Meurfius is filent. Potter's remark is, ANECDOTES gathered from CONVERSA With deference to thefe learned expofitors 1 beg leave to obferve, that it is far more probable that the paffage is corrupt, than that the explanation of Tzetzes is the true one. Were it poffible to restore these words, McAccou, Kuring, Koirat, to their priline inte grity, we fhould probably find, that they bear a far lefs relation to Apollo, than to his fwan. The fwan foreknew the time of his death. The time of his death was foreknown to Calchas; in partivμátor, as Caffandra fpeaks. A fong preceded the fwan's death. The death of Calchas was preceded by an unfuccefsful divination. The feer's laft effort to divine, and the fwan's laft effort to fing, were equally prophetic of their refpective deaths. Thefe remarkable coincidencies were not likely to have efcaped our poet's obfervation. He judged, that, if Calchas, as Apollo's feer, was rightly named a fwan, his claim to that appellation would be ftrengthened by the circumitances of his death; and that he might with propriety be called a dying wan. To convey this idea, feems to have been the poet's defign in the paffage before us. Were it allowable to fubftitute pandor for Moλοσσοῦ, and κρύπτον ἐν σχοίνῳ for Κυπέως, Κοίτου, words that are fignificant would then occupy the place of words that are fuperfluous; and errors, created by time and tranfcription, would find an eafy remedy. Lycophron has applied Awd to a Siren. The words xpulo Exo will bring to the reader's recollection Pindar's lyxéxputo cxo. ὁ δὲ κύκνος ἐν ἠέρι καλὸν αείδει, fays Callimachus. But Caffandra is not fpeaking of the fwan's aerial flights. The wan, of which he is fpeaking, was warbling his laft, and molt melodious lay, concealed in rushes, dying in his neft. Thus; Τὸν μὲν, μελῳδὸν, κρύπτων, σχείνῳ, κύκνον Sic, ubi fata v cant, udis abjectus in herbis, Ad vada Mandri, concinit albus olor. R. By J. DAVIS. GENERAL WASHINGTON in public company was becomingly referved; he never was known to fink into loquacious imbecility. He, however, delighted in anecdote; and one day, after dining with the Cincinatti of New York, told the following of Steuben * ; -The temper of Steuben was very irafcible. He was once fo enraged with the awkward evolutions of a troop he was reviewing, that he clamoured for his Aides; and on their asking his commands, Help me,' faid General Steuben, to damn these fellows !'" In The paffage of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers through the Blue Ridge mountains, has been defcribed by Mr. Jefferfon, in his Notes on Virginia, with the accuracy of the geographer and the elevation of the poet. contemplating the war of elements, he flood on a loofe rock, which the inhabitants of the adjoining village, in reverence to his name, called Jefferfon's Rock. It is well known, that when Mr. Jefferfon fucceeded Mr. Adams in the office of Prefident of the United States, there were many Officers, both civil and military, fuper feded. The Officer of a troop ftationed at Leesburg received his difmiffal. The fon of Mars could not bear his change of fortune with the meekness of Chriftianity. His breast glowed with the defire of revenge, and honours from Mr. Jefferson that thick he was determined to fnatch one of the ened round his name. He marched his foldiers up the cliff that overlooks the paffage of the Potomac, and fetting the whole troop to work, tumbled Jefferfon's Rock over the precipice into the river! Hence the American Captain has acquired immortality; an immortality refembling that of the fellow who fet fire to the Temple of Ephefus. When Mr. Jefferfon travels from Washington to Monticello, he commonly baits at Centerville, (I know the place well,) and prefers a Waggoner's Tavern," kept by a Democrat, * Steuben organized the American army, and drilled the raw foldiers. to to the commodious inn of a Federalift. The democratical landlord being once confined to his bed when the President ftopped at his tavern, the wife thus eloquently bewailed the event :-" I am, Sir," (curtfeying,)" extremely forry my husband can't receive you, for he is a mighty Jefferson-man." A wag once reading in an American newspaper, that a Mr. Thiftle, of eighteen, had married Mrs. Clarke, of thirty-eight, obferved, with a smile, "If old Ben Franklin had recorded this marriage in his Journal, he pro. bably would have moralized in fome fuch doggrel as this:"Experience foon will tell this tender Thistle, That he has paid too dearly for his whif tle *. The American advertisements are curious. A printer once advertised at Philadelphia for "Two fmart Devils of good morals!" An American Captain, on approaching Cape Clear, having taken a Pilot on board his fhip from a cutter that came alongfide, the Pilot accofted him with, "Indeed now but I have been looking -for you thefe three weeks."-" What, then," faid the American Captain, "is my name?"-" Arrah!" rejoined the Irishman, "would you be after afking me your name, now, when you know it fo well yourself!” Of Judge Marfhall, (the Editor of Washington's Life,) tradition records a laugh ble anecdote. Coming out of the State Houfe at Charletton, where he had just made an eloquent addrefs to the Jury in the behalf of a defendant, he faw a coach tanding before the door, of which the motto to the arms was, Non nobis folum.