Concord, September 14, 1767.
* * * * *
Lectures were not common in the last century. It was not until within
fifty or sixty years ago, when Lyceums began to be established, that the
lecture system became developed.
We find that in 1769 a Mr. Douglass lectured in Boston, according to an
advertisement in the "Chronicle," August 17th.
The well-known Colonel David Mason of the Revolution, who was a
prominent figure among the patriots at Leslie's Retreat at the North
Bridge in Salem in February, 1775, was one of the earliest, if not the
very first, to lecture in Salem upon a scientific subject. In the "Essex
Gazette," Jan. 15, 1771, we find his advertisement:--
_No longer than next Week, will
Continue to be exhibited, every Evening
in which the Air is dry, (Saturday and Sunday
excepted)_
A Course of Experiments in that instructive
and entertaining Branch of Natural PHILOSOPHY, called
=Electricity=,
To be accompanied with Methodical Lectures
on the Nature and Properties of that WONDERFUL ELEMENT,
By David Mason,
At his Dwelling-House near the North Bridge.
The Course to consist of two Lectures,
At a Pistareen each Lecture.
As the Knowledge of Nature tends to enlarge the human Mind,
and give us more noble, more grand and exalted Ideas of the
AUTHOR of Nature, and if well pursued, seldom fails
producing something _useful_ to Man, 'tis hoped these
Lectures may be thought worthy of Regard and Encouragement.
_Tickets to be had at the above Place._
* * * * *
_Positively the LAST NIGHT._
=To-Morrow, being Friday,=
_August 17, 1769._
=Mr. Douglass,=
_Will deliver the_
_LECTURE_
ON
=HEADS,=
_Coats of Arms, Wigs, Ladies-head
Dresses,_ &c, &c, &c, &c.
After which, will be pronounced
SOME SELECT PIECES
From
THE MOST CELEBRATED
ENGLISH POETS.
*** Tickets for Admission, to be had of _Green_ and
_Russell_, and at the _Bunch of Grapes_ in King-Street.
_At_ HALF-a-DOLLAR each.
To begin exactly at 8 o'clock.
* * * * *
Thus we see that Salem was early in the field of literature and science.
Its citizens must take pride in remembering such great names as
Nathaniel Bowditch, William H. Prescott, Joseph Story, Timothy
Pickering, John Pickering, Benjamin Peirce, William W. Story, Nathaniel
Hawthorne, and many others.
* * * * *
When we see the great waste of paper in these days,--handbills,
circulars, and newspapers, which are blowing about the streets at
times,--we sometimes wonder how it was in 1767, on October 19, when the
following notice appeared in the "Boston Gazette."
--> _THIS is to give Notice, That on_ TUESDAY _the 27th
Instant, the Bell-Cart will go thro'_ Boston, _to collect
Linnen Rags for_ Milton _Paper-Mill; as the highest Price
will be given, all House-keepers and others are desired to
have them in Readiness.--And, as it appears that all Sorts
of Paper now to be imported, will come at a much higher
Price than usual--if People will but save their Rags, it
will not only be greatly interesting to the Public that the
aforesaid Mill should have a full Supply, but will also
encourage the manufacturing of all such different Sorts of
Paper as are generally used among us, and a little to spare
the neighbouring Governments._
* * * * *
Here are two notices,--the first, nearly eight years before the battle
of Lexington, sounds warlike; the second is a call to promote greater
economy on the part of the inhabitants.
_Messieurs_ EDES & GILL,
_Please to insert the following in your next._
IT is rumoured, and some say with great Probability, that a
Body of Troops are ordered to be in Readiness at Halifax, to
embark to any Part on the Continent of America, upon the
first Notice of Uneasiness at the Novelties we daily
expect.--It is as certain that America is also in Readiness
to defend their Liberties at the Risque of every Thing
else--there can be no Hesitation whenever the Alternative
shall be Slavery or Death--If therefore they wait to know
whether we will tamely submit to Slavery, the sooner the
Matter is bro't to a Crisis the better.----But while we have
any Opinion of the Integrity and good Sense of the
Parliament of G.B. such Reports will not easily gain Credit.
DETERMINATUS.
* * * * *
The Freeholders and other Inhabitants of this Town, are to
meet at Faneuil-Hall, on Wednesday next, to consider and
agree upon some effectual Measures to promote Industry,
Oeconomy, and Manufactures, thereby to prevent the
unnecessary Importation of European Commodities, which
threaten the Country with Poverty and Ruin, &c.----
* * * * *
Timothy Pickering, the father of the distinguished Revolutionary officer
and statesman of the same name, addressed an open letter to King George
III., which is printed in the "Salem Gazette," Oct. 31, 1769. It is a
very quaint production, but it shows the writer's love of simplicity and
downright honesty. He was a sturdy Puritan.
"Oct. 31, 1769.
"TO THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN.
"GREAT SIR,--Your Kingdom is like a House divided against
itself. Something Extraordinary must be done. Our
Parliaments for fifty years past (or some of them) have
ruined the Nation, in making a monstrous Debt by hiring
Money, while greater Sums have been expended in Pride and
Luxury. Thirteen hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling, the
Public Prints tell us, is paid annually to the Dutch as
Interest money. My Advice is that all Rulers and Officers,
who have high Salaries, drop them, except so much as is
necessary for plain Living;--(Samuel had more Honour in his
plain Living with his upright Mind, than Saul had in all his
Princely Grandeur,)--And that all unnecessary Pensions cease
together with military Officers half-pay, (How Unequal are
our Ways: These Officers must have large Half-Pay, while the
common Soldiers are not allowed small Half-Pay--who have
been exposed generally to greater Hardships than their
Officers. Either let all have Half-Pay or none. The Soldiers
are to be respected as well as their Officers and are as
necessary,) and that high Taxes _very high_ be laid on all
Pride and Luxury, wherever it is found, the Clergy and the
Women not excepted; And that great Taxes be laid on the
Rich. I have an Income of but about eighty Pounds Sterling a
Year, including my own Hands Labour, nevertheless I am
freely willing to pay one quarter Part of it in Taxes till
my Public Debts are paid. Others that have Two hundred a
Year, can with Ease pay one half of it in Taxes, if need be.
_Pay thy Debts_; Owe no man anything is Law, _Divine and
Moral_. Immoral Men are in the road that leads to Hell; if
they attend Public Worship, they are Hypocrites, like the
Scribes and Pharisees, of whom _Christ_ said, Ye are of your
Father the Devil. If I understand the Apostle, when such Men
sit or kneel at a Communion Table, it is a Table of Devils
to them. Pray, Sir, tell your Placemen that the vast
Multitude of your Subjects are very uneasy that so much of
the Public Money, when raised is sunk in the Gulph of
Exhorbitancy. My Governor, Mr. Francis Bernard, demands a
thousand Pounds Sterling a Year; one half that Sum is more
than Enough, especially as the Nation is ready to sink with
the Weight of its Public Debt. The _Clergy_ can tell their
Congregations that the New Testament rather reproves than
commands the wearing of costly Array and faring sumptuously
every Day; And I may venture to tell my Readers that all
those who neglect taking a conscientious care to pay their
Debts, private Debts, as well as public, are in the high Way
to Destruction; the commonness of the Sin don't abate the
Malignity of it.
P.S. Your Majesty sees how diligent Governor Nehemiah was in
reforming what was amiss in Israel. He was obliged indeed to
contend with the Nobles and the Rulers who opposed him, but
he subdued them, and no wonder! Because he feared God and
not Man.
From a loyal Subject of my King and a sincere Friend to his
Kingdom.