A great Variety of

Children's Books

Neatly printed, and adorned with elegant Cuts, are ſold by T.C. CUSHING, at the Printing-Office in Salem—viz.

Little ROBIN RED-BREAST.
Memoirs of a PEGTOP.
The SUGAR-PLUMB; or, ſweet Amuſement for leiſure hours.
The JUVENILE BIOGRAPHER, containing the Lives of little Maſters and Miſſes.
Be MERRY and WISE; or, the Cream of the Jeſts, and the Marrow of Maxims, for the Conduct of Life.
The HOLY BIBLE abridged.
Hiſtory of little KING PIPPIN.
Hiſtory of GILES GINGERBREAD.
Hiſtory of TOM JONES.
Hiſtory of Maſter JACKEY and Miſs HARRIOT.
Hiſtory of CHARLES CAREFUL and HARRY HEEDLESS.
Mother GOOSE's Melody.
The Exhibition of TOM THUMB.
Tom Thumb's SONG BOOK.
The FATHER's Gift.
The MOTHER's Gift.
The BROTHER's Gift.
The SISTER's Gift.
Nurſe Truelove's NEW-YEAR's GIFT.
Death and Burial of COCK-ROBIN.
The ROYAL ALPHABET.
The HERMIT of the Foreſt, and the Wandering Infants.

Salem Mercury.

A CURIOUS IDEA.

Knowledge is attained with the greateſt difficulty; we have it not by intuition, but acquire it by many unſucceſsful trials and long experience. One gives a hint, and the other improves it; but prejudice and ignorance too often ſtand in the way: "That cannot be," or "I cannot believe that," has cruſhed many an uſeful project. How incredible did the recovery of drowned perſons appear at firſt! When the report reached England, that many abroad had been brought again to life, after laying under water ſome time, who gave it credit? But experience has ſince convinced us of its poſſibility.

Now, from the great ſucceſs attending the recovery of drowned perſons, I would offer a hint to the public, and leave it to be improved by them, reſpecting the recovery of thoſe who are mad, and given up as incurable.

When madneſs breaks forth, the firſt care of the phyſician is to reduce and keep his patient low, in order to check the velocity and whirl of his thoughts; and if poſſible to procure ſleep, by quieting the internal turbulency. If all his ſkill and efforts fail, ſuch a perſon is as much loſt to ſociety as if he were dead. Now if ſuch an one were plunged into water, and there kept until he was apparently dead, and was then recovered by the uſual methods (and of which recovery we have now a moral certainty) I am apt to believe we ſhould behold a perfect cure. There is, I own, ſomething ſhocking to nature in the experiment; but if the patient be already loſt, and dead to ſociety, why ſhould we heſitate a moment to make the trial, when the probability of ſucceeding is ſo flattering?

Salem Gazette, July 12, 1791.

At Washington, Hon. Joseph Pearson, Esq. (Federal Representative from N. Carolina), to Miss Eleanor Brent, daughter of Robt. Brent, Esq., Mayor of the city.— ☞ The greater part of the members, the next day, left the business of the nation to attend the punch drinking, so that the House adj'd at an early hour.

Dec. 13, 1811.

From the New-York Daily Advertiſer, May 10.

DESCRIPTION of CONNECTICUT.

Connecticut Courant, July 14, 1790.

"The conflict was dreadful, and the enemy was repulsed with considerable laughter."

"Robert Jones was yesterday brought before the sitting Magistrate, on a charge of having spoken reason at the Barleymow public-house."

"In consequence of the numerous accidents occasioned by skaiting on the Serpentine River, measures are taking to put a top to it."

"When Miss Leserve, late of Covent Garden Theatre, visited the 'Hecla,' she was politely drawn up the ship's side by means of a hair."

"At the Guildhall dinner, none of the poultry was eatable except the owls."

"A gentleman was yesterday brought up to answer a charge of having eaten a hackney-coachman for having demanded more than his fare; and another was accused of having stolen a small ox out of the Bath mail; the stolen property was found in his waistcoat pocket."

Salem Register, 1827.

A CURIOSITY.

