The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1828-08-28
From, the N. Y. Spectator.
BURNING OF BOOKS,

1t is not often that we turn out TO wit
ness the fires to which our city, like all
others, must be incident. The truth is,
that the fremen get along better without
the presence of the sovereigns than with
them: and honest people would act wise
ly to remain at home out of the way, unless
their own dwellings are in danger. The
best rule upon this subject is, to lie COM
posedly in bed until the wall next you
begins to grow warm. If, then, the loun-
ger does not make too much haste in put
ting on his shoes and picking up his inex-
pressibles,he will be able to escape Just
in season toavoid the cracking of the flames
one side, and twenty or thirty water-spouts
on the otner.-The confagration of Mr..
Montgomery's bookstore, however being
connected with the trade, formed an ex-
ceptlon, although it was the whole distance
OF block from US, and the falling sparks
did not reach our domicil by several feet.
We therefore sailed forth and mixed with
the million citizens of all sorts-pick poo
kets, black-legs and would-be gentlemen--
those who sympathised with the industri-
Gus suffer, and those who came to plumber
his goods-and those who found fault with
the firemen, because the fremen knew
much better than they what ought to be
done. The building was very large and
high, and was filled with comblstible mer-
chandise. The consequence was that the
fire spread rapidly and blazed furously.-
AS the devouring element spread from one
story, and one window, to another, the
thick volumes of smoke rolling forth as
from the chimney of Etna, were quickly
followed by fierce torrents of flame which
poured out as if from the red hot bowels of
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS furnace. And while ga
zing upon this sublime and terrible specta-
Gle, amidst the thick-coming fancies which
crowded our mind, we could not but ina
CINE to ourselves the different effects pro-
duced upon. the fumes VIII le consuming
the various works, bound, folded, or in
sheets, which crowded The shelves and
| Ware-rooms.
Itwas not strange that the ancents con-
sidered fire as an animal, and conceived
the idea of salamander. This element
derives its hue and visible form from the
materials on which it preys; and the vis-
| ION presented to our Imagination on this
occasion was as follows: The fire began
in a regular and business like manner to
crawl all over and round about pile of
accumulated rubbish, such as Paul Aliens
History of America, which John Neale
Sayes he wrote-Hannah Adams History
Of Religions--Funeral Eulogies of JEFF
ferson and Adam'S--the Port F olio after
the decease of Denny--Roots' Arithme-
tic-a few half-bound files of the ALBANY
Argus, and other particulars too tedious
to detail. All these matters were hon
estly and cleverly burnt by a methodical.
household-hke flame, which did its BUSH
ness systematically and efectually. Next
the lambent tongues of the destroying and
indestructible element seized on DR.. Brew
ster's New Edinburgh Encyclopedias, which
they despatched in deliberate way and
after they had performed their functions
they still pointed upwards and filttered i'm
greedy manner, as if il were waiting for
the forth coming unpublished Volumes .
But they soon had other business on hand.
Don Juan was on the shelves Immediately
above, and he was Siezed upon rapidly
He ignlted at once, aud there was many a
colored blaze of blue and bilious colored
yellow and lurid light, awful enough to
alright the greatest sinnerin New Harmo-
nv or Algiers. AT The same time by his
side, Chlde Harold mounted upin pyr-
am,d of clear white fame. which was how
ever, occasionally dimmed aud tinged with