The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-01-15 00:00:00, page 2

h-1 H E Romans used to fay ex pede Herculem, or
^ you ma, Inow Hercules by his foot ; intimat
,Q that one may commonly judge of the whole by
a part. I confess lam very apt to judge in this man
ner myfelf, and without pretending to any uncom
mon Glare of sagacity fay, that I have very seldom
fount myfe'f mistaken in it.
The firft impression, or, as the French call it, the
abord, of a man or woman, from the air and dress,
have in all ages gone a great way in deciding their fu
ture character, not that it is altogether so fair to do
this, but that there is a certain combination you
make at this moment, that except removed by great
vices, or great virtues, generally makes its quarters
good. It was proverbial amongst the Greeks, ft The
dress shews t e man," and it is certain, that of al)
trifling, things, there is none by which people so much
difeov^rtheir natural turn cf mind as by their dress.
In greater matters they proceed more cautiously, na
ture is disguised, and weakness is concealed by art or
imitation, 'but in dress they give up a loose to fancy,
and under the cover of its being an immaterial thing,
sometimes enter into the greatest oddureffes and wiideft
excesses.
It feeme to be pretty generally agreed, in refpeft to
the present female dress, that few ages, for many Bick,
have gone greater lengths in the extravagancy o f
fafhion, Our news-papers, cur conversations, and
even the flage itfelf, have taken notice of it, without
the lerfl effeft ; the woman of Ton still toweis above
them all, and carries her head as high as ever. Is it
that they are above reformation? God forbid, I
ftould fay so, many of them, when they get married
to sensible men, become good wives, and are the firft
to laugh at their former follies. What then is it ow
ing to? Why, I am afraid, to the fame principle
which is frequently adopted by ignorant fchoolmaf
ters, who scold and chastise their pupils without using
the milder voice of inftruftion, or laying down rules
for their future condud. I will try the contrary con
dust, and wih your indulgence, Mr. Editor, will
make this paper the fubjed of some general regulati
ons according to the different departments of rank,
figure, and age.
Firm Rank in Birth and Beauty.
To such I recommend a noble simplicity in dress;
the fubjed supports tfelf and wants none of the bor
rowed helps of external ornaments; beautiful nature
may be disfigured, but cannot be improved by art,
and as I look upon a very handsome woman to be the
fined fubjed in nature, her dress ought to be modest
noble, and entirely free from modern tinsel. This is
bed effected by a decent and modest conformity to the
fafhion, equally shunning the triumphant pageantry
of an overbearing beauty and the insolent negligence
of a confeious one.
Pretty Women.
As for those of an inferior rank of beauty, such as
•re generally denominated pretty women, whose charms
result mura tom a je ne fai quoi in their whole com
A T the rlofe of the day, when the Hamlet is still,
/\ And mortals the fleets of forg + tfujuefs prove,
When n<ught but the torrent is bear'd on the hill,
A=d mown: but the nightingale's fongin the grove:
'Tw s thus by the cave of the mountain afar,
While his harp rung fymphonious, a hermet began ;
Fo more with himfelf, or with nature, at war,
lie .thought as a sage, though he felt as a man.
“ Ah why, all abandon'd to Darkness and woe,
W y, lone Philomela, that languishing fall?
For Spring thall ^ urn, and a lover befiow,
And sorrow no longerthy Botom inthrall.
But if pity inspire thee, renew the fad lay ;
Mourn, sweetest compiler, man calls thee to mourn
O looted him, whose pleasures like thine pass away ;
Full quickly they pass, but t! c-y never return.
Now gliding remove, m the Verge of the sky,
The moon, half-extinguifh'd, her crescent displays:
hi lately I mark'd, when majeftick on high
She thone, and the planets were loft in her blaze.
Roll on thou fair orb, and with gladness pursue
Th- Path that (fondues thee to fp endourag in..
But m ? nV fad d glory what change (hall renew !
Ah Fool! to exult in a glory so vain!
“ 0 pity, great father of light (then T cry'd)
Thy cre 'ture, who fain would not wander from
thee!
Lo, humbled in dull, I relmouifh my pride:
From doubt an t from D^khefs thou only canst free .''
