Page:Letters of John Andrews.djvu/15

Rh in regard to domestic events, and therefore as being liable to give pain to persons now living, have not been here printed, but remain nevertheless unexpunged in the original manuscripts themselves in the possession of the Society.

February 24th, 1772An unhappy affair happen'd here last Saturday. The Gunner and the Captain's Clerk of the Beaver were drinking together at Admiral Vernon's Tavern; being warm'd with liquor they quarrell'd, when ye former stabb'd ye. latter with a stilletto, which has so injur'd his lungs that his life is despair'd of. The Gunner was immediately committed to jail. … Doctor Cooper's Congregation have at last concluded to pull down their own Cathedral, and build as grand a house as our native materials will admit of. They have computed it to cost about 7 or £8000 sterling, subscriptions for which are gave very generously. John Hancock, who suffers no body to outdoe him in acts of publick utility, has generously gave £1000 lawful money towards so necessary a work: Mr. Bowdoin, £200: Pitts, Erving, J. Gray, £100 sterling each, and others in proportion.

September 3rd. Yesterday died old Justice Ruddock, ye. most corpulent man among us, weighing, they say, between 5 and 600 weight.

December 25th. … Yesterday your aunt Anna spent the day with us, and I like her much; more especially as she has promised to rummage up and make me a present of an ancient roman coin (one of the twelve Cæsars) which will make me possess'd of five of that kind, besides a variety of more modern ones, having lately made an acquisition of one of Claudius Cæsar's and another of Domitian's; and this day bought for old silver a fine large medal of ye. Emperor Constantine ye. great's. I mention this, that in case any of the kind that are genuine should come within your knowledge, you would, if possible, procure them for me. I expect a laugh from you; but no matter for that, every one has their whims and I have mine. … Our season has been most remarkably fine: till last evening we have not had half an inch of snow, and then fell only about an inch and a half, and clear'd up today as warm and pleasant as in September; and what's most remarkable, that not a day in this month but ye Sun has shone pleasant, either half or the whole of the day.

March 10th, 1773. Our general Court have passed an act to limit