[B]This prohibition could only have regard to the period of his life time and was occasioned by that extreme modesty which always rendered it painful to the Doctor to be held up to the public notice.
[B]This prohibition could only have regard to the period of his life time and was occasioned by that extreme modesty which always rendered it painful to the Doctor to be held up to the public notice.
[C]These remarks refer to the period of Dr. Holyoke's residence in Salem, preceding the revolution.
[C]These remarks refer to the period of Dr. Holyoke's residence in Salem, preceding the revolution.
Dr. Holyoke during his whole life, it is said, was never fifty miles distant from the spot where he was born. He was the first person to receive the degree of M.D. from Harvard College; was the first president of the Massachusetts Medical Society; and he made in the course of his life three hundred and twenty-four thousand professional visits.
Antiquity of Nursery Rhymes.—Many of these productions have a very curious history, if it could only be traced. Some of them probably owe their origin to names distinguished in our literature; as Oliver Goldsmith, for instance, is believed in his earlier days to have written such compositions. Dr. E.F. Rimbault gives us the following particulars as to some well-known favorites: "Sing a Song of Sixpence," is as old as the sixteenth century. "Three Blind Mice" is found in a music-book dated 1609. "The Frog and the Mouse" was licensed in 1580. "Three Children Sliding on the Ice" dates from 1633. "London Bridge is Broken Down" is of unfathomed antiquity. "Girls and Boys come out to play" is certainly old as the reign of Charles II.; as is also "Lucy Locket lost her Pocket," to the tune of which the American song of "Yankee Doodle" was written. "Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, where have you been?" is of the age of Queen Bess. "Little Jack Horner" is older than the seventeenth century. "The Old Woman Tossed in a Blanket" is of the reign of James II., to which monarch it is supposed to allude.Salem Gazette.
Antiquity of Nursery Rhymes.—Many of these productions have a very curious history, if it could only be traced. Some of them probably owe their origin to names distinguished in our literature; as Oliver Goldsmith, for instance, is believed in his earlier days to have written such compositions. Dr. E.F. Rimbault gives us the following particulars as to some well-known favorites: "Sing a Song of Sixpence," is as old as the sixteenth century. "Three Blind Mice" is found in a music-book dated 1609. "The Frog and the Mouse" was licensed in 1580. "Three Children Sliding on the Ice" dates from 1633. "London Bridge is Broken Down" is of unfathomed antiquity. "Girls and Boys come out to play" is certainly old as the reign of Charles II.; as is also "Lucy Locket lost her Pocket," to the tune of which the American song of "Yankee Doodle" was written. "Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, where have you been?" is of the age of Queen Bess. "Little Jack Horner" is older than the seventeenth century. "The Old Woman Tossed in a Blanket" is of the reign of James II., to which monarch it is supposed to allude.
Salem Gazette.
Some British opinions of Benedict Arnold.
"The good whigs of America," ſays a late paper, "may be aſſured, that the infamousBenedict Arnold'smanſion is the very next toTyburn,—a well choſen habitation for ſuch an abandoned traitor: A ſtep or two conveys him to that fatal ſpot, where the moſt guilty of all the miſerable beings who have ever ſuffered, was perfectly innocent compared with him.—He lives deſpiſed by the nobility and gentry, and execrated by the people at large—countenanced by none excepting their Britannic and Satanic Majeſties, and ſuch of their adherents, reſpectively, who are looking for promotion under their royal maſters."By a gentleman from the ſouthward we learn that it is expected Congreſs will fix their permanent reſidence at Philadelphia.Salem Gazette, Feb. 26, 1784.
"The good whigs of America," ſays a late paper, "may be aſſured, that the infamousBenedict Arnold'smanſion is the very next toTyburn,—a well choſen habitation for ſuch an abandoned traitor: A ſtep or two conveys him to that fatal ſpot, where the moſt guilty of all the miſerable beings who have ever ſuffered, was perfectly innocent compared with him.—He lives deſpiſed by the nobility and gentry, and execrated by the people at large—countenanced by none excepting their Britannic and Satanic Majeſties, and ſuch of their adherents, reſpectively, who are looking for promotion under their royal maſters."
By a gentleman from the ſouthward we learn that it is expected Congreſs will fix their permanent reſidence at Philadelphia.
Salem Gazette, Feb. 26, 1784.
NEW-YORK, November 16.By very recent accounts from St. John, Nova-Scotia, we are informed thatBenedict Arnold, having attempted to JOCKY ſome of the inhabitants out of their property, but being detected, and the people being much exaſperated, offered to deliver him up to the Americans for ten dollars; but alas! before the bargain was firmly agreed on, he made his eſcape to Halifax, and there got protection from the populace.
NEW-YORK, November 16.
By very recent accounts from St. John, Nova-Scotia, we are informed thatBenedict Arnold, having attempted to JOCKY ſome of the inhabitants out of their property, but being detected, and the people being much exaſperated, offered to deliver him up to the Americans for ten dollars; but alas! before the bargain was firmly agreed on, he made his eſcape to Halifax, and there got protection from the populace.
We are informed that Benedict Arnold lately ſailed from New-Brunſwick for London. It is ſaid that his reſidence in America, even among the provincial Loyaliſts, was rather uncomfortable; he therefore wiſely preferred being enveloped inthe atmoſphere of London to reſiding on a continent which had been the theatre of his traitorous acts, and conſequently the occaſion of more frequent reflections on the infamy of his crimes.Massachusetts Gazette, November, 1786.
We are informed that Benedict Arnold lately ſailed from New-Brunſwick for London. It is ſaid that his reſidence in America, even among the provincial Loyaliſts, was rather uncomfortable; he therefore wiſely preferred being enveloped inthe atmoſphere of London to reſiding on a continent which had been the theatre of his traitorous acts, and conſequently the occaſion of more frequent reflections on the infamy of his crimes.
Massachusetts Gazette, November, 1786.
Receipt for apple-pudding, in 1788, with the apple and the pudding left out.
For theHERALDofFREEDOM.How to make an APPLE PUDDING.Being a curious, elaborate and ſublimeDissertation,never before publiſhed.ByYANKEE DOODLE, Eſquire.(In Continuation.)Chapter.—How and about NAMES.Nugæque canoræ.Hor.I LOOK upon it as the greateſt happineſs of my life, that fortune has given mea namethat correſponds with my nature and conſtitution. Patriotiſm is the ſtrongeſt paſſion; and I glory in being aYankee.—AYankeeis any man born in New-England—and New-England contains the three northern States, and a certainlittle, peſtiferous, pſeudo Iſland. My countrymen generally have the credit of being a good-natured, pſalm-ſinging, religious kind of men, very honeſt, but plaguyhard in their dealings—inſomuch that aCarolinianor aGeorgianfrequently ſwear that the verySatanhimſelf could never get to windward of them.This puts me in mind of a ſtory.—A certain Boſton ſea Captain, of a ſloop of 60 tons burthen, coming with a cargo of New-England rum, ſhoes, cheeſe, potatoes, and other valuable commodities, intoBroadway, which you muſt know is a verynarrowpaſſage in theAppomatax, a branch ofJames RiverinVirginia.—Before I proceed I muſt acquaint the ſerious reader—and who is there but muſt be ſerious in reading the ſolemn truths I am about to declare—that everyiotaof what I ſhall delineate in theſe ſacred depoſitories of facts, isTRUTH.——I am now about to elucidate the pſalm-ſinging, religious character ofYankees, by aTRUE STORY,never before publiſhed.——When our Boſton ſea Captain, therefore, came into Broadway, a Virginian comes a-board of him—and as he goes down into the cabbin, had to ſtoop a little, becauſe the cabbin was low—for, as I ſaid before, the ſloop was 60 tons, although our religious ſea-captainenteredbut 40 tons at the Naval-Office: Howſomever he had a reſerve of conſcience, for the Naval-Officer charged him forlight money, when there was not one light-houſe in all the ancient dominion.—But this is nothing to my ſtory.N.B.I mean to give the good-natured reader a whole chapter onthe art ofStory-telling.Well, as I was ſaying, the Virginian being obliged toſtoop—theſtoopingcauſed his head to be bowed down; and looking down, he ſaw abooklying upon the ſtarboard locker.—Well, ſays he, and what the d——l—but I think it expedient to omit theVirginianoath; for this man, not being a moral man, ſwore conſumedly, and did not know abibleby ſight, but only byhearſay.—And Captain, cried theVirginian, will you ſell this bible of yours: I hear it's a mighty clever book for children.—And why not for grown people? cried the Captain, taking up thebook. Why, quoth theVirginian, becauſe I mean my three boys, who are from 11 to 14 years old, ſhall be goodſcholards at their larning—they can all ſay their letters already, and the youngeſt can ſpell.—The Boſton ſea Captain opening the bible found theſe words: "Search the ſcriptures;" and without ſaying any thing himſelf, pointed out the paſſage to theVirginian.—Pugh! ſaid theVirginian, and walked upon deck.—Now, to explain this myſtery, you muſt know the Yankee ſea Captain ſhewed him the paſſage to denote that he would ſooner ſell his ſoul to the d——l, than his bible to aVirginian;—and theVirginianſaid pugh! and walked upon deck, becauſe he could not read.
