- J'DAM ZjT SS5. THE BOOK OF GOOD EXAMPLES; DRAWN FROM AUTHENTIC HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY; DESIGNED TO ILLUSRTRATE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS VIRTUOUS CONDUCT. BY JOHN FROST, LL.D., v V Author of the "Book of the Colonies," " Book of the Army," and " Book of the Navy." NEW YORK! D. APPLETON & CO. 200 BROADWAY. PHILADELPHIA: G. S. APPLETON, 148 CHESNUT STREET. 1846. r^ 5 Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1845, by JOHN FROST, In the office of the Clerk of the District Court of the United States in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 48 65 55 JUL 1 6 1942 PREFACE In proposing Historical Examples to the young, the author of this work hopes to incite them to the study and practice of those active duties and virtuous habits which form the basis, not less of success in life and private happiness than of dis- tinction and honour among men. Example is said to be better than precept. It certainly is more effective, inasmuch as it leads the pupil gently along that difficult path where precept seeks to drive, or merely to point the way. Precept says, " Go on!" Example says, " Come on ! follow me!" The greater efficiency of the latter exhortation, especially with the young, who are naturally more imitative than obedient, must be obvi- ous to every one. "Wise saws" are very good things; but " modern instances" are better. It must be observed, however, that in referring to the worthy actions of historical personages, these particular actions only (3) IV PREFACE. are set forth as examples for imitation. Other well known deeds or traits of character, of the same personages, may be unfit for imitation, either by reason of the different position of the person, or the imperfection of those other traits of his character. The young reader, therefore, will understand that it is by no means the author's intention to recommend every historical personage, mentioned in this volume, as a model for imitation in his general character ; but only with reference to the particular action or sentiment, which is the subject of com- mendation in the following pages. The author has endeavoured to render his book interesting ; because he believes that intellectual food should be palatable as well as wholesome ; and that even examples of virtue should be rendered attractive in order to be extensively useful. How far he may have succeeded in all these good intentions, it re- mains for the public to decide. Philadelphia, May 1, 1845. CONTENTS. Page Beauty of Clemency 9 Henry IV. of France 9 Swearing nobly reproved 10 Empress Catherine 11 Sir Philip Sidney 11 How to prize good Fortune 12 The Choice 12 Cardinal Da Bois 13 Cowper 13 Bold Appeal 14 Pupil of Zeno 14 Brotherly Love 14 Alexander Martin 17 Lord M n 19 Honesty the best Policy 20 " He never told a Lie" 21 Self-taught Mechanist 21 Early Philanthropy 22 Family Scene 24 Malesherbes 24 Cowper 25 Self-sacrifice 26 Steadfastness 29 Generous Disinterestedness 29 Eton Boys 30 Sublime Incident 30 Locke on the Understanding 31 Importance of doing quickly 31 Schoolboy Friendship 32 Haydn 32 Adopted Son 33 Dangers at Sea 35 Duke of Wharton 35 Caliph reclaimed 36 Challenge 39 Page Disinterested Heroism 39 Queen's Influence on the Female Character of Britain 40 Harrison 41 Andrew Crosbie 42 Bishop of Arras 43 Rustic Respect 44 How to spend a Saturday Evening 45 Piety respected 45 Royal Gardener 46 A Friend in Need 47 Orphan Protector 47 Generosity of a Knife-grinder .... 43 M. Fellenberg's Establishment at Hofwyl 51 Father and Son 53 Hardship of Arrest ..•••• 54 Negro Devotion 54 Wood Engraving 56 Preservation of two Brothers. . . . 56 Lord Bacon 59 A Judge above Resentment 59 Chevalier Bayard 60 Colonel Gardiner 62 Indian Virtue 62 Noble Resignation 65 Honourable Convicts 66 Patriot Mother 67 Washington 68 Memory 69 Honourable Debtor 70 Family Necessity 70 Love of Country 71 Patrick Henry 72 Dr, Franklin .... 73 (v) VI CONTENTS. Page General Putnam 74 The charitable Children 75 American rustic Hospitality 78 Henry Clay 78 Kosciusko 79 A late Duke of Northumberland . . 87 Roger Sherman 88 How to pay for a Farm 91 Magnanimity of a British Soldier 92 General William Washington. .. . 93 General C. C. Pinckney 94 Gustavus III 95 The adopted Sister 96 Colloquial Powers of Dr. Franklin 99 A true King 100 George Petrie 101 Franklin 101 Portrait of Washington 102 Modesty and Merit 105 Reward of Firmness and Caution 106 Courage of Crillon 107 The Abbe de L'Epee 108 Judge Parsons 114 Effect of Discipline 114 Punctuality 116 Noble Child 117 Where you ought to have been. . 118 Gratitude of Napoleon 118 Eloquence 119 Indian Character 120 Heroism of Joseph Ignace 123 The British Lion. 124 Lieutenant-governor Phillips .... 125 Cudjoe, the faithful African 125 Honour dearer than Life 126 j The Duke of Wellington 127 Frederick the Great 131 Whitfield 133 Intrepidity of Sailors 135 Fortitude 136 Mrs. Charles Elliott 136 Intrepidity of Matthew Mole. . . 141 Page Magnanimity of Napoleon 145 Maternal Heroism 146 Good returned for Evil 147 Bostonian Boys 148 True Independence ] 49 Probity recompensed 150 Noble Revenge 157 Empress Catherine 158 Isabella of Castile 160 Coligny 164 Sully 170 Gonsalvo 171 Gassendi 172 Maria Theresa 177 The Rebel Flower 179 Paternal Affection 180 Heroism of the Earl of Sandwich 1 86 Honesty 189 Lorenzo de Medicis 190 Eliot, the Indian Missionary.. . . 193 Columbus 194 Louis XII 196 Joan of Arc 198 John Sobieski 200 Sir Thomas More 204 Lord Mansfield 206 St. Louis 203 Archbishop Warham 210 General Isaac Huger 211 John Howard 212 Pascal 218 Lady Fanshawe 220 The Insolvent Negro 223 Omer Talon 224 Peter the Great 226 Martin Luther 229 General Wolfe 233 Sir Joshua Reynolds 234 Lord Chatham 238 Sir Richard Fanshawe 247 John Huss 252 Red Jacket 254 CONTENTS. Vll Page Francesco Francia 257 Reward of Constancy and Cou- rage 261 Honourable Conduct of John, King of France 262 The Patriot Merchants 265 Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden 268 Pagf Execution of Sir Henry Vane. . . 273 Christopher Columbus, the Dis- coverer of America 276 Michael Angelo 281 Le Chevalier Bayard 285 Sir William Gascoign, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench 287 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Page Alexander Martin 16 Du Moley rescuing the sick Spaniards 27 Simon Albouy's Encounter with the Mad Dog 38 Anthony Bonafox, the Knife-grinder 49 Death of Colonel Gardiner 63 The Charitable Children 76 Kosciusko 81 The Adopted Sister . 97 The Abbe de L'Epee and the Emperor Joseph , 109 Heroism of Joseph Ignace 122 Frederick the Great 130 Intrepidity of Matthew Mole 140 Recompense of Probity 151 Coligny 165 Maria Theresa 176 The Earl of Sandwich refusing to leave his Ship 187 John Sobieski, King of Poland 201 Howard's Visit to the Plague Patients at Constantinople 213 Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia 227 William Pitt, Earl of Chatham 239 General Wolfe 244 Death of Francesca Francia 256 John Langdon 264 Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden 269 Columbus in Chains • 277 (viii) THE BOOK OF GOOD EXAMPLES BEAUTY OF CLEMENCY. LPHONSUS, King of Naples and Sicily, so celebrated in history for his clemency, was once asked why he was so favourable to all men, even to those most notoriously wicked? " Because," answered he, " good men are won by justice ; the bad by cle- mency." When some of his minis- ters complained to him on another occasion of his lenity, which they were pleased to say was more than became a prince : " What, then," exclaimed he, " would you have lions and tigers reign over you ? Know you not that cruelty is the attribute of wild beasts — Clemency that of Man V 9 HENRY IV. OF FRANCE. When Henry IV. of France was advised to attempt taking Paris by an assault before the King of Spain's troops arrived to succour the leaguers, he absolutely protested against the (9) 10 SWEARING REPROVED. measure on the principle of humanity. " I will not," said he, "expose the capital to the miseries and horrors which must follow such an event. I am the father of my people, and will follow the example of the true mother who presented herself before Solomon. I would much rather not have Paris, than obtain it at the expense of humanity, and by the blood and death of so many innocent persons." Henry reduced the city to obedience without the loss of more than two or three burgesses, who were killed. " If it was in my power," said this humane monarch, " I would give fifty thousand crowns to redeem those citizens, to have the satisfaction of informing posterity, that I had subdued Paris without spilling a drop of blood." SWEARING NOBLY REPROVED. Prince Henry, the son of James II., had a particular aver- sion to the vice of swearing, and profanation of the name of God. When at play, he was never heard to do so ; and on being asked why he did not swear at play as well as others ? he answered, that he knew no game worthy of an oath. The same answer he is said to have given at a hunting match. The stag, almost quite spent, crossed a road where a butcher was passing with his dog. The stag was instantly killed by the dog, at which the huntsmen were greatly offended, and endeavoured to irritate the Prince against the butcher ; but his highness answered, coolly, " True, the butcher's dog has killed the stag, and how could the butcher help it V 9 They replied, " that if his father had been so served, he would have sworn so as no man could have endured." " Away !" cried the prince, " All the pleasure in the world is not worth an oath." SIR PHILIP SYDNEY. j ] EMPRESS CATHERINE. The Empress Catherine I. of Russia carried humanity to a degree seldom equalled in the history of nations. She had promised, that during her reign nobody should be put to death ; and she kept her word. She was the first sovereign in modern times that ever showed this regard to the human species. Malefactors were now condemned to serve in the mines, and other public works ; a regulation not less prudent than humane, since it renders their punishment of some service to the state. In other countries, they only know how to put a malefactor to death with the apparatus of an execu- tion : but are not able to prevent the execution of crimes. SIR PHILIP SYDNEY. " When I was yet a child, no childish play To me was pleasing ; all my mind was set Serious to learn and know, and thence to do, What might be public good : myself I thought Born to that end ; born to promote all truth, All righteous things." Paradise Regained. Sir Philip Sydney was one of the brightest ornaments of Queen Elizabeth's court. In early youth he discovered the strongest marks of genius and understanding. Sir Fulk Gre- ville, Lord Brook, who was his intimate friend, says of him, " Though I lived with him and knew him from a child, yet I never knew him other than a man, with such steadiness of mind, lovely and familiar gravity, as carried grace and re- verence above greater years. His talk was ever of know- ledge ; and his very play tended to enrich his mind." 12 THE CHOICE. HOW TO PRIZE GOOD FORTUNE. In the year preceding the French revolution, a servant girl in Paris had the good fortune to gain a prize of fifteen hundred pounds in the lottery. She immediately waited on the parish priest, and generously put two hundred louis d'ors into his hands, for the relief of the most indigent and indus- trious poor in the district ; accompanying the donation with this admirable and just observation, " Fortune could only have been kind to me, in order that I might be kind to others." THE CHOICE. A Quaker residing at Paris, was waited on by four of his workmen in order to make their compliments, and ask for their usual new year's gifts. " Well, my friends," said the Quaker, " here are your gifts ; choose fifteen francs or the Bible." " I don't know how T to read," said the first, " so I take the fifteen francs." " I can read," said the second, "but I have pressing wants." He took the fifteen francs. The third also made the same choice. He now came to the fourth, a young lad of about thirteen or fourteen. The Quaker looked at him with an air of goodness. " Will you too take these three pieces, which you may obtain at any time by your labour and industry?" " As you say the book is good, I will take it, and read from it to my mother," replied the boy. He took the Bible, opened it, and found between the leaves a gold piece of forty francs. The others hung down their heads, and the Quaker told them he was sorry they had not made a better choice. COWPER. 13 CARDINAL DU BOIS. OUDON, an eminent surgeon, was one day sent for by the Cardinal Du Bois, Prime Minister of France, to perform a very serious operation upon him. The Cardinal, on seeing him enter the room, said to him, " You must not expect to treat me in the same rough manner, as you treat your poor miserable wretches at your hospital of the Hotel Dieu." " My lord," replied M. Boudon with great dignity, " every one of those miserable wretches, as your eminence is pleased to call them, is a prime minister in my eyes." COWPER. " If there is a good man on earth," Lord Thurlow was wont to say, " it is William Cowper." From his childhood, he possessed a heart of the most exquisite tenderness and sensibility. His life was ennobled by many private acts of beneficence; and his exemplary virtue was such, that the opulent sometimes delighted to make him their almoner. In his sequestered life at Olney, he administered abundantly to the w r ants of the poor ; and before he quitted St. Alban's. he took upon himself the charge of a necessitous child, in order to extricate him from the perils of being educated by very profligate parents ; this child he educated, and afterwards had him settled at Oundle, in Northamptonshire. 2 14 BROTHERLY LOVE. BOLD APPEAL. A poor old woman had often in vain attempted to obtain the ear of Philip of Macedon, to certain wrongs of which she complained. The king at last abruptly told her, "he was not at leisure to hear her." "No!" exclaimed she; "then you are not at leisure to be king." Philip was confounded ; he pondered a moment in silence over her words ; then de- sired her to proceed with her case; and ever after made it a rule to listen attentively to the applications of all who ad- dressed him. PUPIL OF ZENO. A youth named Eretrius was for a considerable time a fol- lower of Zeno. On his return home, his father asked him what he had learned ? The boy replied, that would hereafter appear. On this, the father being enraged, beat his son ; who bearing it patiently, and without complaining, said, " This have I learned — to endure a parent's anger." BROTHERLY LOVE. A little boy seeing two nestling birds pecking at each other, inquired of his elder brother what they were doing. " They are quarrelling," was the answer. " No," replied the child, " that cannot be ; they are brothers." Alexander Martin. (16) ALEXANDER MARTIN. 