SIX THE LDEN I Mtl SERIES IRIOSITH GIFT OF SEELEY W. MUDD and GEORGE I. COCHRAN MEYER ELSASSER DR. JOHN R. HAYNES WILLIAM L. HONNOLD JAMES R. MARTIN MRS. JOSEPH F. SARTORI to the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN BRANCH JOHN FISKE Ye Olden Time Series. DURING the Spring of 1886 TICKNOR AND COMPANY began the publi- cation of "YE OLDEN TIME SERIES, OR GLEANINGS FROM THE OLD NEWSPAPERS, CHIEFLY OF BOSTON AND SALEM," with brief Comments by HENRY M. BROOKS, of Salem, Massachusetts. Six volumes are now ready : each in i vol. i6mo. Cloth. Price, 50 cents per vol. Of this Series there are now ready : Vol. i CURIOSITIES OF THE OLD LOTTERY. " n DATS OF THE SPINNING-WHEEL IN NEW ENGLAND. " nt NEW-ENGLAND SUNDAY. " IV. QUAINT AND CURIOUS ADVERTISEMENTS. V. SOME STRANGE AND CURIOUS PUNISHMENTS. " VI LITERARY CURIOSITIES. The Series will be continued, and the following are some of the titles of forthcoming volumes : " New-England Music in the Latter Fart of the 18th and In the Beginning of the 19th Century." "Travel In Old Times, with Some Account of Stages, Taverns, etc." " Curiosities of Politics, among the Old Federalists and Republicans." " What Mr. Brooks has thus gleaned has a noteworthy interest, not only as offering a fund of amusement to young and old, but as having a certain value to the student of New-England history, and an instructiveness for the general reader." Boston Advertiser. " A treat of good things out of the past. While not professing to be history, they will contain much material for history." Literary World. Sold by all Booksellers. Sent, post-paid, on receipt of price by the Pub- lishers, TICKNOR AND COMPANY, BOSTON. THE OLDEN TIME SERIES LITERARY CURIOSITIES Newspapers will ultimately engross all literature. LAMARTINE. The careful reader of a few good newspapers can learn more in a year than most scholars do in their great libraries. F. B. SANBORN. No good book, or good thing of any sort, shows its best face at first. CARLYLE. THE OLDEN TIME SERIES. GLEANINGS CHIEFLY FROM OLD NEWSPAPERS OF BOSTON AND SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS SELECTED AND ARRANGED, WITH BRIEF COMMENTS BY HENRY M. BROOKS * * * * * * Literary Curiosities " Old and new make the warp and woof of every moment. There is no thread that is not a twist of these two strands. By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote." EMERSON Copyright,. 1 886, BY TlCKNOR AND COMPANY. All rights reserved. JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE. v; (> INDEX OF NAMES. PAGE ADAMS, JOHN 82, 107 Adams, Rev. Mr 8 Adams, Sally 8 Aiken, Rev. Mr 125 Aldrich, Mrs. 105 Anclrd, Major ill Arnold, Benedict . . . . 32, 33 Averell, Joseph 7 BARNARD, EDWARD ... 19 Barnard, Rev. Thomas ... 19 Barnard, Thomas, D.D. ... 19 Bay ley, Matthew 105 Belcher, Governor 6 Belcher, Miss 5 Binney, Spencer 8 Birbeck, Morris 42 Blunt, John 39 Blunt, Mary Ann 39 Bons, Francis 103 Bowen, Henry 9 Bowes, John 102 Bradstreet, Anne 69 Breed, James 7 Brent, Eleanor 65 Brent, Robt 65 Briggs, Enos 118 Brodie, Charlotte B 9 Brookley, John 103 Bulkeley, Peter 68 PAGE Bullard, Polly 7 Bulow in Burt, Emily 8 Burton, Francis 12 Button, John 104 CABOT, J 30 Cameron, Mary 104 Cass, Lewis 46 Cass, Miss 47 Casteguedo, F. L 102 Checkley, Samuel 6 Checkley, William 6 Cheever, Master 125 Clough, Sally n Clough, Samuel 17 Cobbett, William 123 Columbus, Christopher ... 16 Consist, Francis 103 Cook, Nancy 12 Cotton, Charles 82 Cranston, Polly 6 Cromwell, Oliver 70 Currier, Samuel n Gushing, T. C 62 DALAND, JACK ..... 13 Davis, Benjamin 4 De Cugna, Numas .... 101 De la Roche Sur Yon . . .115 Vlll INDEX OF NAMES. PAGE De Lametter, Christina . . .105 Derby, E. H 117, 118 Desmond, Countess .... 102 Dextes, Lord Timothy 13, 14, 15,16 Dodge, John 96 Douglass, Dr 57(5$ Drakenberg, C. J 103 Drinker, Edward 103 Dryden, John 72 Dumaresq, Phillip .... 5 Dunham, John M 8 ECLESTON, MR JO2 Edwards, Pierpont .... 93 Ellis, Miss 103 Ellis, Mr 103 Erskine, William 48 Erving, John 6 Erving, Nancy . 6 FEARON, HENRY B 107 Follart, John 104 Forbes, Mr 48 Forster, Margaret 103 Foster, John 51, 52 Fox, C.J. . 113 Franklin, Benjamin . . . .116 French, Josiah n French, Moses n Froome, Mr 103 GARDINER, REBECCA ... 5 Gardiner, Sylvester .... 5 Gibbon, Edward . . .96, 97, 98 Goldsmith, Oliver 32 Gore, Mary ....... 103 Grant, Abigail 7 Grant, Alexander 7 Green, B., & Allen, J. . . . 17 Green, S 20 Green, Samuel, jun. . . . 52,53 Greenleaf, Anstiss 4 PAGE Greenleaf, Stephen .... 5 Guthrie, Mr no HALL, BASIL, R.N 54 Hanson, Elizabeth 95 Hanson, John 95 Hanson, Rev. Mr. . . . 93, 94 Harper, Miss 47 Harris, Benjamin 20 Hart, Rev. Mr 10 Haven, Rev. Dr 39 Herrenden, Elisha n Hill, Elisha 9 Hill, Jane 9 Hogg, Catharine 8 Holyoke, E. A., M.D. . 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 Hubbard, Rev. William ... 51 Huntington. Rev. Mr. ... 7 ISAIAH (vii. 20) 126 JACKMAN, BETSEY . . . . n Jackson, Daniel ..... 10 Jackson, Edward 5 Jackson, Mary 5 Jackson, Rebecca 10 Jay, John 82 Jefferson, Thomas 112 Jenkins, Henry 102 Jennison, Dr. J 5 Johnson, Dr. Samuel ... 49, 50 Jones, John Coffin .... 6 Jones, Polly 8 Jones, Thomas 8 Josselyn, John 57 KEIMER, MR 116 Keyser, Miss 46 King Charles 1 83, 84 Charles II 32 George IV 112 Henry VII 81,82 INDEX OF NAMES. IX King James II. . William III. PACE 3 3 a 53 LAINCOURT in Lamson, Eunice 7 Lawrence, Mr 102 Lawrence, Schuyler . . . . 10 Lemon, Eliza Peel .... 12 Loring, Caleb 7 Lovell, Master 126 Lushurc, Elcnor n Lyell, Sir Charles 55 MAFEUS 101 Maiden Aunt, The .... 4 Mansfield, Lord 49 McDonald, Mary 103 Mclntire, Elizabeth .... 89 Mclntire, Samuel .... 88, 89 Mclntire, Samuel F 89 McKeen, Donald 104 McLane, Miss 47 Millot 98 Milton, John 38 Minns, Chloe 10 Mirabeau 120 Montgomery, Robert .... 102 Moore, I.arkin 12 Moore, Thomas 124 Morse, Rev. Jedediah . . 68, no Murray, W 51 NELSON, MR. Nicholas, J. H. Noah, M. M. 106 44 OGLETHORPE, GEN 103 Oliphant, Rev. Mr 12 Osgood, Aaron 38 Otway, John 7 2 Oulton, Mrs 29 PAINE, THOMAS 96 Parker, Elizabet'i 7 PAG* Parnell, Paul n Parre, Thomas 102 Payne, Mr 105 Pearson, Joseph 64 Pickman, Benjamin .... 30 Pittengill, Abigail $ Plum, Lewis 12 Pork, Robert 8 QUEEN ANNE . 16 RANDOLPH, EDWARD ... 20 Reeder, John 68 Richards, Giles 8 Richter, J. P. F 83 Rimbault, E. F 32 Robinson, Miss 8 Rose, Aquila '6 Rousley, Matthew 10 Rowe, Mr 104 Russell, Benjamin 97 Russell, E 94 SACK, SIMON 103 Sagar, F. ' 102 Scaredevil. Mary 117 Scott, Sir Walter . . . . 47, 48 Sclsbry, Polly 7 Sewall, Samuel 5' 5 2 Seymore, Bridget 5 Silsbee, Miss 46 Silsbee, Nathaniel 4 Simes, Mark 39 Slock, Mrs 105 Smallpeace, Robert . . 122, 123 Smith, Major 9 Smith, Mr 104 Smith, Samuel 5 Spalding, Hezekiah .... 5 Sparks, Jared 46 Sprague, Charles 44 Stewart, Duncan 6 Stiles, Rev. Dr. 113 INDEX OF NAMES. Stillman, Rev. Dr. Swift, Jonathan Symonds, John . . PAGE 7 71, 72 . 119 TARRING, WILLIAM . . .12 Taylor, Ann 10 Thatcher, B. B 125 Torrey, Rev. Mr 52 Trollope, Mrs 56 Tuck, Rev. Mr 53 Tully, John 20 Turner, John " 3 Turner, Rev. R 109 UPHAM, REV. C. W 12 WAGNER, ELIZABETH ... 12 Walker, Thomas 90 Walter, John 7 Wardwell, Ester 38 PACK Warton, Eliza 89, 94 Watkins, Dr 82 Webster, Noah 88 Welby, Adlard . . 40, 41, 42, 43 Weld, Mr in Wendell, Oliver 5 West, Benjamin 95 Whipple, Plato 13 Whitman, Elizabeth . . . 91, 93 Whitney, John 5 Willard, Joseph 98 Williams, Judith 6 Williams, Mary 5 Willis, N. P 44, 45 Winsloe, Thomas 103 Woodwrod, Ebenezer .... 8 YATES, MARY 103 Young, William 6 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. " I ^HE following humorous lines well de- scribe the difficulty that editors find in pleasing the public. They are expected to know everything, and to be able to satisfy all tastes and capacities. No imperfections can be excused in conductors of newspapers ; they are not even allowed to be unfortunate. THE EDITOR. That editor who wills to please, Must humbly crawl upon his knees, And kiss the hand that beats him ; Or, if he dare attempt to walk, Must toe the mark that others chalk, And cringe to all that meet him. i LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Says one, Your subjects are too grave, Too much morality you have, Too much about religion ; Give me some witch and wizard tales Of slip-shod ghosts with fins and scales, Of feathers like a pigeon. I love to read, another cries, Those monstrous, fashionable lies, In other words, those novels, Composed of kings and queens and lords, Of border wars, and gothic hordes That used to live in hovels. No, no, cries one, we 've had enough Of such confounded love-sick stuff, To craze the fair creation ; Give us some recent foreign news Of Russians, Turks, the Greeks, or Jews, Or any other nation. The man of dull scholastic lore Would like to see a little more In scraps of Greek or Latin ; The merchants rather have the price Of southern indigo and rice, Of India silks, or satin. Another cries, I want more fun, A witty anecdote or pun, A rebus or a riddle ; LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Some long for missionary news, And some, of worldly, carnal views, Would rather hear a fiddle. The critic, too, of classic skill, Must dip in gall his gander quill, And scrall against the paper : Of all the literary fools Bre,d in our colleges and schools, He cuts the greatest caper. Another cries, I want to see A jumbled-up variety, Variety in all things, A miscellaneous, hodge-pod print, Composed (I only give the hint) Of multifarious small things. I want some marriage news, says miss : It constitutes my highest bliss To hear of weddings plenty ; For in a time of general rain None suffer from a drought, 'tis plain,- At least, not one in twenty. I want to hear of deaths, says one, Of people totally undone By losses, fire, or fever : Another answers full as wise, I 'd rather have a fall and rise Of raccoon skins and beaver. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Some signify a secret wish For now and then a favorite dish Of politics to suit them. But here we rest at perfect ease, For should they swear the moon was cheese, We never should dispute them. Or grave or humorous, wild or tame, Lofty or low, 'tis all the same, Too haughty or too humble ; And every editorial wight Has nought to do but what is right, And let the grumblers grumble. From a Salem paper of 1828 ; author not stated. " All are needed by each one, Nothing is fair and good alone." EMERSON. In "old times " almost all the young ladies upon their marriage were "amiable" and " agreeable " ; at least they are so represented in most of the announcements. The " maiden aunt" could not speak plainer in writing for the " Boston Sunday Gazette." We copy some specimens from Boston and Salem papers. On Thurfday laft, in the Forenoon, was married Mr. BENJAMIN DAVIS of this Town, Merchant, to Mrs. ANSTESS GREENLEAF, fecond Daughter of LITERARY CURIOSITIES. STEPHEN GREENLEAF Efq ; High Sheriff of the County of Suffolk. The fame Evening Mr. OLIVER WENDELL, of this Town, Merchant, was alfo Married to Mrs. MARY JACKSON, only Daughter of the late Mr. ED- WARD JACKSON; both young Ladies of great Merit. Sept. 13, 1762. On Thurfday Evening laft Mr. Phillip Dumarefq, Merchant, was Married to Mrs. Rebecca Gardiner, third Daughter of Syfaejler Gardiner, Efq ; of this Town, an agreeable young Lady. Dec. 19, 1763. MARRIED] Mr. SAMUEL SMITH, to Mrs. ABIGAIL PITTENGILL, an agreeable young widow. Dec. 22, 1790. Thurfday evening laft, JOHN WHITNEY, Efq. mer- chant, of the ftate of Georgia, to the amiable Mrs. BRIDGET SEYMORE, of Wefport. June 2, 1792. At Plainfield, Mr. Hezekiah Spalding, a batchelor of large fortune, aged 68, to the amiable Mifs Mary Williams, aged 22 ! 179- MARRIED] At Cambridge, Dr. J. JENNISON, to the amiable Mifs BELCHER, daughter of his late Ex- LITERARY CURIOSITIES. cellency Governour Belcher, of Nova Scotia, and grand daughter of his Excellency Jonathan Belcher, Efq. deceafed, formerly Governour of the then pro- vinces jof Maflachufetts Bay and New-Hampfhire. Aug. 31, 1790. At Newbury-Port, Mr. WILLIAM YOUNG, of Bofton, to the amiable Mifs JUDITH WIL- LIAMS, of that town. June 7, 1788. NEWPORT, Nov. 24. The i6th Inftant, Mr. WILLIAM CHECKLEY, Son of the Rev. Mr. SAMUEL CHECKLEY of Bofton, was married to Mifs POLLY CRANSTON, a young Lady of genteel Acquirements, and of a moft amiable Difpofi- tion. Dec. 19, 1766. BOSTON, January 12 [1767]. Laft Thurfday Evening DUNCAN STEWART, Efq; Collector of His Majefty's Cuftoms for the Port of New-Londdn, was married to Mifs NANCY ERVING, youngeft Daughter of the Hon. JOHN ERVING, Efq; of this Town; a moft amiable and agreeable young Lady. Thurfday laft was married, at Newport, JOHN COFFIN JONES, Efq. of Bofton, merchant, to the truly amiable and accompliftied Mifs ABIGAIL LITERARY CURIOSITIES. GRANT, daughter of the late ALEXANDER GRANT, Efq. a Lady of real merit, and highly qualified to render the connubial Ihitc defirable and fupremely happy. _ May 22, 1 786. By the Rev. Dr. STILLMAN, Mr. CALEB LORING, diftiller, to the agreeable Mifs POLLY SELSBRY. May 25, 1792. MARRIED] At Billerica, Mr. JAMES BREED, to the amiable Mifs ELIZABETH PARKER. - At Newtown, Mr. JOHN WALTER, A. B., to the agree- able Mifs POLLY BULLARD. March 24, 1792. At Topsfield, by the Rev. Mr. Huntington, Mr. JOSEPH AVERELL, to the accompliflied Mifs EUNICE LAMSON. Salem Register, 1801. Editors were formerly very fond of curious matter for their lists of marriages and deaths. In the "Massachusetts Centinel " for 1789 the marriage of Pork and Hogg has a doubt- ful look, although it used to be supposed that everything in the paper was true. 8 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. MARRIED] Lately in Delaware,Mr.ROBERT PORK, merchant, to Mifs CATHARINE HOGG. At Pepperell, Mr. GILES RICHARDS, of this town, to the amiable Mifs SALLY ADAMS, young- eft daughter of the late Rev. Mr. ADAMS, of Rox- bury. At Hull, Mr. SPENCER BINNEY, to Mifs POLLY JONES, daughter of Mr. THOMAS JONES, of that place. A Boston paper of 1795 prints the follow- ing: MARRIAGES. At Concord, Ebenezer Woodwrod, A. B., Citizen Bachelor, of Hanover, N. H., to the amiable Mifs Robinfon. At Longmeadow, Mr. John M. Dunham, Citizen Bachelor and Printer, as aforefaid, to the amiable Mifs EMILY BURT. The promptnefs and decifion which the faid Citi- zens have (hown " In all the fond intrigues of Love," is highly worthy of imitation ; and the fuccefs that has fo richly crowned their courage and enterprize, muft