CONTAINING, AMONG A VARIETY OF OTHER ARTICLES, History of the Yellow Fever, which prevailed in Philadelphia in the Year 1793; containing a full Account of its Rise, Progress, and Termination, with various Anecdotes, illustrative of the State of Society. Review of the Evidence of the pretended General Conspiracy of the Roman Catholics of Ireland, to massacre all the Protestants who would not join with them, on the 23d of October, 1641. Reflections on the subject of Emigration from Europe, with a view to a Settlement in the United States, containing a Brief Sketch of the moral and political State of this Country. Essays on the Public Charities of Philadelphia, intended to vindicate the Benevolent Societies of this City from the Charge of encouraging Idle ness. A Brief View of the Policy of the Founders of the Colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, West Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Carolina, as regards Liberty of Conscience. Critical Remarks on the Tragedy of Hamlet. Vindication of Sterne from the Charge of Plagiarism, &c. &c. Member of the American Philosophical and Antiquarian Societies, and Author of Vindicia Hibernica, the Olive Branch, &c. &c. PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED FOR CAREY & HART. Nov. 13, 1830. PREFACE. THERE is, I believe, a great difference between the feelings of a writer, when he first determines on publication, and when his labours are completed, and he is about to submit them to the fiery ordeal of public examination, or perhaps, which is far worse, to public indifference. At the former period, the bright side of the prospect alone occupies his mind. His hopes of success far outweigh his fears of failure. But at the latter, a great reverse takes place. The terrors of rigid critics, many of whom delight in wounding the feelings of the object of their criticism-the efforts of secret enemies-and the consequent probability of his labours "falling still-born from the press" arise in dread array before his mental vision-give him many an ague fit-and make him repent of his temerity, and wish he had otherwise employed his time. Whether this be, as I suppose, correct with respect to other writers, it is literally true as regards myself. If I felt a few months since, as I now feel, on the subject, the materials which compose this volume would probably have remained, till my death, where some of them have lain twenty, thirty, forty and even fifty years. But "the Rubicon is passed." It is too late to regret the course pursued and to whatever reception the volume may receive, I must submit. I make no attempt to deprecate criticism, or to remove the apathy with which works of this miscellaneous character are generally received. I shall, however, be gratified, if certain portions of it be found to possess sufficient interest in some degree to bear up and rescue from condemnation, the light and trivial portions. To chronological order attention ought perhaps to have been paid. I regret that it has been wholly neglected. In consequence, some of the articles written forty, and one fifty years since, which ought to have begun the book, are placed at its very close. |