"The royal band now ready stand, "Such feats did they perform that day, Against these wicked kegs, sir, That years to come, if they get home, They 'll make their boasts and brags, sir." In June, 1783, Philadelphia city was put in much excitement and commotion by the sudden approach of four or five hundred soldiers, who came to demand of congress, per force, their arrear of pay. They came marching down Fourth street in martial array. As they formed before the hall, considerable alarm was excited within among the members. Some gentlemen interceded to preserve peace, but the congress precipitately went off to Princeton. The soldiers next threatened the then only bank, when the citizens took it up and ran to arms, and the soldiers withdrew quietly to the barracks in the Northern Liberties, where they were soon after all made prisoners, by a stronger force of soldiery. The news of " Cornwallis taken," was a joyful event in Philadelphia. It came by express at midnight; and the watchmen, in crying the usual hours, aroused the inhabitants by adding-"and Cornwallis taken!" A more cheering serenade was never heard sounding abroad in midnight air. When "the peace" was confirmed, the joy was unbounded. A great flag was hoisted on a lofty mast on Market street hill, and the people fastened their eyes upon it by the hour, transferring to the emblem the veneration which they felt for the achievers of the peace. Great fireworks were prepared up High street; and the crowd being immense, when the arch took fire and the rockets flew down the street among the people, a great panic ensued, and many contusions and accidents. Long it was remembered and recited with terror. The houses were illuminated generally, save those of the Friends, which, of course, afforded fine sport for the rabble in breaking in the dark panes. The peaceful affections of the Friends often made them the subject of severe comment among the strenuous whigs. When jealousy ran high, seventeen leading and respectable Friends of Philadelphia were exiled, for the security of good behaviour, to Winchester, Virginia. It must, perhaps, surprise others as well as ourselves, that such an army as Howe's-of 18,000 men-could so make its way through a country of two millions of souls! We should think that the population of such a city as Philadelphia, had only to turn out en masse, and make a meal of them. But it is really wonderful on such occasions how very few of the whole can be brought into any effect as actual defenders! The town meeting hosts, the tavern declaimers, and fire-side soldiers, all cower, and all hold back. The truth is, the mass of citizens have little or no enthusiasm in such perils; they can help on the war by imposing numbers at resolves and at the polls; but when "sacred honour, lives, and fortunes" are really needed, "few take the risk, and less the battle share!" Howe, as a martial man, knew this, and pushed his way accordingly, and at length made his entry good into Philadelphia, where he staid just long enough to enervate himself and his army, and to yield to pastime and pleasure, what we could by no means constrain by any force of our arms. THE FEDERAL PROCESSION. ""Twere worth ten years of peaceful life- THIS great procession took place at Philadelphia, for the purpose of celebrating the adoption of the constitution, and it was appointed on Friday, the fourth of July, 1788, for the double purpose of commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the fourth of July, 1776. Although we have had several processions since, none have ever equalled it in the pomp and expense of the materials engaged in the pageantry. The soldiery then were not so numerous as in the late entry of La Fayette, but the citizens were more numerous, and their attire more decorative. It was computed that five thousand walked in the procession; and that as many as seventeen thousand were assembled on the "Union Green," where the procession ended, in front of Bush-hill. The whole expense was borne by the voluntary contributions of the tradesmen, &c. enrolled in the display; and what was very remarkable, the whole of the pageantry was got up in four days! The parties to the procession all met at and about the intersection of Cedar and Third streets, and began *This was then Hamilton's elegant country seat. their march by nine o'clock in the morning. They went up Third street to Callowhill; up that street to Fourth street; down Fourth street to High street; and thence out that street across the commons to the lawn, before Bush-hill, where they arrived in three hours. The length of the whole line was about one mile and a half. On this lawn were constructed circular tables, leaving an area for its diameter of about five hundred feet. The tables were covered with awnings, and the centre was occupied by the "Grand Federal Edifice," drawn there by ten white horses,-and by the ship Union, drawn there also by ten horses. There, an oration on the occasion was delivered by James Wilson, Esq., to upwards of twenty thousand people. After which, the whole members of the procession sat down to the tables to dinner. The supplies were abundant; no wine or ardent spirits were present; but porter, beer and cider flowed for all who would receive them; and of these liquors, the casks lined all the inner circles of the tables. They drank ten toasts in honour of the then ten confederated states; as the cannon announced these, they were responded from the ship Rising Sun, laying in the Delaware, off High street, decorated with numerous flags. The same ship, at night, was highly illuminated. This great company withdrew to their homes by six o'clock in the evening; all sober, but all joyful. This occasion was the strongest which could exercise the feelings of the heart in an affecting manner. It was to celebrate a nation's freedom, and a people's system of selfgovernment; a people recently made free, by their desperate efforts; the remembrance of which then powerfully possessed every mind. They then all felt the deep importance of the experiment of self-government, to which their hearts and voices were then so imposingly pledged. The scene ought not to be forgotten; we should imprint the recollections of that day, and of the imposing pageantries, upon the minds of our children, and of our children's children. This has been already too much neglected; so that even now, while I endeavour to recapitulate some of the most striking incidents of the day, I find it is like reviving the circumstances of an almost obliterated dream. I did not see the spectacle; but it was the talk of my youthful days for years after the event. WATERING PLACES. "And when too much repose brings on the spleen, Swift as my changing wish, I change the scene, THe practice of summer travelling among the gentry and their imitators, is quite a modern affair. Our forefathers, when our cities were small, and pump-water still uncontaminated, found no places more healthy than their homes; and generally, they liked the country best, "when visited from town." From that cause there were very few country-seats in existence; and what there were, were so near as to be easily visited on foot, "not for the good and friendly too remote" to call. Thus the Rev. Gilbert Tennant's place, Bedminster, was |