Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

compass of information concurring with a temper highly focial, he was an entertaining companion to many who fought his company, as well as to his friends and intimates, and the various branches of his family connections. Of nearly 130 defcendants there are now living 8 children, 45 grand-children, 44 greatgrand-children, and 1 of the fifth generation.

At Dedham, in February laft, Mifs Mehitable Baker, aged 16, eldest daughter of Mr. Jeremiah Baker.

"Death's flying fickle cuts the flowers of time, And virtue's fairefl friends in bloom expire." At Tilbury, Capt. Eliakim Norton, aged 89. His defcendants were 10 children, 52 gr. children, and 81 great gr. children; 97 of whom are still living.

In Needham, Col. Joshua Davis of this town, aged 69; he was a zealous patriot of '76, and an officer of the staff department in the revolutionary war.

At Portimouth, Hon. John Pickering, Efq. LL. D. aged 68.

Virginia-In Winchester, Col. Richard Kidder Reade, one of the aids-de-camp of Gen. Washington.

South Carolina-A negro, flave to a Mr. Newby, aged 100. In Abbeville, Mrs. Margaret Dickson, aged 104. Georgia--On Bryan Creek, Mr. Wright, aged 130.

Kentucky-At Grand Ecore, on Red river, of a typhus fever, after 8 days ficknefs, John Miller, aged 96 years. This man never had a day's fickness in his life, small pox, measles, &c. excepted, until the complaint that carried him off. He was born in Germany, and, in 1757, was a foldier in the French army in Canada. Being out with a small party,

he was taken prifoner by the English, and foon after left the French fervice, and enlifted in the British army. He was in 1759, taken prifoner and fcalped by the Indians, and otherwife fo wounded, that he was left for dead. He was in the battle at Abraham's Plains in 1759, and in 1760 was at the fiege of Havana, and was one of those who placed and fprung the mines of the Moro caftle. In 1763, after the Havana was restored to Spain, he was removed to Penfacola, and was foon difcharged, on account of his advanced age, and came from thence to Nachitoches, where he has lived about 40 years. He got his living by day labour, was strong and active, could always perform a good day's work, or walk 30 miles a day. He had had feveral wives; for one which he complained being a hard bargain, he faid he gave a British drummer twelve dollars in the Havana. She came with him to Pensacola, and when he was discharged, ne was obliged to fell her for fix dollars. He was remarkably ftrong made, rather fhort, and full breaft; and ten days before his death, appeared as likely to live 20 years as any man in the district.

In Paris, 19th Nov. laft, M. Francis Tanois, clerk in the French Treasury, æt. 88. He left behind him no less than ten widows, though he was a batchelor until 1792. In his will be declares that he never intended to marry, had not the National Convention paffed the law for EASY divorces. He leaves to each of his widows an annuity of 1200 livres (501.) as he fays they were all equally dear to him. None of them is yet 30 years of age.

Infeription defigned for a Tablet in the New Meeting at Birmingham. (Written by Dr. PARR.)

THIS TABLET

is confecrated to the memory

of the Rev. JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, LL. D.
by his affectionate Congregation
in Testimony

of their Gratitude for his faithful Attention
to their Spiritual Improvement,

and for his peculiar diligence in training up their Youth to rational Piety and genuine Virtue;

of their Refpect for his great and various Talents, which were uniformly directed to the nobleft Purposes; and of their Veneration

THE EDITOR'S NOTES.

for the pure, benevolent, and holy principles,
which, through the trying viciffitudes of Life,
and in the awful hour of Death,

animated him with the hope of a Bleffed Immortality,
His difcoveries as a Philofopher

will never cease to be remembered and admired
by the ableft improvers of Science.

His firmnefs as an advocate for Liberty,
and his fincerity as an expounder of the Scriptures,
endeared him to many

of his enlightened and unprejudiced Contemporaries.
His example as a Chriftian

will be instructive to the Wife, and interefting to the Good,
in every Country and in every Age.

He was born at Fieldhead, near Leeds, in Yorkshire, March 14, A. D. 1735.
Was chofen Minifter of this Chapel, Dec. 31, 1780.

Continued in that office ten years and fix months.
Embarked for America, April 7, 1794.

Died at Northumberland Town, in Pennsylvania, February 6, 1804.

THE EDITOR'S NOTES. By fome unaccountable negligence the first part of the remainder of Philo-Lavoifer's communication, acknowledged in our laft and promifed in this number, has been mislaid. Will the writer be good enough to fend for his papers, and rewrite what he fhall perceive we have Joft?

We alfo find on our files a medical communication, which should have been long fince noticed, and which fhall hereafter appear. In expreffing a wish that a certain difpute might ceafe, we had no intention of fuppreffing the nofological articles already received.

From our earliest concern with this publication it has been our wish to enrich it with documents and facts, fuch as gentlemen of the Faculty are capable of furnishing. Through the aid of very respectable phyficians of the metropolis we have already done fomething; but, to our mortification, this number of our journal prefents no returns of births, diseases, and deaths. Either physicians do not think with us, or they deem our publication an improper repofitory for their purpose. We iterate a request of their attention to the fubject. It is reiterated, in our opinion, by a regard to the science, the history, and the honour of our country.

"Aliquis" is inadmiflible. If an author thinks himself misrepresented or abused by the Boston Reviewers, let him tell them fo himself.

