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Literary
June 6, 1766
The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle
Portsmouth, Greenland, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
Satirical biblical parody narrating British merchants from London and other cities petitioning Parliament (Grand Sanhedrim) to repeal the Stamp Act, opposed by former officials and hired writers, but ultimately successful, leading to national rejoicing and economic relief.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
LONDON, March 29.
The IVth Chapter of the BOOK of America.
1. The men of the cities assemble. 2. Their discourse to each other. 3. They petition the Grand Sanhedrim. 14. The lamentation of George the Treasurer. 19. News papers 22. And hireling Scribes. 25. These Scribes write against taking off the tribute. 26. The subject of their letters. 32. They prevail not. 34. But are answered. 38. The tribute taken off. 39. Great rejoicings thereat. 41. The song of the people.
1. AFTER these things the men of London and the men of Birmingham, and the men of the great cities and strong towns; even all who made cloth, and worked in iron and in steel, and in sundry metals, communed together;
2. And they met in the gates of their cities, and of their towns.
3. And they said unto each other. "Behold now the children of America are waxed strong; and they have not only opposed the men who were sent by George the Treasurer to collect the tribute on the marks which are called stamps;
4. But they make unto themselves the wares wherewith we were wont to furnish them:
5. And they will buy no more of us unless this tribute is taken off
6. And moreover, they cannot pay unto us the monies which they now owe; and the loss is great unto us, and the burthen thereof exceeding grievous:
7. Neither can we give bread unto those who laboured for us; and behold they, and their wives, and their little ones, have not bread to eat.
8. What then shall we do and wherewith shall we be comforted
9. Shall we not petition our Lord the King, and his Princes, and the wise men of the nation, even the Grand Sanhedrim of the nation.
10. For we know that they are good and gracious, and will hearken to the voice of the people, who open their mouths and cry unto them for bread."
11. Then the Men of London, and the men of the great cities, sat them down and wrote petitions.
12. And they sent men from amongst them, that were goodly men to look at; and they stood before the Grand Sanhedrim:
13. And they presented their petitions, and they were read, and days were appointed to consider them
14. Now it came to pass, that while these things were doing, that George the late Treasurer, and those who had joined in laying the tribute on the stamp, were wroth and their countenances fell:
15. And they said in themselves. "If this tribute is taken off, then William the late Scribe, and those who are now in authority, and who have taken our places will be had in remembrance among men.
16. And we also shall be had in remembrance, but it will be with evil remembrance indeed.
17. For behold the people will say. It is these that have cursed the land and it is they who have blessed it.
18. Therefore we must bestir ourselves like men, to oppose the taking off of the tribute, let whatsoever hap betides."
19. And in those days there were papers sold daily among the men of Britain, which declared those which were joined in marriage, those which were gathered unto their fathers, and those who had found favour in the eyes of the King and his rulers, and were exalted above their brethren.
20. And also of whatsoever was done in the land.
21. And these papers were called news papers; and all men read them.
22. And there were also certain Scribes who let themselves out to hire.
23. And one of the chief of these was a Levite, and his name was Anti-Sejanus.
24. And the Scribes were hired to poison the minds of the people, and to cause them to set their faces against the men of America their brethren.
25. Then came Anti Sejanus, and Pacificus, and Pro Patria, and sundry other children of Belial, and they wrote letters which were put into the news papers.
26. And they said in those letters. "Errand brethren! Behold the men of America are rich, and they are grown insolent, being full of bread;
27. And they are not mindful of the days of old when they were poor, but they would withdraw themselves from under the wing of their mother Britain
28. And they would establish themselves as a people, and suffer us to have no power over them.
29. Behold they have opposed the edict and they are become as rebels.
30. Wherefore then go we not forth with a strong hand, and force them unto obedience to us?
31. And if they are still murmuring, and shall still oppose our authority, why do we not send sword into their land, and cut them off from the face of the earth?
