Newspapers / The Journal (Salisbury, N.C.) / March 7, 1826, edition 1 / Page 4
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rOETRY. ^ KEATH. rHOM Tlir MW MO>THLT MABAZINK. O fear not thou to die ’ , I'or ratlier fear to live, for Life Has thousand snares thy feet to try By peril, pain, and strife-. Brief is the work of Death ; But Life ! the spirit shrinks to see ilow full, ere Heaven recallb the breath, The cup of V oe may he. O fear not thou to die ! No more to sufl'cr or to s;n ; I»Jo snares without thy faith to try, No traitor heart within : ■Rut fear, oh rather fear The g-ay, the lijfht, the changeful scene, The fluttering smiles that greet thee here, From Heaven thy heart that wean. Fear least in evil hour, Thy pure and holy hope, o’crcom^^ By clouds that in the horizon lower, Thy spirit feel that gloom Which over earth and heaven The covering throws of fell despair; And deems itself the unforgiveu Predestined child of care. O fear not thou to die \ To die, and he that bjessed one. Who, in the bright and beaiiteous sky, May feel his conflict done— AVbo feels that never more The tear of grief, or shame shall conic For tliousand wanderings from the Power Who loved, and call’d him home ! Imitation of UAmour Aniique of the old French poet Murot. GOOD OLD TIMES. In good old times, when Love was jolly, And prudish arts were deem’d but folly. And gifts, were gifts, and honest coaxing Was little like your modern hoaxing; Then folks (God bless them !) thought it holy That hearty courtship, when begun. Through twenty, thirty, years should run, K century of artless fun In good old times. But now ’tis nought but mimic tears, And hollow grief, and studied fears:— Then cease my want of Love to blame, Tor Love, I .veen, is not the same. O! bid him come as once he came In good old times. aTarictg. All pleasure consists in Vuruiy. THE FIRST OF APRIL. The conjectures of authors as to the origin of the custom of ruakinj; what are termed “April Fools,” on this day, arc numerpus, but liitle satisfactory. The ap pellation of “All Fool’s Day,” usually given to it, seems to denote it to be a dif ferent day from the “ Feast of Fools,” •which was held on the 1st of January, of which a very particular description may be found in Du Cange’s learned Glossary, tinder the word Kakndar'y which has oc casioned a conjecture that the word “All” here, is a corruption of our northern word “ auld” for old ; because mention is made so often in the ancient Roman Calendar of a “Feast of o/d Fools.” It must be granted that this feast stands there on the first day of another month, November; but then' it informs us, at the same time, that it is by removal. “There is nothing hardly (says the au- 'thor of the Essay to relieve the old Cel tic) that will bear a clearer demonstra tion than that the primitive, Christians, by way of conciliating-the Pagans to a better worship, humoured their prejudi ces by yielding to a contunniiy of names, ^iid even of cusioms, where they diifl not esseinially interfere with the 1‘uiiduineii- tals of the Gospel doctrine. Tlds was done in order to quiet their possession, and to secure their tenure : an admirablf expedient, and extremely fit, in those bar barous times, to prevent the people from veturning to tlu'ir old religion. Anion:; these, in imitation of the lloman Satur- Dalia, was the festnm luduotic^t whet: part of the jollity of the season was a burlesque election of a mock Pope, movCk Cardinals, and mock Bishops, attended with a thousand ridiculous and indecent ceremonies, gambols, and antics; such a' singing a.’,;d dancing in the churches in lewd dttitudp'j to ludicrous anthems; all iihisive to the exploded pretensions ol the Druids, whom these sports were cal culated to expose to scorn and derision. This Feast of I’ools,” he continues, “had its designed