Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-06-03

covered only win sHeel unGef cocerletS maze oil
dogswaine and hnharios, and good round log under
their heuds instead OF bolster Fit So that the
father, or good man OF the house, had mattrass
flock bed and thereto sack Of chaif to rest his head
upon, he thought himself to be well lodged as the
Lord of the towns well were they contenied Pill
lows, said they, thought meet only for women
IN chdbed-as for servants, If hey had sheet above
them, IT WE'LL for seldom had they any under
their bodies To keep them from the pfckng s,raws that
ran OFT through the and raised their hardened
hides. The third thing they tell Us Of the exchange
of treene platers, $50 called suppose from tree
@nod, into pewter, and wo."a spoons into silver
TN For SO common all SORTS Of reene vessels
III old time, that should hardly find fear pieces
ot pewter, lot which pcradyenture n SALTY
III n good farmers house. In times past,
conented to dwell in houses 5urided OF saliow, will
low, * so that the use OF oak was, IN manner,
Dedicated wholly into churches, religious houses,
princes palaces Navigation, Nc; bat now, sail3w,
&c, rejected, and nothing but oak any where re-
garded; and vet, the change for when our houses
were butlded Of mitOc then had tcoodea msn; but
n0'c, that our houses come 10 lie made OF oak,
men not only become mtHon, but great many alto
gefher Of Strar, which Is alteration. In these
the courage OF the 4 sufficient defence 10
keep the house in safety; but the of the
tnbers must defend the from ru55ng. .N0r have
we many cbinnies, aud yet cur teEG"r.ins complain of
rheums, ca;afrhs, and p'ses;-then. had out
raradosses aud our heads did ache. For, the
smoke in those days were supposed 10 be sufficient
hardening Tor the timber OF the house, reputed
far better medicine TO keep the good and his iami-
y from the quack pox wherewlth then, very few
were acquainted. Oar pswlerers in time past employ.
ed the use of pewter only upon dishes, and pots, and
few other tr-s for service; whereas, now they are
grown into such exquisite cunning, that they III
initiate by infusion, any form fashion of cup,
dish, SALT or bowl, goblet which is made by gold
smith craft, though they be curious arti-
calIy forged. In places beyond The sea- gar
nish Of good flat, English pewter, Il say Hat, because
dishes and platers IN my tune, be- 10 be made deep
and like basns and are indeed, convenient for
sauce and keeping tie meat warm is almost esteemed
50 precious az The Ike NUMBER CT vessels that made
| of silver
Such is the testimony OF Of the most anthem
tic particular and entertaining historians OF the s;x-
leenth century, i'll regard 10 the manners, customs
habits, and opinions of his own, aad The preceding a.e
| But to down To much 10 own
times. When can first nbcr, the customs, ba-
bits, and modes OF living which generally prercilcd
! amongst our brethren, we're nearly dferen. from
what they well BE- ina ,ined; and were
tanly far favorable not Only 10 ;ardhood Of
stitu;ion, TO vigor both OF body and mind 10 manly
cupaons, bot 10 the successful prosecution Of all the
branches Of hus5andry. Bar let me you
that advert 10 these circumstances, with the
expectation of persuading you 10 believe that in The
days Of my boy hood, our people any better than
they are, but merely 10 sustain my position, that
expense and luxury have increased upon us Of late
years, out Of all proportion 10 our means OF nduging
IN them; and to an extreme, not only altogether un
necessary Ia real enjoyment, but highly perncious-
And 1t is for you 10 Judge, whether can succeed
best as farmers and planters by pursuing the fashions
of the present day, BY endeavcring return
degree, to hose Of the oden time, at least far n
dUstry and economy concerned
But am not at all disposed 10 infer, either that liv-
ing as in the days of Holngshed, customary
when Can FIRST remember, would of Itself make good
farmers and planters OF US, any more than the
utterance of patriotic sentiments Will make good
publican citizens or the negative duties Of abstinence
f,fnfn Ni.F..tI Rot. ,,ta
guilty TO the thorough convic.'an, that much real.
substantial comfort rational need desire, may
be attained at infinitely less cost than mos. Of at
present seem TO think requisite for lis Attainment
Nay, more maintain, that to Ierench considerable
portion of our needless expenses, and to diminish, in
some degree, those which unavoidable, by using
cheaper instead Of the very costly materials required
by the deSpolism of present fashions, wou' leave
large surplus of for the improvement Of
FARMS and would thereby tend greatly towards render
ing the pursuits Of agriculture both eecbe and
more profitable
To some Of you, my friends, il may perhaps, appear
irrelevant To Agricultural Address, that should in
trouce any remarks the ey,ravagance, folly, and
pernrcous effects of prevailing fashions. But l
cannot help viewing them directly at war with
all the bes! interests not only of our brethren but OF
our country ITSELF that unless arrest them in
measure, il will be TO little purpose that either
plough, SOW reap for, Ayr cultural profits must in
evitably diminish, and agricultural pursuits WILL Of
course just certainly become less and lees popular.
One of the strongest ohjrctirns, think, 10 thesa
fashions 10 their immoral tendency, rs, that they
are rapidly banlsiing from The land the small remnant
of that ancient hospitality for which good old State
was once pre- emlnently Distinguished So long ns
the true mode and best style OF entertaining
| friends and acquaintance believed 10 CONSIST IN
an eremonous, hearty welcome, and an abundance
of the substantial comforts Of ean. and drinking.
principally the produce Of iarEs, difficulty
was found in maintaining social intercourse IN all IT.
most agreeable forms. But when once II became tho
fashion /" think, that the display ." great style was the
Chef object III entertaining o;hers-tlat our desire 10
do was be measured by the Expense which IN
cured in dong t--and that hardly our mast intimate
friends could be invited dine with US, unless under
bank notice OF three days At least(hs anc'ent fashion
of nnprompu invitations at sight being entirely
plodci quite too vulgar from that pertod we may
date regular acclin. Of every thing like our good,
old, homespnn, cordial hospitality. fashionable
lady wonid think herself utterly undone to
b. caught VISITING her nelghaor as | have often
seen done, in Of your antique donhie chairs,
with nurse and child by her side, ond peradven.
ture two others sitting al their feet; or, per-
| haps hors back, mounted b,hlnd rea-
tion with ;te master or miss, the heir apparent and
best hopes If tie famly, pcrched up before him. And
Il fashionable gen:l, man would view with nnutlerabe
disgust the DID, but frequent, custom Of husband
and wife gong lunketiing on the same "bedSt, as
horse then most commonly called. II is certainly
true, that thou and dollar barnuche will take them
along much sfp'tshiy and with comfortable
feelings the transportation, than in the former
pendlcus mode Of allowing but horse for two or
three PERSONS and mus; beg you 10 understand, that
| am not quite oid-fashoned to prefer the old
mode the pr Sc. In fact, it is not 10 any
real improvement either in manners, customs, habits.
or s,,l- OF living, that object All insist upon is.
that The latter should always be duly proportoned to
the farmers income; and that whatever he may choose
to call improvement, should have some higher ella ms
such uppeaon, than lis inordnate and often highly
embarrassing expense. II these silly and indeed SIN
fnl ha from esiiess desire to
found all those distinctions in society that flow frcm
inequalities OF natural TALENT information, and proper
t., It should always be remembered tina; the first #
these distinctions he destroyed for God him
self the author Of IT; whilst Tie las. be
concealed but from utter Strangers by any effort which
pride vanity make. In all competitions of ex-
lrayagance, lie man who has double wealth and
only equal stock Of VANITY, although the chances