[No. Lll.]
THE TABLE T.—No. LII.
<< When a man doth think of any thing that is pa ft,
jie lookith down upon the ground ; but when he think
tth of something that is to come, he looketh up towards
the heavens."
THE lively image, we form of approaching
pleasures, constitutes une of the molt
fiiblime sources of human felicity. There is
fcarcea man in the universe, in the vigor of life,
whose heart is not often exhilirated with the
hopesof feeing better days. Nature has provid
ed the charms of anticipation to coiifole us under
the preflurd of past misfortunes and to ftiinulate
us into new efforts. It exonerates part of the
load we lhould ottferwife bear from acftual evils,
and relieves the painful impressions that are apt
to be excited upon a retrofpeetive view of our
affairs.
. No man, however pure and elevated may be
his principles, however prudent and fortunate
may be his condud:, can look back 011 the differ
ent stages of his existence without some sensa
tions of disapprobation and sorrow. His reflec
tions can never produce such a degree of appro
bation and rapture as to afford a permanent and
infallible security againftthe aflails of a vexatious
or a melancholy spirit. The reflections even of
a good man can not alone infule ardour and trans
port into the foul. He mull imagine as well as
refledt. A young man bows down his head,when
he thinks of what is past ; and elevates it, when
he looks into future scenes. An old man ceases
to feel pleasure in what is before him, he is dif
fatisfied with what is past, and his head is perpetu
ally bowed down.
Old men, as well as others, may derive con
solation from anticipating the happiness of a fu
ture state of existence. But it is the clefign of
this difcuflion only to treat of anticipation as a
natural operation of the mind, and to suggest how
far fuperiorits pleasures generally are to those of
reflection. It would be well for men to attend
more closely to the struCture of their mental qua
lities ; and to bring themselves into such habits
of contemplation as will render old age less in
iupportable than inoft men find it.
The reflections that follow a life devoted to
the cause of honor and virtue are no doubtafource
of some felicity. It is worthy the pursuit of every
person, if it had no other advantage than what
refultsmerely from reflecting 011 it. Butthecon
ftitution of our nature is such, that our lively,
tranfpofting pleasures imift proceed from anti
cipation. Old men gain, by an attachment to
certain habits, part of what they lose in the di
ininilhed vigor of their anticipations. It is
therefore of importance that all men ihould form
such habits, as will not be unworthy a rational
being in the last periods of his continuance 011
earth ; and such as will probably best aflimilate
with that purer state of existence, of which, as
she dodtrines of our religion inform us, all good
r.ien will participate.
EARLY MARRI4GE.
Original Letter from Dr. Franklin to John
Alleyne, Efq'.
dear jack,
YOU desire, you fay, my impartial thoughts
on the f«bje<ft of an early marriage, by way of
answer to the numberless objections which have
been made by numerous persons to your own.
You may remember when you consulted ine on the
occasion, that I thought youth on both fides to be
no objedlion. Indeed, from the marriages which
have fallen under my observation, I am rather
inclined to think that early ones stand the best
chance for happiness. The tempers and habits of
the young are not yet become so ftiff and uncom
plyingas when more advanced in life; they form
more easily to each other, and hence many occa
sions of difgull are removed. And if youth has
less of that prudence which is neceflary to ma
nage a family, yet the parent and elder friends
°* young married persons are generally at hand,
to afford their advice, which amply fuppliestliat
ilefedt; and by early marriage youth is sooner
formed to regular and ufeful life ; and poflibly
femie of those accidents or connections that might
have injured the constitution or reputation, or
\°th, are thereby happily prevented. Particular
wcumftances of particular persons may possibly
Sometimes make it prudent to delay entering in
to that state ; but in general, when nature lias
rendered our bodies fit for it, the presumption is
in nature's favor, that lhe has not judged amiss
m makingus desire it. Late marriages arc often
attended too with this further inconvenience,
t"at there is not the fame chance that the parents
'> hall live to fee their offspring educated. Late
'■'Iren, fays the Spanifli proverb, are early or-
SATURDAY, October io,
phans ; a melancholy reflection to thoie whole
cafe it may be ! With us in America, marriages
are generally in the morning of our life ; our
children are therefore educated and fettled in
the world by noon ; and thus our bufinefj being
done, we have an afternoon and evening of cheer
ful leisure to ourselves, such r our friend at
present enjoys. By these early marriages, we are
blest with more children, and from the mode a
niong us, founded by nature, of every mother
suckling and nurfbigher own child, more of them
are railed. Thence the fvvift progress of popu
lation among us, unparalleled in Europe. In
fine, lam glad you are married, and congratulate
you most cordially upon it. You are now in the
way of becoming a ufeful citizen, and you have
escaped the unnatural Itate of celibacy for life,
the fate of many here who never intended it, but
who, having too long postponed the change of
their condition, find at length that it is too late
to think of it ; and so live all their lives in a situ
ation that greatly leflens a man's value—an odd
volume of a set of books bears not the value of
its proportion to the set—What think you of the
odd half of a pair of fciflars ?—it can't well cut
any—it may poilibly lerve to scrape a trencher.
