ANIBAL CARACCI Anibal Caracci, overhearing a pupil boast to his companions that his master had found the drawing, which he had shewn him, only a little incorrect, "hark ye, young man,” said he, "I have been thirty years learning that little." YANKEE. The reader would probably suppose, if he were not otherwise informed, that the following account of the origin of the word yankee was intended for a burlesque upon those etymologists who are always forcing derivations beyond all bounds of probability. It is taken from the Connecticut Herald, a paper printed in New Haven, and I am credibly informed is from the pen of N*** W******, jun. Esq. and was probably written with as much seriousness as if the reputation of his country was at stake. "MESSRS. STEELE & co. "As the origin of the word YANKEE has been a subject of much inquiry, and no satisfactory account of it appears to have been given, I send you the following history of the word. "Yankee appears to have been used formerly by some of our common farmers in its genuine sense. It was an epithet descriptive of excellent qualities-as a Yankee horse—that is, a horse of high spirit, and other good properties. I am informed that this use of the word has continued in some part of New England, till within a short period. "In the course of my inquiries, I have discovered what I presume to be the same word in the Persian language, in which the whole family of words is preserved. It is a fact well known, that the people of Europe, from whom we descended, are the posterity of the tribes which emigrated from the ancient Media, and northern part of Persia—and if not known, it is a fact capable of being proved. In the Persian language, let it be observed, that in the place of our Y, authors write letters whose powers correspond nearly to the English j, and ch, as in joy and chess. Thus the word which we write yoke, which the Latins wrote jugum, and the Greeks zeugus, and which without the final article would be jug and zeug-the Persians write chag, and it may be equally well written jag; for throughout the Persian, these sounds are used promiscuously in words from the same root. Hence we see the name of the Asiatick river, Yenesei, written also Jenesei, and we write the word, from our Indians, Gennesee. Thus also the name of the great Asiatick conquerour is written Genghis Khan, or Jenghis Khan, and Tooke writes it Tschingis Khan. Thus Jenghis is not his name, but a title.-See Tooke's View of the Russian Empire, Vol. I. 409. "Now in the Persian language, Janghe or Jenghe [that is Yankee] signifies a warlike man—a swift horse-also one who is prompt and ready in action-one who is magnanimous." This is the exact interpretation as given in the Lexicon. The word is formed from Jank, Jenk, battle, contest, war; and this from a like word signifying the fist, the instrument of fighting; like pugna, from púgnus, the fist. In Persian, Jan kidan, (Yankidan) is to commence or carry on war. "We hence see the propriety of the use of Yankee, as applied to a high spirited, warlike horse. "The word Yankee claims a very honourable parentage; for it is the precise title assumed by the celebrated Mongolian Khan, Jenghis; and in our dialect, his titles literally translated, would be, Yankee King, that is, Warlike Chief. "This is not the only instance, in which one of the oldest words in the language has lost its dignity. We have many popular words which have never found admission into books, that are among the oldest words ever formed-I can prove some of them to have been used before the dispersion of men; for they are found in Asia, Africa and Europe, among nations which could have had no intercourse after that event." New Haven, March 2, 1810. W. The writer of the following stanzas was importuned by a friend, some time since, to supply the deficiencies of the "Ode on the Passions." It was replied, that "such an undertaking would resemble the attempt of a journeyman carpenter to finish a statue of Praxiteles." Tie request, however, being renewed, was so far effectual as to elicit this fragment; not as a presumptuons endeavour to add any thing to Collins's Ode, but as an humble, distant effort, to imitate the character of that celebrated production. BEHOL EHOLD yon monstrous shape appear! Their stings the curling serpents rear, And Hope and Joy depart. 'Twas ENVY dar'd the bower invade, That lyre, whose strains so sweet, so strong, To Sappho's touch alone belong. That lyre, whose tones so strong, so sweet, No voice, but Echo's, dar'd repeat. Yet this weird wretch presum❜d to strive The lyrick spirit to revive! And emulate those sounds, that stole O'er poor Alcaeus' subject soul! REMORSE approach'd-his wasted frame, Feebly, on trembling knees he bore ; (What time, from Corinth forc'd to roam, Now first by human blood distain'd. Back sprang the wretch; and call'd DESPAIR While still within its banquet plies The gnawing worm, that never dies ! -The next that came With sinewy arm of fight, And ardent, eagle-sight, AMBITION was his name. Amid the band, With lawless hand, He dar❜d aspire To seize fam'd MEMNON's mystick lyre, But when the impious deed was done, I saw him stretch his giant form In shadowy length athwart the sky; His rocky forehead cloth'd in storm, Bloodshot his dark delirious eye. While, at his tocsin's furious sound, Loosen'd daemons danc'd around; Joying 'mid the groans profound, Of Virtues, slaughter'd on the accursed ground! A PRAYER. Oh Thou, who rul'st the realms on high, With humble love and fear To thee I raise my suppliant eye, Lord, I am ignorant and blind, And while to breathe my fervent prayer, Before thy throne I kneel, How little I deserve thy care, Oh may I deeply feel. Increase my hope, my faith in thee; Nor let one doubt arise, While all around thy power I see, Through earth, and seas and skies. And while these wonders I survey, Grateful for every joy I taste, Oh may Should prosperous scenes around me smile, Still humble may I be ; Nor let earth's joys my breast beguile, Or should afflictions bend me low, And let each thought, each feeling bow Guard me from pride, from vain desire, Oh bid my soul to heav'n aspire, Let gen'rous thoughts my mind employ, Let truth o'er all my words preside, But to my own severe. When conscience shows the deepen'd dye In which my guilt appears; Oh wake the penitential sigh, And melt my heart in tears. Let not my wand'ring footsteps stray Oh may my ev'ry feeling, Lord, Be fashion'd to thy will, And ev'ry thought, and act, and word, Thy sov'reign law fulfil. And, as my fleeting days revolve, May each some stain remove, And more and more my heart dissolve And when my weary soul shall fly The body's drear abode, Oh may I soar to meet on high My Saviour and my God. C. |