The religious example of President Adams I present to all classes in society for their imitation. Comparatively few can make themselves conspicuous by the acquisition of abundant wealth, fewer can rise to pre-eminent distinction as legislators and statesmen ; but all may become pious and good christians. The qualifications of the christian disciple cannot be purchased with gold, nor shall silver be weighed as the value of it, the price of wisdom is above rubies. The man who honorably supports in society the character appointed him, and in his place executes with fidelity the commission of life, which he has received, accomplishes the purposes of his present existence; and his appropriate rewards are not the fading honors of this world. The promise, which God by Jesus Christ has made to all those who fill up the measure of their duty in the relations they now fill, is ETERNAL LIFE.

NOTE A.

JOHN ADAMS'S INTRODUCTION AT THE LEVEE OF GEORGE the third. A work recently published in England, under the title of "George the Third, his Court and Family," gives the following description of the introduction of the distinguished Adams, at the Levee of George the Third, to which allusion is made in the foregoing article. It was contained in a letter written by Mr. Adams himself to the Secretary of State.

At one, on Wednesday the first June, (says Mr. Adams) the master of ceremonies called at my house, went with me to the Secretary of State's office, in Cleaveland-row, where the Marquis of Carmarthen received me, and introduced me to Mr. Frazier, his under secretary, who had been, as his lordship said, uninterruptedly in that office through all the changes in administration for thirty years, having first been appointed by the Earl of Holderness.

After a short conversation upon the subject of importing my effects from Holland and France, free of duty, which Mr. Frazier himself introduced, Lord Carmarthen invited me to go with him in his coach to court. When we arrived in the antechambers, the master of the ceremonies introduced me, and attended me, while the Secretary of State went to take the commands of the King. While I stood in this place, where it seems all ministers stand upon such occasions, always attended by the master of the ceremonies, the room very full of ministers of state, bishops and all other sorts of courtiers, as well as the next room, which is the King's bed-chamber, you may well suppose that I was the focus of all eyes. I was relieved, however, from the embarrassment of it, by the Swedish and Dutch ministers; who came to me, and entertained me with a very agreeable conversation during the whole time. Some other gentlemen, whom I had seen before, came to make

their compliments too, until the Marquis of Carmarthen returned and desired me to go with him to his Majesty. I went with his lordship, through the levee-room to the King's closet-the door was shut, and I was left with his Majesty and the secretary of state alone. I made the three reverences; one at the door, another about half way, and the third before the presence, according to the usage established at this and all the northern courts of Europe, and then addressed myself to His Majesty in the following words:

"Sire-The United States have appointed me Minister plenipotentiary to your Majesty, and have directed me to deliver to your Majesty this letter, which contains the evidence of it. It is in obedience to their express commands, that I have the honor to assure your Majesty of their unanimous disposition and desire to cultivate the most friendly and liberal intercourse between your Majesty's subjects and their citizens, and of their best wishes for your Majesty's health and happiness, and for that of your family."

"The appointment of a minister from the United States to your Majesty's court will form an epoch in the history of England and America. I think myself more fortunate than all my fellow-citizens, in having the distinguished honor to be the first to stand in your Majesty's royal presence in a diplomatic character; and I shall esteem myself the happiest of men if I can be instrumental in recommending my country more and more to your Majesty's royal benev olence, and of restoring an entire esteem, confidence, and affection; or in better words 'the good old nature, and the good old humor,' between people, who, though separated by an ocean, and under different governments, have the same language, a similar religion, a kindred blood. I beg your Majesty's permission to add, that although I have sometimes before been intrusted by my country, it was never in my whole life in a manner so agreeable to myself."

The King listened to every word I said, with dignity it is true, but with an apparent emotion; whether it was the nature of the interview, or whether it was my visible agitation, for I felt more than I could express, that touched him, I cannot say; but he became much affected, and answered me with more tremour than I had spoken with, and said :

"Sir-The circumstances of this audience are so extraordinary, the language you have now held is so extremely proper, and the feelings you have discovered so justly adapted to the occasion, that I must say, that I not only receive with pleasure the assurance of the friendly disposition of the United States, but that I am glad the

choice has fallen upon you to be their minister. I wish your sir, to beleive, and that it may be understood in America, that I have done nothing in the late contest but what I thought myself indispensably bound to do, by the duty which I owed to my people. I will be very frank with you. I was the last to conform to the separation; but the separation having been made and having become inevitable, I have always said, as I now say, that I would be the first to meet the friendship of the United States as an independent power. The moment I see such sentiments and language as your's prevail and a disposition to give this country the preference, that moment I shall say, let the circumstances of language, religion, and blood have their natural and full effect."

