Loading your reading…

The Olden Time Series, Vol. 6: Literary Curiosities: Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts — John Shaqi

The Olden Time Series, Vol. 6: Literary Curiosities: Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, MassachusettsBrooks, Henry M. (Henry Mason)

History

The Olden Time Series, Vol. 6: Literary Curiosities: Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts

Name: The Olden Time Series, Vol. 6: Literary Curiosities: Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts
Author: Brooks, Henry M. (Henry Mason)

Brooks, Henry M. (Henry Mason)

Literary curiosa; New England -- Social life and customs

But keen as winds that guide the wintry reign,
    All bow to lucre, all are bent on gain;
    As chance decreed, their various lots are thrown;
    Its house each acre, every mile its town;
    With gilded spire the frequent church is seen,
    Sacred to him that taught them to be keen;
    Eternal squabblings grease the lawyer's paw,
    All have their suits, and all have studied law;
    With tongue that art and nature taught to speak,
    Some rave in Latin, some dispute in Greek;
    Proud of their books, in ancient lore they shine,
    And one month's study makes a learn'd divine;
    Fond to converse, with deep designing views,
    They pump the travelling stranger of his news;
    Fond of his wit, but fonder to be paid,
    Each house a tavern, claims a tavern's trade;
    While he that comes, as surely hears them praise
    The hospitality of modern days.

      Yet brave in arms, of enterprising soul,
    They tempt old Neptune to the farthest pole;
    In learning's walks explore the mazy way
    (For genius here has shed his golden ray);
    In war's bold arts thro' various contests try'd,
    True to themselves, they took their country's side,
    And, party feuds dismiss'd, join to agree
    That scepter only just that left them free.

                  _Connecticut Courant,_ July 14, 1790.

       *       *       *       *       *

Errors of the press.

    The following paragraphs will shew how completely the sense
    is altered by the omission of a single letter of the word in
    Italics.

    "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._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Olden Time Series, Vol. 6: Literary Curiosities: Gleanings Chiefly from Old Newspapers of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts

No reviews yet