' Arad darkness ^nd doubt are now flying away
No longer I roam in conjecture forlorn,
So breaks on the traveller, faint, and aflray,
The bright and the balmy effulgence of morn.
See truth, love, and mercy, in Triumph descend
ing,
And nature all glowing in Eden's firfl Bloom!
On the cold cheek of Death Smiles and roses are blend
ing,
And beauty immortal awakes from the tomb.'
On FEMALE FASHIO NS.
Ac'dreffed to the Beautiful, the Pretty, the neither
old Or Ugly, the ugly, and the old.
" 'Tis night, and t^e landscape is lovely no more;
J mourn, but ye woodlands, I mourn.no for you;
For morn is approaching, your charms to reflorfy
Perfum'd witn frefh fragrance, and glitt'ring with
Nor yet for tie ravage of winter I mourn ;
Ki .d nature die embryo 'bloffom will save.
Put when shall Spring visit the mouldering urn!
Or when shall it dawn on the night of the grave !''
'Twas thus, by the glare of falfe science betray'd,
That leads, r o bewilder : and dazzles, to blind ;
My thoughts wont to roam, from shade onward to
fhnde,
Deflruftion before me, and sorrow behind.
THE KERMIT.
“ Cesar French, efqoire, marched with 2,00 defpe
rate fellows from the county of Galway, ant was
within ^wo miles of bis works at Rockfield, latt Sa
turday, night. On Sunday morning they appeared to
Fitzgerald, who faluteQ them with a volley of fix
pounders : this sudden attack obliged them to retreat
precipitately. In the evening tl;ey set out for Clare,
in their way home, when the garrison failed forth and
attacked French's rear-guard with the baggage, con
fi fling of provisions, ammunition, &c. winch they
took, with eleven prisoners; the provisions they dis
tributed, but destroyed the ammunition; a few of
French's rear guard escaping, soon came up with the
main body, at Clare, and informed them what hap
pened, on which a detachment immediately returned,
engaged the "governor's men, who fought for some
time with great resolution. Fitzgerald's horse fail
ing, he dismounted one of French's men, and rode off.
In a few minutes after Mr. French, with another
reinforcement, came up and took seven of Fitzgerald's
men prisoners, with the baggage, carts and horses,
and two field pieces ; the prisoners were conduced to
Galway.
'' It is thought there will be bloody work when the
military arrives, as he fays he will fight while the
works stand : He has about 100 men, and has taken
the fafhea out of the upper windows, and put cannon,
blunderbufhes, &c. in their Head.
" The fate to be expected of the poor deluded peo
ple in the entrenchment is dreadful. When he got
an intimation of an order being issued from govern
ment to attack him, he drew uphis men, and desired
such as chose to go away to do it, and he would not
be displeased, but much obliged to them for their past
service ; and such as were willing to flay, must stand
to the last ; that if one of them flinched in the time of
danger, his doom ffiould be inflant death."
position, than from any uncommon dignity of figure,
or symmetry of features, 1 allow them greater licences,
because the fubjeft not betng of the sublimest kind
may receive some advantage from the elegancy of flyle
and the variety of images. The best models in this
kind are those who make ornaments their amusement,
not their care, and who if they owe a luftre to them,
which they would not have without them, return them
graces they could find no where else.
Extraß of a letter from Balinrohe, Sept. 25.
“ Fitzgerald is determined to die with his men, and
let the world fee he will defend his fortifications to the
last.
Before I give advice upon this fubjeH, I cannot but
join issue with the general satirists on female factions, in
remarking, t^at most of the present old women of Ton
know no difiinHion in their dress forty years ago, and
now ; and indeed the proverbial phrase at all fafhiona
ble ruelles, is, " There is no such thing as an old wo
man." Modern taste, as it is called, may reconcile
this mode to diemfelves; but to men and women of
sense, one of those feptuagenary fair ones, dressed out
in a I the errors of the rainbow, looks more like a
decayed worm in the mids t of its own silk, than an
agreeable object. The utmofi indulgence therefore I
can allow this elafs, is extreme cleanliness, that they
mg not offend more ferfes than the fight ; or may I
be permitted to mention particular names upon a ge
neral fubjeH, I would give to all such f r a model the
late duchess of Qteenfbury, w^o, by her plainness,
neatness, and simplicity of dress, recalled the idea of
blooming beauty, at a period when it was withering on
the stalk.