[ocr errors]

The Botanift no. 9 was not fent feafonably for this month.

With pleasure we acknowledge our obligations and friendship to the writer of the poetry in this and the preceding number under the fignature of " &," longer, and are forry to be unable any at least for a time, on account of his abfence, to adminifter his elegant fatire in May that the Letters to Leinwha. power, which gives buoyancy to the feas, and mildnefs to Italian climes, fend health, fafety, and science to the youth!

It is now a full year fince our labours commenced in the Monthly Anthology. Of the credit due to our feeble exertions the publick will judge. If our parterre has not "brought forth buds, and bloomed bloffoms, and yielded almonds," the deficiency has not refulted from want of culture. We have fuftained a conftant ftruggle between zeal for literature and dearth of literary patronage, between love of truth and hatred of controverfy, between a regard to the feelings of individuals and our vows to the publick, between, in fhort, a defire of pleafing univerfally and the contingent yet imperious duties of our condition. Thus anxiety has attended every step of our progrefs. But we hope the ruthlefs ftorm of private oppofition, and the chilling season of general neglect are past. In juftice to the community we are compelled to fay of our work, its friends multiply, its obftructions leffen," virefque acquirit eundo."

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

THE prefent period invites to

HE prefent period invites to a retrofpection of past time. To mark the revolutions that take place among the nations of the world, and the rotation of the opinions, customs, and manners of men, is pleasant and useful.

The contemplated review will be confined to the following particulars; the comparative state of the nations of the chriftian world, at the commencement and at the clofe of the Eighteenth Century; the improvements of the above period in fciences and arts; the ftate of religion and moral philofophy; and the important events of our own country. A minute detail will not be attempted. Our obfervations will be of a general nature. The beginning of the laft century was a diftinguished era in hiftory. William and Mary were then the fovereigns of England; Louis the XIV. was king of France; Charles the XII. king of Sweden; and Peter the Great Czar of Ruffia. The civil conftitution of England had then recently affumed a new form. The revolution in 1688 freed the nation from the fear of Vol. II. No. 5. Ff

popery and of defpotism. The doctrines of the divine and indefeasible right of the fovereign, and of paffive obedience and nonrefiftance of the fubject were exploded; and the prerogatives of the crown, and the liberties of the people, were permanently fettled. The extent of the commerce of England, and the ftrength of her navy, within this period, exceeded the former experience of nations. Although difmembered of most of her American colonies, fhe has acquired immenfe territories in the eastern world. Scotland and Ireland have been more clofely united with her; and the fame legislative powers are now exercifed over the whole realm. With king William originated the practice of borrowing money upon the credit of the nation. At his death he left a publick debt of fourteen millions fterling, then thought an enormous fum. This has been increased by every subfequent war, and now threatens the nation with serious evils.

The people of France, at the commencement of the laft century, were enthusiasts in royalty; they were ready to facrifice their prop

erty and their lives for the honour of their Grande Monarque. At its clofe, they executed their king, difcarded their nobility, forfwore monarchy, and affumed the language and forms of republicans. At that period they were the bigoted difciples of the Romish church; before the century revolved, they maffacred their priests and flung down the altars of their religion. In 1700 Louis XIV. was planning fchemes of aggrandizement and univerfal empire; in 1800 the revolution of France iffued in a military defpotifm, and her fortunate chief marched forward in his conquefts with a fpeed, for which, his ambitious predeceffor in power dared not to hope.

Spain had fallen from her greatnefs, at the above mentioned period; but she had not loft her national energy. She is now funk in floth and weakness, and has fcarcely any influence upon the important events of Europe.

Holland was then riling in the ftrength of republican virtue and commercial enterprize; her publick virtue now appears to be loft; her ftrength is certainly palfied.

The Swifs, then a generation of industry, fobriety, and happiness, are now convulfed by party diffention, oppreffed by foreign requifitions, and miferable by the devaftations of war.

Pruffia, under the direction of her politick and martial monarch, grew up to a great and powerful kingdom, and early withdrawing from the war, which now rages with unprecedented destruction in Europe, fhe has reserved her numbers and refources.

The houfe of Auftria, powerful and ambitious, has feen her rich

eft provinces wrefted from her her refources are exhausted; and the wages unequal war with her too potent neighbour.

At the beginning of the century Poland was fovereign in her government, numerous in population, and influential in her national character. Her name, as a diftinct and independent country, is now blotted from the regifter of nations.

The schemes of the Great Peter of Ruffia have been in operation for the laft hundred years; under two difcerning and ambitious female fovereigns improvements of every kind have been made thro the provinces of this extended empire. Ruffia is the only continental power, that can now balance the weight of France.

Italy, with a great part of Europe, at the commencement of the century, acknowledged spiritual allegiance to the church of Rome; which impioufly affumed the direction of the confciences of men, and pretended by divine authority to regulate the concerns of the human foul with its God; which in the fupport of fpiritual tyranny has exercised oppreffions and cruelties, at the review of which reason is abashed, and humanity mourns. At that period, although fome parts of Chriftendom were too much enlightened to fubmit to her impofitions, yet the then retained great influence in all the political tranfactions of Europe; the fovereign pontiff is now defpoiled of civil power, is degraded from his exalted feat, is dependent on the will of an antichristian military defpot, and is deprived of the means to de good or evil.

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »