第 33 节

8 _None preaches_ 2 6 7* rise 12 32 5 Li 4 41 8 _better than the_ 3 7 _windy weather._ 6 15 4 41 8 _ant, and she says_ 4 C 2 Sund. p Trinit 6h Sc 4 42 8 First Quarter. 5 2 Vc Jup. Ven. _now_ 7 14 4 43 8 _nothing._ 6 3 _pleasant weather_ 8 27 4 44 8 Moon sets 12 30 m 7 4 _some days_ 9 Sa 4 45 8 _The absent are_ 8 5 _together,_ 10 23 4 48 8 _never without_ 9 6 _but inclines to_ 10 Cp 4 47 8 _fault, nor the_ 10 7 _falling_ 11 18 4 48 8 _present without_ 11 C 3 Sund. p. Trin. 12 Aq 4 49 8 Full moon 11 day, 12 2 Sxtil Sat. Merc. weather. 1 13 4 50 8 2 afternoon. 13 3 Dog-days begin 2 25 4 50 8 sun in Leo 14 4 Days 14h. 20 m 2h Pi 4 51 8 Moon rise 8 35 aft. 15 5 St. _Swithin_. 3 19 4 52 8 _excuse._ 16 6 Le 1 Li 4 Ar 4 53 8 17 7 conj. Sun Merc. _rain_ 5 13 4 54 8 _Gifts burst_ 18 C 7* rise 11 40 6 25 4 55 8 _rocks_ 19 2 _hail or rain,_ 6h Ta 4 56 8 Last Quarter. 20 3 Sxtil Sun Sat. thunder. 7 19 4 57 8 Moon rise 11 52 af 21 4 7* rise 11 18 8 Gm 4 57 8 _If wind blows on_ 22 5 _then high_ 9 14 4 58 8 _you thro' a hole,_ 23 6 _wind._ 10 27 4 59 8 _Make your will_ 24 7 opp. Sun Jupiter 10 Cn 4 59 8 _and take care of_ 25 C St. James. 11 25 5 0 7 _your soul._ 26 2 _hail_ 12 Le 5 1 7 New moon 26 day, 27 3 Moon near cor Leo 1 24 5 2 7 near 8 aftern 28 4 opp. Jup. Ven. _a clear_ 2 Vi 5 3 7 Moon sets 8 aftern 29 5 _air; and fine_ 2h 24 5 4 7 _The rotten Apple_ 30 6 _weather_ 3 Li 5 5 7 _spoils his_ 31 7 7* rise 10 40 4 23 5 6 7 _Companion._

[Transcriber's note: Zodiac signs, aspects and symbols of the planets have been replaced by their names and/or by their standard abbreviations.

Ar=Aries, Ta=Taurus, Gm=Gemini, Cn=Cancer, Le=Leo, Vi=Virgo, Li=Libra, Sc=Scorpio, Sa=Sagittarius, Cp=Capricorn, Aq=Aqua, Pi=Pisces, Oppos=Opposition, Trine=Trine, Squr=Square, Conj=Conjunction, Sxtil=Sextile, Qucnx= Quincunx.

Merc=Mercury, Ven=Venus, Mars=Mars, Jup=Jupiter, Sat=Saturn Ura=Uranus, Nep=Neptune, Plu=Pluto.]

I considered my newspaper, also, as another means of communicating instruction, and in that view frequently reprinted in it extracts from the Spectator, and other moral writers; and sometimes publish'd little pieces of my own, which had been first composed for reading in our Junto. Of these are a Socratic dialogue, tending to prove that, whatever might be his parts and abilities, a vicious man could not properly be called a man of sense; and a discourse on self-denial, showing that virtue was not secure till its practice became a habitude, and was free from the opposition of contrary inclinations. These may be found in the papers about the beginning of 1735.[75]

[75] June 23 and July 7, 1730.--Smyth.

In the conduct of my newspaper, I carefully excluded all libeling and personal abuse, which is of late years become so disgraceful to our country. Whenever I was solicited to insert anything of that kind, and the writers pleaded, as they generally did, the liberty of the press, and that a newspaper was like a stage-coach, in which anyone who would pay had a right to a place, my answer was, that I would print the piece separately if desired, and the author might have as many copies as he pleased to distribute himself, but that I would not take upon me to spread his detraction; and that, having contracted with my subscribers to furnish them with what might be either useful or entertaining, I could not fill their papers with private altercation, in which they had no concern, without doing them manifest injustice. Now, many of our printers make no scruple of gratifying the malice of individuals by false accusations of the fairest characters among ourselves, augmenting animosity even to the producing of duels; and are, moreover, so indiscreet as to print scurrilous reflections on the government of neighboring states, and even on the conduct of our best national allies, which may be attended with the most pernicious consequences. These things I mention as a caution to young printers, and that they may be encouraged not to pollute their presses and disgrace their profession by such infamous practices, but refuse steadily, as they may see by my example that such a course of conduct will not, on the whole, be injurious to their interests.

In 1733 I sent one of my journeymen to Charleston, South Carolina, where a printer was wanting. I furnish'd him with a press and letters, on an agreement of partnership, by which I was to receive one-third of the profits of the business, paying one-third of the expense. He was a man of learning, and honest but ignorant in matters of account; and, tho' he sometimes made me remittances, I could get no account from him, nor any satisfactory state of our partnership while he lived. On his decease, the business was continued by his widow, who, being born and bred in Holland, where, as I have been inform'd, the knowledge of accounts makes a part of female education, she not only sent me as clear a state as she could find of the transactions past, but continued to account with the greatest regularity and exactness every quarter afterwards, and managed the business with such success, that she not only brought up reputably a family of children, but, at the expiration of the term, was able to purchase of me the printing-house, and establish her son in it.

I mention this affair chiefly for the sake of recommending that branch of education for our young females, as likely to be of more use to them and their children, in case of widowhood, than either music or dancing, by preserving them from losses by imposition of crafty men, and enabling them to continue, perhaps, a profitable mercantile house, with establish'd correspondence, till a son is grown up fit to undertake and go on with it, to the lasting advantage and enriching of the family.

About the year 1734 there arrived among us from Ireland a young Presbyterian preacher, named Hemphill, who delivered with a good voice, and apparently extempore, most excellent discourses, which drew together considerable numbers of different persuasions, who join'd in admiring them. Among the rest, I became one of his constant hearers, his sermons pleasing me, as they had little of the dogmatical kind, but inculcated strongly the practice of virtue, or what in the religious stile are called good works. Those, however, of our congregation, who considered themselves as orthodox Presbyterians, disapprov'd his doctrine, and were join'd by most of the old clergy, who arraign'