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The Halfax Free Press

06/09/1842

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The Halfax Free Press

Date of Article: 06/09/1842
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THE HALIFAX SEPTEMBER 10, 1842. No. II. Price One Penny,' Anil now the time in spccial is, by privilege, to write and speak what may help to the further discussing of matters in agitation. The Temple of Janus, with his two controversal faces, might now not unsignijkantly he set open: and though all the windi of doctrine were let hose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. Let her and falsehood grapple. Who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter. Her confuting is the best and surest suppressing.— MILTON'S ABEOPAGITICA. ADVERTISEMENT. Excellent Breakfast Powder, in packets of 1 lb„ I lb., and jlli., at8d. per lb., at W. Midgley's Circulating Library, 20, liussell Street, Halifax. This powder is a perfect and cheap substitute for Coffee, and is highly recommended for its nutritious quality and tonic power.— W. M. has on hand a large quantity of pictures, picture frames, & c. at reduced prices.— All the London and country newspapers regularly supplied; orders for the Sunday papers received up to Friday noon. OUH LETTEll BOX. SECOND PROCLAMATION. To the Publisher of the Free Press. Mr. Free Press, Please to print, in your paper, the particulars that I send you, of the performances of our borough M. P.' s, in the past session of parliament. Mr. Protheroe made 27 speeches, gave one notice, and brought forward one motion. Mr. Wood aiade 73 speeches, and 5 motions; moved 7 amendments; and divided the house 5 times. More than half the members never spoke once during the session ; so that our M. I'.' s are above par. hope you and your correspondents will teach them to tnind their P's and Q's. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, PETER PEERABOUT. Petticoat Lane, Sept. 3, 1842. Whereas We, the Hermit of Beacon Hiil, the Monk of Clark Bridge, and the Knight of Skircoat Moor, did, by our editorial proclamation bearing date the eleventh day of August last past, establish a periodical publication under the name, style, and title, of the HALIFAX FREE PRESS; and whereas, since the publication of the first number of our said periodical, much grumbling, growling, murmuring, and complaining, as to the infrequency of the appearance of the said periodical, have reached our ears ; and inasmuch as the said periodical was and is specially intended for the use and behoof of grumblers, growlers, murmurers, and complainers We have graciously and condescendingly taken into our editorial consideration the subject of the said grumblings, growlings, munnurings, and complain ings; and We do accordingly direct, order, and decree, that our said periodical shall, from this time forth, be printed and published once in EVERY WEEK, that is to say, on the morning of every Saturday, save and except Christmas Day and Good Friday. Given at our Observatory on the top of the Butter Cross, this fifth day of September, 1842. A SEA BULL,— An Irishman, who served on board a man of war in the capacity of a waister, was selected by one of the officers to haul in a tow- line of consi derable length, that was towing over the tafferail, After rowsing- in forty or fifty fathoms, which had put his patience severely to proof, as well as every muscle of Vis arms, he muttered to himself, ' By my soul it's as long as to- day and to- morrow !— It's a good week's work for any five in the ship !— Bad luck to the arm or leg it'll lave me at last!— What! more of it yet!— Ocb, murder ; the sa's mighty deep, to be sure When, after continuing in a similar strain, and con ceiving there was little probability of the completion of his labour, he stopped suddenly short, and addres sing the officer of the watch, exclaimed, ' Bad man ners to me, Sir, if I don't think somebody's cut off the olhcr end of it,' for their exertions to serve us; and, stimulated by example, endeavour to second their efforts. Too much feeling for the opinion of what the world may think of us, would cause our exertions to become paralyzed ; and we might indulge in doubts as to the proper time for performing even a good action, and spend our strength in vain regrets that others do not exert more, until any effort we may attempt will not be effective. I am a sincere well- wisher to every institution for the promotion of the intellectual improvement of the rising generation, whether it is conducted by a Trio such as you name in your Proclamation— or by a Literary and Philosophical Society— or by a greater number, as a Mechanics' Institute; and my ardent desire is that each and every one of them may prosper abundantly. I am, Dear Sir, Yours truly, ALPHA. Halifax, Sept. 6, 1842. To the Editor of the Halifax Free Press. Dear Sir,*— Whenever a number of Gentlemen come forward, and liberally endeavour to promote the success of a public institution, no matter what its object may be, bow seldom do they receive the praise due for their exertions. However noble their object — however disinterested— their motives are miscon- strued. Some cold, calculating niggard, with bis ifs and buts, tries to extinguish the flame of public spirit; and, if not successful in that, does all iu his power to retard its progress. When a man confines his feelings to his own narrow circle, and fancies no one knows much on certain subjects but himself, hebecomes morally short- sighted, and in some degree incapable of seeing anything in its proper light. The most admirable plans that can be arranged for public advantage, unless they afford some gratification to his self- love, or some advantage to his profits, present a dead blank, from which lie turns with apathy, or appears to look upon with con- tempt and censure. I have no doubt, Sir, but the Halifax Free Press will be assailed by many sneerers, grumblers, and growlers; whilst another class will be buzzing about your ears—" The poverty of your matter, and the puerility of its reasoning." Dr. Johnson says, " Some persons seem always to read with the microscope of critiscism, and employ their whole attention upon minute elegance, or faults scarcely visible to common observation. The dissonance of a syllable, the recur- rence