be an invincible inducement to the fading pha- lanx of our remaining Bachelors, to make a vigorous attack on fome fortrefs of female beauty, with a de- termined refolution, " Ne'er to quit the glorious ftrife," 'Till, dreft in all her charms, fome blooming fair Herfelf fhall yield, the prize of conquering love ! LITERARY CURIOSITIES. In the "Salem Mercury," June 17, 1788, we find the following announcement, which reminds us of " Solomon Grundy, who died on Monday. ' DIED At Rehoboth, Mr. HENRY BOWEN. He went to a wedding, well, on Thurfday, taken fick on Friday, died on Saturday, buried on Sunday. "Virtuous and amiable" were terms used frequently in the lists of deaths. . At Portfmouth, Mrs. Jane Hill, the virtuous and amiable Confort of Mr. Elifha Hill. [1790] The following is a list of marriages and deaths at various dates, taken from Boston and Salem papers : "Salem Gazette," July 19, 1811. MARRIAGES. In Williamsborough (N. C.), Major SMITH, of Prince Edwards (Va.), to Miss CHARLOTTE B. BRODIE. This match, consummated only a few days since, was agreed upon thirty-one years ago at Cam- den (S. C.), when he was captured at the battle of Camden ; and being separated by the war, &c., each IO LITERARY CURIOSITIES. had supposed the other dead, until a few months since, when they accidentally met, and neither plead any statute of limitation in bar of the old bargain. "Salem Mercury," Oct. 21, 1788. MARRIED In England, Mr. Matthew Roufby, aged 21, to Mrs. Ann Taylor, aged 89. The lady's grandfon was at this equal union, and was 5 years older than his grandfather. "Salem Gazette," 1817. MARRIED, In this town, Mr. Schuyler Lawrence, to Mrs. Chloe Minns, Miftrefs of the African School in Salem, and who has deferved well of the town and of the African race. " Salem Register." MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1827. MARRIED At New- York, by Rev. Mr. Hart, M. M. NOAH, senior editor of the Enquirer, to Miss Rebecca, only daughter of Mr. Daniel Jackson, of that city. The junior editor of the Enquirer was on the same day killed in a duel. An old Bachelor at our elbow thinks the fate of the surviving editor most deserving of commiseration ! LITERARY CURIOSITIES. II "Salem Gazette," 1811. DEATHS A short time ago, at the romantic village of Laughton-en-le-Morthen, in Yorkshire, England, Farmer PAUL PARNELL, late of the Ewes Farm House, age 76 years, who during his life, drank out of one silver pint cup with two handles, upwards of 2000!. sterling worth of nut-brown Yorkshire stingo (good old ale), being much attached to stingo tipple, of the best double stout, home-brewed quality. N. B. This calculation took at id. each cupfull. "Essex Register," Feb. 5, 1824. MARRIAGES. In Solon, by Rev. Moses French, Josiah French, Esq., aged 48, to Miss Betsey Jackman, aged 40, being his fifth wife. "Salem Gazette,' 1 Oct. 17, 1825. At Rochester, N. Y., Capt. Samuel Currier to Miss Sally Clough bis sixth wife ! " Independent Chronicle," Nov. 23, 1797. At Gloucefter (R. I.), Mr. ELISHA HERRENDEN, JEt. 83, to Mrs. ELENOR LUSHURE, JEt. 88, being his eighth wife ! 12 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. " Salem Gazette," 1829. By Rev Mr Upham, Mr Lewis Plum, of Ne- wark, N.J., to Miss Eliza P. Lemon, of this town. "Essex Register," Dec., 1820. At Beverly, on Wednesday evening last, by the Rev. Mr. Oliphant, Mr. Larkin Moore, travelling preacher, physician, poet, trader, &c., to Mrs. Nancy Cook. " Salem Gazette," 1790. Died~\ At Horfeley, in Derbyfhire, England, a venerable matron, named Frances Burton, aged 107. She had pra6lifed midwifery upwards of 80 years. The hufband of the above old lady was fexton of the parim church 70 years ; and this ancient pair fre- quently boafted, that me had brought into the world., and he had buried, the parifh twice over ! 1807. DIED Near Gloucefter, Virg., Elizabeth Wagner, aged 107. She never took medicine of any kind in her life. From "Salem Gazette," 1811. Appropriate name for a rope-maker. Mr. WILLIAM TARRING, rope-maker, 38. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 13 " Massachusetts Mercury," Dec. 27, 1799. At Hamilton, Effex County, PLATO WHIPPLE, aged 103, one of God's images in ebony. "Salem Gazette," 1811. Mr. JACK DALAND, a very worthy black man, aged 65. He was brought from Africa to the West Indies at about n years of age; but instead of being eaten, as he expected, by the white men, he was transferred by purchase to a happy asylum in this place, where he has spent upwards of 50 years of his life, respected by the whole town, as a faithful, in- dustrious, pleasant-tempered, intelligent man. His honest industry was rewarded by the acquisition of a comfortable property, which he has left for the enjoy- ment of his family. The long train of white people who followed his remains to the grave, testify to the esteem in which he was held. The following is a notice of a "distin- guished merchant " and " literary " character of Newburyport, Mass. In the appendix to "Lord" Dexter's great production where all the stops are placed together on the last 14 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. page, so that " people can salt and pepper as they please " we find these lines : " All men inquire, but few can tell How thou in Science doth excel ! " TIMOTHY DEXTER. The subject of the present sketch, according to his own account, was born in Maiden, Massachusetts. " I was born," says he (in his celebrated work, " A Pickle for the knowing ones"), " 1747, Jan. 22 ; on this day in the morning, a great snow storm in the signs of the seventh house; whilst Mars came forward Jupiter stood by to hold the candle. I was to be a great man." Lord Dexter, after having served an apprenticeship to a Leather dresser, commenced business in New- buryport, where he married a widow who owned a house and a small piece of land, part of which, soon after the nuptials, were converted into a shop and tanyard. . By application to his business his property increased, and the purchase of a large tract of land near Penob- scot, together with an interest which he bought in the Ohio Company's purchase, afforded him so much profit, as to induce him to buy up Publick Securities at forty cents on the pound, which securities soon after became worth twenty shillings on the pound. His Lordship at one time shipped a large quantity of warming pans to the West Indies, where they were sold at a great advance on prime cost, and used for molasses LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 15 ladles. At another time, he purchased a large quantity of whalebone for ship's stays ; the article rose in value upon his hands, and he sold it to great advantage. Property now was no longer the object of his pur- suit ; but popularity became the god of his idolatry. He was charitable to the poor, gave large donations to religious societies, and rewarded those who wrote in his praise. His lordship about this time acquired his peculiar taste for style and splendour ; and to enhance his own importance in the world, set up an elegant equi- page, and at great cost adorned the front of his house with numerous figures of illustrious personages. By his order, a tomb was dug under the summer house in his garden, during his life ; which he men- tions in l A Pickle for the knowing ones,' in the fol- lowing ludicrous style : 14 Heare will lie in box the first Lord in Americake the first Lord Dexter made by the voice of hampsher state my brave fellows Affirmed it they give me the titel and so Let it goue for as much as it will fetch it wonte give me Any breade but take from me the Contrary fourder I have a grand toume in my gard- ing at one of the grasses and the tempel of Reason over the toume nand my coffen made and all Ready I emy house painted with white Lead an side and outside touched with green and bras trimmings Eight handels and a good Lock, I have had one mock founrel it was so solmon and there was so much Criing about 3000 spectators I say my house is Euqal 1 6 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. to any mansion house in twelve hundred miles and now for sale for seven hundred pounds weight of Dollars by me TIMOTHY DEXTER." Lord Dexter believed in transmigration sometimes ; at others he was a deist. He died on the 22d day of Oct. 1806, in the 6oth year of his age. Salem Observer, Dec. 17, 1825. From what we have heard and read of Mr. Dexter, it is a matter of surprise to us how such eccentricities could have attracted the attention they evidently did. It is doubtful if so much folly and conceit could now interest many people for any length of time. Curious old almanacs. AN OLD ALMANACK. A friend has handed us an almanack one hundred and fifty years old, which is quite a curiosity in its line. The following is the title : "The New-England Almanack for the Year of our Lord MDCCIII. Being Third after Leap-year, and from the Creation, 5652. Discovery of Amer- ica by Columbus, 21 1. Reign of our Gracious Queen Anne, (which began March 8, 1702,) the 2 year. Wherein is contained, Things necessary, and LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 17 common in such a Composure. As the Quarters of the Moon, Aspects of the Planets and Weather set down Exactly according to the Aspects, Courts, Spring Tides, Rising and Setting of the Sun, Sun and Moons place, time of Full Sea at Boston, the Eclip- ses, High Ways, &c., with several other Curiosities. Calculated for the Meridian of Boston, the Metropo- lis of New-England, Lat. 42, 24, but may serve any part of the Country, (even as far as New- York,) without sensible Error. By Samuel Clough. The Heavens to us, God's Glory do make known, By th' Firmament, his handy work is shown. Licensed by His Excellency the Governour. Boston : Printed by B. Green and J. Allen, for the Booksellers, and are to be Sold at their Shops. 1703." Then follows a short address " To the Readers " of the Almanack. The figure of " Man's Body " with the "Twelve Signs of the Zodiack," is headed with the following lines : The Anotomy must still be in, Else th' Almanack's not worth a pin : For Country-men regard the Sign As though 'Twere Oracle Divine. But do not mind that altogether, Have some respect to Wind and Weather. The months of the year are introduced as follows : "January. Cold Weather now 'gins to be fierce, And Norwest Winds our bodys pierce. 1 8 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. February. The Weather still continues cold, Therefore warm cloaths are good we hold. March. 'T is the best Month of all the year, Wherein to brew good napping Beer. April Now Leaves on Trees begin to spring, And Birds on Hedges sit and sing. May. To walk Five Miles in his own Farm, Will do a Husbandman no harm. June. Now Countrymen each Sun shine day, Mow down their Grass, and make it hay. If Mildew now blasts English Grain, 'Twill make poor Husbandmen complain. August. But if from Blasting it be free, The Farmers then should thankful be. September. The Leaves from Trees now fall away, And sweetest Flowers do decay. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 1 9 October. If Barns are full, though Fields be empty, It duth prognosticate a plenty. November. One day this Month each Fruitful year, Give thanks to GOD, and Eat good chear. December. The Weather now 'gins to be cold, Which makes to shrink both young and old. S ATURD AY, DEC'R 24, 1853. Cfje is>alem bsettoer. ANOTHER OLD ALMANACK. In our last we gave an account of an old Almanack for the year 1703. Since then we have seen another some sixteen years older, printed for the year 1687. It was bound in with an old account book that formerly belonged to the Rev. Thomas Barnard, a minister of Andover, 'from 1682 to 1718, the great-grandfather of the Rev. Thomas Barnard, D. D., the first minister of the North Church in this city, who died Oct. I, 1814, in the sixty-seventh year of his age, also an ancestor of Capt. Edward Barnard, of this city. We 2O LITERARY CURIOSITIES. insert the title page and other extracts therefrom, which we trust will impart the same interest to our readers as we derived from its perusal. It is prefaced by the following : Novemb. 24th, 1686. I have Perused the Copy of an Almanack for the Ensuing Year, Composed by John Tulley, and find nothing in it contrary to His Majesties Laws, and therefore Allow it to be Printed, and Published by Benjamin Harris, Book-Seller in Boston. EDWARD RANDOLPH, Seer. The following is the title : .Tully 1687. An Almanack for the Year of Our Lord MDCLXXXVII. Being the third after Leap- year, and from the Creation 5636. The Vulgar Notes of which are Prime 16 Epact 26 Circle of the (| 16 Domin : Letter B. Unto which is an- nexed a Weather Glass, whereby the Change of the Weather may be foreseen. Calculated for and fitted to the Meridian of Boston in New-England, where the North Pole is elevated 42 gr. 30 m. By John Tulley. Boston, Printed by S. Green for Benjamin Harris ; and are to be Sold at his Shop, by the Town Pump near the Change. 1687. Then follows " A Table of Kings," from William the Con- queror, 1066, to James 2d, 1685, closing with the lines Now may we look on Monarchy and sing, In health and peace long live great JAMES our King. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 21 And concluding with the "Weather Glass," &c., &c., which follow : Prognostica Georgica : Or the Country-man's Weather- Glass. Prognosticks of Tempests. The obscuring of the smaller stars is a certain sign of Tempests approach- ing, the oft changing of the Winds is always a fore- runner of a storm. Of Winds. The resounding of the Sea upon the shore, and murmuring of the Winds in the Woods without apparent Wind, shew wind to follow ; shoot- ing of stars (as they call it) is an usual sign of wind from that quarter the star came from, Redness of the Skie in the morning is a token of Winds, or Rain, or both : if the circles that appear about the Sun, be red and broken, they portend wind : if thick and dark, Winds, Snow, or Rain : The like may be said of the Circles about the Moon. Of Rain. If two Rainbows appear, they are a sign of Rain : If the Sun or Moon look pale, look for Rain : if a dark Cloud be at Sun-rising, in which the Sun soon after is hid, it will dissolve it, and Rain will follow : if the Sun seem greater in the East than commonly, it is a sign of Rain, if in the West about Sun-setting there appear a black Cloud, you may ex- pect Rain that night, or the day following, if in the winter time thick white Clouds appear in the South- east near the Horizon at Sun rising, they portend Snow, a day or two after : If black Clouds appear there, it is a sign of Rain. 22 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. ' Of Fair Weather. If the Moon look bright and fair, look for Fair Weather. Also the appearing of one Rainbow after a storm, is a known sign of Fair Weather. If Mists come down from the Hills, or descend from the heavens, and settle in the valleys, they promise fair hot weather : Mists in the Evening shew a fair, hot day on the morrow : The like when mists rise from the waters in the evening. Much more might be added, but I would not tire the reader. It appears by the following that the first form of govern- ment, under the King, was accepted by the people in 1686. May 14, 1686. Arrived from England, His Maj- esty's Commission to divers worthy Gentlemen, to be a President and Council for the management of his Majesty's Government here, and accordingly on the 25th of May, '86, the President and Council be- ing assembled in Boston, the' exemplification of the Judgment against the Charter of the Late Governour and Company of the Massachusetts-Bay in N E together with His Majesty's Commission of Govern- ment were publickly read, and received by persons of all conditions with general Acceptance. It will appear by the following advertisement that a mar- ket was then first appointed by authority to be kept in Bos- ton. Advertisement. There is Appointed by Authority a Market to be kept in Boston, and a Committee is ordered to meet and state the place, and days, and other circumstances relating to the good settling there- LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 23 of: Of which a more particular Account may be speedily expected. This Almanack was published only 67 years from the settlement at Plymouth, and 59 from that of Salem. In the eyes of the old New England people the almanac stood next to the Bible in impor- tance. Almost the only knowledge we have of many events of those early days has been ob- tained from diaries kept in interleaved alma- nacs. It is true, important facts are often found recorded in connection with trifling or quite unimportant matters. The venerable Dr. Holyoke, of Salem, president of the Massachusetts Medical So- ciety, who died in March, 1829, at the age of one hundred years and eight months, wrote a letter, a few months before his death, in answer to a request that he would furnish some particulars of his mode of living. Dr. Holyoke was through life noted for being remarkably temperate in all things. After his death it was reported that some physician said 24 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. (perhaps in fun) that if Dr. H. had not been in the habit of using intoxicating liquors he might have lived to a good old age. We give here a copy of this interesting letter. SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST i, 1829. DR. HOLYOKE. The Medical Society of this District have rendered an appropriate tribute of respect for the memory of their venerated asso- ciate, the late Dr. E. A. HOLYOKE, by publishing an elegant little volume, containing a memoir of the deceased, prepared by a Committee of the So- ciety, and a few of his writings. . We have selected from the latter the following articles, which will interest the reader. The first is an account of Dr. Holyoke's habits of life, diet, &c., furnished by him in a letter to one of his friends ; the others are a historical memorandum and a fragment of the Doc- tor's poetical effusions. To WilUamsvilk^ Person County, North Carolina. SALEM, Oct'r -- 1828. SIR, I received yours of the 2Oth ult. on ye 3Oth, wherein you wish me to give you some Account of LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 25 my Mode of Life, &c. In answer to which I would first mention that I was providentially blessed with an excellent Constitution that I never injured this constitution by Intemperance of any kind but invig- orated it by constant Exercise, having from my 3Oth to my Both Year walked on foot (in the Practice of my Profession) probably as many as 5 or 6 miles every day, amounting to more than a million* of miles, and tho' sometimes much fatigued, the next Night's refreshing Sleep, always completely restored me. In early life, between 20 and 30, I used to ride on Horse back, but being often pestered by my Horses slipping their Bridles I found it more convenient to walk. As to my Diet, having been taught to eat of any thing that was provided for me, and having always a good Appetite, I am never anxious about my food, and I do not recollect any thing, that is commonly * This seems to have been a slip of the pen ; the following is his own calculation, made in 1823, and which from his great degree of exaggeration falls short of half the actual amount. " If from my age of 20 to 80 years I have walked 5 miles a day, which is a moderate calculation, I must have gone in that 60 years, 109,500 miles. And in the first 20 & last I5*years, 38,325 In 95 years probably, Total, 147,825 26 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. eaten, that does not agree with my Stomach, except fresh roasted Pork, which tho' very agreeable to my Palate, almost always disagrees with me ; for which however I have a remedy, in the Spirit of Sal Amo- niac. Eight or Ten drops of Aqua Ammonia pura in a wine glass of Water, gives me relief after Pork, and indeed after anything else which offends my stomach. As to the Quantity, I am no great Eater, and I find my appetite sooner satisfied now than for- merly ; there is one peculiarity in my Diet which as it may perhaps have contributed to Health I would mention j I am fond of Fruit, and have this 30 or more years daily indulged in eating freely of those of the Season, as Strawberries, Currants, Peaches, Plums, Apples, &c., which in summer and winter I eat just before Dinner, and seldom at any other time, and indeed very seldom eat any thing whatever be- tween meals. My Breakfast I vary continually. Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, with toasted bread and butter, Milk with Bread toasted in hot weather, but never any meat in my Life seldom the same Break- fast more than 2 or 3 days running. Bread of Flour makes a large portion of my Food, perhaps near 1-2. After Dinner I most commonly drink one glass of Wine plain boiled rice I am fond of it makes nearly 1-2 of my Dinner perhaps as often as -every other Day I rarely eat Pickles or any high seasoned Food Vegetable food of one kind or other makes commonly 2-3 or 3-4 of my nourishment the con- diments I use are chiefly Mustard, Horse radish and LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Onions. As to Drinks, I seldom take any but at meal times and with my Pipe in younger Life my most common draft was Cider, seldom Wine, seldom or never Beer or Ale or distilled Spirits But for the last 40 or 50 years, my most usual drink has been a Mixture, a little singular indeed, but as for me it is still palateable and agreeable, I still prefer it The Mixture is this, viz. Good West India Rum 2 Spoonfuls, Good Cider whether new or old 3 Spoon- fuls, of Water 9 or 10 Spoonfuls of this Mixture (which I suppose to be about the strength of common Cider) I drink about 1-2 a Pint with my Dinner and about the same Quantity with my Pipe after Dinner and my Pipe in the Evening, never exceeding a Pint the whole Day ; and I desire nothing else except one glass of Wine immediately after Dinner the whole day. I generally take one Pipe after Dinner and another in the Evening, and hold a small piece of pigtail Tobacco in my mouth from Breakfast till near Dinner, and again in the Afternoon till tea ; this has been my practice for 80 years I use no Snuff I drink tea about sunset and eat with it a small slice of Bread toasted with Butter I never eat any thing more till Breakfast. I have not often had any complaint from indiges- tion, but when I have, abstinence from Breakfast or Dinner, or both, has usually removed it ; indeed I have several times thrown off serious Complaints by Abstinence. As to Clothing, it is what my Friends call thin ; I never wear Flannel next my Skin tho' 28 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. often advised to it, and am less liable to take cold, as it is called, than most people a good warm double breasted Waist-Coat and a Cloth coat answers me for winter, and as the season grows warmer I gradu- ally conform my Covering to it. As to the Passions, Sir, I need not tell you that when indulged, they in- jure the Health j that a calm, quiet self-possession, and a moderation in our Expectations and Pursuits, contribute much to our Health, as well as our happi- ness, and that Anxiety is injurious to both. I had a good Set of Teeth, but they failed me gradually, without Pain, so that by 80 I lost them all. Thus, Sir, you have, blundering and imperfect as it is, an answer to your Requests, with my best wishes that it may be of any service to the Purpose for which it was made But must rely upon it that Nothing I have written be made public in my Name.* Wishing you long Life and many happy Days, I am Yours, &c. E. A. HOLYOKE. P. S. I forgot to speak of my repose. When I began the practice of Physick, I was so often call'd up soon after retiring to Rest, that I found it most convenient to sit to a late Hour, and thus acquired a Habit of sitting up late, which necessarily occasioned * 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. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 2Q my lying in bed to a late Hour in the Morning till 7 o'cl'k in Summer and 8 in Winter. My Business was fatiguing and called for ample repose, and I have always taken care to have a full proportion of Sleep, which I suppose has contributed to my longevity. Recollections & Memorandums of Past Events. The first thing that I entirely remember was the funeral of Aunt Oulton, which was on July 18, 1732. The first Aurora Borealis I ever saw, the North- ern or rather Northeast Sky appeared suffused by a dark blood-red colored vapour, without any variety of different colored rays. I have never since seen the like. This was about the year 1734. Northern lights were then a novelty, and excited great wonder and terror among the vulgar. In 1737, Square Toed Shoes were going out of fashion ; I believe few or none were worn after 1737. Buckles instead of Shoe Strings began to be used about the same time, but were not universal in the country towns till 1740 or 1742. Very broad brim'd Hats were worn as early as I remember. My father had a beaver whose Brims were at least 7 inches ; which when he left off, I remember I used to wear in the Garden, or in a shower, by way of Umbrella. They were all cock'd triangularly. And pulling them off by way of salutation was invariably the Fashion by all who had any Breeding. Boots were never worn except on horseback, or snowy or rainy weather. They frequently had large 3O LITERARY CURIOSITIES. broad Tops that reach'd full half way up the Thigh. But Boots did not come into general use till the close of the revolutionary war. Funerals were extravagantly expensive. Gold Rings to each of the Bearers, the Minister, the Physician, &c., were frequently given when the fam- ily could but ill afford it. White gloves in abun- dance, burnt wine to the company, &c., &c. This extravagance occasioned the enacting sumptuary laws, which though they check'd did not entirely suppress the complaints till the commencement of the revolu- tionary war. In 1749, it was reported the train band list of the town of Marblehead was equal to that of the town of Salem. The difference is now very great. I suppose Salem has at least twice the number of Marblehead. [1749.]* The Houses (in Salem) were generally very ordinary. The first handsome house was built by Mr. Jno. Turner, then Col. Pickman, then Mr. J. Cabot, &c. There was but one ropewalk, and that was on the neck, inside the gate. But one tavern of any note, and that was an old house at the corner now occu- pied by Stearns' brick store. The Houses for public worship were only the old (first) church the eastern parish the secession from the first church the Friends' meeting house, and the Episcopal church. * These remarks refer to the period of Dr. Hoi- yoke's residence in Salem, preceding the revolution. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 3! The number of Inhabitants was estimated at be- tween 5 and 6000. The Commerce of this town was chiefly with Spain and Portugal and the West Indies, especially with St. Eustatia. The Cod fishery was carried on with success and advantage. The Schooners were em- ployed on the fishing banks in the summer, and in the autumn were laden with Fish, Rum, Molasses, and the produce of the country, and sent to Virginia and Maryland, and there spent the winter retailing their cargoes, and in return brought Corn and Wheat and Tobacco. This Virginia voyage was seldom very profitable, but as it served to keep the crews together, it was continued till more advantageous employment oftered. There were a few Chaises kept by gentlemen for their own use, but it was no easy matter to hire one to go a journey. Salem Observer. 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 hun- dred and twenty-four thousand professional visits. 32 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 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 Six- pence," 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. j as is also " Lucy Locket lost her Pocket," to the tune of which the American song of " Yankee Doo- dle " was written. " Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, where have you been ? " is of the age of Queen Bess. " Little Jack Homer " 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," fays a late paper, " may be affured, that the infamous BENEDICT AR- NOLD'S manfion is the very next to TYBURN, a well LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 33 chofen habitation for fuch an abandoned traitor : A ftep or two conveys him to that fatal fpot, where the moft guilty of all the miferable beings who have ever fuffered, was perfe&ly innocent compared with him. He lives defpifcd by the nobility and gentry, and execrated by the people at large countenanced by none excepting their Britannic and Satanic Majefties, and fuch of their adherents, refpe&ively, who are looking for promotion under their royal mafters." By a gentleman from the fouthward we learn that it is expecled Congrefs will fix their permanent refi- dence at Philadelphia. Salem Gazette, Feb. 26, 1784. N E W - Y O R K, November 16. By very recent accounts from St. John, Nova- Scotia, we are informed that BenedlR Arnold^ having attempted to JOCKY fome of the inhabitants out of their property, but being detected, and the people be- ing much exafperated, offered to deliver him up to the Americans for ten dollars ; but alas ! before the bargain was firmly agreed on, he made his efcape to Halifax, and there got protection from the populace. We are informed that Benedict Arnold lately failed from New-Brunfwick for London. It is faid that his refidence in America, even among the provincial Loy- alifts, was rather uncomfortable ; he therefore wifely 3 34 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. preferred being enveloped in the atmofphere of Lon- don to refiding on a continent which had been the theatre of his traitorous a&s, and confequently the occafion 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 the HERALD of FREEDOM. How TO MAKE AN APPLE PUDDING. Being a curious, elaborate and fublime D I s s E R TAT ION, never before publijhed. By TINKER DOODLE, Efquire. (In Continuation.} CHAPTER. How AND ABOUT NAMES. Nugaque canorce. Hor. I LOOK upon it as the greateft happinefs of my life, that fortune has given me a name that cor- refponds with my nature and constitution. Patriotifm is the ftrongeft paflion ; and I glory in being a Yan- kee. A Yankee is any man born in New-England and New-England contains the three northern States, and a certain little, pejiiferous, pfeudo Ijland. My countrymen generally have the credit of being a good-natured, pfalm-finging, religious kind of men, LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 35 very honeft, but plaguy hard in their dealings info- much that a Carolinian or a Georgian frequently fvvear that the very Satan himfelf could never get to wind- ward of them. This puts me in mind of a ftory. A certain Bofton fea Captain, of a floop of 60 tons burthen, coming with a cargo of New-England rum, (hoes, cheefe, potatoes, and other valuable commodities, into Broadway, which you muft know is a very narroiv paflage in the Appomatax, a branch of "James River in Virginia. Before I proceed I muft ac- quaint the ferious reader and who is there but muft be ferious in reading the folemn truths I am about to declare that every iota of what I (hall delineate in in thefe facred depofitories of fa&s, is TRUTH. 1 am now about to elucidate the pfalm-finging, religious character of Yankees, by a TRUE STORY, never before publijbed. When our Bofton fea Captain, there- fore, came into Broadway, a Virginian comes a-board of him and as he goes down into the cabbin, had to ftoop a little, becaufe the cabbin was low for, as I faid before, the floop was 60 tons, although our reli- gious fea-captain entered but 40 tons at the Naval- Office : Howfomever he had a referve of confcience, for the Naval-Officer charged him for light money, when there was not one light-houfe in all the ancient dominion. But this is nothing to my ftory. N. B. I mean to give ihe good-r.atured reader a whole chapter on the art of STORY-TELLING. Well, as I was faying, the Virginian being obliged LITERARY CURIOSITIES. to ftoop the Jtooping caufed his head to be bowed down ; and looking down, he faw a book lying upon the ftarboard locker. Well, fays he, and what the d 1 but I think it expedient to omit the Vir- ginian oath ; for this man, not being a moral man, fwore confumedly, and did not know a bible by fight, but only by hearfay. And Captain, cried the Virgin- ian, will you fell 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 the book. Why, quoth the Virginian, becaufe I mean my three boys, who are from 1 1 to 14 years old, {hall be good fckolards at their laming they can all fay their letters already, and the youngeft can fpell. The Bofton fea Captain opening the bible found thefe words : " Search the fcriptures ; " and without faying any thing himfelf, pointed out the paflage to the Virginian. Pugh ! faid the Virginian, and walked upon deck. Now, to explain this myftery, you muft know the Yankee fea Captain (hewed him the paflage to denote that he would fooner fell his foul to the d 1, than his bible to a Virginian ; and the Virginian faid pugh ! and walked upon deck, becaufe 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 is supposed to comprise all, which can be found from the year 66 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 37 to 1799. The number of those who lived from one hundred and seventy to one hundred and eighty-five years is 3 ; from one hundred and sixty to one hundred and seventy, 2 ; from one hundred and yf/ty to one hundred and J/A-/V, 3 ; from one hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty, 7 ; from on* hundred and /^/V/y to on* hundred and /or/y, 26 ; from one hundred and twenty to on* /;- //>W and thirty, 84 ; from on* hundred and /*n to on* hundred and twenty, 277 ; from en* hundred to 0n* hundred and ten, 1310. Total of those who survived a century, Seventeen hundred and twelve. This writer could not have included in his list the ex- amples 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 1 8 1 3, which gives the following remarkable ages. One 165; three 135; one 130; fifteen 125; thirty-three from 115 to 1 20 ; fifty-three from 1 10 to 115 ; one hundred and twenty-seven from 100 to 105 ; four- teen hundred from 95 to IOO; 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 figns in this town is a delicate, fenti- mental repaft. 1 hope Bojhnians will never com- 98562 38 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. plain of want of amufement, while there is one fign ftanding. If I had time, I would certainly confult Milton, to fee how he has arranged matters in his def- cription of chaos. I doubt not I could there get a hint for 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 least one curious woman. Read the following ex- tract from the " Salem Gazette" of 1795 : Married at Andover, Mr. Aaron Ofgood to the curious Mifs Efter 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 lan- guage used in the following extract from the LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 39 Portsmouth, N. H., "Oracle of the Day," Nov. 24, 1798 : MARRIED] In this town, on Sunday evening laft, by the Rev. Dr. Haven, MARK SIMES, Efq. Deputy Poft-Mafter, &c. to the elegantly pretty and amiably delicate Mifs MARY-ANN BLUNT, youngeft daughter of the late Capt. John Blunt, of Little-Harbour. Genius of Hymen ; Power offondejl Love ! In Jhowers of blifs deft 'end from worlds above, On Beauty's rofe, and Virtue's manlier form, And Jhield, ah ! Jhield them both, from time's tempe/l- uousjtorm ! A FEW years fmce, a young gentleman at the ** Univerfity in Cambridge afked of a Collegian the loan of his /Virgil. The inelegant pronunciation of the word Virgil was burlefqued by the young Collegian in the following ftory, with which his in- vention readily fupplied him : Lately (fays he) Ifet out on a woyage to W erf allies, with one Captain \Vinaf, in a Britijh vjejfel called the Wiper ; but we foon met with a vfiolentjiorm, which drove us into a port in W/'r- ginia ; where one Capt. VJaughn, a wery wicious man, inwited us aboard his weffe/, and gave us feme wea/ and wenifon, with fame winegar, which made me wery feck ; Jo 1 did vfomit like wengeance ; (and added, reaching 4U; 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. 41 1 am of opinion that it is a libel ; but under all the circumstances, I should think it better to give LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 5! him an opportunity of altering his definition ; and in case he don't, threaten him with an information. "(Signed) W. MURRAY. U 29th Nov, 1755." Samuel Sewall, whose remarkable " Diary " has within a few years been printed by the Mas- sachusetts 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 Ser- mon," 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 print- ing in Boston) died in 1681, the town was without the benefit of the press ; but a continuance of it be- ing thought necessary, Samuel Sewall, not a prin- ter but a magistrate, and a man much respected, was selected as a proper person to manage the con- cerns of it, and as such was recommended to the general court. In consequence of this recommenda- tion, the court, in Oct. 1681, gave him liberty to carry on the business of printing in Boston. The license is thus recorded : " Samuel Sewall, at the 52 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. instance of some Friends, with respect to the accom- modation of the public, being prevailed with to under- take 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 man- agement ; 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 Sewall who, LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 53 when a new charter was granted by king William, was for many years one of the council for the prov- ince, and who, in 1692, was appointed one of the Judges of the Superior Court ; in 1715 Judge of Pro- bate ; and in 1718, Chief Justice of iMassachusetts. He died Jan. I, 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 re- lates 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 repu- tation 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 of dun from 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 54 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. brought up a family, whom he educated himself, and fitted* one of his sons for entrance into Harvard Col- lege. 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 opportu- nity 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 mat- ters on their favorable side, and withal, who was so well informed about every thing in his own and in LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 55 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, wo- men x 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 re- side permanently elsewhere, I should without hesita- tion choose the United States for my second country, especially New England, where a population of more 56 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. than two millions 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 ship's 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 gentleman makes his promenade without LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 57 one. In Boston, a housekeeper would be placed at the Sessions dock for suffering the refuse of his man- sion to be thrown into the street ; while in N. York he would be fined $i 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, tl 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 His- torical Summary. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 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, pub- lished his work in 1749. As he was a physician, he probably considered himself authorized to broach new theories. He certainly showed his ingenuity in im- puting 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 re- cently prevailed here in relation to the Mill Dam, Theatre, &c., new proofs of the correctness of his hypothesis. "In Salem and its neighborhood Enthusiasm and other nervous disorders seem to be endemial. Hypochondriack, hysterick, and other maniack disorders prevail there, and Ipswich adjoining, to this day." Salem Register, 1826. Beer and cider " Federal liquors." PHILADELPHIA, July 23 [1788]. A correfpondent wiflies that a monument could be erected in UNION GREEN, with the following in- fcription : IN HONOUR OF AMERICAN BEER AND CYDER. It is hereby recorded, for the information of ftran- gers and pofterity, that 17000 people aflembled on LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 59 this Green, on the 4th of July, 1788, to celebrate the eftablifliment of the Conftitution of the United States, and that they feparated at an early hour, without intoxication or a fmgle quarrel. They drank nothing hut Beer and Cyder. Learn, reader, to prize thofe invaluable federal liquors, and to con- fider them as the companions of thofe virtues which can alone render our country free and refpe&able. Learn likewife to defpife SPIRITUOUS LIQJLJORS, as ant'ifederal ; and to confider them as the companions of all thofe vices which are calculated to difhonour and enflave our country. In these "awfully fine" times, the follow- ing 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. 6O LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Thus happy, I hop'd I should pass Slick 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 find Her 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 latetwas as fat as a doe, And playful and spry as a cat ; LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 6 1 But now I am as dull as a hoe, And as lean and as weak as a rat. Unless the unpitying fates With 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. TWO or Three Ladies can be accommodated with Board, on reasonable terms, in a small family, 1 8 miles from town, where there are neither Gentle- men 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 DONATIONS Of the Legiflature of New-York to the Univerfity of that State: 1,500!. for the Library; lool. for chemi- cal apparatus; i,2Ool. for a wall round the College; 5,oool. for erecting a Hall, and additional wing to the College ; 750!. for five years annually, for the fala- 62 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. ries of additional Profeflbrs. Blujh ! Citizens of Majfachufetts, for your Legi/lators who have fo fre- quently denied relief to your Univerjity ! ! ! Columbian Centinel, May 5, 1792. The books children read in 1789. A great Variety of Children's Books Neatly printed, and adorned with elegant Cuts, are fold by T. C. GUSHING, at the Printing-Office in Salem viz. LITTLE ROBIN RED-BREAST. Memoirs of a PEGTOP. The SUGAR-PLUMB; or, fweet Amufement for leifure hours. The JUVENILE BIOGRAPHER, containing the Lives of little Matters and Mifles. Be MERRY and WISE; or, the Cream of the Jefts, and the Marrow of Maxims, for the Con- duit of Life. The HOLY BIBLE abridged. Hiftory of little KING PIPPIN. of GILES GINGERBREAD. of TOM JONES. >f Mafter JACKEY and Mifs HARRIOT, -of CHARLES CAREFUL and HARRY HEEDLESS. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 63 Mother GOOSE's Melody. The Exhibition of TOM THUMB. Tom Thumb's SONG BOOK. The FATHER'S Gift. The MOTHER'S Gift. The BROTHER'S Gift. The SISTER'S Gift. Nurfe Truelove's NEW-YEAR's GIFT. Death and Burial of COCK-ROBIN. The ROYAL ALPHABET. The HERMIT of the Foreft, and the Wandering Infants. Salem Mercury. A new way to cure insanity. A CURIOUS IDEA KN O W L E DG E is attained with the greateft difficulty ; we have it not by intuition, but acquire it by many unfuccefsful trials and long ex- perience. One gives a hint, and the other improves it ; but prejudice and ignorance too often ftand in the way : " That cannot be" or " / cannot believe that" has cruftied many an ufeful project. How incredible did the recovery of drowned perfons appear at firft ! When the report reached England, that many abroad had been brought again to life, after laying under water fome time, who gave it credit ? But experience has fince convinced us of its poffibility. 64 LITERARY CURIOSITIES.. Now, from the great fuccefs attending the recovery of drowned perfons, I would offer a hint to the pub- lic, and leave it to be improved by them, refpeting the recovery of thofe who are mad, and given up as incurable. When madnefs breaks forth, the firft care of the phyfician is to reduce and keep his patient low, in order to check the velocity and whirl of his thoughts j and if poffible to procure deep, by quieting the inter- nal turbulency. If all his fkill and efforts fail, fuch a perfon is as much loft to fociety as if he were dead. Now if fuch an one were plunged into water, and there kept until he was apparently dead, and was then recovered by the ufual methods (and of which recov- ery we have now a moral certainty) I am apt to be- lieve we fhould behold a perfect cure. There is, I own, fomething {hocking to nature in the experiment; but if the patient be already loft, and dead to fociety, why ftiould we hefitate a moment to make the trial, when the probability of fucceeding is fo flattering ? Salem Gazette, July 12, 1791. It would be interesting to see the punch- bowl out of which the members of Congress drank in 1811, on the day succeeding the mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. Pearson. At Washington, Hon. JOSEPH PEARSON, Esq. (Federal Representative from N. Carolina), to Miss LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 65 ELEANOR BRENT, daughter of Robt. Brent, Esq., Mayor of the city. 99* The greater part of the members, the next day, left the business of the nation to attend the punch drinking, so that the House adj'd at an early hour. Dec. 13, 1811. As the following lines have the indorse- ment of a Hartford paper, we venture to re- produce them : From the New- York Daily Advertifer, May 10. DESCRIPTION OF CONNECTICUT. T TERE fond remembrance ftampt her much lov'd names, Here boafts the foil its London and its Thames ; Throughout her fhores commodious ports abound, Clear flow the waters of the varying ground ; Cold nipping winds a lengthen'd winter bring, Late rife the produces of the tardy fpring. The broken foil a labouring race requires ; Each barren hill its generous crops admires, Where nature meanly did her gifts impart, Yet, fmiling, owns how much (he owes to art. But keen as winds that guide the wintry reign, All bow to lucre, all are bent on gain ; As chance decreed, their various lots are thrown ; Its houfe each acre, every mile its town -, 5 66 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. v With gilded fpire the frequent church is feen, Sacred to him that taught them to be keen ; x Eternal fquabblings greafe the lawyer's paw, All have their fuits, and all have ftudied law ; With tongue that art and nature taught to fpeak, Some rave in Latin, fome difpute in Greek ; Proud of their books, in ancient lore they (hine, And one month's ftudy makes a learn'd divine ; Fond to converfe, with deep defigning views, They pump the travelling ftranger of his news ; Fond of his wit, but fonder to be paid, Each houfe a tavern, claims a tavern's trade ; While he that comes, as furely hears them praife The hofpitality of modern days. Yet brave in arms, of enterprifing foul, They tempt old Neptune to the fartheft pole ; In learning's walks explore the mazy way (For genius here has (bed his golden ray) ; In war's bold arts thro' various contefts try'd, True to themfelves, they took their country's fide, And, party feuds difmifs'd, join to agree That fcepter only juft that left them free. Connecticut Cottrant, July 14, 1790. Errors of the press. The following paragraphs will shew how com- pletely the sense is altered by the omission of a single letter of the word in Italics. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 6/ *' The conflict was dreadful, and the enemy was repulsed with considerable laughter." " Robert Jones was yesterday brought before the sitting Magistrate, on a charge of having spoken rea- son at the Barleymow public-house." 14 In consequence of the numerous accidents occa- sioned by skaiting on the Serpentine River, measures are taking to put a top to it." 44 When Miss Leserve, late of Covent Garden Theatre, visited the 4 Hecla,' she was politely drawn up the ship's side by means of a hair" 44 At the Guildhall dinner, none of the poultry was eatable except the owls" 44 A gentleman was yesterday brought up to answer a charge of having eaten a hackney-coachman for hav- ing demanded more than his fare ; and another was accused of having stolen a small ox out of the Bath mail ; the stolen property was found in his waistcoat pocket." Salem Register, 1827. A CURIOSITY. We have often heard of the Lord's Prayer being written in the compafs of a (hilling, but have lately feen a piece of paper of that dimenfion, which con- tains, in manufcript, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments, Pfalms 117, 120, 127, 131, 132, 134, and 150; gth chapter of Proverbs, Prayer of St. Chryfoftom, two Collects, Prayer for the Royal 68 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Family, Nobility, Clergy, &c., &c., the Blefling, and Junior, 1702, the name of the writer. This curiofity is in the pofleffion of Mr. John Reeder, of Brighton, who being an auctioneer at a fale where it was lately fold, purchafed it on very eafy terms. It is not legible without a good glafs." \_Eng. pap. Columbian Centinel, June 5, 1790. In an old Salem paper we find the following: We understand the number of deaths in this town the past year was 234, of which 15 died abroad. This reminds us of the curious jumble made in the first edition of Morse's "American Gazetteer," published in Boston in 1797. In the description of Albany, N. Y., it says : " This city and suburbs, by enumeration in 1797, contained 1,263 buildings, of which 863 were dwelling-houses and 6,021 inhabitants. Many of them are in the Gothic style with the gable end to the street, which custom the first D ' settlers brought from Holland." The earliest American writer of whom we have any information was Peter Bulkley, who was born in England in 1583 and died in 1659 in Massachusetts, and wrote LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 69 Latin Poetry and Sermons. The earliest poetic vol- ume written in this country was by Anne Bradstreet, of Boston, born 1612, died 1672. Salem Observer, 1834. The author of these lines must have been one of the old school. [The following was paid for as an Advertifement .] The folloing lines were Presented to A lat flcull mif- tres in this town by 4 of her fkolers the morning after her mareg MAY all Joiy and happinefs Vait To attend your nuptal ftat you our inftrucler and the Guid of our early youth befide as you Quit the plas wich you fild with euery Gras. Our Grateful Thanks are fure your due. Except them thearfor from us fue. Whos fhur to you that pras is due. Muft euery forro euery Gear be yourn Forbid it Heauin and let it turn to peas and Joiys next to diuin Rife Gloriouf euery futer Sun and Blesf your days with Joiys as this has dun let forrows fese and Joiys tak plas to briten euery futer day with equil Gras 7O LITERARY CURIOSITIES. and wen your cald from hence above may you inioy your fouors Loue wee ever {hall regrat our los and yet with you wee all reioyfs Essex- Gazette, May 14, 1771. Boston school-books in 1790. The School Committee in Bofton have ordered that the following Books be ufed in the Reading Schools of that town, viz. The HOLY BIBLE ; WEBSTER'S SPELLING-BOOK; The Young Ladies' ACCIDENCE ; Webfter's American SELECTION of Leflbns in Reading and Speaking ; The CHILDREN'S FRIEND ; MORSE's GEOGRAPHY abridged; and The NEWSPAPERS, occafionally. Salem Gazette. ANECDOTE. WHEN Oliver Cromwell firft coined his money, an old cavalier looking upon one of the new pieces, read this infcription on one fide, God with us; on the other ffde, The Commonwealth of England. I fee, faid he, God and the Commonwealth are on different fides. Salem Mercury, June 26, 1787. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Two different ways of telling a story. Anecdote. A CLERGYMAN, who in the Matri- monial Lottery had drawn much worfe than a blank, and, without the patience of Socrates, had to encoun- ter the turbulent fpirit of Xantippe, was interrupted in the middle of a Curtain Leflure, by the arrival of a pair, requefting his afliftance to introduce them to the blejjed ftate of Wedlock. The poor Prieft, actuated at the moment by his own feelings and particular ex- perience^ rather than a fenfe of canonical duty, opened the book, and began : u Man, that is born of a Wo- man, hath but a Jhort time to live, and is full of trouble, &e., fcff.," repeating the burial fervice. The afton- ifhed Bridegroom exclaimed, " Sir ! Sir ! you miftake, I came here to be married, not buried ! " "Well (re- plied the Clergyman), if you infift on it, I am obliged to marry you but believe me, my friend, you had better be buried" Columbian Centinel, March 12, 1791. ANECDOTE. It is doubtless recollected that Dean Swift, though a great favorite among the ladies, was (no doubt for good and substantial reasons) never- theless a bachelor. His opinion of the married state seemed to be not very much exalted. On one occa- sion, he had been called upon to marry a couple, and after getting them properly arranged, commenced as follows : " Man, that is born of a woman, hath but 72 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. a short time to live, and is full of misery," &c. " My dear sir," interrupted the bridegroom, " you are read- ing the burial service, instead of the matrimonial." " Never mind, friend," whispered the Dean, "you bad better be buried than married" Salem Observer, 1834. AN OPPOSITION. Dryden and Otway lived oppofite to each other in Queen-ftreet. Otway coming one night from the tavern, chalked upon Dryden's door, Here lives "John Dryden^ he is a wit. Dryden knew his hand writing, and next day chalked on Otway's door, Here lives Tom Otway ^ he is oppo-fite. Essex Register, 1802. Specimens of old time newspaper poetry. To a L A D Y who admired dancing. MA Y I presume in humble lays, My dancing- fair, thy steps to praise ? While this grand maxim I advance, That all the world is but a dance, That human-kind, both man and woman, Do dance is evident and common. David himself, that God-like king, We know could dance, as well as sing. Folks who at court would keep their ground, Must dance the year attendance round. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 73 All nature is one ball, we find: The water dances to the wind ; The sea itself at night and noon Rises and capers to the moon ; The moon around the earth does tread A Cheshire round in buxom red ; The earth and planets round the sun Dance, nor will their dance be done ' Till nature in one mass is blended ; Then we may say the ball is ended. Salem Mercury, July 29, 1788. THE FOUNT. THE following from the pen of a fair cor- respondent cannot be read without PLEASURE and IMPROVEMENT. LINES FOR A SCREEN. TO BE WRITTEN BENEATH THE FIGURE OF " MI- NERVA HOLDING A CROWN OF OLIVE." A, .H ! lovely Ladies while with care Ye guard from harm your FACES fair ; While spreads the airy PARASOL To shield you from the beams of SOL ; And many a FAN and VEIL and BLIND Protect from each intrusive wind : LITERARY CURIOSITIES. And whilst ye deign to intervene Twixt you and fire, the humble SCREEN ! Oh ! strive alike to guard your hearts From VICE, and all her wily arts. Your parasol let VIRTUE prove, To ward th' attacks of lawless love Prudence will prove a screen to thee, And let thy VEIL be MODESTY. Attend my words, ye Fair, for know, This Crown shall grace the worthiest brow. ORA. Columbian Centinel, July 27, 1814. From the GAZETTE of the U. STATES. A. IMPROMPTU. On feeing a young Lady darning Stockings. .LONG the {locking's foot, with eafe and grace Your fingers, lovely Mira, when you move, On them with eye admiring I will gaze, And drink deep draughts of all refiftlefs love. Aflume thy gloves, my moft enchanting fair, When next your ftockings you begin to mend, For though full white the hofe, they yet appear As faffron yellow, near thy lily hand. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 75 As conftant as your all obedient thread Does thy bright needle's devious path purfue, So does each thought of my poor brainlefs head For ever dwell, divineft nymph, on you. Oft as thy needles pierce the yielding hofe, So oft thy beauties pierce my yielding breaft : Oh then compaflionate my deep felt woes, And bid awhile the polifh'd needle reft. Or if one idle minute you difdain, On me be exercifd your mending art, Yes, lovely maid, to eafe of my pain, Come, darn the hole that rankles in my heart. Salem Gazette, August 26, 1800. THE WHITE CLOVER. BY A LADY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. THERE is a little perfum'd flower, It well might grace the lovliest bower, Yet poet never deign'd to sing Of such a humble, rustic thing. Nor is it strange, for it can show Scarcely one tint of Iris' bow : Nature, perchance, in careless hour, With pencil dry, might paint the flower ; Yet instant blush'd, her fault to see, So gave a double fragrancy ; LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Rich recompence for aught denied ! Who would not homely garb abide, If gentlest soul were breathing there, Blessings through all its little sphere ? Sweet flower ! the lesson thou hast taught, Shall check each proud, ambitious thought, Teach me internal worth to prize, Though found in lowliest, rudest guise. Salem Gazette, June 27, 1815. CASfALIAN FOUNT. AMERICAN POETRY. A FRAGMENT. The following beautiful lines were written on the death of a young lady in Pennsylvania, whose dissolution was occasioned by her mistaking a poi- sonous mineral for the flower of sulphur, and swal- lowing a spoonfull : IHUS, o'er the tomb of what (he held moft dear, The weeping mufe no common forrow pours ; No common anguifh prompts the falling tear No common virtues thofe (he now deplores. T LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 77 Dear haplefs girl, was there no faving power ? Where was your guardian angel where your friend ? Could nought prevent the fatal deftin'd hour ? Nor pitying Heaven would hear or fuccour lend. Then, if nor Heaven would hear nor friends could fave, Be (till, my heart, nor breathe another figh ; Drop the laft tear upon her early grave, And let it teach you that the bc/l tnujl die. A few original favours from our poetick friends would be very acceptable. Massachusetts Centinel, March 28, 1789. From the New York Daily Advertlfer. . D The Sailor Boy. ARK flew the feud along the wave, And echoing thunders rend the fky ; All hands aloft ! to meet the ftorm, At midnight was the boatfwain's cry. On deck flew every gallant tar, But one bereft of ev'ry joy ; Within a hammock's narrow bound, Lay ftretch'd this haplefs SAILOR BOY. 78 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Once, when the Boatfwain pip'd all hands, The firft was he, of all the crew, On deck to fpring to trim the fail To fteer to reef to furl or clue. Now fell difeafe had feiz'd a form Which nature caft in fineft mould ; The midwatch bell now fmote his heart, His laft, his dying knell it toll'd. " O God ! " he cried, and gafp'd for breath, 11 Ere yet my foul (hall cleave the fkies, 11 Are there no parents brethren near, " To clofe, in death, my weary eyes ? " All hands aloft to brave the ftorm, " I hear the wint'ry tempeft roar ; " He rais'd his head to view the fcene, And backward fell, to rife no more. The morning fun in fplendour rofe. The gale was hum'd and ftill'd the wave ; The Sea-boy, far from all his friends, Was plung'd into a wat'ry grave. But He, who guards the Sea-boy's head, He, who can fave or can deftroy, Snatch'd up to Heav'n the pureft foul That e'er adorn'd a SAILOR BOY. Salem Gazette, Oct. 29, 1805. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 79 EARLY RISING. WIVES, awake ! unveil your eyes ; Sluggards, no more yawning ; See the Delphick god arise, Bright Apollo dawning. Husbands, rouse at loves alarms, Drowsy slumbers scorning ; Rovers, quit your favourite charms, Up! behold, 'tis morning. Virgins fair, have at your hearts ; Hymen s torch is flaming; Cupid wlicts his pointed darts, And look! the rogue is aiming. Fair tJic bud of beauty blows, Mellow sweets are palling ; Crown us zvith the virgin rose, And so prevent its falling. See the charms that nature yields ; Why sleep away your duty ? A rise ! the fragra nee of the fields Is friendly to your beauty. Lads, for shame ! abed till noiu ! Forsake them, and be wiser; There 's health and pleasure, you 'II allow, In being an early riser. 8O LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Bound with ivy, bound with vines, Youth serenely passes ; Bacchus round our temples twines, And sparkles in our glasses. No longer drown the mind in sleep ; But breathe the vernal air ! Our hours may thus improvement reap, And who has any f spare? Salem Mercury, May 17, i; From the New Monthly Magazine. On seeing a Tomb adorned with Angels weeping. Though sculptors, with mistaken art, Place weeping Angels round the tomb ; Yet, when the good and great depart, These shout to bear their conquerors home. Glad they survey their labours o'er, And hail them to their native skies ; Attend their passage to the shore, And with their mounting spirits rise. Britain may mourn her Patriot dead, And pour her sorrows o'er his dust : But streaming eyes, and drooping head, 111 suit those guardians of the just. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 8 1 Parents may shed a tender tear, And friends indulge a parting groan; If these in mimic form appear, Such pious grief becomes the stone. But if the wounded marble bear Celestial forms to grace the urn, Let triumph in their eyes appear, Nor dare to make an angel mourn. Salem Register, 1819. Varieties. Origin of the word DUN. Dunny, in the provincial dialed! of feveral countries, fignifies deaf: to dun, then, perhaps may mean, to deafen with importunate demands. Some derive it from the word donnez, which fignifies give; but the true original meaning of the word owes its birth to one Joe Dun, a famous bailiff of the town of Lincoln, fo extremely active and fo dexterous in his bufinefs, that it became a proverb, when a man refufed to pay, " Why do you not dun him ? " that is, Why do not you fet Dun to arreft him ? Hence it became a cant-word, and is now as old as fince the days of Henry VII. Dun was alfo the general name of hangman, before that of Jack-ketch. And prefently a halter got, Made of the beft ftrong hempen tear, And e'er a cat could lick her ear, 6 82 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Had tied it up with as much art, As Dun himfelf could do for 's heart. COTTON'S VIRGIL TRA. BOOK iv. It is curious to obferve that Dun, who, as we faid before, was finljher of the law in the reign of Henry VII., had a fon, who became a bailiff This bailiff having fcraped fome money together, made his fon an attorney, who changed the name of Dun to Dunning the reft of the genealogy are well known. Massachusetts Gazette, Aug. 29, 1786. Biographical Correctness. As a specimen of the ac- curate way in which Biographical Dictionaries are made up, the Enquirer refers to Dr. Watkins' vol- ume, in which he writes down that John Adams u died in 1803." And yet for 23 years after this date, the old patriarch was living in health and happi- ness. A still more ludicrous blunder appeared a few years since in a French Biographical Dictionary, in which it was stated that the now venerable John Jay, who yet lives full of years and full of honors, was a Frenchman, who, after having framed the Constitu- tion of the State of New-York, and witnessed the close of the American revolution, returned to France became a member of the French Convention, and was finally brought to the guillotine ! N.T. Com. Adv. Essex Register, Sept. 18, 1826. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 83 The works of John Paul Richter are almost unin- telligible to any but Germans, and even to some of them. A worthy German, just before Richter's death, edited a complete edition of his works, in which one particular passage fairly puzzled him. Determined to have it explained at the source, he went to John Paul himself and asked him what was the meaning of the mysterious passage. John Paul's reply was very German and characteristic : " My good friend," said he, " when I wrote that passage, God and I knew what it meant ; it is possible that God knows it still ; but as for me, I have totally forgotten." Essex Register, Oct. 9, 1826. ORIGIN OF "FOOLSCAP" PAPER. It is known that Charles I. of England, granted numerous mo- nopolies for the support of his government. Among others was the privilege of manufacturing paper. The water mark of the finest sort was the royal arms of England. The consumption of this article was great at this time, and large fortunes were made by those who had purchased the exclusive right to vend it. This, among other monopolies, was set aside by the parliament that brought Charles to the scaffold, and by way of showing their contempt for the king, they ordered the royal arms to be taken from the paper, and a fool, with his cap and bells, to be substituted. It is now more than an hundred and 84 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. seventy-five years since the fool's cap and bells were taken from the paper, but still, paper of the size which the Rump Parliament ordered for the journals bears the name of the water mark then ordered as an indignity to Charles. A new version of "Yankee Doodle," from the "Salem Gazette," July, 1811. YANKEY SONG. [ The following song was composed a few years since by a gentleman then one of the officers of the Salem regiment, to be sung at the military celebration of the <\th of July. Its wit and pleasantry continues it a favorite with the Yankics, and it was again sung by the Military at Lynn Hotel, and by the Federal- ists at Washington Hall, on the late anniversary. .] I. YANKEY DOODLE is the tune Americans delight in ; 'Twill do to whittle, fmg, or play, And juft the thing for fighting. CHORUS. Tankey Doodle, Boys ; Huzza ! Down outfide up the middle Tankey Doodle, fa, fol, la, Trumpet, Drum, and Fiddle. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 85 II. Should Great Britain, Spain, or France Wage war upon our (bore, fir, We'll lead them fuch a woundy dance, They'll find their toes are fore, fir. CHORUS. Yankey Doodle, &c. III. Should a haughty foe expect To give our boys a caning, We guefs they'll find our boys have larnt A little bit of training. CHORUS. Yankey Doodle, &c. IV. I'll wager now a mug of flip, And bring it on the table, Put Yankey boys aboard a fhip, To beat them they are able. CHORUS. Yankey Doodle, &c. V. Then if they go to argufy, I rather guefs they '11 find, too, We've got a fet of tonguey blades, T'out talk 'em, if they 're mind to. CHORUS. Yankey Doodle, &c. VI. America 's a dandy place ; The people are all brothers ; 86 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. And when one 's got a pumpkin pye, He (hares it with the others. CHORUS. Tankey Doodle, &c. VII. We work, and fleep, and pray, in peace- By induftry we thrive, fir ; And if a drone won't do his part, We'll fcout him from the hive, fir. CHORUS. Yankey Doodle, &c. VIII. And then, on Independent Day, (And who 's a better right to ?) We eat and drink, and fing and play, And have a dance at night, too. CHORUS. Tankey Doodle, &c. IX. Our girls are fair, our boys are tough, Our old folks wife and healthy ; And when we've every thing we want, We count that we are wealthy. CHORUS. Tankey Doodle, &c. X. We're happy, free, and well to do, And cannot want for knowledge ; For, almoft ev'ry mile or two, You find zfchool or college. CHORUS. Tankey Doodle, &c. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 87 XI. The land we till is all our own ; Whate'er the price, we paid it ; Therefore we'll fight //'// all is blue, Should any dare invade it. CHORUS. Yankey Doodle, &c. XII. Since we 're fo blefs'd, let 's eat and drink With thankfulnefs and gladnefs : Should we kick o'er our cup of joy, It would befartin madnefs. CHORUS. Yankey Doodle, Boys ; Huzza ! Down outfede, up the middle Yankey Doodle, fa, fol, la, Trumpet, Drum, and Fiddle. " Going snacks." At the time of the plague in London, a noted body searcher lived whose name was Snacks. His business increased so fast that, finding he could not compass it, he offered to any person who should join him in his hardened practice half the profits ; thus, those who joined him were said to go with Snacks. Hence going snacks, or dividing the spoil. Salem Observer, 1823. 88 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. A Word emitted by Webster. In a history of the second parish of Beverly, published not long since, a vote passed in 1776, to take measures to collect the " behindments " of .certain persons in the parish, is noticed. " Behindments" meant arrearages. Salem Observer, 1837. The following curious collection belonged to Mr. Samuel Mclntire, the architect of the South Meeting-House in Salem, whose spire is acknowledged to be one of the best propor- tioned and handsomest in New England : FOR SALE, SUNDRY Articles belonging to the Estate of SAMUEL M C !NTIRE, deceased. VIZ. i elegant BARREL ORGAN, 6 feet high, 10 bar- rels ; I Wind Chest of an Organ ; ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, complete; Paladio's Architecture, best kind ; 1 Ware's do. ; I Paine's do. 2 vols. French Architecture ; i large Book Antient Statues, excellent ; Lock Hospital Collection of Music ; Handel's Messiah, in score ; Harmonia Sacra ; Magdalen Hymns ; Massachusetts Compiler ; i excellent toned SPINNET ; I excellent VIOLIN and Case ; LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 89 I eight day CLOCK, Mahogany Case ; 12 Prints of the Seasons; I book Drawings of Ships ; 1 large Head of Washington ; Number of Busts of the Poets ; 2 Figures of Hercules, 2 feet high ; I Head of Franklin, and Pillar, for a Sign ; Composition Ornaments ; Number of Moulding Planes, and sundry other Ar- ticles. Apply to ELIZABETH M'INTIRE, Adnfx. or to SAMUEL F. M'INTIRE, Atfy. N. B. The Subscriber carries on CARVING as usual at the Shop of the deceased, in Summer-Street, where he will be glad to receive orders in that line. He returns thanks for past favors. April 30 [1811]. SAMUEL F. M'INTIRE. Many years ago there was published in Boston a small volume entitled " Eliza Wharton, the Coquette. By a Lady of Massachusetts." It consisted of a series of letters said to be founded on fact. A young woman died at the Bell Tavern in Danvers in 1788, whose gravestone a few years ago might be seen in the old Danvers (now Pea- 90 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. body) burial-ground. We copy from the "Sajem Mercury" of July 29, 1788, the following account : Laft Friday, a female ftranger died at the Bell Tavern, in Danvers ; and on Sunday her remains were decently interred. The circumftances relative to this woman are fuch as excite curiofity and inter- eft our feelings. She was brought to the Bell in a chaife, from Watertown, as fhe faid, by a young man whom fhe had engaged for that purpofe. After fhe had alighted, and taken a trunk with her into the houfe, the chaife immediately drove off. She re- mained at this inn till her death, in expectation of the arrival of her hufband, whom fhe expected to come for her, and appeared anxious at his delay. She was averfe to being interrogated concerning herfelf or connexions ; and kept much retired to her chamber, employed in needle-work, writing, &c. She faid, however, that fhe came from Weftfield, in Connecti- cut ; that her parents lived in that State ; that fhe had been married only a few months ; and, that her hufband's name was Thomas Walker; but always carefully concealed her family name. Her linen was all marked E. W. About a fortnight before