17 ALEXANDER MARTIN. At Champrond-en-Gatinais, not far from La Louppe, in the department of Nogent le Rotrou, the whole of which once belonged to the Duke of Sully, there lived a carpenter named Alexander Martin, whose family had been in the service ot the Aubespines at the time of their highest prosperity. He, himself, owed his education and trade to the kindness of the Marquis de l'Aubespine, a Colonel in the Queen's regiment. During the revolution, he entered his service, and never for- got his master's early kindness, but followed him faithfully for thirty-five years. He witnessed the rise and fall of the splendid fortune acquired by Sully, and saw the castle of Villebon, endeared and hallowed as it was by the remem- brance of that great man, pass into the hands of strangers. The marquis retained only three annuities: one of 6000 francs for himself; another of 2400 for his son; and a third of 400 for Martin. He died soon after. Martin had just returned to his family, calculating upon a comfortable support from his little annuity, when he found himself again a poor man, having been stripped of his pension by his master's creditors. Wast- ing no time in useless lamentations, he had quietly resumed the occupation of his early years, when one summer day his door was opened, and the son of his master, Count de l'Au- bespine, entered with his three children, Angelica, Josephine, and Louis, the eldest five years, the youngest not yet eigh- teen months old. The father of these helpless little ones was forced to fly the country, and on the eve of expatriation con- fided his children to Martin. He spoke of only a brief ab- sence, and hastily departed, leaving to the carpenter of Cham- prond-en-Gatinais the precious deposit of all that remained of the family of Sully. Martin had three children of his own. Happily his eldest daughter had just finished her apprenticeship, and was able 2* 18 ALEXANDER MARTIN. to assist in the maintenance of the family. Her mother and she earned twenty-four cents a day — Martin earned thirty. With such an income they undertook to bring up the family which Providence had added to their own. When work failed, they borrowed. When they could not borrow, they sold some of their moveables. They felt no privation so long as the grandchildren of their master did not suffer. They lived contentedly on black bread, while the neat white loaf was never missing from the board of the young Aubespines. Do not suppose that Martin seated himself at the same table with them : the old servant still felt the same respect for the rank of his masters as when their outward condition corres- ponded with it. He served them at table in his little cottage as he would have served them in the Castle Villebon : by no means comprehending that he had become their equal be- cause their fortunes were altered, and least of all aware that superiority had changed places, and been won to his side by virtue. Six years after their reception into his family the Count de l'Aubespine died. A guardian was now needed for the poor children. Who should fill this post but Martin? The guar- dianship of the young Sullys was well placed. It devolved on one whose nobility was of the heart ; whose letters patent were conferred, not by man, but by God. In the meantime, the devotedness of Martin became known through the country. The whole province, once filled with the power, and still with the memory of the great Sully, was stirred by it, and some benevolent and wealthy ladies asked for the privilege of bringing up the granddaughters of the Marquis de l'Aubespine. As the children grew up, the curate of Champrond had taken charge of their opening faculties, but their education soon required other assistance. Not with- out pain Martin consented to a separation, whose necessity he felt, and gave up his pupils to worthy hands fitted to com- plete his work. The education of Louis, though younger LORD M N. 29 than his sisters, began also to demand attention. The hos- pital of Nogent le Rotrou, which Sully had endowed, sent pecuniary means for this object. Of all the splendid heritage of the minister and friend of Henry IV., that which he gave to the poor and afflicted was the only portion of which any share descended to his posterity. These resources were, however, inadequate. Some benevolent individuals under- took to supply the deficiency by collections, and a pious clergyman offered the young child a home ; but the culture of a good education w r as necessary to call forth the energies of his mind, so as to fit him for his future destiny. He was not left destitute. The king soon after granted him a place in the college of Henry IV., both out of respect to the memory of his illustrious grandfather, and from regard to the faithful old servant, who rejoiced in the prospect of seeing his charge enabled to regain the rank from which he had been reduced. Martin — your task is accomplished — you have shown our age a spectacle, ever too rare, an example of enduring grati- tude, fidelity and respect! LORD M N. When the present heir of the noble house of Wentworth was a boy, he generally spent the whole of his allowance of pocket-money as rapidly as most boys do, but happily in a very different manner. One day he asked a confidential ser- vant of the family for a loan of money : this the man evaded, until he could get the consent of the noble earl, his father, deeming it highly improper to advance the money without his knowledge. When Earl F. was acquainted with the circum- stance, he questioned the servant as to the manner in which his son spent the very liberal sum that was allowed him ; and not being able to get a satisfactory answer, authorized him to 20 HONESTY THE BEST POLICY. lend his son the money, on condition that he was informed what was done with it. When the young lord heard the terms on which the servant offered to lend him the money, he was very reluctant to acquiesce in the conditions ; but no sooner was he put in possession of it, than he hastened to a mercer, and laid out the whole sum in blankets and flannels, which were distributed to several poor women, whom his lordship said he had observed were almost naked abroad, and without any covering at home, during the most inclement season of the year. It was then ascertained by the servant that this had been the way in which his lordship had been in the habit of spending his pocket-money ; and when his father heard of it, the means of his son to do good were no longer limited to the restrictions of a boy's pocket-money. HONESTY THE BEST POLICY. A nobleman travelling in Scotland, about six years ago, was asked for alms in the high street of Edinburgh, by a little ragged boy. He said he had no change ; upon which the boy offered to procure it. His lordship, in order to get rid of his importunity, gave him a piece of silver, which the boy conceiving was to be changed, ran off for the purpose. On his return, not finding his benefactor, whom he expected to wait, he watched for several days in the place where he had received the money, At length the nobleman happened again to pass that way ; the boy accosted him, and put the change he had procured into his hand, counting it w T ith great exactness. His lordship was so pleased with the boy's honesty, that he placed him at school, with the assurance of providing for him. SELF-TAUGHT MECHANIST. 21 " HE NEVER TOLD A LIE." Mr. Park, in his Travels through Africa, relates that a party of armed Moors having made a predatory attack on the flocks of a village at which he was stopping, a youth of the place was mortally wounded in the affray. The natives placed him on horseback and conducted him home, while his mother preceded the mournful group, proclaiming all the ex- cellent qualities of her boy, and by her clasped hands and streaming eyes, discovered the inward bitterness of her soul. The quality for which she chiefly praised the boy formed of itself an epitaph so noble, that even civilized life could not aspire to a higher. "He never" said she with pathetic energy, " never, never, told a lie" SELF-TAUGHT MECHANIST. A boy, of the name of John Young, now (1819) residing at Newton-upon-Ayr, in Scotland, constructed a singular piece of mechanism, which attracted much notice among the ingenious and scientific. A box, about three feet long by two broad, and six or eight inches deep, had a frame and paper covering erected on it, in the form of a house. On the upper part of the box are a number of wooden figures, about two or three inches high, representing people employed in those trades or sciences with which the boy is familiar. The whole are put in motion at the same time by machinery within the box, acted upon by a handle like that of a hand organ. A weaver upon his loom, with a fly-shuttle, uses his hands and feet, and keeps his eye upon the shuttle as it passes across the web. A soldier sitting with a sailor at a public house table, fills a glass, drinks it oflf, then knocks upon the 22 EARLY PHILANTHROPY. table, upon which an old woman opens a door, makes her ap- pearance, and they retire. Two shoemakers upon their stools are seen, the one beating leather, and the other stitch- ing a shoe. A cloth-dresser, a stone-cutter, a cooper, a tailor, a woman churning, and one teasing wool, are all at work. There is also a carpenter sawing a piece of wood, and two blacksmiths beating a piece of iron, the one using a sledge, and the other a small hammer ; a boy turning a grindstone, while a man grinds an instrument upon it; and a barber shaving a man, whom he holds fast by the nose with one hand. The boy w T as only about seventeen years of age when he completed this curious work ; and since the bent of his mind could be first marked, his only amusement was that of work- ing with a knife, and making little mechanical figures ; this is the more extraordinary, as he had no opportunity whatever of seeing any person employed in a similar way. He was bred a weaver, with his father ; and since he could be em- ployed at the trade, has had no time for his favourite study, except after the work ceased, or during the intervals ; and the only tool he ever had to assist him was a pocket knife. In his earlier years he produced several curiosities on a similar scale, but the one now described is his greatest work, to which he devoted all his spare time during two years. EARLY PHILANTHROPY. The following anecdote is related as a fact, by Madame de Genlis, in her admirable work of the Little Emigrants. " One morning when we came to the mill, we did not find Lolotte, who was in the fields ; while we were waiting for her, my father and I conversed with the miller's wife. I had brought several playthings for Lolotte ; and the miller's wife EARLY PHILANTHROPY. 23 laughing, told me that they would not please her so well as a little flour. ' How 1 ' said I. She replied, for three weeks Lolotte has cared for nothing but heaping up flour : every morning she comes to beg some of my husband, who gives her a handful ; besides this, she invents a thousand little schemes to get some from me ; and when she sees me in a good humour, or when I caress her, I am sure she is going to say, ' Give me a little flour. 9 The other day we had made some muffins, and I carried one to her ; her first movement was to take it ; then she considered, and said, ' Keep your muffin, and give me a little flour.' ' This is odd,' said my father ; ' and what does she do with all this flour ? ' t She has asked us for a large sack,' replied the miller's wife, ' and there she puts it ; the sack is by her bedside, and it must now be almost full.' During this conversation I said nothing ; but reflecting upon it, and perfectly knowing Lolotte, I guessed the cause. I remem- bered that I had often come to see her with M. and Madame d'Ermont ; that we had frequently spoken of France before her ; that M. d'Ermont had mentioned the scarcity of bread, and had said, the counter-revolution would be affected by famine. I doubted not but Lolotte's store of flour had some connexion with this ; but lest I might be deceived, I kept silence. At last Lolotte returned from her walk ; after having embraced us, she sat upon the knee of my father, who did not fail to question her with regard to the flour. Lolotte blushed, and evaded answering by saying we would laugh at her ; but when she was closely pressed to explain herself, I saw her countenance take that moving expression which it always has when she is going to cry ; and then she said with a broken voice, ' It is because I knew that very soon there would be no more bread in France, and I want to send a provision of flour to my nurse Caillet.' " 24 MALESHERBES. FAMILY SCENE. In September, 1789, a little boy, about five years old, the son of a man named Freemantle, in St. Thomas' Church- yard, Salisbury, being at play by the dam of the town-mill, fell into the water ; his sister, a child of nine years of age, with an affection that would have done honour to riper years, instantly plunged in to his assistance. They both sunk, and in sight of their mother ! The poor woman, distracted with horror at the prospect of instant death to her children, braved the flood to save them ; she rose with one under each arm, and by her cries happily brought her husband, who instantly swam to their assistance, and brought them all three safe ashore. MALESHERBES. Among the magistrates who were immolated in France during the sanguinary power of Robespierre, was the great and virtuous Malesherbes. He was seized in the rural retreat to which he had retired from the miseries of his country, along with his daughter and his little grandchildren. When he was brought to Paris, and conducted into the common hall of the prison, where all the prisoners were assembled, they were struck with astonishment, and all rose respectfully to support his steps as he approached : he was shown to the only seat which the room contained. Malesherbes looked around, and said with a smile, " the arm chair is due to age ; I am not sure of my title to it : I see another old man who must take it before me." He was condemned to death with his whole family. COWPER. 25 COWPER. OWPER, in his "Memoirs of his Early Life," gives an affecting instance of that mental enthralment which boys of sensitive parts are too often doomed to suffer in pub- lic schools, from the arrogance and cruelty of their senior school-mates. "My chief affliction," he says, " consisted in my being singled out from all the other boys, by a lad about fifteen years of age, as a proper object upon whom he might let loose the cruelty of his temper. One day, as I was sitting alone on a bench in the school, melancholy, and almost ready to weep at the recollection of what I had already suffered, and expecting at the same time my tormentor every moment, these words of the Psalmist came into my mind : ' I will not be afraid of what man can do unto me.' I applied this to my own case, with a degree of trust and confidence in God that would have been no disgrace to a much more experienced Christian. Instantly I perceived in myself a briskness of spirits and a cheerfulness which I had never before ex- perienced, and took several paces up and down the room with joyful alacrity — his gift in whom I trusted. Happy would it have been for me, if this early effort towards the blessed God had been frequently repeated by me ; but, alas ! it was the first and last instance of the kind between infancy and manhood. The cruelty of this boy, which he had long practised in so secret a manner that no person suspected it, was at length discovered. He was expelled from the school, and I was taken from it," 3 20 SELF-SACRIFICE. SELF-SACRIFICE. Baron Felix Lecouteulx du Moley, auditor to the French council of state, was appointed in 1810 to the office of pre- fect of Cote d'Or. In the prime of life he was enjoying a prosperous fortune in the society of a charming family, and surrounded by a circle of attached friends. In 1812 a party of Spanish prisoners were sent to Dijon, where the typhus fever was raging. It was the duty of the prefect of Cote d'Or to provide against the danger of con- tagion. In this he was not found wanting. Bedding, medical attendance, and personal services, were cheerfully afforded. Scarcely, however, were the sick installed in their asylum when the fever redoubled its ravages ; and soon after a new misfortune came upon them. A fire breaking out in the neighbourhood soon spread to the quarters of the sick. It became necessary to remove them without the least delay. In vain did the prefect demand assistance for this purpose. The exertion of authority and the offer of a splendid reward were equally unavailing. Not one of the crowd of people present would brave the united danger of fire and contagion. Even the hospital attendants shrunk aghast from so perilous an office. Then it was that the heroic prefect himself threw off his coat, sprang into the building, and bore forth the sick in his own arms. His secretary was the only person who durst follow his noble example. This was about the 24th of March, 1812. The same even- ing the prefect was seized with the typhus fever ; and on the first of April he fell a victim to his own disinterestedness ; expiring in the midst of his grief-stricken family. This worthy magistrate died like a Christian hero, faithful to the lessons of virtue early inculcated on his mind by a pious and affec- tionate mother. Du Moley rescuing the sick Spaniards, (27) GENEROUS DISINTERESTEDNESS. 29 STEADFASTNESS. R. Harris, the minister of Hanwell, du- ring the civil wars, frequently had mili- tary officers quartered at his house. A party of them being unmindful of the respect due to the minister of religion, indulged themselves in swearing. The doctor noticed this, and on the following Sunday preached from these words: " Above all things, my brethren, swear not." This so enraged the soldiers, who judged the sermon was intended for them, that they swore they would shoot him if he preached on the subject again ; he was not however to be intimidated ; and on the following Sunday, he not only preached from the same text, but inveighed in still stronger terms against the vice of swearing. As he was preaching, a soldier levelled his carbine at him; but he went on to the conclusion of his sermon, without the slightest fear or hesitation. GENEROUS DISINTERESTEDNESS. An order for some statues having been sent to the celebrated Danish sculptor, Thorvaldsen, when at Rome, by the King of Prussia, the sculptor, in return, begged to inform his majesty, that one of his own subjects, a sculptor, resident like himself at Rome, was as well, if not better qualified to execute the work. In consequence of this letter, Rudolf Schadow, the Prussian, received the order. If the King of Prussia had a guinea to spare in the world, he should have sent an order to both. 3# 30 SUBLIME INCIDENT. ETON BOYS. Two boys, one of whom was Lord Baltimore, while at Eton school, went out shooting, and were detected in that unpardonable offence by one of the masters. He came up quickly enough to one of them to discover his person ; the other, being more swift of foot, escaped unknown. The de- tected culprit was flogged pretty severely, and threatened with repetitions of the same discipline, if he did not discover his companion. This, however, he persisted in refusing, in spite of reiterated punishment. His companion, who was confined to his room at his boarding house by a sore throat, which he had got by leaping into a ditch to escape the detec- tion of the master, on hearing with what severity his friend was treated on his account, went to school with his throat wrapt up, and nobly told the master that he was the boy who was out shooting with the youth, who with such mag- nanimous perseverance had refused to give up his name. SUBLIME INCIDENT. When the well-known Dr. Barth preached for the first time in his native city of Leipsic, he disdained the usual pre- caution of having his sermon placed in the Bible before him, to refer to in case of need. A violent thunder storm sud- denly arising, just as he was in the middle of his discourse, and a tremendous peal of thunder causing him to lose the thread of his argument, with great composure and dignity he shut the Bible, saying with strong emphasis, " When God speaks, man mast hold his peace" He then descended from the pulpit, while the whole congregation looked on him with admiration and wonder. IMPORTANCE OF DOING QUICKLY. gj LOCKE ON THE UNDERSTANDING. Mr. Locke having been introduced by Lord Shaftesbury to the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Halifax, these three noblemen, instead of conversing with that philosopher on literary subjects, as might naturally have been expected, in a very short time sat down to cards. Mr. Locke, after looking on for some time, took out his pocket-book, and be- gan to write with great attention. One of the company observing this, took the liberty of asking him what he was writing? " My lord," said Locke, "I am endeavouring, as far as possible, to profit by my present situation ; for having waited with impatience for the honour of being in company with the three greatest geniuses of the age, I thought I could do nothing better than to write down your conversation : and indeed I have set down the substance of what you have said for this hour or two." This well-timed rebuke had its effect ; and the noblemen, fully sensible of its force, immediately quitted their play, and entered into a conversation more rational, and better suited to their reputation as men of genius. IMPORTANCE OF DOING QUICKLY. The benevolent Dr. Wilson once discovered a clergyman at Bath, who he was informed was sick, poor, and had a nu- merous family. In the evening, he gave a friend fifty pounds, requesting him to deliver it in the most delicate- manner, and as from an unknown person. The friend replied, " I will wait upon him early in the morning." " You will oblige me by call- ing directly. Think, sir, of what importance a good night's rest may be to that poor man." 32 HAYDN SCHOOL-BOY FRIENDSHIP. ARL STANHOPE, Secretary of State to George the First, was educated at Eton school with one of the Scotch noblemen, who was afterwards condemned for par- ticipating in the rebellion of 1715. The earl, while the Privy Council were de- liberating upon signing the warrant of ^/ p execution of these unfortunate noblemen, requested the life of his school-fellow, whom he had never seen since they left Eton. His request was refused, till he threatened to give up his place if the council did not grant it. This menace procured him the life of his associate in early life, to whom he afterwards sent a handsome sum of money. HAYDN. Haydn, when a boy, was engaged by the organist of the Cathedral at Vienna ; but when his voice broke, his master discarded him from the choir, and most inhumanly turned him into the streets, on account of a boyish trick, at seven o'clock one evening in November, with tattered clothes, and without one kreutzer in his pocket. Driven into the street at such an hour, and without any means of procuring a lodg- ing, he threw himself upon some stone steps, and passed the night in the open air. A poor, but friendly musician, of the name of Spangler, discovered him the next morning ; and though he himself lodged with his wife and children in a ADOPTED SON. 33 single room, on a fifth story, he offered the out-cast Haydn a corner of his garret, and a seat at his table. A miserable bed, a table, chair, and a wretched harpsichord, were all that the generous hospitality of his host could offer him, in a gar- ret which had neither windows, nor a stove ; but this act of charity of the benevolent Spangler was welcome, and most readily accepted by Haydn ; who soon was enabled to recom- pense his generous benefactor by placing him as principal tenor in the chapel of Prince Esterhazy ADOPTED SON. At the battle of Freehold, during the first American war, a young English officer, closely* pressed by two Abenakis Indi- ans, with upraised hatchets, no longer hoped for life, and only resolved to sell it dearly. At the moment when he expected to sink beneath them, an old Indian armed with a bow ap- proached him, and prepared to aim an arrow ; but having adjusted it, in an instant he dropped his bow, and ran to throw himself between the young officer and his assailants, who im- mediately retired with respect. The old man took his prisoner by the hand, encouraged him by caresses, and conducted him to his cabin. It was winter, and the Indians were retiring home. Here he kept him for some time, treating him with undiminished softness, and making him less his slave than his companion. At length he taught him the Abenakis language, and the rude arts in use among that people. They became perfectly satisfied with each other, and the young officer was comparatively happy — except at times when his heart was wrung, to perceive the old man intently fix his eyes on him and shed tears. At the return of spring the Indians returned to arms, and prepared for the campaign. The old man, yet sufficiently 34 ADOPTED SON. strong to support the fatigues of war, set out with them, ac- companied by his prisoner. The Abenakis made a march of more than two hundred leagues across the desert, till at length they arrived within sight of an English camp; the old Indian pointed it out to the young officer, at the same time contemplat- ing him wistfully. " Behold thy brothers !" said he to him ; " behold where they wait to give us battle ! Hear me ; I have saved thy life ; I have taught thee to make a canoe, bows, and arrows ; to obtain the means to make them from the forest ; to manage the hatchet, and to take off the scalp of an enemy. What wert thou when I took thee to my cabin 1 Thy hands were those of a child ; they neither served to nourish nor de- fend thee ; thy soul was in night ; thou knewest nothing ; thou owest me all ! Wilt thou, then, be ungrateful enough to join thy brothers, and raise the hatchet against us?" The young Englishman vowed he would rather lose a thou- sand lives, than spill the blood of one Abenakis. The Indian looked on his prisoner with earnestness, and in a mingled tone of tenderness and sorrow, inquired, " Hast thou a father ?" — " He was alive," answered the young man, " when I left my country." " Oh how miserable he must be !" cried the Indian ; and after a moment of silence, he added, " Knowest thou that I have been a father ? I am so no more ! I saw my child fall in the battle ; he was at my side. I saw him die like a warrior ; he was covered with wounds, my child, when he fell ! But I have avenged him ! Yes, I have avenged him." The Indian at pronouncing these words was much agitated ; then turning to the East, where the sun was just rising, he said to the young Englishman, " Seest thou that beauteous sun, resplendent of brightness ? Hast thou pleasure in seeing it ? " " Yes," answered he, " I have pleasure in seeing that beautiful sky." " Ah, well ! I have it no more," said the Indian, shedding a torrent of tears. A moment after he showed the young officer a flowering shrub. " Seest thou that fine tree ? " said he to him ; and hast thou pleasure in look- ing upon it]" " Yes, I have," he answered. " I have it no DUKE OF WHARTON. 35 more," returned the Indian, with precipitation ; " but as for thee — Go, return to thy country, that thy father may again with pleasure mark the rising sun, and behold the springing flower." DANGERS AT SEA. The celebrated Tasso and his friend Manso, with Scipio Belprato, Manso's brother-in-law, were one day in a summer- house which commanded a full prospect of the sea, agitated at the moment by a furious storm. Belprato observed, " that he was astonished at the rashness and folly of men who would expose themselves to the rage of so merciless an element, where such numbers had suffered shipwreck." " And yet," said Tasso, " we every night go without fear to bed, where so many die every hour. Believe me, death will find us in all parts ; and those places that appear the least exposed are not always the most secure from his attacks." — An Italian version of an old fable, but not on that account the less apposite. DUKE OF WHARTON. Soon after Dr. Young had published his poem of " Love of Fame, the universal passion," the Duke of Wharton made him a present of 2000/. for it. When a friend of the duke, who was surprised at the amount of the present, cried out, " What, two thousand pounds for a poem ?" The duke smiled, and said, it was the best bargain he ever made in his life, for it was fairly w T orth four thousand. 3(5 CALIPH RECLAIMED. CALIPH RECLAIMED. AKKAM, the son and successor of Abdoubrahman III. wanting to en- large his palace, proposed to purchase from a poor woman a piece of ground, that lay contiguous to it ; and when she could not be prevailed on to part with the inheritance of her ancestors, Hakkam's officers took by force what they could not otherwise obtain. The poor woman applied to Ibn-Bechir, the chief magistrate of Corduba, for justice. The case was delicate and dangerous, and Bechir concluded that the ordinary methods of proceeding would be ineffectual, if not fatal. He mounted his ass, and taking a large sack with him, rode to the palace of the caliph. The prince hap- pened to be sitting in a pavilion that had been erected in the poor woman's garden. Bechir, with his sack in his hand, advanced towards him, and after prostrating himself, desired the caliph would permit him to fill his sack with earth in that garden. Hakkam showed some surprise at his appearance and request, but allowed him to fill his sack. When this was done, the magistrate entreated the prince to assist him in laying the burden on his ass. This extraordinary request surprised Hakkam still more ; but he only told the judge it was too heavy ; he could not bear it. " Yet this sack," replied Bechir, with a noble assurance, " this sack, which you think too heavy to bear, contains but a small portion of that ground which you took by violence from the right owner. How then will you be able at the day of judgment to support the weight of the whole ?" The remonstrance was effectual ; and Hakkam without delay restored the ground, with the buildings upon it, to the former proprietor. Simon Albouy's encounter with the Mad Dog. (38) DISINTERESTED HEROISM. 39 CHALLENGE. Closterman being jealous of the fame of Sir Godfrey Kneller, to whom, though a good painter, he was inferior, sent him a challenge to paint a picture with him for a wager. Sir Godfrey wisely declined the contest, and sent him word he allowed him to be his superior. DISINTERESTED HEROISM. Simon Albouy exercised, in the city of Rodez, in France, the trade of weaver, by which he supported an aged father. Returning home one evening, he encountered a mad dog who had already bitten several persons. The animal advancing rapidly began to pursue him. Albouy, placing himself against a wall, courageously awaited the attack, and the dog throw- ing himself upon him bit him severely. Meanwhile the wounded man endeavoured to seize his enemy, and called for help. " I will not retreat," said he, " but will endeavour to prevent his doing mischief to other unfortunate persons. Bring an axe and kill him. I will hold him fast, though I know that I am sacrificing my life to save my fellow-citizens." It appears by the deposition of Dr. Langlande of Rodez, that Albouy, who was his patient, had received from this mad dog fourteen severe wounds on the body and limbs ; and that the doctor cauterized all these wounds with a hot iron, an operation which Albouy bore with the same wonderful firmness which he had evinced in his encounter with the rabid animal. " Go on with the operation," said he, continually, " I fear nothing. I am satisfied with the consciousness of having done good service in saving others from death." Fortunately his own life was saved. 40 QUEEN'S INFLUENCE. The French Academy could not resist the sentiment of admiration which the disinterested heroism of Simon Albouy inspired. They granted him, by special decree, a reward of four thousand francs. QUEEN'S INFLUENCE ON THE FEMALE CHARACTER OF BRITAIN. The unsullied purity of the private life of Queen Charlotte, wife of George III., and the noble example she afforded to the women of Great Britain, was attended with an effect, the bene- fit of which was deeply felt through the whole of her reign, and may, as we trust it will, extend to ages yet unborn, since upon the conduct of the female sex mainly rests the edifice of the public as well as private morals. No woman, however elevated her rank, or powerful her connexions, if her reputa- tion was known to have suffered the slightest taint, was per- mitted to appear in the presence of her majesty. Her fine reply to Lady , when soliciting permission to present Lady ; and when refused, saying, she did not know what to tell her disappointed friend, will long be remembered and repeated : " Tell her," said the queen, " you did not dare to ask me" In a conversation which passed between the queen and the Duchess of , her majesty expressed her astonishment that ladies intrusted their children, when they took an airing, to the care of servants, and were so seldom seen with them themselves. The duchess seemed inclined to vindicate the practice ; but was interrupted by her majesty with this sensi- ble admonition : " You," said she, " are a mother ; you now converse with a mother ; and I should be sorry you would compel me to suppose that you were callous where you ought to be most susceptible." HARRISON. 41 HARRISON. OHN HARRISON, the inventor of the time-keeper, which procured him the re- ward of the Board of Longitude, was the son of a carpenter in Yorkshire, and assisted his father in the business until he was twenty- years of age. Occasionally, however, he was employed in measuring land, and mending clocks and watches. He was from his childhood fond of any wheel machinery ; and when he lay ill in his sixth year, he had a watch placed open upon his pillow, that he might amuse himself in contemplating the movements. Though his opportunities of acquiring knowledge were very few, yet he eagerly improved every incident for information. He frequently passed whole nights in drawing or writing ; and always acknowledged his obligations to a neighbouring clergyman, for lending him a manuscript copy of Professor Saunderson's Lectures, which he carefully and neatly tran- scribed, with all the diagrams. On the reward being offered in the 14th of Queen Anne for discovering the longitude, Harrison's attention was drawn to the subject ; and he began to consider how he could alter a clock, which he had previously made, so that it might not be subject to any irregularities occasioned by the difference of climates, and the motions of a ship. These difficulties he surmounted ; and his clock having answered his expectations in a trial attended by very bad weather, upon the river Hum- ber, he was advised to carry it to London, in order to apply for the parliamentary reward. He first showed it to several members of the Royal Society, who gave him a certificate, that his machine for measuring time promised a very great and sufficient degree of accuracy. In consequence of this certificate, the machine, at the recommendation of Sir Charles 4* 42 ANDREW CROSBIE. Wager, was put on board of a man of war in 1738, and car- ried with Mr. Harrison to Lisbon and back again ; when its accuracy was such, that the Commissioners of the Board of Longitude gave him 500/., and recommended him to proceed. He made two others afterwards, each of which w r ere im- provements on the preceding ; and he now thought he had reached the ne plus ultra of his attempts : but in an endea- vour to improve pocket watches, he found the principles he applied to surpass his expectations so much, as to encourage him to make his fourth time-keeper, which was in the form of a pocket watch, about six inches in diameter, and was finished in 1759. With this time-keeper, his son made two voyages, the one to Jamaica, and the other to Barbadoes ; in both which experiments it corrected the longitude within the nearest limits required by the act of Parliament; and the inventor, at different times, though not without considerable trouble, received the promised reward of 20,0007. ANDREW CROSBIE. The name of Andrew Crosbie is well known to all those who are in the slightest degree acquainted with the modern forensic eloquence of Scotland. The imprudences that tar- nished the splendour of his great talents, the vicissitudes that shed a malignant gloom over the evening of his days, it is painful to recollect and tedious to record. His latter indi- gence was extreme. While in this situation, Mr. Dundas, (afterwards Lord Melville) who had been Crosbie's rival at the bar, and his enemy in politics, gave him to understand that a vacant seat in the Court of Sessions was ready for his acceptance. " No," said Crosbie, "judges ought to be blameless, superior to corruption, as well in situation as in principle. I never BISHOP OF ARRAS. 43 will sacrifice the reputation of my country's tribunals to my necessities." The praise of good men will be divided between the gene- rosity of the offer and the magnanimity of the refusal. BISHOP OF ARRAS. In the list of proscription with Pichegru and Georges in France, was M. de Conzies, the Bishop of Arras. Bonaparte had long sought to lay hands on this prelate, who preferred poverty and exile in England, to the Roman purple and the Parisian archiepiscopacy, both of which were offered him in 1801, by the First Consul of France, and the Pope. Un- alterable in his attachment to the house of Bourbon, he w r as made one of the principal counsellors and confidential ad- visers of the Count d'Artois ; unprofitable offices for those who, confounding fortune with justice, regard money more than honour, but advantageous to him who follows the dic- tates of a disinterested conscience. The misfortunes of his sovereign and of his country preyed on the sensitive mind of the Bishop of Arras, and deprived the w r orld prematurely of one of its brightest ornaments. The journey of Pius VII. to Paris, and the coronation of Bonaparte, affected him deeply ; and he survived but a few days the news of Napoleon's being anointed and crowned Emperor of France. As in health he had been an example of piety and constancy ; during his illness he was a model of devotion and resignation. He exhorted his countrymen and fellow-sufferers, like himself, unfortunate exiles, not to deviate from that glorious though painful path they had dutifully and conscientiously entered on. He preached submission to the decrees of the Almighty, in showing the justice of that noble cause to which they had sacrificed rank, property, country, 44 RUSTIC RESPECT. and everything but their honour. He told them never to for- get the gratitude they owed to England, should religion and royalty once more prosper in France. His constant prayers were, on his death-bed, that Christ might again save his church in France, restore there the rightful and faithful to power, and convert, but not punish, the undutiful and unbe- lieving* It is often more glorious to deserve than to occupy a throne. His royal Highness Monsieur, with a humanity worthy of better times and better fortune, refused himself even the necessary rest to attend his trusty and affectionate servant, who had the consolation to breathe his last in the arms of his good and generous prince. Some few moments before he shut his eyes for ever, he pressed the hand of Mon- sieur to his bosom, and, with a faint voice, faltered these his last words : " My kind prince, death is terrible to the wicked alone !" RUSTIC RESPECT. During the harvest of 1817, as a numerous band of reapers, principally inhabiting a parish in the centre of Fifeshire, were returning from labour rather earlier than usual, they observed a field of ripe corn belonging to the minister of the parish, an excellent man, far from affluent, but endeared to the lower ranks by the benevolence of his character. Thinking it quite fit for the sickle, they immediately and simultaneously proceeded to work ; and actually cut down the whole of the grain, and put it in sheaves, without any instructions or ex- pectation of reward. This little trait of unlooked-for atten- tion and kindness from his parishioners and neighbours, could not fail to be highly gratifying to the feelings of the worthy clergyman. PIETY RESPECTED. 45 HOW TO SPEND A SATURDAY EVENING. The late Mr. James Bundy, of Bristol, who from humble poverty raised himself to circumstances of great affluence, was in the regular habit, on Saturday evenings, of visiting the markets ; not as an idle observer, but to do good to the poor. If he beheld a poor person at a butcher's stall inquiring the price of a piece of meat, and then turning away for want of more money, he would call him back, saying, " What can you afford to give ?" On being told how much, he would produce the additional sum, and enable the poor man to make the purchase. He would then go in quest of other persons of the same description, and assist them in like manner. It was thus Mr. Bundy spent his Saturday evenings, relieving pro- miscuously the wants of the poor, who, in return for his human- ity and benevolence, offered up prayers and poured blessings upon him. After he had gone round distributing his bounty, he would then purchase pieces of meat for his own poor, or those indigent families whom he visited at their own homes. When he had finished this work of charity and labour of love, he would return home with a glad heart, and recount the blessings he enjoyed above others. PIETY RESPECTED. In an action with the French fleet in 1694-5, Captain Killi- grew, on coming up with the French vessel Content, dis- covered that the whole of the crew were at prayers. He might have poured in his broadside with great advantage ; this, however, he refused to do, saying, " It is beneath the courage of the English nation to surprise their enemies in such a posture." Poor Killigrew fell in the action. 40 ROYAL GARDENER ROYAL GARDENER. HEN Lysander, the Lacedemonian general, brought magnificent presents to Cyrus, the younger son of Darius, who piqued himself more on his in- tegrity and politeness, than on his rank and birth, the prince conducted his illus- trious guest through his gardens, and pointed out to him their varied beauties. Lysander, struck with so fine a prospect, praised the manner in which the grounds were laid out, the neatness of the walks, the abund- ance of fruits planted with an art which knew how to com- bine the useful with the agreeable , the beauty of the par- terres, and the glowing variety of flowers exhaling odours, universally throughout the delightful scene. " Everything charms and transports me in this place," said Lysander to Cyrus; "but what strikes me most, is the exquisite taste, and elegant industry, of the person who drew the plan of these gardens, and gave it the fine order, wonderful disposition, and happiness of arrangement, which I cannot sufficiently ad- mire." Cyrus replied, " It was I that drew the plan, and entirely marked it out ; and many of the trees which you see were planted by my own hands." " What !" exclaimed Lysander, with surprise, and viewing Cyrus from head to foot, " is it possible, that with those purple robes and splendid vestments, those strings of jewels and bracelets of gold, those buskins so richly embroidered ; is it possible that you could play the gardener, and employ your royal hands in planting trees V 9 " Does that surprise you V 9 said Cyrus ; " I assure you, that when my health permits, I never sit down to table without having fatigued myself, either in military exercise, ORPHAN PROTECTOR. 47 rural labour, or some other toilsome employment, to which I apply myself with pleasure." Lysander, still more amazed, pressed Cyrus by the hand, and said, " You are truly happy, and deserve your high fortune, since you unite it with virtue." A FRIEND IN NEED. Henry IV. of France one day reproached the Count D'Aubigne, that he still retained his friendship for M. de la Tremouille, who was in disgrace, and banished the court. " Sire," said D'Aubigne, " M. de la Tremouille is sufficiently unfortunate ; since he has lost the favour of his master, I could not abandon him in the time when he has the most need of my friendship." ORPHAN PROTECTOR. M. S- , a gentleman attached to the court of France, lost a very intimate friend, who dying, left his debts, and two children of a tender age, quite unprovided for. His friend, who survived, immediately reduced his establishment and his equipage, and took apartments in the suburbs of Paris ; whence he came every day to the palace, attended only by a footboy, and discharged the duties of his office. He was immediately suspected of avarice, or of bad conduct, and had to endure many calumnies. At length, at the end of two years, M. S , mixed again in the busy world. He had accumulated the sum of twenty thousand livres, which he had laid out for the support and future fortune of the children of his friend. 48 GENEROSITY OF A KNIFE-GRfNDER. GENEROSITY OF A KNIFE-GRINDER. Anthony Bonafox, aged forty years, a native of the depart- ment of Cantal in France, exercised in Paris the trade of a knife-grinder, and lodged in the same house with a poor widow, Mrs. Drouillant,who was sixty years of age. Numerous testimonials witnessed the merit and misfor- tunes of this woman. She had had twelve children and had brought them all up respectably. There remained to her but one, a boy of twelve years old when her husband died. This unfortunate event reduced her to absolute want and deprived her of the means of giving an education and a trade to her son. The knife-grinder, who had no means of sup- port but the product of his daily labours, was touched with the misfortunes of the mother and the destitute condition of the son. He began by giving them some assistance, which the widow gratefully acknowledged. Soon after the widow had an attack of paralysis ; Bonafox opposed the proposition to convey her to the hospital, and made sacrifices to enable her to remain and receive medical treatment at home. Her son was bound apprentice to a stove-maker. The worthy knife-grinder furnished what was necessary for his support and bought his clothes. The second attack of para- lysis fell still more heavily upon the widow ; she was de- prived of the use of one of her arms and could not walk without a crutch. This new misfortune only stimulated still more the zeal and benevolence of Bonafox. He made still greater sacrifices to assist her and her son, who was thus enabled to complete the term of his apprenticeship. This long-continued and touching benevolence of a man in the humblest walk of life is worthy to be proposed as an example to those who enjoy more extensive means of render- ing assistance to the unfortunate. Anthony Bonafox, the Knife-Grinder. (49) M. FELLENBERG'S ESTABLISHMENT AT HOFWYL. 5 1 M. FELLENBERG'S ESTABLISHMENT AT HOFWYL. M. Fellenberg, of Hofwyl, having long remarked the ex- treme profligacy of the lower orders in the Swiss tow T ns, and the habits of ignorance and vice in which their children were brought up, formed many years ago the design of attempting their reformation, upon principles equally sound and benevo- lent. His leading doctrine was, that to make these poor people better, it was necessary to make them more comfort- able ; and that this end would be best attained by forming, in their earliest years, habits of industry, w T hich might contri- bute to their subsistence ; and by- joining with them a greater degree of intellectual cultivation than had yet been extended to the labouring classes of the community, or been imagined compatible with their humble pursuits. He began his experi- ments upon a small number of children, which he increased to between thirty and forty ; and this may be considered the utmost limit upon a farm of so moderate an extent, not ex- ceeding two hundred and twenty acres. These children were taken from the very worst description of society, the most degraded of the mendicant poor in Berne, and other Swiss towns. With hardly any exception, they were sunk in the vicious and idle habits of their parents, a class of dis- solute vagrants, resembling the worst kind of gipsies. The complete change that has been effected in them all, is one of the most extraordinary and affecting sights that can be im- agined. The first principle of the system adopted by M. Fellenberg, is to show the children gentleness and kindness, so as to win their affections ; and always to treat them as rational crea- tures, cultivating their reason, and appealing to it. It is equally essential to impress upon their minds the necessity of industrious and virtuous conduct to their happiness ; and the 52 M. FELLENBERG'S ESTABLISHMENT AT HOFWYL. inevitable effects of the opposite behaviour, in reducing them from the comfort in which they now live, to the state of misery from which they were rescued. It is never allowed for a moment to be absent from their thoughts, that manual labour in cultivating the ground, is the grand and paramount care which must employ their whole lives, and upon which their very existence depends. To this everything else is made subordinate ; but with it are judiciously connected a variety of intellectual pursuits. At their hours of relaxation, their amusements have an instructive tendency ; certain hours are set apart for the purpose of learning ; and while at work in the fields, the conversation, without interrupting for a mo- ment the necessary business of their lives, is always directed towards those branches of knowledge in which they are improving themselves during the intervals of labour. They apply themselves to geography and history, and to the dif- ferent branches of natural history, particularly mineralogy and botany ; in which they take a singular delight, and are considerable proficients. The connexion of these with agri- culture, renders them most appropriate studies for those poor children ; and as their daily labour brings them constantly into contact with the objects of those sciences, a double relish is thus afforded at once to the science and the labour. You may see one of them every now and then stepping aside from the furrow, where several of them have been working, to de- posite a specimen, or a plant, for a little hortus siccus, or cabinet. There is one other subject ever present to their minds, a pure and rational theology ; and of its good effects, all travel- lers bear testimony, and one has noticed a remarkable instance. When the harvest once required the labourers to work for an hour or two after night-fall, and the full moon rose in ex- traordinary beauty over the magnificent mountains that sur- round the plain of Hofwyl, suddenly, as if with one accord, the poor children began to chaunt a hymn which they ha»" FATHER AND SON. 53 learnt among others, but in which the Supreme Being is adored as having " Lighted up the great lamp of the night, and projected it in the firmament." FATHER AND SON. Among the cases of suffering by the wreck, in 1686, of the vessel in which the Siamese embassy to Portugal was embark- ed, few have stronger claims to pity than that of the captain. He was a man of rank, sprung from one of the first families in Portugal ; he was rich and honourable ; he had long com- manded a ship, in which he rendered great service to the king his master, and had given many marks of his valor and fidelity. The captain had carried his only son out to India along with him ; he was a youth, possessed of every amiable quality ; well instructed for his years ; gentle, docile, and most fondly attached to his father. The captain watched with the most intense anxiety over his safety : on the wreck of the ship, and during the march to the Cape, he caused him to be carried by his slaves. At length all the slaves having perished, or being so weak that they could not drag themselves along, this poor youth was obliged to trust to his own strength ; but he became so reduced and feeble, that having lain down to rest on a rock, he was unable to rise again. His limbs w T ere stiff and swollen, and he lay stretched at length, unable to bend a joint. The sight struck like a dagger to his father's heart ; he tried repeatedly to recover him, and by assisting him to ad- vance a few steps, supposed that the numbness might be re- moved ; but his limbs refused to serve him, he was only drag- ged along, and those whose aid his father implored, seeing they could do no more, frankly declared, that if they carried him, they must themselves perish. 5* 54 NEGRO DEVOTION. HARDSHIP OF ARREST. N an action of debt, tried before Lord Mansfield, at Guildhall, the defendant, a merchant of London, complained with great warmth to his lordship of the indignity which had been put on him by the plaintiff, in causing him to be arrested, not only in the face of day, but in the Royal Exchange, in the face of the whole assembled credit of the metropolis. The Chief Justice stopped him with great composure, saying, " Friend, you forget yourself; you were the defaulter in refusing to pay a just debt ; and let me give you a piece of advice worth more to you than the debt and costs. Be careful in future not to put it in any man's power to arrest you for a just debt in public or in private." NEGRO DEVOTION. An English gentleman and his lady, who were on their pas- sage to the East Indies, in one of the vessels of an English fleet, paid a visit to the admiral's ship, leaving two young children in the care of a negro servant, who was about eighteen years of age. A violent storm arising during their absence, the ship containing the two children was fast sinking, w r hen a boat arrived from the admiral's ship for their relief. The crew eagerly crowded to the boat; but the negro lad, finding there was only room for him alone, or the two children, generously put them on board, and remained himself on the NEGRO DEVOTION. 55 wreck, which, with the generous boy, was immediately en- gulphed in the ocean. This interesting circumstance has been make the subject of the following lines, by Selleck Osborn, an American poet. " Tremendous howls the angry blast ! The boldest hearts with terror quake ! High o'er the vessel's tottering mast The liquid mountains fiercely break ! Each eye is fix'd in wild despair, And death displays its terrors there ! Now plunging in the dread abyss, They pierce the bosom of the deep; Now rise where vivid lightnings hiss, And seem the murky clouds to sweep — Thro' the dark waste dread thunders roll, And horrors chill the frigid soul ! The storm abates ; but shattered sore, The leaky vessel drinks the brine ; They seek in vain some friendly shore, Their spirits sink, their hopes decline ! But, lo ! what joy succeeds their grief, Kind Heaven grants the wish'd relief. See on the deck young Marco stands, Two blooming cherubs by his side, Entrusted to his faithful hands ; 4 A mother's joy, a father's pride ;' Tho' black his skin, as shades of night, His heart is fair ; his soul is white ! Each to the yawl with rapture flies, Except the noble, generous boy ; * Go lovely infants, go,' he cries, * And give your anxious parents joy. No mother will for Marco weep, When fate entombs him in the deep ! Long have my kindred ceas'd to grieve, No sister kind my fate shall mourn ; No breast for me a sigh will heave, No bosom friend wait my return !' He said, and sinking, sought the happy shore, Where toil and slavery vex his soul no more." 56 PRESERVATION OF TWO BROTHERS. WOOD ENGRAVING. The first engraving on wood of which there is any record in Europe, is that of " the Actions of Alexander," by the two Cunios, executed in the year 1285 or 1286. The engravings are eight in number, and in size about nine inches by six. In a frontispiece decorated w T ith fanciful ornaments there is an inscription, which states the engravings to have been by " Alesandro Alberico Cunio Cavaliere, and Isabella Cunio, twin brother and sister; first reduced, imagined, and attempted to be executed in relief, with a small knife on blocks of wood, made even and polished by this learned and dear sister ; con- tinued and finished by us together, at Ravenna, from the eight pictures of our invention, painted six times larger than here represented ; engraved, explained by verses, and thus marked upon the paper, to perpetuate the number of them, and to en- able us to present them to our relations and friends in testi- mony of gratitude, friendship and affection. All this was done and finished by us when only sixteen years of age." This account, which was given by Papillon, who saw the engravings, has been much disputed ; but Mr. Ottley, in his late valuable work, deems it authentic. PRESERVATION OF TWO BROTHERS. About the 14th of August, 1652, a dog came to the house of Toxen, in the parish of Guldsal in Norway, howling and moaning, and in the most famished condition. It was imme- diately recognized to be the faithful attendant of two brothers, named Olave and Andrew Engelbrechtsen, who had fourteen days before set out from Toxen, the place of their nativity, on a hunting excursion among the high mountains which PRESERVATION OF TWO BROTHERS. 57 separate Gulbrandsal from the province of Valders. From the grief which the poor animal displayed, the friends of the Engelbrechtsens naturally concluded that some misfortune had befallen them. A man was therefore immediately de- spatched to the mountains, in quest of the wanderers. Two days he roamed about without discovering any trace of them ; but on the third, arriving at the Lake of Ref, he found an empty skiff on its banks, in which he rowed to a very small islet in the midst of it, and there he saw some garments lying, which he knew to belong to the brothers. On looking around, however, he saw no trace of any human being ; and the island being so small, (only sixteen paces long, and eight broad) that the whole surface could be comprehended within one glance, he concluded that the young men had not been there for a considerable time, and returned to Toxen with intelligence that they were probably drowned. The very day after, however, some hunters on horseback happening to arrive on the banks of Lake Ref, were surprised by the cries, faint yet distinct, of some person on the little islet. They leapt into the skiff which lay on the beach ; and on reaching the islet, found the two brothers there, reduced to the last stage of human wretchedness. They were immedi- ately conveyed ashore, and home. When able to give an account of their adventures, the brothers related, that as they were on their return home from their hunting excursion, they first rowed to the islet in Lake Ref, in order to take up a net which they had set there. Whilst lingering there, a sudden storm arose at east, the vio- lence of which caused the skiff to break loose, and drive to the opposite shore. As neither of the brothers could swim, they saw themselves thus exposed to the danger of perishing by hunger, for the islet was altogether barren ; and they had besides to endure all the hardships of the weather, which even in the month of August was, in the climate of Norway, inclement, more es- 58 PRESERVATION OF TWO BROTHERS. pecially during the night. The account they gave of the manner in which they subsisted on some herbs providentially raised up to them, is so piously marvellous, that the only con- clusion we can draw from it is, that they were preserved by Providence in a way which they had not sense enough left to describe. It appears that they had built a little hut of stones, sufficient to lie down in, yet not of elevation enough to attract the notice of a superficial observer ; and under this they had escaped the vigilance of the messenger, who was sent in search of them. On the twelfth day of their seclusion, both the brothers having given themselves up to despair, Andrew, the younger, with w T hat remains of strength he possessed, cut out on some pieces of timber, most exposed to view, a con- cise relation of their unhappy fate ; and the text on which he desired their funeral sermon might be preached, from Psalm 73, v. 23, 27. " 23. Nevertheless, I am always by thee: for thou hast holden me by my right hand. " 27. For lo, they that forsake thee shall perish." After this, the brothers mutually encouraged each other in the hope of eternal felicity, to patience and perseverance, in faith ; and totally despairing of all temporal relief, as their sole support had failed, recommended themselves to God. When unexpectedly restored to hopes of life, the elder brother could eat very little of the food offered to him ; and the little he did take threw him into such a state of sickness, that he was confined for eight days to bed. He survived his perilous situation, however, thirty-seven years. The younger brother suffered less inconvenience, and in the year 1991, drew up an account of the case of both. He showed particu- lar gratitude to God, that the dog had not obeyed their call in swimming across the Lake, when they used every means to entice him, that on his flesh their lives might be preserved. The poor animal, as we have seen, was ordained by God to be the means of their deliverance. A JUDGE ABOVE RESENTMENT. 59 LORD BACON. N Lord Bacon's style of living, there was something that struck his contemporaries as peculiarly magnificent. The secret was, that he did everything in a high and natural taste. In compartments of his rooms, he had pictures painted on the walls from the stories of Grecian mythology. His gar- den was laid out, after the ideal pattern in his essays, with evergreens and other shrubs to suit every month in the year. His feelings indeed for nature, was the main side on which his great philosophy ran into poetry; and vented itself in a very graceful as well as grand enthu- siasm, befitting one of the high priests of wisdom. He was fond of meditating in groves, after the custom of his prede- cessors of antiquity ; and when he sat down to his studies in the house, he would often have music in the next room. He had the flowers and sweet herbs in season, regularly set upon his table, " to refresh his spirits," and took such delight in being abroad among the elements, that riding in an open carriage during the rain, he would take off his hat to let the shower come upon his head ; and say, that he seemed to feel the spirit of the universe upon him. A JUDGE ABOVE RESENTMENT. In the latter half of the last century, the lord justice clerk of Scotland, who had a fine avenue of trees leading to his country-house, though not growing on ground which he could call his own, happened to displease the proprietor, who caused 60 CHEVALIER BAYARD. all the trees to be cut down. The damage was irreparable, but his lordship, who was of a mild and amiable disposition, submitted to it in silence. Two or three years afterwards, it happened, that this laird's whole estate was put in jeopardy by the next heir at law pro- ducing a prior will, which, though it had long lain dormant, appeared so plain and genuine, that the laird nearly gave up his right ; and abandoned all hope, when he found it must be decided by the man he had so deeply injured. The strict in- tegrity of the judge was, however, a sufficient guarantee, that justice would be impartially administered. The judge, when the cause came before him, sifted it, with indefatigable industry and zeal for public justice, when he discovered that the will was a forgery; and thus, contrary to all expectation, the laird gained his cause. He then waited on the judge with shame and confusion, and acknowledged that he would never have recovered the suit, had it not been for his lordship, as his own counsel had given it up. " You have nothing to thank me for," said the judge, " but my having taken due pains to do you justice. This was a duty I owed to myself, and I should have been unworthy of the place I occupy, if I suffered any injury done to myself, to influence me in the adminis- tration of justice." CHEVALIER BAYARD. The Chevalier Bayard was esteemed by his contemporaries the mirror of chivalry, and the model of soldiers and men of honour, so much so, that he was denominated the knight with- out fear and without reproach. In the year 1500, many towns of the Milanese, which had risen against Louis XIL, submitted CHEVALIER BAYARD. 