Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1822-08-15
PARROTS.

PARROTS.
Sir William Temple in his Memoirs,
gives the following story of a remarka
bic Parrot. Speaking of Prince Mau.
rice of Nassau, he says:
at came into my head to ask him an
idle question, because Thought it not
very likely for, me to see him again,
and had mind to know from his own
mouth the account Of a common, but
much credited story, that had heard
so often from many others, of an old
parrot he had in Brazil, during his gov.
eminent there, that spoke, aud asked
and answered questions, like a reason.
able creature; SO that those of his train
there generally concluded tito be witch
cry or possession; and one of his Chap
lains, who lived long afterwards in Hol-
land, would never from that time en-
| dure parrot. but said they all had
the devil in them. ] had heard many
particulars Of this atory, and been as
| sured by people hard to be discredited,
| which made me ask Prince Maurice
what there was in it. He said with
his usual plainness and dryness in talk,
that there was something true and a
great deal false, of what had been re-
ported. / des ised to know of him
what there was of the first? ale told
me short and coldly, thathe had heard
of such an old parrot when he came to
Brazil, and though he believed moth
ing of it and it was good way of, he
had so much curiosity as to send for it;
that it was very large and very old
one, and when it came first into the
| room where the Prince was, with a
great many Dutchmen about him, it
said presently, what company ofwhite
men are here. They asked it, what he
thought that man was? pointing at the
Prince 1t answered, some General or
other, When they brought it close to
him, he asked it, D'ou Venes vous 2
whence come your 1t answered, de
Maragnan. iFrom Maragnan.) The
Prince qui etes vous2 (To whom do
you belong?) The parrot I'm Por.
ItugiS. ITO Portuguese. The Prince
I-Que. faistul as (What do you THEREBY
The parrot-Je garde les poalets. Il
Hook after the chickens The Prince
laughed and said. Tous gardeg les poss-
lets. (You look after the chickens
The parrot answered, Qui, moi ct je 10
sea; bisn .fai,e--(yes and know how
| to do itwell;) and made the chuck four
OF FIVE times that people useto make to
chickens when they call them. | set
down the words of this worthy dialogue
in French. justas Prince Maurice said
them to me. Iasked him what language
the parrot apoke9 and he said in Bra
lillian? asked, whether he understood
Brazilian? He said no, but he had taken
4, care to have two interpreters by him,
one Dutchman, that spoke Brazilian,
| and the other Brazilian that spoke
Dutch. That he asked them seperate.
ly, and both agreed in telling him just
( the same thing that the parrot said
/ could not but tell this odd story, be-
cause it is SO much out Of the way, and
4 from the first hand, and what may pass
( for a good one; for i dare say this
Prince himself belle. ed all he told me,
having ever passed for very honest,
! pious man. ] leave it to naturalists tc
reason, and to other men to believe as
they please upon it.
NIGHT PIECE IN THE WILDERNESS OF
UPPER CANADA
When it was midnight, / walked out,
and strolled into the woods contiguous
to the house. A glorious moon had now
assembled TO the summit of the arch of
heaven, and poured a perpendicular
food of light, upon the silent world be
low. The starry hosts sparkled bright.
ly when they emerged above the hori-
zon, but gradually faded into twink
ling points as they rose in the sky.
The motionless trees stretched their
majestic boughs towards cloudless
armament, aud the rustling of a wither-
ed leaf, or the distant howl of the wolf