etters 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.

Another specimen runs--"Whereas Mrs. Cooke at the pastry shop near the
three steps has charged Mrs. Havers with embezzling to the quantity of
two yards of padashway, out of her suit of clothes turned upside down two
years since, and made at first for a much less person; the clothes having
been viewed by several mantua makers, the same appears to be a most
malicious slander," &c.

Specimens might be multiplied, but these may suffice to place beside the
elaborate and ornate productions of