Pray make my compliments and belt wishes ac
ceptable to yt)ur bride. lam old and heavy, or
I fliould ere this have presented them in perfori.
1 shall make but fniall use of the old man's privi
lege, that of giving advice to younger friends.
Treat your wife always with refpeift; it will pro
cure refpetfl to you, not from her only, but from
all that observe it. Never use a flighting expreflion
to her, even in jest ; for flight in jest, after fre
quent bandyings, are apt to end in angry earnest.
Be studious in your profeffion, and you will be
learned. Be induflrious and frugal, and you will
be rich. Be sober and temperate, and you will
be healthy. Be in general virtuous, and you will
be liappy ! At least you will by such conduct,
stand the best chance for such consequences. I
pray God to bless you both ! being ever your
affectionate friend, B. F.
RINCJVORMS, ITCH, be.
THIS is a cutaneous distemper very common
among the Europeans in Bengal, as well as among
the natives ; and as the disorder is very preva
lent in this conntry also, we present our readers
with the following extra<sl, containing a remedy
for so diftreffitig a complaint, which has hitherto
frequently baffled the firft medical abilities.
Extrafl of a letter from a gentleman of the Faculty
at Fort St. George, to Dotlor B. of the Bengal
ejlablifhment.
" SirPAUL Joddrf.li., from his skill in Botany,
has made a discovery which is likely to prove of
the greatest importance to the health and ease of
Europeans in India.; and will tend to the extirpa
tion of that cruel and most tormenting of all ma
ladies the Ringworms ; and the remedy is as
simple as it is efficacious. It consists in nothing
more than a frequent embrocation, or friiftion of
the parts where the eruption prevails, with
common mujhroom ketchup. This remedy, simple as
it appears,has never been known to fail in remov
ing the ringworms, Itch, orany other cutaneous
eruption, after every other nostrum has failed.
" Sir Paul accounts for the efficacy of this Ve
getable Curative, in the known noxious proper
ty of the u'ulhroom to all animalcula. The solu
tion or ellence of this Fungus is proved by this
discovery, to bear such enmity to the minute in
fed; which is the occult cause of this disorder,
that it immediately perforates the cuticle, and
totally extirminates the infection. The experi
ment is ealy, and a trial is recommended to those
afflicted with ringworms, tetters, or eruptions of
any kind."
The " Worcester Speculator" is an excellent writer
in Mr. Thomas' Majfachufetts' Spy. —We have fre
quently enriched the Miscellany of the Gazette, by
extrafls from his publications—and we doubt
not the following o'ofervations andfaßs from his 6yd
number will be generally acceptable.
" THE times arc truly hard, and so will they
ever be when intemperance-prevails—when the
people prefer the dissipation of a tavern to the
cultivation of their fields. But happily for the
community these habits seem now to be fact
growing into disrepute ; and temperance, econo
my,and industry seem now tobeefteemed objects
of importance : And experience will probably
soon convince us, that we can labor as well, and
enjoy our health better without inflammable spirits
than with them. Probably not a quarter part so
much rum has been drank in this part ofthecoun
trv the last year as was in the space of a year
at the close of the war. Some of our principal
retailers have nor, if we can believe their afler-
\_PtibfiJhed on IVednefday and Saturday.
