Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

% THE REFLECTOR. VOL. 1. MILLEDGEVILLE, G. TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1818. NO. 9. MISCELLANY. FROM JAMES'* TRAVELS Iff SWEDEN, I'lll'SSl A, &C.' Tlio following narrative of an cxtraor- |d inary vision of Charles XI. is taken from l an account written with the king’s own hand. attested by several of his ministers of state, (and preserved in the royal library at Stock- | jholin : Charles XI. it seems, sitting in his chain- J brr between the hours of eleven and twelve at night, was surprised at the appearance of a light in the window of the hall of the diet: he [demanded of the grand chancellor, Bjelke, [who was present, what it was that he saw, I and was answered that it was only the reflec tion of the -ion ; with this however he was dissatisfied ; and the senator Bjelke, soon af ter entering the room, he addressed the same question to him, but received the same an swer. Looking afterwards again through the window, he thought he observed a crowd qf persons in the hall; upon this, said he, airs, all is not as it should be ; in the confi dence that he who fears God needs dread no thing. 1 wilt go and see what this may be. Ordering the two noblemen before mention- | «<1, as als i Oxenstiern and Brahe, to arrum- I pany him, he sent for Grunsten the door- I keeper, and descended the stair-case leading [ to the hall. ‘ Here the party seem to have hern sensi ble of a certain degree of trepidation, and n fine else daring to open the door, the king Hook the key, unlocked it, and entered first in- f to the anti-chamber: to their infinite surpris [ it was fitted up with black cloth : alarmed at this extraordinary circumstance, a second nauso occurred ; at length the king set his foot within the hall, but leil back in astonish ment at what he saw; again, however, taking Courage, he made his companions promise to follow him, and advanced. The hall was lighted up and arrayed with the same mourn ful hangings as the anti-chamber: in tin centre was a round table, where sat sixteen venerable men, each with large volumes ly ing open before them : above was the king a young man of 1G or 18 years of age, will the crown on his head and sceptre in his I hand. On his right sat a personage of about I 40 years old, w hose face bore the strongest |marks of integrity ; on his left an old man of 170, who seemed very urgent with the young [king that he should make a certain sign wit! Hiis head, which us often as lie did, tiie vene ■able men struck their hands on their books vith violence. Turning my eyes, says lie, a little further, |I beheld a scaffold and executioners, and men with their clothes tucked up, cutting otr heads Iso fast, (hat the blood formed a deluge on the ■floor : those who suffered were all young men. Vgain I looked up and perceived the throne ehind the great table almost overturned ; Inear to it stood a man of 40, that seemed tin [protector of the kingdom. I trembled at tin [sight of these things, and cried aloud—•* ft is [tlio voire of God!—What ought 1 to under stand ? When shall all this come to pass ?” A [dead silence prevailed ; hut on my crying out i second time, the young king answered me, saving, “ This shall not happen in vour time, hut in the days of the 6th sovereign after you. pie shall he of fa 1 same age as I appear now In have, and this personage sitting beside me »ivcs you the aie of him that shall he the re rent or protector of the realm. During the [,vst year irf the regency, the country shall be old bv certain young men, but lie shall then take up the cause, and, acting in con junction [with the young king, shall establish the ihronc on a sure footing : and this in such a say. that never was before, or ever after wards shall be seen in Sweden so great a king. Ill the Swedes shall be happy under him : [lie publi" debts shall be paid ; he shall leave any millions in the treasury, and shall not ie but at a very advanced age : yet, before a is firmly seated on bis throne, shall an ef fusion ,r f blood take place unparalleled in his- ’V. You, added lie, who arc king of this trot, o e that he is advertised of these mat ’s ; von have seen all: act acceding to nr wisdom.” 1 Having th;issaid,the whole vanished, and Ids he) we saw nothing but ourselves and r flambeaus, while the anti-chamber thro’ i oYh we passed on returning was no longer |lotir’d in black. The whole story is curious, anil well worth Ittemion ; hut unless the young king’s ghost- representative made an error in his i liron- llogjral calculation, it will be difficult to re- Viru ile the time specified with that which is |et to Come. I can offer no explanation, anil bqnrath the whole, like the hieroglyphic in [oore’s almanac, “ to the better ingenuity of readers.” * teen centuries in a deep grave, is again shone upon by the sun, and stands amidst other ci ties, as much a stranger as any one of its for mer inhabitants would be among his posteri ty of