Page images
PDF
EPUB

OR,

Sketch Book of the Times.

"I pencilled things I saw, and profited by things I heard."-LETTER OF A WALKING GENTLEMAN.

VOL. I.-No. 3.

[ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
[graphic]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

gais

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

THE above is a representation of the Great support the King on his right, whilst official Seal of England. The allego- Wisdom, Strength, and Plenty, are no rical figures introduced in the foreground, less assiduous to his left. The throne, it as well as those on the right and left of will be perceived, is guarded by the the King, represented sitting on his British Lion, crouching at the foot of the Throne, are illustrative of the component Sovereign, whilst Britannia stands in an parts of the State. Peace and Justice attitude of proud defiance, keeping the

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

The

enemies of her country at bay.
Crest and Arms of England, encompassed
by the noble Order of the Garter, with its
ancient and celebrated motto, "Honi soit
qui mal y pense," form a striking feature
in the centre, and gives to the Seal a grand
and imposing appearance. The whole

is encircled by the words GULIELMUS IV. D. G. BRITANNIARUM. F. D. Sept. 8, 1831.

In the time of King John, the Seal was considered as the most important attestation to a deed, as may be seen in the charters of Henry III., which were sealed with the impresses of Cardinal Gualo, the Legate, and William Marshall, the Protector; the Great Seal of John having been lost with all his treasure, in the washes of Lincoln, and his son had no new Seal until two years afterwards.

Seals appear to have been little used by the Anglo-Saxons, and were probably not required to authenticate an instrument. Even after the Norman invasion, also, they seem to have made but little progress. Since, William I. frequently confirmed his charters by a cross, and until the reign of Henry II., the use of Seals hardly extended beyond the greater

Barons.

In the time of Edward I., seals had multiplied to so great a degree, that every freeman, and even the higher sort of villains had their distinct devices, armorial ensigns being used upon them in the twelfth century, about the time of the crusade under Richard I.; the earliest instance being said to be a Seal of King John when Earl of Montaigne. But during this period, the custom of signing had almost entirely disappeared, and the English Sovereigns authenticated their charters by their Seals only, until the time of Richard II., when royal signatures, called Signs Manual, from being written by the King's own hand, came into use.

HAPPINESS.

MATRIMONIAL CORRESPON

DENCE.

THE following epistles are copied from a
New York Paper of 1822. The decided
abhorrence evinced by the gentleman to
slave property commends it to our co-
lumns.

Philadelphia, June 5, 1822.
"A Lady, who has had many suitors in her
time, and who has been, perhaps not unjustly,
charged with fickleness and want of just discri-
mination, feels conscious now of the value in
the loss of time, and is indelibly impressed with
the conviction, that the present life is but as a
vapour; she would therefore willingly remedy
past listlessness, by availing herself of the first
honourable offer, and not refuse being allied as
consort to a gentleman of good repute.
"Hitherto (and at present) her orb and
sphere of action has been among the wealthiest;
but riches, she is aware, does not produce
talent, although it affords leisure to cultivate
it; and, as her property is amply sufficient to
afford every comfort, elegance, and luxury of
life, having funds to the southward, exceeding
two hundred thousand dollars (independent of
what she has at her disposal in this State) her
chief wish and desire is to be united, as before
observed, to a gentleman. This term, however,
though precise and definite to her, may not be
generally so, where the title is claimed by the
throng; she does not mean such gentlemen as
compose the multitude or canaille, or, as for-
merly understood, a man of pedigree or ancestry,
but a man of mental accomplishments; or, in
other words, a man of mind and manners. The
more and the better he is furnished, with re-
spect to the latter qualities, if blended with a
generous and social disposition, and the less en-
cumbered with that gold the world idolizes, the
more acceptable will he be to her, as she can
then avail herself of those feelings of grateful
mind; and which, though the verbal expression
recollection, inseparable from an honourable
is, and of right should be, withheld, is dis-
cernible in every look, word, and action. With
these qualifications, and limited in his devotion
to revelry, or the seductions of the table-
courteous and affable to ladies generally, but
affectionate only to herself, she will think, for
such an exchange, the transfer of her hand and
property the happiest event of her life. She

belief that the marriage state, when judiciously accomplished, is absolutely necessary to secure the highest degree of enjoyment which this world can afford, would gladly embrace the first favourable opportunity, to ally himself to a lady of mind and taste.

