The Massachusetts spy (Boston [Mass.]), 1770-12-24 00:00:00

The Massachusetts Spy.
VOL. I.] From THURSDAY, December 20, to MONDAY, December 24, 1770. [N o . 54.
SKETCH of a MORAL and POLITICAL MAP of EUROPE.
By Mr. MOSER, Envoy from the Elector Palatine to Hanover.
R U S S I A,
THE motley creation of Peter, called the Great, imitators of all Europe, but not Russians; a country taught to bear the produce of Southern climates to vapid life, and to neglect its own vigorous offspring; history, mathematics, geography, a general balance of trade, inhuman intrepidity, slavery, savage glare of wealth.
S W E D E N,
Private industry; public profligacy; a state abroad enslaved by bribes, and ruled at home by the smell of surloins; the country of Lienæus and Artedi.
D E N M A R K,
A nation of voluntary slaves to a race of good-natured Kings: Dutch plodding; some sense, no genius.
P O L A N D,
The asylum of Socinus; the scymetar supreme judge of right and wrong; of liberty and slavery.
H U N G A R Y,
The phantom of a people once free, virtuous, and acute; the clergy ruling; the press curtailed; the nobility crest-fallen; a soil rich by nature, poor by policy.
B O H E M I A,
Moral forests and deserts.
G E R M A N Y,
Its heroes, like Italian pictures, shew best at a distance: the rest parcel out to deserts, petty tyrants, priests, pedigreed beggars, and pedants, and all her neighbours know Germany. Yet this is the mother of Arminius and Frederic; of Leibnitz and Wolfe; of Handel and Graun; of Mengs and Donnen; of Winkelmann and Reimarus.
S W I T Z E R L A N D,
The land of liberty.---Trade, state, knowledge, discovery among the Protestants, vigour in all; despisers of death; slaves of money abroad. Abroad a contemptible swarm of valets, clerks, officers, artists, schemers; the leeches of fools.
H O L L A N D,
A country through all its ages fertile of patriots, though now plethoric with wealth, and unstrung by public indolence. A nobility once full of republican metal, sneaking by degrees into courtiers. Here are scholars, civilians, laborious triflers, trade. Here absence of misery is happiness; indifference contentment; profit honour. Here sentiment is nonsense; plain sense wit; jollity pleasure; possession enjoyment; money the anchor of minds, the gale of passions, the port of life.
E N G L A N D,
The domain of liberty and property, the country of extremes. Virtue is here divine, vice infernal. Here are liberty of conscience, political liberty, civil liberty, commercial liberty, liberty of thought, tongue and pen, to and beyond the limits of the most profligate licence; news-papers, magazines, pamphlets, registers, heaven and earth a job; turfs, cockpits, clubs, Maccaronis, blackguards, stocks, lotteries, schemes, lame ducks, clever fellows, humour, and Novembers big with suicide; post-chaifes, Italian music and pictures, but few ears or eyes; the nest of foreigners; the country of Shakespeare, Newton and Hogarth.
F R A N C E,
The country of CITOYENS and MODE. Here things are estimated by their air: a watch may be a master-piece, without exactness; and a woman rule the town, without beauty, if they have air. Here life is a dance, and awkwardness of step its great disgrace. Character here is dissolved into the public, and an original a name of mirth. Their religion is superstition, fashion, whimsy; the ladies lay on rouge in equilateral squares, and powder with brick-dust. Tyranny may grind the face, but not the countenance of a Frenchman; his feet are made to dance in wooden shoes. The Parliament resemble an old toothless massiff. France was the country of Le Sueur and Racine, and is that of Voltaire.
S P A I N,
The dregs of a nation, two centuries past the arbiters of Europe, and leaders of discovery. Still sense, sagacity, and cool courage, are tamely submitted here to the iron yoke of inquisition; and each note of humanity drowned in the yells of Dominic's victims. The prerogatives of society moulder here in provincial archieves: These are the execrable lords of one hemisphere, and the humble factors of Europe. To see a sceptre in the gripe of woman: Confessors and favourites make no characteristic of Spain; nor is the country of Calderon and Cervantes more than its neighbours, the land of ignorance, vanity, indolence, poverty, envy.
P O R T U G A L,
Something of literature and history, glare, gallantry, superstition, earthquakes, daggers, inquisition, the bloody dawns of an uncertain day.
I T A L Y,
An unweeded garden, its inhabitants flies breed on a dead horse.---Slavery, and licence. Each moral principle the pimp of pampered organs: The country of arts, tricks, castration, and banditti; of Raphael, Goldoni, Farinelli, Archangeli.

From the GENERAL EVENING POST.
To the PRINTER.
