_Nugæque canoræ._ Hor.
I LOOK upon it as the greatest happiness of my life, that
fortune has given me _a name_ that corresponds with my
nature and constitution. Patriotism is the strongest
passion; and I glory in being a _Yankee_.--A _Yankee_ is any
man born in New-England--and New-England contains the three
northern States, and a certain _little, pestiferous, pseudo
Island_. My countrymen generally have the credit of being a
good-natured, psalm-singing, religious kind of men, very
honest, but plaguy hard in their dealings--insomuch that a
_Carolinian_ or a _Georgian_ frequently swear that the very
_Satan_ himself could never get to windward of them.
This puts me in mind of a story.--A certain Boston sea
Captain, of a sloop of 60 tons burthen, coming with a cargo
of New-England rum, shoes, cheese, potatoes, and other
valuable commodities, into _Broadway_, which you must know
is a very _narrow_ passage in the _Appomatax_, a branch of
_James River_ in _Virginia_.--Before I proceed I must
acquaint the serious reader--and who is there but must be
serious in reading the solemn truths I am about to
declare--that every _iota_ of what I shall delineate in in
these sacred depositories of facts, is TRUTH.----I am now
about to elucidate the psalm-singing, religious character of
_Yankees_, by a TRUE STORY, _never before
published_.----When our Boston sea Captain, therefore, came
into Broadway, a Virginian comes a-board of him--and as he
goes down into the cabbin, had to stoop a little, because
the cabbin was low--for, as I said before, the sloop was 60
tons, although our religious sea-captain _entered_ but 40
tons at the Naval-Office: Howsomever he had a reserve of
conscience, for the Naval-Officer charged him for _light
money_, when there was not one light-house in all the
ancient dominion.--But this is nothing to my story.
_N.B._ I mean to give the good-natured reader a whole
chapter on _the art of_ STORY-TELLING.
Well, as I was saying, the Virginian being obliged to
stoop--the _stooping_ caused his head to be bowed down; and
looking down, he saw a _book_ lying upon the starboard
locker.--Well, says he, and what the d----l--but I think it
expedient to omit the _Virginian_ oath; for this man, not
being a moral man, swore consumedly, and did not know a
_bible_ by sight, but only by _hearsay_.--And Captain, cried
the _Virginian_, will you sell this bible of yours: I hear
it's a mighty clever book for children.--And why not for
grown people? cried the Captain, taking up the _book_. Why,
quoth the _Virginian_, because I mean my three boys, who are
from 11 to 14 years old, shall be good _scholards at their
larning_--they can all say their letters already, and the
youngest can spell.--The Boston sea Captain opening the
bible found these words: "_Search the scriptures_;" and
without saying any thing himself, pointed out the passage to
the _Virginian_.--Pugh! said the _Virginian_, and walked
upon deck.--Now, to explain this mystery, you must know the
Yankee sea Captain shewed him the passage to denote that he
would sooner sell his soul to the d----l, than his bible to
a _Virginian_;--and the _Virginian_ said pugh! and walked
upon deck, because he could not read.
* * * * *
LONGEVITY. Since we published the examples of longevity,
collected by the editor of the Medical Adviser, we have seen
another list, which is _supposed_ to comprise all, which can
be found from the year 66 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
_fifty_ to _one hundred_ and _sixty_, 3; from _one hundred_
and _forty_ to _one hundred_ and _fifty_, 7; from _one
hundred_ and _thirty_ to _one hundred_ and _forty_, 26; from
_one hundred_ and _twenty_ to _one hundred_ and _thirty_,
84; from _one hundred_ and _ten_ to _one hundred_ and
_twenty_, 277; from _one hundred_ to _one 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 examples of longevity which
Russia furnished, for we frequently find in the bills of
mortality of this country for a single year, twice the
number of centenarians. We have before us the table of
deaths for 1813, which gives the following remarkable ages.
One 165;--three 135;--one 130;--fifteen 125;--thirty-three
from 115 to 120;--fifty-three from 110 to 115;--one hundred
and twenty-seven from 100 to 105;--fourteen hundred from 95
to 100;--two thousand eight hundred and forty-nine from 90
to 95;--four thousand four hundred and fifty-one from 85 to
90. Whole number of deaths 971,338.
_Salem Observer,_ Oct. 29, 1825.
* * * * *
Boston shop-signs in 1789.
To read the signs in this town is a delicate, sentimental
repast.--I hope _Bostonians_ will never complain of want of
amusement, while there is one sign standing. If I had time,
I would certainly consult _Milton_, to see how he has
_arranged_ matters in his description 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._
* * * * *