pears greater than that of the females, being nearly in the proportion of one hundred males to ninety-six females : so that it is highly probable, if correct accounts could be had of the real number of males and females belonging to any country, they would be fuund nearly equal ; and the great ; er number of males born would appear a provision for the greater destruction of male lives by war, navigation, and va. rious casualties. That the male constitution is naturally inore durable than that of females, may be inferred from the preceding account of 145 persons who have attained unusual great age, more than two-thirds of the number being males; but the greater mortality from adventitious causes, which brings the numbers of each sex near to equality, renders the expectations of life likewise nearly equal. Longevity has been supposed to be in a great degree hereditary ; and as weakness and disease are frequently so, it appears very probable that the constitution of body, and disposition of mind best adapted for duration may prevail much more in some families, than others. Dr. Rush says, he has not found a single instance of a person who had lived to be eighty years of age who was not descended from long-lived ancestors ; it is certain, however, there have been in this country many persons who have exceeded eighty years, who did not know that any of their family were remarkable for longevity. The form of the individual appears of more importance. Moderate sized and well proportioned persons have certainly the best chance of long life. There are, however, a few instances of persons of a different description having attained considerable age. Mary Jones, who died in 1773, at Wem, in Shropshire, aged 100 years, was only two feet eight inches high, very deformed and lame; and ; James M'Donald, who died near Cork, 20th August, 1760, aged 117, was seven feet six inches high. Matrimony, if not entered into too early, appears to be very conducive to health and long life, the proportion of unmarried ladies attaining great age, being remarkably small. Dr. Rush says, that in the course of his enquiries, he met with only one person beyond eighty years of age, who had never been married. This is a very limited remark : Mrs. Malton, who died in 1733, aged 105, Ann Kerney, who died the same year, aged 110; Martha Dunridge, who died in 1752, in the 100th year of her age; and Mrs. Warren, who died in 1753, aged 104, had never been married; and in the list prcfixed to Sir John Sinclair's Essay on longevity, of pensioners in Greenwich hospital who were upwards of eighty years old, there arë sixteen who were never married : the same list, however, contains five times as many persons who had been married, and other accounts are in a still greater proportion. The Chinese érect triumphal or honorary arches to the memory of persons who have lived a century, thinking, that wit out a sober and virtuous life, it is impossible to attain so great an age. Teinperance is certainly the best security of health; and no man can reasonably expect to live long who impairs the vital powers by excess which converts the most natural and beneficial enjoyments into the most certain means of destruction. The few instances of individuals who, not. withstanding their liceutious mode of life, have attained considerable age, cannot be put in comparison with the immense number whose lives have been materially shortened by such indulgences. Dr. Fothergill observes, that “ the due reg- . ulation of the passions perhaps contributes more to health and longevity than any of the other non-naturals ;” and the due regulation of the passions constitutes the most important part, if it is not the very essence, of a virtuous course of life. The cheerful and contented are certainly more likely to enjoy good health and long life, than persons of irritable and fretful dispositions; therefore, whatever tends to promote good humor and innocent hilarity, must have a beneficial influence in this respect; and persons whose attention is much engaged on serious subjects, should endeavor to preserve a relish for cheerful recreations. In the Boston Centinel of the 7th of August, we find the following communication on family longevity, to which we bave added two families which have come under our own observation. * An account of the extraordinary longevity of the family of Peters, has recently been published in several of the papers.* Of this account, it is remarked, that it is an instance of 85 years. * ARTICLE ALLUDED TO. It is believed there are few instances of family longevily so extraordinary as that of the family of PETERS, of Medfeld, Mass. of which the following is an accurate account:William Petete, (the father) died about the year 1786 or 7-at the age Harnalı, his wise, died in 1796, aged 93 Their children were Joseph Peters, died Feb. 13, 1800, 71 Benjamin July, 1803, 72 Mary May, 1813, 81 Adam March, 1813, 79 Lve Dec. 1, 87 . 