eiVcct,and contributed, perhaps, nnre to the extermination ol those heathens, than all the collateral aidii of fire and sword, neither of which r trc bparcd in the persecution of them. Tti'‘ continuance ofciistcms, especially' droll ones, which suit the gross taste of the multitude, after the oiiginal cauae of them has ceased, is a grout, but no un common absurdity.” Tiie name Jlndrcw, according to this writer, }.ignifies a head Di uid or Di\ine. llencc it was, he adds, that when the Christians, by way of exploding tl^e Dru ids, turned them into ridicule, in their Feast or Holiday of Fools, one of the IJutVoon personages was a “ Merry An drew a character of whom Pennant (British Zoology) has this remark : “ It is very sitigiilar, that most nations give the nam'e of their lavorite dish to the face tious attendant cm every mountebank : thus the Dutch call him Pickle Herring-^ the Italians, Mac,:aruni—the Freticli Ijean Volnge—the Ciermans, linns JTi/rsf, i. e. Jack Samage—arid we dignify him with the title iji Jack Pwl ling. The learned Dr. Peggr, in an article in the (lentleman’s Magazine, (May, I76GJ, rejects this origin of the custom in (juestion, and ascribes it to a complete ly (litli rent cause. “It is a matter of some difiiculty,” he begins, “ to account fur the expression, ‘an April I'ool;’ and the strange custom so universally prevalent throughout this kingdom, of i)tople’s making fools of one another, on the first of A])ril, by trying to impose on each other, and sending one another upon that day upon frivolous, ridiculous, and alj- surd errands. However, sonu'thing I have to ofler on this subject, and I shall throw it out, if it were only to induct- others to give us their sentiments. The custom, no doubt, had an original, and one of a general nature ; and therefore one may reasonably hope, that though one person may not be so happy as to in vestigate the meaning and occasion of it, yet another possibly may. But I am the more ready to attempt a solution of this difiiculty, because 1 find Mr. Browne, in his Antiquities V'ulgares, has totally o- mitted it, though it fell so plainly with in the compass of his design. I observe first, that this custorti and expression has no connection at all with the Feslum lly- podiaconorutn, Festwn Stuliornm, Ftsturn Fatuorum, Feslum Jimocenlium, 5cc. men tioned in Du Fresne ; for these jocular festivals were kept at a very difl’erent time of the year. Secondly, that I have found no traces, either of the name or of the custom, in other countries, inasmuch t lat it appears to me to bean indigenal custom of our own. T speak only as to myself in this ; for others, perhaps, may have discovered it in other parts, though I have not. Now, thirdly, to account for it: the name undoubtedly arose from the custom, und this, I think, arose from hence—our year formerly began, as to some purposes, and in some respects, on the 25th of March, which was supposed to be the incarnation of our Loud ; and it is certain that the commencement of the new year, at whatever time that was supposed to be, was always esteemed a high festival, and that both amongst tlie ancient Romans and wi,th us. Now great festivals were usually attended wi(h an octave; that is,*they were w’ont to contin ue eight days, whereof the first and last were the principal; and you will find the lirst of April is the octave of the 25th ol •March ; and the close or ending, cunse- (juently, of that feast, was both the les- lival of the Annunciation and of tiie new \ear. Front hence*, as I take i‘., it l.o (anie a day of extraordinury mirili and restivity, especially amongst the lower sorts, whicli are apt to pervert and make u bad use oi institutions whiclu at first, might be very laudable in themselves.” Mr. Douce p n tly adopt'j this opinion, but difi’c.