- Non nobis fo * Vide an ingenious Efay of Dr. Franklin, on the fubject of paying, when a bov, too dear for a whiftic. He has deduced from it a good moral lesion. lum!" cried Mr. Marshall." Then open the coach-door, coachman, and drive me to my lodgings †." A Clergyman once expoftulated with an Indian for being fo fond of rum. "I heard "Why," faid the red man, you tell the people at church to love their enemies, and I love my enemy." A Quaker, who commanded a hip from Philadelphia to London, fell in, on his paffage, with a French privateer. The privateer was crofling his forefoot, and taking the tompions out of her guns. The Quaker ran to the helm. "Friend," laid he, "I will not fight thee, becaufe my religion forbids it; but I will cut thee in two." And so saying, the Quaker gave the privateer his ftem, and ran over her. It is a story on general record in America, that when Mr. Whitfield croffed the Atlantic, he was, at the beginning of the paffage, very fenfibly affected at the profane iwearing of the hip's crew, and called the Captain to tafk for countenancing fuch wickednefs. The Captain was a wag. promifed to reclaim. But on the arproach of a gale of wind, he instructed his failors not to execute his orders He when unaccompanied by oths. The gale comes on; and the hip lies down to the guit. Do, my men," said the Captain, bear a hand and clue up the with apparent indifference. Again the Captain entreated, conjured, and exhorted them; but it was all to no purpose."You fee, Mr. Whitfield," faid the Captain, "they will never obey me, while I talk this calm language." "Then wear a little, Cap. tin," faid Mr. Whitfield. fails."-The failors heard the order An American Captain was or ce challenged by a French Officer at St. Domingo to fight him at tingle con bat. The Yankee Skipper Dad been formerly a South Sea whaler, and, cu The coach belonged to Mr., William Henry D.avton, who was rather pleated an offended at the herty taken. with it by Mr. Marthall. I got t is anecdote from Mr. Thomas Drayton, of Coolohatchie. rious rious to relate! he took the field with his harpoon in his hand, accompanied by his Mate as a fecond: to the harpoon was faftened feveral fathoms of line. The Frenchman was punctual to his appointment, but was foon calmed by the words and geftures of his enemy; for, faid the American Skipper to his Mate, brandithing his fih-gig," Jack," faid he, "when I ftrike the Frenchman, you stand by to play him t!” THE ENBORNE CHURCH. [WITH A VIEW.] HE village of Enborne, which is divided into East and Welt, ftands about two miles from Newbury, and near to Hampted Marshal. The church, of which we have given a VIEW, is an ancient edifice; and in the churchyard we find the following Epitaph, which certainly in poetical merit would not difgrace a more diftinguished place of fepulture: it is infcribed on a neat marble tablet, affixed to the South wall of the church, over the tomb of Master C. Lloyd, (only fon of the Rev. Mr. Lloyd, Rector); who, when eight other perions in the fame family, and at the fame time, recovered from the mallpox, died of that diffemper on the 11th day of April 1771, in the feventh year of his age. A pleafing form, with gentleft manners join'd; An infant temper, with a manly mind; With genuine native elegance endued; Modeft, tho' free; tho' lively, yet not rude; A heart which nature early taught to A remarkable inftance of the deli. cacy of our ancestors in relation to the ftate of widowhood, is thus recorded in Cowell's Interpreter, as a custom of the manors at this village: "At Eat and Weft Enborne, in the county of Berks, if a customary tenant die, the widow shall have what the law calls her free-bench in all his copyhold lands, dum fola et cafta fuerit; that is, while the lives fingle and chatte; but if the commit incontinency the forfeits her eftate; yet if he will come into the court riding backward upon a black ram, with his tail in her hand, and fay bound by the custom to re-admit hef the words following, the Steward is to her free-bench*: "Here I am, Riding upon a black ram, me have my land again," We are told, that there is a fimilar cuftom in the manor of Torre, in Devonshire, and other parts of the Weft; but Lord Coke is faid to have farcastically remarked, "that it is the mot frail and flippery tenure of any in England." It is, however, the fubje&t of a very humorous Paper (No. 623) in the Spectator. We understand that this cuftom is now no longer obferved. It is faid, indeed, to be compounded for by a fine; but this is not certain, for the court-rolls are filent respecting it. lands, which the wife, being married a Free-bench is that eftate in copyhold band for her dower.-Fitzherbert calls it virgin, hath after the decease of her huf. a custom by which in fome cities the wife fhall have all the lands of her husband for dower.- Les Termes de la Ley, ed. 1667, P. 575-Black. Com. ii. 122. Jacob's Law Dict. art. Free-bench. VESTIGES, |