The Newhampshire gazetteer — Exeter, N.H., 1791-05-13 00:00:00, page 1

I Newhampfhire
diers.
I KNOW few fubjeds more written up
on and less understood than that of
friendfhp; to fo'low the dictates of some,
this virtue, instead of being the affwager
of pain, becomes the source of every in
convenience. Such fpeculatifts, by ex
pecting too much from friendship,diffolve
the connection ; and by drawing the
bands too closely, at length break them.
Almost all our romance and novel wri
ters are of this kind ; they persuade us
to friendships which we find impossible to
sustain to the last ; so that this fweetner
of life under proper regulations, is by
their means rendered inaccessible or un
easy.?
It is certain the best method to culti
vate this virtue, is by letting if in some
measure make itfelf. A similitude of
minds or studies, and even sometimes a
diversity of pursuits will produce all the
pleasures that arise from it. The current
of tenderness widens as it.proceds, and
two men imperceptibly find their hearts
warm with good nature for each other,
when they were at firft only in purfait
of mirth or relaxation. Friendship is
like a debt of honor, the moment it is
talked of it loses its real mime, and al
fumes the more ungrateful farm of obli
gation. ,
From hdnce we find that those who re
gularly undertake to cultivate friendship,
find ingratitude generally repays their
endeavours. That circle of beings which
dependance gathers round us is almost
ever unfriendly ; they secretly with the
terms of their connection more nearly
equal, and where they even have the mod
virtue are prepared to reserve all their
affections for their patron only in the
hour of his decline. Recreating the ob
ligations wiich are laid upon such minds
only increases their burthen ; they feel
themselves unable to repay the immensi
ty of their debt, and their bankrupt
hearts are taught a latent refinement at
the hand that is Wretched out with offers
of service and relief.
Piautinus was a man who thought that
every good was to be bough: by riches,
and as he was possessed of great wealth,
and had a mini naturally formed for vir
tue, he resolved to gather a circle of the
best men round him. Among the num
ber of his dependants, was Mufidorus,
with a mind just as fond of virtue, yet
not less proud than his patron. His cir
cumstances, however, were such as forc
ed him to stoop to the good offices of his
fuperiour, and he saw himfelf daily a
mong a number of others loaded with be
nefits, and protestations of friendship-
These in the usual course of the world he
thought it prudent to accept, but while
be gave his eftcerri he could not give his
heart. A want of affe&ion breaks out
in the most trifling instance; and Piauti
faus had skill enough to observe the mi
huteft actions of the man he willed to
make his friend. ?n these he ever found
bis aim disappointed, for Mufidorus
claimed ah exchange of hearts, which
Plautinus soliciting by a variety of other
claims could never think of bestowing.
It may be easily supposed that the reserve
of our poor proud man was soon constru
ed into ingratitude, and such indeed in
the common acceptation of the world it
Was. Wherever Mufidorus appeared, he
was remarked as the ungrateful man ; he
had accepted favours it was said, and Bill
had the insolence to pretend to indepen
dence. The event however, juftified his
conduit. Plautinus, by misplaced # libe
rality, at length became poor, and it was
then that Mufidorus fiift thought of mak.
Interefling Stor y of two Jewish Sol-
Friendship incompatible -with Disparity of
Circumf antes —
The BABLER.—No. XI.
FRIDAY, May 13, 1791.]
From the Maffaebufetts Magazine.
■EXETER, (New-Ham,/hire) Printed and Published by HENRY RANLET, at Nine Shillings per annum.
turned ; he saw the man of hrs besom just
going to perish ; and unable to withrtand
the impulse, he ran spreading his arms
and crying out to his friend, to leap
down from the top, and find fafety with
him. The friend from above heard and
obeyed, and calling himfelf from the top
of the tower into his fellow soldier's arms,
both fell a facrifice, On the spot ; one be
ing crushed to death by the weight of
his companion, and the other being dash
ed to pieces by the greatness of his fall.
larmed the pride of the other, which was
in his promotion co be a General under
the famous John, who headed a particu
lar party of the Jewiih malecontents.
