PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS W JOHN FEN NO, No. 69. HICHSTREET, BETWEEN SECOND AND 77/77?/) STREETS, PHILADELPHIA
___________________ i.
[No. 15, of Vol. lII.]
TRANSLATED
For the GAZETTE oj the UNITED STATES.
A DISCOURSE OF STEPHEN BOETIUS,
Concerning voluntary Servitude : Or the Anti-One.
(Continuedfrom No. 12 of this Gazette.J
LOOK at the Venetians, an handful of people,
living so freely that the nieaneft among
them would not be a King; and all so born and
educated, that tlicy know 110 other ambition than
that of taking the molt pains, and having the
greatest care to maintain their liberty : thus
taught and formed, in and from the cradle,they
would not accept all rhe other felicities of the
whole earth, in exchange for the final left point
of their freedom. Let him who has seen these
personages go from thence to the territories of
him whom we call the Grand Seignor, and fee
there people who could not be born but to fcrve
him, and who to maintain him abandon their
own lives. Would a man who has seen both these
forts of people think that they both had the fame
natural qualities; or rather would he not think
that coming out of a city of men he had entered
into a park of be alls ? Lycurgus, the Legillator
of Sparta,, having brought up two puppies from
the fame litter, brothers suckled with the fame
milk, fattened one in rhe kitchen, and used the
other to run about the forefts at rhe found of the
trumpet and the hunting horn—wishing to show
the people of Lacedemon that men are such as
their education makes them, placed his two dogs
in the market-place, and between them a soup
and an hare—one of them ran to the dish, and
the other after his game : nevertlielel's, said Ly
curgus, they are brothers. And he, with his
laws and his policy, educated so well the Lace
monians, that every one of them would have
rather fnffered a thousand deaths than recognize
any other mailer than the law and the King.
I take a pleasure in reflecting on a faying of
the favorites of Xerxes the great King of Persia,
touching the Spartans. When Xerxes made his
preparations of a great army to conquer Greece,
lie lent his Ambafladors through the Greek cities
to demand earth and water —this was the custo
mary summons of the Persians to cities to surren
der—but he sent not to Sparta nor to Athens ;
because that of those which Darius his father had
sent to these cities to make a similar demand,
the Spartans and Athenians had thrown fonie in
to the ditches, and others they had compelled to
leap into wells, faying to them, that they might
there take boldly both of earth and warerto car
ry to their Prince. These people could not bear
that by the smallest word their liberty Jhould be
attempted. For this condudt, however, the Spar
tans knew that they had incurred the resentment
of the gods theinfelves, especially of Talthibius,
the god of Ambafladors. They 1 efolved to fend
to Xerxes to appease them, two of their cirizens,
to present themselves to him, that he might do
with them as he pleased, and revenge himfelf on
them for the two Ambafladors which the Spar
tans had killed for his father. Two Spartans,
one named Sperthes and the other Bulis, offered
themlelves voluntarily to go and make this repa
ration. They went, and on their way arrived
at the palace of a Persian, who was named Hy
darnes, who was Lieutenant of rhe King in all
the cities of Alia which are on the coaft°of the
sea. He received them very honorably, and af
ter several observations, following one anoiher,
he asked them why they refufed the friendlhip
of the King? " Believe me, Spartans, (fays he)
the King knows how to honor those who are
worchy : consider, if you belonged to him, and
he were to know you, there is neither of you
who would not be the commander of some city
of Greece."—" In this, Hydarnes, (said the La
cedemonians) you are not capable of advifinrr
us ; because, although you ktiow the nature of
the good which you promise us, having had ex
peiience of it, yet you know nothing of that
which we enjoy. You have experienced the fa
vour of your King, but you know nothing of li
berty, what is its relish and howfvveet it is : but
if yon had tailed it, you would advise us to de
fend it, not only with the lance and the sword,
bur with teeth and nails." The Spartan alone
said w hat ought to have been said—But certainly
both the Persian and Spartan spoke according as
they had b?en educated ; for it was impofiible
that the Persian {hould regret liberty, having ne
ver had it—or that the Lacedemonian should en
dure fubjctTUon, having tailed freedom.