"Had Fortune favoured him with her bounty, he would prefer a union with a lady in opposite circumstances, because the ability to change the situation and render his partner, to the highest possible degree, happy, would be a constant source of the greatest mental enjoyment. But, being in poverty himself, he dreads the thought of joining his heart with one in like circumstances, from the uncertainty of being able to support her in a style consonant to her desires and any dissatisfaction on her part would be to him a source of pain and

regret.

"He is therefore induced to seek one, who, under the smiles of fortune, may possess funds sufficient to secure an income, that may equal the expenses of a sphere in which she may choose to move. Having seen your communication of the 5th inst., he has been waiting for your card, before addressing you; and he takes the liberty to request that you will no longer hide under the mask which Junius wore, but give your card; and to offer himself as a person give any description of his person or accomwho may suit your judgment and fancy. To plishments, would be useless, as you will see and judge for yourself, before you will surrender to him your hand and heart. He can, however, assure you, that he has been, and still is, admitted into the best society, and can procure abundant testimonials of his being a man of honourable feelings, blended with a social and generous disposition; and also, would express to you his firm belief, that the family circle is the purest source of human enjoyment. He would also very respectfully observe, that he must expect the lady to whom he would be united to possess the qualities which you have pointed out as requisite in the man of your blended with softness of temper and a feeling choice, particularly 'mental accomplishments,'

heart.

"You say, Madam, that you have funds to the southward, exceeding two hundred thousand dollars. If this immense possession should consist in whole or in part in Slaves, he would assure you, that a transfer of your property with your hand' could not be accepted by him; as the principle and practice of the Slave

ALL men pursue good, and would be presumes sufficient ideas have been traced, to holding States, as manifesed by their late

happy, if they knew how: not happy for minutes, and miserable for hours; but happy, if possible, through every part of their existence. Either, therefore, there is a good of this steady, durable kind, or there is not. If not, then all good must be transient and uncertain; and if so, an object of the lowest value, which can little deserve our attention or inquiry. But if there be a better good, such a good as we are seeking, like every other thing, it must be derived from some cause, and that cause must either be external, internal, or mixed, inasmuch as, except these three, there is no other possible. Now a steady, durable good, cannot be derived from an external cause; since all derived from externals must Auctuate. By the same rule, it cannot be derived from a mixture of the two, because the part which is external will proportionably destroy its essence. What then remains but the cause internal? the very cause which we have supposed when we place the sovereign good in mind-in rectitude

of conduct.

render the object and meaning of this communi-
cation intelligible; yet, as this public mode of
making her sentiments known, may not only be
condemned by the fastidious, whose opinion she
regards not, but by many who, but for their hy-
perbolical adulation in addressing her, would
be more regarded, she will not at this time give
her card; but as Junius, unknown as Junius,
intermixed with society, and heard himself
lauded or censured, so she will, in her round of
visits, learn whether, in a female, this mode
may be consonant to propriety or not.
she will in a few days direct where she may be
addressed by note; and to convince her it is
not, something more than the cold frigid
manners of the city must be urged, before the
enthusiastic feeling that originated this novel
mode shall be relinquished."

If it is,

[blocks in formation]

members in Congress, while it disregards the principles of morality and religion, and shocked the feelings of humanity, has cast a shade, of a dingy hue, over the principles of our happy Go

vernment. He would therefore observe to you emphatically, that he is a friend to freedom and the rights of humanity. He would, therefore, assure you, that he could not, under any consideration, ever consent to go farther south than Pennsylvania to reside, until the foul stain is eradicated by the benign and illuminating rays of the principles of the North-when the shackles of slavery shall be broken into atoms, and fair freedom shall prevail.

"DIOSCORIDES."

[merged small][ocr errors]

The duke of Orleans having met, in one of the hospitals which he visited, an old soldier of Napoleon's, who had been in all the Emperor's memorable campaigns, he approached him and said, taking him at the same time by the hand, "Brave man, I hope to see you soon cured. Old soldiers, like you, are too valuable to be"My Lord," said the old soldier, bluntly interrupting him, "when I was ill of the plague Jaffa, and the Emperor came to take my hand, * wear gloves."