32. And these children of Belial, who dipped their pens for hire, and who would scatter plagues in wantonness and say.
33. Even these men wrote still more. Yet they prevailed not.
34. For they were answered, "Lo the men of America are our brethren; they are the children of our forefathers; and shall we seek their bloods? If they are mistaken, shall we not pity them, and keep them obedient unto us through love?
35. For behold, it is a wise saying of old, That many flies may be caught with a little honey; but with much vinegar we can catch not one.
36. Neither are they inclined to be a people of themselves, but wish to be yet under our wing."
37. And the counsel of these men prevailed: for the counsel of the hireling scribes was defeated; even as was the counsel of the wicked Achitophel in the days of David King of Israel.
38. For behold, the Grand Sanhedrim took off the tribute from the People; and George the gracious King of Britain assented thereto.
39. Then were great rejoicings made throughout the land; and fires were lighted up in the streets, and the people eat, drank, and were merry;
40. And they sang a new song, saying
41. "Long live the King; let his name be glorious, and may his rule over us be happy.
42. And may the princes and the rulers of the land and the wise men of the Lord the King, all those who joined to take off this tribute, be blessed.
43. For they have hearkened unto the cries of the people, and have given ear to the voice of calamity; they have procured the payment of the debts of the merchants of this land. ease to the children of America, and labour and bread to the poor.
44. And the women shall sing their praises; and the little children shall leap out, Bless the King and his Sanhedrim.
45. For we were desolate and distressed; our hammers and our shuttles were useless; for we got no work, neither had we bread to eat for ourselves, nor our little ones.
46. But now we can work, rejoice, and be exceeding glad."
47. And there was peace in the land:
48. But to Anti Sejanus and the rest of the hirelings there was shame, and the scorn of all good men fell upon them, and their employers, so that their names were had in abomination.
The IVth Chapter of the BOOK of America.
1. The men of the cities assemble. 2. Their discourse to each other. 3. They petition the Grand Sanhedrim. 14. The lamentation of George the Treasurer. 19. News papers 22. And hireling Scribes. 25. These Scribes write against taking off the tribute. 26. The subject of their letters. 32. They prevail not. 34. But are answered. 38. The tribute taken off. 39. Great rejoicings thereat. 41. The song of the people.
1. AFTER these things the men of London and the men of Birmingham, and the men of the great cities and strong towns; even all who made cloth, and worked in iron and in steel, and in sundry metals, communed together;
2. And they met in the gates of their cities, and of their towns.
3. And they said unto each other. "Behold now the children of America are waxed strong; and they have not only opposed the men who were sent by George the Treasurer to collect the tribute on the marks which are called stamps;
4. But they make unto themselves the wares wherewith we were wont to furnish them:
5. And they will buy no more of us unless this tribute is taken off
6. And moreover, they cannot pay unto us the monies which they now owe; and the loss is great unto us, and the burthen thereof exceeding grievous:
7. Neither can we give bread unto those who laboured for us; and behold they, and their wives, and their little ones, have not bread to eat.
8. What then shall we do and wherewith shall we be comforted
9. Shall we not petition our Lord the King, and his Princes, and the wise men of the nation, even the Grand Sanhedrim of the nation.
10. For we know that they are good and gracious, and will hearken to the voice of the people, who open their mouths and cry unto them for bread."
11. Then the Men of London, and the men of the great cities, sat them down and wrote petitions.
12. And they sent men from amongst them, that were goodly men to look at; and they stood before the Grand Sanhedrim:
13. And they presented their petitions, and they were read, and days were appointed to consider them
14. Now it came to pass, that while these things were doing, that George the late Treasurer, and those who had joined in laying the tribute on the stamp, were wroth and their countenances fell:
15. And they said in themselves. "If this tribute is taken off, then William the late Scribe, and those who are now in authority, and who have taken our places will be had in remembrance among men.
16. And we also shall be had in remembrance, but it will be with evil remembrance indeed.
17. For behold the people will say. It is these that have cursed the land and it is they who have blessed it.
18. Therefore we must bestir ourselves like men, to oppose the taking off of the tribute, let whatsoever hap betides."
19. And in those days there were papers sold daily among the men of Britain, which declared those which were joined in marriage, those which were gathered unto their fathers, and those who had found favour in the eyes of the King and his rulers, and were exalted above their brethren.