"We have often heard of the Lord's Prayer being written in the compaſs of a ſhilling, but have lately ſeen a piece of paper of that dimenſion, which contains, in manuſcript, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Ten Commandments, Pſalms 117, 120, 127, 131, 132, 134, and 150; 9th chapter of Proverbs, Prayer of St. Chryſoſtom, two Collects, Prayer for the Royal Family, Nobility, Clergy, &c., &c., the Bleſſing, and Junior, 1702, the name of the writer. This curioſity is in the poſſeſſion of Mr. John Reeder, of Brighton, who being an auctioneer at a ſale where it was lately ſold, purchaſed it on very eaſy terms. It is not legible without a good glaſs."

Columbian Centinel, June 5, 1790. Eng. pap.

☞ We understand the number of deaths in this town the past year was 234, of which 15 died abroad.

The earliest American writer of whom we have any information was Peter Bulkley, who was born in England in 1583 and died in 1659 in Massachusetts, and wrote Latin Poetry and Sermons. The earliest poetic volume written in this country was by Anne Bradstreet, of Boston, born 1612, died 1672.

Salem Observer, 1834.

[The following was paid for as an Advertiſement.]

The folloing lines were Presented to A lat ſkull miſtres in this town by 4 of her ſkolers the morning after her mareg

Essex Gazette, May 14, 1771.

The School Committee in Boſton have ordered that the following Books be uſed in the Reading Schools of that town, viz.

The HOLY BIBLE;
WEBSTER's SPELLING-BOOK;
The Young Ladies' ACCIDENCE;
Webſter's American SELECTION of Leſſons in Reading and Speaking;
The CHILDREN'S FRIEND;
MORSE's GEOGRAPHY abridged; and
The NEWSPAPERS, occaſionally.

Salem Gazette.

ANECDOTE.

When Oliver Cromwell firſt coined his money, an old cavalier looking upon one of the new pieces, read this inſcription on one ſide, God with us; on the other ſide, The Commonwealth of England. I ſee, ſaid he, God and the Commonwealth are on different ſides.

Salem Mercury, June 26, 1787.

Anecdote. A CLERGYMAN, who in the Matrimonial Lottery had drawn much worſe than a blank, and, without the patience of Socrates, had to encounter the turbulent ſpirit of Xantippe, was interrupted in the middle of a Curtain Lecture, by the arrival of a pair, requeſting his aſſiſtance to introduce them to the bleſſed ſtate of Wedlock. The poor Prieſt, actuated at the moment by his own feelings and particular experience, rather than a ſenſe of canonical duty, opened the book, and began: "Man, that is born of a Woman, hath but a short time to live, and is full of trouble, &c., &c.," repeating the burial ſervice. The aſtoniſhed Bridegroom exclaimed, "Sir! Sir! you miſtake, I came here to be married, not buried!" "Well (replied the Clergyman), if you inſiſt on it, I am obliged to marry you—but believe me, my friend, you had better be buried."

Columbian Centinel, March 12, 1791.

Anecdote. It is doubtless recollected that Dean Swift, though a great favorite among the ladies, was (no doubt for good and substantial reasons) nevertheless a bachelor. His opinion of the married state seemed to be not very much exalted. On one occasion, he had been called upon to marry a couple, and after getting them properly arranged, commenced as follows: "Man, that is born of a woman, hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery," &c. "My dear sir," interrupted the bridegroom, "you are reading the burial service, instead of the matrimonial." "Never mind, friend," whispered the Dean, "you had better be buried than married."

Salem Observer, 1834.

AN OPPOSITION.

Dryden and Otway lived oppoſite to each other in Queen-ſtreet. Otway coming one night from the tavern, chalked upon Dryden's door, Here lives John Dryden, he is a wit. Dryden knew his hand writing, and next day chalked on Otway's door, Here lives Tom Otway, he is oppo-ſite.

Essex Register, 1802.

To a LADY who admired dancing.

Salem Mercury, July 29, 1788.

THE FOUNT.

☞ THE following—from the pen of a fair correspondent—cannot be read without PLEASURE and IMPROVEMENT.

LINES for a SCREEN.

TO BE WRITTEN BENEATH THE FIGURE OF "MINERVA HOLDING A CROWN OF OLIVE."