-s as to the origin uf 'be custom itself. “ I atti convinced,” he, “ that the ancient rcren’.cr.y of the FcaM («f Fools, hai no roi;nectior» whate'.cr wi'h the custom of making I'ools on the fl:',t uf April. The making of April foolj, al ter all the conjectures which have been made touchitig its origin, u c rtainly Ijurrowed by us from the Frencli, and may, I think, be deduced from t!;i;. siin pie analogy. The French call them A- pi ii fish, (jjoisjtina d'AvrU,) i. e. simple- lotis ; or, in other w ords, tiilly mackarel, wiio sulVer themselves to be caught in this month. Hut av., v. ith us, A])i'il i;-. r.ot the sL-ason of that fish, we have pro;;erly sul)stituted the word fools.” That :hr cuitom cf mi*king foo!: ot; thi.i r.ay, is riOt ’oni;nc.vn to ovtncT r. tries besides England, coritrary to the sup position of Di'. Pegge, we have sunicitMil evidence from several writers. Torrens, a Swedish author, in his voyage to Chi na,’ says, “ We set sail on tiiL- first of A- pril, and the wind made April fools ol us ; fo’r we were forced to return before Shagcfi, and to anchor at Riswopol.” And another writer, speaking of Lisbon, says, “On the Sunday and morning pre ceding iA’nt, as on the first of A[>ril in England, j)eople are privileged here to play the fool. It is thought very jocose to pour water on any person who passes, or throw powder in his facc ; but to do both, is the perfection of wit.” Of this kind is the practice alluded to by Decker, in his Seven Deadly Sinnes of London, (1606;: “ The bookseller ever- after, whi-n you passr !)v, pinnes on jour l)ackes the badge of fools, to made you be laiight to scorn, or of silly carpers, to snake you be pittied.” And Sauval, ('Jn- tiq. de Paris), hints at a similar custom on the festival of St. Simon and St. Jud when, he tells us, “ simple persons are seiit to the temple to ask for medlars, (lies m'JJhs), in order to entrap them, and make sport for the by-standers.” In the North of England, persons thus imposed on are called “April gowks.’ Zouk, or gowk, is properly a cuckoo, and is used here metaphorically, in vul gar language, for a fool. The cuckoo is indeed every where a name of contempt. Gouch in the Teutonic, is rendered stxd'us, a fool, w hence came our northern woid. a goke Ol- a gatvky. In Scotland, upon April day, they have a custom of “ hunting the gowk,” as it is termed. 1 his is done by sending silly people on fool’s errands, from place to place by means of a letter, in which is written : “ On the first of April Hunt the gowk anctlier mile.” And in the old play of the Parson’s Wed ding, the Captain says, “ Death I you might have left woid where you went, and not put me to hunt like Tom Fool.” So, in Secret Memoirs of the fate Mr. Duncan Campbell, (1732), “I had my la bour for my pains ; or, according to a sil ly fashion among the vulgar, was made an April fool of; the person who had en gaged me to take this pains never meet ing me.” A writer in the JVorld, supposed to be the late Lord Orford, exhibits a happy display of irony, in some pleasant thoughts on the eflect the alteration ol the style would have on the first ofApril. “ What confusion,” he observes, “ w'ould not follow, if the great body of the nation were disappointed in their peculiar holi day This country was formerly dis turbed with very fatal quarrels about the celebration of Easter; and no wise man will tell liio that’it is not as reasonable to fall out for the observance of Aj)ril fool day. Can any benefits arising from a regulated Calendar, make ametids for an occasion of new sects How many warm men may resent an atiemjjt to play them off on a false first of April, who would have submitted to the custom of being made fools of on the old computa tion ? If our clergy come to be divided about Folly’s Anniversary, we may well expect all the mischief attendant on re- ligiour. wars.” 11“ then desires his friends to inform Wnn whut they observe on that I'.oliday, both according lo the ne'.v and old reckoning : “how often :ind it) v.l'.at manner they miihe or .