her death, fhe was brought to bed of a lifelefs child. When thofe who attended her apprehended her fate, they alked her, whether fhe did not wifh to fee her friends : She anfwered, that fhe was very defirous of feeing them. It was propofed that fhe fhould fend LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 9! for them ; to which flie objected, hoping in a (hort time to be able to go to them. From what (he faid, and from other circumftances, it appeared probable to thofe who attended her, that (he belonged to fome country town in Connecticut : Her converfation, her writings and her manners, befpoke the advan- tage of a refpe&able family & good education. Her perfon was agreeable ; her deportment, amiable & en- gaging ; and, though in a (late of anxiety and fufpenfe, (he preferved a cheerfulnefs, which feemed to be not the effect of infenfibility, but of a firm and patient temper. She was fuppofed to be about 35 years old. Copies of letters, of her writing, dated at Hartford, Springfield, and other places, were left among her things. This account is given by the family in which ihe refided ; and it is hoped the publication of it will be a means of her friends' afcertaining her fate. Elizabeth Whitman was the real name of the stranger, and the following was the inscrip- tion on the stone : "This humble ftone, in Memory of Elizabeth Whit- man, is infcribed by her weeping friends, to whom she endeared herfelf by uncommon tendernefs and affec- tion. Endowed with fuperior genius and acquire- ments, ftie was ftill more endeared by humility and benevolence. Let candour throw a veil over her frailities, for great was her charity to others. She LITERARY CURIOSITIES. fuftained the laft painful fcene far from every friend, and exhibited an example of calm refignation. Her departure was on the 25th of July, A.D. 1788, in the 3/th year of her age, and the tears of ftrangers watered her grave." Although we recollect seeing the stone some years ago, when the whole inscription could be read, we visited the spot in April, 1885, and found only a small portion left, a triangular piece, perhaps a foot and a half high on one side, at the bottom of which we could only make out: "A.D. 1788, . . . the tears of strangers watered her grave." For years, young persons of a romantic turn of mind have visited the grave and chipped off small pieces of the freestone for relics. This mod- ern habit of chipping monumental stones for relics is inexcusable ; for it is not done by igno- rant or otherwise lawless persons, but too often by the educated, who carry their mawkish sen- timent to such an extreme as to deface and sometimes, as in the present case, entirely to ruin a monument. It is in vain to urge that this was only a stranger's stone, and that there were none to care. It was all the more an outrage, if there were no friends to protect it. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 93 We are glad to learn that there were people in the town who did what they could to prevent this sacrilege. The following account of this unfortunate lady we take from Hanson's " History of Danvers : " " Elizabeth Whitman came from a very respectable family in Connecticut, where her father was a clergy- man. She was possessed of an ardent poetical tem- perament, an inordinate love of praise, and was gifted with the natural endowment of beauty and perfect grace, while she was accomplished with those refine- ments which education can bestow. She was lovely beyond words. But her natural amiabilities were warped and perverted by reading great numbers of romances, to the exclusion of almost all other reading. She formed her idea of men by the exaggerated stan- dards she saw in the books to which she resorted ; and thus when she looked around her she saw no one who realized her ideal. She subsequently became intimate with a lawyer, said to be the Honourable (?) Judge Pierpont Edwards." We next hear of her in Danvers, " where the novelty of her situation," continues Han- son, "and her attractive beauty and man- ners during her short sojourn, caused the 94 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. entire village and many from the neighboring towns to attend her" funeral. A few weeks after her burial, an unknown hand erected the gravestone with its eloquent inscription." The stone is evidently Connecticut sandstone or freestone. Mr. Hanson says of the volume "Eliza Wharton " : "The catchpenny vol- ume of letters which pretend to give her his- tory has but the figments of the imagination of its authoress to recommend it." Picture of the old Bell Tavern in Danvers. From the "Salem Gazette," January, 1781. Danvers, Jan. 1781. Juft publifhed, And to be SOLD by E. RUSSELL, at his Printing-Office, near the Bell-Tavern ; The Second Edition of Ru/ell's American ALMANACK, For the Year of our Redemption, 1781. Being Firft after Leap Year ; and Fifth Year of Inde- pendency. Fitted for the Meridian of Bofton, N. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 95 E. Lat. 42 : 25 N. Wherein may be found all Things neceflary for this Work. To which is added, a Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of the Commonwealth of Maflachufetts, extracted from the Frame of Government ; and a Lift of the Chief Officers of Government, which is thought neceflary to be poflefled by every Freeman in this Commonwealth. Calculated by that curious and accurate Aftronomer, BENJAMIN WEST, Efq; of Providence, State of Rhode-Ifland. At the fame Place may alfo be had,juji publijhedy The Remarkable Captivity and Redemption of ELIZABETH HANSON, Wife of Mr. John Hanfon of Knoxmarjh at Kecheachy, in Dover Townfliip, who was taken Captive with her Children and Maid-Servant, by the Indians in New-England, in the Year 1724. IN WHICH ARE INSERTED undry remarkable Prefervations, Providences, and Marks of Care and Kindnefs of Providence over her and her Children, worthy to be remembered. The Subflance of which was taken from her own Mouth, and now publijhed for general Service. THE THIRD EDITION, 96 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Alfo, an entertaining Narrative of the cruel and bar- barous Treatment and extreme Sufferings of Mr. JOHN DODGE, During his Captivity of many Months among the Britijh, at Detroit. IN WHICH IS ALSO CONTAINED, A particular Detail of the Sufferings of a Virginian, who died in their Hands. Written by bimfelf; and now publi/hed to fatisfy the Curi- ofity of every one throughout the United States. THE SECOND EDITION. ** All the above Books, with a Variety of other fmall Books, &c. will be fold to Shop keepers, Tra- velling-Traders, &c. at the very loweft Rate, if they purchafe by the Hundred, Groce or Dozen. In these sceptical and agnostic days it- may sound a little strange, and perhaps to some seem quite absurd, that the authorities of Harvard in 1791 felt obliged publicly to deny that Gibbon's History was used as a text-book at the University. But with the exception perhaps of Tom Paine, no one in this country had then ventured to as- sail the literal interpretation of the Scriptures. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 97 Probably the masses of the people then believed that "Joshua commanded the sun and moon to stand still, and they obeyed him," that Jonah was swallowed by the whale, and that " In Adam's fall, We sinned all." Of course there were exceptions. Therefore, although Gibbon might be an able writer, it was not safe for young men to study his works, simply because he had thrown doubt or deri- sion on the Christian miracles. So when it was reported that a growing liberality of sentiment was being manifested at Cambridge, and that Gibbon's " Decline and Fall " was to be used, doubtless no little excitement was roused ; and hence the notice. Before this time doubts con- cerning many cherished doctrines had been 'openly expressed in Boston, Cambridge, Salem, and other places ; but Gibbon had rejected and attacked the whole Christian system as false, which was a very different matter. For the CENTINEL. MR. RUSSELL, A WRITER in the CENTINEL of the laft Sat- ** urday, under the fignature of Cbrijlianus, fays, "that an abridgment of GIBBON'S hiftory (if his in- 7 98 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. formation be true) is dire&ed to make a part of the ftudies of the young gentlemen at our Univerfity." I now beg leave, through the channel of your paper, to acquaint that writer, as alfo the publick, that his information is not true. The fyftem taught is MIL- LOT'S Elements of General Hiftory, ancient and modern, and GIBBON'S hiftory was never thought of for the purpofe. JOSEPH WILLARD, Prefident. Cambridge, Nov. 14, 1/91. THE CHOLERA. It is worthy of remark that the word occurs in two passages of the Bible, both in Ecclesiasticus, and both places in connexion with directions and exhortations to a sober temperate mode of living, which is still recommended as the best pre- servative against this disorder. Salem Observer, 1832. The character of Boston ladies in 1788 is set forth in a letter in the " Herald of Free- dom." The writer gives his observations on the error of committing children too much to the care of nurses ; also makes reference to teaching the catechism, etc., showing the value of early religious training. There can be no doubt, we think, that the old methods LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 99 were in some respects superior to the present, where in many cases young children are left to Sunday-school teachers, or, as is often the 4 case, receive no religious instruction whatever, for fear, as we have often heard it stated, that they might imbibe some false doctrinal notions at an age when the deepest impressions are made. For the H E R A L D of F R E E D O M. LETTER IX. DEAR PIERRE, NO moments glide away more agreeably than thofe that are employed in writing to a friend. Happy am I in having frequent opportunities of ex- hibiting my fentiments to you, and in return receiving yours, which palliates in fome degree, the forrow our reparation occafions. The glaring abfurdities of the drefs of the Bofton ladies, occupied the greateft part of my two laft letters. It is but juft to fay fome- thing of their more laudable qualities j amongft which, maternal affedtion defervedly claims precedence. The barbarous cuftoms of Europe, in this particular, have not as yet, and I hope never will be, practifed here. Mothers in this country are fo much attached to their tender offspring, as to forego all the pleafures of life (or rather what are fo termed in Europe) in attending to their nurture, from which they derive IOO LITERARY CURIOSITIES. the moft fuperlative of all enjoyments, the heart-felt fatisfa&ion of having done their duty to their God ipnd country, in giving robuft, healthy and virtuous citizens to the State. The effeminacy of exotic fafh- ion has not at prefent extended its pernicious influence fo far as to induce them to commit the rearing of their children to mercenary nurfes, who are fometimes the very dregs of a people ; and whofe vicious habits of taking a drop of the good creature to drown forrow, does not promife redundancy of health and vigour to thofe fuckled by them on the contrary, children thus un- naturally thrown from the arms of a parent into thofe of a nurfe, are, almoft without exception, weak and puny; of irrafcible tempers and vicious inclinations. Nor does the attention of the ladies expire with the infancy of their children they ftill are unwearied in inftru&ing them as they increafe in years, and aflid- uoufly endeavour to inculcate principles of virtue into their young minds at a time when they are moft liable to make a deep impreflion to accomplifh which, they never fail to teach them the catechifm, Lord's prayer, &c. &c. all of which they oblige them to learn, becaufe they are perfectly adapted to their compre- henfion, though many parts of the catechifm are alto- gether incomprehenfible to moft adults. Yet this is not ftrange to thofe who credit the fcriptures ; nor does it appear the leaft inconfiftent for there it fays, " God hath chofen the foolifh things of this world to confound the wife." Therefore, the wonder that children fhould be able to under/land that, which is LITERARY CURIOSITIES. IOI the foundation of all polemical divinity, vanifties, when we try it by the touchftone of fcripture, which is the criterion by which we ought to judge. When they are thus inftrucled in the rudiments of virtue, they are feldom known to apoftatize ; fo that for a native to become diflolute and abandoned, is very rare. Indeed they have characters of this kind who emi- grate from old countries ; but they foon find employ- ment for fuch gentry, by obliging them to labour for the publick good, and " work out their falvation by the fweat of their brow."