"A gentleman of one of the learned pro-
fessions, after having laboured in the fields of
science for some years; the toils of which,
while it enricus
and refines the mind, at the
And impoverishes
the purse-finds himself at the comp
same time as surely drains
otion of
his literary pursuits (as it respects funds) at a
very low ebb; and, fully impressed with the he did ny.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"Facts-not fictions." iq ba med ved to ze COLONIAL ATROCITY.-Letter from Jamaica:-"There has been a lamentable and I fear in many instances an unnecessary waste of life during this rebellion courts martial, in such times, are not guided by very nice rules of evidence, as will be seen by our bloody records. But summary as are the proceedings of these courts, there are some who appear to have considered them much too tedious: several delinquents, or suspected delinquents, have been put to death in cold blood, without any manner of trial whatever! What will be thought of the poor negro woman's case who was in company with a body of Rebels when surprised by the Militia?

SHE HELD UP HER YOUNG
CHILD AS A SORT OF FLAG OF
TRUCE, AN APPEAL TO COM-
MON HUMANITY, THINKING THE
DEVICE MIGHT SAVE HER LIFE!

[ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors]

A Mr. W-was in the habit, not only of cruelly punishing his Negroes, but of beating his housekeeper, a mulatto woman who lived with him; and one day, being more than usually furious, he struck her with some weapon, and killed her on the spot. None but slaves were present, and one of them ran into a village, crying out "Massa has killed Missus, Massa has killed Missus." This gentleman, as he is there called, was, to the best of my recollection, brought to trial for it, but was not punished, for want of evidence! the testimony of slaves not being received.

A decent, free black man, a tradesman in Kingston, had lived with a female. slave, belonging to a white lady, and much desired to purchase her, that he might emancipate her, and marry her. He applied to the mistress, who demanded so great sum for her, that the poor fellow could not raise so much, even by selling all he had. The common price of

such a slave was then from 1001. to

SHE WAS IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT
DOWN BY A SHOT; and it was boast-1301. currency, but this lady asked for
ingly declared that the aim had been so
deliberately taken that although the
mother was killed on the spot, her child
was uninjured!

POETRY.

[graphic]

SONNET, TO WM. WILBERFORCE, Esq.
BY COWPER, APRIL 16, 1792.

Thy country, Wilberforce, with just disdain,
Hears thee by cruel men and impious call'd
Fanatic, for thy zeal to loose the enthrall'd
From exile, public sale, and slav'ry's chain.
Friend of the poor, the wrong'd, the fetter-
gall'd,

Fear not lest labour such as thine be vain.
Thou hast relieved a part, hast gained the ear
Of Britain's Senate to thy glorious cause;
Hope smiles, joy springs, and though cold
caution pause,

And weave delay, the better hour is near
That shall remunerate thy toils severe,

By peace for Afric, fenced with British laws:
Enjoy what thou hast won, esteem and love
From all the just on earth, and all the blest above.

[blocks in formation]

SECOND VOICE.

Or rests on the sod, while the turtles above
Repose on the bough that o'erhangs.

her 2001. ! she was, therefore, neither There the coney at evening disports with his love,
emancipated nor married; but she was
allowed to live on in the same wicked
way; and all her children would, of
course, be born to perpetual slavery.

An African, who was carried off as a
slave from the banks of the Senegal, re-
turned from the Havannah to Goree, The Public Advertiser of Jamaica
after an absence of thirty years, with a dated April 22nd, 1825, contains an ac-
very numerous family of children and count of the trial of a man, indicted for
grandchildren, daughters and sons-in- the wilful murder of a female slave. It
law, all free. The patriarch of this fa- appeared in evidence, that he was amus-
mily was very laborious and industrious; ing himself by discharging a loaded gun
and by the earnings of additional labour, through the window of his dwelling house.
beyond that required of him, as a trades- After a while, he proposed to one of his
man slave, he realized enough to purchase companions, firing it over an assemblage
his freedom, according to the Spanish of Negroes, which being declined, he
custom. He also redeemed those of his pointed out a Negro of his own, and pro-
family and connexions who were in bon- posed firing at him. This being also
dage; and being desirous to finish his declined by his companion, he seized the
days in the land of his fathers, and to gun, and discharged it. A female slave,
bring his descendants with him, he reached who was sitting in the crowd, was shot;
Goree with the whole, but there the and the melancholy event was soon an-
younger branches stopped. The sons, who nounced by the cries and lamentations of
knew no other country but the Havannah, her mother. The jury who tried this
and who were Spaniards in language, man brought in a verdict of manslaughter
habits, and modes of living, refused to with a recommendation to mercy. He
pass from Goree into the interior.-(Anti- was sentenced to twelve months' impri-
Slavery Magazine.)

sonment.