61 on the approach of the troops which that prince had sent to reduce them to obedience. The deputies of these towns, in order to court the favour of this celebrated chevalier, sans peur et sans reproche, presented him with some plate curiously wrought. His general, knowing he was not rich, and seeing him refuse it, desired him to accept it. " Heaven forbid !" replied the generous chevalier, " that anything should continue in my possession which I receive from the hands of such per- fidious people !" So saying, he distributed it piece by piece, among the soldiers that were nearest him, without reserving the least part to himself. At the retreat of Rebec, in 1524, where he fell, he was dis- covered w T ounded, and under a tree, by Bourbon, who led the foremost of the enemy's troops, and who expressed pity and regret at the sight. " Pity not me," exclaimed the high- spirited chevalier, " I die as a man of honour ought, in the discharge of my duty ; they, indeed, are objects of pity, who fight against their king, their country, and their oath." The Marquess de Pescara, passing soon after, manifested his ad- miration of Bayard's virtue, as well as his sorrow for his fate, with the generosity of a gallant enemy. Finding that he could not be removed with safety from that spot, he ordered a tent to be pitched there, and appointed proper persons to attend him. He died, however, notwithstanding their care, as his ancestors for several generations had done, in the field of battle. Pescara ordered his body to be embalmed and sent to his relations ; and such was the respect paid to him, that the Duke of Savoy commanded that his body should be received with royal honours in all the cities of his dominions. In Dauphin^, Bayard's native country, the people of all ranks came out in procession to meet it. 6 62 COLONEL GARDINER— INDIAN VIRTUE. COLONEL GARDINER. The day before the battle of Preston Pans he rode through the ranks of his regiment, and addressed his men in the most respectful and animating manner. Perceiving a timidity in part of his troops, he determined to set them a spirited example. "I cannot," said he, "influence the conduct of others as I could wish, but I have one life to sacrifice to my country's safety, and I shall not spare it." They continued under arms all night, and in the morning, by break of day, perceived the approach of the rebel army, under Prince Charles. The Highlanders, though half-armed, charged with such impetuosity, that in less than ten minutes after the battle began the King's troops were broken and totally routed. After Colonel Gardiner's own regiment of dragoons had forsaken him, perceiving a party of the foot continuing to oppose the enemy, without an officer, he immediately headed them, though already twice wounded, exclaiming, " Fight on, my lads, and fear nothing." At the instant he was cut down by the scythe of a Highlander, fas- tened to a long pole, and fell, covered with wounds. When the engagement was over Colonel Gardiner was pointed out to Charles, among those who had fallen in the field. The Pretender stooping over him, gently raised his head from the ground, and exclaimed, " Poor Gardiner, would to God I could restore thy life !" INDIAN VIRTUE. A married woman of the Shawanee Indians made this beautiful reply to a man whom she met in the woods, and who implored her to love and look on him. " Oulman, my husband," said she, " who is for ever before my eyes, hinders me from seeing you, or any other person." Death of Colonel Gardiner. (63) NOBLE RESIGNATION. 65 NOBLE RESIGNATION. N the reduction of Louisbourg, in 1758, the Island of St. John's, in the entrance of the Gulf of St. Law- rence, capitulated, on the condition ll/ that the inhabitants should be sent to France. The Duke William transport, commanded by Captain Nicholls, took on board nearly four hundred of them; but on her way home encountered a violent storm, which nearly dashed her to pieces. Every effort was made to preserve the ship, in which the French, and even the women, greatly assisted. There was a prisoner on board, w T ho was a hundred and ten years of age, the father of the whole island of St. John's, and who had a number of children, grandchildren and other rela- tions on board. This gentleman seeing no hopes that the ves- sel could be saved, w 7 ent to Captain Nicholls, and taking him in his arms, said, that he came by desire of the whole of his countrymen, to request that he and his men would endeavour to save their own lives in the boats. " And," said the vener- able patriarch, while the tears trickled down his furrowed cheeks, " as the boats are insufficient to carry more than you and your crew, we will not be accessary to your destruction. We are well convinced, by your whole conduct, that you have done everything in your power for our preservation ; but God Almighty seems to have ordained that many of us must perish, and our only wish and hope is, that you and your men may reach the shore in safety." Such generosity and gratitude for only doing a duty in en- deavouring to save the lives of the prisoners, as well as their own, astonished Captain Nicholls, and he replied, that although there were no hopes of life, yet, as they had all embarked in 6* 66 HONOURABLE CONVICTS. the same unhappy voyage, they would all take the same chance, and share the same fate. The old gentleman strongly remonstrated, and reminded the captain that, if he did not ac- quaint his people with the offer, he would have to answer for their lives. Captain Nicholls then mentioned it to the crew,^ who said they would cheerfully remain on board, if any plan could be devised for the preservation of the others ; but that being impossible, they would not refuse to comply with their earnest request. The people, then thanking them for their great kindness, bade them an eternal farewell ; and hastening down the stern ladder, got into the boat, to the number of twenty-seven.- A French priest, who was under strong ap- prehensions of death, was at his earnest request taken into the boat. Just as they had left the vessel, her decks blew up — she instantly sunk in the ocean, and three hundred and sixty persons perished with her. Captain Nicholls and his men reached the coast of Cornwall in safety, and landed at Pen- zance. HONOURABLE CONVICTS. At the time of the yellow fever at Philadelphia, in 1793, great difficulty was found in obtaining nurses and attendants for the sick at Bush-Hill Hospital. Recourse was had to the prison. The request was made, and the apparent danger stated to the convicts. As many offered as were wanted. They continued faithful till the dreadful scene was closed ; none of them making any demand for their services, till all were discharged. One man committed for a burglary, who had seven years to serve, observed, when the request was made to him, that having offended society, he would he happy to render it some services for the injury; and if they could only place confi- PATRIOT MOTHER. 67 dence in him, he would go with cheerfulness. He went ; he never left it but once, and then by permission, to obtain some articles in the city. His conduct was so remarkable, as to engage the attention of the managers, who made him a deputy steward ; gave him the charge of the doors, to prevent im- proper persons from going into the hospital ; to preserve order in and about the house ; and to see that nothing came to, or went from it, improperly. He was paid ; and after receiving an extra compensation at his discharge, married one of the nurses. Another man convicted of a robbery, was taken out for the purpose of attending a horse and cart, to bring such provisions from the vicinity of the city, as were there deposited for the use of the poor, by those who were afraid to come in. He had the sole charge of the cart, and conveying the articles for the whole period. He had many years to serve, and might at any time have departed with the horse, cart, and provisions. He despised, however, such a breach of trust, and returned to prison. He was soon after pardoned, with the thanks of the inspectors ! An equally striking instance of the good conduct of the prisoners during the sickness, happened among the women. When requested to give up their bedsteads for the use of the sick, at the hospital, they cheerfully offered even their bedding, &c. When a similar request was made to the debtors, they all refused. PATRIOT MOTHER. In the revolution of South America, the females of Carac- cas took a considerable share, by their influence over their husbands and children. % One of these, Madame Montilla, a lady of noble family, had three sons in the army ; the eldest G8 WASHINGTON. retired to North America, in disgust at the conduct of Miran- da, who he foresaw would be the ruin of his country. The second son Pablo, was induced, by the arts of a step-brother, to desert over to Monteverde, when on his way to Caraccas. The mother was so incensed at his conduct, that, in a formal manner, she disinherited him. After Monteverde had got possession of Caraccas, he waited upon her, and expostulated with her on what he called the rash step she had taken ; hinting, that if she would alter her will, and revoke her sentiments against Pablo, her other son, Thomas, who was then in chains in a dungeon in Lagui- ra, should be released. Indignant at such a proposal, she ex- claimed, with all the pride and firmness of a Roman matron, " I glory in what I have done ; and while my son Pablo may descend to the grave with the curses of his mother on his head, I shall exult in my son Thomas expiring in chains, a martyr to liberty and his country, rather than he should have his freedom on such dishonourable conditions." The general departed in confusion at this display of female patriotism, and was compelled to respect, where he could not punish. WASHINGTON. When General Washington, the immortal saviour of his country, had closed his career in the French and Indian war, and had become a member of the House of Burgesses, the speaker, Robinson, was directed, by a vote of the house, to return their thanks to that gentleman, on behalf of the colony, for the distinguished military services which he had rendered to his country. As soon as Washington took his seat, Mr. Robinson, in obedience to this order, and following the impulse of his own generous and grateful heart, discharged the duty with great dignity ; but with such warmth of colouring and MEMORY. 69 strength of expression, as entirely confounded the young hero. He rose to express his acknowledgements for the honour ; but such were his trepidation and confusion, that he could not give distinct utterance to a single syllable. He blushed, stam- mered, and trembled, for a second ; when the speaker relieved him, by a stroke of address that would have done honour to Louis XIV. in his proudest and happiest, moments. " Sit down, Mr. Washington, " said he, with a conciliating smile ; " your modesty is equal to your valor ; and that surpasses the power of any language that I possess." MEMORY. ROFESSOR PORSON, when a boy atEton School, discovered the most astonishing powers of memory. In going up to a les- son one day, he was accosted by a boy in the same form — " Porson, what have you got there V 9 " Horace." " Let me look at it." Porson handed the book to the boy; who pretending to return it, dexterously substituted another in its place, with which Porson proceeded. Being called on by the master, he read and construed Carm. 1, x. very regularly. Observing the class to laugh, the master said, " Porson, you seem to me to be reading on the wrong side of the page, while I am looking at the other ; pray whose edition have you?" Porson hesitated. "Let me see it," rejoined the master ; who, to his great surprise, found it to be an English Ovid. Porson was ordered to go on ; which he did easily, correctly, and promptly, to the end of the ode. 70 FAMILY NECESSITY HONOURABLE DEBTOR. Dr. Franklin relates the following anecdote of Mr. Den- ham, an American merchant, with whom he once went a passenger to England, " He had formerly," he says, " been in business at Bristol, had failed, in debt to a number of peo- ple, compounded, and went to America ; there, by a close application to business as a merchant, he acquired a plentiful fortune in a few years. Returning to England in the ship with me, he invited his old creditors to an entertainment, at which he thanked them for the easy compensation they had favoured him with ; and when they expected nothing but the treat, every man, at the first remove, found under his plate an order on a banker for the full amount of the unpaid remainder, with interest." FAMILY NECESSITY. An aged couple in New York were, in the severe winter o* 1783, reduced to their last stick of wood. Their only daughter, by whose industry alone they had long been supported, had no means of procuring her parents fuel or food. In this dis- tressing emergency, she thought of the expedient of going to a dentist, with the resolution of disposing of her fore-teeth, knowing that he had advertised to give three guineas for every sound fore-tooth, provided only that he was allowed to extract it himself. On her arrival, she made known the circumstan- ces which induced her to make the sacrifice ; which so affec- ted the dentist, that he could not forbear shedding tears. He made her a present of ten guineas ; with which, with heart full of joy, she hastened home to relieve her parents. LOVE OF COUNTRY. 71 LOVE OF COUNTRY. Patriotism, or the love of country, is so general, that even a desert is remembered with pleasure, provided it is our own. The Cretans called it by a name which indicated a mother's love for her children. — The Ethiopian imagines that God made his sands and deserts, while angels only were employed in forming the rest of the globe. The Arabian tribe of Ouadelin conceive that the sun, moon, and stars, rise only for them. The Maltese, insulated on a rock, distinguish their island, by the appellation of " The Flower of the World ;" and the Caribbees esteem their country a Paradise, and themselves alone entitled to the name of men. The Abbe de Lille relates of an Indian, who, amid the splen- dour of Paris, beholding a banana tree in the Jardin des Plantes, bathed it with tears, and for a moment seemed to be trans- ported to his own land. And w T hen an European advised some American Indians to emigrate to another district, " What," said they, " shall we say to the bones of our fathers, Arise, and follow us to a foreign country ?" Bosman relates, that the negroes of the Gold Coast of Africa are so desirous of being buried in their own country, that if a man die at some distance from it, and his friends are not able to take his entire body to his native spot, they cut off his head, one arm, and one leg, cleanse them, boil them, and then carry them to the desired spot, where they inter them with great solemnity. And the Javanese have such an affec- tion for the place of their nativity, that no advantages can in- duce them, the agricultural tribes in particular, to quit the tombs of their fathers. The Norwegians, proud of their barren summits, inscribe upon their rix dollars — " Spirit, loyalty, valour, and whatever is honourable, let the world learn among the rocks of Nor- way !" 72 PATRICK HENRY. PATRICK HENRY. The moment that the United States had established their independence on a firm basis, Patrick Henry, so renowned for the bold and active part which he took in effecting this revolution, was the first to forget all previous animosities, and to hold out the hand of reconciliation and peace. He was a strong advocate for every measure which could induce the return of the refugees, who had espoused the cause of the mother-country; and made a proposition in their favour, which was very severely animadverted upon by some of the most respected members of Congress. Among others, Judge Tyler, the speaker of the Assembly, vehemently opposed him, and in a committee of the House, demanded " how he, above all other men, could think of inviting into his family, an enemy from whose insults and injuries he had suffered so severely V 9 The following was his prompt and beautiful reply : " I acknowledge, indeed, sir, that I have many personal in- juries of which to complain ; but when I enter this hall of legislation, I endeavour, as far as human infirmity will per- mit, to leave all personal feelings behind me. This question is a national one, and in deciding it, if you act wisely, you will regard nothing but the interest of the nation. On the altar of my country's good, I am willing to sacrifice all personal resentments, all private wrongs, and I am sure I should most absurdly flatter myself, if I thought that I was the only person in this House capable of making such a sacrifice." Mr. Henry then proceeded to show, in a very forcible man- ner, the policy of using every possible means of augmenting the population of a country as yet so thinly inhabited as America; whose future greatness he thus prophetically depicted : " Encourage emigration — encourage the husbandmen, the mechanics, the merchants of the old world, to come and settle DR. FRANKLIN. 