of the same sound, the repetition of a particle, the smallest deviation from propriety, the slightest defect in construction or arrangement, swell before their eyes into enormities. As they discern with great exactness, they comprehend but a narrow com- pass, and know nothing of the justness of the design. Others are furnished by criticism witli a telescope. They see with great clearness whatever is too remote to be discovered by the rest of mankind, but are totally blind to all that lies immediately before them, They discover in every passage some secret meaning, some remote allusion, some artful allegory, or some occult imitation, which no other reader ever suspected." Such will be some of the attacks 011 your paper; and with persons of little experience and firmness they might have some weight. But, Sir, it is only by abstracting our thoughts from the narrow cell of individuality, and placing ourselves upon the broad ground of benefactors to society, that we can view men and tlieir measures in a proper light. We then extend the sphere of our sympathies and affections; learn to value individuals DO YOU KNOW THE FIGURE ? To the Editors of the Free Press. GENTLEMEN,— An anecdote, which I know to be true, may amuse some of your readers, especially such as are fond of visiting this favourite watering place. The terms for board at the Inn, are, four shillings a- day, exclusive of liquor; and one even- ing, lately, a party of young ladies and gentlemen were bent upon enjoying themselves after the pleasures of the day with a dance. For this purpose each gentleman selected a partner for a set of quadrilles. An elderly lady, about 70, nothing loath to join the party in " tripping the fantastic toe," became one of the happy number; and having obtained a partner, proceeded to take her place along with him. The gen - tleman good- naturedly enough inquired of the lady : — Do you know the Figure ?"— meaning, of course, the " figure" of the Dance. " Oh yes, Sir," was the reply. " Four shillings a- day, and pay for your own Ale and Porter !" The laugh which followed this sally, added to the enjoyment of the subsequent dance. I am, & c. AMICUS. Blackpool, Sept. 2, 1842. To the Editors of the Free Press. GENTLEMEN,— I congratulate you upon your reso- lution of publishing your " Free Press" weekly, be^ cause I imagine a monthly one would be insufficient to meet the wishes and wants of the town. I have no doubt it will now prove a roost useful and valuable medium for the purpose of discussing many matters of local interest. As it will not be ex- pected to contain the news and wonderment of the hour, but will be devoted to more serisus and endur- ing topics, a more lasting attention to its contents may be secured, provided a sufficient amount of ability be brought into operation. Replies may now be made so as to keep up the in- terest, and the subjects of discussion may have a better chance of having justice done to them. There can be no lack of subjects in a town like Halifax For instance there are many things to be done in the town by our Trustees which can be done by no other authority ; several of which may be fairly brought be- fore the public for discussion. Many new ideas may be struck out by collision, and much information thereby elicited. By keeping such correspondence apart f r om t h e news of the day, the different classes of readers ma{- each _ X 2 THE HALIFAX FREE PRESS. suit their own taste, without being obliged to purchase what may be not only uninteresting but very disagree- able. Suppose the editor of a newspaper should take the liberty to write and publish a most vile, foolish, or malicious leading article ; suppose he should do this very frequently, and at the same time furnish a fair account of such news as did not affect his party politics, would not you feel sorely disappointed in having to purchase both portions of hispaper; there- by exposing yourself to the temptation of reading that part also which vexed and made you unhappy, and which had a decided tendency to lower your estimate of human nature ? This is no doubt a very great evi!, and where it exists must be felt as such. Should any of you take a fancy to play such tricks upon lis, > ou may be guarded against, at a very trifling cost. I, however, hope better things of you. The K. nigbt is acknowledged to be most chivalrous for what he conceives to be the truth; the Hermit I know is rather testy, and is- likely to^ be occasionally severe ; and the Monk is a little tainted with Superstition ; hut not one of the three will swerve from his faith such as it may be, or sacrifice his principles for any consideration ; and therefore knowing you all to be real sterling characters, we may be pretty well assured what to expect from you,— straight- forward honest conduct, fair to all, fearing none, and constantly en- deavouring to obtain justice for every one. That you may be patronized just in proportion to your real deserts is the hearty and sincere wish of Your Obedient Servant, M. C. Halifax, Thursday Morning. Sept. 8th. 1842. To the Editor of the Free Press. SELECTIONS. LIMERICK CATHEDRAL BELLS. THE LATE DUKE OF ORLEANS & CHERUBINI. My cheap Mr. Free Press, I was going to write dear, but Aunt Lucy says it's improper,— quite indelicate, for a young lady to say dear to a gentleman ; so I call ynu cheap, and that will be true, and I don't think it will be improper. I am so glad you are going to print such a nice little paper, every month ; and I do hope you will put in ulenty about the fashions, and how they wear their bonnets, and whether the sleeves are large or small and whether they're plaited or plain ; and whether one's ribbons should be broad or narrow; and what's the most fashionable colour; and what sort of dresses they wear at balls and concerts; and who's going to foe married ; and who's quarrelled with her lover and turned him oif; and who's got a fresh beau ; and who's " in the straw," and whether it'sagirl or a boy and a thousand or two other nice, pretty, little bits of news and chit- chat, that we young ladies are always dying to know, and yet can't always tell where to look for. Then, there's the poetry. I am so fond of poetry. That about the " little women " was a very pretty piece, and it fitted me to a hair; for I am little, and I'm sure I'm sweet- tempered