Miscellany.

LITERARY MINUTES.

THE THEFTS OF TIME.

How truly touching are these lines of the poet:
Years following years steal something every day,
At last they steal us from ourselves away.

A grand larceny indeed; but it is consoling to reflect that our greatest loss may be turned into a glorious gain.

DEATH.

"It is early association," says Bucke, "that hides from us the advantages of death: for glorious, doubtless, are the secrets we shall hear, and the scenes we shall behold, when death has shut the gates of life, and opened the portals of eternity." Yes, truly, if we are christians; but if we are not

THE DEATH OF AN INFANT.

"When the poets," says Bucke, "would allegorize a child dying in its bud, they fable Aurora stealing it from the arms of its parents." This is a beautiful fancy, and one might say, in the spirit of it, to a mother lamenting the loss of her infant:

Weep not, mother, for thy child,
Beauty's bud that sweetly smiled;
Young Aurora, in her play,
Hath but stolen it away,

And now hideth it from thee,

Where thou canst not-mayst not see

Tho' thou lookest all around,

It is no where to be found;

Yet believe thy tears are vain

Thou shalt see thy bud again,
With thine own rejoicing eyes,
Fairer, sweeter,-in the skies.

PRAISE.

Praise is a debt we owe unto the virtues of others, and due unto our own from all whom malice hath not made mutes, or envy struck dumb.-Sir Thomas Browne.

CHEERFULNESS.

Cheerfulness and a festival spirit fills the soul full of harmony; it composes music for churches and hearts; it makes and publishes glorifications of God; it produces thankfulness, and serves the end of charity.-Jeremy Taylor.

REMEMBRANCE.

There was a time when Beauty's smile
Could charm me with its play,
And sweetest fancies would beguile

My feet from Wisdom's way.

Alas! how soon Youth's season flies

With all its joyous train!

While fond Remembrance wakes, and sighs

To call them back again.

But never!-Time's departed hours

Can Sorrow's tear restore?

And Love may mourn his withered flowers,

But they shall bloom no more.

P.

TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received an interesting Biographical Notice of Com modore Samuel Barron, of the U. S. N., which we shall publish with pleasure in our next number.

We have also several other valuable articles on hand, which shall appear in due time.

[We have before us at this time a small 4to. manuscript book with parchment backs, which has been obligingly lodged in the Library of our Virginia Historical Society, by Wm. Byrd Chamberlayne, Esq., of Henrico, and which contains, we see, two series of annual accounts relating to the Revenue of Virginia from the year 1688 to the year 1704; viz: No. 1, entitled "A General Accompt of the Quitrents of Virginia beginning in the year 1688, and ending in the year of our Lord 1703. By William Byrd, Rec'r Gen'll," and No. 2, entitled "A General Accompt of the Two Shillings pr. hhd., &c., beginning the 24th of July 1688, and ending the 25th of October 1704. By the Same." We have looked over these accounts which illustrate the wealth and progress of the colony during that period in a very gratifying manner, with much interest; and should be glad to publish them here in extenso for the satisfaction of our readers; but we can only spare room for the first and last pages of them, to serve as a sample of the whole.

Prefixed to these "Accompts" in the book, is a paper entitled "Some Observations relating to the Revenue of Virginia, and particularly to the Place of Auditor;" which is manifestly worth preserving, and which we submit accordingly, as an introduction to our extracts.]

Some Observations relating to the Revenue of Virginia, and particularly to the Place of Auditor.

In the year 1677. Col. Nathaniel Bacon, by a warrant from the Treasury in England, was appointed Auditor of the Publique Accounts in Virginia, with a fee of five per cent on all the moneys received. At the same time, Col. Norwood was Treasurer of the Revenue with a considerable salary. But the Gov'r and Council, out of good husbandry, desired Col. Bacon to take upon him the negotiating the Bills of Exchange in which the Revenue is paid, for which they allowed him two and a half per cent more than he had before, and extinguished the place of Treas

urer.

In the 32nd year of the reign of King Charles the 2nd, being the year of our Lord, 1680, His Majesty was graciously pleased, by Letters Patents under the great seal, to grant to William Blathwayt, Esq., the place of Surveyor and Auditor General of all his Revenues arising in America, with a yearly salary of 500 pounds per annum to be paid out of the Revenues of the Plantations, according to the proportions following, viz. 100 pounds by Virginia, 150 pounds by Barbadoes, 150 pounds by Jamaica, and 100 pounds by the Leward Islands, with directions that he deliver to the Lord Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer for the time being a just and fair State of the Publique Accompts which he from time to time should receive from the officers of his Maj'ty's Revenue in all the Plantations of America, with power also to appoint Deputy Auditors in each Plantation from whom he commonly exacts half the profits they receive.

In pursuance of the above Patent, an order issued from the Lords of the Treasury directing the Governor of each

Colony to take care that the foregoing Patent should be registered among the Records of their respective governments, and that the publique accompts should be transmitted to England to the Auditor General from each Plantation by the proper officer every half year, and duplicates thereof by the next conveyance together with all acts or laws passt within the said Plantations that should have any relation to his Maj'ty's Revenue.

King Charles the 2nd in the first year of His Reign did by Letters Pattents dated at St. Germain en Laye giant to Ld. Hopton, the Earle of St. Albans, the Ld. Colepepper &c. all that Tract of Land in Virginia, lying between the Rivers of Rappahannock and Potomeck to hold the same forever paying every year on the 24th of June the Summ of £6: 13. 4: to His Maj'ty and His Successors. By letters Patent dated the 2d of May 1671 the G ant aforesaid was surrendered to His Maj'ty to the Intent that he would please to grant to said Earl of St. Albans, Ld. Berkeley, Sr. Wm. Morton, &c., new letters Pattents for the Same, with some alterations, which was done accordingly to hold the same for ever paying the former Rent.

In Febr'y 1673 King C. 2nd did 'grant to the Earle of Arlington and Thomas Ld. Colepepper all that tract of Land now call'd Virginia with all manner of Quitrents and Profits reserved thereout to the Crown, including even the Rent aforesaid of £6: 13:4: to hold the same for 31 years from the 10th of March 1672 at the yearly Rent of 40 Shillings to his Maj'ty and his Successors.

However this last Patent was surrendered in the year 1684, and in consideration thereof his Maj'ty was pleas'd to grant to the Ld. Colepepper in whom the whole Right was vested, 600 pounds per annum on the Establishment of the Forces for 20 years and an Half. And then His Maj'ty did Graciously promise that the said Quitrents of