The Virginia gazette (Williamsburg, Va.), 1770-01-25 00:00:00

VIRGINIA
GAZETTE.
Open to ALL PARTIES,
but influenced by NONE.
The Right Honourable NORBORNE Ba- ron de BOTETOURT, his Majesty's Lieutenant and Governor General of the colony and dominion of Virginia, and Vice Admiral of the same.
To the several SHERIFFS, and other persons herein concerned.
WHEREAS the officers of his Majesty's revenue of quit-rents have re- presented that many of the Sheriffs who had the collection thereof, have neglected to come and settle their accounts with the Auditor, or to pay and discharge their Balances to the Receiver Ge- neral, by which many considerable sums are now in ar- rear, and due to that revenue. I do therefore, by and with the advice and consent of his Majesty's Council, and in his Majesty's name, hereby strictly charge and command the several persons hereafter pointed out for such neglects, and all others for them concerned, to come in before the last of March, and settle with the Auditor, as also to pay and discharge the sums due from them to the said Receiver General, at Williamsburg, or they may depend on having their bonds prosecuted by the Attorney General immediately: And to that end, the clerks of the several counties are hereby commanded to bring in, or safely convey, to his Majesty's Attorney General, all the bonds of such Sheriffs for the years they are deficient, as specified below (except for those years marked †, for which judgments are already ob- tained) and in case any of the said Sheriffs, or their securities, are now dead, to certify to the said Attorney General, the names of the heirs, executors, or admini- strators, of such persons, that they may be called into court to answer for those so deceased.
A list of the deficient SHERIFFS.
 † Accomack, 1763 Charles Stokely.  Do. 1766 William Stokely.  Albemarle, 1764 Mosias Jones.  Do. 1767 John Fry.  Do. 1768 Nicholas Lewis.  Augusta, 1766 Andrew Lewis.  Do. 1767  † Bedford, 1766 Samuel Hairstone.  † Do. 1767  Do. 1768 Richard Stith.  † Do. 1754 Joseph Ray.  † Brunswick, 1761 Thomas Twitty.  † Do. 1762  Buckingham, 1765 Robert Bolling, jun.  Do. 1766  † Do. 1767 John Fearn.  Do. 1768 Benjamin Howard.  Caroline, 1762 John Sutton.  Do. 1766 Anthony Thornton.  Do. 1767 William Tyler.  Do. 1768  Charles City, 1768 Philip P. Edmondson.  † Charlotte, 1767 James Taylor.  Do. 1768  Dinwiddie, 1766 John Jones.  Goochland, 1763 John Bolling.  Hanover, 1768 Samuel Overton.  † Henrico, 1767 Benjamin Duvall.  Do. 1768  † Halifax, 1754 James Terry.  Do. 1757 Hugh Moore.  Do. 1763 Thomas Cobb.  Do. 1767 William Hoskins.  Do. 1768  James City, 1767 William Norvel.  Do. 1768  Isle of Wight, 1763 Nicholas Parker.  † King William, 1763 Thomas Chamberlayne.  Do. 1768 John Quarles.  Louisa, 1765 William Johnson.  Do. 1766 William Smith.  Do. 1767 Thomas Ballard Smith.  Do. 1768  Lunenburg, 1766 Joseph Williams.  Do. 1768 Daniel Claiborne.  New Kent, 1767 Francis Foster.  Do. 1768 George Webb.  Orange, 1768 Richard Thomas.  Prince George, 1768 Alexander Morrison.  Pittsylvania, 1767 Benjamin Lankford.  Do. 1768  Southampton, 1768 Charles Cosby.  Spotsylvania, 1767 Joseph Brock.  Surry, 1751 Lemuel Cocke.  Do. 1752  Suffex, 1764 Lawrence Gibbons.  Do. 1767 Michael Bleau.  Do. 1768 
Warwick, 1763 William Langhorne. York, 1765 } Anthony Robinson. Do. 1766 } Do. 1767 } Thomas Chisman. Do. 1768 } And whereas it has been represented by the Auditor, that great inconvenience attends the settlement of the rent-rolls with the Collectors, by their separately accounting for the lands in their respective precincts. It is further ordered that for the future, the High Sheriff, his Deputy or Deputies in each county, do, on or about the last of May, in every year, attend at the Auditor's office with two copies of the rent-roll of their county, alphabetically digested, that a final settlement of the whole county may at once be completed; and in order to effect this, and prevent the like inconveniences in future, no such partial settlements will be admitted by the Auditor.
