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ly be mistaken as to the circumstance of the light coming in my room; for it being well known, as he says, that there could be no light abroad at that hour, it follows that nonecould enter from without; and that of consequence, my windows being accidently left open, instead of lething in the light, had only served to let out the darkness; and he used many ingenious arguments 10 shew ms how I might, by that means, have been deceived. I own that he puzzled me a little, but he did not satisfy me; and the subsequent observations [ made as above mentioned, confirmed me in my first opinion.

This event has given rise, in my mind, to several serious and important reflections. I considered that, if I had not been awakened so early in the morning, I should have slept six hours longer by the light of the sun, and in exchange have lived six hours the following night by candle-light; and the latter being a much more expensive light than the former, my love of œconomy induced me to muster up what little arithmetic I was master of, and to make some calculations, which I shall give you, after observing, that utility is, in my opinion, the test of value in matters of invention, and that a discovery which can be applied to no use, or is not good for something, is good for nothing.

I took for the basis of my calculation the supposition that there are 100,000 families in Paris, and that these families consume in the night half a pound of bougies, or candles, per hour. I think this is a moderate allowance, taking one family with another; for though I believe some consume less, I know that many consume a great deal more. Then estimating seven hours per day, as the medium quantity between the time of the sun's rising and ours, he rising during the six following months from six to eight hours before noon, and there being seven hours of course per night in which we burn candles, the account will stand thus

In the six months between the twentieth of March

and the twentieth of Sept. there are Nights Hours of each night in which we burn candles Multiplication gives for the total

number of hours

183

7

1,281

128,100,000

These 1.281 hours multiplied by 100,000,
the number of inhabitants, gives
One hundred twenty eight millions
and one hundred thousand hours,
sp.nt at Paris by candle-light,
which, at half a pound of wax and
tallow per hour.gives the weight of
Sixty four millions and fifty thousand

64,050,000

of pounds, which, estimating the whole at the medium price of thirtv sols the pound, makes the sum of ninety-six nailons and seventyfive tousand livres tournois An immense sum! that the city of Paris might save every year, by the economy of using sunshine instead of candles.

96,075.000

It should be said, that the people are apt to be obstinately attached to old customs, and that it will be difficult to induce them to rise before noon, consequently my discovery can be of little use; 1 answer, Nu desferandum. I believe all who have common sense, as soon as they have learnt from this paper that it is daylight when the sun rises, will contrive to rise with him, and to compel the rest, I would propose the following regulations:

First. Let a tax be laid of a louis per window, on every window that is provided with shuttes to keep out the light of the sun.

Second. Let the same salutary operation of police be made use of to prevent our buning candles, that inclined us last winter to be more economical in burning wood; that is, let guards be placed in the shops of the wax and tallow chandlers, and ne family be permitted to be supplied with more than one pound of candles per week.

Third. Let guards be posted to stop all the coaches, c. that would pass the streets after sun-set, except those of physicians, surgeons and midwives.

Fourth. Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing; and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street, and wake the sluggards effectually, and make them open their eyes to see their true interest.

All the difficulty will be in the first two or three days; after which the reformation will be as natural and easy as the present irregularity: for ce u'est que le premier pas qui coute. Oblige a man to rise at four in the morning, and it is more than probable he shall go willingly to bed at eight in the evening; and having had eight hours sleep, he will rise more willingly at four in the morning following. But this sum of ninety six millions and seventy-five thousand livres is not the whole of what may be saved by my economical project. You may observe, that I have calculated upon only one half of the year, and much may be saved, in the other, though the days are shorter. Besides, the immense stock of wax and tallow left unconsumed during the summer, will probably make candles much cheaper for the ensuing winter, and continue cheaper as long as the proposed reformation shall be supported.

For the great benefit of this discovery, thus freely communicated and bestowed by me on the public, I demand neither place, pension, exclusive privilege, nor any other reward whatever, I expect only to have the honor of it. And yet I know there are little envious minds who will, as usual, deny me this, and say that my intention was known to the ancients, and perhaps they may bring passages out of the old books in proof of it. I will not dispute with these people that the ancients knew not the sun would rise at certain hours; they possibly had, as we have, almanacks that perdict-, ed it; but it does not follow from thence that they.. knew that he gave light as soon as he rose. This is what I claim as my discovery. If the ancients knew it, it

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t. They are as well instructed, judicious, and Hent a people as exist any where in the world, all essing, like myself, to be lovers of economy; and

the many heavy taxes required from them by the essities of the state, have surely reason to be ecoical. I say it is impossible that so sensible a peounder such circumstances, should have lived so by the smoky, unwholesome, and enormously exsive light of candles, if they had really known that might have as much pure light of the sun for nog. I am, &c.

AN ABONNE.

modern innovations in the English language, and in the art of Printing.

TO NOAH WEBSTER, JUN. ESQ. AT HARTFORD.

Philadelphia, Dec. 26, 1789.

DEAR SIR, received, some time since, your Dissertations on the glish Language. It is an excellent work, and will be atly useful in turning the thoughts of our countryto correct writing. Please to accept my thanks it, as well as for the great honor you have done me ts dedication. I ought to have made this acknowgement sooner, but much indisposition prevented me. cannot but applaud your zeal for preserving the ity of our language both in its expression and prociation, and in correcting the popular errors several our states are continually falling in with respect to h. Give me leave to mention some in them, though sibly they may already have occurred to you. I h, however, that in some future publication of yours I would set a discountenancing mark upon them.

The first I remember is the word improved. When I left New-England in the year 1723, this word had nev er been used among us, as far as I know, but in the sense of ameliorated, or made better, except once in a very old book of Dr. Mather's, entitled "Remarkable Providences." As that man wrote a very obscure hand, I remember that when I read that word in his book, used instead of the word employed, I conjectured that it was an error of the printer, who had mistaken a short I in the writing for an r, and a y with too short a tail for a v, whereby employed was converted into improved: but when I returned to Boston in 1733, I found that this change had obtained favour, and was then become common; for I met with it often in perusing the newspapers, where it frequently made an appearance rather ridiculous. Such, for instance, as the advertisement of a country house to be sold, which had been many years improved as a tavern; and in the character of a deceased country gentleman, that he had been, for more than thirty years, improved as a justice of the peace. This use of the word improve is peculiar to New-England, and not to be met with among any other speakers of English, either on this or the other side of the water.

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During my late absence in France, I find that several other new words have been introduced into our parliamentary languuge. For example, I find a verb formed. from the substantive notice. I should not have noticed this, were it not that the gentleman, &c. Also another verb, from the substantive advocate: The gentleman who advocates, or who has advocated that motion, &c. other from the substantive progress, the most awkward and abominable of the three: The committee having progressed, resolved to adjourn. The word opposed, though not a new word, I find used in a new manner, as, The gentlemen who are opposed to this measure, to which I have also myself always been opposed. If you should happen to be of my opinion with respect to these mnovations, you will use your authority in repres bating then.

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