Philadelphia, 23 April, 1776.
This is St. George's day, a festival celebrated by the English, as St.
Patrick's is by the Irish, St. David's by the Welsh, and St. Andrew's
by the Scotch. The natives of Old England in this city heretofore formed
a society, which they called St. George's Club or St. George's Society.
Upon the 23d of April, annually, they had a great feast. But the Tories
and politics have made a schism in the society, so that one part of them
are to meet and dine at the City Tavern, and the other at the Bunch of
Grapes, Israel Jacobs's, and a third party go out of town. One set are
stanch Americans, another stanch Britons, and a third, half-way men,
neutral beings, moderate men, prudent folks; for such is the division
among men upon all occasions and every question. This is the account
which I have from my barber, who is one of the society, and zealous on
the side of America, and one of the Philadelphia Associators.
This curious character of a barber I have a great inclination to draw,
for your amusement. He is a little, dapper fellow, short and small, but
active and lively. A tongue as fluent and voluble as you please, wit at
will, and a memory or an invention which never leaves him at a loss for
a story to tell you for your entertainment. He has seen great company.
He has dressed hair and shaved faces at Bath, and at Court. He is
acquainted with several of the nobility and gentry, particularly Sir
William Meredith. He married a girl, the daughter of a Quaker in this
place, of whom he tells many droll stories. He is a serjeant in one of
the companies of some battalion or other here. He frequents, of
evenings, a beer house kept by one Weaver, in the city, where he has
many curious disputes and adventures, and meets many odd characters.
I believe you will think me very idle to write you so trifling a letter,
upon so uninteresting a subject, at a time when my country is fighting
_pro aris et focis_. But I assure you I am glad to chat with this
barber, while he is shaving and combing me, to divert myself from less
agreeable thoughts. He is so sprightly and good-humored that he
contributes, more than I could have imagined, to my comfort in this
life. Burne has prepared a string of toasts for the club to drink to-day
at Israel's.
The thirteen united colonies.
The free and independent States of America.
The Congress for the time being.
The American army and navy.
The Governor and Council of South Carolina, etc., etc., etc.
A happy election for the Whigs on the first of May, etc.