An Act for further continuing and amending the Act, intitled, An act for increasing the rewards for killing wolves within certain counties, to be paid by the respective counties wherein the services shall be performed.
WHEREAS the Act of Assembly, made in the fifth year of his Majesty's reign, intitled, An act for increasing the rewards for killing wolves within certain counties, to be paid by the respective counties wherein the services shall be performed, and which was continued by another act made in the seventh year of his said Majesty's reign (except as to the counties of Buckingham, Fauquier, and Loudoun, the said act, as to so much thereof as relates to those counties, being repealed) will expire on the first day of June next; and it is necessary that the said act should be further continued; and the inhabitants of several other counties being desirous that the said act should be extended to their said counties;
Be it therefore enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That the said act shall continue and be in force, from and after the said first day of June next, forward during the term of
And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the passing of this act, and during the continuance thereof, any person who shall kill any wolf, within the counties of Louisa, Fauquier, Culpeper, and Botetourt, shall have an additional reward of fifty pounds of nett tobacco for every young wolf, not exceeding the age of four months, and for every wolf above that age one hundred pounds of nett tobacco, to be levied and paid in the respective counties wherein the services shall be performed; and the several county courts of Louisa, Fauquier, Culpeper, and Botetourt, are hereby impowered and required to levy the same in their annual county levy to the persons entitled thereto.
An Act for laying an additional duty upon slaves imported into this colony.
WHEREAS it is found expedient by this present General Assembly that an additional duty should be laid upon all slaves imported or brought into this colony, to be paid by the buyers:
Be it therefore enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this act there shall be levied and paid to our Sovereign Lord the King, his heirs, and successors, for all slaves imported or brought into this colony for sale, either by land or water, from any port or place whatsoever, by the buyer or purchaser, ten per centum on the amount of each respective purchase, over and above the several duties already laid upon slaves imported or brought into this colony, as aforesaid, by any act or acts of Assembly now subsisting in this colony; which said additional duty shall be paid, collected, and accounted for, in such manner and form, and according to such rules, and under such penalties and forfeitures, as are mentioned, prescribed, and appointed for paying, collecting, and accounting for the duties already imposed upon slaves imported or brought into the said colony, by the several acts of Assembly now in force.
And be it further enacted, That the said duty be, and the same is hereby appropriated for and towards defraying the contingent charges of this government, and to and for such other use and uses as the General Assembly, from time to time, shall direct and appoint.
And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That the execution of this act shall be suspended until his Majesty's approbation thereof shall be obtained; and that from and after obtaining the same, this act shall continue and be in force for and during the term of seven years, and no longer.
An Act for preventing and suppressing private lotteries. WHEREAS many pernicious games, called lotteries, have been set up in this colony, which have a manifest tendency to the corruption of morals, and the impoverishment of families; and whereas such pernicious practices may not only give opportunities to defraud the honest and industrious, but may be productive of all manner of vice, idleness, and immorality, and against the common good and welfare of the community: For remedy whereof,
Be it enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That from and after the first
day of May next, no person or persons whatever, shall, on his own account, or that of another, either publicly or privately, set up, erect, make, excise, keep open, shew, expose, or cause to be played at, drawn or thrown at any such lotteries, or shall procure the same to be done, either by dice, lots, cards, tickets, or any other numbers or ways, or any other way whatever; and every person or persons herein offending, shall forfeit and pay to the parish, for the use of the poor of such parish, where such offence shall be committed, the whole of the sum or sums to be raised by such lottery, to be recovered by action of debt, or information, in any court within this colony.
An Act for destroying crows and squirrels in certain counties therein mentioned.