ORA.

Columbian Centinel, July 27, 1814.

From the Gazette of the U. States.

IMPROMPTU.

On ſeeing a young Lady darning Stockings.

Salem Gazette, August 26, 1800.

THE WHITE CLOVER.

BY A LADY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Salem Gazette, June 27, 1815.

A FRAGMENT.

The following beautiful lines were written on the death of a young lady in Pennsylvania, whose dissolution was occasioned by her mistaking a poisonous mineral for the flower of sulphur, and swallowing a spoonfull:

☞ A few original favours from our poetick friends would be very acceptable.

Massachusetts Centinel, March 28, 1789.

From the New York Daily Advertiſer.

The Sailor Boy.

Salem Gazette, Oct. 29, 1805.

EARLY RISING.

Salem Mercury, May 17, 1788.

From the New Monthly Magazine.

On seeing a Tomb adorned with Angels weeping.

Salem Register, 1819.

Varieties.

Origin of the word Dun.—Dunny, in the provincial dialect of ſeveral countries, ſignifies deaf: to dun, then, perhaps may mean, to deafen with importunate demands. Some derive it from the word donnez, which ſignifies give; but the true original meaning of the word owes its birth to one Joe Dun, a famous bailiff of the town of Lincoln, ſo extremely active and ſo dexterous in his buſineſs, that it became a proverb, when a man refuſed to pay, "Why do you not dun him?" that is, Why do not you ſet Dun to arreſt him?—Hence it became a cant-word, and is now as old as ſince the days of Henry VII. Dun was alſo the general name of hangman, before that of Jack-ketch.

Cotton's Virgil Tra. Book iv.

It is curious to obſerve that Dun, who, as we ſaid before, was finiſher of the law in the reign of Henry VII., had a ſon, who became a bailiff—This bailiff having ſcraped ſome money together, made his ſon an attorney, who changed the name of Dun to Dunning—the reſt of the genealogy are well known.

Massachusetts Gazette, Aug. 29, 1786.

Biographical Correctness.—As a specimen of the accurate way in which Biographical Dictionaries are made up, the Enquirer refers to Dr. Watkins' volume, in which he writes down that John Adams "died in 1803."—And yet for 23 years after this date, the old patriarch was living in health and happiness. A still more ludicrous blunder appeared a few years since in a French Biographical Dictionary, in which it was stated that the now venerable John Jay, who yet lives full of years and full of honors, was a Frenchman, who, after having framed the Constitution of the State of New-York, and witnessed the close of the American revolution, returned to France—became a member of the French Convention, and was finally brought to the guillotine!—N.Y. Com. Adv.

Essex Register, Sept. 18, 1826.

The works of John Paul Richter are almost unintelligible to any but Germans, and even to some of them. A worthy German, just before Richter's death, edited a complete edition of his works, in which one particular passage fairly puzzled him. Determined to have it explained at the source, he went to John Paul himself and asked him what was the meaning of the mysterious passage.—John Paul's reply was very German and characteristic: "My good friend," said he, "when I wrote that passage, God and I knew what it meant; it is possible that God knows it still; but as for me, I have totally forgotten."

Essex Register, Oct. 9, 1826.

Origin of "Foolscap" Paper. It is known that Charles I. of England, granted numerous monopolies for the support of his government. Among others was the privilege of manufacturing paper. The water mark of the finest sort was the royal arms of England. The consumption of this article was great at this time, and large fortunes were made by those who had purchased the exclusive right to vend it. This, among other monopolies, was set aside by the parliament that brought Charles to the scaffold, and by way of showing their contempt for the king, they ordered the royal arms to be taken from the paper, and a fool, with his cap and bells, to be substituted. It is now more than an hundred and seventy-five years since the fool's cap and bells were taken from the paper, but still, paper of the size which the Rump Parliament ordered for the journals bears the name of the water mark then ordered as an indignity to Charles.

A new version of "Yankee Doodle," from the "Salem Gazette," July, 1811.

YANKEY SONG.