FIRST VOICE.

There darkness and dampness with poisonous

breath,

And loathsome decay fill the dwelling of death,
The trees are all barren and bare!

SECOND VOICE.

O soft are the breezes that play round the tomb,
And sweet with the violets wafted perfume,
With lilies and jessamine fair.

FIRST VOICE.

Would fain hurry by, and with tremulous fear

The pilgrim who reaches this valley so drear,

Beholds the fond hopes which we sever.

SECOND VOICE.

The traveller, outworn with life's troubles and toil,

Lays down his rude staff-forsakes grief and

turmoil,

And sweetly reposes for ever.

EPIGRAM, BY COWPER.
To purify their wine, some people bleed
A lamb into the barrel, and succeed;
No nostrum, planters say, is half so good
To make fine sugar, as a Negro's blood.
Now, lambs and Negroes both are harmless things
And thence perhaps this wondrous virtue springs.
'Tis in the blood of innocence alone-

Good cause why planters never try their own.

PARLIAMENTARY

CANDI

TDATES. The Agency Anti-Slavery Comliamentary Candidates on the Abolition of Colonial Slavery, before the 5th of October, when the schedules will be made up for the fourth number of "THE TOURIST," and the Provincial papers.

mittee are ready to recieve the opinions of Par

By order of the Committee of the Agency Anti-Slavery Society.

JOHN CRISP, Secretary.

18, Aldermanbury, Sept. 20.
Where may be had the following short papers,
at 4s per thousa nd.

No. 1. "A few Plain Questions to Plain Men."
2. "Common sense against Colonial Logic."
3. "Citizens and Fellow Countrymen."

4. "On Pledges from Parliamentary Can5. "Taxation in aid of Slavery the worst of

didates."

all tyranny."

6. "Why and Because applied to Negro Slavery."

-7. "£1,000,000!!!-Electors of the United

Kingdom."

8. "A scene in Real Life."

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

P. need not complain about the omission of his ad-
vertisement. We are obliged to him for the offer,
at the same time we wish it to be distinctly un-
derstood, that no favours from advertisers can
be admitted into the pages of THE TOURIST, un-
less they are of the most unexceptionable kind.
R. C. has our best thanks. We cordially accept his
proposition, but hint to him at the same time to
shape his communication like a middy's dirk-
sharp and pointed.
A Monthly Part, stitched in a Wrapper, price 6d.
will be published on the 8th inst.
We have to apologise to our readers for a stupid
and egregious error to which we gave publicity
in our last number. We copied from a work called
the "Doctor," an article on Irratibility,"
which recommended the reader to take ten drachms
of the tincture of foxglove, &c. A single dose is
enough to destroy the life of any man. It should
only have been ten drops at most. We will take
care how we call in the aid of the
again.

66

66

Doctor"

THE TOURIST.

MONDAY, OCTOBER, 1, 1832.

who have any doubt

Neverthe

settlements on due co of the Africa, any of much as the agents thereof, and its members who
tendency both to the free and of foras-
have petitioned the several legislatures, have
present state of things, to encourage the unequivocally declared its object, to wit, the ex-
Slave-trade, read a letter to the Com- termination of the free people of colour from the
mittee of the London Anti-Slavery So- Union; and to effect this they have not failed
Slave-trade, particularly that which exists all union with the said Society, and once for
ciety, on the present state of the African to slander our character, by representing us as
a vagrant race: and we do therefore disclaim
in the Colony of Sierra Leone; with all, declare that we never will remove under
copious extracts from the documents their patronage; neitherdo we think it e xpedi-
lately printed by order of the House of ent to emigrate anywhere, but to remain in the
land, and see the salvation of God.
Commons, under the head of "Slave-less, if any of our brethren should be compelled,
Trade,-Sierra Leone, 6th April, 1832." or see proper to emigrate, we would recommend
portant subject, and give but a small por-emotion of gratitude, the benevolence of Great
Fully to detail our views on this im- to them Upper Canada or Mexico.
"Resolved, That we view, with the highest
tion of the information which we possess Britain, and that of the Canada Company, in af-
on it, would occupy too much space, fording an asylum in the Wilberforce settlement,
and too much of our readers' atten- in Upper Canada, for our oppressed brethren of
tion. But we are so desirous of cor-
the South, who have been, or may be forced, by
recting the erroneous opinion which many home and place of nativity, without any cause
their unconstitutional laws, to leave their rightful
well-disposed persons entertain respecting except of having a dark skin.
the Colonization Society, that we cannot
well abstain from making the following
extract from a little tract on the subject,
lately published by Nath. Paul, a man of
colour, agent for the Wilberforce Settle-
ment, in Upper Canada, and who is now
in this country. This will give our
readers the opinion of the people of
colour, as expressed by themselves. The
following is copied from the LIBERATOR
newspaper, published at Boston, Decem-
ber the 17th, 1831.