For theHERALDofFREEDOM.How to make an APPLE PUDDING.Being a curious, elaborate and ſublimeDissertation,never before publiſhed.
ByYANKEE DOODLE, Eſquire.
(In Continuation.)Chapter.—How and about NAMES.
Nugæque canoræ.Hor.
I LOOK upon it as the greateſt happineſs of my life, that fortune has given mea namethat correſponds with my nature and conſtitution. Patriotiſm is the ſtrongeſt paſſion; and I glory in being aYankee.—AYankeeis any man born in New-England—and New-England contains the three northern States, and a certainlittle, peſtiferous, pſeudo Iſland. My countrymen generally have the credit of being a good-natured, pſalm-ſinging, religious kind of men, very honeſt, but plaguyhard in their dealings—inſomuch that aCarolinianor aGeorgianfrequently ſwear that the verySatanhimſelf could never get to windward of them.
This puts me in mind of a ſtory.—A certain Boſton ſea Captain, of a ſloop of 60 tons burthen, coming with a cargo of New-England rum, ſhoes, cheeſe, potatoes, and other valuable commodities, intoBroadway, which you muſt know is a verynarrowpaſſage in theAppomatax, a branch ofJames RiverinVirginia.—Before I proceed I muſt acquaint the ſerious reader—and who is there but muſt be ſerious in reading the ſolemn truths I am about to declare—that everyiotaof what I ſhall delineate in theſe ſacred depoſitories of facts, isTRUTH.——I am now about to elucidate the pſalm-ſinging, religious character ofYankees, by aTRUE STORY,never before publiſhed.——When our Boſton ſea Captain, therefore, came into Broadway, a Virginian comes a-board of him—and as he goes down into the cabbin, had to ſtoop a little, becauſe the cabbin was low—for, as I ſaid before, the ſloop was 60 tons, although our religious ſea-captainenteredbut 40 tons at the Naval-Office: Howſomever he had a reſerve of conſcience, for the Naval-Officer charged him forlight money, when there was not one light-houſe in all the ancient dominion.—But this is nothing to my ſtory.
N.B.I mean to give the good-natured reader a whole chapter onthe art ofStory-telling.
Well, as I was ſaying, the Virginian being obliged toſtoop—theſtoopingcauſed his head to be bowed down; and looking down, he ſaw abooklying upon the ſtarboard locker.—Well, ſays he, and what the d——l—but I think it expedient to omit theVirginianoath; for this man, not being a moral man, ſwore conſumedly, and did not know abibleby ſight, but only byhearſay.—And Captain, cried theVirginian, will you ſell this bible of yours: I hear it's a mighty clever book for children.—And why not for grown people? cried the Captain, taking up thebook. Why, quoth theVirginian, becauſe I mean my three boys, who are from 11 to 14 years old, ſhall be goodſcholards at their larning—they can all ſay their letters already, and the youngeſt can ſpell.—The Boſton ſea Captain opening the bible found theſe words: "Search the ſcriptures;" and without ſaying any thing himſelf, pointed out the paſſage to theVirginian.—Pugh! ſaid theVirginian, and walked upon deck.—Now, to explain this myſtery, you muſt know the Yankee ſea Captain ſhewed him the paſſage to denote that he would ſooner ſell his ſoul to the d——l, than his bible to aVirginian;—and theVirginianſaid pugh! and walked upon deck, becauſe he could not read.
Longevity.Since we published the examples of longevity, collected by the editor of the Medical Adviser, we have seen another list, which issupposedto comprise all, which can befound from the year 66 to 1799. The number of those who lived fromone hundredandseventytoone hundredandeighty-fiveyears is 3; fromone hundredandsixtytoone hundredandseventy, 2; fromone hundredandfiftytoone hundredandsixty, 3; fromone hundredandfortytoone hundredandfifty, 7; fromone hundredandthirtytoone hundredandforty, 26; fromone hundredandtwentytoone hundredandthirty, 84; fromone hundredandtentoone hundredandtwenty, 277; fromone hundredtoone hundredandten, 1310. Total of those who survived a century,Seventeen hundred and twelve.——This writer could not have included in his list the examples of longevity which Russia furnished, for we frequently find in the bills of mortality of this country for a single year, twice the number of centenarians. We have before us the table of deaths for 1813, which gives the following remarkable ages. One 165;—three 135;—one 130;—fifteen 125;—thirty-three from 115 to 120;—fifty-three from 110 to 115;—one hundred and twenty-seven from 100 to 105;—fourteen hundred from 95 to 100;—two thousand eight hundred and forty-nine from 90 to 95;—four thousand four hundred and fifty-one from 85 to 90. Whole number of deaths 971,338.Salem Observer, Oct. 29, 1825.
Longevity.Since we published the examples of longevity, collected by the editor of the Medical Adviser, we have seen another list, which issupposedto comprise all, which can befound from the year 66 to 1799. The number of those who lived fromone hundredandseventytoone hundredandeighty-fiveyears is 3; fromone hundredandsixtytoone hundredandseventy, 2; fromone hundredandfiftytoone hundredandsixty, 3; fromone hundredandfortytoone hundredandfifty, 7; fromone hundredandthirtytoone hundredandforty, 26; fromone hundredandtwentytoone hundredandthirty, 84; fromone hundredandtentoone hundredandtwenty, 277; fromone hundredtoone hundredandten, 1310. Total of those who survived a century,Seventeen hundred and twelve.——This writer could not have included in his list the examples of longevity which Russia furnished, for we frequently find in the bills of mortality of this country for a single year, twice the number of centenarians. We have before us the table of deaths for 1813, which gives the following remarkable ages. One 165;—three 135;—one 130;—fifteen 125;—thirty-three from 115 to 120;—fifty-three from 110 to 115;—one hundred and twenty-seven from 100 to 105;—fourteen hundred from 95 to 100;—two thousand eight hundred and forty-nine from 90 to 95;—four thousand four hundred and fifty-one from 85 to 90. Whole number of deaths 971,338.
Salem Observer, Oct. 29, 1825.
Boston shop-signs in 1789.
To read the ſigns in this town is a delicate, ſentimental repaſt.—I hopeBoſtonianswill never complain of want ofamuſement, while there is one ſign ſtanding. If I had time, I would certainly conſultMilton, to ſee how he hasarrangedmatters in his deſcription ofchaos.—I doubt not I could there get ahintfor two whole chapters. I had as lief take a walk through Cornhill, as to go to the new-invented moral lectures.Herald of Freedom.
To read the ſigns in this town is a delicate, ſentimental repaſt.—I hopeBoſtonianswill never complain of want ofamuſement, while there is one ſign ſtanding. If I had time, I would certainly conſultMilton, to ſee how he hasarrangedmatters in his deſcription ofchaos.—I doubt not I could there get ahintfor two whole chapters. I had as lief take a walk through Cornhill, as to go to the new-invented moral lectures.
Herald of Freedom.
A CURIOUS WOMAN.
We have often heard it said that men are curious, and we can well believe it; but now we find it recorded that there has been at leastonecurious woman. Read the following extract from the "Salem Gazette" of 1795:—
Married at Andover, Mr. Aaron Oſgood to thecuriousMiſs Eſter Wardwell.