Yesterday a great many letters were delivered at the
poll-office, brought from Carolina by the Lightfoot,
captain Gibbons : they relate that our affairs in that
province wear a very gloomy afpeH ; provisions of all
kinds were exceeding scarce : indeed some ships, which
were loaded with rice for England, had been obliged
to reland part of their cargoes for the use of the in
habitants; likewise that feverri ships had received
much damage in a violent pale of wind which happened
there, particularly the London, captain Richardson,
which had been obliged to cut away her mads. They
had heard, that very recent advices had been received
from lord Cornwallis's army, whose situation was ve
ry critical ; and that a storm wasgathefing round them
with menacing rapidity, Greene, la Fayette and Wayne
having formed a junction ; therefore, unless the fpivit
ed earl is speedily reinforced, we may confider his brave
army, like the unfortunate Burgoyne's devoted to de
ftru&ion.
Those, who if I may be allowed the expression, pos
sess a neutrality of face, and are neither handsome or
ugly, and who have nothing to recommend them, but
a certain smart and genteel turn of little figure, these
I cannot i' dulge in a higher style than neatness, and
suiting their dress with some degree of conformity
with their complexion.
Ugly Women.
I have mentioned this head entirely for form fake,
for as there is no woman, I believe who thinks herfelf
so, rules for the condua of such would be supernume
rary, however, if contrary to this general opinion, a
ny woman is o be found, who thinks herfelf ugly, the
probability will be, she will got want advice in dress,
or more important matters.,
Old Age.
Having thus gone through the important article of
dress in its several Aages I muff- add, that the privi
lege of dress to the most beautiful, is limited by com
mon sense to a certain number of years. I therefore
recommend,, that when a woman is turned of thirty,
she abates of the vigour of dress ; 'hat when turned
of forty, file begins to lay it more aside ; and that at
fifty, file entirely drops all that part of it which is
generally called fafhionable. At this period, the pro
pitious gales which lead to love are over: and to those
blefl in.te marriage fiate, they waft but to a sober
enjoyment ; it is time then for them !c quit the broad
sea of fafhion, get into the firft favourable port, and
lay aside their rigging. TAVISTOCKIENSIS.
L O N D O N, Caober 4.
Neither Handsome or Ugly.
A gentleman who has received a letter from Grena
da, has pledged himfelf to the truth of the following
melancholy fa&:
“ Soon after the capture of St. Euftatius, Mr. Mar
tin, Mr. Roy, Mr. Guy, Mr, Gayworth, Mr. Nea
ger, and three other merchants, purchased a schooner
at St. Euftatiues in order to carry the merchandize
which they bought there remarkable cheap, to Gre
nada. They could not get Epglifh tailors to man her,
and were therefore induced to take Spaniards. To
prevent however, any danger from their perfidy (as
they imagined) they took it in turn, three at a time, to
guard the deck each night. These bloody villains had
determined to murder their employers, and run awa,
with the vessel and cargo, and for this purpose, had
fixed a rope to the flern, and as the three who were
on watch were walking the deck, they suddenly pnt
the rope against their legs and thighs, and by a jerk
threw them overboard. They then went into the cab
bin to murder the remainder, and two negro boys
where a dreadful conflict ensued, and the merchants
and one of the boys fought till they were cut to pieces
but the other boy begged his life on condition as keep
ing it a ecret. Their purpose effected, they now fail
ed to port on the Spanish main, to dispose of the car
go. On their arrival, the negro boy informed against
them, and they were taken into custody. Captain
Linch, who was at the port, returned to Grenada
and gave the necessary information to governor Durat'
who dispatched a flag of truce tn recover the schooner
and cargo, and bring the murderers to justice.
Extract of a letter from Dover, September 20.