WHEREAS it is represented to this General Assembly, that crows and squirrels do great damage to the crops of corn, in the counties of Accomack, Albemarle, Amherst, Augusta, Bedford, Buckingham, Culpeper, Fauquier, Frederick, Hampshire, Loudoun, Northumberland, Orange, Pittsylvania, and Prince Edward: For remedy whereof,
Be it enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this act, every person dwelling within the said counties respectively, who is by law obliged to give a list of the titheables in his or her family, shall annually, before the time appointed for returning such list to the county court, produce to the Justice of Peace, who shall be appointed to take lists of titheables in the precinct where such person shall dwell, five crows heads, or squirrels scalps, for every titheable by him or her listed for that year; and every such Justice shall forthwith cause such scalps and heads to be destroyed, to prevent their being produced a second time, and shall, in a distinct column, to be for that purpose made in the said list, enter the number of such heads and scalps in a line, with the name of the person producing the same. And the court of each of the said counties of Accomack, Albemarle, Amherst, Augusta, Bedford, Buckingham, Culpeper, Fauquier, Frederick, Hampshire, Loudoun, Northumberland, Orange, Pittsylvania, and Prince Edward, shall annually, at the laying of the county levy, give the county credit, in one article, for one pound of tobacco, for every head or scalp wanting to make up the number required by this act, respectively, is hereby impowered and required to demand and receive of such delinquents, or levy by distress, the said one pound of tobacco for each head or scalp so wanting to make up the said number of five heads, for every titheable, as aforesaid, on every person respectively, who shall have failed to produce the same, according to the directions of this act, to be applied towards the discharge of the said county debt, in the manner herein directed.
And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That this act shall continue and be in force for three years from the passing thereof.
An Act for paying officers fees due from the inhabitants of other counties for services done in the counties therein mentioned.
WHEREAS by an act of the General Assembly, passed in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of his late Majesty George the second, the inhabitants of the counties of Halifax and Bedford, were allowed to pay all officers fees at twelve shillings and six-pence per hundred on the nett tobacco; and by an act passed in the thirty-second year of the reign of his said late Majesty George the second, the inhabitants of the county of Loudoun were allowed to discharge all officers fees, payable in the said county, in money, for tobacco, at the rate of twelve shillings and six-pence per hundred; and by an act passed in the first year of his present Majesty's reign, the inhabitants of the counties of Frederick, Augusta, and Hampshire, were allowed to pay all officers fees at the rate of eight shillings and four-pence for every hundred weight of gross tobacco; and by an act passed in the seventh year of his present Majesty's reign, the inhabitants of Pittsylvania were allowed to pay all officers fees at twelve shillings and six-pence per hundred; and by an act passed this present General Assembly, the inhabitants of the county of Botetourt are allowed to pay all officers fees at the rate of eight shillings and four-pence for every hundred weight of gross tobacco; and forasmuch as the inhabitants of the other counties, within this colony, are by law compellable to pay the fees due from them to the respective officers of the said counties of Halifax, Bedford, Loudoun, Frederick, Augusta, Hampshire, Pittsylvania, and Botetourt, in money for tobacco, in tobacco or money at the rate of two-pence per pound, although upon judgments obtained by them against the inhabitants of the before mentioned counties, they are obliged to receive money for the tobacco fees taxed upon such judgments, according to the rates by which the same are payable in the said counties respectively, which is unequal and unjust;
Be it therefore enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this act, it shall and may be lawful for all and every person or persons to pay all fees due from them to the respective officers of the said counties of Halifax, Bedford, Loudoun, Frederick, Augusta, Hampshire, Pittsylvania, and Botetourt, in money for tobacco, according to the rates the inhabitants of the said counties respectively are by law allowed to pay the same; any law, to the contrary thereof, in any wise, notwithstanding;
And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That when any inhabitant of the said counties of Halifax, Bedford, Loudoun, Frederick, Augusta, Hampshire,

Pittsylvania, or Botetourt, shall recover in any action or suit brought by them against the inhabitants of any other county, the person against whom judgment shall be obtained in such action or suit, may pay and discharge all the tobacco fees, taxed upon the judgment in such action or suit, at the same rate the plaintiff in such action or suit is intitled to discharge the same; any law, custom, or usage, to the contrary thereof, in any wise, notwithstanding.
