900 
*¢ grew so zealously angry, that he 
¢ thrust the old man out of his tent, 
“ and exposed him to all the evils of 
“ the night, and an unguarded con- 
** dition. When the old man was 
“gone, God called to Abraham, 
* and asked him where the stranger 
“was? He replied, I thrust him 
“* away, because he did not worship 
“* thee. God answered him, I have 
“ suffered him these hundred years, 
* although he dishonoured me ; and 
€ couldst not thou endure him one 
*¢ night, and when he gave thee no 
“ trouble ?” 
The New England man _ having 
done reading, the Virginian leaped 
from his seat, and, calling the wai- 
ter, exclaimed, “¢ Atticus! Tell the 
ostler to put the bay mare into 
the next stall to the Chickasaw, 
and, do you hear, give her half a 
gallon of oats more, on_ the 
strength of her having a new 
master.” 
- Here followed a hearty laugh 
from the audience; but the New 
Englund Manexhibited strong symp- 
toms of chagrin. *¢ Devil take 
Franklin,” said he: ** an impostor; 
a humbug. If he ever obtains 
the wish he expresses in his epi- 
taph, of undergoing a new edition 
in the next world, may his plagia- 
risms be omitted, that no more 
wagers may be lost by them.” 
“¢ His epitaph, did you say, sir?” 
eried the Virginian. “ I hardly 
think he came by that honestly.” 
New England Man. | * Sir, I will 
lay you my saddle of it; a bran new 
saddle. Jonathan Gregory, of Bos- 
ton, imported it from London.” 
* An university near Boston. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1803. 
Virginian. ‘‘ My saddle, sir, is 
imported, too.—I swopped a double 
barrelled gun for it, with Mr. Ra- 
cer, of Fairfax County. And I will 
not only lay my saddle against 
your’s, sir, that Franklin did not 
come honestly by his epitaph ; but 
I will lay my snafile bridle, and my 
curb, my plated stirrups and stir- 
rap leathers; aye, and my martin- 
gale into the bargain.” 
New England Man. “ Done! Go 
it! Now for your proof.” 
Virginian. ‘Is there any gentle- 
man in company, besides myself, 
who understands Latin. If there 
is, let him have the goodness to speak.” 
New England Man. “‘ This gentle- 
man, who came with me from Sa- 
lem, is not only a Latin, but a 
Greek scholar. He was reared at 
Cambridge.* He will talk Latin 
with professor Willerd, an hour, by 
the clock.” 
Virginian. ‘* Then, sir, 1 believe, 
he will adjudge to me your imported 
saddle. Will you do me the favour 
to introduce me to your companion.” 
New England Man. ‘ This, sir, is 
Mr. Meadows. He is the author of 
an Ode on the Clam Feast. +’ 
Virginian. ‘“ Mr, Meadows, give 
me leave; within the cover of this 
book, you will find the epitaph 
which passes as Franklin’s; I en- 
treat you to read it aloud.” 
Mr. Meadows, (reading). i 
sé The: Body : 
Of:1} 41 
Benjamin Franklin, Printer, 
(Like the cover of an old book, 
Its contents torn out, 
And 
t The first emigrants to New England appeased their hunger upon landing on the 
spate of America, with some shell-tish they found on the beach; known, in popu- 
lar language, by the name of clams. The anniversary of this day is every 1% cele- 
brated on the spot, by their descendants, who feast upon clams. 