73 in this land of promise — make it the home of the skilful, the industrious, and happy, as well as the asylum of the distressed — fill up the measure of your population as speedily as you can, by the means which Heaven hath placed in your power — and, I venture to prophesy, there are those now living, who will see this favoured land amongst the most powerful on earth. Yes, sir, they will see her great in arts, and in arms — her golden harvests waving over immeasurable extent — her commerce penetrating the most distant seas, and her can- non silencing the vain boast of those who now affect to rule the waves." Mr. Henry's proposition was carried, and every succeeding year proves that his anticipations were well founded. America soon experienced the policy of his counsels ; and tide after tide, emigration has ever since continued to roll wealth and improvement over her provinces. DR. FRANKLIN. Dr. Franklin, in the early part of his life, and when follow- ing the business of a printer, had occasion to travel from Philadelphia to Boston. In his journey, he stopped at one of the inns, the landlord of which possessed all the inquisitive impertinence of his countrymen. Franklin had scarcely sat himself down to supper, when his landlord began to torment him with questions. He, well knowing the disposition of these people, and knowing that answering one question would only pave the way for twenty more, determined to stop the land- lord at once, by requesting to see his wife, children, and ser- vants, in short, the whole of his household. When they were summoned, Franklin, with an arch solemnity, said, " My good friends, I sent for you here to give you an account of myself: My name is Benjamin Franklin ; I am a printer, of nineteen 7 74 GENERAL PUTNAM. years of age ; reside at Philadelphia, and am now going to Boston. I sent for you all, that if you wish for any further particulars, you may ask, and I will inform you ; which done, I hope you will permit me to eat my supper in peace." GENERAL PUTNAM Is known to have been decidedly opposed to duelling, on principle. It once happened that he grossly affronted a bro- ther officer. The dispute arose at a wine table, and the offi- cer demanded instant reparation. Putnam, being a little ele- vated, expressed his willingness to accommodate the gentle- man with a fight ; and it was stipulated that the duel should take place on the following morning, and that they should fight without seconds. At the appointed time, the general went on to the ground, armed with sword and pistols. On entering the field, Putnam, who had taken a stand at the opposite ex- tremity, and at a distance of thirty rods, levelled his musket, and fired at him. The gentleman now ran towards his antag- onist, who deliberately proceeded to reload his gun. , " What are you about to do V 9 exclaimed he ; — " is this the conduct of an American officer, and a man of honour ?" "What are you about to do?" exclaimed the General, attend- ing only to the first question ; " a pretty question to put to a man whom you intend to murder ! I 'm about to kill you ; and if you don't beat a retreat in less time than t' would take old Heath to hang a tory, you are a gone dog ;" at the same time returning his ramrod to its place, and throwing the breech of his gun into the hollow of his shoulder. This intimation was too unequivocal to be misunderstood; and our valorous duellist turned and fled for dear life. It is believed that this was the only single combat in which The Charitable Children. (76) THE CHARITABLE CHILDREN. 77 Putnam was ever engaged — a circumstance the more to be wondered at, as he was exceedingly fiery and impetuous in his disposition. However well his reputation for courage might have been, association with officers of all descriptions, during a war of eight years' continuance, must have brought him into situations in which it required a great degree of forbear- ance to avoid personal combats. THE CHARITABLE CHILDREN. Morvan, a widower, came to Paris last winter with his son, from a great distance, for the sake of obtaining work at the fortifications. He procured a place for his son Giles, a boy of nine years old, at the school of Passy, kept by Mr. Benja- min Delessert. Both father and son were in the greatest poverty ; so that they often went to bed without any supper. " We are going to do without food at our house, to night," said the boy, one day, to one of his school-fellows, " for we have no bread." Immediately a boy almost as poor, named Toussaint An- toine, offered to share his meal with them; and one by one, all the others, touched by the description of such extreme pov- erty, agreed to bring each a piece of bread daily, so as to provide not only for the boy, but for his father also, who was thrown out of work, by the bad weather. Sometimes they even brought him small pieces of money, and articles of cloth- ing, shoes, &c. : so that Giles carried home every evening, food enough for their supper, and for their breakfast, the fol- lowing morning. When the father and son returned home in the Spring, it is to be supposed they did not soon forget these charitable boys. 78 HENRY CLAY AMERICAN RUSTIC HOSPITALITY. ETURNING from an excursion, says a late traveller in the west, I was overtaken by night, and found my path obstructed by a deep inlet, which, being choked with logs and brush, could not be crossed by swimming. Observing a house on the opposite side, I called for assistance. A half-naked, ill-looking fellow came down, and after dragging a canoe round from the river, with some trouble, ferried me over, and I followed him to his habitation, near to which our boat was moored for the night. His cabin was of the mean- est kind, consisting of a single apartment, constructed of logs, which contained a family of seven or eight souls, and every- thing seemed to designate him as a new and unthrifty settler. After drinking a bowl of milk, which I really called for by way of excuse for paying him a little more for his trouble, I asked to know his charge for ferrying me over the water, to which he good-humoredly replied, that he " never took money for helping a traveller on his way." " Then let me pay you for your milk." " I never sell milk." " But," said I, urging him, " I would rather pay you, I have money enough." " Well," said he, " I have milk enough, so we're even ; I have as good a right to give you milk as you have to give me money." HENRY CLAY. A few years since, shortly after the agitation of the famous compensation bill in Congress, Mr. Clay, who voted in favor of this bill, upon returning home to his constituents, found a formidable opposition arrayed against his re-election. After KOSCIUSKO. 79 addressing the people from the hustings, previous to the open- ing of the poll, he stepped down into the crowd, where he met an old and influential friend of his, named Scott, one of the first settlers of Kentucky, and of course, in his younger days, a great huntsman. This gentleman, stepping up, addressed Mr. Clay as follows — " Well, well, Harry, I 've been with you in six troubles ; I am sorry I must now desert you in the seventh ; you have voted for that miserable compensation bill ; I must now turn my back upon you." " Is it so, friend Scott ? Is this the only objection V 9 " It is." " We must get over it the best way we can. You are an old huntsman V 9 " Yes." " You have killed many a fat bear and buck V 9 " Yes." " I believe you have a very good rifle ?" " Yes, as good a one as ever cracked." " Well, did you ever have a fine buck be- fore you, when your gun snapped V 9 " The like of that has happened." " Well, now, friend Scott, did you take that faith- ful rifle and break it all to pieces on the very next log you came to, or did you pick the flint and try it again V 9 The tear stood in the old man's eyes. The chord was touched. " No, Harry, I picked the flint, and tried her again; and I '11 try you again ; give us your hand." We need scarcely say that the welkin rung with the huzzaing plaudits of the by-standers. Clay was borne off to the hustings and re-elected. KOSCIUSKO. « Hope for a season bade the world farewell, And freedom shriek' d when Kosciusko fell." Campbell, The virtuous hero of Poland, Thaddeus Kosciusko, was born in Lithuania, and educated at Warsaw. When very young, he was informed that the Americans were preparing to shake off the yoke of Britain. His ardent and generous mind caught Kosciusko. (81) 82 KOSCIUSKO. with enthusiasm the opportunity thus afforded for aspiring ge- nius, and from that moment he became the devoted soldier of liberty. His rank in the American army afforded him no opportunity greatly to distinguish himself. But he was remarked through- out his service for all the qualities which adorned the human character. His heroic valour in the field, could only be equal- led by his moderation and affability in the walks of private life. He was idolized by the soldiers for his bravery, and beloved and respected by the officers for the goodness of his heart, and the great qualities of his mind. Contributing greatly by his exertions to the establishment of the independence of America, he might have remained and shared the blessings it dispensed, under the protection of a chief w T ho loved and honoured him, and in the bosom of a peo- ple whose independence he had so bravely fought to achieve ; but Kosciusko had other views ; he had drunk deep of the principles of the American revolution, and he wished to pro- cure the same advantages for his native country — for Poland, which had a claim to all his efforts, to all his services. That unhappy nation groaned under a complication of evils which has scarcely a parallel in history. The mass of the people were the abject slaves of the nobles ; the nobles torn into factions, were alternately the instruments and the victims of their powerful and ambitious neighbours. By intrigue, cor- ruption, and force, some of its fairest provinces had been sep- arated from the republic ; and the people, like beasts, trans- ferred to foreign despots, who were again watching a favour- able moment for a second dismemberment. To regenerate a people thus debased ; to obtain for a country thus circumstan- ced, the blessings of liberty and independence ; was a work of as much difficulty as danger. But to a mind like Kosci- usko's the difficulty and danger of an enterprise served but as stimulants to undertake it. The annals of these times give us no detailed account of the KOSCIUSKO. 83 progress of Kosciusko in accomplishing his great work, from the period of his return from America, to the adoption of the New Constitution of Poland in 1791. This interval, however, of apparent inaction, was most usefully employed to illume the mental darkness which enveloped his countrymen. To stimu- late the ignorant and bigoted peasantry with the hope of a future emancipation ; to teach a proud but gallant nobility, that true glory is only to be found in the paths of duty and patriot- ism ; interests the most opposed, prejudices the most stub- born, and habits the most inveterate, were reconciled, dissipa- ted, and broken, by the ascendency of his virtues and example. The storm which he had foreseen, and for which he had been preparing, at length burst upon Poland. A feeble and unpopu- lar government bent before its fury, and submitted itself to the yoke of the Russian invader. But the nation disdained to fol- low its example ; in their extremity, every eye was turned on the hero who had already fought their battles ; the sage who had enlightened them ; and the patriot who set the example of personal sacrifices, to accomplish the emancipation of the people. Kosciusko made his first campaign as brigadier-general, under the orders of Prince John Poniatowski. In the second, in 1794, he was appointed generalissimo of Poland, with un- limited powers, until the enemy should be driven from the country. Without funds, without magazines, without fortresses, Kos- ciusko maintained his army for nine months against forces in- finitely superior. Poland then only existed in his camp. De- votedness made up for the want of resources, and courage supplied the deficiency of arms ; for the general had imparted his noble character to all his soldiers. Like him, they knew no danger, they dreaded no fatigues, when the honour and liberty of Poland were depending ; like him, they endeavoured to lessen the sacrifices which w r ere required of the inhabitants for national independence ; and their obedience to their vene- 84 KOSCIUSKO. rated chief was the more praiseworthy as it was voluntary. He held his authority by no other tenure than that of his vir- tues. Guided by his talents, and led by his valour, his undis- ciplined and ill-armed militia charged with effect the veteran Russians and Prussians ; the mailed cuirassiers of the great Frederick, for the first time, broke and fled before the cavalry of Poland. Hope filled the breasts of the patriots. After a long night, the dawn of an apparently glorious day broke upon Poland. But, to the discerning eye of Kosciusko, the light which it shed was of that sickly and portentous appearance, which indicated a storm more dreadful than that which he had resisted. He prepared to meet it with firmness, but with means en- tirely inadequate. In addition to the advantages of numbers, of tactics, of discipline, and inexhaustible resources, the com- bined despots had secured a faction in the heart of Poland. The unequal struggle could not be long maintained, and the day at length came, which was to decide the fate of Poland and its hero. Heaven, for wise purposes, determined that it should be the last of Polish liberty. It was decided, indeed, before the battle commenced. The traitor Poniski, who cov- ered with a detachment the advance of the Polish army, aban- doned his position to the enemy, and retreated. Kosciusko was astonished, but not dismayed. The disposi- tion of his army would have done honour to Hannibal. The succeeding conflict was terrible. When the talents of the gene- ral could no longer direct the mingled mass of combatants, the arm of the warrior was brought to the aid of his soldiers. He performed prodigies of valour. The fabled prowess of Ajax, in defending the Grecian ships, was realized by the Polish hero. Nor was he badly seconded by his troops. As long as his voice could guide, or his example fire their valour, they were irresistible. In this unequal contest Kosciusko was long seen, and finally lost to their view. He fell covered with wounds ; and a Cossack was on the point of piercing one of KOSCIUSKO. 