20. And also of whatsoever was done in the land.
21. And these papers were called news papers; and all men read them.
22. And there were also certain Scribes who let themselves out to hire.
23. And one of the chief of these was a Levite, and his name was Anti-Sejanus.
24. And the Scribes were hired to poison the minds of the people, and to cause them to set their faces against the men of America their brethren.
25. Then came Anti Sejanus, and Pacificus, and Pro Patria, and sundry other children of Belial, and they wrote letters which were put into the news papers.
26. And they said in those letters. "Errand brethren! Behold the men of America are rich, and they are grown insolent, being full of bread;
27. And they are not mindful of the days of old when they were poor, but they would withdraw themselves from under the wing of their mother Britain
28. And they would establish themselves as a people, and suffer us to have no power over them.
29. Behold they have opposed the edict and they are become as rebels.
30. Wherefore then go we not forth with a strong hand, and force them unto obedience to us?
31. And if they are still murmuring, and shall still oppose our authority, why do we not send sword into their land, and cut them off from the face of the earth?
32. And these children of Belial, who dipped their pens for hire, and who would scatter plagues in wantonness and say.
33. Even these men wrote still more. Yet they prevailed not.
34. For they were answered, "Lo the men of America are our brethren; they are the children of our forefathers; and shall we seek their bloods? If they are mistaken, shall we not pity them, and keep them obedient unto us through love?
35. For behold, it is a wise saying of old, That many flies may be caught with a little honey; but with much vinegar we can catch not one.
36. Neither are they inclined to be a people of themselves, but wish to be yet under our wing."
37. And the counsel of these men prevailed: for the counsel of the hireling scribes was defeated; even as was the counsel of the wicked Achitophel in the days of David King of Israel.
38. For behold, the Grand Sanhedrim took off the tribute from the People; and George the gracious King of Britain assented thereto.
39. Then were great rejoicings made throughout the land; and fires were lighted up in the streets, and the people eat, drank, and were merry;
40. And they sang a new song, saying
41. "Long live the King; let his name be glorious, and may his rule over us be happy.
42. And may the princes and the rulers of the land and the wise men of the Lord the King, all those who joined to take off this tribute, be blessed.
43. For they have hearkened unto the cries of the people, and have given ear to the voice of calamity; they have procured the payment of the debts of the merchants of this land. ease to the children of America, and labour and bread to the poor.
44. And the women shall sing their praises; and the little children shall leap out, Bless the King and his Sanhedrim.
45. For we were desolate and distressed; our hammers and our shuttles were useless; for we got no work, neither had we bread to eat for ourselves, nor our little ones.
46. But now we can work, rejoice, and be exceeding glad."
47. And there was peace in the land:
48. But to Anti Sejanus and the rest of the hirelings there was shame, and the scorn of all good men fell upon them, and their employers, so that their names were had in abomination.
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
Allegory
Prose Fiction
What themes does it cover?
Taxation Oppression
Political
Commerce Trade
What keywords are associated?
Stamp Act
Repeal
British Merchants
American Resistance
Parliament Petition
Hireling Scribes
Biblical Parody
Literary Details
Title
The Ivth Chapter Of The Book Of America.
Key Lines
Behold Now The Children Of America Are Waxed Strong; And They Have Not Only Opposed The Men Who Were Sent By George The Treasurer To Collect The Tribute On The Marks Which Are Called Stamps;
For Behold, The Grand Sanhedrim Took Off The Tribute From The People; And George The Gracious King Of Britain Assented Thereto.
Long Live The King; Let His Name Be Glorious, And May His Rule Over Us Be Happy.
For They Have Hearkened Unto The Cries Of The People, And Have Given Ear To The Voice Of Calamity; They Have Procured The Payment Of The Debts Of The Merchants Of This Land. Ease To The Children Of America, And Labour And Bread To The Poor.
And There Was Peace In The Land: