Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer

FROM THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.

Mr. Bronson,

THERE is a very singular kind of a man now residing in the state of Vermont: the inhabitants call him the Hermit of the Mountain, but he calls himself Nathan Ben Ashur. He is evidently of Jewish extraction: he retains all the rites and ceremonies of the Hebrews, and his style and manner bear a near similitude to that of the Ancient Scribes. His living is simple; the fruit of the woods is his food, and water from a spring allays his thirst : his devotion is fervent and sincere, and those who are within the circle of his acquaintance reverence him for the piety of his life and the sanctity of his manners, and more especially for the foresight into futurity, for which he is eminently remarkable. He lives in a Cave dug out of the side of a mountain, shaded by a forest of lofty trees. But from what part of the world he came, or why he became a recluse, must remain a secret until his death, when it is supposed he will leave, for the benefit of mankind, a precious collection of his labors.

As the following Vision seemed to be interesting at the present time, he voluntarily communicated it to an intelligent friend of his acquaintance to be made public. Without doubt your readers will be pleased with it, not only for its novelty, but also for the interesting matter it contains.

THE VISION OF NATHAN BEN ASHUR.

1 In the first year of Jefferson, the President, in the second month, on the tenth day of the month, Nathan Ben Ashur had a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed, then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matter.

2. And Nathan Ben Ashur spake and said, I am in my vision, by night, and behold! a bright form, in the similitude of one of the Sons of men, descended upon the earth. He was clothed in purple, and had a glittering Tiara upon his head, and in the folds of his mantle were written in large golden letters, "THE GENUS OF AMERICA."

3. And lo! as I was standing by the Synagogue of Calvin, he beckoned unto me with his hand, and said follow me, and I will shew you the signs of the times.

4. And it came to pass, that as we drew near to the Synagogue, the doors thereof flew open, and we entered into the innermost part thereof, and lo! we espied an old man with a pair of scales ; in one of the scales was good Wheat, and in the other scale was Chaff, Cockle, and Cheat and some grains of good wheat, but the chaff appeared heavier than the wheat, and I marvelled thereat.

5. And I saw also two Women; one held a distaff in her hand and she was spinning of flax, and she was fair to look upon, and of a beautiful countenance; and

the other woman was ill favoured, and was clothed in the attire of a harlot, and her hair was dishevelled, and she appeared to be distempered in her understanding, for she would ever and anon be plucking the clothes from the beautiful woman and cried continually with a loud voice "Liberty and Equality for ever."

6. Then my guide spake and said hearken unto me, thou son of man; the opening of my lips shall be of right things ; attend unto my words and thou shall gather instruction from what thou hast seen.

7. The scales which thou sawest are the political balances of governments. The old man is Justice, and the wheat are those who tread in the footsteps of Penn, Washington and Adams. But the chaff are they who follow after those that are given to change, even the foolish philosophers of the present day, and they are called Democrats.

8. The woman thou sawest, with the distaff in her hand, is Wisdom with the sign of Industry in her hand, and the ill favored woman who had the appearance of an harlot, who was plucking off the clothes from the beautiful woman, represents those who love to live on the labour of others : and whereas she appeared to be bereaved of her wits, it represents the madness of Democracy, that can bear no restraint, but runs wild in the theory of things that can never be obtained.

9. And whereas thou sawest that the scale which held the chaff appeared heavier than the scale that held the wheat, now turn thine eyes under the scale and thou wilt see the cause thereof.

10. And I did so, and lo! a chain was fastened to the scale, and an ill favoured one held the chain, — and he had the appearance of a fiend from the bottomless pit, and the smell of him was as the smell of fire and brimstone.

11. Then a great wind arose from the east and carried away the chaff, the cockle and the cheat; and the wheat remained, and the old man gathered up the wheat and put it into fine golden vessels.

12. Then my guide, moreover, spake and said, the chain which thou sawest is the combination of wicked men to overturn the government, and the man holding the chain is anarchy; but his power is limited and his reign will soon have an end.

13. And whereas thou sawest some good wheat mixed with the chaff, these are they who will return to the sober manners of their forefathers, yea they will respect, in the day of their humiliation, the wisdom of former years and reverence the sacred truths delivered by their elders.

14. And my guide moreover spake and said, publish the things thou hast seen and send them forth into all lands, that the virtuous may be encouraged to hold on their way, and the valiant be animated to resist the sophistical notions of the vain philosophers of this our day.

NATHAN BEN ASHUR.