An Act for adding part of the county of Nansemond to the county of Isle of Wight, and for ascertaining part of the boundary between the counties of James City and York.
WHEREAS all that part of the Parish of Suffolk, and county of Nansemond, from the line dividing the said county of Nansemond from the county of Isle of Wight, on James river, and down the said river to the mouth of Chuckatuck creek, and up the said creek to the mouth of a small creek, commonly called Chuckatuck bay, and up the said last mentioned creek to the county line, and down the said line to James river, is very inconvenient for the inhabitants thereof to get to the public places in the said parish of Suffolk, and county of Nansemond, and would be more convenient to the parish of Newport and Isle of Wight county;
Be it therefore enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this act all that part of the said parish of Suffolk, and county of Nansemond, within the afore recited bounds, shall be added to the parish of Newport, and county of Isle of Wight.
And whereas it is represented that the line dividing the counties of James City and York, so far as the same runs through the city of Williamsburg, is very uncertain, and that it is necessary for the direction of the several Sheriffs of the said counties, in executing their process, that the line should be fixed and ascertained:
Be it enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That from and after passing this act the said line shall be established and continued from the main road, by the north end of the College, as it now runs down the middle of the main street, to the eastern end of the market place, thence into the lane which divides the store-house of James Anderson, merchant, from the lot of the orphan of William Lightfoot, Esquire, deceased, as far as the middle of the passing of the said lots, thence through the middle of those lots, and all the other lots on the north side of Francis-street, till it passes through the middle of the lots of the Honourable William and Thomas Nelson, thence across the Capitol square, in a straight line, through the middle of the lots of John Trentis, Gentleman, and Catherine Davenport, till it falls into the street leading to the main York-road.
In the present scarcity of news, we hope the following extracts from the celebrated YORICK'S MEDITATIONS, will be agreeable to our readers.
MEDITATION UPON NOTHING.
He hems, and is deliver'd of his mouse.
WRAPT up in reflection, I long profoundly meditated upon what every body speaks of, and nobody understands—here some sneerer may perhaps ask me what I meditated upon—why I meditated upon the most abstruse object in nature, to deal plainly with you I meditated upon nothing. Nothing, said I to myself, is certainly the most unsearchable object in metaphysics, and yet it has a creative faculty; and if we may believe the philosophical poet of antiquity, is endowed with a power of producing itself.
Ex nihilo nihil fit. LUCRETIUS.
Nothing must come of nothing.
Trifling, however, as this subject may appear, nothing has an importance in itself which the superficial are not aware of. If we may give credit to some of the most profound philosophers, the whole universe was made out of nothing. Nothing is, according to them, the source of all being, and in nothing all being must end. The greatest of all philosophers has declared himself for a vacuum, and a vacuum is certainly a down-right nothing. The more I meditate upon nothing, the more I am convinced of its importance. This same nothing has been of great service to many an author; I could mention one that has lately filled two whole volumes with nothing; the books vary dear; but what does it contain? Why just nothing, and that proves the author's abilities; any blockhead could write if he had something to say for himself; but he that can write upon nothing must surely be a superlative genius. Well, but are not there such things as religion, virtue, and honour? No, I deny it; and if you won't take my ipse dixit , the church will shew you that there is nothing in the first; the court that there is nothing in the second; and the army and the navy will fully prove that there is nothing in the third. Well, some of my impertinent readers may perhaps ask me what I have in view in thus communicating my meditations to the public; why what should I have in view—nothing at all—do but read five or six pages more, and you'll see I could have nothing in view. We all were created out of nothing, and in nothing we all must end, according to the system of those sagacious philosophers, the Materialists, who have discovered that the universe was made out of nothing, and that nothing precludes over it.
MEDITATION UPON SOMETHING.