Saturday, JUNE I 8, i 79 1.
FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
ODE,
TO B JRT HA.
ITH every changement of the vaiying mind
New feelings animate the mortal frame;
And new sensations of the body, claim
A foul to equal sympathy inclined.
See Malice on the face imprint
A dimpled smile, the down-drawn lip that fir aim,
Halt bend the brow, and place the eye asquint,
And (brink, with expectation, all the veins.
See pale Consumption o'er the Cage's foul
Spread idiot weakness, infantine distress,
Raise with falfe hope, with faithlefs joy controul,
With fancied, groundless agony depress.
While with invigorating health we tread,
And Youth, with dewy fingers, binds
Her Crown of roses round the head,-
Borne on the winged winds,
Imagination strays.
Wherever Nature's hand her charms displays—
■Be it to fee cc the rich-hair'd Youth of Morn"
Impearl the fragrance-breathing tkorn ;
To fee the milt wind {lowly o'er tie hill;
Or hear, from unseen bank, loud burst the gurgling rill;
Or Zephyr rustle fweetthe woodsamong
Whose thickets swell with mclod* and song;
To hear the voice of Industry resound;
The ploughman whistling o'er the loamy ridge;
The ihepherd's tinkling bell that talks around;
And hoofs loud rattling o'er the village bridge ;
Or torrents foaming down the mountain's breast ; —
There doth imagination love to reft.
But when the fallow hand of Sicknels spreads
Wan desolation o'er the human face,
No mote imagination loves to trace
The sportive beauties of the laughing meads.
But the drear cavern, and the darksome dell,
The wild faint-gleaming with the meteor's light,
The distant watch-tower's hollow-founding bell,
And tempests brooding o'er the inclement night;
Blue, sulphur-breathing, flames, from church-yard paths that rife,
Dim,*fhadowy forms, that dance before the fight,
The quick-departing flalh, that wraps the skies,
And horror's scream, the melancholy foul delight.
When deep disease hangs heavy on the mind,
Such sympathetic grief the body feels,
That he but half restores. who only heals
The woe with which the anguifh'd spirit
For health must give new vigor to the frame
Ere fofr Contentment can the bosom claim.
So, if the hand of agony distress
The fuffering body with diftra£ling pain,
No earthly medicine can so well sustain,
No costly cordial can so truly bless,
As the calm foul, to providence refign'd—
The steady sunshine of the immortal mind.
O then, my Birth a ! from the scenes
Where gloomy Contemplation loves to dwell,
From musing Melancholy's cell,
Your wounded spirit call,
To where eternal love the foul serenes,
And Heaven's own finger's 44 dress the dreary ball."
Read and reflect, refle£l and read;
Make it your conftantftudy and employ.
The grand, affe&ing, solemn, truths to heed,
Which wake, of pious hearts, the moral joy.
These as you study, torn from dreary views.
New bliss shall animate your foul,
New strength your body brace;
With sweet delight the fancy trace
The lighter paths of moral dues,
And fee contentment light the mental pole.
By foft degrees, the scenes which former days
On your imagination pictured fair,
Shall rife, bedeck'd with joy-reviving rays,
And from your bosom chafe the monster Care.
Then Happiness, with powerful arm,
Shall wrest his poignard from Disease,
And from the features that were born to please,
Scatter, of felon Sickness, far the fallow charm :
Again shall bid health lparkle from your fye;
In every step bid laughing pleasure dance ;
Young Love the dimpling cheek with smiles cnhance ;
And Youth, in glory bursting from the iky,
W r ith Beauty's rich, inimitable grace,
Throw her celestial roses o'er your face.
LONDON
MIRABEAU,
By his will,has left all his Papers relative to le
gislation and politics, to M. Cabania, his physi
cian and friend.
His writings on the revolution, and all his
minutes of intended motions and speeches, he
has left to M. de la Marck. And he begs M.
Koucberot, his calleague, to take front his libra
ry any books he likes, to the amount of four
tboufand eight hundred livres.
He acquiis M: Lamourette, Bilhop of Lyons,
and a Madame Lojay, of every thing they owe
liini.
