Avia-

THE OLD

BACHELOR.

.

--peragro loca, nullius ante

Trita solo, juvat integros accedere fonteis

Atque haurire; juvatque novos decerpere flores-

Lucretius, Lib. IV, o, I.

PRINTED AT THE ENQUIRER PRESS,

Richmond, Wirginia :

For Thomas Ritchie & Fielding Lucas..

18140

NEW

20833.

DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA, TO WIT:

BE IT REMEMBERED, that on this L. S. fifth day of January, in the thirty eighth year of the Independence of the United States of America, Thomas Ritchie of the said district, hath deposited in this office, the title of a book, whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit: "THE OLD BACHELOR." In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entituled "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mèntioned." And also to an act entituled, " An act supplementary to an act entituled, An act for the encouragement of learning by securing the copies of maps, charts & books to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned. And extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints."

Wm. MARSHALL, Clerk of the District of Virginia.

The following essays were the amusement of a few short intervals of leisure; and were given to The Enquirer with the hope of their amusing, also. his country readers. Their author never calculated on their taking the form of a book; and wrote, therefore, with a rapidity and carelessness, exeusable only in the ephemera of a news-paper.

In an early number communications were invied and many were received. Some of these are given to the public in this series of essays; many of value yet remain, which at a future day possibly contribute to form another volume.

neart

The subject of Eloquence, merely begun in a few numbers close of this book, had constituted a prominent figure in the original design of the work. But the author's hours of leisure becoming more and more rare, as well as shorter, he was forced to leave the Essays which are published on that topic in a very crude and mutilated state, and to suspend at least for a time, if not to abandon, altogether, the whole project. This he regrets.For the occupation was delightful to him and he ve ned from a variety of quarters that it was not without pleasure or profit to the readers of The Enquirer. It is much to be lamented that this pleasing and popular mode of conveying instruction is not more courted in this country. We have many who have both time and talents for such compositions, and who might do much good to others and credit to themselves by, devoting a few hours in each week to such a work. There raay, indeed, be less fame in such an employment than in many others; but in none can there be more peace, innocence or pleasure; and in few, indeed, more permanent utility. Pythagoras thought it more