^re made ibols ; how they miscarry in r,tterr!pl> to sur prise, or balUc any snares laid for them. 1 do not d.oubt but it v.ill be found that th»; bahince of folly lie3 greatly on t’.ie old first cf April; nay, I inn.ch quesUor:,” he adds, “ whether infatuutio’; v/i!l have atiy f.)r.*; on v.'liiit I call the fi.Ue Ani il I’ools' d-; ri;d concludeav.itiircqi.Cot- ing an >, i j' c.'.'d'. avo^u'3 ‘‘ in de' t ying a refo; r.Ki’ioa v/lni.!! ou'i, to ili'i- i^imiiterauuc good old pr:;'-li>,(.'; u'.J t:i- t •.‘able s’.ip''; "•i’iui!‘>. ’ —— A A !■; :-r . 1 he Kiv. Mr. v.ho vas in Turin in ir;'(), riy- lie v.itneb-^ed there the Ibllov.-ing si:i;:iilar ;-;ct !'e in achiTcli. It was ilie begir.iiir.g of Fcbrua:y, when the day;, are s.liort, a vcvy popular preach er, v.ho was accustomed to give sermons of an enornous length, expatiated one day after dit!T.-er so long''on his suly ct, whicii v. as ri'pentance, that he h^d t ro'i- passed a lull hour into the ni!rht, Lrl'ji'i he had cotitlnded. :.ad ht lin- -l.Cu, V.'..rt. e his v(jice ami reaue.sted to be I’.earvi. ^ listened; and the strangtir .:ontinuecl, that the holv man’s paliictu'. discourse had made so lively ai» im})rei;L;on upon h'lm, who was a miserable sinner, t.)al he had forthwith resolved entirely to channe his course ,ol diie ; and to sinceVe proof of his contrition, he would instantly, before all tl’C congregation, freely confesB his crimes, iio then de clared himseU tobe an Advocate by pro- Jession, and openly avowed that he had abused the confidence x)t his clients, and told their secrets, and sacrificed tlieir interests to the adverse parly ; he acknow ledged himself to be a faithless husband, a bad father, and an ungreatful son ; and having followed this up with an enumera tion of various ollences he had commit ted, he offered, he said, the last proof of his sincerity in declaring his name ; and concluded l>y saying he was such an ad vocate, livin'g in such a place. Immed iately another voice was heard from a- nother part of the church, calling out that the penitent was an impudent impos tor ; that he was the ailvocate named, and that he could not reproacn iiinisell with any of the faults so culumnioiusl) imputed to him. lie besought the au dience lo secure the villain ; but in vain, for the michicvous wag had slipped away’ during tlic moment ol surprise when tiie real advocate began to speak; mid not withstanding the most diligent inquiry, w as never discovered. Dr. William King, the celebrated prin cipal of St. Mary liall, in Oxiord, \Ti 8, 111 vindicatiou of hiinselt, from his ene mies of the court, whoattrilmted intrigue, if not treason, lo him, said—“I iniierii- ed a patrimony, which 1 found suilieienl to supply my wants, and iea\L me at lii)- erty lo pursue those liberal studies w iucli afforded me the most solid pleasures in my youth, ar^d are the delight and enjoy ment of my old age. Besuies, I always conceived a secret horror of a stale of servility and dependence; and I'ne\er yet saw a placeman ora courtier, w heth er in higher or lower life, whether a priest or a layman, who was his own master.” Anecdote of Dit. Bibb-—e have heard a very good anecdote, says the Virginia Patriot, of Dr. lki>b, the truth of which we do not vouch. Business rendered it uccessary for him to dine several days at a public house, with se- veral other gentlemen. On calling for ; his bill, he found a certain sum charged * each day for wine. Ihe doctor, who, strange as it may appear, drinks no wine, made objections to ihe charge. “ I iie wine,’' s>iid the landlord, “was»on thesi.ie board, you might have helped yourscli.” Some time after, the landlord called up on the doctor, to looltat a w iiitlow on ih finger of oneof his children. On adjust ing their mutual accounts, the landlord found a charge for medicine exactly e- qual to his charge for wine. How- is this, doctor.^ I have had no medjcine.” —‘‘It was on the shelf,” sard the doctor, “yoM mi\^ht have hdpsd yourself.” \ Caught a Tartar.—A few days since a a wagoner having tugged and toiled throughout the day, “halted” at oneof the numerous “Travellers’ Resti” with which the great thoroughfare between 'Vinchester and Baltimore is so abundant ly supplied, and having w atered and led his horses, snugly seated himself by a blaz ing fire, w'ith a pipe forgetting his j)ast fa tigues, and disregarding those th..t were to come. By and bye, a rogue passing l)V, discovered a Ijox in the wagon, which he could not resist the de.iireof examining, and accordingly shouldered it and carried it to iinadiacenl field, where the contents are speedily brought to view. But instead of finuing-a comfortable piece uf broad cloth or costly siii;s, a SKKLKTON isdisplayed to t!ie bewildered vision of the midnight prowler. Need more be said r A snow having ]nst fal len, it was discovered that the thief had jumped about ten fvi-t from the ljo>. and as f^r as he could be traced, his lleelness by no means fia;"ged. Ii w;'.s now ascer tained tlml a medical siiidcnt at Balti- mor.’ had carefully boxed uj> a skeleton which i'.c was sending home, ami had pro ceeded thusfar salt;, until so inu-ei'eiiioni- ously disl'.;rbed by the all, ighted rogue. iV udit^ler UazUlc. I^Iankcy Tnc>,—O.i I'riday I-st a m:'r- rhant of New-Voi’.; reLvi\e 1 a notice iVom the Post Ollice, t'.ial a verv large pac!:a^“, posl-mat'ked • • diiecled to him, had I)ecn received, un- on wliich the postage W(ju1i1 atnoi;nt io upv/aidsof sixteen dollars! Tin; getule- man to whom ihi.s iufoiniaiion h.;'cl In'eii ccnveycd, was not a little puz;deil to guess what could be the contents of this fxptn;.:ye bundle, or to whotn he was in- d'.'b’.ed tor t. On reiniiiii.g to the l’x)xt Otiice, the packaife was ti>und as stated bulky, put up wiMi ( oii.Mimmato neat ness, ;md skilfully curded and sealed.— (•r-ar care was used ia ren;oving the numerous en\eloj;es, l»:st the conletns, which might pro'.e to l,.e fragile, should be injure(l ; but judge his amazement on tearing oli the last wrapper, to find wi'.li- in a t!a"l inonkiy wi.h u vengeance the pro\erb of “ Great crv and liUle wool. ” —— AfTi cl'ition is a rr'. il. t- fi.cm-.-'o t’-'' f C'- Mr. Bingham : The pnljlicaiion of t’,, following, taken fi\;m a nortlu rn religiou? paper, may probably call the attention o- the friends and prolesors of religiotj ir this place to the Prayer Meeting, latch eslablished'at the Academy. Shoulc] • have that eflect, theol)ject (>f CHa v.lU answered, and a benefit be imparted •-> more than ONE From Zion’s Wutchniim, THK P.IJAVKIJ MKl'TING. ■ It is delightful, after the luliors of tho. day are closed, to assemble with jn-ople who collect in our country villages, lor the purpose of spending an hour in pray, er. It is attended with no noise. Qn^ individual after anotlicr t titers an»l silently into his place, til! a sulH.-.ic |;t number are collected to begin the e:;nxv ses. Silent greetings are exclianged, ainj Li, fe.vv words by v, ay of e icoura,;e'nen or consolation are whispered li’oni one to nother. The Bible and the hymn-book are brought fijrward, and all reverentiy compose themselves for the duties oftl,e .iieetlug. 'J'he good man “ wales” a portion of Holy Writ, and “with soleina air” commences the worship of God A hymn is rend, and the little baiid lift up their voices in their Creator’s praise. The prayer follows—^^exhoriatioiis suc ceed, and w'e may believe that the llei- sings of Heaven often desicetid “as the dew' upon the mountains of Zion,” to le- fresh the heart of iHe humble believtr.