I dare not say that these were the king's precise words: and it is even possible that I may have in some particulars mistaken his meaning, for although his pronunciation is as distinct as I ever heard, he hesitated sometimes between members of the same period. He was, indeed, much affected, and I was not less so, and therefore I cannot be certain that I was so attentive, heard so clearly, and understood so perfectly, as to be confident of all his words or sense; and I think that all he said to me should at present be kept secret in America, except his majesty or his secretary of state, should judge proper to repeat it. This I do say, that the foregoing is his majesty's meaning, as I then understood it, and his own. words, as nearly as I can recollect them.

The king then asked me whether I came last from France; and upon my answering in the affirmative, he put on an air of familiarity, and smiling said, there is an opinion among some people that you are not the most attached of all your countrymen to the manners of France.' I was surprised at this, because I thought it an indiscretion, and a descent from his dignity. I was a little embarrassed, but determined not to deny the truth on the one hand, nor lead him to infer from it any attachment to England on the other. I threw off as much gravity as I could, and assumed an air of gayety, and a tone of decision, as far as was decent, and said, 'That opinion, sir, is not mistaken. I must avow to your majesty, I have no attachment but to my own country.' The king replied as quick as lightning: An honest man will never have any other.'

The king then said a word or two to the secretary of state, which, being between them, I did not hear; and then turned round, and bowed to me, as is customary with all kings and princes when they give the signal to retire. I retreated, stepping backwards, as

is the etiquette; and making my last reverence at the door of the chamber I went my way. The master of the ceremonies joined me the moment of my coming out of the king's closet, and accompanied me through all the apartments down to my carriage; several stages of servants, gentlemen porters, and under porters, roaring out like thunder, as I went along, Mr. Adams' servants, Mr. Adams' carriage, &c.

TO THE PATRONS OF THE MAGAZINE.

It has been the object of the Publishers to present to their friends and subscribers, a work of permanent value, which should not only furnish pleasant reading for present amusement, but beneficial information for future use. How far they have succeeded is not for them to determine: they may, however, appeal with a feeling of satisfaction, to the historical sketches of Northborough, Leicester and Shrewsbury, and the memorials of other towns, from the pens of able and faithful writers, as evidence that they have not been wholly disappointed. In the execution of their design of furnishing a minute and particular account of each town in the county of Worcester, they have been compelled rigorously to exclude articles of more general interest and miscellaneous character. Could they succeed in accomplishing their design, they hazard nothing in saying, that a more minute and accurate history of our territory, its population and resources would be furnished, than is now possessed by any section of the United States. But they are not in a situation which permits great sacrifices of time, labor and expense. They cannot hide from themselves, and they ought not to conceal from their readers, that their undertaking cannot be prosecuted to a successful conclusion without more ef ficient patronage, and that, at the termination of the present volume, unless aided by more extensive and increased support, their labors must be suspended, to await a more favorable period.

ERRATA.

In Mr. Crosby's notice of West Boylston, the number of the well known Farmer's Almanac issued in the year, is stated at 36,000; it should be increased to 96,000.

The names of Mr, Hildreth and Mr. Moore, have been formerly included among the graduates from Colleges, as natives of Sterling. They were born in the territory originally included within that town.

The next number will contain an account of the town of LANCASTER, by JOSEPH WILLARD, Esq.

IN giving a sketch of the history of Lancaster, I labor under serious disadvantages. Those valuable sources of information, the records, are quite imperfect: the records of the Church till the time of Rev. Mr. Prentice in 1708, are lost; while those of the town extend no further back, than 1725; the first volume having unaccountably disappeared, more than forty years since. After much exertion, I have been able, only in part, to supply these deficiencies, from various and distant quarters; and from the books of the proprietors, in which are preserved some valuable materials: but even bere there is a lamentable hiatus from 1671, to 1717, including King Williams' war, of eight, and Queen Ann's war, of eleven years.

After giving the topography, present state &c. of the town, I shall touch upon its civil and ecclesiastical history.

The town of Lancaster is situated in the north part of the County of Worcester, about 33 miles west from Boston,* and 15 miles nearly north from Worcester.

BOUNDARIES. The general boundaries of the town are as follows, viz. north by Shirley and Lunenburgh, west by Leominster and Sterling, south by Boylston and Berlin, and east by Berlin, Bolton and Harvard. The general direction of the town, in length, is northeast and southwest. The average length, is nine and eleven sixteenth miles; the greatest length nine and fifteen sixteenths, de

*The distance was till the last year, 35 miles. The great alterations in the road, especially through Stow, and the new road from Watertown to Cambridge, make a difference of two miles.