The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1777-12-10 00:00:00, page 1

fujl publifad and now felling, by
JO H N DU N LA P,
Ac his Printing-office in Queen-llreet, Lan
caftcr.
Father ABRAH AM's
A LMA N A C K,
For the year of our Lord 1778.
f§f Our ctfom^s are requeued to Aferve, that
the ingenious David Rittenhouse, A. M.
has favoured us with the agronomical calculations of
our Almanack for this year, tberefoi e they may be
mfl firmly lel ed cn.
NOTICE is hereby given to all
these that have tranfa&d any bufineLfor,
or that have any demands cn the B ARRACK-
M ASTER GENERAL, that attendance wil
be given at Reading from the 27th to the 3At ^^
to fettle their refpeftive accounts —lt is expefted
they will produce proper vouchers in support of their
refpe&ive demands.J
TEN POUNDS REWARD.
STRAYED or STOLEN, on the 26h ts
November last, ficin the fub:criber, living in
Reading, a bay HORS E, about fourteen bands
high, ten or twelve years old, trots, canters and
paces well, is of a low carriage, short tail, iris mane
grows on the sear fide, has federal white fpors on
his back, the saddle having worn the' fl< n off. Who
ever takes up the laid horse and the thief, fhaß hsve
the above Reward, or THREE POUNDS for
the herfe only, paid bv
II BENJAMIN EYRE.
FTFLNA)YrND"s REWA R D.
WA S LOST on Thursday the 13th of No
vember lad, between Briftoi and Newtown,
io the county of Bucks, a double cased fiver Watch,
maker's name Benjamin Lamp, London, the num
ber forgotten, masked I 1 in a double cypher on the
back of the ou'fide case, the cypher somewhat worn,
has a ribband firing, a brats key much worn, and a
small red Cornelian seal let in silver, with the com
pass and fquate in the filter Work. Whoever finds
the fame, and will leave it with Mr. Robert Ra+rdef
in Newtown, Mr. Beffonet in Bristol, Mr. Isaac
Wood in Mount-Holly, or with the Printer hereof,
Ihall have the above Reward.
N.B. if the person into whose pofTeffion it may
come should be so ungenerous as not to return it to
either of the above gentlemen, every Watch-maker
and others are requested to endeavour to expose the
vi'lainy.
Head of Eik, November 27, 1777.
TAKEN UP, and now in the
poffefiton of the fubferibet, a black HORSE,
fifteen and a half hands high, fix years old, with a
star in his forehead, paces and trots. The owner,
by proving his property and paying charges, may
have him again.
1 THOMAS HUGGINS.
Lancafer, Dec 3, 1777.
BENJAMIN HARBESON,
From PHILADELPHIA,
NOW carries on the Coppersmiths business,
at the south-west corner of King and Queen
ftreets, Larieafter, where he mak^s Stills of all sizes,
fullers, brewers, and fait petre Coppers. He has
Stills of various sizes, ready made, for sale. f
Lancaster, Nov. 26, 1777.
WANTED TO RE N T,
A Commodious DWELLING-HOUSE.
with or without a stable. Enquire of the
Printer.
^^WWW'
W^bß^ ;
O R
GENERAL 1
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1777.
'fujl published and to be fold by
FRANCIS BAILE Y,
At the south fide of King-street, a few doors
below the Market, Lancaster,
The LANCASTER
A L MA N A C K,
For the year of our Lord 1778.
By ANTHONY SHAR P, Philom.
M.^MXA^^MMMXM XCX* XMMX
Mr. Dunlap,
By s'^'"^ the following little Essay a place in
your paper, you will oblige your humble
servant, N.
I, O R TUN E, that is so often men
£ coned, but never jultly defined (to
speak in a Christian and wife sense) is no
thing che but eternal Providence ; that
foveieign mittrefs of events, without whose
express will or permission nothing comes
to pals in the univerle. This Queen, who
is absolute, unsearchable, inflexible, fa
vours, as (he thinks fit, lome, whom (he
dignifies, and leaves others in obscurity ;
not out of any such pafiion as weak mortals
are influenced by, but with views ofinli
nhe uifdohi that we cannot comprehend.
