the structure of a house, that is, too artificially;
u must roast or boil not more than was necessay ou made a fire, you might wash your feet with
r, but not your whole body. You must not touch
t was laid that day; nay, if you were doubtful
were laid that day or no, yet you' might not eat
that were mingled with a thousand, you might
of them; but if you killed a hen, you might eat
eggs that you found in her. —Jeremy Taylor.
prowv- the perfect
344
LAPP.IL, 1841.