Married at Andover, Mr. Aaron Oſgood to thecuriousMiſs Eſter Wardwell.
"AWFULLY GOOD."
In our opinion the oft-repeated words "awfully good," "jolly fine," and similar expressions, which sound so "charmingly sweet" from the lips of interesting young ladies, are quite cast into the shade by language usedin the following extract from the Portsmouth, N.H., "Oracle of the Day," Nov. 24, 1798:—
MARRIED]—In this town, on Sunday evening laſt, by the Rev. Dr. Haven, MARK SIMES, Eſq. Deputy Poſt-Maſter, &c. to the elegantly pretty and amiably delicate Miſs MARY-ANN BLUNT, youngeſt daughter of the late Capt. John Blunt, of Little-Harbour.Genius of Hymen; Power of fondeſt Love!In ſhowers of bliſs deſcend from worlds above,OnBeauty'sroſe, andVirtue'smanlier form,And ſhield, ah! ſhield them both, from time's tempeſtuous ſtorm!
MARRIED]—In this town, on Sunday evening laſt, by the Rev. Dr. Haven, MARK SIMES, Eſq. Deputy Poſt-Maſter, &c. to the elegantly pretty and amiably delicate Miſs MARY-ANN BLUNT, youngeſt daughter of the late Capt. John Blunt, of Little-Harbour.
Genius of Hymen; Power of fondeſt Love!In ſhowers of bliſs deſcend from worlds above,OnBeauty'sroſe, andVirtue'smanlier form,And ſhield, ah! ſhield them both, from time's tempeſtuous ſtorm!
Genius of Hymen; Power of fondeſt Love!In ſhowers of bliſs deſcend from worlds above,OnBeauty'sroſe, andVirtue'smanlier form,And ſhield, ah! ſhield them both, from time's tempeſtuous ſtorm!
A fewyears ſince, a young gentleman at the Univerſity inCambridgeaſked of a Collegian the loan of hisWirgil. The inelegant pronunciation of the wordVirgilwas burleſqued by the young Collegian in the following ſtory, with which his invention readily ſupplied him:—Lately(ſays he)I ſet out on a woyage to Werſailles, with one Captain Winal, in a Britiſh weſſel called the Wiper; but we ſoon met with a wiolent ſtorm, which drove us into a port in Wirginia; where one Capt. Waughn, a wery wicious man, inwited us aboard his weſſel, and gave us ſome weal and weniſon, with ſome winegar, which made me wery ſick; ſo I did womit like wengeance;(and added, reaching outthe book)You may have my Wirgil, and welcome. This humor had the deſired effect; the young gentleman ſaw the abſurdity of doing ſuch wiolenceto the letter V, and has ever ſince ſpoke like other people.Salem Gazette, April 26, 1791.
A fewyears ſince, a young gentleman at the Univerſity inCambridgeaſked of a Collegian the loan of hisWirgil. The inelegant pronunciation of the wordVirgilwas burleſqued by the young Collegian in the following ſtory, with which his invention readily ſupplied him:—Lately(ſays he)I ſet out on a woyage to Werſailles, with one Captain Winal, in a Britiſh weſſel called the Wiper; but we ſoon met with a wiolent ſtorm, which drove us into a port in Wirginia; where one Capt. Waughn, a wery wicious man, inwited us aboard his weſſel, and gave us ſome weal and weniſon, with ſome winegar, which made me wery ſick; ſo I did womit like wengeance;(and added, reaching outthe book)You may have my Wirgil, and welcome. This humor had the deſired effect; the young gentleman ſaw the abſurdity of doing ſuch wiolenceto the letter V, and has ever ſince ſpoke like other people.
Salem Gazette, April 26, 1791.
What Mr. Welby, an English gentleman, saw when he was in the United States in 1821. A very flattering picture of the West.
More Travellers' Stories.From the National Gazette.A new book of Travels in America has been recently issued in London which rivals the volumes of our old friends Weld, Ashe, Fearon, &c. It is entitled "A Visit to North America and the English Settlements in Illinois, with a winter residence in Philadelphia; solely to ascertain the actual prosperity of the Emigrating Agriculturist, Mechanic, and Commercial Speculator"—by Adlard Welby,Esquire, of South Rauceby, Lincolnshire. This esquire has said enough, should he be believed, to settle ultimately the point of the truth or falsehood of Godwin's notable doctrine, that we owe the increase of our numbers chiefly to emigration. No sane European would venture among us after having read Mr. Welby's book. He discovered that, in Philadelphia, living wasvery dear,comfortvery uncommon, and good manners still more rare. Throughout his journey he found in the taverns "a system of impertinence, rudeness, rascality, and filth, rendered more intolerable by an antipathy to the English, in the brutal manifestation of which most of the Colonel, Doctor, and Squire, keepers of the taverns, were pleased to indulge." When he asked an hostler to call him early in the morning, he was answered that—he might call himself and be d——d. In the Western country he found no symptoms of hospitality—witnessed only idleness and licentiousness, and experienced every where brutal rudeness and unbounded extortion. The western people usually combine in cheating all travellers, and sometimes "rifle," that isshootresidents among them who do not choose to descend to their own level. In Illinois "a party proposed to each othercoollyto go and shoot neighbour *****, who had behaved ill to them sundry times; it was agreed upon; they went to his field, found the old man at plough, and, with unerring aim, laid him dead." And Mr. Welby adds that the country would be desirable to live in, did not the folksshooteach other thus, and were they not half savages. Theshootingcase reminds us of a traveller's story which we heard at a dinner table abroad. A gentleman and esquire of strict veracity, like Mr. Welby, related, in order to shew how common was the calamity of thecoup de soleil, or stroke of the sun, in the Island ofJava, that sitting once in the house of an opulent merchant ofBatavia, drinking acoolglass of Madeira after dinner, with the merchant's wife in the room, the lady was, in the twinkling of an eye,reduced to a heap of ashesby acoup de soleil; when the husband observed to his guest, "don't be alarmed—we are accustomed to this;" then rang the bell with great composure, and on the appearance of the servant,coollysaid—"Boy—sweep your mistress out, andbring us clean glasses."In the neighborhood of Mr. Birbeck's settlement in Illinois, Mr. Welby could obtain neither eggs, milk, sugar, salt, nor water; and when he and his party sent a request to Mr. Birbeck for some water, the answer returned was, he made it a general rule to refuse every one. Mr. Birbeck is represented as having deceived and disappointed most of the English who were lured to his settlement by his "Journal." Mr. W. could discover none of "the snug cottages, with adjoining piggeries, cowsteads, gardens and orchards," which Mr. B. had introduced into his canvass. He found nothing but the primitive log building, that served the whole family—"for parlour, for kitchen, and hall." "The strange heterogeneous mixture of characters," says Mr. W. "which are collected here by the magic pen of Morris Birbeck, is truly ludicrous. Among many others, a couple now attend to the store at Albion who lately lived in a dashing style in London, not far from Bond-street; the lady brought over her white satin shoes and gay dresses, rich carpets, and everything but what in sucha place she would require—yet I have understood that they have accommodated themselves to their new situations, hand out the plums, sugar, whiskey, &c., with tolerable grace, and at least 'do not seem to mind it.'"In one of the principal literary journals of London, Mr. Welby's book is recommended as "carrying on its front the stamp of plain dealing,truthand candor, and entitled, from internal evidence, to the highest authority amid the conflicting statements and opinions respecting emigration to America." The reviewer adds:—"From a country so destitute of moral beauty as the author depicts it, so disgusting in its human externals, and so low in the scale, not merely of refinement, but of good principles, we are happy to withdraw." As Mr. Welby spent a winter in Philadelphia, and had acquaintance here, it is probable that such of the latter as have not seen his book will be pleased to know the complexion of its contents.Salem Register, May 18, 1822.
More Travellers' Stories.
From the National Gazette.