[blocks in formation]

A CORRESPONDENT expresses surprise at
a statement which he lately read in one
of the public papers, respecting the pre-briety, notwithstanding there are some among us
sentation of a memorial to the Congress
to the contrary, as well as among the whites;
of the United States, from J. F. Buxton, statements made to the contrary by the Rev.
therefore, we do most solemnly declare, that the
Esq. M.P., Dr. Lushington, LL.D.,M.P., Mr. Crosby, in his late addresses in this city,
and Zach. Macauley, Esq. It is said this and all statements by petitioners to legislative
petition asked Congress to aid the Ame-bodies, and by the Colonization Society, or any-
riean Colonization Society, as an effectual
means of ultimately suppressing the Af-
rican Slave-trade, &c. Our correspon-
dent wishes to know if this statement is
correct. We are not able ourselves to
inform him-perhaps some of our friends
can furnish us with a reply. We will,
however, give our own sentiments of the
Colonization Society. We consider the
Colonization Society as so far from being
likely to aid in suppressing the Slave-
trade, or in abolishing Slavery, that it is
one of the most delusive and ingenious
devices ever contrived to deceive the
friends of the Negro, and will contribute,
in the degree in which it operates, to
continue the bondage of those who are
already in Slavery, and greatly to pro-
mote the African Slave-trade. Let those

[ocr errors]

"Resolved, Whereas we have lived peacably
and quietly in these United States of which we
are natives, and have never been the cause of
any insurrection or tumultuous movements as a
body, that we do not view every measure taken
by any associated bodies to remove us to other
climes, anti-christian and hostile to our peace,
and a violation of the laws of humanity.
ment our stay or Liberty can no longer be gran-
ted in the States in which we live, we see no-
thing contrary to the Constitution of these Uni-
ted States, or to Christianity, justice, reason,
western territory, as a State, with the same
or humanity, in granting us a portion of the
franchise as that of Penssylvania, New Jersey,
or any other free State; for we challenge the
Union to prove that, as free men we have ever
given the least ground for the uncharitable cen-
sures that have been cast upon us.

'Resolved, That if in the opinion of Govern

"Resolved, That we view the American Colonization Society as the most inveterate foe

"Resolved, That this meeting approve the esthe Annual Convention held in Philadelphia last tablishment of a College, as recommended by June, and that we give all possible aid to that institution.

"Resolved, That we view the Liberator,edited by William Lloyd Garrison, as a great herald in the coloured citizens of Trenton the utility of the cause of liberty, and that we recommend to subscribing to the above named Paper.

"Resolved, That there be a Committee of three appointed, to draft an address more expressive of our views on the above subject. "Resolved, That the following persons compose that Committee :-Sampson Peters, Robert Thomas, George Cole.

LEWIS CORK, Chairman, ABNER H. FRANCIS, Secretary.

The following is the Address referred to in the above Resolutions :

"We the undersigned, in conformity to the above appointment, beg leave to present to the public, in a calm, 'unprejudiced manner, our decided disapprobation of the American Colonization Society and its auxiliaries, in relation to the people of colour in the United States. We are well convinced, from the mass that has been written on the above subject by those who have preceded us, that it will be difficult to avoid repoints which have not been fairly understood by petition; nevertheless, we hope to touch some that Society. They have supposed that our objections are to civilizing and evangelizing Africa; but we beg leave to say, that this is an error. to effect this great object than to plant among the We are well aware that there is no surer way heathen, colonies consisting of Christian missionaries. We wish, therefore, to be understood, that we highly approve of the evangelizing of Africa, but disapprove of the present measures of the American Colonization Society, if their motives have not been misrepresented by their agents and others, in some previous addresses in this city and elsewhere. But, viewing them as we now do, we must say that, in our opinion, their false representations of our general character-their recommending our removal from our native land-their opposition to our having a part of the West appointed to us-their ob jections to our proposed college,and of our march

to science their false statements in relation to the health of the colony at Liberia, with a variety of other subjects of the same nature-all lead to a conclusion, that it is our greatest foe.

tions. First-Is the gospel of Jesus Christ cal"We would here ask the public a few quesculated to lead to insurrectionary measures? If so, why then send it to the heathen? SecondWhat gentleman, who has set his slaves free, ha been murdered by them for so doing? Third

What have those States, who have washed their hands clean of the cursed stain of slavery, lost by it? What neighbourhood, where education and ge

neral information have been disseminated among the people of colour, is the worse for it?