the present day ; such a town has not its eqtial in the world. The feelings which seized me at its gate may be very faintly ex pressed by words, hut admit of no adequate representation. My feet now step on the same pavement as Was trodden on eighteen hundred years ago ; the racks of the wheels ire still visible which then rolled over it. An elevated path runs by the side of the houses, fur foot passengers; and that they might in rainy weather pass rominudiously over to the opposite side, large flat stones, three of which take up the width of the road, were laid at a distance from each other. As the carriages, in order to avoid these stones, were obliged to use the intermediate spaces, the tracks of the wheels are the most visible. The whole pavement is in good condition; it consists merely of considerable pieces of lava, which however, “ arc not cut (as at present) into squares, and may have been on that account the more durable.” “ What must have been the feelings of the Pompeians, when the roaring of the moun tain and the quaking of the earth awakened them from tSeir first sleep. They attempted al so to escape the wrath of the gods ; and seizing the most valuable things they could lay their Hands upon in the darkness and confusion, to seek tlieir safety by flight. Jr. this street and before the house that is marked with the friendly salutation of its threshold, seven ske letons, were found : the first carried a lamn, and the rest had still between the bones of their lingers something that they wished to save.— On a sudden they were overtaken by the storm that descended from heaven, and sunk into (lie grave thus made for them. Before the abovementioned house was still a male skeleton standing with a dish in his hand . and as on Ins lingers lie wore those rings that were allowed to bo worn only by Roman knights, he is supposed to be the master of the house, who had just opened the hack garden gate with the intent of flying, when the show er overwhelmed him. Several skeletons were found in the very posture in which they had breathed their last, without being forced by the agonies of death to drop the things which they held in their hands.” speetablc butcher. M.lton delighted in con templating his own person, and the engra ver not having reached our sublime bard’s • ideal grace,’ lie has pointed his indignation in four iambics. Among the complaints ol Pope, is that of < the pictured shape.’ Even the strong minded Johnson would not be paint ed ‘ blinking Sam.’ Mr. Boswell tells us that Goldsmith attempted to show his agility to be superior to the dancing of an ape, whose praise had occasioned him a fit of jealousy, hut he failed in imitating his rival. The in scription under Boileau’s portrait, dveribing his character with lavish panegyric, and a preference to Juvenal and Horace, is unfor tunately known to have been written by him_ self.—U'Israeli's Essuy on the literary char. CONG HESS. SOLOMON AND QUEEN SHEBA. The following well-pointed story is taken by D’lsraeli from the Talmud. “ The pow er of Solomon had spread his wisdom to the remotest parts of the known world. Queen Sheba, attracted by the splendor of his repu tation, visited this poetical king, at his own court; there, one day to exercise the sagaci ty of the monarch, Sheba presented herself at the foot of the throne ; in eacii hand she held a wreath of flowers, one composed of natural, the other of artificial flowers. Art, in the la bor of the mimic wreath, had cxquisilly emu lated the lively hues of nature ; so that at the distance it was held by the queen for the in spection of the king, it was deemed impossi ble for him to decide, as her question import ed, which wreath was the production of na ture, and which the wink of art. The saga city of Solomon seemed perplexed ; yet to be vanquished though in a trifle, by a trilling woman, irritated his pride. The son of David, he who had written ten treaties on tlio vegetable productions “ from the cedar to the hyssop,” to acknowledge himself outwit ted by a woman, with shreds of paper and glazed paintings ! The honor of the mo narch’s reputation for divine sagacity seem ed diminished ; and the whole Jewish court looked solemn and melancholy. At length an expedient presented itself to the king ; and it must be confessed worthy of the natural phi- losophcr : Observing a cluster of beer, hover ing about a window, he commanded that it should be opened ; it was opened —the bees rushed into the court and alighted immedi ately on one of the wreaths, while not a sin gle one fixed on the other. The battled Shelia Had one more reason to be astonisned at the wisdom of Solomon.” Such is the story. Mr. D’lsraeli thus turns its moral: “ This would make a pretty poe tical tale. It would yield an elegant descrip tion, and a pleasing moral; that the bee oniy rests on the natural beauties, and never fixes on the painted flowers, however inimitably the colors may be laid on. Applied to the la dies, this would give it pungency. SENATE. The following are the standing committees of the Senate : On our Foreign Relations—Messrs. Bar bour, Macon, Troup, King, Lacock. On Finance.