A new book of Travels in America has been recently issued in London which rivals the volumes of our old friends Weld, Ashe, Fearon, &c. It is entitled "A Visit to North America and the English Settlements in Illinois, with a winter residence in Philadelphia; solely to ascertain the actual prosperity of the Emigrating Agriculturist, Mechanic, and Commercial Speculator"—by Adlard Welby,Esquire, of South Rauceby, Lincolnshire. This esquire has said enough, should he be believed, to settle ultimately the point of the truth or falsehood of Godwin's notable doctrine, that we owe the increase of our numbers chiefly to emigration. No sane European would venture among us after having read Mr. Welby's book. He discovered that, in Philadelphia, living wasvery dear,comfortvery uncommon, and good manners still more rare. Throughout his journey he found in the taverns "a system of impertinence, rudeness, rascality, and filth, rendered more intolerable by an antipathy to the English, in the brutal manifestation of which most of the Colonel, Doctor, and Squire, keepers of the taverns, were pleased to indulge." When he asked an hostler to call him early in the morning, he was answered that—he might call himself and be d——d. In the Western country he found no symptoms of hospitality—witnessed only idleness and licentiousness, and experienced every where brutal rudeness and unbounded extortion. The western people usually combine in cheating all travellers, and sometimes "rifle," that isshootresidents among them who do not choose to descend to their own level. In Illinois "a party proposed to each othercoollyto go and shoot neighbour *****, who had behaved ill to them sundry times; it was agreed upon; they went to his field, found the old man at plough, and, with unerring aim, laid him dead." And Mr. Welby adds that the country would be desirable to live in, did not the folksshooteach other thus, and were they not half savages. Theshootingcase reminds us of a traveller's story which we heard at a dinner table abroad. A gentleman and esquire of strict veracity, like Mr. Welby, related, in order to shew how common was the calamity of thecoup de soleil, or stroke of the sun, in the Island ofJava, that sitting once in the house of an opulent merchant ofBatavia, drinking acoolglass of Madeira after dinner, with the merchant's wife in the room, the lady was, in the twinkling of an eye,reduced to a heap of ashesby acoup de soleil; when the husband observed to his guest, "don't be alarmed—we are accustomed to this;" then rang the bell with great composure, and on the appearance of the servant,coollysaid—"Boy—sweep your mistress out, andbring us clean glasses."
In the neighborhood of Mr. Birbeck's settlement in Illinois, Mr. Welby could obtain neither eggs, milk, sugar, salt, nor water; and when he and his party sent a request to Mr. Birbeck for some water, the answer returned was, he made it a general rule to refuse every one. Mr. Birbeck is represented as having deceived and disappointed most of the English who were lured to his settlement by his "Journal." Mr. W. could discover none of "the snug cottages, with adjoining piggeries, cowsteads, gardens and orchards," which Mr. B. had introduced into his canvass. He found nothing but the primitive log building, that served the whole family—"for parlour, for kitchen, and hall." "The strange heterogeneous mixture of characters," says Mr. W. "which are collected here by the magic pen of Morris Birbeck, is truly ludicrous. Among many others, a couple now attend to the store at Albion who lately lived in a dashing style in London, not far from Bond-street; the lady brought over her white satin shoes and gay dresses, rich carpets, and everything but what in sucha place she would require—yet I have understood that they have accommodated themselves to their new situations, hand out the plums, sugar, whiskey, &c., with tolerable grace, and at least 'do not seem to mind it.'"
In one of the principal literary journals of London, Mr. Welby's book is recommended as "carrying on its front the stamp of plain dealing,truthand candor, and entitled, from internal evidence, to the highest authority amid the conflicting statements and opinions respecting emigration to America." The reviewer adds:—"From a country so destitute of moral beauty as the author depicts it, so disgusting in its human externals, and so low in the scale, not merely of refinement, but of good principles, we are happy to withdraw." As Mr. Welby spent a winter in Philadelphia, and had acquaintance here, it is probable that such of the latter as have not seen his book will be pleased to know the complexion of its contents.
Salem Register, May 18, 1822.
In the "Essex Register" of July 18, 1833, may be found the following notice of two well-known American authors:—
Discourse on Genius.The Richmond Compiler speaks in terms of great praise of a discourse delivered recently in Richmond, before a Young Men's Society, by Joseph Hulbert Nicholas. Anumber of extracts are also given in the Compiler, as specimens of the performance, from which we take the following notices of two of our fellow-townsmen.—Boston Courier.Of Charles Sprague, of Massachusetts, no language can be spoken but that of unqualified praise. Forsaking the modern school of writing, he is contented with being simple and natural. Sublimity, tenderness, wit, elegance, and beneficial satire characterise his muse.—The only complaint I have ever heard made of him is thathe does not write more.Of Nathaniel Parker Willis, a native of Massachusetts, and a fellow-student with myself at Yale College, I come now to speak. Of him I shall speak familiarly, as of an intimate friend; and impartially and justly, as one who wishes him well. Willis, I venture to pronounce the most remarkable genius our country has yet produced. I do not call him remarkable merely for his unusual precocity of song, but remarkable for the possession of that rare genius, which by any man, young or old, in our land, I do not think has ever been displayed. Nature has done wonderful things for him; but alas! he has thus far done but little for himself. The great pieces he has sometimes given us have cost him but little effort, and he has thrown out his productions, in prose as well as poetry, with a profusion and a variety that seem miraculous; and yet, of all our bards, he has met with the most severe and merciless censures. In some measure he hasdeserved the treatment. In College he would not condescend to study, and charity only for his high genius enabled him to gain a degree. Besides, he gained his first and best reputation by pieces founded upon scriptural subjects, and he stood committed to the world as areligiousman. Many who had never seen aught of him but his productions, and had formed the loftiest estimate of his personal character from the pure tendency of his effusions, were astonished and grieved when introduced to the author.—His head made giddy by the praises of young and old, he forgot himself, and possessing most shrewd good sense, he would talk the reverse. He became fantastic in apparel, as he did likewise in his style of writing; made himself too common, and almost broke a pious father's heart by deserting the altar of that divine Jesus upon whose Bible he had founded the fairest fabric of his fame. My friend, of whom I so sternly speak, is now in Italy; and should these remarks, per chance, ever meet his eye, I beseech him by our past friendship, by our walks "by moon or glittering star-light," through the Eden groves and avenues of New-Haven, by the love he bears to his parents, and above all, by the love he bears that Saviour, upon whose image and the scenes of whose mortal pilgrimage he is rapturously gazing, in the matchless pictures of the Italian masters, I beseech him, when he returns to his native land, to wear no longer a ridiculous mask, but to appear in his own native strength, dignity, and surpassing loveliness.
Discourse on Genius.The Richmond Compiler speaks in terms of great praise of a discourse delivered recently in Richmond, before a Young Men's Society, by Joseph Hulbert Nicholas. Anumber of extracts are also given in the Compiler, as specimens of the performance, from which we take the following notices of two of our fellow-townsmen.—Boston Courier.
Of Charles Sprague, of Massachusetts, no language can be spoken but that of unqualified praise. Forsaking the modern school of writing, he is contented with being simple and natural. Sublimity, tenderness, wit, elegance, and beneficial satire characterise his muse.—The only complaint I have ever heard made of him is thathe does not write more.
Of Nathaniel Parker Willis, a native of Massachusetts, and a fellow-student with myself at Yale College, I come now to speak. Of him I shall speak familiarly, as of an intimate friend; and impartially and justly, as one who wishes him well. Willis, I venture to pronounce the most remarkable genius our country has yet produced. I do not call him remarkable merely for his unusual precocity of song, but remarkable for the possession of that rare genius, which by any man, young or old, in our land, I do not think has ever been displayed. Nature has done wonderful things for him; but alas! he has thus far done but little for himself. The great pieces he has sometimes given us have cost him but little effort, and he has thrown out his productions, in prose as well as poetry, with a profusion and a variety that seem miraculous; and yet, of all our bards, he has met with the most severe and merciless censures. In some measure he hasdeserved the treatment. In College he would not condescend to study, and charity only for his high genius enabled him to gain a degree. Besides, he gained his first and best reputation by pieces founded upon scriptural subjects, and he stood committed to the world as areligiousman. Many who had never seen aught of him but his productions, and had formed the loftiest estimate of his personal character from the pure tendency of his effusions, were astonished and grieved when introduced to the author.—His head made giddy by the praises of young and old, he forgot himself, and possessing most shrewd good sense, he would talk the reverse. He became fantastic in apparel, as he did likewise in his style of writing; made himself too common, and almost broke a pious father's heart by deserting the altar of that divine Jesus upon whose Bible he had founded the fairest fabric of his fame. My friend, of whom I so sternly speak, is now in Italy; and should these remarks, per chance, ever meet his eye, I beseech him by our past friendship, by our walks "by moon or glittering star-light," through the Eden groves and avenues of New-Haven, by the love he bears to his parents, and above all, by the love he bears that Saviour, upon whose image and the scenes of whose mortal pilgrimage he is rapturously gazing, in the matchless pictures of the Italian masters, I beseech him, when he returns to his native land, to wear no longer a ridiculous mask, but to appear in his own native strength, dignity, and surpassing loveliness.
