Newspaper Page Text
stssaisirtKUu
J....... ~ I. .
From flit Portsmouth Journal.
the overeignet thing i’ the world
Is ’perinacety for un inward bruise.
Sliakspcare.
Mr. Editor —l am told it is the boast
of the common law, that there is no
wrong without a remedy. As you .are
supposed to have some knowledge of
the laws under which we live, l take
the liberty of laying before you the fol
lowing case. The grievance of which I
complain, is the unrelenting persecu
tion of my good-natured friends, in the
way of medical advice. It has already
reduced me to a skeleton, and if I have
no relief, itwil, in three weeks more,
bring me to the grave.
1 am, or rather a month ago I was,
a young man in good health and cheer
ful spirits, it is true I was never ro
bust and athletic ;but on the other hand
1 have seldom been visited with sick
ness. I am engaged in a business which
gives me a comfortable support, and
leaves me some leisure for the culti
vation of letters and the enjoyment of
society. 1 passed my days in enviable
happiness, till one fatal morning some
of my kind friends fancied that I look
ed sick. From that hour my days
were numbered. lam even now has
tening to the tomb.
On one of the bright mornings which
we had in June,and after a warm night
Irose from bed somewhat languid and
alittle paler than usual. After sip
ping a cup of tea for breakfast I was
walking slowly through Market-street
with my hands behind me, enjoying
the pure breeze which was beginning
to blow from the north-west, when I
was met by two friends, who stopped
and exchanged with me the compli
ments of the day.
Methinks you look alittle pale, said
one, you had better try a cold balk. —
Nothing invigorates the frame like a
salt-water bath.
Provided it be a shower hath, inter
rupted the other. But in my opinion
nothing is so fatal to health as plung
ing the whole body into cold water.
It checks perspiration ; impairs diges
tion—produces cramp—and
Good morning, I exclaimed rather
abruptly, 1 believe 1 shall try neither
at present.
Continuing my walk a few minutes
longer, 1 called at the house of a friend,
with whom I was in habits of familiar
intercourse. I found him at breakfast
with his family. His wife, a fine mo
therly looking woman, with a large
shawl thrown over her shoulders to
protect her from the morning air, was
pouring out the coffee : whilst the eld
est daughter was watching a little ur
chin, whose ruddy cheeks and laugh
ing blue eyes showed how much com
fort he derived from the huge bowl of
bread and milk he was in the very act
of devouring. In the simplicity of my
heart, 1 related the conversation I just
had in the street.
My friend shook his head slowly,
and fixed his eyes upon me with a very
solemn expression : “ There is some
thing in it. You are sick, my dear
fellow. You must ride on horse-back.”
You must drink pearl ash and cider
in the morning, to give you an appetite
added his wife.
You should drink milk, exclaimed
the daughter, looking significant at the
chubby cheeks of her little brother.
Tansy and wormwood pounded to
gether, is a thousand times better, said
a maiden aunt—at the same time lay
ing down her knitting. Take a little
tansy—
Spearemint is better, interupted the
mother, anxiously.
A little tansy, I say, and fresh rue,
resumed the aunt—yes, and catnip, —
said the daughter, aunt Dorothy always
uses catnip.
My dear latlies, I exclaimed, for
mercy's sake spare me ; lam not sick,
and Come—said my friend, who
had now finished his breakfast, and
perceived that I had with difficulty
kept my countenance during these
various prescriptions*—l will walk with
you—and taking me by the arm, we
set forth together.
llow are ye my good fellow, was the
rough salutation of the first man we
met. It was Capt. X—, My friend
replied to his greeting very cordially,
but shook his head as he looked at me.
Aye—l see how it is, said Capt. X.—
Poor fellow —consumtive. But ne
ver mind, lake a voyage, a nil all will be
well.
I thanked him for his kindness and
passed on ; and for the first time in
my life began to fancy that 1 felt some
thing that was little like a pain in my
side —but I was not certain.
A few steps onward we met Mr. Q.
long, lank and lean, the very image of
famine. He accosted us with a languid
bow, and glancing his eyes at me,—A
line morning this sir, especially for
those, who like you and 1, are dying
of dyspepsia.
Dyspepsia! sir—l never had it in
my life.
Vh, I understood. You at e a bon
vivant, and you cannot bear to be de
prived of the pleasures of the table.—
But you must come to it. You must
take prepared chalk and rhubarb ev
ery morning for breakfast, and drink
liquid magnesia instead of colfee.—
At dinner you must eat only an ounce
of beef and half a cracker—but at. sup
per you may indulge freely in lime
water. Lewis Cor nan*, sir—
—Was a model beyond‘my imitation,
I exclaimed somewhat pettishly,—
and passed on.
I was by this time near the door of
Mr. B—, and seeing the bright eyes of
Mary at the parlour window, 1 ventu
red,though it was early, to make a call
upon her. As 1 turned towards the
door, a chaise that was passing raised
a cloud of dust, that filled for a mo
ment my eves and throat. 1 entered
the room with a slight cough.
Ah, that cough of yourS, said Ma
ry’s mother—it will bring you to the
grave.
Nothing but the dust, I said.
This answer seemed to awaken all
her sympathy. She said something
about the flattering nature of certain
disorders, and proceeded at once to
get me a dose of Balsam Tolu. Her
kindness was so importunate that re
sistance was vain ; I took the glass,
and was in the very act of raising it
to my lips, when the door opened, and
three ladies entered, two of them with
black hoods, and the the third with
spectacles.
I am a lost man ! I muttered to my
self. —But Mary was near, anil I tho’t
I read in her eyes some hope of life.
One of the black hooded ladies im
mediately addressed me. \ ou do well
to take care of yourself, sir. You look
as if your lungs were affected. Have
you ever tried onion tea ?
Never, Madam, I atn not sick, and I
detest Ah, you must not be
too squeamish where health is at stake.
Three tumblers ol onion tea, taken
hot, every forenoon, at 11 o'clock,
would soon relieve you. There is no
trouble in it. Take only a peck ol
onions—
—And make them into a goodpoul
tiae, interupted the other black hood,
and wear them upon your breast all
the time, and you will soon be well.—
Nothing opens the pores and relieves
a cough, like an onion poultice.
I turned a despairing eye upon
Mary. An onion poultice and morn
ing call! Shade of /Esculapius 1
If you talk of poultices, said she
with the spectacles, my prescription
is buttercups and sharp vinegar. —
Take a double handful of buttercups —
—And drink rosamery and honey,
said the first black hood.
That is good, said the second, but
butter and molasses is better.
Or flaxseed tea, said Mary's mother.
Or wheat-bran, said Mary, with boil
ing water poured over it, and sweet
ened with loaf-sugar. You love wheal
bran I know.
There was a little archness in her
manner, that led me to suspect she w as
not above half serious. I made her a
lowly bow, in token of acknowledge
ment.
As I slowly raised my bead, I per
ceived that the lady with spectacles
was regarding me very earnestly.
Poor young man ! how leeble ! you
must wear a plaster upon your back.
A little burgundy-pitch —
Or a back-board, said Mary, la jgh
ing.
Don’t sport w ith human life, said
the second black hood, gravely. Your
friend here must be careful, or he is
not long for this world. But it he
will follow my prescriptions—
If he will follow mine, interupted
Spectacles—take a w ine glass of Cay
enne pepper and a pint of Alcohol.
—And by all means bottles ol boil
ing water at your feet when you go to
bed, said Mary’s mother—
—And a fannel night cap, said
Mary.
Double flannel, said the first black
hood; or a petticoat would be better
still.
And a pair of stockings round your
neck, said the second hood.
IVollen stockings, added Mary.
And drink during the night about
two gallons of boiling cider, said Spec
tacles, solemnly.
And a spoonful of tobaco tea every
ten minutes, said Mary.
Child.,child,said Spectacles,sharply,
you talk foolishly.
A poultice of burdock leaves for the
feet.
No —rye meal and cider, interupted
the second hood.
No, no — mustard seed and vinegar,
said the third, eagerly. 1 remember
that —
Human patience could endure no
more. 1 started from my seat, made
a hurried bow, and left the house with
so much precipitation, that as 1 pas
sed over the steps,l stumbled and near
ly fell.
Have you sprained yourself? said a
gentleman who was passing. II you
liave take a little opodeldoc.
Chemical embrocation,said she with
spectacles, running to the door.
Rub it with funnel, said the first
black liood, pressing behind her.
‘l ake a pailful of wheat-bran, said
the second coining out on the steps;
mix it with boiling water, stir it with a
mould candle, and—
Take a walk with me to New Castle
this afternoon, said Mary.
This,Mr. Editor is but one forenoon
of my miserable life. Go where 1 will.
I hear of nothing but potions and
plasters, flannel gowns, burdock, and
mullen. My very night dreams are
disturbed. It was only last night I
thought our majestic river was con
verted into a stream of ettnip tea,
whil e the blessed stars above us were
suddnely changed into calomel pills.
If there be a remedy—alas ! I sick
en at the u'ord—let it be administered
speedily.
Fours in extremis „
WILFRED.
By the packet ship William Wal
lace Capt. Folger, arrived last
evening in 96 hours from New-
York, we have received the Mer
cantile Advertiser to Wednesday
last, inclusive. Georgian.
The ship Cadmus arrived at N.
York on the 18th, from Havre,
whence she sailed on the Ist July,
and brings Paris dates to the 30th
June inclusive.
‘l he market for American pro
duce had improved within the few
preceding days. The sales[of cot
ton at Havre were extensive on the
30th June, at an advance of 4 or 5
sous per lb.
The intelligence from Cadiz is
not so late as we have already re
ceived.
French troops continued to be
marched into Spain. A number of
constitutional troops are said to
have deserted from Santana. The
province of St. Ander has declared
against the constitution. The w hole
of Estremadura is said to be lib
erated from the constitutionalists.
A Paris paper of the 29th June,
states that Mina left the Seo on the
19th with 1000 men. 1600 consti
tutionalists were defeated at Tam
arata on the 17th June. The Seo
was blockaded. The garrison of
St. Sebastians is said to be in want
of water, and discontented by the
report of deserters. Bnllasteros af
ter the defeat of his rear guard, on
the 16th June, concentrated 10,000
men at Algemest, and placed 2300
men at Alcira, w here they were at
tacked, and after an action of four
hours, made good their retreat
On the 18th he was at Higurera.—
So say the French accounts. The
Royal Regency by a decree of the
23d June, have confiscated the pro
perty of the members of the exist
ing Cortes, and declared those who
took part in the deliberations in
which the powers of the king were
suspended, guilty of treason, Ike.
France and Spain. —By extracts
from the French Journals received at
Nevv-York by the Cadmus, it appears
that the regency at Madrid, were pro
ceeding with the utmost deliberation
to restore the ancient order of things
in that kingdom. The arbitrary decree
of 1820, establishing a censorship over
the press, had been revived ; the or
der of Jesuits restored, and it was ex
pected they would not stop in their
exertions to “ ameliorate the condi
tion ol the Spanish people,” until they
had restored the Inquisition to all its
former plenitude of power. In France
no information could be obtained res
pecting the political affairs of either
country, further than what was pro
mulgated in the Ministerial Journals ;
every measure was resorted to, in or
der to keep the people in the most pro
found ignorance. The only two re
maining liberal papers, the Constitu
tional and Journal of Commerce, are
stated in a letter of 28th of June, to
have “ so far yielded their indepen
dence as scarcely to deserve the
name.”
The censorship of the press not be
ing found sufficient to accomplish the
object for which it was intended, ano
ther plan was resorted to by govern
ment to silence opposition, and mon
ey was found capable of effecting what
arbitrary power could not. 50,000
francs per (month are now given to
the proprietors of those Journals, and
it has completel y silenced the voice of
truth and liberty in these Journals as
possibly could be.
TURKEY AND GREECE.
The affairs of the Greeks now wear
a flattering aspect. The intelligence
of the taking of Lepanto by assault is
confirmed, as also the surrender of
Negropont by capitulation to the pa
triots. Patras was reduced to the last
extremity, and was expected not to
hold out long. The National Assem
bly of Greece terminated its labours
on the SOth April, and the magage
ment of public affairs was confided to
one central democratic govei nment,
composed of two powers—the legisla
tive and executive,at the head of which
had been placed two Greeks ol tried
patriotism and decided talents.
Accounts from Alexandria i.a Egypt
state, that the Turkish forces station
ed in the Delta had revolted, and re
fused to march against the Persians,
w ho were making inroads into the lur
kish empire. The Pacha of Egypt,
who had received orders to proceed
with his army to Bagdad, found it im
possible to move in consequence ol
this revolt; and, as a precautionary
measure he had interdicted the sailing
of the Turkish fleet until the commo
tion should be quieted. Add to this,
that the plague was raging at Alexan
dria, Constantinople, JaniiUi, and other
places in the Turkish empire, and the
affairs of the Porte will appear in no
very fluttering condition.
CORONATION EXPENSES.
In the British House of Com
mons, on the 9th of June, the atten
tion of the house was called to the
subject of the coronation expenses
by Mr. Hume. He said—
The promise given by the chan
cellor of the exchequer, before the
coronation, was, that the expenses
would certainly not exceed the es
timate of 100,000/. It now turned
out to be 338,000/. the remainder
of which was taken from the French
indemnities. Estimates, so totally
disagreeing with the expenses,were
a folly and a farce. The govern
ment had no more right to appro
priate this sum to the purpose for
which it had been used than they
had to apply any other part of the
public money without the vote of
the house. There were some items
of the vote which were so enormous
that it would be impossible to pass
them by without inquiry. For the
furniture, and decoration of West
minster Abbey and Westminster
Hall, a sum of 111,000/. xvas charg
ed. The house ar.d the public had,
he thought, a right to know the se
veral items of which this charge
was composed. The master of the
robes was set down at 24,700/. for
his majesty’s robes. Os what ser
vice was it to attempt the relief of
public burdens, by cutting down
small clerks and inflicting distress
upon individuals, when such sums
were expended for such purposes ?
A charge was also made for a dia
mond crown. Now he had no ob
jection, if such a bauble were neces
sary to grace the ceremony of the
coronation, that it should be used,
if the expense was kept within rea
sonable bound ; but he was inform
ed, he did not know whether accu
rately or not, that this crown had
been made in the year 1819, and
that it had been kept on hire from
the jeweller at the expense of 8 or
9,000/. He thought this ought to
be explained. The next item to
which he called the attention of the
house, was one of 50,000/. to the
surveyor of the works for the fit
ting up of Westminster Abbey and
the Hall. Every body knew that
large contributions had been made
from many of the public depart
ments in workmen and materials,
and, therefore, it was fit that the
reason why so great an expense had
been incurred on this account should
be explained. There were a vari
ety of other items, which, though
not of so large an amount, equally
required investigation. There was
one, in particular, which he thought
might have been dispensed with :
it was the sum of 3,000/. paid to
sir George Nayler, towards the ex
pense of that account of the cere
mony which had been published.—
If it were indeed worth while to
hand down to posterity a descrip
tion of this ceremony, he thought
there were man) historians who
would be glad, for the praise and
patronage of the crown, to perform
it; and if not, the expense should
be paid by those who wanted the
work. He reproached the minis
try with having shown very bad
faith in calling for so small a sum
as had been originally mentioned
as the probable expense of the co
ronation, and afterwards proposing
a vote to the amount of upwards of
238,000/. They knew that, if the
latter sum had been originally ask
ed for, it would not have been
granted. He would also accuse
the chancellor of the exchequer and
his colleagues of having violated
the public faith, by taking money
to which they had no right. By a
vote of the house, it was laid down
that a minister, applying publick
money* without the sanction cf i
appropriation bill, was guilty V
the least 6*‘a high disrespect/ ’jj/
referred to a speech of the minis l
in 1821, in which credit was take
for a sum of 600,000/. due to th :
country on account of the indemni
ty from France, and which, it XVa ,
then distinctly stated, was to be an
plied to the ways and means. ()f
this sum he believed that 138,000
had been applied to the expenses ( ,
the coronation; and he though?
under the circumstances, that the
house could not sanction
tillable a proceeding. It would
fail in its duty to the public if it did
not call, before it proceeded one
step further, or voted away one
shilling more, for an examination
into the profligate extravagance
which this hill displayed. What
ever the delay might be,thatincon
venience ought not to prevent th
measure he proposed. He should,
therefore, move, as an amendmetr
—“ That, as the amount of 238,-
000/. changed as the expense of his
majesty’s coronation, as stated in
an account lately laid before par
liament, so grately exceeded the
estimate of 100,000/. submitted to
the house in 1820, it is expedient,
before granting any further supplv
to his majesty, to appoint a select
committee to inquire into the cir
cumstacses which have occasioned
that excess of charge, and into the
several items constituting that
charge, and also to inquire by what
authority the sum of 138,000/. has
been applied to discharge the coro
nation expenses, without the pre
vious sanction of the house.”
Mr. Brougham hoped this hon
orable friend w'ould not be induced
to withdraw his motion, for the in
quiry he sought was the only meth
od by which he could hope to ef
fect his obj ect.—Good God ! was a
sum of 24,000/. to be paid for a
dress ?—Some gentlemen might
think it was indelicate to go into
those particulars, but, for himself,
he was resolved to do his duty,
side by side, with his honorable
friend (Mr. Hume,) and he would
always be found to vote for inquiry
wherever it appeared to be neces
sary. He by no means thought
the ceremony of the coronation
was a trifling or unnecessary one.
It was a subject of national interest
that the state and splendor of the
monarch should be duly supported;
but it was also the bounden duty of
the house to interpose when culpa
ble extravagace appeared to have
been committed. His honorable
friend had been informed that the
crown was levied at an expense of
8 or 9,000/. a year ; he trusted that
this would be found to be untrue;
it could not be necessary at any
time, and certainly not after the ce
remony was over. Whoever had
advised such a measure, (if his ho
norable friend’s information was
correct,) ought to pay for it out of
his own pocket, and he [would be
the first to second any gentleman
who should bring in a bill to make
the ministers reimburse the money
which this hired crown had cost. —
[A laugh.] Joking apart he thought
that this subject demanded inquiry
Niles’ Register.
IRISH COMFORT.
A meeting was held last week of
a Committee of the Society for im
proving the Habits of the labouring
classes in Ireland. At that meet
ing a well informed gentlemen ot
this country who had recently re
turned from a long residence in
that, assisted the committee with
his observations and suggestions.
After the meeting, on joining a
party of friends, to whom he sta
ted the objects and obstacles of
the Society, he related the follow
ing anecdote as an instance of one
of the inveterate habits with which
the Committee had to contend
A landed proprietor in the South
of Ireland, having been long a nd,s *
gusted with the sight of a pig in
the parlour of one of his tenants,
prevailed upon Murphy, by argu
ments, and the aid of materials, t°
build a cabin, or stye, for Mur
phy’s pig. For some time Mur
phy and his quondam compa nl ° n
lived at a respectful distance from
each other; bat one day when Mui’
phy’s landlord called, he was vexe
to find the quadruped and biped 1
ving together in the same pl aC
and on the same terms as before-
On this the landlord demand 6
why the pig was again admitted
be a parlour guest after Murp
had given a solemn promise that >
and he should live apart. “ ;1 - j