Finally he desires he may be interred by the
fide of his father and uncle, at Argenteuil, where
he had ordered a chapel and maufoleuin to be
built.
The lad article will be fuperceded by the Na
tional Aflembly's last decree.
57
ELLA,
HtoPo
[Whole No. 22.5.]
FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS MAGAZINE.
Some account of the Cotton and Wool-Card Ma
nufactories, in the Co??imonwealth oj Majfa
ckufetls.
TH£ various manufactories of this Common
wealth, fini/h upwards of 10,000 dozen pair
of cotton ami wool cards yearly ; two thirds of
tliefe are exported to the several States ; they a
verage at the price of five dollars and an half
per dozen, and produce 53,000 dollars. Four
fifths of the whole, are made in the town of Bos
ton. One house alone produces 6000 dozen per
annum : This gives employment to at lealt 1600
women and children, who ltick them : If to
them, we add the great number of persons, who
are busied in manufacturing 30,000 flieep ikins ;
those who make 8 millions of tacks ; others en-,
gaged in the wood work ; and the hands em
ployed in cutting wire, and completing the
cards, this manufacture may be allowed to fur
nifh the principal means of fubfiftencc to 2,500
people.
About Ijo calks of wire at ajl. per caik, are
imported annually, which is all that depends on
a foreign source. There is a hope, that even
this trivial import will shortly cease, as some in
genious mechanics have in contemplation a work
of this kind.
The importation of racks, which at the com
mencement of these works, was common, is now
nearly abolished. The tack-fmiihs, within 20
miles of the capita), furnifh fufficient for home
corifiimption, and export ag r eat quantity abroad.
The manufactory of Mr. Giles Richards, and
company, is reputed thelargell in the Common
wealth. Their improvements in cutting wire,
have excited the attention of judicious Europe
ans ; and models of two of their principal ma
chii es, were lately purchased by ail English gen
'leman for nearly 1001. ilerling.
These gentlemen are daily profiting by r.e,w
and happy inventions, which diminifli the toil of
labour, expedite work, and leflen the price of
cards. The prefect year they have completed
machines for cutting of boards, which form both
the concave and convex parts, to great pe' fet rti
on, at a very few strokes. A lath is also invent
ed for turning the handles either oval or fiat, or
round with great ease and facility. At present
the works are in such perfection, that 8 men can
turn out 50 dozen per day ; and Ihould they lau
dably progress. in various improvements for two
or three years to come, as they have done for
the fame period pad, their manufactory may
justly challenge the known world, to equal rheiti
in goodness or dispatch in their work. His Ex
cellency the President of the United States was
pleased to honor the company with a visit ; and
exprefled himfelf highly fatisfied with their in
genuity.—To his belt wishes for their prosperity,
we can but add our own—-apd doubt not, buC
they will be finally patronized by an intelligent
community, as meriting public encouragement,
fuperadded to private emolument. Z. Y.
FROM THE HAMI'SHIRt CHRONICLE.
MR. PRINTER,
Pis ast to inftrt the following, if you think it merits
,a place,in your paper.
TO THE PROMPTER.
Sir,
I HAVE waited a considerable time, hopingyou
or fotne of your correspondents would take
notice of an evil,very common ; but as none have
touched upon it as yet, I beg leave to lay the
matter before you, ana with your opinion upon
it.—There are many farmers within the small
circle of my acquaintance, who raise barely grain
fufficient to bread their families from year to
year ; yet these men will run to the merchant
and retailer, and because they can be trusted un
til fall, and then pay in grain, they will rake up
twice as much gauze, cambrick, lace, &c. and
three times as inuch rum as they want. When
fall comes (and it will come once a year) a great;
part of their grain must go to pay up the mer
chant's and retailer's bills ; and by March or
April they are rambling about to buy bread for
their families, and very often go to traders they
have dealt with, and must give twenty-five or
thirty per cent, higher than what they fold for,
and mull pay the money too. Now, Mr. Promp
ter, 1 want to know whether these tnen work it
right ; or whether, as Dr. Franklin fays, they do
not pay very dear for their whittle ? J. K.