and good- natured, though I say it as shouldn't say it; but it put my poor old maiden Aunt Lucy quite out of humour, and threw her all into tantrums ; and she scolded, and bounced about, and flung about her great bony arms like a mad thing. Aunt Lucy, you must know, never talks about the gentlemen ; and tells me to mind my music, and my drawing, and my needlework, and never to think of such nonsense as lo « e, and courtship, and the honeymoon, and such sweetthings; but I don't think, between you and me, that Aunt Lucy would very much object to Mr. , if he would but speak out, next time he plays a rubber at whist with her. Aunt Xucy, you must know, but I'll tell you alj about it, another time; a, nd I must stop now, and hide the letter till she's gone; for she's coming up stairs ; and if she happens to catch me writing to you, she's sure to burn the letter, and, may- be, she'll keep ine indoors for a week to come. So good bye ; and mind you always print a very nice interesting paper, and be sure to put in every thing that will please Your admiring reader, CORDELIA CHARLOTTE O'CHATTERBOX. Love Lane, Sept, I, 1842. Those evening bells— those evening bells- How many a tale their music tells Of youth and home— and that sweet time When last I heard their soothing chime ! THE remarkably fine bells of Limerick Cathedral were originally brought from Italy ; they had been manufactured by a young native ( whose name tradi- tion has not preserved) and finished after the toil of many years; and he prided himself upon his work. They were subsequently'purchased by the Prior of a neighbouring convent; and with the profits of this sale, the young Italian procured a little villa, where be had the pleasure of hearing the tolling of his bells from the convent cliff, and of growing old in the bosom of domestic happiness. This, however, was not to continue. In some of those broils, whether civil or foreign which are the undying worm in the peace of a fallen land, the good Italian was a sufferer amongst many. He lost his all ; and after the pass- ing of the storm, found himself preserved alone ainid the wreck of fortune, friends, family, and home. The convent in which the bells, the chefs- d'oeuvre of his skill, were hung, was razed to the earth, and the bells carried away into another land. The unfortunate owner, haunted by his memories, and deserted by his hopes, became a wanderer over Europe. His hair grew gray, and his heart withered, before he again found a home and a friend. In this desolation of spirit, he formed the resolution of seeking the place to which those treasures of his memory had been finally borne. He sailed for Ireland— proceeded up the Shannon ; the vessel anchored in the Pool, near Limerick, and he hired a small boat for the purpose of landing. The city was now before him ; and he beheld St. Mary's steeple lifting its turretted head above the smoke and mist of the old town. He sat in the stern, and looked fondly towards it. It was an evening so calm and beautiful, as to remind him of his own native home in the sweetest time of the year — the death of the spring. The broad stream ap- peared like one smooth mirror, and the little vessel glided through it with almost a noiseless expedition. On a sudden, amid the general stillness, the bells tolled from the Cathedral; the rowers rested on their oars, and the vessel went forward with the impulse it had received. The old Italian looked towards the city, crossed his arms on his breast, and lay back in his seat; home, happiness, early recollections, friends, fapiily— all were in the sound, and went with it to his heart. When the rowers looked round, they beheld him with his face still turned toward the cathedral, but his eyes were closed, and when they landed— they found him cold ! THE POWER OF TRUTH AND SINCERITY.— Let him who would move and convince others, be first moved and convinced himself. Horace's rule, Si vis me flere, is applicable in a wider sense than the literal one. To every poet, to every writer, we might say,-— be true, if you would be believed. Let a man but speak forth with genuine earnestness the thought, the emotion, the actual condition, of his own heart; and other men, so strangely are we all knit together by the tie of sympathy, must and will give heed to him. In culture, in e- xtent of view, we may stand above the speaker, or below him ; but, in either case, his words, if they are earnest and sincere, will find some re- sponse within ns : for, in spite of all casual varieties in outward rank, or inward, as face answers to face, so does the heart of man to man.— Edinburgh Review. The first Ode which Pye wrote, after his elevation to the Laureatsbip, was perfectly rural,— abounding in groves, warbling songsters, & c., and some wag happily applied to it the nursery quartrain :—• And when the Pye was opened, The birds began to sing. Oh ! was not that a dainty dish To set before a king. USEFULNESS OF ROOKS AND SPARROWS.— An ex- tensive experiment appears to have been made in some of the agricultural districts on the Continent, the result of which has been the opinion that farmers do wrong in destroying rooks, jays, sparrows, and, indeed, birds in general, on their farms, particularly where there are orchards. In our own country, on some very large farms in Devonshire, the proprietors determined, a few summers ago, to try the result of offering a great reward for the heads of rooks, but the issue proved destructive to the farms, for nearly the whole of the crops failed for three successive years ; and they have since been forced to import rooks and other birds to re- stock their farms with.