1823, of longevity which probably has never been equalled in this country.” Remarkable, however, as that case is, yet it will be seen by the following notices, that it has been surpassed in several instances. The first of the following accounts is extracted from Belknap's History of New- Hampshire; the second from the Mas. sachusetts Historical Collections; the third from Dr. Dwight's Travels ; the fourth from Niles' Register ; the fifth from the New-Hampshire Historical Collections ; the sixth from the Transactions of the Phil. Soc. at Philadelphia. 1. Colonel JAMES Davis, of N. H. died in 1749, aged 88. He had 9 children of the following ages. James, 93 Thomas, 88 Samuel, 99 Daniel, 65 Sarah, 91 Hannah, 77 Elizabeth, 79 Ephraim, 87 Phebe, living at the age of 85 Sum of their ages, 764 Average age, 84 8-9 2. Enoch Coffin, Esq. of Edgartown, died in 1761, aged 83. He had 10 children of the following ages. Love, 88 Hepzibah, 90 Elizabeth, 73 Abigail, 88 John, 82 Enoch, 90 Deborah, 80 Benjamin, 75 Tahpunis Nov. 25, 1817, Feb. 5, 1822, Feh. 77 80 77 " 73 80 66 1824, 16 Dec. 16, 1822, (still living) born June 13, 1744, is now 06 955 By which it appears that the average age of the ten children of William and Hannah Peters, rather exceeds 77 years and 8 months—and the average age of the fang ily (the parents included) is exactly 79 years and 7 months. The facts were furnished by the venerable Jethro Peters, the only surviving member of the family, who, on the day he completed his 80th year, travelled on foot the distance of 13 miles. 3. Deacon DAVID MARSH, of Haverhill, Mass. died in his 30th year; his wife in her 92d. They had 12 children. Sum of their ages, 69th 66 940 78 2-5 Average age, 61. 4. Dr. H. MARTIN, died at Marblehead, leaving 7 children, four sons and three daughters, by his first wife, all lately living, at the following ages: 88, 87, 80, 76, 73, 71, Sum of their ages 537-average 76 5-7. He left also two other children by a second wife, age 53 and 51. He had besides three other children, one of whom died in infancy, the other two are at an advanced age. 5. MARY BRIGGS died at Wellington, Mass. in 1813, aged 102, leaving children, aged as follows: 79, 77, 73, 72, 70, 68, 63, 60, 57. Sum of their ages 619-average 68, 7-8. 6. Mr. TEMPLE, of the County of Worcester, Mass. died in 1765, aged 86. He left 8 children 4 sons and 4 daughters, all living in 1788, at the following ages :-89, 85, 83, 81, 79, 77, 75, 73. Sum of their ages 644-average 80 1-2. The average age of the 10 children of the Peters' family was 77, 7-12. But with regard to the 1st, 2d, and 3d, of the above families, the average age was still greater, though in the third instance, 7 out of the 12 children were living, when the account was written. In the other instances, the average was given for persons who were supposed to be all living. [To the preceding instances of Longevity, we take the liberty of adding the family of OLIVER FARMER of Billerica, who died February 23, 1761, aged 76. His wife died February 25, 1773, in her 77th year. They had nine children who attained the following ages. years. days. died Jan. 13, 1791, aged 70 352 "Sept. 25, 1803, " 72 19 66 Dec. 8, 1819, 66 1. Abigail [Richardson] "Aug. 30, 1809, 95 346 66 Jan. 9, 1806, 66 Feb. 24, 1814, 76 66 66 Aug. 4, 1804, " 205 66 an average within Sum of their ages 689 years, 27 days. Average age a year as great as that of the Peters' family. To this we will add an account, published in the Salem Gazette of 1812, of a family of eight children born in Chelmsford, who were all living at the commencement of that year, of the following ages. 3. Esther Warren, 66 year. Dec. 16, 1731, in his 81st 66 66 "his 69th 66 66 67th This family, excepting Josiah Warren, now in his 80th year, have all died since January, 1812, and the most of them of eighty years, or upwards. The parents of the preceding averaged about 80 years.—EDITORS.} FECUNDITY. In examining the records of the town of Billerica, in Massachusetts, about ten years since, we found recorded the names of twenty six families, consisting of ter children each, twenty families of eleven children each, twenty four families of twelve children each, thirteen families of thirteen each, five families of fourteen each, one family of fifteen, and one family of twenty one children-total ninety families, consisting of one thousand and forty three individuals, besides the parents. The greatest number of children to any one family, was 21, and these were by two wives. Such instances of extraordinary fecundity in the early settlement of our |