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Knighthood was originally conferred in England by the priest at the altar, after confession, and the consecration of the sword, during the Saxon heptarchy. The first knight made by the sovereign, with the sword of state, was Athelstan, on whom Alfred conferred this new dignity. The custom of ec- || clesiastics conferring knighthood was abolished at a synod held at Westminster in 1100 and in the reign of Henry the ad, 1254, all persons having a yearly income of ten pounds, were obliged to be knighted, or pay a fine to be excused.

MUSICAL NOTES.

The first six invented by Gui, a Benedictine monk of Alezzo, in Italy, A. D. 1022.

URINE.

The inhabitants of London and Westminster ordered to preserve it for one year to make salt-petre, by proclamation, 1625.

DR. BUSBY.

The late Dr. Busby having chastised some of the boys at Westminster school, they resolved to revenge it, which they effected in the following manner :——They daubed with filth the balustrades of the stairs leading to the school, which the doctor, being infirm, always laid hold of. He was much incensed at the trick, and on reaching the school offered a reward of half a crown to any boy that would inform him who had a hand in it, The apprehensions of those concerned may be imagined, when a junior boy rose and said that he would tell, provided the doctor promised not to flog him, which being agreed to, the lad directly exclaimed—“ You, sir—you had a hand in it!" He rewarded the boy for his wit.

A RITSONITE.

A granivorous, herbivorous bibliopolist, of this town, who abstains from all animal food,and yet carries the flesh of a prize ox, gave rise to the following pleasant remark from one of the greatest men of the present day, He said that his manner of living, and his looks proved this-that though there might be a doubt with respect to innate ideas, there could be none with regard to innate beef. It is presumed that the wit, meant beef in ap early stage of existencesucking beef.

Mr. Godea used to say, that the paradise of an author was to compose, his purgatory to read over and polish his compositions, and his hell to correct the printers' proofs.

As a pretty large number of culprits were going to take their last degree at Tyburn, the wife of one of them pressed through the crowd, and told the sheriff she had come to see her poor husband executed, and begged that he might be hanged first in the morning, as she had a great way to go home!

Some thieves met a man, robbed him, and bound him in a wood; just after they met with another, bound him also, and laid him on the other side of the hedge; when the villains were gone, one of them cried out, "I am undone ! I am undone !" -The other hearing this, begged most heartily that he would come and undo him too.

A sailor passing by a shop in Dublin, where they made small dolls, observed on the sign "Little Children made here," immediately stepp'd in and asked if they wanted a Journeyman.

Longevity-Helen Gray, a woman who died a few years ago, in England, in the 105tb year of her age, had new teeth a few years before her death.

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Fires!- -On Saturday evening last, between the hours of 11 and 12, a fire broke out about 5 miles from this city, near the Bloomingdale road, and consumed a turpentine manufactory, together with two stores, a dwelling house, and wharf.

On Tuesday night, between 11 and 12, a fire broke out in a two-story wooden building, on the corner of Depeyster & Front streets, belonging to Thos. Harvey, which, together with the adjoining three-story brick house, owned by Mr. Jacobs, were almost instantaneously consumed. By the usual exertions of the fire-men, the progress of the fiery element was impeded but not before material injury was done to some of the adjacent buildings.

A Philadelphia paper says,“ on Wednesday morning, 30th ult. about 7 o'clock, the lightning struck four teams of horses, on the Newport road, about 14 miles from Lancaster- -15 of the horses out of 17 that composed the teams, were killed. The drivers, altho

seated on the saddle horses, were not injured.

The Corporation of this city, at their last meeting, passed an ordinance to prevent persons from driving what is called tandem, through the streets of N. York, and also forbidding all persons riding on horse-back, driving carts, waggons, two-wheel and four-wheel carriages with. in the limits of the city, at the rate of more than five miles the hour, and to turn no corner except on a slow walk.

The same law prohibits the driving any coach, coachee, cart, chair, gig or other carriage by any church or other place of public worship during divine service therein, on Sundays, and makes it lawful for each congregation in the city, to cause chains to be placed across the streets in front of any place of public worship during divine service on Snndays, as to prevent horses and carriages passing said places of worship during

service.

The British ship Albion, capt. Kilby, from New-Brunswick, was fallen in with at sea, a wreck, March 10, lat. 67, long. 42, having been dismasted and upset 37 days before, but righted some days after. The surviving part of the crew (the captain and two others out of 13) were in such an emaciated state, that they were unable, without much assistance, to get into the boat belonging to the vessel that first relieved them, having been thirty-eight days without food. They had erected a temporary wood hut apon deck (the vessel being full of water) and were there chewing the bark of a spruce spar which had been their principal support, and had been without water four or 5 days. What added to their distress was that of seeing ten of their unfortunate sufferers perishing by hunger!

Melancholy accident!-On Tuesday,

29th ult. Deacon Calvin Jacobs, his son Saranus, and a boy by the name of William H. Pearce, were drowned in Pal mer's river, in Rehoboth, (R. I.) They were washing sheep in the river, when Deacon Jacobs observed the boy overwhelmed in the stream and struggling with death. His son immediately ran to his assistance, when both became en. tangled and unable to extricate themselves. Deacon Jacobs jumped from the bridge, and endeavoured to relieve them, but in the struggle of death they held him to the spot, and the three literally embraced death in each others arms. A boy who escaped from the river, by creeping on the bottom, relates the particulars of this shocking affair.