[The following song was composed a few years since by a gentleman then one of the officers of the Salem regiment, to be sung at the military celebration of the 4th of July. Its wit and pleasantry continues it a favorite with the Yankies, and it was again sung by the Military at Lynn Hotel, and by the Federalists at Washington Hall, on the late anniversary.]

"Going snacks."

At the time of the plague in London, a noted body searcher lived whose name was Snacks. His business increased so fast that, finding he could not compass it, he offered to any person who should join him in his hardened practice half the profits; thus, those who joined him were said to go with Snacks. Hence going snacks, or dividing the spoil.

Salem Observer, 1823.

A Word omitted by Webster. In a history of the second parish of Beverly, published not long since, a vote passed in 1776, to take measures to collect the "behindments" of certain persons in the parish, is noticed. "Behindments" meant arrearages.

Salem Observer, 1837.

FOR SALE,

Sundry Articles belonging to the Estate of Samuel McIntire, deceased.—VIZ.

1 elegant BARREL ORGAN, 6 feet high, 10 barrels; 1 Wind Chest of an Organ;
ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, complete;
Paladio's Architecture, best kind;
1 Ware's do.; 1 Paine's do.;
2 vols. French Architecture;
1 large Book Antient Statues, excellent;
Lock Hospital Collection of Music;
Handel's Messiah, in score;
Harmonia Sacra;
Magdalen Hymns; Massachusetts Compiler;
1 excellent toned SPINNET;
1 excellent VIOLIN and Case;
1 eight day CLOCK, Mahogany Case;
12 Prints of the Seasons;
1 book Drawings of Ships;
1 large Head of Washington;
Number of Busts of the Poets;
2 Figures of Hercules, 2 feet high;
1 Head of Franklin, and Pillar, for a Sign;
Composition Ornaments;
Number of Moulding Planes, and sundry other Articles. Apply to

ELIZABETH M'INTIRE, Adm'x.
or to SAMUEL F. M'INTIRE, Att'y.

N.B.—The Subscriber carries on CARVING as usual at the Shop of the deceased, in Summer-Street, where he will be glad to receive orders in that line. He returns thanks for past favors.

April 30 [1811]. SAMUEL F. M'INTIRE.

Laſt Friday, a female ſtranger died at the Bell Tavern, in Danvers; and on Sunday her remains were decently interred. The circumstances relative to this woman are ſuch as excite curioſity and intereſt our feelings. She was brought to the Bell in a chaiſe, from Watertown, as ſhe ſaid, by a young man whom ſhe had engaged for that purpoſe. After ſhe had alighted, and taken a trunk with her into the houſe, the chaiſe immediately drove off. She remained at this inn till her death, in expectation of the arrival of her huſband, whom ſhe expected to come for her, and appeared anxious at his delay. She was averſe to being interrogated concerning herſelf or connexions; and kept much retired to her chamber, employed in needle-work, writing, &c. She ſaid, however, that ſhe came from Weſtfield, in Connecticut; that her parents lived in that State; that ſhe had been married only a few months; and, that her huſband's name was Thomas Walker;—but always carefully concealed her family name. Her linen was all marked E.W. About a fortnight before her death, ſhe was brought to bed of a lifeleſs child. When thoſe who attended her apprehended her fate, they aſked her, whether ſhe did not wiſh to ſee her friends: She anſwered, that ſhe was very deſirous of ſeeing them. It was propoſed that ſhe ſhould ſend for them; to which ſhe objected, hoping in a ſhort time to be able to go to them. From what ſhe ſaid, and from other circumſtances, it appeared probable to thoſe who attended her, that ſhe belonged to ſome country town in Connecticut: Her converſation, her writings and her manners, beſpoke the advantage of a reſpectable family & good education. Her perſon was agreeable; her deportment, amiable & engaging; and, though in a ſtate of anxiety and ſuſpenſe, ſhe preſerved a cheerfulneſs, which ſeemed to be not the effect of inſenſibility, but of a firm and patient temper. She was ſuppoſed to be about 35 years old. Copies of letters, of her writing, dated at Hartford, Springfield, and other places, were left among her things.—This account is given by the family in which ſhe reſided; and it is hoped the publication of it will be a means of her friends' aſcertaining her fate.