To come down however to the common
language of men, we may not improperly
fay, that Fortune is, as it were, a conven
tion of good and bad circumstances ; so
That it a man lights into the company of
the one, he milcarries ; but if into that of
the other, he succeeds. But without im
posing this definition upon others, fe< era!
great makers in politics have certainly laid
down this for a maxim, that a man should
firft carefully observe his own Fortune,
and then take notice of his adversaries,
elp-cially in the bulinefs of War. 1 he man
to whom Fortune has been often kind,
makes, an advantage of this disposition,
and engages, without fear or apprehenlion,
in enterprizes that would be too hazardous
for many others; because nothing pleases,
nothing obliges Fortune more, than this
blind confidence that her favourites place
in her.
Cihlar knew very well the chara&er of
his Fortune, when he encouraged the Cap
tain of the vessel that had him on board,
bidding him with all the calmness imagin
able, Fear nothing, for that his fear would
be an affront and dijparagement both to C^far
and his Fortune. The great happiness he
had already experienced, was like a sure
anchor in the pfefent danger : He feared
no contrary winds, because he had the
prosperous gale of Fortune • ,and the rage
and violence of the sea gave him no un
eafinels, because the Heavens were clear,
and the ftas (hone bright upon him.
This action of Caesar's was, in many
mens opinions, a very great rainnefs; but
in the main it was the effect of a great pre
sence of mind, which brought, as it were,
THE
run
I /Bit
IB^^^^WW
THE
ADVERTISER.
inro one point of view, all the other dan
gers he had braved with luccefs, and gave
him confidence on the very brink of per
dition. How many men, for want of try
ing or understanding lufficiently their good
Fortune, have loft many a fair opportuni
ty of making themselves for ever! And yet
there is not a gameller, as blind as he is,
that does not consult his good luck before
he engages in any considerable party.
'I is certainly a valt advantage to be
fortunate: It gives a man a sup riority
over the merit of many that are not lo ;
arid for this reason some set more value
upon one degree of good luck, than they
do upon ten of wisdom and bravery; a vile
sentiment, and injurious to reason. Others
again look upon ill luck as a visible mark
or merit: Happfoels, in their opinion, is
the fate of fools, and infelicity allotted for
wile men. Mere exhalations of choUr and
spleen, customary in such as are with the
greatest justice unhappy.
But to return. What the Prince of Phi
loinphers required in hi, femcruo pupH, (tx
fides the great qualities that he cultivated
in him) was to have him fortunate, without
which the molt conlummate valour can
not make a hero. Success and courage
are the foundation of military greatness ;
nor was there ever a famous warrior, that
did not become lo by a conjunction of both
these, which mutually aid and support
each other. He, therefore, that has often
felt the rebuffs of Fortune, should take
great heed how he expofts himfelf in cri
tical circumstances, or contends obstinate
ly with her ; for ffie is an imperious Rep
dame, that will not be brought to compli
ance, but continues cruel to the very last,
where she is not disposed to love : And
therefore the caution may again be taken
from the Poet, and thus changed into a
lesson of prudence.
Take heed, when Fortune is your foe,
What 'tis you fay, what 'tis you do.
The Cardinal Infant of Spain, Don
Ferdinand, surnamed the Invincible, be
cause of his great success in war, was a
great favourite of Fortune. All Europe,
that knew very well the courage of that
magnanimous Prince, could not yet tell
whether his good Fortune would be an
swerable ; and therefore waited for an
event whereby to form their judgment,
when the battle of Norlingen (which was
the firft opportunity that presented itfelf)
gave the world, and the Cardinal both, an
indication that his luck was not inferior to
his valour. The glory, in short, that he
acquired on that day was complete ; and
being thereby assured of the good graces
of Fortune, he never enterprized an action
afterwards, but what gave a frefh lultre to
his reputation.
( Concluded in the Fourth Page. )