The Olden Time Series Volume II Part 4

_Fra. Bernard._

By His Excellency's Command, A. OLIVER, Secr'y.

G.o.d Save the KING.

Fire-works to be "play'd off," Aug. 13, 1759. From the "Boston Gazette."

The Publick REJOICINGS in Town this Day, on Account of the Success of His Majesty's Arms in the Reduction of Ticonderoga, Niagara and Crown-Point, by the Troops under the Command of the victorious General AMHERST, are now beginning--A great Number of People have been employ'd in making Fire-Works, &c. which will be play'd off this Evening, when there will be a handsome illumination.

The "Post-Boy" of November 15 of that year prints the following:--

NEW-YORK, November 15.

The s.h.i.+ps Manchester and Edward, that arrived here lately from London, brought over no less than 206 Chests of Green and Bohea Teas, for the different Merchants of this City.

Since our last two Vessels arrived here from Ireland, with about 2000 Firkins of choice Irish b.u.t.ter, which we hope will bring down the Price of that Article.

We get an idea of men's clothing in 1767 from the following:--

_WHEREAS in the Time of Divine Service Yesterday, the House of the Subscriber was broke open, and the following Things stolen from thence, viz._ a Chocolate-colour Coat and Jacket trim'd with Bra.s.s b.u.t.tons, a cloth-colour'd cut-velvet Jacket with white b.u.t.tons, a pair Wash-Leather Breeches with white b.u.t.tons, five Silver Tea-Spoons, and one large ditto, mark'd G.P. _Whoever shall apprehend the Thief or Thieves, so that he or they may be convicted, shall have FOUR DOLLARS Reward, paid by_

JOHN PRESCOTT.

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. Dougla.s.s lectured in Boston, according to an advertis.e.m.e.nt 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 "Ess.e.x Gazette," Jan. 15, 1771, we find his advertis.e.m.e.nt:--

_No longer than next Week, will Continue to be exhibited, every Evening in which the Air is dry, (Sat.u.r.day 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 n.o.ble, 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. Dougla.s.s,= _Will deliver the_ _LECTURE_ ON =HEADS,= _Coats of Arms, Wigs, Ladies-head Dresses,_ &c, &c, &c, &c.

After which, will be p.r.o.nounced 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 st.u.r.dy 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 Hards.h.i.+ps 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 h.e.l.l; if they attend Public Wors.h.i.+p, 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 Mult.i.tude 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.