The New-Hampshire gazette and general advertiser. [volume], May 17, 1783, Image 1

About The New-Hampshire gazette and general advertiser. [volume] (Portsmouth [N.H.]) 1781-1784

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NEW-HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE,
‘ A ND 5
GENERAL ADVERTISER
Pol. XXVIL]
The follwbing Litter is [eletted frem the publi -
cations of ** Baron Bielfeld, Sccretary of Le
- gation to the King of Prussia,” &¢c. tgc, t9c,
2o Count * * *, dated Hamburgh, Dcc. 20,
1760, and here re=publifed as not unworihy
the perusal of our readers.
Yly OoRTHY FRIEND,
¥ F meo were tormed like tigers; weteit
I n-ceflary for their private tubfiftence, or
tor the god of the comimunity that they
should ruin and destroy each cther; that
they thouid follew the trade of murder ; then
thould I eiteem war as an ufeful profeflion,
and 2 hero as a rational being. But as the
Divine Providence bas amply provided the
whole human race, with the neceffiries of
life ; and as reason, the laws of nations, and
the pariitular conltidtions of every slate,
aliots to each individual, his portien of these
provisions; {o that fio man cian, &ri&tly speak
ing, be said todie for want: and as the abun
dance of the necessaries of life dependson
the intercourse of mankind, which depends
on pezce; it seems matter of aftoriithment to
me, that peace is not regarded as inviolable ;
and that war should ever take place anmrong
men ; or at least, that dafter it was once ex
perienced, it wis not totally banithed from
the face of the earth.
Tbe more seriously I confider this mAtier;
¢he more I am convinced,that 4 narural dif
pofiticn, or an acquired abiiity, to ruin and
o murde:r cur brethren, isin its lature, infa
mous : and that what the folly of mankind
ciils by the specious names of vaiotr, and he
roism, are totaily unworthy of konor or ef
tecem. ‘The whole proceeds from 4 kind of
iitufion, which tulers of the worl/d plate be
fore the eyes of their fubjeéts, that they may
make them the tools of their passions, but
above zll, of that creature of the imagina
tion, thefr ambition : and to add to this nrif
fortune,ferilibie people are ‘requently caught
in the snares of thiz {ophifm.
- Now as by the commoa consent of man-
Kkind, waris gilowed to be an evil, so it fcems
to me highly proper; to éndeavour by all
means to refirsin chis evil, that the human
race m:§ receive as little injury fromi it as
possible. This were troe humianity,and con
sequently the foundation of true honor. What
fight, in salt, can be more horrid, than that
¢ acountry ravaged by war? where nokii
in is to be seen but fire and {word, terror,
cc ufion, despair, and death., What fight,
on the contrary, can be more pleasing, than
that of 2 countrywhich is the abede of peace?
where all orders of men are ufefully emgloy
¢d; and where every oné redps the fruit of his
own l2bor; where reigas perpstual joy; where
zrte, icizntes, and commerce flourifli ; and
where the chdrms of conversation are heigh
tened by f2tene aad innocent pleasures,
Those conguzrors, whoin {ubfervience to
private inclinazion, divert thie natural cowfe
of war, by laying their bloedy hands on the
hathindraan or the trzdefman, on the cii
zen or the gentleman 3 the peaceful fnhabl
ranis of thelsnd ; seem to me, to have bet
very slender notionsof beroifm : and it would
not be at all difficult to prove, that they lit
¢ia underfiand their true interefl 7 for when
they shall duly estimate the fruits of their
wictorizs, they will find,that a well grounded
ceprtation is far fromr being the least of them,
¢ all the injuries that society fuffers
from war, the greatest is, when the rare and
SATURDAY, Mar 17, 1983,
invaiuabls monduignts of f£iense.2nd the po
lite arts ; the works of antiquity : become
fubjet to the unbridied :agc of the ruffian
{oldier : for thisdarhapge is irreparabie : thig
is a iofs tolhe whole race of mankind ; and
poftetity can never forgive that General who
cemmands, or even tuffers his almy to be
guilty of such favape vengeante. The fenie
lefs impetuotity, the habiual cruelty, even
that thirli of reverge, {o natural to war,can
not juitify such conduét, NMNen flili defiroy
whaieviar can beufetul 10 4n enemy ; every
thing that care and indufiry can provide :
but those objeéts which contribute neither to
the riches,nor power of a slate ; those sacred
pledges which our forefathem of cvery ape;
have committed to our care, to be faithiully
lHznded down to poflerity : to {scrifice these
holy monuments to a beggarly animosity, i 3
such a {pecies of brutality, as every thinking
man muit behold with detestation :
Had the Goths and Vandals been any thing
bettgr thun mere robbers, it would be injui
tice inh us, to treat iheir names with that def
pication and ablivitence we tortlantly do !
But in the course of their ravages they laid
wafie and deftioyed, all those produétions
of finithed beainy,; of Greece and laaly, in
building, in flatuary; in painting and sculp
ture ; and this it is, that has branded their
memory with eternsl infamy, ;
The late cardinal Polignac bad, at 2 vafi
expence,formed a noble colleclion of flatues,
busts, bass relieis,vich-tables, and other mu
numents of antiquity § which had the good
fortune to escape the blind lury of theGuoth::
and such of theni as time or accident had
mutilated,were repsiied by the hand: ot Ber
nini & Puger. At the death of the cardinal,
the King of Prufiid became pofiefled of this
invalusbie cabinet. Th+ samily of Lico
medes ; Achillesin the habit cfa girl, under
which di{guife Hie pafled among the King’s
davghters ; Fortunata lying at play with
chiidren ; a sleeping Morpheus, and 2 numi
ber of other flatues of excelient beauty ;
s matchless bust of Cxfar ; and ene of Do
mitian : All theie piaces were so many mi
racles of art, and aftorded tnexpreflible plez
{ure to the conneiffeur, K |
But alals! they are tio more § sos at the
plundering of Charlottenburg, on the 10th
of this month, 2z day fatal to thie polite arts,
and difgraceful to human fature, this noble
cabinet was totally destroyed, 1 turn my
snind from so horrid 2 {cene ; my beart fick
ene at the thought, and I have only power
toadd,. . Farewell my dear Count., .
: O DE vO-£.EACE
EASE that firepent trumpet’s found —
C Let fofter notes abound—-
See Peace descends—see war and anguish fly !
-Let joy preside, and sorrow cease to sigh !
By the loves and graces led,
~Scatt’ring roses on her head, -
. Sweet peace her olive waves !
She looks around on either band; |
Where the blood- flain’d banners stand ;
And drops a téar upon the grades—
. Of those who bravely bled !
To sing these laurel’d heroes in the tomb,
Their unftsung lyres the peace-fond nine re-
But she above thereft, (fume.
- With finer feelings bleft ; -
Who with her firains melodiously flow
@an teach e’en Gods the luxury of woe-=
Sweeps ber tender murm’ring wires,
While ber wrap’d foul in sympathetic glow~=
- Melts with {orrow’s genile fires |
Loveliest sister of the nine—
Sweateft music sure iz thine !
Friend to faduefs—charining pow’r—
That { «:etens melancholy’s hour |
Go o the tombs where lavers vigils keep!
Go to the cot—where chiidlefs widowsweep?
Divide the téars of them who mourn,
And ease the weight that mo#t be borne.
. See noblest scenes arise !
Dilate the breast and sparkle in the eyes!
While with the prospect ali the foul distends--
. vee Empire from her skies |
. Wit Freedom—o’er ocur country bends'!
And Fame, her verdant Jaurel il her hand—
Leaps from ber throme & hails the rising land?
See Commerce on her late enfanguis’d shore,
- Where long the fetter'd lay ;
.. Where late in véin, .
She gate her sorrows 1o the wind,
- And wept the chain,
. Which all her f{ails confin'd !
See to the breeze her loofen’d fireamers play-»
. On this zufpicious day—
WhilePeace&Freedom ope their various flors
And bid her bark the wat'ry world explore.
But to the dead some tribute lines belong—
To fame the fweeteil tribute is of song |
With lave of country, love of deathless fame,
Unites 1o kindling glory’s (acred flame,
"Twas this that made the patrict bosoms {well
When the loud trumpet’s found,
. Its martial forhmons gave ;
And bade the sister colonies around,
Give so the field thelr brave.
"I his sparkles in the hero’s eye—
~ "T'is this that teaches him to die—
This glow'd in Warren’s bosom when ke fall,
But what new virtue, with all others join’d,
Infpir’d 4is godlike mind ;
Who when the day of peril rose,
Hurl'd dire deftruétion on our foes. (fad=
I7he when the clouds of death hung thick and
Retriev’d the day-- and cheer’'deach drooping
~ head ! ' (give,
Too frail’s the laurel which the nine could
While earth exists greatWathington will lives
~ When war's fell slaughters cease,
What sacred transport every bosom feels i
. E’en pallid fear— |
. Suspends her weary flight : .
Feeling revokes her flarting tear—
_Or drops it with delight !
Se¢ INDEPENDENCE, in her train,
.. Leading Ligertv and Pracre !
While 2t the vision even Reafontcels,
And drops her too prudential rein.
THen to guide—the task be thine,
Frolic joys and sportive wine-
Cease, fair Delia, cease to figh—~
For thy plighted tnldier’s nigh !
In the splendid pomp of war,
~ See his proud viétorious car—
While Fame surrounded by the smiling loves,
\ Hovers o’er bim as he moves,
-~ Glory’s fplendour now unites,
~ Toe ennoble vour delights ;
. Hymen’s torch with purer blaze—
~ Burns—vwhen warm’d wiih Glory’s
o 3 e
Let Peace and Love united banners wave—=
For Lové’s bleft rites in Peate thould crown
-the brave, [See last page.]
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