LET me now turn my eyes from the vast abyss of non-entity, and fix them a moment upon—something. Let metaphysicians say what they will, something now must certainly exist, therefore something must have existed from all eternity—pray every day don't we receive convincing proofs of the existence of something. Perhaps my readers may here grow tired of my meditation, so much the worse for them; for I'll maintain it in spite of the universe that there is some in it. Let the sagacious reader, that may be tempted to think that this meditation turns upon the same subject with the former, read only to the end of the page, and then he'll see the difference between something and nothing. Some of the malignant and censorious may perhaps here smell a rat—I think I hear some of them say, there must be something at the bottom of this—he has certainly an ill design against religion or government—Sir, my intentions are very good, but such readers as you always find something to carp at. How abstruse and inexplicable is the nature of something! how hard is something to be defined? how hard is it often to be found out? For instance now, though every chapter of Tristram's life and opinions teems with something new and extraordinary, many superficial readers have been known to say of it—there may be something in it, but for my part it escapes me—Gentlemen, that may very well
be; but what has been said of truth, may likewise be said of something, viz. that lies at the bottom of a well—and there, Gentlemen, 't must lie, till drawn from thence by the bucket of philosophy.
MEDITATION UPON THE THING.
ASCEND still higher and higher in my meditations—stay awhile, Sirs, and you shall see me ascend to the source where the din speck of entity began—here, no doubt, some Lady will interrupt me with a Lord, Sir, what do you mean? Why no modest woman will read you—Oh! see the thing. So, Madam, you think I mean country-matters, but I had no such stuff in my thoughts—The thing here means what every reader must find in a book, or else he throws it by, and declares the author to be a damn'd dull fellow. You'll perhaps ask me in what it consists? Why, saith I don't know—suppose I was to ask you in what the smell of the violet consists—could you tell me—you'll doubtless answer no—because you are no philosopher—well, but I am, and yet I really know as little of the matter as you do yourself. Here one of those blockheads who have usurped the name of philosopher, would advance with a supercilious air, that the smell of a violet proceeded from certain texture of the small particles of the flower, which is of a nature to affect the organs of those that smell it just as it does, and no otherwise. But what is this but saying, that it consists just in the very thing in which it consists—but to return from this digression to the thing in question.
It has frequently happened, that a book has been by the public in general looked upon as the thing—and has notwithstanding been thought a very bad thing by judicious critics—but this has never happened to any thing of mine—whatever I write will, by all the world, be allowed to be the thing; and if any one should take upon him to assert, that this meditation is not the thing, I must beg leave to tell him that he has no taste—but this is a digression from my subject—no Matter for that, a digression is quite the thing in a history, and surely it must be much more so in a meditation. What's a meditation, but a collection of the reveries of a mind; and what is of a more moving nature than the mind—so far from thinking in train, it flies from one subject to another, with a rapidity inexpressible—from meditating upon the planetary system, it can with ease deviate into a meditation upon hobby-horses, though there does not appear to be any considerable connexion between the ideas—and yet Hobbes has affirmed, that thoughts have always some connexion.
MEDITATION UPON CONSTITUTION.
