The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-01-15
The Joking Clergyman.

Joking clergyman of Boston. DR.. Byle:
lived in the time OF the Revolution, an,
was Tory.
The Gistllery of Thomas Hill was Al
the corner of Essex and South streets
not far from Mr.. Belknap's residence il
Lincoln street. DR.. Byles called on Mr.
Hlll and inquired
Do you still p
"That is my business" Mr.. Hill re-
piled.
"rhen, said Mr.. Byles, "will you
90 with me and still my wife p
As he was once occupied in mailing
some list upon his doors, to exclude The
cold, parishioner said to him
1.-The wind bIowe,h wheresoever il
Iisteth, DR.. ByIes."
Yes, sir" replied the doctor, and
a man listeth wheresoever the wind blow
eth"
lie was intimate with General Knox,
who was a bookseller before the war.
When the American troops took possess
sion Of the town, after the evacuation,
Knox, who had become quite corpulent,
marched in al the head Of his artillery.
As he passed on, Byles, who though,
himself privileged on old scores, ex-
claimei. loud enough to be heard
" never saw an OF Knox fatler
in my life"
But Knox was not in the vein. He
felt offended by this freedom, especially
from Byles, who was then known to be
Tory, and replied in uncourtly terms.
In May, l777, Or. Byes was arrested
as Tory, and subsequently tried, con-
victed, and sentenced to confinement on
board guard ship, and to be sent 10
England, with his family, in forty days
This sentence was changed by the board
Of war 10 confinement within his own
house. a guard was placed over him.
After time the sentinel was removed.
afterward replaced, aud again removed,
when the doctor exclaimed that he had
been guarded, regarded, and disre>
gaided." He called his sentry his I" OBJ
seru-a-fory."
Percelving, one morning, thal'the sen
tinel, simple fellow, was absent, and
seeing DR.. Byle, himself pacing before
his own door, with a muskei on his
shoulder, the neighbors stepped over to
inquire the cause.
You see" said the doctor, e. beg.
ged the sentinel to le. me 60 for some
milk for my family, but he would not
suffer me to stir. reasoned the matter
with him, and he has gone himself TO
get It for me, on condition that keep
guard in his absence"
One bitter December night he called
his daughters from their bed simply 10
inquire if they Law warm.
lie had small collection Of curiosi-
tiles. Some visiiers called one morn
ing, and Mrs. Byles, unwilling to be
found at her ironing board, aud in the
emergency, desiring to hide herself, as
she would not be so caugh, by the ladies
for the world, the doctor put her in the
closet and buitoned her in After few
remarks, the ladies expressed wish to
see the doctors curiosities, which he pro.
ceeded to exhibit and after entertain>
ing them very agreeabIy for several
hours, he told them he had kept the
greatest curiosity to the last; when he
proceeded TO the closet he unbuttoned
the door, and exhibited Mrs. Ryles.
He had complained long, often, and
fruitlessly, toihe selecimcn, of quagmirc
IN front Of his dwelling.
One morning, two of the fathers Of the
town passing in chaise, after violent
ram, became stuck in the bog. As they
were striving to eXtricaie themselves,
and pulling to the right and to the leil,
the doctor came forth. and bowlng with
great pollteness, exclaimed -
| am delighted, gentlemen, to see
you stirring in this matter at last"
A candidate for fame proposed to fly
from the North Church sleeple, and had
already mounted, and was clapping his
wings, .oihe great delight Of the mob.
Dr. Byles, minging with the crowd, in,
qnlfed what was the object Of the gath,
ering,
=" We have come, sir, to see man
fly, " said one.
"Poh Poh ! have seen horse Fy,"
said the doctor,
Upon the 18th of MAY, 1880, the
memorable dark day, a lady wrote to the
doctor as follows