4

It will be highly gratifying to our readers, no doubt, to hear, that ROBERT JEFFRIES, the person whom the inhu man Captain Lake, late af the British sloop of war Recruit, put on shore on' the barren and desolate island of Sambrero, was taken off early in the month of January, 1808, by capt. John Dennis, in the sch'r Adams, from Martinico for Marblehead. His situation at the time. of his deliverance was affecting and truly distressing. It appears, that he had been on the rock seven days-that his only subsistence was a little water which he procured from the rain, and the cockles which grew on the rocks that he was so weak and emaciated as to be unable to stand on deck without assistance --that he asserted it was the first time of his being at sea-that he was impressed-and that bis crime was the taking from one of the casks in the hold two quarts of common beer!--That the Captain of the Recruit refused to give him, when ordered into the boat, either bread or water, though earnestly im portuned by the Lieutenant, who hú. manely commiserated his unhappy condition, and generously, when on leaving

the island, took his shoes* from his feet, and gave them to Jeffries, who wàs entirely destitute.

Jeffries is a blacksmith by trade, ard resides in Wenham (Mass.) Last summer he visited Marblehead, earnestly expressed his gratitude for the kindness he bad received, and the pleasure he experienced in being able by his occupation and industry to support himself*NOTE.Something ominous in old Shoes not to be sported with !

It is with pleasure we learn, that the celebrated JOEL BARLOW is engaged in writing a history of the United States

It appears that Mr. Cooper, the Tra gedian, is on the eve of his departure for Europe, and that it is uncertain whether he intends to return to this country.

The Emperor Francis, of Austria, on the marriage of his daughter, created two hundred and fifty Knights, the grea. ter part of whom were military officers.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The Letter and Poem, eommunicated by W. A. T. shall appear in our next. Belcran to Caroline; is inadmissible.

MARRIED,

On Monday last, by the Rev. Mr. Lyell, Mr. George M. Hyer, to Miss Catharine Barber, all of this city.

On Saturday evening last, by the Rev. Mr. Baldwine, Mr. George Long, of this city, printer, to Miss Sarah June, of Stratford, Conn.

On the 5th inst. by the Rev. Mr. Eben. Smith, Mr. Edward Davis, of Georgetown, Col. to Mics Ann B. Povell, of this city.

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On Tuesday last, by the Rev. Mr. | Rich. Moore, Mr. Robert G. Clark, merchant, of Oneida county, to Miss Abigail Langdon, ef Hærlem.

Children's Play!

At Kingston, (Mass.) Mr. Geo. Thomas, aged EIGHTEEN, to Miss Maria W. Foster, aged TWENTY.

At Scipio, N. Y. Mr. Jonathan Woodworth,aged NINETEEN to Miss Ellen Cumming, aged ELEVEN.

A Dead Match!

In Rowley, Mass. Philemon Howe, Esq. aged EIGHTY-NINE, to Mrs. Mary Wise, aged NINETY-EIGHT. Slow Match!

In Summersworth, N. H. Capt. Henry Tuck, to Miss Joanna H. Drew, after a courtship or seven years!

DIED,

On Wednesday last, Mrs. Girðud wife of Paul T. Giraud.

On Wednesday last, Mrs. Sarah Campbell, wife of James Campbell. On Monday last, Mr. Thos. Has well, printer.

On Monday last, Mr. Jacob Somerindyke, aged 63 years.

On Sunday evening, Miss Mary Cornwell, daughter of Capt. Thomas Cornivell, late of Annapolis, N. S.

On Wednesday, the 30th May, in the 81st year of his age, William Ball of Philadelphia, esquire. He was an attending member of the 80ciety of Free Masons upwards of 57 years and was the First Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

At Frankfort (Pennsylvania) on Wednesday the 30th of May, in the 80th year of her age, Mrs Hannah Carpenter.

On the 26th ult. at Red Springs, Queen's County, (Long Island) John Weeks, aged 91 years.

At Lanesburg, in this state, Thomas Trenor, son of Mr. T. Trenor, aged 13. When an infant he swallowed a half penny, which lodged in the esophagus, and finally produced a hamorrhage, of which he died.

For the Lady's Miscellany.

TO SERENA.

Ah! did you know, enchanting fair,
What fond emotions fill my breast,
What love for you inhabits there
And nightly steals away my rest,
That gentle bosom, dear, of thine,
Which kindly feels for others' harms,
Would surely pity such as mine,
And sweetly silence love's alarms.

Ah! what avails, the frowns of fate,
If in that mildly beaming eye,
I read your love, if for my sake
You heave the softly breathing sigh.

If nature wears a sullen gloom,
I'll fly to my Serena's arms,
Press that soft cheek of heav'nly bloom
And riot mid ten thousand charms-

What tho' the Sun, bright god of day,
Should cease above the hills to rise,
I'd warm me in a milder ray,
The radience of Serena's eyes.

Oft dearest girl, on fancy borne,
Far from the world, I quickly flee,
To ramble o'er each blissful scene
That e'er I rambled o'er with thee.

Oft do I stray o'er verdant fields, Where richest flow'rs o'erspread the ground,

Where ev'ry plant a fragrance yields, And notes melodious, breathe aromre,

When seated by Serena's side,
Each rose assumes a lovelier die,
More gentle flows the silvan tide,
And sweeter is the zephyr's sigh.

Unlike the Teian bard of old,
To heathen gods I never fly,
Invited by the graces bold,
While Cupid sparkles in her eye!

Who knows but that each sister grace
And little dove, by zephyrs driv'n
In quest of bliss, have found a place,
And made Serena's form their heav'n.

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