tions, fold so many pints of run the la!i ye:r.-
as they did gallons the year before ; and then
the quantity was much diminished from that
which was fold a few years earlier. Our taverns
too are generally still and quiet, and rarely do
we find people of the vicinity resorting to them,
but on business of l'ome public occasion. Many
of our principal farmers, in different parts of the
country,have nobly broke through the pernicious
custom of treating their laborers with rum ; and
they will not employ tliofe who will not serve
them without fpiritous liquors. And they have
found their account in it the present year —for
it has been very obferveable in the course ot the
past fumiher, that tliofe who have hired without
supplying with 'spirits have had the bell work
men and a plenty of them, and their wcrk has
been done the most neatly and with the greateil
dispatch.
The mechanics also in many places, and efpecs
ally the moll reputable of them, have almost for
faken theil cups. And men of business of all
kinds appear to be convinced that they can con
duct their affairs better without fpiritous liquors
than with them. In this way a great saving has
been made the lafl year by the citizens in gene
ral : And let any one judge if any inconveniences
have resulted from these savings."
The following is the Speech of \V arr f. n Hastings,
Esq. made at the ctnclujion of the third Tear' Juice
the commencement of his Trial.
" MY LORDS,
" MAY Ibe permitted to offer a few words to
your Lordships ? I find myfelf unequal to the oc
casion which so taddenly calls upon ine to state
to your Lordships what I feel of the unexampled
hardfliipso'f this trial. I came here to-day utter
ly unprepared for such an event, as tliat which
I perceive now impending; 1 theref6re intreat
your Lordships' indulgence for a few moments
while I recolle»sl myfelf.
I mull beg you will be plcafed toconfidertlii:
lituation in which I stand, and the awe which I
mult unavoidably feel, in addressing this august
allembly. I have already, in a petition prei'ertted to
your Lordships in the beginning of thisyear,rcprc
fentedthe hard (hips and grievances which I tho't
I had fultained when only one year of this im
peachment had pafied. These have accumulated ;
many of them have proportionably accumulated
with the time that has iince elapsed, But in my
sense of them they have been infinitely aggravat
ed, when I have seen folirtle done, and fomuch
time expended ; such a long period contained,
and yet not one tenth part of one fmgle arti
cle of the twenty, which compose the charge,
brought to a conclusion on the part of the prof'e
cution only. If five months have been thus con
tained, what period, my Lords, niuft I cftimate,
as neceflary for the remainder of the impeach
ment.
" My life, in any estimation of it will not be
fufficient. 11is impossible that Ifhould furviveto
its close, if continued as it has hitherto proceed
ed ; and, although I know not what to make the
fpecific prayer of my petition, I do beseech your
Lordships to coillider what injury my health aijd
my fortune muil fultain, if it be your determina
tion that I mull wait till it shall please thejuflice
or the candor of the Honorable House of Com
mons, which has impeached me before your
Lordships, to close this profecutionl
" My Lords, I hope I shall not be thought to
deviate from the refpeift which I feel, equally I
am tare with any man living, for this high Court,
if I fay,that had a precedent existed in England,
of a man accused and impeached as lhave been,
whose trial had actually been protra<fted to such
a length, or if I had conceived it possible that mine
could have been so protracted—l hope your Lord
ships will pardon me if I fay—l would at once have
plead guilty. I would not have fultained this trial.
I would have relied my cause, and my character,
which is much dearer to me than life, upon that
truth which sooner or later will shew itfelf. This,
mv Lords, I would have done, rather than have
tabmitted to a trial, which of itfelf has been a
punishment a hundred times more severe than
any punishment your Lordships could have inflicfl
ed upon me,had I plead guilty. What mult I not
continue to experience, by a life of impeach
ment !
" And now, my Lords, I bdg leave to submit
my cause to your Lofdfhips.Vtrell knowing,that if
it is in your power to apply a remedy to the hard
lhips which I have fultained, and to those whichl
am yet likely to taffer, your Lordships will doit.
I cannot be so unreasonable as to expert that your
Lordships should walte more of your time in the
continuation of this trial, when- the year is so
far advanced, and when, by the cultom of the
Parliament, it has been utail for your Lordships