—Messrs. Campbell, Eppcs King, Talbot, Macon. On Commerce and Manufactures—Messrs. Sanford, Horsey, Morril, Burrill, Dickerson. On the Judiciary—Messrs. Crittenden, Burrill, Otis, Smith, Leake. On Military Affairs—Messrs. Troup, Wil liams of Ten. Tichenor, Lacock, Taylor. On Nava! Affairs—Messrs. Tait, Sanford, Crittenden, Daggett, Williams of Mis. On the Militia—Messrs. Sto'rcr, Noble, Roberts, Macon, Ruggles. On the Public Lands—Messrs. Morrow, Fisk, Taylor, Williams of Mis. Hunter. On Claims—Messrs.Roberts,Morrill,Rug gles, Goldsborough, Wilson. On Pensions—Messrs. Noble, Storer, La cock, Van Dyke, Talbot. On the Post-office—Messrs. Wilson, Ash men, Fisk, Ruggles, Stokes. On the District of Columbia—Messrs Goldsborough, Daggett, Eppes, Barbour, Stokes. Friday, December 12. Memorials were presented from certain subaltern officers of the navy and marines setting forth the grievances they labored un der from their commanders on the Mediter ranean station, and praying a revision of the laws by which they are governed. On amotion for ordering them to be printed, an interest ing discussion arose on the propriety of giv ing publicity to these memorials without fur ther deliberation, as the character of com Perry might be materially affected by it. Mr. Barbour of Va. eloquently advocated the necessity of laying them at once before the public, and referred to the pamphlet con laining the complaints of rapt. Heatli against com. Perry, as having excited a considera ble sensation in the country, Mr. Tait of Geo, thought it would be more judicious to refer them to the proper committee and publish the memorial and report together The memorials were, after some further remarks from Messrs. Macon, Burrill, and Smith of S. C. laid on the table for further consideration on Monday next. Friday, December 19. Mr. Williams of Mis. called up the memo rialoffhe general assembly of the state of Louisiana relative to the land claims of Plo rida, presented at the last session ; which was referred on his motion to the committee of public lands. [The following from Kotzbuc’s travels in sly, is a striking account, of the once fa- jms city of Pompeii, which, not long pro mts to the Christian era, was swallowed up 1 an earthquake, and overwhelmed by the Iconic Java from Mount Vesuvious ; and the jins of which were dug out at immense la ir and expense, during the last century. ” A great rich town, that, after lying eigli- TFeakness of Great. .Men.—Voiture was the son of a vinter, and like our Prior, was so mortified whenever reminded of his original occupation, that it was said of him, that wine which cheered the hearts of all men, sickened that of Voiture. Rousseau, the poet, was the son of a cobbler ; and when his honest parent waited at the door of the theatre, to embrace his son on the success of his first piece, the inhuman poet repulsed the venerable father with insult and contempt. Akensidc ever considered his lameness as an insupportable misfortune, since it continually reminded him of his origin, being occasioned by the fall of a HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Friday, December 12. Mr. Ilopkinsou af Pa. from the committee on the Judiciary, reported a bill to establish an uniform system of bankruptcy throughout the United States ; whi :li was twice read and committed. Mr. Taylor of N. Y. at the instance of the committee of elections, introduced the fid lowing resolution, under the impression that it proposed a course the most respectful to tli House, if not the only manner in which the committee could execute the duty required of them : Resolved, that the President of the United States be requested to communicate to this House, whether any, and if any, which of tlie Representatives named in the list here unto annexed, have held any office under the United States since the 4th day of March, in the year 1817; designating the office or of fices they have respectively held, the time of appointment and acceptance of the said offi- ces ; whether the same are now held, and, if not, when the same were severally resign ed. The resolution was agreed to, and a committee appoiufcd to present the same to the President. Mr. Bloomfield, of N. J. from the com mittee to whom was referred so much of the President’s message as relates to the surviv ing revolutionary patriots, reported, in part, a bill concerning certain surviving officers and soldiers of the late revolutionary army. [This bill provides that every commissioned .ind non-commissioned ofiiccr or soldier, who had served in the army during the war which terminated in the treaty of peace with Great Britain in 1783, and reduced to indi cause, may be unable to procure subsistence by manual labor, shall receive half pay dur ing life, equal to the half of the monthly pay- allowed his grade of service during the revo lutionary war—provided that ho pension thud allowed to a commissioned officer shall exceed the half pay of a lieut. colonel.] Monday, December 15. Internal Improvements.