BUT come let us quit this abstruse subject, and turn our meditations to a subject which we all understand; let us meditate upon the constitution, for every body understands that, and many a coffee-house politician, who would not have a word to say for himself, upon something, nothing, or the thing, can hold forth upon the constitution for half an hour together, and nobody ever the wiser. Can like a clock-maker take down all the springs and wheels of it, and then put them together as they were before. But here I must ask the constitution's pardon for having compared it to a clock—clocks are sometimes down, and 'tis well known that our happy constitution was never liable to any such accident, though it resembles a clock in going sometimes a little too fast, and sometimes a little too slow. Here, perhaps, I may be interrupted by some impertinent reader with a query, how does it go now?—Why, Sir, faster, it goes exactly right, and how should it go otherwise, when wound up by the hand of a Pit. But, alas! while I thus indulge my meditations, and compare the constitution to a clock, I tremble with the apprehensions of censure from a certain quarter—Some red hot theologian may very probably fulminate an anathema against me, as an adopter of the odious system of Materialism. But, reader, take my word for it that I am herein accused unjustly, as perhaps the author of the spirit of laws was before me. I think spirit as necessary to move the universe, as to keep the constitution agoing, and make no doubt that if nothing had existed but matter, it would have stood still from all eternity. Here, perhaps, the same sneerer may retort upon me, and ask me, with an air of triumph, is there spirit in a clock—no certainly—yet we find that motion can subsist in such a material machine. Sir, sneerer, you seem to have forgot that the clock was made by an intelligent being, and would soon stand still for ever, without the assistance of such an one to wind it up. Your objection will never have any force till the perpetual motion is discovered, and when that is once found out, we may expect to see a constitution incapable of suffering any revolution. Our glorious constitution has suffered some, but 'tis now so well established that no true Englishman can wish that it should ever deviate from its present principles. It has been said indeed of the republic of Venice, that it has been 1200 years without a revolution; and the republics of Italy in general, when they boast their stability, boast only the stability of their corruptions. How far superior to them is a constitution like ours, or like that of ancient Rome, which has struggled through various abuses and revolutions, till it has at last acquired perfection. Here, methinks, I am interrupted by some physician, who tells me, with all the gravity of his profession, that the body politic resembles the body natural, which is never more in danger of being seized with an acute disorder, than when it enjoys a vigorous state of health—this is the observation of no less a man than the great professor Boerhaave—Oh, lord! doctor, you have frightened me out of my wits with your aphorism—I with Boerhaave and you at—Lord, have mercy upon us, and preserve us from a state fever, 'tis worse than a state apoplexy itself—but, upon second thoughts, I apprehend that there is not much danger of a state fever, since the constitution is allowed to be somewhat phlegmatic. But now I talk of phlegm, I have so long meditated upon the constitution, that I can meditate upon it no longer, without the assistance of a pipe of tobacco, and when 'tis lighted, I may, perhaps, resume my meditation; for the aromatic gales of tobacco, inspire the politician as powerfully as coffee itself.
Blest leaf whose aromatic gales dispense, To templar's modesty, to parson's sense; Come to thy YORICK, come with healing wings, And let me taste thee unexcis'd by Kings.
MEDITATION ON TOBACCO.
INTENDED to have continued my meditation upon the constitution, but I had not been long wrapt up in the cloudy tabernacle which my tube of clay diffused around me, when I was insensibly led into a train of meditations upon the virtues of that leaf, which contributes so much to alleviate the cares of mortals; a subject which seems to have a considerable connexion with the former, as the constitution is, upon many accounts, highly indebted to tobacco. Blest leaf, cried I in an extasy, how extensive and powerful is thy influence, thou aidest the meditations of the oriental, and dost conspire with soporiferous opium to fill his mind with rapturous ideas of paradise; were it not for thee the poor unhappy Negro,
would sink under the weight of his labours. The politician without thee could not adjust the balance of Europe to his satisfaction; the publican would lose much of his custom; and the hunter his favourite amusement; in fine, were it not for thee the world would have been deprived of many useful and learned treatises; and what is worse than all, would never have seen this meditation.