- Yarrell's History of British Birds, Cherubini, when Director of the Conservatoire, after having had an interview with the Duke op some matter of importance relative to its affairs, had to give his opinion on the subject, after taking it into consideration. " My dear Master," said the Prince, " I shall be at the opera tonight, and you shall then tell me what you think on this matter." In the evening Cherubini felt unwell and unable to go out. He, therefore, wrote a letter, and desired one of his servants to deliver it to the Prince's aide- de- camp. The messenger repaired to the opera house, was shown to the Prince's box, in which he found a gentleman sitting by himself. " Are you his Royal Highness's aide- de- camp ?" " Yes," said the Duke, smiling. After having read Clierubini's letter, the Duke looked at the messenger, in whose physiognomy he was struck with a whimsical expression of discontent. " You are in M. Clierubini's service 1" " Yes, Sir." " Don't you like your place ?" " oil, yes, Sir; I should like it very well, but un- luckily I have no taste for Music." " What, you are a musician, then ?" " No, but I make notes." " Make notes !" " Yes, A's and B's. I am condemned to be eter- nally making notes. I wish I had something else to do." The curtains rose and the box filled, with company. The old domestic took his leave ; but the Duke, much amused, and somewhat curious, did not forget the conversation. " M. Cherubini," he said, some days afterwards to tie composer, " why do you employ your servant in making notes ?" " What, your Royal Highness-- has he been talk- ing to you ?" " Yes; but what is the meaning of so odd an employment?" " Why, my Lord, this old servant of mine is very useful to me. I don't compose at the pianoforte ; I write at my table, and have somebody at the piano to touch for me any note that I call for. It's the old Italian method." " Vastly well," said the Prince, laughing; " but why choose this old man for a duty which he by no means seems to relish ?" Why, your Royal highness, ' tis the lex talionis. When this old fellow and I first met, it was in the stirring times of the ninety three. We musicians were forced to teach the people patriotic songs. My worthy friend, who had a voice like a bear, made me play the Marseillaise to him for eight days. S > I swore to be revenged if I could ever find an op- portunity." " And you have found it?" said the Prince. " Yes ; it so happened that, fifteen years afterwards, he applied to me to take him into service. Aba, said I, comrade, you forced me to accompany you when you had the upper hand ; so sit down there, and make notes for me when I want them." ' 1 he Prince was amused with the story; but, like a generous confidant, he got Cherubini to give his old domestic some em ploymentmore to his taste than his everlasting task of making notes. Craniology need excite no alarm in the minds of Christian believers. Physiology itself explodes the first principles on which it rests. With high preten- sions, this would- be science has not yet made good its standing in anatomy; and, if it had, it could not throw one single ray of light on the mystery of life or the phenomena of mind. The entire theory is a clumsy assumption, fit only to feed the vanity of charlatans, and afford jokes for the tea- table.— Ec- lectic Review. AN AGREEABLE CONTRAST.— If we look into the female mind, we shall find virtues of a brighter hue, though not of the same colours, of which we boast. We have greater depth of investigation ; they, greater acuteness of perception. Our strength of mind is compensated by their liveliness. If we have more courage to brave danger, they have far more fortitude to meet distress. Our eloquence has more force; theirs has more persuasion. Their virtues are feminine, but as substantial and as useful as ours. You never hear women rail against the married state as unmarried men frequently do. Gentleness and forbearance are so sweetly tempered and mingled in their constitutions, that they bear the hardships of their lot, however peculiarly severe it may be, without repining, or levelling a satire against such as are, by the generality of their sex, regarded as more fortunate- — 77ie Ettrkk Shepherd. 2 THE HALIFAX FREE PRESS. SOUTHERN AFRICA. Moffat's " Missionary Labours and Scenes in Southern Africa," is a volume of most thrilling interest; and presents an appalling picture of the wretched condition of the people amongst whom he lias laboured, as a missionary, for nearly a quarter of a century. In one of his journeys, he reached a wide" spread scene of, desolation, and asked one of his attendants how it came to pass. The weary native, who had just sat down, started to his feet, and burst forth in the following strain of impassioned narrative:— " I, even I, beheld it!" and paused, as if in deeo thought. " There lived the great chief of multitudes. He reigned among them like a king. He was the chief of the blue- coloured cattle. They were numerous as the dense mist on the mountain brow; his flocks covered the plain. He thought the number of his warriors would awe his enemies. His people boasted in their spears, and laughed at the cowardice of such as had fled from their towns. ' I shall slay them, and hang up their shields on my bill- Onr race is a race of warriors. Who ever subdued our fathers ? They were mighty in combat. We still posstss the spoils of ancient times. Have not our dogs eaten the shields of I heir nobles'? The vultures shall devour the slain i, t our enemies.' Thus they sang, and thus they danced, till they beheld on yonder heights the approaching foe. The noise of their song was hushed in night, and their hearts were filled with dismay. They saw the clouds ascend from the plains. It was the smoke of burning towns. The confusion of a whirlwind was in the heart of the great chief of the blue- coloured cattle. This shout was raised, " They are friends;' but they shouted again, ' They are foes ;' till their near approach proclaimed them naked Matabele. The men seized their arms, and rushed out, as if to chase the antelope. The onset was as the voice of lightning, and their spears as the shaking of a forest in the autumn storm. The Matabele lions raised the shout of death, and flew upon their victims. It was the shout of victory. Their hissing and hollow groans told their progress among the dead. A few moments laid hundreds on the ground. The clash of shields was the signal of triumph. Our people fled with their cattie to the top of yonder mount. The Jvlatubele entered the town with the roar of the lion ; they pillaged and fired the houses, speared the mothers, and cast their infants to the flames. The sun went down. The victois emerged from the smokingplain, and pursued their course, surrounding the base of yuuder hill. They slaughtered cattle ; they danced and sang till the dawn of day ; they ascended, and killed till their bauds were weary of the spear." Stooping to the ground on which we stood, he took up a little dust in his