Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-03-25


was conscious that his hour was come"
With surprising sel.possession he pre-
pared to die. Composing his form at
length, and folding his hands upon his
bosom-without sigh--without a groan-
the Father of his Country expired, gently
as though an infant died. Nor pang nor
struggle told when the noble spirit took
its noiseless flight; while, so tranquil APP
peared the manly features in the repose of
death, that some moments had passed ere
those around could believe that the Pa
triarch was no more.
1t may be asked, and why was the mi
nistry of religion wanting to shed its
peaceful and benign lustre upon the
last hours of Washington? Why was
he, to whom the observances of sa-
cred things were ever primary duties,
through life, without their consultations in
his last moments? We answer, circum-
stances did not permit. 1t was but for
little while that the disease assumed SO
threatening character as to forbid the
encouragement of hope; yet, to stay that
summons which none may refuse, to give
still farther length of days to him whose
" time honoured life" was SO dear to man
kind, prayer was not wanting to the Throne
of Grace. Close to the couch of the suf-
ferer, resting her head upon that ancient
book with which she had been wont to
hold pious communion a portion of every
day for more than half century, was
the venerable consort absorbed in silent
prayer, and from which she only arose
when the mourning group prepared to bear
her from the chamber of the dead. Such
were the last hours of WAsHlMGToN.
Two young Americans were pursuing
their studies in London at the commence
ment of our late war with England. Some
months after that event, they learnt that a
motion was to be made in the House of
Lords, which would probably elicit de-
bate on the prosecution of hostilities with
America. They determined to attend,
and ignorant that any Introduction was
necessary, went at an early hour to the
House, and by some lucky accident fairly
got on the floor without any interruption.
They looked around with great compos-
ure for a good place, and at length, find
ing one to their minds, seated themselves
without ceremony. Not long after the
Peers began to assemble, and all eyes
were steadily directed to the young strang-
ers. Presently very respectable looking
parsonage (Lord Holland) approached
them and inquired if they were not foreign
ers they replied they were Americans.
He then informed them that no spectators
were admitted on the floor, nor even in
the gallery without an order from Peer.
and that he presumed they were not aware
that they had been sitting on the throne.
He kindly took them into the lobby and
gave them an order of admission into the
gallery, thus preventing seat on the
throne from being to them what it has been
to many others, very uncomfortable situ-
alton.
BILL OF LITERARY MORTALITY. Of
about one thousand books published annual
ly in Great Britain, six hundred are accom-
panied with commercial loss-on two hun
bred there is no gain-on one hundred the
gain is trifing-and, only on one hundred
any considerable profit. Six hundred and
fifty are forgotten within the year-another
hundred In two years-no more than fifty
survive seven years--and scarcely ten are
thought of after twenty. Of the fifty thou
sand books published in the seventeenth
century, not more than fifty are now in esti-
nation; and of the eighty thousand books
published in the eighteenth century, not
more than three thousand are considered
worth re-printing- and not more than five
hundred are sought after at the present
time.-Since the first commencement of
writing-or in thirty-two centuries-only
about five hundred works of writers of all
nations have sustained themselves against
the devouring influences of time.
Eng. paper.
AGRICULTURAL,