HEARING in Lancashire what vast improvements had been made in town, and how beautifully the streets of it were paved, and the houses adorned, I could not help, old as I am, having the curiosity to see so fine a sight, and therefore took a place in our stage coach for London, where I arrived on Wednesday last; but being fatigued with so long a journey, I resolved to rest myself at my inn in Fleet street all Thursday, and to begin my view next day. Accordingly on Friday morning I set out from my inn, to walk as far as Westminster Abbey. I found the footpath in the streets much better and easier for my feet than they were when in town last, and was much pleased with the improvement; but as I was crossing the way in the Strand, and not dreaming of any danger, I very narrowly escaped being rode over by some coaches, which came upon me in full gallop, as if riding a race. However, with some difficulty, I escaped the danger, and resolved to take care how I crossed the streets again. I then proceeded in my walk, and took notice, as I went along, what large houses and fine shops all sorts of tradesmen now had, and concluded from thence that trade must be in a very flourishing condition. At Charing Cross some men were mending the pavement with new stones, and I had the curiosity to ask them from whence the stones were brought, and they told me from Scotland; from whence I concluded things went well with Scotland, and that Scotch stones were better than English. At length I arrived at a beautiful building that faces St. James's park, and inquired whose house that was, I was informed it was the Horse-Guards. I fancied it to be a kind of fort, and from the elegance of the structure I concluded that our army was in a very flourishing condition. From thence I continued my route until I came to Westminster Abbey, opposite to which I observed a new stately stone building, and inquired whose house that was, and was informed it was built for the better convenience of our members going to the Parliament House; from whence I concluded that the Parliament was in a very flourishing condition, and that the old ways to the Parliament House were not good enough for the new ways in it. After making a short stop in this place, I thought I had ambulated enough for one day, and therefore turned homewards again. But when I came into Parliament street, two chairmen, carrying a Lady in a hurry, jostled hard against me, and threw me down; when a well dressed Gentleman, in a laced waistcoat, immediately stepped to me, and helped me up. For which I was very thankful to him, and concluded that fine Gentleman in London were very obliging; but presently feeling in my pocket for my handkerchief, to wipe off some dirt on my coat, it was gone. This made me feel in my other pockets, when, to my surprise, my purse was gone too; and (what vexes me most) my gold watch, which was my father's, and had been in the family above a hundred years, was gone also. I turned about directly
to look for the fine Gentleman, and saw him at a vast distance off running apace; from whence I concluded that my fine Gentleman was no better than a thief, and had got my watch and purse. Upon this I hobbled home to my inn as fast as I could, and then began to reflect that there was no judging by appearances, and that I might be as much mistaken in concluding that fine houses and shops proved the great trade and riches of the shopkeepers, or that fine ways to the Parliament House was a proof of fine ways in it, as I was in taking an arrant thief for a fine Gentleman because of his dress. In short, I have seen enough of your fine town, and shall make all the haste I can back into Lancashire.
OLD SQUARETOES.
From the LONDON CHRONICLE.
To the PRINTER.
THE present time seems to be pregnant with critical and important circumstances. Among these, the seizing of Falkland islands by the Spaniards, is the general topic of conversation. The measures taken by our Ministry, in consequence of this daring invasion, seem to be more prudent than spirited---more worthy of approbation than of praise. It would probably be very satisfactory to your readers, to be informed in what manner a former Minister, (Mr. G. Grenville) supported the British character on a similar occasion.---An authentic account of that transaction follows.
When the French, in 1764, seized the Turks Island, a debate arose in the British council, upon the measures to be taken with regard to France upon that occasion. The whole council, one only excepted, were for a mild remonstrance with the French court; and they founded their opinion upon the apprehension lest a spirited conduct might induce that court to break the peace, or at least might, by some unforeseen means or other, precipitate us into measures, that would infallibly terminate in a rupture between the two nations. The one who ventured to differ from all the rest was the Right Hon. G. Grenville. He urged the necessity of a spirited conduct, as the only means of preserving the peace. That France, who was unable to continue the late war, was equally incapable of beginning another. That if we did not immediately shew a spirited and warm resentment at her behaviour on this occasion, she would certainly repeat her insults, and accompany them with language, that her pride would oblige her to support; and thus silence or tameness on our side would infallibly lead to a rupture. Upon this, the two Secretaries of State (at that time Lord H. and Lord S.) committed the whole negotiation to Mr. G. He undertook it, and sent for Count Guerchy, who was at that time the French ambassador at the British court. In a short conversation, which immediately ensued upon this subject, Mr. G. told the ambassador in plain terms, that the French forces, who had invaded and seized Turks-Island, must immediately evacuate the same, and restore it to the quiet possession of the English. The ambassador said, in excuse for the conduct of his court, that the King his master had claims upon that island, and that he was ready to

enter into a negotiation upon them. To which the English minister peremptorily answered, "Whatever claims you have, set them up, we will hear them. But first the island must and shall be restored. We will not hear of any claims of negotiation while the island is in the hands of the French King. It is absurd to seize the island, and then to talk of a negotiation about claims. When the island is restored to his Britannic Majesty, then, and not till then, will a single word about claim be heard or admitted." He concluded in a firm and determined manner to this effect: "Sir, I will wait nine days for your answer, in which time you may send to and receive advice from your court, whether the French King will immediately order his forces to evacuate Turks-Island, and restore it to the full and quiet possession of the English, or not: And, if I do not receive your answer at the end of nine days, the fleet that is now lying at Portsmouth, [there was a fleet then at Portsmouth waiting for sailing orders] shall sail directly to the island, and reinstate it in the possession of the King of Great-Britain." The ambassador went away, and soon after returned to shew the British minister the dispatches he had prepared upon the occasion. Mr. G. gave him leave to insert the conversation that had passed between them. On the 6th day a copy of the orders, signed by the French King, for restoring the island to the English, arrived.