In the close of our remarks, we would say, that we do think that the subjects looked to by the Colonization Society, to civilize Africa, are incompetent; for we do suppose, that men selected for such an important enterprise, should be men of deep and sound piety-men of regular and industrious habits, of scientific knowledge and general experience; that such men can be obtained, we have no doubt; and if there cannot, let us first prepare some in this country.

SAMPSON PETERS,
ROBERT THOMAS,
GEORGE COLE,

[ocr errors]

Committee."

[merged small][graphic]

THE TREE OF DISSIPATION.

The

sin of

drunkenness

expels reason, drowns memory, distempers the body, defaces beauty, diminishes strength, corrupts the blood, inflames the liver, weakens the brain, turns men into walking hospitals, causes internal, external, and incurable wounds, is a witch to the senses, a devil to the soul, a thief to the pocket, the beggar's companion, a wife's woe, and children's sorrow-makes man become a beast and a self-murderer, who drinks to other's good health, and robs himself of his own!

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

Every weight ill-carried is increased in gravity; and as it is impossible to make human misery accommodate itself to our will, it is more prudent and less fruitless to strive to accommodate ourselves to human misery.

Time is like a creditor, who allows an ample space to make up accounts, but is inexorable at last. Time is 1tke a verb that can be used in the present tense. Time, well employed, gives that health and vigour to the soul, which rest and retirement give to the body. Time never sits heavily on us, but when it is badly employed. Time is a grateful friend-use it well, and it

never fails to make suitable requital.

The true spirit of religion cheers as well as composes the mind; it banishes indeed all levity of behaviour and dissolute mirth; but fills the mind with perpetual serenity, uninterrupted cheerfulness, and an habitual inclination to please others, and be pleased ourselves.

We are too apt in religious matters, to call the man who goes beyond us in belief a fanatic, and he who comes short of our creed an infidel; not reflecting, that He who is the light and the truth, sees not with our eyes, and judges not with our judgment.

Among the recent donations to King's College, we have been gratified to remark the valuable Herbaria, collected by the late Dr. John Sims, which is contained in four handsome cabinets, and has been presented to the botanical department of the museum by his liberal-minded relatives. The College has, we are informed, also supporters, to make the acquisition of probably been enabled, through the liberality of one of its the most complete collection of Parliamentary Records in the United Kingdom.

DUELLING.

EACH constitutes himself judge in his own case, at a time when pride or passion hides both truth and justice from their minds. The laws of God and men being set aside, the important question of right and wrong-of character and reputation is left to the decision of the best marksman. That duellists, who, nine times in ten, can strike a dollar, should, at the same distance, either miss their antagonists altogether, or that part of them at which they levelled, must be referred to want of self-possession. Conscious that they are doing wrong, their hands tremble, and carry the bullets aside from their aim; otherwise, the death of both parties would be much more common than it is.

A few duels are recollected as having taken place before the revolutionary war, and were often fought with swords. been much more frequent, and always During and since that period, they have with pistols. their folly is equal to their

guilt. They decide nothing-they neither innocence of the parties. The greatest prove the courage, the justice, nor the cowards may be urged on to fight duels, and the bravest men may, from a sense of duty to God and man, and from a conviction of their absurdity, refuse that Gothic mode of settling disputes. They occasionally rid the world of a fool, a madman, a gambler, a bully, or a blackguard; but sometimes deprive society of a worthy man, who, though possessed of many virtues, has not courage enough to follow his own convictions of duty; and who is so afraid of the imputation of cowardice, that he acts the part of a coward; for, induced by fear of the censure or ridicule of a misjudging world he deliberately does what his conscience condemns.

TO GIVE AN EXTRA POWER TO GUNPOWDER.

Mix four ounces of fresh quick lime well pulcommend this to sportsmen, particularly in weverised to one pound of powder, which may be preserved in any vessel closely shut. We re seasons, as pure powder is very apt to get dampt

« PreviousContinue »