Alida Part 19

"The Story of an Unfortunate Young Lady". Here quoted from _The Lady's Miscellany, or, Weekly visitor..._ Vols. 14-15 (1811)

_Poetry_

[Most poems are quoted only once, and will be identified as they appear.

The author of _Alida_ was obviously fond of poetry, especially obscure poems found in periodicals or privately published books.]

James Thomson (d. 1748): _The Seasons_. The work was reprinted many times. Quotations are from the 1829 Hartford edition.

There exists an 1842 edition of _The Seasons_ which also contains Bloomfield's _Farmer's Boy_ (see chapter XIV). If similar collections were published earlier, this might be the source for both poems.

In _Alida_, pa.s.sages from _The Seasons_ are almost always in quotation marks.

Mary (Mrs. Henry) Tighe: _Psyche, with Other Poems_. Quoted from 1816 London edition.

Quoted works: _Verses Written at the Commencement of Spring_ (1802); _Verses Written in Sickness_ (1804); _A Faithful Friend is the Medicine of Life_.

ALIDA: parallel version

[The prefatory material and list of subscribers have been omitted. Some long paragraphs have been broken up for easier comparison. In the source text, a set of three dots ... on a line of their own means that one or more complete paragraphs or stanzas have been skipped.]

[Frontispiece Caption:]

"Optimum vitae genus eligito nam consuetudo faciet jucundissimum."

[[Attributed to Pythagoras in Diogenes Laertius viii; cited in _Spectator_ 447.]]

[t.i.tle Page:]

Incidents / During the Late American War. / Founded on Fact.

[[The phrase "founded on fact" appears in the t.i.tle of several of _Alida_'s sources, notably _Alonzo and Melissa_. The opening words of _Alonzo and Melissa_ are "During the late [American]

Revolution..."]]

[Dedication:]

His Excellency, / Charles Collins, Governor of Rhode-Island

[[Charles Collins was never Governor of Rhode Island. He was Lieutenant Governor from 1824 to 1833.]]

CHAPTER I.

"Rien n'est si contagieux qui l'exemple; et nous ne faisons jamais de grand biens: ni de grand maux, qui n'en produisent de semblables."

[La Rochefoucauld: _Moral Maxims_:

Rien n'est si contagieux que l'exemple, et nous ne faisons jamais de grands biens ni de grands maux qui n'en produisent de semblables.]

The ancestry of Alida was of ancient date in English heraldry, some of whom emigrated to America a short time before the revolution, and settled in the southern provinces, while her father fixed his abode in the state of New-York.

In the calm retirement of the country, at a considerable distance from the bustle of the town, was situated his beautiful residence, which had every advantage in point of prospect that luxuriant nature could give when it is most lavish of its bounties.

[_NY Weekly_: Essay No. I:

Their eyes wander with languor and indifference, over those scenes in which nature has been most lavish of its beauties.]

The mind of its owner took particular delight in rural pleasures and amus.e.m.e.nts; in dissipating a part of his time in the innocent scenes of rustic life, and in attending to the cultivation of his estate, which was large and extensive.

[_Alida_ page 207 (chapter XXIX):

Like him he was fond of rural pleasures and amus.e.m.e.nts, and to dissipate care amid the diversified scenes of rustic life, afforded him satisfaction and pleasure.]

Here he would contemplate, in all their variety, the natural beauties of creation, when arrayed in its richest attire; in the inimitable splendour of the surrounding scenery; or amuse himself in attendance to diversified employments, some of which, as pastimes, served the two-fold purposes of recreation and amus.e.m.e.nt.

[_Alida_ page 62 (chapter IX):

It was the beginning of autumn, and a yellow hue was spread over the natural beauties of creation.]

[_Lives of Signers_: Thornton of New Hamps.h.i.+re:

where, in an attendance on his diversified employments, some of which, as pastimes, served the twofold purposes of recreation and amus.e.m.e.nt....]

Thus his years glided on in the most harmonious tranquillity; where his cares were dissipated alternately in the bosom of his family, and the "tumults of life, real or imaginary, fleeted away in a mutual confidence and unreserved friends.h.i.+p."

[_A&M_ (describing Alonzo):

There his cares were dissipated, and the troubles of life, real or imaginary, on light pinions fleeted away. How different would be the scene when debarred from the unreserved friends.h.i.+p and conversation of Melissa!]

Here he would accustom himself to rise at early dawn, and dwell with particular pleasure on the morning scenery. The dappled, rosy-fingered, blus.h.i.+ng morn, arrested his attention; those mild tints that particularly express the break of day, just awakening from repose; when the curtain of the night seems insensibly withdrawn, and the varied landscape exhibits itself by degrees, while the colours of the atmosphere yet seem doubtful, and the scene imperfect to the view; when the darkness is not entirely fled, nor the light of the new day is fully seen; when coolness sits upon the hills, and the dews hang trembling upon every leaf; when the groves begin to resound with the murmurs of warbling melody, and the valleys echo with reverberated sounds.

[_NY Weekly_: On Landscape Painting:

The poets, of all ages and all languages, have dwelt with particular delight upon the morning scenery, and the epithets of the dappled, the rosy fingered, the saffron, and the blus.h.i.+ng morn.... those chaste and reserved tints that particularly express the break of day, just awakening from repose; when the curtain of the night seems to be insensibly withdrawn, and the landscape appears to open by degrees, when the colours of the sky are yet doubtful, and the landscape imperfect to the view; in short, when darkness is not entirely fled, nor light distinctly seen....

When coolness sits upon the mountains, and freshness delights the plains, when the dews hang trembling upon every leaf, and the insects flutter on every thorn; when the groves begin to resound with the murmurs of the dove, and the vallies to echo with the twitterings from the spray....]

How pleasing at such a time to adore in his works the wonders of the Creator. That period when the sun begins to diffuse his early rays, to tip the mountains with light, and the breezes in the air mildly prognosticate the soft blushes of the morning:

[_NY Weekly_: On Landscape Painting:

how pleasing at such a time are the feelings of antic.i.p.ation to those who adore in his works, the wonders of the Creator!

Of that period, when the sun begins to diffuse his early rays, to tip the mountains with light, and.... those breezes in the air that mildly prognosticate, the blushes of the morning....]

"For far beyond the pageantry of power, He lov'd the realms of Nature to explore; With lingering gaze Edenian spring survey'd-- Morn's fairy splendours--Night's gay curtain'd shade-- The heaven-embosom'd sun--the rainbow's dye, Where lucid forms appear to Fancy's eye; The vernal flower, mild Autumn's purpling glow, The Summer's thunder, and the winter's snow."