Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-11-17
FARMER cRESINCs AND HIS n
CHANTMENTS. ~ ~
From communication addressed 70 tI.
editor Of the Farmers Magazine

/ C1AN iMENlS.
!{From communication addressed toe
4 editor Of the Farmers Masazinc.l
! /" was on the point of giving IN r..
lief In spells and entertainments altoss
lther, and renouncing the whele sy,,sm
Jas absdrdin theory. and useless in p,,s
.Itice, when was agreeably saved from
1incrcdulity, by meeting With passssr
| in an old author, one Mr.. Plny, wSs
Writes on this, among other subjects, II
.lthis passage, which / am about to quote
The makes mention Of particular cham
or spell, or call it what you will, which
lis foundto be possessed of extraor dinarv
Virtue in improving the quality, and In
lcreasing the quantity Of grain, or other
produce on any given spot Of ground.
Now, this is precisely what had always
wished and hoped to discover myself, T.
lit is a secret, which presume many
farmer will be glad to learn gn
! lam well aware. that, in this en-.
frightened age, shall be laughed at by
some. and abused by others, for giving
lary degree ofcredit to such stuff, as thew
will call it. and for presuming TO eatrude
1T upon the public. But let not agene-s
Irous public be biassed against me, or my
discovery. lam going to whisper some
thing into the ears Of those gentlemen,
who may langh at me, which they are lit
Gle dreaming Of. the charm has actaoiy
been tried by one or t,ro respectable
friends Of mind. to mhom gace the !
mint, have not tried it, as yet myself,
and 1t has dasrered amazimgly-Seeing
lis believing. ! am ready to attest the
fact, and shall leave my name with ysur
lpnblisher for reference. But as LIDO
not choose to be troubled with imperd+a
|nent inquirers, | make this proyiso, that
every person, before receiving my name.
and designation from the publisher, shall
produce certificate, signed BY at lest &.
three respectable farmers, bearing thathea
has made fair trial of the charm am
now about to publish, and that ithas sali>-s
ed in his hands.
shall now vitbout further comment,
lest you should think me tedious. give
yon the passage alluded to above, trans
lated from the original, as it is written IN.
"a foreign tongue, of which | have q
smattering, 1t may be found in the sixta
|cbapter of the eighteenth book, and is as {
Follows. =
One Cresinrs was observed to draw
greater returns in grain and fruit for q.
very small farm possessed by him, than
his neighbors could do from much larger
possessions. He was naturally suspect
ed of employing magic, by which he was
enabled to make the corn desert bis
|neishbors field, and come over to bis swm
THE neighborhood being alarmed, enter.
led a complaint to a justice of the peace,
lwho ordered him to appear before the
lquarter sessions which court, in ti't
Icounty, was held in the market place Y ]
lin the open air.
| Farmer Cresinus, seeing that matters
lwere like to 60 hard withhim, as hepre-ff
sumption efhis guilt was very strong re-
solved that instead of endeaveur1ng; 20
lprotract the business, by using the shifts
land ouirks of law, he would discover hIs
whole secret at once, and throw hirisei
Ion the mercy Of the court. So, on the
dav appointed, he made bis appearance
| with. his only daughter, who was an ae-
Icomplice "a stout clever girl ) he like.
wise brought all his trunpery into court
consisting Of ploughs, harrow spades :,
mattocks, yc. all Of the best materials y
workmanship, and all Of his own work
manship too for in those DAYS every
man was his own wright and smith. tie
even brought his own working cattle gre
| court room, being large could easily held
them,) all Of them strong, ard in COCO
keeping. He tl.en addressed his Judges,
las follows ;venefcia mea, Quirites, haze
STUNT Nee pessum yobis ostendre aut ID
forum adducere lucubrationes mess, slsi.
liasuue &C sudores. That It's" These are
INV spells, Gentlemen ;. there is my ma
leic. But cannot show yon, or nrias
into court. the other charnisi- lave en-
ployed my toll and sweat. myearly RS
ling, and late going to rest"
r.. IL. Gouflomnn,s .Efrgazias for