The same spirited measures was taken by the same minister with the Spaniards, who had driven our settlers from Honduras, to whom fourteen days had been allowed: Upon which all was instantly and amicably adjusted.
AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE.
ANNAPOLIS, [Maryland] December 6.
ON Tuesday the 17th of last month, died at his house on Potowomock, in the 56th year of his age, Thomas Addinson, Esq; some time Major of his Majesty's 35th Regiment of foot.-----Having betaken himself pretty early in life to the honourable profession of arms he was present in several of the sharpest actions of the late and preceding war, both in Europe and Spanish and British America, in which he signalized himself by his bravery, and on every occasion discharged the duty of an expert and spirited officer.
In the Trotman, Capt. Blichenden, lately arrived from London, with convicts, we are informed, came over a number of coiners, transported for having presented the public with too many specimens of their ingenuity in that way; and as some counterfeit dollars, and a milled shilling, both badly executed, have already appeared, of their manufactory, we hope, the public will be cautious in receiving as well as paying away.
About ten days ago, a horrid murder was committed about five miles on this side Patapsco-Ferry: A person who came from the back parts of Virginia with horses for sale, having indiscreetly mentioned at a public house, that he had sold all his horses and had then the money by him, with which he intended to purchase servants at Baltimore, had that afternoon his throat cut, and above 260l. in paper money, besides gold taken from him.
The person suspected of having committed the fact is now in Baltimore-Town, and on him was found a large sum of money; as also some of the wearing apparel of the deceased.
WILLIAMSBURGH, [Virginia] November 29. The spirited and sensible proceeding of our worthy neighbours in Maryland, afford a fine example to the other staple colonies in these times of danger to American freedom. They rightly think, that neither moral nor political wisdom justifies wrong doing, because others have departed from what is right. The interest indeed of a few temporary mercantile characters may demand another conduct. It is to be hoped, however, that the good people of Virginia will not suffer the permanent, vital interest, the liberty of their country, to be sacrificed to the partial views of a few persons, whose continuance among us is limited to the time that they shall have made money enough to live in another country. Let this consideration animate my countrymen to a punctual attendance at Williamsburg on the 14th of next month, that a point of so much consequence to American liberty, as the association certainly is, may not be determined by few persons, and those so unfit for the purpose, as the smallest attention to the above reasons will shew them to be. The particular situation of the colonies north of Maryland, existing solely by their trade, may perhaps be some apology for their confining their associations to the fixed articles only; but the staple colonies, having an interior powerful dependance, are not under the same obligation with them. The powerful support that the American cause will receive in Britain from the manufactures of 100,000l. worth of goods, which our association, extended as it is, will exclude, is so obvious, that no friend of freedom can a moment doubt about the propriety of continuing it. A VIRGINIAN.
M O N D A Y, December 24. B O S T O N.
Captain Dixey, is arrived in nine weeks from the Downs. Benjamin Hallowel, Esq; Comptroller of his Majesty's Customs for this port, came passenger with Captain Dixey.
Captain Christopher Champlin, arrived at Newport, Rhode-Island, from the West-Indies, on the first instant spoke with a brigantine, Captain Tolan, five weeks from London, bound for Cape-Fear, North-Carolina, who told Captain Champlin War was declared in England two days before he sailed.
Captain Champlin, the 6th instant, in lat. 38, 23, long. 69, 7, spoke with Captain Bacon, in a sloop from this port, bound for South-Carolina, five days out, who had lost his boom in a gale of wind.
In a letter from Lisbon, dated October 11, it is said, "From the vigorous warlike preparations in England, a War with Spain, it is thought, will take place soon, or blow over for a while. This court, it is believed, will endeavour to remain neuter."
DIED.] Captain Bazin.---Mr. John Harris, boat-builder.---Mr. Thomas Salter, mast-maker.---Mr. Daniel Cheever.---At Roxbury, Mr. Caleb White.

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"It is not in mortals to command SUCCESS,
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