Answer.
“Mr. B. S.
He tells you himself that no man knew it, even when he could not have been long buried; as you may see in the last chapter of Deuteronomy; from whence, Sir, you may infer, that if it was a secret so early, ’tis certainly so still. Your humble servant, H. C.”
Lynn, May 18, 1709.
“Mr. Crossgrove,
Did the Apostles use notes when they preached? I have sent this Query twice before, and if I do not find it answered in your next paper, I shall conclude you either cannot or durst not answer it.
Yours unknown, &c.”
Answer
“Sir,
I have a bushel of letters by me that came all to the same tune with this of yours, viz. You cannot or durst not answer it; but sometimes they see I dare do it, tho’ I neglect other letters more pertinent through want of room: I have a dozen letters come in a week, all post haste for an answer, and seldom room to insert more than one at a time, so that many must of necessity lye by. But now for your dreadful puzzling question, Did the Apostles use notes? and to this I answer positively No, nor Bibles neither to hide their notes in; take notice of that; nor had they pulpits to stand in as ever I heard of, and we may observe from their sermons they took no texts: and what then? What would you infer from all this? The Apostles also never studied their sermons, for they had an extraordinary gift of preaching, as well as of speaking. But I shall say no more to your designing question than this—That those divines who read their sermons know how to improve their time much better than in getting them like schoolboys by heart; and that a good polite discourse well read, is more worthy than a Bundle of what comes uppermost tumbled out Head and Heels.
Yours, H. C.”
Well done, Mr. Crossgrove! say we.
In 1714, a “Courant” was established, small folio size: at the end of one occurs this notice—
“Note. An Accident happening, the reader is desired to pardon all literal errors, as it is not corrected.”
Papers of somewhat later date afford samples almost as quaint:—Advertisement. “James Hardy acquaints his friends, that he has lately had a large quantity of preserves. I shall be very happy to supply any gentleman with coals.” “Notice is hereby given that on Thursday and Friday next, being sixth and seventh of June, 1734, a coach and horses will set out for London, from Mr. Thomas Bateman’s, St. Giles, and perform the same in three days. Note, the coach will go either by Newmarket or Ipswich, as the passengers shall agree.” They certainly had one advantage over railway travellers of the present day—that they could choose their own route.