In the "Salem Observer," March 8, 1834, are to be found the following references to well-known young ladies of the day. Miss Silsbee is supposed to be the daughter of the Hon. Nathaniel Silsbee, of Salem, Massachusetts senator in Congress. She afterwards married Jared Sparks, the well-known historian, president of Harvard College, etc.
High Life at Washington.The Washington Correspondent of the Boston Morning Post, in describing Gov. Cass's soiree, thus notices some of the young ladies who were present:—Miss Keyser of Baltimore, uniting youth and beauty, possesses an eye as dark as the absence of all light, beaming with a lustre that eclipses all. I never saw a countenance betoken such perfect happiness; it was like a star-lit lake, curling its lips into ripples in some dream of delight, as the west wind salutes them with its balmy breath and disturbs their placid slumber. I never before realised Byron's idea of"Music breathing o'er the face;"till Miss Keyser's brought it home to the business and bosom.Miss Silsbee, of Salem, with a form of great symmetry, possesses a countenance not only beautiful, but entirely intellectual—the most so of any you have met with either here or elsewhere; it isof the Italian model; and should have basked beneath an Italian sky. She is very easy, graceful and modest in her deportment, and dresses 'rich not gaudy;' the cameo necklace that graced her person was only the foil that set off the diamond.Miss Harper of Baltimore, with a fine face and form, is particularly unrivalled for a bust of unrivalled symmetry; it would furnish a model for a Canova; and reminds me of Greenough's Medora.Miss M'Lane of this city, with many separate charms that could not fail of attraction, unites with them the finest of fine forms.And last, not least, the younger Miss Cass possesses the most perfectMadonnacountenance I have ever seen clothed in living lustre. It was one of the first that attracted my attention when I entered the saloon, and the last that received my parting glance when I retired; it seemed to be—"While in, above the world;"I am told it is entirely characteristic; that she is in heart and thought, what you behold in her countenance—happy, but not gay; serious but not sad; devout, yet not a devotee.
High Life at Washington.The Washington Correspondent of the Boston Morning Post, in describing Gov. Cass's soiree, thus notices some of the young ladies who were present:—
Miss Keyser of Baltimore, uniting youth and beauty, possesses an eye as dark as the absence of all light, beaming with a lustre that eclipses all. I never saw a countenance betoken such perfect happiness; it was like a star-lit lake, curling its lips into ripples in some dream of delight, as the west wind salutes them with its balmy breath and disturbs their placid slumber. I never before realised Byron's idea of
"Music breathing o'er the face;"
"Music breathing o'er the face;"
till Miss Keyser's brought it home to the business and bosom.
Miss Silsbee, of Salem, with a form of great symmetry, possesses a countenance not only beautiful, but entirely intellectual—the most so of any you have met with either here or elsewhere; it isof the Italian model; and should have basked beneath an Italian sky. She is very easy, graceful and modest in her deportment, and dresses 'rich not gaudy;' the cameo necklace that graced her person was only the foil that set off the diamond.
Miss Harper of Baltimore, with a fine face and form, is particularly unrivalled for a bust of unrivalled symmetry; it would furnish a model for a Canova; and reminds me of Greenough's Medora.
Miss M'Lane of this city, with many separate charms that could not fail of attraction, unites with them the finest of fine forms.
And last, not least, the younger Miss Cass possesses the most perfectMadonnacountenance I have ever seen clothed in living lustre. It was one of the first that attracted my attention when I entered the saloon, and the last that received my parting glance when I retired; it seemed to be—
"While in, above the world;"
"While in, above the world;"
I am told it is entirely characteristic; that she is in heart and thought, what you behold in her countenance—happy, but not gay; serious but not sad; devout, yet not a devotee.
In the "Salem Gazette" of 1815 is the following curious information about Scott's novels, which shows how easy it is for people to be mistaken.
William Erſkine, Eſq. is ſaid to be the author of the new and intereſting Novel, "Guy Mannering."—Walter Scott had been pronounced the author.Waverly.—It is not yet decided to whom this very intereſting novel belongs. It came into the world with all the advantage that the name of Walter Scott could give it; but Guy Mannering's appearance ſeems to have diſſolved that connection. An article in our first page attributes the work to Wm. Erſkine; but in the laſt North-American Review we read the following:—"An Engliſh Magazine ſays, the author of Waverly and Guy Mannering is a young gentleman of the name ofForbes, the ſon of a Scotch baronet." The Review remarks, that the extract in the title page of the latter, from theLay of the Laſt Minſtrel, was a delicate way of informing the public that they were under a miſtake in attributing the former to Walter Scott.
William Erſkine, Eſq. is ſaid to be the author of the new and intereſting Novel, "Guy Mannering."—Walter Scott had been pronounced the author.
Waverly.—It is not yet decided to whom this very intereſting novel belongs. It came into the world with all the advantage that the name of Walter Scott could give it; but Guy Mannering's appearance ſeems to have diſſolved that connection. An article in our first page attributes the work to Wm. Erſkine; but in the laſt North-American Review we read the following:—"An Engliſh Magazine ſays, the author of Waverly and Guy Mannering is a young gentleman of the name ofForbes, the ſon of a Scotch baronet." The Review remarks, that the extract in the title page of the latter, from theLay of the Laſt Minſtrel, was a delicate way of informing the public that they were under a miſtake in attributing the former to Walter Scott.
On the 16th June, 1806, there was a total eclipse of the sun. The following is all the "Salem Gazette" of the 17th has to say of such a remarkable event.
Yeſterday the great Solar Eclipſe took place, agreeably to the calculations which had been made. The day was very favourable to viewing it. The air was remarkably clear, and there was not acloud in the hemiſphere. As the ſun ſhut in, the ſtars appeared, and many were viſible at the time of total darkneſs. A conſiderable alteration in the temperature of the atmoſphere was felt during the continuance of the Eclipſe.
Yeſterday the great Solar Eclipſe took place, agreeably to the calculations which had been made. The day was very favourable to viewing it. The air was remarkably clear, and there was not acloud in the hemiſphere. As the ſun ſhut in, the ſtars appeared, and many were viſible at the time of total darkneſs. A conſiderable alteration in the temperature of the atmoſphere was felt during the continuance of the Eclipſe.
In the "Boston Palladium" of 1819, copied from a London paper, is Lord Mansfield's opinion about a word in Johnson's Dictionary. In the original editions of this work are to be found many very curious definitions, some of which bore so hard upon the government as to be construed into libel.
FROM A LONDON PAPER.EXCISE.The following curious little document is the opinion of Lord Mansfield, when Attorney-General, upon Dr. Johnson's explanation of the word Excise:—CASE.Mr. Samuel Johnson has lately published a book, entitled "A Dictionary of the English Language, in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar."Under the title "Excise" are the following words:—Excise, n.s. (accijs, Dutch;excisum, Latin,) a hateful tax levied upon commodities, and adjudged not by the common judges of property, butwretcheshired by those to whom "Excise" is paid.The people should pay a rateable tax for their sheep, and anExcisefor every thing which they should eat.—Hayward."Ambitious now to takeexciseOf a more fragrant paradise."—Cleveland.EXCISE."With hundred rows of teeth the shark exceeds, And on all trades, like Cassawar, she feeds."Marvel."Can hire large houses and oppress the poor By farm'd Excise."—Dryden'sJuvenal, Sat. 3.The Author's definition being observed by the Commissioners of Excise, they desire the favour of your opinion:Qu.—Whether it will not be considered as a libel; and if so, whether it is not proper to proceed against the author, printers and publishers thereof, or any and which of them, by information or how otherwise?OPINION."I am of opinion that it is a libel; but under all the circumstances, Ishould think it better to give him an opportunity of altering his definition; and in case he don't, threaten him with an information."(Signed) W. MURRAY."29th Nov, 1755."