— fiood it is for Christians “to speakofuTi one to another”—pleasant tofeel that the presence of Christ is vouchsafed to grace such unostentatious meetings—and more than all, the Christian discijile comes out frotn such places, better prepared to resist temptation—strengtheiif tl for tht conflicts which await l.im—and lookin,^ up w ith a holier confidence to the world ofiMiclouded light and blessedness. I’iie eye of the uninterested spei.tator sees nothing in all this to admire, ife finds religion without her pomp, ar.J turns aside and passes (jn. 'I’he scoflVr, indeetl honors them now and then with a malignant sne»‘r, and the better disnus- ed call II the efVects of a harmless delu sion. But far the greater part are igtio- rant, or forget, that there are any wiia turn aside to think and pray for a ctre- less “ World who thinks noton hcrsclf.” Those who join in the sceties of world ly amusement, wiie''*' amidst the ourits of the music and the revelry, God is lor- gotten, look upon the joys of the luimble Cliristian as insipid and dull. Thty think there is nothing of life in them — True, there is no note of preparatiur;— there is no assemblage of beauty and fashion : there is no spirit stirring music —no halls liglited up, and decked witU the blandishments of ai t, by w hicli plea sure lures giddy and unthinking voiaiies. liut there is ofien found the “music ot a thankful heart.” The assembling speaks of a preparation as august as the asspm- bling of all this w orld’s generations. The pra)er which is breathed forth asks for pardon and forgi\eness, and sends up its aspirations to be admitted into the “com pany of the just made perfect.” The hymn which is sung, lells of joys, puic unearthly joys;” beauty, undecaying beautv; and of bowers and slreaius cl paradise. I have seen the world, and mixed with its companies, and have e\e‘ gone away disappointed. 1 have joitieJ in the mirth and noi.se of dissipation, {bund that “in laughter the heartis su..” 1 have entered the garden of pleasuri. aiul revelled for a wh.ile on its sweets! 1 have ever found tl'.e thorn of renioti" lodged under itr, fairest fiovvers. liui 1 have taken sweet counsel, and w here iwo or three were met in the numf of Christ, and have there found a “ peac-J v. l.ich passeth all understanding.” CLIO. ‘ IHK SUTTI'L OF AMr.KlCA Written for a L;idy’s Album. In belujlding the cyistoms of forp;;r- nations, they sometimes surprise I-''.' their strong contrast witli those ot own country, and occasionallv j;!iock u' by ih'. 'r «“nlire o])positi(;n to the Christianity. But if we more (.lu>c ■ analy','.; the : rein s daily exhildted l)eli>:- (Hir eye:'. hi.se f.-.iniliarity nmy be almo>t t!' i l.'i'.d uv, this contrast vatush'-’i Tak(^ for li,stance, the deplorable 1'*^ it of ir.'ai:;icati/ii which has so w’ic!'';/ spread ovr-r ntr favoured land, and e-S iherc ea’i l^; any evil ol s'.iCii- '■.'.Ir :I.J)!e mngnitiide The ])eac** families l:er(;::u:s destroyed l)y thi: dcini. of d'‘Si-:.aio::. 'I’alent, atid re]V.itat:o'• •md pi'vv.r, a.V'sacrificed at liis shv-i^ i'.'eii the m:!_-;ic v. and of wealth li l(-.':s i:’i t,l’.e ha: .’s of his votarv, or “• at his si.iverei His cliihln'ti pro claim I'is de’.->^r:i.]..ri:Mi—his hahi‘i'-‘‘ I'as.' . s iii’.o »i;L* pf>'se-.s)'n of at’.odu'l'' disease, r;«;d di-,.^usi drivt; away h'iends ■; .iij:! a’:i', I t.-j sum up this c log’.ie I. f h'ii’.iMn ml.u ry, many a cn-'"’\ iiH,^ woman, .vithi-i il:e' \v;dl. of poli'|" ‘ cl;;es,i; doomed like the '.dii led lo sidlVr lort!:,xr. on ’.I. • t'uu:; d p}*'' lier hus'':;;i(l, w !io 1 s d..'a ! Iv) hei •—!o t'
The Journal (Salisbury, N.C.)
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March 7, 1826, edition 1
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