In the "Salem Gazette" of 1815 is the following curious information about Scott's novels, which shows how easy it is for people to be mistaken.
William Erskine, Esq. is said to be the author of the new and interesting Novel, "_Guy Mannering_."--Walter Scott had been pronounced the author.
WAVERLY.--It is not yet decided to whom this very interesting novel belongs. It came into the world with all the advantage that the name of Walter Scott could give it; but Guy Mannering's appearance seems to have dissolved that connection. An article in our first page attributes the work to Wm. Erskine; but in the last North-American Review we read the following:--"An English Magazine says, the author of Waverly and Guy Mannering is a young gentleman of the name of FORBES, the son of a Scotch baronet." The Review remarks, that the extract in the title page of the latter, from the _Lay of the Last Minstrel_, was a delicate way of informing the public that they were under a mistake in attributing the former to Walter Scott.
On the 16th June, 1806, there was a total eclipse of the sun. The following is all the "Salem Gazette" of the 17th has to say of such a remarkable event.
Yesterday the great Solar Eclipse took place, agreeably to the calculations which had been made. The day was very favourable to viewing it. The air was remarkably clear, and there was not a cloud in the hemisphere. As the sun shut in, the stars appeared, and many were visible at the time of total darkness. A considerable alteration in the temperature of the atmosphere was felt during the continuance of the Eclipse.
In the "Boston Palladium" of 1819, copied from a London paper, is Lord Mansfield's opinion about a word in Johnson's Dictionary. In the original editions of this work are to be found many very curious definitions, some of which bore so hard upon the government as to be construed into libel.
The following curious little document is the opinion of Lord Mansfield, when Attorney-General, upon Dr. Johnson's explanation of the word Excise:--
Mr. Samuel Johnson has lately published a book, entitled "A Dictionary of the English Language, in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed a History of the Language and an English Grammar."