FROM A LONDON PAPER.
EXCISE.
The following curious little document is the opinion of Lord Mansfield, when Attorney-General, upon Dr. Johnson's explanation of the word Excise:—
CASE.
Mr. Samuel Johnson has lately published a book, entitled "A Dictionary of the English Language, in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar."
Under the title "Excise" are the following words:—
Excise, n.s. (accijs, Dutch;excisum, Latin,) a hateful tax levied upon commodities, and adjudged not by the common judges of property, butwretcheshired by those to whom "Excise" is paid.
The people should pay a rateable tax for their sheep, and anExcisefor every thing which they should eat.—Hayward."Ambitious now to takeexciseOf a more fragrant paradise."—Cleveland.
The people should pay a rateable tax for their sheep, and anExcisefor every thing which they should eat.—Hayward.
"Ambitious now to takeexciseOf a more fragrant paradise."—Cleveland.
EXCISE.
"With hundred rows of teeth the shark exceeds, And on all trades, like Cassawar, she feeds."Marvel.
"With hundred rows of teeth the shark exceeds, And on all trades, like Cassawar, she feeds."
Marvel.
"Can hire large houses and oppress the poor By farm'd Excise."—Dryden'sJuvenal, Sat. 3.
"Can hire large houses and oppress the poor By farm'd Excise."—Dryden'sJuvenal, Sat. 3.
The Author's definition being observed by the Commissioners of Excise, they desire the favour of your opinion:
Qu.—Whether it will not be considered as a libel; and if so, whether it is not proper to proceed against the author, printers and publishers thereof, or any and which of them, by information or how otherwise?
OPINION.
"I am of opinion that it is a libel; but under all the circumstances, Ishould think it better to give him an opportunity of altering his definition; and in case he don't, threaten him with an information.
"(Signed) W. MURRAY.
"29th Nov, 1755."
Samuel Sewall, whose remarkable "Diary" has within a few years been printed by the Massachusetts Historical Society, appears to have been the successor of John Foster, who printed the first book ever issued from the press in Boston,—namely, "Hubbard's Election Sermon,"—in 1676. All previous printing in the colony had been executed at Cambridge. Mr. Hubbard was the minister of Ipswich.
SAMUEL SEWALL.When John Foster (the first who carried on printing in Boston) died in 1681, the town was without the benefit of the press; but a continuance of it being thought necessary,Samuel Sewall, not a printer but a magistrate, and a man much respected, was selected as a proper person to manage the concerns of it, and as such was recommended to the general court. In consequence of this recommendation, the court, in Oct. 1681, gave him liberty to carry on the business of printing in Boston. Thelicenseis thus recorded: "Samuel Sewall, at the instance of some Friends,with respect to the accommodation of the public, being prevailed with to undertake the Management of the Printing Press in Boston, late under the command of Mr. John Foster, deceased, liberty is accordingly granted to him for the same by this court, and none may presume to set up any other Press without the like Liberty first granted."Sewall became a bookseller.—Books for himself and others were printed at the press under his management; as were several acts and laws, with other works for government. Samuel Green, jun., was his printer. In 1682 an order passed the general court for the treasurer to pay Sewall ten pounds seventeen shillings, for printing the election sermon, delivered that year by the Rev. Mr. Torrey.In 1684, Sewall, by some means, was unable to conduct the press, and requested permission of the general court to be released from his engagement. This was granted; the record of his release is in the words following."Samuel Sewall by the providence of God being unable to attend the press, &c., requested leave to be freed from his obligations concerning it, which was granted, with thanks for the liberty then granted."In 1684, and for several subsequent years, the loss of the charter occasioned great confusion and disorder in the political concerns of the colony. Soon after Sewall resigned his office as conductor of the press in Boston, he went to England, and he returned in 1692. He was undoubtedly the same Samuel Sewallwho, when a new charter was granted by king William, was for many years one of the council for the province, and who, in 1692, was appointed one of the Judges of the Superior Court; in 1715 Judge of Probate; and in 1718, Chief Justice of Massachusetts. He died Jan. 1, 1729, aged 78 years.—Boston News Letter.
SAMUEL SEWALL.
When John Foster (the first who carried on printing in Boston) died in 1681, the town was without the benefit of the press; but a continuance of it being thought necessary,Samuel Sewall, not a printer but a magistrate, and a man much respected, was selected as a proper person to manage the concerns of it, and as such was recommended to the general court. In consequence of this recommendation, the court, in Oct. 1681, gave him liberty to carry on the business of printing in Boston. Thelicenseis thus recorded: "Samuel Sewall, at the instance of some Friends,with respect to the accommodation of the public, being prevailed with to undertake the Management of the Printing Press in Boston, late under the command of Mr. John Foster, deceased, liberty is accordingly granted to him for the same by this court, and none may presume to set up any other Press without the like Liberty first granted."
Sewall became a bookseller.—Books for himself and others were printed at the press under his management; as were several acts and laws, with other works for government. Samuel Green, jun., was his printer. In 1682 an order passed the general court for the treasurer to pay Sewall ten pounds seventeen shillings, for printing the election sermon, delivered that year by the Rev. Mr. Torrey.
In 1684, Sewall, by some means, was unable to conduct the press, and requested permission of the general court to be released from his engagement. This was granted; the record of his release is in the words following.
"Samuel Sewall by the providence of God being unable to attend the press, &c., requested leave to be freed from his obligations concerning it, which was granted, with thanks for the liberty then granted."
In 1684, and for several subsequent years, the loss of the charter occasioned great confusion and disorder in the political concerns of the colony. Soon after Sewall resigned his office as conductor of the press in Boston, he went to England, and he returned in 1692. He was undoubtedly the same Samuel Sewallwho, when a new charter was granted by king William, was for many years one of the council for the province, and who, in 1692, was appointed one of the Judges of the Superior Court; in 1715 Judge of Probate; and in 1718, Chief Justice of Massachusetts. He died Jan. 1, 1729, aged 78 years.—Boston News Letter.
Knowledge of natural history at the Isles of Shoals in the early part of the last century.
A Century Ago.The N. York Gazette relates that when Rev. Mr. Tuck, in the early part of the last century, was ordained minister of Star Island, one of a cluster called the Isles of Shoals, his parish offered him, beside the usual parsonage house, a quintal of fish each family, but no money, as a salary. It is well known that the fish cured at these islands are called dun fish, and have the highest reputation for excellence wherever known. They are caught in the depth of winter, and are fit for market before the hot weather. They derive the name ofdunfrom the color which they assume. There were at the period of which we speak, about fifty families in the cluster, giving him fifty quintals per year. The average price of a dun fish is about ten dollars, and the worthy pastor always procured a ready sale for them, thereby realizing his five hundred dollars per annum. With this stipend he flourished, and brought up afamily, whom he educated himself, and fitted one of his sons for entrance into Harvard College. The lad had never been away from the Shoals till he reached Long wharf on his way to Cambridge. He had never seen a horse, nor heard a church bell. On landing, he saw many horses attached to various vehicles; and speaking to his father, said, "Only see what queer cows they have in Boston! they are not shaped like ours, and are all without horns." In passing by the Old South, in Cornhill, the big bell of that church struck up a peal, the effect of which nearly drove the young man mad.Salem Observer[1829].
A Century Ago.The N. York Gazette relates that when Rev. Mr. Tuck, in the early part of the last century, was ordained minister of Star Island, one of a cluster called the Isles of Shoals, his parish offered him, beside the usual parsonage house, a quintal of fish each family, but no money, as a salary. It is well known that the fish cured at these islands are called dun fish, and have the highest reputation for excellence wherever known. They are caught in the depth of winter, and are fit for market before the hot weather. They derive the name ofdunfrom the color which they assume. There were at the period of which we speak, about fifty families in the cluster, giving him fifty quintals per year. The average price of a dun fish is about ten dollars, and the worthy pastor always procured a ready sale for them, thereby realizing his five hundred dollars per annum. With this stipend he flourished, and brought up afamily, whom he educated himself, and fitted one of his sons for entrance into Harvard College. The lad had never been away from the Shoals till he reached Long wharf on his way to Cambridge. He had never seen a horse, nor heard a church bell. On landing, he saw many horses attached to various vehicles; and speaking to his father, said, "Only see what queer cows they have in Boston! they are not shaped like ours, and are all without horns." In passing by the Old South, in Cornhill, the big bell of that church struck up a peal, the effect of which nearly drove the young man mad.
Salem Observer[1829].
What Captain Hall, R.N., thought of a Salem gentleman.
From Capt. Basil Hall's Travels in America—just published.We reached the town of Salem in good time for dinner; and here I feel half tempted to break through my rule, in order to give some account of our dinner-party, chiefly, indeed, that I might have an opportunity of expatiating—which I could do with perfect truth and great pleasure—on the conversation of our excellent host. For I have rarely, in any country, met a man so devoid of prejudice, or so willing to take all matters on their favorable side, and withal, who was so well informed about everything in his own and in other countries, or who was more ready to impart his knowledge to others.To these agreeable attributes and conversational powers he adds such a mirthfulness of fancy, and genuine heartiness of good-humour, to all men, women, and children who have the good fortune to make his acquaintance, that I should have no scruple—if it were not too great a liberty—in naming him as the person I have been most pleased with in all my recent travels.After dinner, we repaired to the Museum, the rich treasures of which have been collected exclusively by captains or supercargoes of vessels out of Salem, who had doubled one or other of the great southern promontories,—the Cape, and the Horn, as they are technically called by seamen. As my eye fell on numberless carefully cherished objects, which I had often seen in familiar use on the other side of the globe, my imagination revelled far and wide into regions I may never live to see again.Salem Observer, 1826.
From Capt. Basil Hall's Travels in America—just published.
We reached the town of Salem in good time for dinner; and here I feel half tempted to break through my rule, in order to give some account of our dinner-party, chiefly, indeed, that I might have an opportunity of expatiating—which I could do with perfect truth and great pleasure—on the conversation of our excellent host. For I have rarely, in any country, met a man so devoid of prejudice, or so willing to take all matters on their favorable side, and withal, who was so well informed about everything in his own and in other countries, or who was more ready to impart his knowledge to others.
To these agreeable attributes and conversational powers he adds such a mirthfulness of fancy, and genuine heartiness of good-humour, to all men, women, and children who have the good fortune to make his acquaintance, that I should have no scruple—if it were not too great a liberty—in naming him as the person I have been most pleased with in all my recent travels.
After dinner, we repaired to the Museum, the rich treasures of which have been collected exclusively by captains or supercargoes of vessels out of Salem, who had doubled one or other of the great southern promontories,—the Cape, and the Horn, as they are technically called by seamen. As my eye fell on numberless carefully cherished objects, which I had often seen in familiar use on the other side of the globe, my imagination revelled far and wide into regions I may never live to see again.
Salem Observer, 1826.
Compliment to New England. In a speech made by Mr. Lyell, the eminent geologist, at a late meeting of the British Geological Association, he said—"Were I ever so unfortunate as to quit my native land to reside permanently elsewhere, I should without hesitation choose the United States for my second country, especially New England, where a population of more than twomillions enjoys a higher average standard of prosperity and intellectual advancement than any other population of equal amount on the globe."Salem Observer, 1843.
Compliment to New England. In a speech made by Mr. Lyell, the eminent geologist, at a late meeting of the British Geological Association, he said—"Were I ever so unfortunate as to quit my native land to reside permanently elsewhere, I should without hesitation choose the United States for my second country, especially New England, where a population of more than twomillions enjoys a higher average standard of prosperity and intellectual advancement than any other population of equal amount on the globe."
Salem Observer, 1843.
Mrs. Trollope avers that pigs are caressed by the ladies and gentlemen of New York.
"REFUGEE IN AMERICA."New-York and Boston.Mrs. Trollope, in her new work, called the Refugee in America, introduces some queer comparisons between the manners of the two cities. We quote for example:—"In Boston, there are no persons allowed to vote at the elections of President or Governor of that province but native born yankees; while at New-York, emigrants are forced from the ships in which they arrive directly to the hustings, which are kept open the first two weeks of every month at Mason's lodge, Broadway, where they are allowed to jostle off the sidewalks the most respectable inhabitants. If they are reproved for such conduct, the answer invariably is,—'Isn't this a land of liberty?' I was one forenoon myself stopped at the lodge and offered a vote, with the preliminary question,—'Are you a Clay or a Jackson man?' In Boston, a person seen with a segar in his mouth in the street, is counted a blackguard; but in New-York no gentlemanmakes his promenade without one. In Boston, a housekeeper would be placed at the Sessions dock for suffering the refuse of his mansion to be thrown into the street; while in N. York he would be fined $1 if he allowed it to be thrown elsewhere near his premises. Swine is a Bostonian's bane, and a N. Yorker's antidote,—indeed this animal is as much caressed by the ladies and gentlemen of the latter city, as a lap-dog in London or Paris. The Governor and his twenty chosen ministers have made it a capital offence to molest one of these interesting quadrupeds while roaming the streets!"—[Oh! what a lying jade!]Salem Observer, Oct. 13, 1832.
"REFUGEE IN AMERICA."
New-York and Boston.Mrs. Trollope, in her new work, called the Refugee in America, introduces some queer comparisons between the manners of the two cities. We quote for example:—"In Boston, there are no persons allowed to vote at the elections of President or Governor of that province but native born yankees; while at New-York, emigrants are forced from the ships in which they arrive directly to the hustings, which are kept open the first two weeks of every month at Mason's lodge, Broadway, where they are allowed to jostle off the sidewalks the most respectable inhabitants. If they are reproved for such conduct, the answer invariably is,—'Isn't this a land of liberty?' I was one forenoon myself stopped at the lodge and offered a vote, with the preliminary question,—'Are you a Clay or a Jackson man?' In Boston, a person seen with a segar in his mouth in the street, is counted a blackguard; but in New-York no gentlemanmakes his promenade without one. In Boston, a housekeeper would be placed at the Sessions dock for suffering the refuse of his mansion to be thrown into the street; while in N. York he would be fined $1 if he allowed it to be thrown elsewhere near his premises. Swine is a Bostonian's bane, and a N. Yorker's antidote,—indeed this animal is as much caressed by the ladies and gentlemen of the latter city, as a lap-dog in London or Paris. The Governor and his twenty chosen ministers have made it a capital offence to molest one of these interesting quadrupeds while roaming the streets!"—[Oh! what a lying jade!]
Salem Observer, Oct. 13, 1832.
Early Accounts of New-England.The first settlers of New-England must have been blessed with singular powers of vision. One of them speaks of lions in Cape Ann: another (Josselyn), who arrived at Boston in 1663, and resided in this Colony about eight years, says of our frogs, "some, when they sit upon their breech, are a foot high, and some as long as a child one year old." He likewise says "old barley frequently degenerates into oats" in New-England.
Early Accounts of New-England.The first settlers of New-England must have been blessed with singular powers of vision. One of them speaks of lions in Cape Ann: another (Josselyn), who arrived at Boston in 1663, and resided in this Colony about eight years, says of our frogs, "some, when they sit upon their breech, are a foot high, and some as long as a child one year old." He likewise says "old barley frequently degenerates into oats" in New-England.
"Enthusiasm" is described as a nervous disorder by Dr. Douglass, author of the Historical Summary.
Dr. Douglass's Notice of Salem.In looking over Dr. Douglass' historical summary, we found the following note on Salem. The author formerly lived in Boston, and after his removal to England, published his work in 1749. As he was a physician, he probably considered himself authorized to broach new theories. He certainly showed his ingenuity in imputing to our soil a tendency to produce the diseases of which he makes mention. It is perhaps fortunate for us that the Doctor did not live in our day, as he would have found in the excitement which has recently prevailed here in relation to the Mill Dam, Theatre, &c., new proofs of the correctness of his hypothesis."In Salem and its neighborhoodEnthusiasmand othernervous disordersseem to beendemial.Hypochondriack,hysterick, and othermaniackdisorders prevail there, and Ipswich adjoining, to this day."Salem Register, 1826.