From this moment their former love was
converted into the most inveterate en
mity. They attached themselves to op
polite fusions, and (ought each others
lives in the conflict of an adverse party,
la this manner they continued for store
than two years; vowing mutual revenge,
and animated with an unconquerable spi
rit of aversion. . It 'ength, however,
that party of the Jews, to which the mean
soldier belonged, joining with the Ro
mans, it became victorious, and drove
John with all his adherents into the
temple. Hikorhhas given'us more than
onp picture of the dreadful conflagration
of that superb edifice. The Roman sol
diers were gathered round it ; the whole
temple was in flames, and thousands were
teen burning alive within its circuit. It
was in this situation of things that the
now fuccef ful soldier law his former friend
upon the battlements of the highest tow
er, looking round with horror, and just
ready to be consumed with flames. All
many campaigns together, and a partici
oa of danger at length bred an union of
hearts. Tney were remarked through
out the whole army as the twd friendly
bro hers ; they felt, and fought for each
other. Their friendship might have con
tinued without interrupt on till death,
had not the good fortune of the one a-
ing a friend of him. He flew to the
man of fallen fortune with an offer of all
he had ; wrought under his direction
with assiduity ; and by uniting their ta
lents both were atlength placed in that
Station of life from which one of them
had formerly fallen.
• To thy story, taken from modern life,
I (hall ad Jonemnre taken from a Greek
writer of antiquity, T^o Jewish soldi
ers in the times of Vefpafion had made
his former tenderness now therefore re-
« CT-'HIS morning upwards of five hun
[ dred people paid for feats in the
galleries at Guildhall, in expectation of
hearing their tickets drawn, and to their
infinite furprize not one of them is twenty
thousand pounds richer than he was.
"Only think, three twenty thousands!"
fays one.—Somebody mast have them,
and why not I as soon as another ; well, I
(hall certainly get one of the little ten
thousand four pounders, and that will be
some comfort at least !—Hath ! God bless
my foul, that's my number, it only wants
two figures of -blank 1 hank God
it is not mine."
The space below was occupied by
dreamers of dreams and.-seers of visions,
Arid observers of times and seasons :
here flood ^ poor fellow without a (hirt,
which he had pawned the day before, to
avail himfelf of early and cheap in
surance, poring over a long lift of the
different ages of his starving children,
having loft his money, loftng his time in
expectation of a miracle being wrought
to redeem both ! There fat a wretched
woman, her naked Moulders wrapped in
a miserable red cloak, anxiously likening
for a number which die had dreamt of
and which (he intended to continue
dreaming so long as her scanty houfhold
should furnilh the means of infaranca !
Seasonable Remarks from a late Londor.
Paper.
^^^ o
THE
Another class of beings were drawing
their own chances from the pockets of
such as the mania of the moment had not
robbed of all before ; in the midst of these
ingenious fpe&ators, a country squire, in
a marke table form, who had come to town
on purpose to hear his ticket drawn a
twenty thousand, and who was slouching
away with the Hobfon's choice comfort of
a four pound prize, had his pocket redu
ced to the standard of his head, for, having
loft his time, ic was thought he needed
no nttrument ro reckon it by, and having
a four pound prize, ir was imagined, that
fam out of his pocket could be no loss to
him.
Those who have got prizes, effed to
despise their infignificancy ; those who
have blanks, pretend that they never ex
peded any other ; and such as have yet to
wait the event of their parchafes, will
tell you, Ihoufd meet them in. the hall
every day during, that they are totally
indifferent about the matter.
On the GUILT INCURRING DEBTS
•without either a PROSPEC I or an
INTENTION of PAYMENT.
AMONG the various devices which
young men have invented coinvolve
themselves in difficulties and in ruin,
none is more frequent than that of in
curring debts without any real necefiity.
No sooner is the aspiring youth emanci
pated from his school, or his guardian and
Superintendents, than he becomes in his
own idea, a man, and not only 10, but a
man of consequence, whom it behoves to
dress and majge a figure. To accomplish
the purpose N making a figure, some ex
pensive vices are to be affected or prac
tifed. But as the stipends ofyoung men,
just entering into life, are usually incon
siderable, it is necessary to borrow on the
most disadvantageous terms, or to pur
chase the various requisites of a pleasura
ble life on credit. The debt soon accumu
lates from small beginnings ^o a great
sum. The young adventurer continues,
while his credit is good, in the fame wild
Career; but adieu to real pleasure or im
provement, to honest industry, and to a
quiet mind. His peace is wounded. A
perpetual loan seems to weigh him down ;
and though his feelings may, by length
of time and habit; become (bo callous to
be affected by the misery of his fituatiou,
yet he is loft to all sincere enjoyment ;
and if he does not fall a victim of despair,
survives only to gain a precarious exist
ence at the gaming table, to deceive the
unwary, and to elude the researches of
perfecting creditors. Ever ,ifhe is en
abled, by the death of his parents or rich
relations, to pay the debts which his
youthful folly has tontiaded ; yet has he
{offered long and much, and loft the be
ginning of life, the fealon of rational de
light and solid improvement, in distress
and fears; in fabricating excuses and
pretences, and in flying from the eager
purfaits of duns and baliffs;
But this folly, however pregnant with
misery, is entitled to pity, and may in
some degree admit of those usual pallia
tions, youthful ardour, and want of ex
perience. Thousands, and tensof thou
sands, have ruined their fortunes and
their happiness by hastily running into
debt before they knew the value of money,
or the consequences of their embarrass
ment. We pity their misfortune, but.in
the firft part of their progress we do not
usually accuse them of dishonesty.