band; blowing it off, and holding out his naked palm, he added, " That is all that remains of' the great chief of the blue- coloured rattle 1" It is impossible for me to describe my feelings while listening to this descriptive effusion of native eloquence ; and I afterwards embraced oppor- tunities of « riting it down, of which the above is only an abridgement. I found also from other aborigines that his was no fabled song, but merely a compendious sketch of the catastrophe. We extract, from the same volume, the following account of an adventure with > a lion :— A man belonging to Mr. Schmelen's congregation, at Bethany, returning homewards from a visit to Lis friends, took a circuitous course in order to pass a small fountain, or rather pool, where he hoped to kill an antelope to carry home to his family. The sun had risen to some height by the time he reached the spot, and seeing no game, lie laid his gun down on a shelving low rock, the back part of which was covered over with a species of dwarf thorn- bushes He went to the water, took a hearty drink, and re- turned to the rock, smoked his pipe, and being i little tired fell asleep. In a short time the heat reflec- ted from the rock awoke him, and opening his eyes, he saw a large lion crouching before him, with its eyes glaring in his face, and within little more than a yard of his feet. He sat motionless for some minutes till lie had recovered his presence of mind, tlief eyeing his gun, moved his hand slowly towards it; the lion seeing him, raised its head, and gave a tremendous roar; he made another and another attempt, but the gun being fur beyond his reach, he gave it up, as the lion seemed well aware of his object, and was en- raged whenever he attempted to move his hand His situation now became painful in the extreme the rock on which he sat became so hot that he could scarcely bear his naked feet to touch it, and kept moving them, alternately placing one above the other. The day passed, and the night also, but the lion never moved from the spot; the sun rose again, and its in- tense heat soon rendered his feet past feeling. At noon the lion rose and walked to the water, only a few yards distant, looking behind as it went, lest the man should move, and seeing him stretch out his baud to take his gun, turned in a rage, and was on the point of springing upon him. The animal went to the water, drank, and returning, lay down again at the edge of the rock. Another night passed; the man, in describing it, said he knew not whether he slept, but if he did, it must have been with his eyes open, for he always saw the lion at his feet. Next day, in the forenoon, the animal went again to the water, and while there, he listened to some noise apparently from an opposite quarter, and disappeared in the bushes. The man now made another effort, and seized his gun ; but on attempting to rise, he fell, his ankles being without power. With his gun in his hand, he crept towards the water, and drank, but looking at his feet, he saw, as he expressed it, his ' toes roasted,' and the skin torn off with the grass. There lie . sat a few moments, expecting the lion's return, when he was resolved to send the contents of the gun through its head : but as it did not- appear, tying his gun to his back, the poor man made the best of his way on his hands and knees, to the nearest path, hoping some solitaryindividual might pass. Hecouldgono farther, when, providentially, a person came up, who took him to a place of safety, from whence he obtained help, though he lost bis toes, and was a cripple for life. STANZAS WRITTEN IN A YOUNG LADY'S ALBUM. I will not pen a foolish strain, Of cruel lips and killing eyes; A lover's woes I will not feign, NOIJ heave pretended sighs : But, Sarah Anne, on this fair page, I write the wish sincere, That all thy steps, from youth to age. Faith, Hope, and Love may cheer. Be Faith in God thine anchor true; On Him thy burdens cast: Hope bear thee every trial through; And Love receive at last. Halifax. H. M. ANECDOTE OF BURKE.— It is well known that Surke, on his first debut in life, improved himself not a little under the banners and patronage of the Opposition ; for which purpose he was a constant frequenter of the various debates and disputations held at the house of one Seacocke, a baker, but who j notwithstanding his situation in life, was gifted with such a vein of eloquence, that he was unanimously constituted perpetual president of the famous Dispu- ting Society held at the Robin Hood, near Temple Bar. On a certain memorable occasion in the House of Commons,— Burke, exclaiming " Iquit the camp,'' suddenly left the Opposition benches, and, going over to the Treasury side, thundered a violent phi - lippie against his former friends and associates Sheridan concluded a spirited reply to that unlooked- for attack nearly in the following words: " That gentleman, to use his own expression, has quitted the campbut he will recollect he has quitted it as a de- serter, and I sincerely hope he will never return as a spy : but 1, for one [ he continued] , cannot sympathize in the astonishment with which so flagrant an act of apostacy has electrified the House, for neither I nor that gentleman have forgotten from whom he has borrowed those weapons which he now uses against us. So far therefore from being astonished at that gentleman's present tergiversation, I consider it not only characteristic, but consistent; for it is but natural that he who, on his first starting in life should commit so gross a blunder as to tro to a baker's for his eloquence, should conclude such a career by coming to the House of Commons for his bread." OLD ENGLISH JUSTICE.— Till the reign of Anne no person accused of felony could produce witnesses on oath. Juries were punishable if they gave a false verdict against the king, but could give a false verdict against a prisoner with impunity. No counsel were allowed in treason and felony ; till, in 1696, after a struggle through seven sessions, the rule was depar- ted from in the case of treason. It is hardly neces- sary to remark, that all these barbarities were pertinaciously defended by the Judges and leading Lawyers of the day, and that every improvement has ' iterally been crammed down the throats of these faithful depositaries of the wisdom of our ancestors. INDIAN SHREWDNESS.— I recollect very well an Indian called Bravo, who was accused at Pomasqui of having stolen the mule which he had brought from the valleys to the eastward of Quito, laden with fruit. At the moment the accusation was laid before the Alcalde, the Indian threw his poncho or mantle over the head of the mule, aud then desired the challenger to say of which eye bis mule was blind. He answered 0f the left. Then, said the Indian, taking off the poncho, this mule cannot be yours, because it is blind of neither.— Stevenson's South America. FASHIONABLE HOURS.— The Duchess of Gordon sent Mr. Pitt an invitation to a dinner party, at nine o'clock in the evening; and received, in reply, a note expressing Mr. Pitt's " sorrow at not being able to avail himself of her Grace's invitation, as he was engaged to supper with the Bishop of Lincoln, at the same hour," EPIGRAM. A Correspondent, something new Transmitting, signed himself " X. Q, " The Editor his letter read, Aud begged he might be " X. Q. Z." It has been well remarked by an old writer, that " nothing softeneth the arrogance of our nature like a mixture of some frailties. It is by them we are told that we must not strike too hard on others, because we ourselves do so often deserve blows: they pull onr rage by the sleeve, and whisper gentleness to us in our censures, even when they are rightly applied." RICH AND POOR.— The man who possesses a hundred a year, and lives within his income, is rich ; while he who possesses a thousand a year, and exceeds his income, is poor. A wag, hearing that a lady had shed torrents of tears, coolly observed that she must havehadaeatooci in each eye. AN ENTHUSIAST.— John Foy Vaillant, better known ws a medallist than a physician, was, like most collec- tors, enthusiastic in the pursuit; and is reported to have swallowed six ounces of medals to secure them from the Algerines, when once in danger of being captured. The wind, however, shifting in his favour he got safely on shore, when beginning to be incom- moded by bis indigestible curiosities, he consulted two physicians, who were puzzled by the singularity of his case. Nature relieved him from time to time"; and, as he found himself in possession of his treasures, he explained with much pleasure to his friends such as had already arrived, as well as those he expected. A valuable Otbo was the last that came to hand. When the Earl of Wharton was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Somers wrote to him, warmly re- commending Swift to immediate advancement. His Excellency replied,—" O my Lord, we must not pre- fer or countenance such a fellow ; we have not character enough ourselves ! A person told Lord Chesterfield that he had drunk six bottles of wine. " That," said his Lordship, " is more than I can swallow." There is an excellent moral in the following— " John, fetch me a pitcher of water." " Not my business, Sir." " Right; harness the horses, and drive Stephen to the pump." A WORTHLESS ARTICLE.— A fellow of atrocious ugliness chanced to pick up a looking- glass on his road ; but when he looked at himself, he flung it away in a rage, crying, ' Curse you, if you were good for any thing you would not have been thrown away by your owner.' Some lines of Petrarch seem to settle the dispute respecting the antiquity of vines in England. " The English," says he, " drink nothing but beer and cider ; the Flemish drink liydromel ; each of these countries is so far distant from those in which vines grow, that the people cannot afford to purchase wine." Professor Porson, whose powers of recollection, es- pecially with reference to the works of Shakespeare, were without a rival, was equally well read in the Poets which preceded the great Bard, and often de- lighted in pointing out his plagiarisms or imitations. Porson constantly quoted the following passage from Sir William Alexander's ( afterwards Lord Sterline) Tragedy of Darius, as superior to Shakespeare's imi- tation of it in that celebrated passage in the Tempest, inscribed on bis monument in Westminster Abbey. Darius was originally published in 1603, and the Tempest in 1623. Let greatness of her glassy scepters vaunt. Not scepters, no, hut reeds, soon bruis'd, soon broken; And let this worldly pomp our wits enchant, All fades, and scarcely leaves behind a token. These golden palaces, those gorgeous halls. With furniture superfluously fair, Those stately courts, those sky- encount'ring walls, Evanish all like vapours in the air. Lord Sterline's play was written before the death of Queen Elizabeth, 2 THE HALIFAX FREE PRESS. ( FOE THE HALIFAX FREE PRESS.) DENNIS. A Dramatic Fragment, founded on an incident in the Halifax Gibbet Law. BY THOMAS CROSSLEY. SCENE I. A barricadoed room in the Bailiff's house. Dennis, under sentence of death, alone. Time— Morning. ' Tis morn at last, and I am glad it is ! Oh ! what a night of horrors I have pass'd ! A night of dreams, worse than realities ! Methought the hour was come, and I was led, Amid a yelling mob, guarded with men Of savage aspect: spear and curtal- axe Gleam'd in the morning sunbeams ;— I was led, Without a prospect of escape, to death ! Rude music met my ear,— the surpliced priest Drawl'd his unheeded prayers ; I could not list. I saw the fatal blade hung high in air, And all the implements of death prepar'd. My head was plac'd upon the massy block— Oh ! at this moment how my senses reel'd ! The signal then was given,— the glittering axe Came whistling downward in its narrow groove! It smote, and instant decollation came ! I felt the life- blood gush from out my veins ! Death- tremors woke me ! Still, O God, I liv'd 1 The moon was peering thr ® ' my prison- pane, Ai) d all was still and solemn as the grave ! Again I slept, when lo, a vision came Less horrid than the last, tho' fearful still. I to my final earthly doom once more Was by strange men conducted thro' the crowd; But many pitied me, and plann'd my rescue. Anon, I felt a giant's grasp upon me, He dragg'd me from my armed guards, and cried Escape from Hardwick forest! speed thee well! I fled, and, favour'd by the waning moon, Soon left the scene of terror far behind— A miracle indeed! ( The door of the prison is suddenly unbolted, and enter Bailiff.) BAILIFF. Thy time is almost come; art ready, Dennis, To suffer for thy crime ? Dost own the justice Of thy sad sentence— ne'er to be revoked ? DENNI9, Good Bailiff, I'm prepar'd ; but Oh ! one boon. One dying boon 1 at thy hands would crave;— Not as a murderer let me be gyved As I move on to meet the fatal axe. I will walk calmly, guarded right and left By thy brave spearmen. Oh ! my time is short! And the few moments which I have to breathe In this sad world,— this bitter vale of tears, I would my hands unmanacled and free Lift up to heaven, in holy faith the while, And crave forgiveness of the King of kings, For past transgressions! Grant me this, I pray! BAILIFF. I've heard thy midnight prayer, when none beside O'erheard:— I wis thou art a penitent:— Thou'st no desire to live,— thou'rt reconciled T, o thy sad fate. I grant thy poor request. Enter Bailiff's Assistants. ASSISTANT. The time is come, good bailiff 1 Here we bring The manacles to bind the wretch withal. BAILIFF. Let us conduct him to the fatal block Free and unfetter'd; ' tis his last desire. Much grief hath made him gentle as a lamb Led to the slaughter. Move on. ( Exeunt.) For see their cudgels deal no gentle blows ;— This in defiance of authority, Of law, of order, of our solemn duty ! But Where's the culprit ? ASSISTANTS. He's ta'en advantage of this strange affray— We fear he hath escaped. BAILIFF. Escaped! by heaven, My office then is forfeited at once Pursue ! ring the alarm bell! Off, ye guards ! The captor shall from me have high rewards! ( Exeunt.) SCENE III. Clark- bridge. Dennis observed passing over in great haste, and is accosted by a countryman. COUNTRYMAN. What haste, my friend ? Is't not the day that Dennis suffers 1 DENNIS. I trow not! COUNTRYMAN. A dryish answer, ' faith ! albeit untrue ! What means this fellow, at no packhorse speed, Thus hurrying from the spot which others seek ? Maybe, he has no taste for executions! ( Officers arrive, followed by the Mob.) BAILIFF. A fair escape, by Jove ! he's off, my friends! He's cross'd the bridge,— our jurisdiction ends; Pursuit were vain amid forbidden grounds- Here Hardwick forest hath its lawful bounds; Then let him dwell with desperate, outlaw'd men, Tenant the cavern, or the robber's den; But should he here return in after- times, His head shall be the forfeit of his crimes ! OUR SCRAP BOOK. 1A thing of Shreds and Patches." SCENE II. Crown Street. A great Mob. MOB. Hurra! here comes the culprit! in his look Is villany inborn! Off with his head !— Sueh peculators were unfit to live !— The spoiler of our honest industry 1 — The vile incendiar y of the moors !— Two- sworded Justice claims the wretch's life 1— The midnight ruffian— how he scowls withal !— I'll warrant all his worthless life has been One course of villany! On to the block! Hurra! ( A few of Dennis'friends in the crowd, one of whom speaks.) Be not too rash, my friends ; look at the evidence On which his sentence rests— how poor! how pitiful! Who would believe the perjured Haddington ? ( A viliain more deserving death than he,) And the frith- burghers— interested men! Pack'd, bribed; and reckless of a mortal's life; Many of whom are your oppressers too ! But grant that he is guilty, does the deed Deserve the bitter punishment of death ? He had a home, a home for him no more ! He was industrious, but spite of toil Poverty still made inroads to his cot. Temptation offer'd in an evil hour;— He filch'd— but. ah ! how pitiful the theft, Scarce equal to a peck of barley- meal 1 His wife, alas 1 is gone to her long home ; With hunger, trouble, grief, outworn at last, She rests in peace ! But ask ye, O my friends, Where are his breadless, houseless, naked children, Poor wretched outcasts, doom'd to beggary. Whom, you'll admit, at least, are innocent ? Ye are not dead to infant eloquence !— Behold them here ! their little hands u< prais'd To heaven in prayer, and sobbing bitterly With more than childish grief, " O save my father !" ( Holds up the weeping children to the crowd.) ( A. murmur runs thro' the crowd, and another of Dennis' friends whispers.) Thou'st wrought upon their feelings;— now's the time For desperate rescue! ( Great tumult.) BAILIFF. What means this uproar,— this untimely broil ? I challenge peace in good King Charles' name ! Now, at your peril, rebels, persevere In this your lawless riot; hear ye me ? Now, beadle, do thy duty, clear the way !— Down with those So'rby traitors, halbertmen I ANTIPATHIES TO ANIMALS.— Some of these are accountable, as depending upon form ; others pro- foundly mysterious in the why and wherefore. Many ladies fall into hysterics at the approximation of a spider. Snakes are generally objects of fear, rather than antipathy, from the deadly power which some of the species possess ; but why a beautiful lizard, a sleek mouse, or a rat, should be objects of antipathy, it is difficult to conjecture: elegant in form, and harmless, they might at least be looked upon with com- placency. The sight of a rat has been kno-. vn to throw even the male sex into convulsions. Claude Prosper Juliot de Crebillon, a name conspicuous in the annals of French literature, was confined in the Bastile in pursuance of the caprices of one of the Bourbon satraps, who often shut up in dungeons the men of the age most conspicuous for talent, and who were known to promulgate unsavoury truths. One night Cre- billon felt what he thought to be a cat reposing by his side in bed : glad of such a companion in that maison de silence, where, to many a prisoner, " hope never came," he stretched out his hand to caress it but it ran away. The following day, when seated at his dinner, he saw, through the " darkness visible' of his cell, an animal squatted, vis a vis, on his table, and was soon able to perceive that it had a long slender tail, and was not a cat, which at first he imagined it to be, but an enormous rat. He had an excessive antipathy to rats, and springing from his seat, cried aloud with terror, and over- turned his table; the noise brought in a turnkey, who found him pale, and nearly senseless, and it was a long time ere he recovered himself. This animal had been the com- panion of a preceding prisoner, who had tamed it; and so well did the horrible solitude of the Bastile operate in removing the antipathy of Crebillon to these creatures, that at length lie became reconciled to its company, and even shared his provisions with it. The case of Crebillon may serve as a useful hint for effecting the cure of most other antipathies to animals. SUITABLE REPROOF.— Swift used to say of his uncle, that he had only given him " the education of a dog," on which Archdeacon Whittingham once told him, and told him justly, that he failed to have the gratitude of that faithful animal. No man, it has been said, is a hero to his valet. and this is probably true ; but the fault is at least as likely to be the valet's as the hero's : for it is certain that, to the vulgar eye, few things are wonderful that are not distant. It is difficult for men to believe that the man,— the mere man whom they see, nay perhaps painfully feel, toiling at their side through the poor jostlings of existence, can be made of finer clay than themselves.— Edinburgh Review. Sir William Temple says, " a man has but these four things to choose out of— to exercise much, to be very temperate, to take physic, or be sick." A celebrated artist used to say that he liked " to converse with a man with whom he could swap an idea." Assuredly, ideas are not commodities in which every body deals. " If you were to fall from the top of that church," said a gentleman to an Irish labourer, " what would you fall against, Paddy ?" " What would I fall agen, your honour ?" exclaimed Paddy. " I'd fall agen my will'." ORIGIN OF THE VEIL.— The origin of the veil is referred by the Greeks to modesty and bashfulness properties which partake equally of timidity. They used to tell a pleasant story on this subject, for which we are indebted to Pausanias. About thirty miles from the city of Sparta, Icarius placed a statue of Modesty for the purpose of perpetuating the following incident:— Icarius, having married his daughter to Ulysses, solicited his son- in- law to fix his household in Sparta, and remain there with his wife, to which Ulysses would not consent. Frustrated in his appli- cation to the husband, he made the like request to his daughter, conjuring her not to abandon him ; but seeing her ready to depart with Ulysses for Ithaca, he redoubled his efforts to detain her, nor could he be prevailed on to desist from following the chariot on the way. Ulysses, shocked at the desperate situation of his father- in- law, and wearied with his importu- nities, addressed his wife: " You can best answer this request; it is yours to determine whether you will remain with your father at Sparta, or depart with your husband for Ithaca; you are mistress of the decision." The beautiful Penelope, finding herself in this dilemma, blushed, and without making the least reply, drew her veil over face, thereby intima- ting a denial of her father's request, and sank into the arms of her husband. Icarius, being very sensibly affected by this behaviour, and being desirous of transmitting it to posterity by the most durable monument, consecrated a Statue to Modesty on the very spot where Penelope had thrown the veil over her face, that, after her, it might be a universal symbol of delicacy with the fair sex. POSTAGE OF LETTERS.— The Postage of Letters, so essential to the purposes of commercial intercourse, was first established in the short reign of Richard the Third. The plan was originally formed in the reign of his brother Edward, when stages were placed at the distance of 20 miles from each other in order to procure Edward the earliest intelligence of the events that passed in the course of the war with the Scots - out Richard commanded in the expedition, and it was principally to his sagacity and talents that the merit o' the post ought to be attributed, particularly as during his reign it was established over the principal pait of the Kingdom.— Therevenue of the Post- Office in the reign of Queen Anne was only £ 60,000 : in 1761 it was £ 142,4000 ; in 1769, £ 300,000 ; in 1794 £ 445,600; in 1800, £ 745,000 ; in 1806, £ 1,108,840 • and in 1813, £ 1,414,224.— From the year 1730 to 1790, the post was only transmitted three times a week from Edinburgh to London ; and one day it brought but a single letter, which was for Sir Wm. Pulteney, the banker : in 1790 the letters from Edin- burgh averaged 1200 daily. The remittances from Scotland to the post- office, in the ten years preceding 1770, only averaged £ 9,500 ; but from the year 1790 to 1800, the annual average amounted to £ 51,500.— The Twopenny Post- Office was established in 1683. It was originally planned by a Mr. Povey, author of the now obsolete pamphlet, " The Virgin of Eden, with the Eternity of Hell Torments." He formed the design of conveying letters by messengers to different parts of the City and its environs : for some time he executed his plan with much approbation, and was distingushed by the title of the " Halfpenny Car rier." rlhe Ministers finding the plan too luc- rative for a private subject, laid an injunction on the inventor, restraining liim from carrying it on any any longer; and, without giving him any compensa- tion, took into their own hands. ANECDOTE OF SHERIDAN.— Whitbread, one even^ ing, at Brookes's, talked loudly and largely against the Ministers, for laying what was called the war tax upon malt: every one present, of course, concurred wilh him in opinion; but Sheridan could not resist the gratification of a hit against the brewer himself. He took out liis pencil, and wrote upon the back of a letter, the following lines, which he handed to Whitbread, across the table :— They've raised the price of table drink: What is the reason, do you think ? The tax on malt's the cause, I hear ; But what has ptalt to do with beer ? A man who has a disposition to be witty on every subject and on every occasion, is as disagreeable, in company, as a man with spurs on is in a crowd. HALF MOURNING.— A little girl, hearing her mother say that she was going into " half mourning," inquired whether any of her relations were " half dead!" HALIFAX:— Printed and Sold, for the Proprietors, at the General Printing Office of H. Martin, Upper George Yard; and may be bought at any shop where it is to be sold. Letters to the Editors should be received at our pub- lisher's, by Wednesday evening, at latest; and advertisements by noon on Thursday. No credit will be given, eilher for the paper or for adver- tisements.
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