" A great number of carpenters have lately embark
ed here for Oflend ; the great wages at present given
induce those who have even full employment to leave
it to go there, so that I ere and in the adjacent parts,
it is very difficult to get a carpenter. It is a pity a
flop is not put to it, for I am afraid that many who
go over as carpenters are shipwrights, and if they miss
employment there, will go to Holland."
September 25. The prowess and loyalty displayed
so universally by the Irilh on the late alarm on their
coasts from the combined fleets, have effectually quiet
ed and com iliate^ the difpofirions of government, to
wards the volunteer affociatibns. With such an army
of free fubjeHs, what country can have any thing to
dread, on any fide, either from within or without ?
The gr >nd duke and duchess of Russia, after their
visit shall be compleated at Vienna, are to take the di
re& route through Bavaria and Swabia into France ;
and after the neteffary fay at Paris, they are to pass
through Flanders on their way to England, London,
being both in arts and arms, the top cf every Euro
pean traveller's climax. The United Provinces and
the court of Berlin, are to be taken, on the return of
these illustrious personages to their own country.
On Saturday a French merchant of this city receiv
ed letter from Paris, which mentions, that on the 26th
ult. died count d'Estaing ; that his death was ocafion
ed by a wound he received in an engagement in Ameri
ca, which broke out afrefh, and turned to a mortifica
tion.
The command of the t-oliah, a new ship of 74 guns,
just ready to launch a Deptford, itis said, is given to
fir Richard Pearson, of the Arethufa, who so valiantly
fought the Serapis, of 44 guns, against Paul Jones.
Sir Edward Hughes's fleet, with which he was pre
paring to fail for Madrafs from Bombay when the ex
press came ?way, confits of the Superb, of 74, flag
ship; Eagle of 64, Exeter, of 64, Worcester, of 64,
Burford, of 64, Coventry, of 28, and Sea-Horse, of 24
guns.
A remarkable Instance of Longevity. The follow
ing eight persons are now living in the parish of Man
chester, viz. Allice,Con fUrdine, widow, aged 87 years ;
Mary Confterdine, ditto 84 ; Esther Confterdine, ditto
79: Aenes Confterdine, ditto 68, all related; Mr.
Duke, widower, 88 : Richard Wardieworth, 88'; Ma
ry, his wife, 79 ; and Elle Hooey, widow, 70.
Extras! of a letter from Peterfburgh, Aug. 10.
“ A negociation is now going on here, in which the
empress is to enter into engagements with some other
powers for re-tflablifhing the peace of Europe, by a
general plan of accommodation. As the belligerents
are known to have accepted the interference of this
court, we have hopes it may be attended with success."
A correspondent observes, that our most severe con
flids with the Dutch, have happened in the month of
August ; on the 26th of that month 1652, was fought
off Plymouth a most bloody battle between admirals
Aifeough and de Ruyter. The following year, on the
Bth of Augufl, a ' engagement rook place near Katwyk,
between the English fleet under admiral Monk, and the
Dutch, under the command of Tromp, who was killed
two days after in another adion off fe r heide and Sche
veniagac. On the 4 th of August 1666, admiral Monk,
after a long and bloody contest, forced de Ruyter to a
retreat; and on the 20th of the fame month, the English
fleet failed towards Blia, and burnt a great number of
Dutch merchantmen.
Medical anecdote. As the small pox has raged very
much and fatally of late in this metropolis and several
other places, it is thought proper for the fake of hu
manity to recommend to those who have.the care of the
infeHed, whether nurses or others, not to keep their pa
tients in dole hot rooms, or to give them cordials, and
fiety medicines, as is too commonly the case, since these
only inflame the body and increase the danger of the
disease considerably. When the memorable fire at
Blandford happened, 150 perfonsin that town, illof the
natural small lox, were removed into the fields, and
placed under the hedges ; all of these except one re
covered, as appears from the printed account ; an as
tonishing circumstance ! 7he common calculation is,
that one in five or frx dies in the natural small pex,
here 149 00€ of 150 recovered. What then shall we
think of those who deprive their patients of air, but
that they by their ignorance give their assistance to our
common enemy Death? such persons ought seriously
to think of the sixth commandment.
The unhappy experience of every day evinces more
and more the necessity of general enoculatiop.