—Mr. Tucker of Va. from the committee to whom was refer- ed so much of the message of the President >f the United States as relates to the subject of internal improvements, made a long and e- aborate report, concluding with the following esolutioh: Resolved, that in order to promotu and give security to the internal commerce among the several states; to facilitate the safe and expeditious transportation of the nails by the improvement of post roads with the it sent of the respective states ; to render more easy and less expensive the means and provisions necessary for the common defence, by the construction of military roads, with the like assent of the respecti ve states ; and for such other internal improvements as may be within the constitutional powers of the general government, it is expedient that the urn to be paid to the United States by the :20th section of the act to incorporate the sub scribers to the bank of tin*. United States, and the dividends which shall arise from their shares in its capital stock, be constituted as a fund for internal improvement.—The report was read and referred to a committee of the whole, Amelia-Island and Galvcxtoh,—The follow ing message was received from the President if the United States, by Mr. J. J. Monroe, lis secretary: To the House of Representatives.—In com* piianec with the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 8th of this month, I transmit for the information of tiie House, a report from the secretary of state* with tiie documents referred to in it, containing all the information of the executive, which it is proper to disclose, relative to certain persons ,vho lately took possession of Amelia Island and Galvezton. JAMES MONROE. Washington, Dec. 15, 1817. Expatriation.—Mr. Robertson of Lou. of fered the following resolution to the House: Resolved, that a committee be appointed to enquire into the expediency of providing by law for the exercise of the right of expatria tion : and that they have leave to report by bill or otherwise. Adopted. On motion of Mr. Pindall of Va. it was Re solved, that a committee be appointed to en quire into the expediency of providing more effectually by law for reclaiming servants or slaves escaping from one state into another ; and that they have leave to report by bill or otherwise. Pensions to sufferers in war.—Mr. Harri son of 0. offered the following resolution.— Resolved, that the committee on military af fairs be, and they are hereby instructed to enquire into the expediency of continuing tlio pensions which now arc or have been hereto fore allowed to the widows and orphans oT the officers and soldic’rs who were kill i or wounded in the service of the late war, lor a term of live years beyond the periods when they shall respectively cease tinder existing laws. Adopted without opposition. Commutation of soldiers’ pay.—The house then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, Mr. Bassett in the chair, on the hill for the the commutation of soldiers’ pay.— Mr. Johnson of K. as chairman of the milita ry committee, stated a number of facts hear ing on the subject of the bill. The number of men in the service at the close of the war was ascertained to have been 34,000 ; tlio number who died in service or were killed in battle was estimated at about 17,000 ; ma king i:i the whole about 50,000 soldiers (and heirs of soidiers) entitled to the bounty in land. For this number eight millions of a* cres would be required. But it was a num ber overrated ; and be did not believe that 40,000 would come forward to claim the land bounty. Of the whole number of 50,000, ho calculated that not more than half would commute for money, say 25,000 ; to jiay this number the proposed commutation would re quire five millions of dollors, or 1,250,000, annually, for four years, which mode of pay ment had been selected* as well with a view to the benefit of the soldiers as to the relief of the treasury. The committee, he said, had no doubt but the annual proceeds from the Very land commuted would he sufficient to defray the whole amount; which would re move all objections of.a financial nature— and he was not aware of any other. Ti e measure, he hoped, would have the effect of rutting off all speculation, of which there was so much complaint, and by which the soldier was deprived of all his rights under the in fluence of his necessities. A debate of some length arose on this hill and particularly on its details, which did not however, result in any final decision. On the suggestion of Mr. Livermore of N. H. the subject having been opened, and opin* ions interchanged on it, to give time to re- clever from one of his father’s blocks, a re- goner, or by age. sickness, or any other fleet more upon them, the committee rose*