The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

To the PRINTER'S.

Every man in Turkey is of some trade: Sultan Achmet was a maker of ivory rings, which the Turks wear upon their thumbs when they shoot their arrows, and in this occupation he worked several hours daily, and another of their Emperors was deposed, because he refused to work in his occupation.

Note to Pope's translation of HOMER's Odyssey.

Remember to have somewhere met with a remark, attributed to Doctor South, that many a man who had broken his head against a pulpit, might have made a good figure at a plough-tail. --It is such an observation as people of all religious societies, have had opportunities of seeing verified; and few men of much speculation, but what must have observed the same mistakes and misapplication of genius and talent in every other calling or business in life. How many statesmen, or in other words, men whose benevolence, quickness of penetration, and extent of capacity, would have rendered them fit for the management of any branch of government, have been buried in obscurity, either by the unavoidable circumstances of their descent, the wretchedness of their education, or the continual pressures of poverty? Yet there have been in several ages of the world, instances of a few superior minds, who have rose thro' some or all of those disadvantages, to shine in their proper sphere, and bless mankind in a very distinguished manner; both as philosophers and legislators! On the other hand, who can read history without great pain and astonishment, in observing how much human societies have suffered by the exaltation of unable and shallow men, into places, which advantageous circumstances have made them solicit, or others imagine to be suitable for them. In our own times, I do not question but many an honest juryman, whose ears have been persecuted, and his understanding insulted at the expense of his time and belly with the tedious nothingness of an attorney's pleadings, has very heartily wished that the said attorney had been destined to follow the wheel-barrow, or any more suitable vocation. But kind reader, do not mistake me, I do not either intend or approve of undistingushing reflections on any profession or body of people, for though there may be divers attorneys in America who have neither discernment nor elocution sufficient to qualify them to be good criers at a country vendue, yet I have the honor of being acquainted with several gentlemen of the law, in divers parts of this continent, whose skill and integrity, if they had opportunities of shewing them there, would be commended by the judicious in the highest courts of Great-Britain. Many a pretender to skill in physic and surgery, who have gone through all the studies and travelling which are thought necessary for a perfect knowledge of their business, have been manifestly outdone in success, even in very difficult cases, by an Indian or an old woman. And indeed many of those pretenders, both of the learned and unlearned, might in my humble opinion be much more properly employed in almost any other business, than in continually running the risque of committing murder, thro' their ignorance either of the nature of disorders and constitutions, or of the proper manner of treating them. It would however be very foolish to conclude from observations of this kind, that no help is to be obtained from any Doctors. Some of them from great watchfulness and attention, and long practice (for I own when I can get an old Doctor, I prefer him to a young one, and am apt to be diffident of trusting my life into unexperienced hands, unless they have the reputation of so modest and honest a disposition, as to be assiduous in consulting their seniors in dangerous cases) have undoubtedly possessed so much knowledge of the human frame, and of the virtues of medicines, as to be often speedily useful in most of the grievous and afflicting distempers and accidents which our mortal state is so frequently attacked with. So that I advise my readers by no means to hinder themselves, or be hindered by others, from having the best help of that sort which they can obtain.

It has been often recommended in systems of education, that great care & pains should be taken to examine the different capacities of children, & the bent or turn of their geniuses. & from the best judgment that can be made of such indications, to determine the business of their future lives. This in theory looks very well, and there are instances where such attention has been crowned with admirable success: Yet many more even of those who have had what is called the best education, either thro' want of such care, or thro' mistakes and inadvertency, have totally mistook their way. and are always labouring against the stream & appearing in a personated character which misbecomes them. However, any kind of innocent employment is better both for body & mind than doing nothing, so that indolence is exceedingly culpable, if as being without action we may not call it a misapplication of talents: A lazy man is a nuisance to himself and the public: The following observations from Burlamaqui, appear to me judicious: Idleness is the fruitful source "of a thousand disorders, The want of a useful "and honest occupation is the foundation of an "infinite number of mischiefs: The human mind "being of so active a nature as it is, cannot re- "main in a state of inaction, and if it is not em- "ployed on something good, it will inevitably "apply itself to something bad, as is certain from "the experience of all ages. It were therefore "to be wished that there were laws against idle- "ness, to prevent its pernicious effects, and that "no person was permitted to live without some "honest occupation, either of the mind or body."

We are told in scripture that idleness was one of the sins of Sodom, and yet such has been the strange delusion which many since those times have embraced, that this same sin has become an important article of their religion. I mean the various orders of Recluses in the Romish Church. Many devout and pious members of that Church have wrote and spoke with more severity against those institutions, than I shall do at present.--Yet, what lover of mankind, can hear or read without great anxiety and commiseration, of myriads of useless males and females (and for a succession of centuries too!) sequestered in the Convents & Nunneries of most of the European states & kingdoms, incapable by the rules of their several orders of ever obeying the first command of our great Creator to our first parents, and in them to all mankind without distinction -- Be fruitful and multiply. If an exact account of the numbers of these infatuated fellow-beings, now in that situation, could be obtained, I presume it would greatly exceed our apprehensions, and shock our credulity. Clark, whose ingenious letters concerning the Spanish nation have been lately published, says he had been told that the number in that kingdom was computed at two hundred thousand, tho' he believed the calculation much exaggerated. But admitting them only to be one half, it is a prodigious multitude for one kingdom to suffer to be, in regard to the state (them and their seed and their seed's seed for-ever) annihilated. I wish somebody well acquainted with the state of the other countries where this impolitic and inhuman practice prevails, would make and publish a reasonable computation of the numbers each contains; who knows but such an attempt might providentially find its way into the view of some of the princes and governors of those dominions, and be a humble means of enlightening their judgment, and amoting the true and reasonable religion of Jesus Christ. to be valued in its pure and simple state, when stripped of the mischievous inventions of men which have so long disguised & abused it.

ATTICUS.