Dr. Douglass's Notice of Salem.In looking over Dr. Douglass' historical summary, we found the following note on Salem. The author formerly lived in Boston, and after his removal to England, published his work in 1749. As he was a physician, he probably considered himself authorized to broach new theories. He certainly showed his ingenuity in imputing to our soil a tendency to produce the diseases of which he makes mention. It is perhaps fortunate for us that the Doctor did not live in our day, as he would have found in the excitement which has recently prevailed here in relation to the Mill Dam, Theatre, &c., new proofs of the correctness of his hypothesis.
"In Salem and its neighborhoodEnthusiasmand othernervous disordersseem to beendemial.Hypochondriack,hysterick, and othermaniackdisorders prevail there, and Ipswich adjoining, to this day."
Salem Register, 1826.
Beer and cider "Federal liquors."
PHILADELPHIA, July 23 [1788].A correſpondent wiſhes that a monument could be erected inUnion Green, with the following inſcription:—IN HONOUR OFAMERICAN BEER and CYDER.It is hereby recorded, for the information of ſtrangers and poſterity, that 17000 people aſſembled on this Green, on the4th of July, 1788, to celebrate the eſtabliſhment of the Conſtitution of the United States, and that they ſeparated at an early hour, without intoxication or a ſingle quarrel. They drank nothing but Beer and Cyder. Learn, reader, to prize thoſe invaluablefederalliquors, and to conſider them as the companions of thoſe virtues which can alone render our country free and reſpectable.Learn likewiſe to deſpiſeSPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, asantifederal;and to conſider them as the companions of all thoſe vices which are calculated to diſhonour and enſlave our country.
PHILADELPHIA, July 23 [1788].
A correſpondent wiſhes that a monument could be erected inUnion Green, with the following inſcription:—
IN HONOUR OFAMERICAN BEER and CYDER.
It is hereby recorded, for the information of ſtrangers and poſterity, that 17000 people aſſembled on this Green, on the4th of July, 1788, to celebrate the eſtabliſhment of the Conſtitution of the United States, and that they ſeparated at an early hour, without intoxication or a ſingle quarrel. They drank nothing but Beer and Cyder. Learn, reader, to prize thoſe invaluablefederalliquors, and to conſider them as the companions of thoſe virtues which can alone render our country free and reſpectable.
Learn likewiſe to deſpiſeSPIRITUOUS LIQUORS, asantifederal;
and to conſider them as the companions of all thoſe vices which are calculated to diſhonour and enſlave our country.
In these "awfully fine" times, the following lines ought to be interesting:—
......POETRY......From the Lady's Miscellany.YANKEE PHRASES.AS sound as a nut o'er the plain,I of late whistled chuck full of glee,A stranger to sorrow and pain,As happy as happy could be.As plump as a partridge I grew,My heart being lighter than cork;My slumbers were calmer than dew,My body was fatter than pork.Thus happy, I hop'd I should passSlick as grease down the current of time;But pleasures are brittle as glass,Although as a fiddle they're fine.Jemima, the pride of the vale,Like a top nimbly danc'd o'er the plains;With envy the lasses were pale,With wonder stood gazing the swains.She smil'd like a basket of chips,As tall as a may-pole her size—As sweet as molasses her lips—As bright as a button her eyes.Admiring, I gaz'd on her charm,My peace that would trouble so soon,And thought not of danger nor harm,Any more than the man in the moon.But now to my sorrow I findHer heart is as hard as a brick,To my passion forever unkind,Though of love I am full as a tick.I sought her affection to win,In hope of obtaining relief;Till I like a hatchet grew thin,And she, like a haddock, grew deaf.I late was as fat as a doe,And playful and spry as a cat;But now I am as dull as a hoe,And as lean and as weak as a rat.Unless the unpitying fatesWith passion as ardent will cram her,As certain as death or as rates,I soon shall be dead as a hammer.Salem Gazette, April 5, 1811.
......POETRY......
From the Lady's Miscellany.
YANKEE PHRASES.
AS sound as a nut o'er the plain,I of late whistled chuck full of glee,A stranger to sorrow and pain,As happy as happy could be.As plump as a partridge I grew,My heart being lighter than cork;My slumbers were calmer than dew,My body was fatter than pork.Thus happy, I hop'd I should passSlick as grease down the current of time;But pleasures are brittle as glass,Although as a fiddle they're fine.Jemima, the pride of the vale,Like a top nimbly danc'd o'er the plains;With envy the lasses were pale,With wonder stood gazing the swains.She smil'd like a basket of chips,As tall as a may-pole her size—As sweet as molasses her lips—As bright as a button her eyes.Admiring, I gaz'd on her charm,My peace that would trouble so soon,And thought not of danger nor harm,Any more than the man in the moon.But now to my sorrow I findHer heart is as hard as a brick,To my passion forever unkind,Though of love I am full as a tick.I sought her affection to win,In hope of obtaining relief;Till I like a hatchet grew thin,And she, like a haddock, grew deaf.I late was as fat as a doe,And playful and spry as a cat;But now I am as dull as a hoe,And as lean and as weak as a rat.Unless the unpitying fatesWith passion as ardent will cram her,As certain as death or as rates,I soon shall be dead as a hammer.
AS sound as a nut o'er the plain,I of late whistled chuck full of glee,A stranger to sorrow and pain,As happy as happy could be.
As plump as a partridge I grew,My heart being lighter than cork;My slumbers were calmer than dew,My body was fatter than pork.
Thus happy, I hop'd I should passSlick as grease down the current of time;But pleasures are brittle as glass,Although as a fiddle they're fine.
Jemima, the pride of the vale,Like a top nimbly danc'd o'er the plains;With envy the lasses were pale,With wonder stood gazing the swains.
She smil'd like a basket of chips,As tall as a may-pole her size—As sweet as molasses her lips—As bright as a button her eyes.
Admiring, I gaz'd on her charm,My peace that would trouble so soon,And thought not of danger nor harm,Any more than the man in the moon.
But now to my sorrow I findHer heart is as hard as a brick,To my passion forever unkind,Though of love I am full as a tick.
I sought her affection to win,In hope of obtaining relief;Till I like a hatchet grew thin,And she, like a haddock, grew deaf.
I late was as fat as a doe,And playful and spry as a cat;But now I am as dull as a hoe,And as lean and as weak as a rat.
Unless the unpitying fatesWith passion as ardent will cram her,As certain as death or as rates,I soon shall be dead as a hammer.
Salem Gazette, April 5, 1811.
Gentlemen and children have sometimes been considered bugbears.
Boarders Wanted.Twoor Three Ladies can be accommodated with Board, on reasonable terms, in a small family, 18 miles from town, where there are neither Gentlemen or Children; a Stage passes the house twice a week, and the Middlesex Canal Boat near it every other day. Inquire at the Centinel Counting Room.Columbian Centinel, July 25, 1812.
Boarders Wanted.
Twoor Three Ladies can be accommodated with Board, on reasonable terms, in a small family, 18 miles from town, where there are neither Gentlemen or Children; a Stage passes the house twice a week, and the Middlesex Canal Boat near it every other day. Inquire at the Centinel Counting Room.
Columbian Centinel, July 25, 1812.
LIBERAL DONATIONSOf the Legiſlature ofNew-Yorkto the Univerſity of that State: 1,500l. for the Library; 200l. for chemical apparatus; 1,200l. for a wall round the College; 5,000l. for erecting a Hall, and additional wing to the College; 750l. for five yearsannually, for the ſalaries of additional Profeſſors.—Bluſh! Citizens of Maſſachuſetts, for your Legiſlators—who have ſo frequently denied relief to your Univerſity!!!Columbian Centinel, May 5, 1792.
LIBERAL DONATIONS
Of the Legiſlature ofNew-Yorkto the Univerſity of that State: 1,500l. for the Library; 200l. for chemical apparatus; 1,200l. for a wall round the College; 5,000l. for erecting a Hall, and additional wing to the College; 750l. for five yearsannually, for the ſalaries of additional Profeſſors.—Bluſh! Citizens of Maſſachuſetts, for your Legiſlators—who have ſo frequently denied relief to your Univerſity!!!
Columbian Centinel, May 5, 1792.
The books children read in 1789.