Poets seek rural shades and purling streams; but the writer that aims at conveying solid instruction, delights in those modern Lyceums where the fume of tobacco conspires with port, or porter to suggest ideas, and enlarge the soul. Oh! shame eternal to the British fair, tobacco is their aversion; but still thou art not entirely abandoned by the sex; the sage dames of Holland smoke as much as their husbands, and many a Jewess have I seen at Grand Cairo with a pipe in her mouth. Thy importance too is fully acknowledged by mankind, and not without reason, since they every day see so many enterprises of great pith and moment vanish into smoke. Thy discoveries are likewise numerous, for is it not usual to smoke the justice; to smoke the parson; to smoke the jest; and, in fine, to smoke every thing that has any thing in it to be smoked; insomuch, that the cobler himself has not escaped being smoked. Here the critics may, perhaps, cry out, damn'd dull; but let them look to it. For should they pretend to censure my meditations, I'll make the critics smoke. Tobacco! thou most grateful incense to the gods in the upper gallery, without thee how insipid would be the character of Abel Drugger—how tasteless would be wine, punch, and porter without thee? 'Twas a maxim with the ancients, that fine Baccho, friget Venus that love is cold without wine; but how much more just the maxim, that wine is cold without tobacco! O doubly a friend to conversation! thou openest the heart to social converse, and dost, at the same time, afford a pretext to the man of few words, by furnishing him with excuse for his taciturnity. Oh! friend to learning; the muses, by thee the Oxford scholar is as much edified as by Ramus or Smigleuco, and perhaps much more. The great Socrates, and the divine Plato, were but mere philosophers with all their learning, nor should we wonder at it, there was no tobacco smoked in their ages, they would have exalted their conceptions, and raised their souls to the most sublime contemplations. What honour then is due to the glorious memory of Lane, who first introduced the use of the divine leaf into this our country. Make him, you modern bards, who, in genius and abilities, so much surpass all who went before you—make him the subject of your choicest lays. He is justly entitled to your gratitude, since tobacco so much contributes to make your inspirer, beer, go down. Wrapt up in smoke, and in this pleasing theme, I could with pleasure dwell upon it till to-morrow morning, but I must quit my subject, though much against my will, for hark, the bell sounds, my candle is burnt-out, and I have not so much as a flint to strike a light, so I must go to bed, and there dream or meditate till to-morrow.
WILLIAMSBURG, January 25.
Advices by a ship arrived at Norfolk, from Liverpool, say, that Mr. WILKES has recovered 4000l. damages of the Right Hon. the Earl of Halifax.
That the French are much irritated at the reception given the Russian fleet by the English; and that the said fleet was then actually bombarding a town, or fortress, at no very considerable distance from Constantinople.
The Captains Walker and Esten may be daily expected from London.
On Wednesday night, Captain Ferguson, lately from the West-Indies, arrived in the packet from Norfolk, in custody of an officer, and was committed to the public gaol, being accused of the murder of three of his crew, and a Negro boy of his own, at sea; for the last of which he is to take his trial here.
Some time about Christmas last, a tragical affair happened at a plantation in North Wales, Hanover county, belonging to Bowler Cocke, Esq; the particulars of which, according to the accounts we have received, are as follows, viz. The Negroes belonging to the plantation having long been treated with too much lenity and indulgence, were grown extremely insolent and unruly; Mr. Cocke therefore had employed a new Steward. The Steward's deputy (a young man) had ordered one of the slaves to make a fire every morning very early; the fellow did not appear till sunrise; on being examined why he came not sooner, he gave most insolent and provoking answers, upon which, the young man going to chastise him, the fellow made a stroke at him with an axe (or some such weapon) that was in his hand, but happily missed him. The young man then closed with him, and having the advantage, a number of the other slaves came to the Negro's assistance, and beat the young man severely. At last the ringleader (a very sensible fellow) interceded for him, on which they desisted. The young man then made off as fast as he could, to procure assistance to quell them. Whilst he was gone, they tied up the Steward, and also a poor innocent, harmless old man, who overlooked a neighbouring quarter, and on hearing the uproar, ran to the creek to know the cause of it; where they whipped till they were raw from the neck to the waistband. In some time the young man returned, with about twelve white men, and two little boys carrying each a gun. They released the two unhappy sufferers, and then proceeded to a barn, where they found a large body of the Negroes assembled (some say forty, some fifty) on whom they tried to prevail by persuasion, but the slaves, deaf to all they said, rushed upon them with a desperate fury, armed with clubs and staves; one of them knocked down a white man, and was going to repeat the blow to finish him, which one of the boys seeing, levelled his piece, discharged its contents into the fellow's breast, and brought him to the dust. Another fellow having also knocked down another of the Whites, was, in the same manner, shot by the other boy. In short, the battle continued sometime desperate, but another of the Negroes having his head almost cut off with a broad sword, and five of them being wounded, the rest fled. The accounts vary; some say three were killed upon the spot, and five wounded, others that two were killed, and five wounded, one of whom died soon after. It is said they had threatened to kill the Steward as soon as he came to the plantation. The ringleader was one of the slain.