The Merry Past 



an educated man, as things went in his day, the pro- 

 vincial mayors were sometimes almost illiterate. 



The following was a letter sent about 1796 by a 

 newly chosen provincial mayor to a correspondent in 

 town : 



" Dear Sur, — On Monday next I am to bee made 

 a mare, hand should obliged to you if so be as you will 

 send me down by the coach some provisions fetting 

 the occashon, as I am to ax my brother the old mare, 

 and the rest of the bentch. 



" I am, Sur, etc., 



u ?? 



This letter having fallen into the hands of a wag, 

 the latter penned the following reply : 



" Sir, — In obedience to your order, have sent you, 



per coach, two bushels of the best oats, arid, as you 



are to treat the ' old mare,' have added some bran to 



make a mash. 



" Yours, etc., 



<C 5> 



The merchants were the first class of unofficial 

 citizens ; they were the peers of the City, and so 

 great was their importance that the lesser orders of 

 citizens could scarcely venture to look up to them. 

 The next order was the wholesale traders, who did 

 not venture to export on their own account. The 

 retail shopkeepers followed next in order, and the 

 manufacturing or working tradesmen were the last. 



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