at a lofs in the recent and occafional use of fome French and English memorials. But if he attempts to hunt the old Britons among the islands of Scotland, in the bogs of Ireland, and over the mountains of Wales, he must devote himself to the ftudy of the Celtic dialects, without being af fured that his time and toil will be compenfated by any adequate reward. It seems to be almoft confeffed, that the Highland Scots do not poffefs any writing of a remote date; and the claims of the Welsh are faint and uncertain. The Irish alone boaft of whole libraries, which they fometimes hide in the faftneffes of their country, and fometimes tranfport to their colleges abroad; but the vain and credulous obftinacy with which, amidst the light of fcience, they che rish the Milesian fables of their infancy, may teach us to fufpect the existence, the age, and the value of thefe manuscripts, till they fhall be fairly expofed to the eye of profane criticism. This exclufion, however, of the countries which have fince been united to the crown of England must be understood with fome latitude: the Chronicle of Melrofs is common to the borderers of both kingdoms: the Expugnatio Hiberniæ of Giraldus Cambrenfis contains the interefting ftory of our settlement in the western ifle; and it may be judged proper to infert the Latin Chroni

cle of Caradoc, (which is yet unpublifhed,) and the code of native laws which were abolished by the conqueror of Wales. Even the English tranfactions in peace and war with our independent neighbours, especially thofe of Scotland, will be beft illuftrated by a fair comparison of the hoftile narratives. The fecond queftion, of the period of time which this Collection fhould embrace, admits of an easier decifion; nor can we act more prudently, than by adopting the plan of Muratori, and the French Benedictines, who confine themselves within the limits of ten centuries, from the year five hundred to the year fifteen hundred of the Chriftian æra.

The former of thefe dates coincides with the most ancient of cur national writers; the latter approaches within nine years of the acceffion of Henry VIII. which Mr Hume confiders as the true and perfect æra of modern hiftory. From that time we are enriched, and even oppreffed, with fuch treasures of contemporary and authentic documents in our own language, that the hiftorian of the prefent or a future age will be only perplexed by the choice of facts, and the difficulties of arrangement. Exoriatur aliquis-a man of genius, at once eloquent and philofophic, who fhould accomplish, in the maturity of age, the immortal work which he had conceived in the ardour of youth.

SIR,

MY Y with is to give you fome account of the people of thefe new states, but I am far from being qualified for the purpofe, having as yet feen little more than the cities of New York and Philadelphia. I have discovered but few national fingula.

rities among them. Their cuftoms and manners are nearly the fame with thofe of England, which they have long been used to copy. For, previous to the revolution, the Americans were from their infancy, taught to look up to the English as patterns

of

This ceremony completed, and the houfe thoroughly evacuated, the next operation is to fmear the walls and ceilings of every room and clofet with brushes dipped in a folution of lime, called white-wash; to pour buckets of water over every floor, and scratch all the partitions and wainscoats with rough brushes wet with foap-fuds, and dipped in stonecutters fand. The windows by no means escape the general deluge. A fervant fcrambles out upon the penthouse, at the risk of her neck, and with a mug in her hand, and a bucket within reach, the dashes away innumerable gallons of water against the glass panes; to the great annoy. ance of the paffengers in the ftreet.

I have been told that an action at law was once brought against one of these water nymphs, by a perfon who had a new fuit of cloathes fpoiled by this operation; but, after long argument, it was determined by the whole court, that the action would not lie, in as much as the defendant was in the exercise of a legal right, and not anfwerable for the confequences; and fo the poor gentleman was doubly non-fuited; for he loft not only his fuit of cloathes, but his fuit at

law.

Thefe fmearings and scratchings, washings and dafhings, being duly performed, the next ceremonial is to cleanfe and replace the distracted furniture. You may have feen a houferaifing, or a fhip-launch, when all the hands within reach are collected together recollect, if you can, the hurry, bustle, confufion, and noffe of such a scene, and you will have fome idea of this cleaning match. The misfortune is, that the fole object is to make things clean; it matters not how many useful, ornamental, or valuable articles are mutilated, or fuffer death under the operation: a mahogany chair and carved frame undergo the fame difcipline; they are to be made clean at all events; but Ed. Mag. April 1797.

their prefervation is not worthy of attention. For instance, a fine large engraving is laid flat upon the floor; fmaller prints are piled upon it, and the fuperincumbent weight cracks the glaffes of the lower tier : but this is of no confequence. A valuable picture is placed leaning against the fharp corner of a table; others are made to lean against that, until the preffure of the whole forces the corner of the table through the canvas of the first. The frame and glass of a fine print are to be cleaned; the fpirit and oil used on this occafion are fuffered to leak through and spoil the engraving; no matter; if the glafs is clean, and the frame hine, it is fufficient; the rest is not worthy of confideration. An able arithmetician has made an accurate calculation, founded on long experience, and has difcovered, that the loffes and destruction incident to two whitewafhings are equal to one removal, and three removals equal to one fire.

The cleaning frolic over, matters begin to refume their priftine appearance. The ftorm abates, and all would be well again, but it is impoffible that fo great a convulfion, in so fmall a community, fhould not produce fome farther effects. For two or three weeks after the operation, the family are ufually afflicted with fore throats or fore eyes; occafioned by the cauftic quality of the lime, orwith fevere colds from the exhalations of wet floors or damp walls.

1 know a gentleman, who was fond of accounting for every thing in a philofophical way. He confiders this, which I have called a custom, as a real periodical difeafe, peculiar to the climate. His train of reafoning is ingenious and whimfical; but I am not at leifure to give you a detail. The refult was, that he found the distemper to be incurable; but after much study he conceived he had difcovered a method to divert the evil he could not fubdue. For

this

this purpose, he caused a small build ing, about twelve feet fquare, to be erected in his garden, and furnished with fome ordinary chairs and tables; and a few prints of the cheapest fort were hung against the walls.. His hope was, that when the white-wafh ing frenzy feized the females of his family, they might repair to this apartment, and fcrub and fcour, and Imear to their heart's content; and fo fpend the violence of the disease in this outpost, while he enjoyed himself in quiet at head-quarters. But the experiment did not anfwer his expectation; it was impoffible it fhould, fince a principal part of the gratification confifts in the lady's having an uncontrouled right to torment her husband at least once a year, and to turn him out of doors, and take the reins of government into her own hands.

There is a much better contrivance than this of the philofopher's, which is, to cover the walls of the house with paper; this is generally done; and though it cannot abolish, it at leaft fhortens the period of female dominion. The paper is decorated with flowers of various fancies, and made fo ornamental that the women have admitted the fashion, without perceiving the defign.

There is alfo another alleviation of the husband's diftrefs; he generally has the privilege of a small room or closet for his books and papers, the key of which he is allowed to keep. This is considered as a privileged place, and stands like the land of Gofhen amid the plagues of Egypt. But then he must be extremely cautious, and ever on his guard. For fhould he inadvertently go abroad and leave the key in his door, the house-maid, who is always on the watch for fuch an opportunity, immediately enters in triumph with buckets, brooms, and brushes; takes poffeffion of the premises,, and forthwith puts all his books and papers

A gentleman was fued by the executors of a tradesman, on a charge found against him in the deceased's books to the amount of 301. The defendant was ftrongly impreffed. with an idea that he had discharged the debt and taken a receipt; but as the tranfaction was of long standing, he knew not where to find the receipt. The fuit went on in course, and the time approached when judgment would be obtained against him.. He then fat ferioufly down to examine a large bundle of old papers, which he had untied and difplayed on a table for that purpose. In the midst of his fearch, he was fuddenly called away on business of import ance; he forgot to lock the door of his room. The housemaid, who had been long looking out for fuch an opportunity, immediately entered with the usual implements, and with great alacrity fell to cleaning the room, and putting things to rights. The firft object that truck her eye was the confused fituation of the pa pers on the table; thefe were without delay bundled together, like fo many dirty knives and forks; but in the action a small piece of paper fell unnoticed on the floor, which happened to be the very receipt in quef tion; as it had no very refpectable appearance, it was foon after fwept out with the common dirt of the room, and carried in a rubbish pan to the yard. The tradesman had neglected to enter the credit in his book; the defendant could find nothing to obviate the charge, and fo judgment went against him for the debt and cofts. A fortnight after the whole was fettled, and the money paid, one of the children found the receipt among the rubbish in the yard.

There is also another cuftom peculiar to the city of Philadelphia,

and

and nearly allied to the former. I mean that of washing the pavement before the doorsevery Saturday evening. I at firft took this to be a regulation of the police; but on further inquiry find it is a religious rite, preparatory to the fabbath; and is, I believe, the only religious rite in which the numerous fectaries of this city perfectly agree. The ceremony begins about fun-fet, and continues till about ten or eleven at night. It

is very difficult for a stranger to walk the streets on thofe evenings; he runs a continual risk of having a bucket of dirty water thrown against his legs; but a Philadelphian born, is fo much accustomed to the danger, that he avoids it with furprising dexterity.

It is from this circumftance that a Philadelphian may be known any where by his gait. The ftreets of New York are paved with rough ftones; these indeed are not washed, but the dirt is fo thoroughly fwept from before the doors, that the ftones and up sharp and prominent, to the

great inconvenience of those who are not accustomed to fo rough a path. But habit reconciles every thing. It is diverting enough to fee a Philadelphian at New York; he walks the ftreet with as much painful caution, as if his toes were covered with corns, or his feet lamed with the gout; while a New Yorker, as little approving the plain mafonry of Philadelphia, fhuffles along the pavement like a parrot on a mahogany table.

It must be acknowledged, that the ablutions I have mentioned are attended with no fmall inconvenience; but the women would not be indu ced, from any confideration, to refign their privilege. Notwithstanding this, I can give you the ftrongest affurances, that the women of America make the most faithful wives, and the most attentive mothers in the world; and I am fure you will join me in opinion, that if a married man is made miferable only one week in a whole year, he will have no great cause to complain of the matrimonial bond. I am, &c.

SIR,

I HAVE lately feen a letter upon the fubject of white-washing, in which that neceffary duty of a good house-wife is treated with unmerited ridicule. I should probably have forgot the foolish thing by this time; but the feafon coming on which moft women think suitable for cleaning their apartments from the fmoke and dirt of the winter, I find this faucy author dished up in every family, and his flippant performance quoted wherever a wife attempts to exercife her reasonable prerogative, or execute the duties of her ftation. Women generally employ their time to better purpofe than fcribbling, The cares and comforts of a family reft principally upon their shoulders; hence it is that there are but few fe

male authors; and the men, knowing how neceffary our attentions are to their happinefs, take every opportunity of difcouraging literary accomplishments in the fair fex. You hear it echoed from every quarter- My wife cannot make verses, it is true; but he makes an excellent pudding; fhe can't correct the prefs, but the can correct her children, and fcold her fervants with admirable difcretion; fhe can't unravel the intricacies of political economy and federal government; but the can knit charming ftockings. And this they call praifing a wife, and doing juftice to her character, with much nonfenfe of the like kind.

than