_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.
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;
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 game;
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 associating with him, soon leave him disgusted
with the 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, religion 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.
_Extract from President STILES's Election Sermon._
BUT I pass on to another subject in which the welfare of a
community is deeply concerned, I mean the publick
_revenues_. National character and national faith depend on
these. Every people, every large community is able to
furnish a revenue adequate to the exigences of government.
But this is a most difficult subject; and what the happiest
method of raising it, is uncertain. One thing is certain,
that however in most kingdoms and empires the people are
taxed at the will of the prince, yet in _America_, the
people tax themselves, and _therefore cannot tax themselves
beyond their abilities_. But whether the power of taxing be
in an absolute monarchy, a power independent of the people,
or in a body elected by the people, one great error has, I
apprehend, entered into the system of Revenue and Finance in
almost all nations, viz. restricting the collection to
money. Two or three millions can more easily be raised in
produce, than one million in money. This collected and
deposited in stores and magazines, would, by bills drawn
upon these stores, answer all the expenditures of war and
peace. In one country it has been tried with success for
ages; I mean in _China_, the wisest empire the sun hath ever
shined upon. And here, if I recollect aright, not a tenth of
the Imperial revenues hath been collected in money. In rice,
wheat and millet only are collected 40 millions of sacks, of
one hundred and twenty pounds each, equal to 80 million
bushels; in raw and wrought silk one million pounds. The
rest is taken in salt, wines, cotton, and other fruits of
labour and industry, at a certain ratio per cent. and
deposited in stores over all the empire. The perishable
commodities are immediately sold, and the Mandarins and army
are paid by bills on these magazines. In no part of the
world are the inhabitants less oppressed than there.
_Massachusetts Gazette,_ Sept. 29, 1786.
* * * * *
_Religiously Inclined_.--A gentleman perceiving a fellow
leaning against the front of St. Paul's church yesterday,
who was unable to stand without some such support, asked him
if he was going to join the church. 'No,' replied
Bottlenose, 'not edzactly to jine, but I'm only
lean--leanin'--that way.'
_New Era_ [1837].
* * * * *
Meaning of the word.
GENTLEMEN. How the signification of words alter in the
course of a century. There was a time when all persons in
England, below the rank of an _Esquire_, were divided into
_Gentlemen_, Yeomen and _Rascals_. The former word is now
used to signify the individuals of the first order--those
whom you would take by the hand in the street, and sup with
of an evening. The second term retains pretty nearly its
original meaning. But to make an application of the latter
appellative at this time, would operate as an invitation to
be knocked down. 'Gentlemen,' is used in opposition among
the old chronicles to 'simple man,' and neither in any very
exalted sense. It is on record, that the French Princess, De
La Roche Sur Yon, receiving a sharp reply from a Knight, to
whom she gave the epithet of '_Gentilhomme_,' was told by
the King, to whom she complained, that she deserved all she
got, for so offending, herself, in the first instance. The
lower people in England were commonly '_the
Rascality_'--equivalent to the '_Canaille_' of the French,
or our own significant _Rabble_ of the present day.
In what sense do they use the word 'Gentlemen' in
Congress--Eh?--_Charleston Gaz._
_Salem Observer,_ April 3, 1820.
_Professional_ ANECDOTE _of Dr._ FRANKLIN.
WHEN he came to Philadelphia, in 1723, he was first employed
by one Keimer, an eccentric genius, as a pressman, for he
was then printing an elegy of his own composition, on the
death of Aisquila Rose--and as he had but one small font of
types, and used no copy, but composed the elegy in the
press, he could not employ him in the composition. Keimer
was a visionary, whose mind was frequently elevated above
the little concerns of life, and consequently very subject
to make mistakes, which he seldom took the pains to correct.
Franklin had frequently reasoned with him upon the
importance of accuracy in his profession, but in vain. His
fertile head however soon furnished him with an opportunity
to second his arguments by proof.--They soon after undertook
an impression of a primer that had been lately published in
New-England.--Franklin overlooked the piece; and when his
master had set the following couplet--
When the last trumpet soundeth,
We shall not all die,
But we shall all be _changed_
In the twinkling of an eye,
He privately removed the letter _c_, and it was printed
off--
When the last trumpet soundeth,
We shall not all die,
But we shall all be _hanged_
In the twinkling of an eye.
_Herald of Freedom,_ June 23, 1790.
_SURNAMES._
In the Cambridge Chronicle of Saturday, August 1, 1772, is
an advertisement said to have been taken from the Canterbury
Journal, which beggars the list of surnames lately
enumerated:
"Mary Scaredevil, widow of the late William Scaredevil, of
Maidstone, does, by the assistance of the Almighty, intend
to carry on the business of Whitesmith, and hopes for the
favors and recommendations of the gentlemen and ladies whom
the late William Scaredevil had the pleasure to serve, which
will be gratefully acknowledged by their most humble
servant,