Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-13

mon a chair, as if lie was just ready 10
faint, his lor,Isilip Immediately rnns Tor
same cordial for iiU. which he took from
the servant himself ~ the door, Tor ne
would not admit any one iiviag) and gave
him with his own hand. When he was a
little recovered. " beg your lortslnP
pardon (continavi he bat could not h",d
out moment longer: what with 'fa'e'-
ling all dav, and watching all night. aHl
quite worn out''--' But where IS tie
bird 7''-.. And then such offers rs have
refused, Well. to be sure J trusted TO
your lords!ip's generosity, tor J shall ne
yer have such another opportunity OF MAX
ing NV fortune: for behold the fninS mas
taken wind, and there Was my Lord Dukes
| and Sir ','homas's men. and twenty more,
riding for life to try who sl!onld get him,
but had got the start of chem, and was
coming back with the pretty creature IN
INV bosom but let them all go on their
fools erraad, and did not say any thing to
them for hsw did know but they might
kill me to get him away from me :'-
Having finished this speech. which the o.
Their did not choose TO interrupt. though nc
listened with the greatest impaticncc, the
fellow opened his horseman's coat, and
with the greatest canton produced the
wonderful creature, the head and neck OF
which had been carefully thrust into a box
made on purpose, for fear the coat should
rub Of the hOfus.
His lor,lship's rapture at the sight is not
TO be described. He instantly pulled out
his purse. and paying ont the promised
price, took possession OF him, and bid the
man go and refresh himsclftor that night.
with the best in the house, and in the
morning he would consider how he might
make him return more equal to his SER
vice. By procuring him some handsome
place at court. But the fellow had other
designs in his head than ever to see his
face more. However. he kept that to
himself, and retiring with many profess
sions Of gratitude. left his house directly.
and took leave Of that country for ever.
Tn the nean time his iortlsllip had no.
tee that supperwas served up; but though
the company OF the first rank was in his
house, ne was SO wrapped up i'll the con-
of his new acquisition; .hat he
sent word he was taken Suddenly i'll, and
could not possibly attend them. lie then
dispatched several servants express, to his
learned friends. to desire their. attendance
next day, to see the most astonishing and
beautiful composition nature had ever
made in the animal world. and devoted
the rest of the night in drawing up pro
per description OF this surprising horned
Cock. with physical enquiry into the
substance ofilis horns, and a philosophical
attempt tc account for such an extraordi- |
nary production. When this work Of un-
common learning was finished. he indulg-
ed himself with taking another view Of
his darling bird, and then put him in a
beautiful sage. from which he dislodged !
two Chinese pheasants, and placed him |
in his museum next to his favOrite horned |
owl.
1t was six in the morning before he re-
tired to rest, when his head was so full !
Of his new acquisition. that he lay dream
ing Of cows with wings and cocks with |
horns. and such like wonderful works Of
nature. till the arrival of his learned friends !
at noon. As soon as their coming was an
nOunccd. he arose directly, and without |
waiting to visit his cock, TO whom he had
given a sufficient quantity Of provisions
before he had left him. went TO meet |
them. After several impatient enquiries
into the cause Of SO sudden and pcvempto-
Nv summons, the Virtuaso. in all the |
mysterious importance which SO incs'i-
mable al acquisition gave him, produced
lis own learned iabors Of that morning.
and. when they had sufficiently studied
and examined them, introduced thcm to
a sight of the nhparaIIc!odohiect. "There,
gentlemen, (,aid he. in conscious cxnlta-
tom there. behold the most uncommon,
unnatural and inestimable curiosity that
ever enriched the collection of philoso-
pher. There behold an ind;sputahie proof
OF their error. who assert that nature has
placed an immoveahic boundar, between
the quadruped and winged creations.-