But the habit of incurring "debt, tho'
in the earlier periods of life it may origi
nate in thoughtlessness, commonly leads
to a crime most atrocious in itielf, and
injurious to fcciety. He who prayed
against poverty, left he diould be poor and
steal understood human nature. Difficul
ties and distresses have a natural tenden
cy to leffin the restraints of confcicnce;
From Knox's Moral Essays.
Gazetteer.
[Numb. 41 of Volume —5
The fortrefs of honour, when formed by
that fort of poverty which is occasioned
by profligacy, and not defended with
found principles (such as men of the
world do not often possess) has for the
mod part yielded at diferetion. He then
who began with incurring debt merely
because he was ftrongl, Simulated by
passion or fancy, and was not able to pay
for their gratification, proceeds, when
the habit is confirmed, and the firft scru
ples dismissed, to contrast debt wherever
unfufpeaing confidence will afford him
an opportunity.
If he possesses titles, diftin&ion, or an]/
kind of eminence, he will not find it dif
ficult to gain credit. Young tradesmen,
difirous of making connexions are ready
to run any rifque ; and hope that, if ic is
long before they receive their money,
they (hall not be without the great man's
patronage or recommendation. But he^e
also they are often deceived ; for the g eat
man cenfiders all his creditors as his
enemies, and never thinks of them but
to contrive methods to avoid and deceive
them. If he happens to receive any
money, he takes care to expend it among
Grangers, who have no other demand up
on him but for the commodity which he
pays for at the time of purchase. The
world is wide ; and when one let o' cre
dulous tradesmen arc wearied wrh ex
peaarion and disappointment ; the great
man migrates to another part of the town
or coun ry, and condescends to honour
some ambitious but unfortunate moral
with the honour of dealing with him.
Thus the yreat man goes on during the
greater part of his life, and when the
creditors are importunate, and the h<r
iors of a gaol impend, he collea, his
property and withdraws from the king
dom, cr living in disguise enjoys nis
luxuries, and laughs at his deled d
tradesmen. Indeed, as mod ill qualities
go together, his pride is so gre t, hat he
scarcely vouchfafes to bellow upon them
a moment's confideraticn. •
But while the builder, the draper, the
taylor, the butcher, the baker, and the
chandler, remain unpaid, the jockey and
the horse dealer, the mifirefs and the
brother gamester, receive ready money
with ostentatious profusion. Sharpers
and prostitutes, with all the qualities of
thievery, riot in those riches which ought
to be paid to honest men, who, with their
families, are reduced to a flaie of Halv
ing, by feeding, clothing; and accommo
dating some hardened profligate, and ex
travagant debauchee, ;W ho but mast
feel indignation when he fees a man in
high life, as it is called, eating a joint
of meat of some poor tradesman, whose
children are at the fame moment begging
of their parent a morsel of bread ? ; Who
feesj without lifting up his hand , my
Lord, or fir John fitting joyous at the
head of a plentiful table, Applied, gratis,
with every article, by the father ofthofe
children?
Indeed the pride and vanity of some
persons who value themselves on their
birth, or their fafhionable made of life,
induce them to look upon themselves as a
fuperiour order of beings, and to pre
sume that they have a right to be (fill
supported by their tradesmen in profusion
and elegance, even after they are reduced
in their circumstances either by misfor
tune or mifcondu&. If an honest man
makes his demand, he is impertinent,
his insolence is not to be borne ; he is
dismissed; but not until he evidently
shews that he will no longer fupo^ the
commodities in which he deals On bis
difmiffion, some exception is taker r ° ''
account; a dispute ensues, and < a ''"
pute furnifhes the fine gentleman or fine
lady with a pretence for not pavingt
bill. In the mean time card
vifitings, and all fafhionable P' ea ",
proceed as ufual—for,; Who would °
vulgar as to attend to the impertine