--Thus the community is not only delivered from fuch pefts, but experience beneficial effects from their confinement. Knavery, though rarely found in a native, is not entirely extir- pated from the breafts of fome among them. Remarkable instances of longevity. LONGEVITY. Mafeus, who wrote the history of the Indies, which has always been a model of vera- city as well as elegant composition, mentions a native of Bengal, named Numas de Cugna, who died 1566, at the age of 370. He was a man of great simplicity and quite illiterate ; but of so extensive a memory, that he was a kind of living chronicle, relating dis- tinctly and exactly what had happened within his knowledge in the compass of his life, together with all the circumstances attending it. He had four new sets of teeth ; and the color of his hair and beard had IO2 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. been very frequently changed from black to grey, and from grey to black. He asserted that in the course of his life, he had 700 wives, some of whom had died, and the others he had put away. The first century of his life passed in idolatry, from which he was con- verted to Mahometanism, which he continued to pro- fess to his death. The account is also confirmed by another Portuguese author, Ferdinand Lopez Caste- guedo, who was historiographer royal. Salem Observer, Feb. 22, 1834. LONDON, May 28. Remarkable Inftances of Longevity in Europe. '-pHOMAS PARRE, of Shropfhire, died on the -*- i6th of November, 1635, aged 152. James Bowes, of Killinworth, in Shropfhire^ died the ifth of Auguft, 1656, aged 152. Anonymous, of Yorkfhire, aged 140, and his fon, aged 100, were both living, and attended to give evi- dence at York Aflize, in 1664. F. Sagar, of Lancafhire, died in January, 1668, aged 112. Henry Jenkins, of Yorkfhire, died on the 8th of December, 1670, aged 169. Robert Montgomery, of Yorkfhire, was living in 1670, aged 126. Countefs of Defmond, Ireland, aged 140. Mr. Eclefton, of Ireland, died 1691, aged 143. Mr. Lawrence, of Scotland, living, aged 140. LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 103 Mary Gore, born at Collinworth, in Yorkfhire, lived 100 years in Ireland, and died at Dublin in 1727, aged 125. Mr. Ellis, of Surrey, died about 1748, aged 137. Simon Sack, of Trionia, died on the 3Oth of May, 1761, aged 141. Col. Thomas Winfloe, of Ireland, died on the I2th of Auguft, 1766, aged 156. Francis Confift, of Yorkfhire, died in January, 1768, aged 150. Francis Bons, of France, died on the 6th of Febru- ary, 1769, aged 124. Chriftopher Jacob Drakenberg, of Norway, a boat- fwain in the Danifli navy, died on the 24th of June, 1770, aged 146. Margaret Forfter, of Cumberland, aged 136. Gen. Oglethorpe died in Auguft laft, aged 103. A goldfmith, of France, died in June, 1776, aged 140. Mary Yates, of Shropftiire, died in 1776, aged 128. John Brookley, of Devonfliire, living in 1777, aged '34- Mifs Ellis, daughter of Mr. Ellis, of Surrey, died in 1781, aged 104. Mr. Froome, of Holms-Chapel, in Cheftiire, died in May laft, aged 125. Mary M'Donald, county of Down, in Ireland, died on the i6th of June laft, aged 118. Mary Cameron, of Invernefsfhire, in Scotland, died in July laft, aged 130. IO4 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Mifs Ellis, of Richmond, in Surrey, living on the l6th of Auguft laft, aged 105. Mr. Rowe, at Nutwell-Houfe, in Scotland, died in Auguft laft, aged 106. Donald M'Keen, of Argylefhire, in Scotland, died in September laft, aged 109. John Button, of Liverpool, died on the i8th of November laft, the oldeft burgefs of that borough upon record ; he lived in fix reigns, being born in the reign of James II. Mr. Smith, a farmer, at Dolver, in Montgomery- fhire, died in November laft, aged 103 : He was never known to drink any thing but buttermilk. John Follart, woolcomber, at Norney, near the city of Exeter, living and in good health on the 3Oth of November laft, aged 121 ; he works ftill at his bufmefs, and retains his faculties. Massachusetts Gazette, Sept. I, 1786. PHILADELPHIA, Auguft 19. Inftances of Longevity in America. In South- America there was faid, in the year 1785, to be a negro woman living, aged about 175 ; flie re- membered her firft mafter, who died in 1615, and that he gave her away with fome other property towards founding a fchool. Some years ago there was living in Virginia, a native of Ireland, who at the age of 109, was able to work at the taylor's trade without fpe&acles ; and what LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 105 renders this cafe more remarkable, he was naturally- very intemperate, and would get drunk as often as he could get liquor. In the year 1776, died one Mr. Payne, in Fairfax, Virginia, upwards of 100 years of age. Died, November, 1/82, in this city, Mr. Edward Drinker, almoft 102, being born December 24, 1680, in Philadelphia. In the year 1782, there was living, near this city (and perhaps may be ftill living) a healthy negro woman, able to walk feveral miles in a day, and wafh clothes, who was then, as near as fhe could tell, about 103. She remembers her being brought to this city before any houfes were built here. Died laft fummer, in New-York, Mrs. Slock, aged 108 years and one half. Laft winter died at Jones's creek, a branch of Pee Dee, in North-Carolina, Mr. Mathew Bayley, aged 136: he was baptifed when 134 years old; had good eye fight, ftrength of body and mind until his death. There was a woman living laft winter, in Uxbridge, ftate of Maflachufetts, of the name of Aldrich, and likely to live many years, who has 12 children, all living, and has lived till 25 of the fifth generation are born, the eldeft of which is more than eleven years of age. Died on Tuefday the ift inft. at Hudfon, in New- York, Mrs. Chriftina de Lametter, in the 94th year of her age. She died merely of old age, without any kind of difeafe or fever ; but defcended very flowly and IO6 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. patiently to the bottom of the hill of life. She was a woman, who, through life, has been remarkable for her filent refignation to the divine will. What ren- ders the laft part of her life remarkable, is, that ftie lived 39 days without any fuftenance whatever, except about two fpoonfuls of wine with water daily ; the vital motions and functions being fo near a ceflation, that the folids needed no reparation : yet fhe retained all her fenfes to the laft moment. In the year 1774, died at Danvers, in MafTachu- fetts, Mr. Nelfon, aged 106 years. Massachusetts Gazette, Sept. i, 1786. STOCKHOLM, Aug. 8. A widow lately died near Landfcrone, aged 118 years. She continued to get a livelihood by fpinning till fhe was 116. Salem Mercury, Nov. 25, 1786. DINNER IN "OLD TIMES." It was an old custom in New England to begin dinner with pudding instead of soup. Many persons of the last generation may remember, as the writer distinctly does, seeing old people who still adhered to this practice as late certainly as from 1850 to 1860. The writer was once at a dinner where all the fam- LITERARY CURIOSITIES. ily began with soup except the father, a gen- tleman of the old school, who had a piece cut from a fresh-baked plum-pudding. He re- marked to the company that such had always been his practice ; and so he excused himself for. keeping to his own fashion of dining. The cus- tom of eating pudding before meat is still very common in Yorkshire, England. The following extract from a Boston paper of 1819 shows that John Adams, in 1817, kept up the old style of dinner, which, as might perhaps be imagined, was not confined to the common people, so called. In "old times" it was customary to say to children, "Those who eat the most pudding shall have the most meat." Extract from the " Narrative of a Journey of 5000 miles through the Eastern and Western States of America" in 1817. By Henry B. Fcaron, an Eng- lishman. PRESIDENT ADAMS. The ex-president is a handsome old gentleman of eighty-four ; his lady is seventy-six : she has the reputation of superior talents, and great literary ac- quirements. I was not perfectly a stranger here, as a few days previous to this I had received the honor of an hospitable reception at their mansion. Upon the present occasion the minister (the day being Sun- IO8 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. day) was of the dinner party. As a table of a " late king" may amuse some of you, take the following particulars : first course, a pudding made of Indian corn, molasses and butter ; second, veal, bacon, neck of mutton, potatoes, cabbages, carrots, and In- dian beans ; Madeira wine, of which each drank two glasses. We sat down to dinner at one o'clock ; at two, nearly all went a second time to church. For tea, we had pound cake, sweet bread and butter, and bread made of Indian corn and rye, similar to our brown home-made. Tea was brought from the kitchen, and handed round by a neat white servant girl. The establishment of this political patriarch con- sists of a house two stories high, containing, I believe, eight rooms ; of two men and three maid servants ; three horses and a plain carriage. How great is the con- trast between this individual, a man of knowledge and information without pomp, parade, vitious and ex- pensive establishments, as compared with the costly trappings, the depraved characters, and the profligate expenditure of House, and ! What a lesson in this does America teach ! There are now in this land no less than three Cincinnati ! Hogs in New York streets. Yesterday forenoon, while in Broadway, we wit- nessed another instance of the impropriety of suffering Hogs to run at large in our streets. A highly re- LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 1 09 spectable and most worthy young lady, was literally run down by a large Hog that was pursued by a dog. In her fall, her breast struck the curb stone, and she was considerably injured. After she had partially re- covered, the gentleman at whose store she had made some purchases, kindly conveyed her to her father's house in a carriage. The reader may easily imagine the distressing effect produced on the mind of a fond parent, at the sight of a darling child, whose pale cheeks plainly indicated her situation. fi@ =B What would not the citizens of Boston say of their Police, if Hogs were permitted to run loose in the streets? Columbian Centinel, Boston [1817]. English blunders about America in 1802. From the (Newyork) EVENING POST. SPECIMENS of the IGNORANCE and BLUNDERS of English Geographers, Tourists, Sfc. 6r*c. with respect to AMERICA. 'T^HE Rev. R. Turner, who has publifhed a book * called Clafllcal Geography, gives the following account of the cities of Philadelphia and Newyork. " Philadelphia, (lays he) is the finest and bejl fituated city in America, containing thirty thoufand houfes and one hundred and twenty thoufand inhabitants, who are moftly quakers ! ! ! " " Newyork contains three thoufand houfes and twelve thoufand inhabitants ! " I IO LITERARY CURIOSITIES. Another book, intitled Guthrie's improved Geogra- phy, after fetting forth in the preface that their (the Editors) relation of America, will be found both fat- isfadtory and complete, as they have not only care- fully examined the works of the celebrated Morfe, but likewife applied to feveral other 'authentic fources, which have enabled them to give the beft information in the moft fatisfadtory manner, ftates that " the city of Newyork contains five thoufand inhabitants, chiefly of Dutch extraction." Here is pretty ftrong evidence of the diligence of thefe London bookmakers, as to applying to the moft authentic fources of information, as they profefs to have done. An impofition of this kind in any American publication, would afford a fine opportunity for an English Reviewer to rail againft our national honefty. The very laft edition of Guthrie's original work, defcribing the river Hudfon, ftates that this river is navigable to Albany, which is li jix hundred miles from Newyork" An Englifti Tourift, whofe name is not juft now recolle&ed, has publiftied a volume of his travels through the United States, in which he fpeaks partic- ularly of the orderly manner in which Elections are conducted in the city of Newyork. " On the ap- pointed day, fays he, all the citizens take care to be at home at a certain hour, at which time the infpec- tors of the election go through the city with ballot boxes in their hands, and call at every door for votes, whereupon the citizens ftep to their doors and depofit LITERARY CURIOSITIES. I I I their ballots in thefe fame fmall boxes, which are ftraightway carried to the City Hall ; the votes are there examined, and thus the election is determined in a few hours, without uproar or inconvenience ! ! ! " An Englifh Editor of a work, called the German Mujeum, in his tranflation of fome memoirs of Major Andre, records, that this unfortunate officer was taken and hanged " at the luejl point of America" A London paper fome time ago made mention of certain improvements which were taking place in Newyork, with a view to promote the health of the city, and obferved that our corporation were erecting a range of permanent wharves on one fide of the city, which were to extend from Corlear's Hook to the Battery along the Delaware River ! Some notice {hall be taken hereafter of the mifrep- refentations and falfehoods of Laincourt, Weld, Bu- low, and a number of others, relative to the United States. An AMERICAN. ^ Worcester Spy. SECRET LOVE. From a very rare volume of old Poetry. The fountaines smoake, and yet no flame they shewe; Starres shine all night though undeserned by daye ; And trees do spring yet are not seen to growe; And shadowes move although they seem to staye ; In winters woe is buried summers bliss, And love loves most, when love most secret is. 112 LITERARY CURIOSITIES. The stillest streame descries the greatest deepe ; The clearest skye is subject to a shower ; Conceit's most sweete, when as it seems to sleepe j And fairest dayes do in the morning lower : The silent groves, sweete nymphes theye cannot misse, For love loves most, when love most secret is. The rarest jewels hidden virtue yield, The sweete of traffique is a secret gaine ; The yeere once old doth show a barren field And plants seeme dead, and yet they spring again. Cupid is blind ; the reason why, is this, Love loveth most, when love most secret is. Salem Register, 1827. George the Fourth. The attributes of this potentate, who was the most popular monarch England has had for many years, are thus severely described, by Thomas Jefferson in his correspondence of 1789. " He has not a single element of mathematics, of natural and, moral philosophy, or of any other science on earth, nor has the society he kept been such as to supply the void of education. It has been that of the lowest, the most illiterate and profligate persons of the kingdom without choice of rank or mind & with whom the subjects of conversation are only horses, drinking matches, bawdy houses, and in terms the most vulgar. The young nobility, who begin by as- sociating with him, soon leave him disgusted with the LITERARY CURIOSITIES. 113 insupportable profligacy of his society ; and Mr. Fox, who has been supposed his favorite, and not over nice in the choice of his company, would never keep his company habitually. " He has not a single idea of justice, morality, re- ligion or of the rights of men, or any anxiety for the opinion of the world. He carries that indifference to fame so far, that he would probably not be hurt were he to lose his throne, provided he could be assured of always having meat, drink, horses & women." Essex Register, Aug. 26, 1830. President Stiles of Yale College on the public revenue. Extra 1 from Prefedent STILES'; Elettion Sermon. TI) U T I pafs on to another fubjeft in which the - ' welfare of a community is deeply concerned, I mean the publick revenues. National character and national faith depend on thefe. Every people, every large community is able to furnifli a revenue adequate to the exigences of government. But this is a moft difficult fubje