85 the best hearts that ever warmed a virtuous bosom, when an officer interposed. " Suffer him to execute his purpose," said the bleeding hero; " I am the devoted soldier of my country, and will not survive its liberties." The name of Kosciusko struck to the heart of the Tartar, like that of Marius upon the Cimbrian warrior. The uplifted weapon dropped from his hand. Kosciusko was conveyed to the dungeons of Petersburgh ; and, to the eternal disgrace of the Empress Catherine, she made him the object of her vengeance, when he could no longer be the object of her fears. But the Emperor Paul, on his accession to the throne, thought he could not grant the Po- lish nation a more acceptable favour, than to restore to liberty the hero whom they regretted. He himself announced to General Kosciusko, that his captivity was at an end. He wished him to accept, moreover, a present of fifty thousand ducats of Holland ; but the General refused it. Kosciusko preferred rather to depend for subsistence on the recompense to which his services in America had entitled him. With this humble fortune, obtained in so honourable a way, he lived for a while in the United States ; then in France, near Fontainbleau, in the family of Zeltner ; and lastly, in Switzerland. From that time, he refused to take any part in the affairs of his country, for fear of endangering the national tranquillity, the offers that were made to him being accom- panied with no sufficient guarantee. Bonaparte often endeavoured to draw Kosciusko from his retirement, and once issued an address to the Poles in his name ; but though the virtuous general still loved his country, he well knew that its emancipation could not be achieved under such auspices. Though an exile from his country, the Poles still considered themselves as his children ; and presented with just pride to other nations, that model of the virtues of their country, that man so pure and upright — so great at the head of an army, 8 86 KOSCIUSKO. so modest in private life, so formidable to his enemies in bat- tle, so humane and kind to the vanquished, and so zealous for the glory and independence of his country. In the invasion of France in 1814, some Polish regiments, in the service of Russia, passed through the village where this exiled patriot then lived. Some pillaging of the inhabitants brought Kosciusko from his cottage. " When I was a Polish soldier/' said he, addressing the plunderers, " the property of the peaceful citizen was respected." " And who art thou," said an officer, " who addressest us with a tone of authority?' " I am Kosciusko." There was magic in the word. It ran from corps to corps. The march was suspended. They gathered round him, and gazed with astonishment and awe upon the mighty ruin he presented. " Could it indeed be their hero," whose fame was identified with that of their country? A thousand interesting reflections burst upon their minds: they remembered his patriotism, his devotion to liberty, his tri- umphs, and his glorious fall. Their iron hearts were softened, and the tear of sensibility trickled down their weather-beaten faces. We can easily conceive what would be the feelings of the hero himself in such a scene. His great heart must have heaved with emotion, to find himself once more sur- rounded by the companions of his glory; and that he would have been upon the point of saying to them, " Behold your general come once more To lead you on to laurell'd victory, To fame, to freedom." The delusion could have lasted but for a moment. He was himself, alas ! a miserable cripple ; and, for them ! they were no longer the soldiers of liberty, but the instruments of am- bition and tyranny. Overwhelmed with grief at the reflection, he would retire to his cottage, to mourn afresh over the mise- ries of his country. Kosciusko died at Soleure, on the 15th of October, 1817. A fall from his horse, by which he was dragged over a pre- A LATE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 87 cipice not far from Vevay, was the cause of his death. A funeral service was celebrated in honour of him, in the church of St. Roche at Paris, which was honoured with the most dis- tinguished personages of every nation, then in the French capital. The name of Kosciusko belongs to the civilized world, and his virtues to humanity. Poland laments in him a patriot whose life was consecrated to the cause of her liberty and independence. America includes him among her illus- trious defenders. France and Switzerland admired him as the man of beneficence and virtue; and Russia, by whom his country was conquered, never beheld a man more unshaken in his principles or firmer in adversity. A LATE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND. After the sanguinary battle of Bunker's Hill, Earl Percy gave to the widow of every soldier in his regiment who fell in the battle, an immediate benefaction of seven dollars ; he paid their passage home, and ordered five guineas to be given to each of them on their landing in Britain. His humanity to the sick and wounded, whom he supplied with wine, fresh pro- visions, &c, and his generosity to their families during their long stay at Boston, were unparalleled. He had a large tent, provided for every company at his own expense, to accommo- date the women; and he made it a rule to receive no other servants into his family but soldiers or their wives. Though his regiment was distinguished for its admirable discipline, yet he never suffered his men to be struck ; but won them to their duty by generous treatment, by rewards, and by his own excellent example, requiring no service from the meanest sen- tinel which he was not ready to share with him, whether of hardship, fatigue, or danger. 88 ROGER SHERMAN. ROGER SHERMAN. OUND practical wisdom was a predominant trait in the charac- ter of Roger Sherman. He pos- sessed, more than most men, an intimate acquaintance with human nature. He understood the springs of human action in a remarkable degree, and well knew in what manner to touch them, to produce a designed effect. This practical wisdom, another name for common sense, powerfully contri- buted to guide him to safe results, on all the great political questions in which he was concerned ; and assisted him to select the means which were best adapted to accomplish the best ends. With the habits and opinions, with the virtues and vices, the prejudices and weaknesses of his countrymen, he was also well acquainted. Hence, he understood, better than many others, who were superior to him in the rapidity of their genius, what laws and principles they would bear, and what they would not bear in government. Of the practical wisdom of Mr. Sherman, we might furnish many honourable testimonies and numerous illustrations. We must content ourselves, however, with recording a remark of President Jefferson, to the late Dr. Spring, of Newburyport. During the sitting of Congress at Philadelphia, the latter gentleman, in company with Mr. Jefferson, visited the national hall. Mr. Jefferson pointed out to the doctor several of the members, who were most conspicuous. At length, his eye rested upon Roger Sherman. " That," said he, pointing his finger, " is Mr. Sherman, of Connecticut, a man who never said a foolish thing in his life" Not less complimentary was the remark of Mr. Macon, the aged and distinguished senator, who has recently retired from public life : " Roger Sherman had more common sense than any man I ever knew." ROGER SHERMAN. 89 Another distinguishing trait in the character of Roger Sher- man, was his unbending integrity. No man, probably, ever stood more aloof from the suspicion of a selfish bias, or of sinister motives. In both his public and private conduct, he was actuated by principle. The opinion which appeared cor- rect, he adopted, and the measure which appeared the best, he pursued, apparently uninfluenced by passion, prejudice, or interest. It was probably owing to this trait in the character, that he enjoyed such extraordinary influence in those delibe- rative bodies of which he was a member. In his speech, he was slow and hesitating. He had few of the graces of ora- tory; yet no man w T as heard with deeper attention. This attention arose from the solid conviction of his hearers, that he was an honest man. What he said, was indeed always applicable to the point, was clear, was weighty; and, as the late President Dwight remarked, was generally new and im- portant. Yet the weight of his observations, obviously sprung from the integrity of the man. It was this trait in his charac- ter, which elicited the observation of the distinguished Fisher Ames. " If I am absent," said he, " during the discussion of a subject, and consequently know r not on which side to vote, I always look at Roger Sherman, for I am sure if I vote with him I shall vote right" To the above excellent traits in the character of Mr. Sher- man, it may be added, that he was eminently a pious man. He was long a professor of religion, and one of its brightest ornaments. Nor was his religion that which appeared only on occasions. It was with him a principle and a habit. It appeared in the closet, in the family, on the bench, and in the senate-house. Few men had a higher reverence for the bible; few men studied it with deeper attention; few were more inti- mately acquainted with the doctrines of the gospel, and the metaphysical controversies of the day. On these subjects, he maintained an extended correspondence with some of the most distinguished divines of that period, among whom were 8* 90 ROGER SHERMAN. Dr. Edwards, Dr. Hopkins, Dr. Trumbull, President Dicken- son, and President Witherspoon, all of whom had a high opi- nion of him as a theologian, and derived much instruction from their correspondence with him. If the character of a man's religion is to be tested by the fruits it produces, the religion of Mr. Sherman must be ad- mitted to have been not of this world. He was naturally possessed of strong passions; but over these he at length ob- tained an extraordinary control. He became habitually calm, sedate, and self-possessed. The following instance of his self- possession is worthy of being recorded. Mr. Sherman was one of those men who are not ashamed to maintain the forms of religion in his family. One morning he called them together, as usual, to lead them in prayer to God: the " old family bible" was brought out, and laid on the table. Mr. Sherman took his seat, and beside him placed one of his children, a small child, a child of his old age; the rest of the family were seated round the room ; several of these were now grown up. Besides these, some of the tutors of the college, and it is believed, some of the students, were board- ers in the family, and were present at the time alluded to. His aged, and now superannuated mother, occupied a corner of the room, opposite to the place where the distinguished Judge of Connecticut sat. At length he opened the Bible, and began to read. The child which was seated beside him made some little disturbance, upon which Mr. Sherman paused, and told it to be still. Again he proceeded, but again he paused, to reprimand the little offender, whose playful disposition would scarcely permit it to be still. At this time, he gently tapped its ear. The blow, if it might be called a blow, caught the attention of his aged mother, who now with some effort rose from her seat and tottered across the room. At length, she reached the chair of Mr. Sherman, and in a moment most unexpected to him, she gave him a blow on the ear, with all HOW TO PAY FOR A FARM. 91 the power she could summon. " There" said she, " you strike your child, and I will strike mine.' 99 For a moment, the blood was seen rushing to the face of Mr. Sherman ; but it was only for a moment, when all was as mild and calm as usual. He paused — he raised his spec- tacles — he cast his eye upon his mother — again it fell upon the book, from which he had been reading. Perhaps he re- membered the injunction, " honour thy mother," and he did honour her. Not a word escaped him ; but again he calmly pursued the service, and soon after sought in prayer ability to set an example before his household, which should be wor- thy their imitation. Such self-possession is rare. Such a victory was worth more than the proudest victory ever achieved in the field of battle. HOW TO PAY FOR A FARM. A man in the town of D , some twenty years ago, went to a merchant in Portsmouth, N. H., who was also pre- sident of a bank, and stated that he lived on a farm, the home of his fathers, which had descended to him by right of inhe- ritance : that this, his only property, worth two thousand dol- lars, was mortgaged for one thousand, to a merciless creditor, and that the time of redemption would be out in a week. He closed by asking for a loan to the amount of his debt, for which he offered to re-mortgage his farm. Mer. — I have no money to spare ; and if I could relieve you now, a similar difficulty would probably arise in a year or two. Far. — No : I would make every exertion, I think I could clear it. Mer. — Well, if you will obey my directions I can put you in a way to get the money; but it will require the greatest 8* 92 MAGNANIMITY OF A BRITISH SOLDIER. prudence and resolution. If you can get a good endorser on a note, you shall have money from the bank, and you can mortgage your farm to the endorser, for his security. You must pay in one hundred dollars every sixty days. Can you doit? Far. — I can get Mr. for endorser, and I can raise the hundred dollars for every payment but the first. Mer. — Then borrow a hundred dollars more than you want, and let it lie in the bank: you will lose only one dollar interest. But mind, in order to get along, you must spend nothing, buy nothing: make a box to hold all the money you get, as a sa- cred deposite. He departed. The note was discounted and the payment punctually made. In something more than two years he came again into the store of the merchant, and exclaimed, " I am a free man, I don't owe any man ten dollars, but look at me." He was embrowned with labour, and his clothes, from head to foot, were a tissue of darns and patches. " My wife looks worse than I do." " So you have cleared your farm," said the merchant. " Yes," answered he, " and now / know how to get another." MAGNANIMITY OF A BRITISH SOLDIER. The following anecdote, says a correspondent in the Ame- rican " Village Record," comes from a source entitled to perfect credit. During the revolutionary war, two British soldiers, of the army of Lord Cornwallis, went into a house, and abused the inmates in a most cruel and shameful manner. A third soldier, in going into the house, met them coming out, and knew them. The people acquitted him of all blame, but he was imprisoned because he refused to disclose the names of the offenders. Every art was tried, but in vain; at length he was condemned by a court martial to die. When on the GENERAL WILLIAM WASHINGTON. 93 gallows, Lord Cornwallis, surprised at his pertinacity, rode near him. " Campbell," said he, " what a fool are you to die thus. Disclose the names of the guilty men, and you shall be imme- diately released ; otherwise you have not fifteen minutes to live." " You are in an enemy's country, my Lord," replied Camp- bell, " you can better spare one man than two." Firmly adhering to his purpose, he died. Does history furnish a similar instance of such strange de- votion for a mistaken point of honour? GENERAL WILLIAM WASHINGTON. The eclat of his military services occasioned his immediate election to the Legislature, where it soon became evident, that he possessed every requisite to render himself as much distinguished in council, as he had been in the field. His intuitive knowledge was great ; and by his assiduous applica- tion to business, received daily improvement. His friends, who clearly perceived that he possessed far greater claims to talent, than his extreme modesty would admit, were anxious to place him at the head of the State Government ; but, it was in vain that they essayed to excite him to become a candidate for the office. " My ambition is," he constantly said, " to devote my services to my country; but, there are two power- ful reasons which render it impossible for me to aspire to the honour of governing the State. The first is, that till lately I w 7 as a stranger among you ; and, in my opinion, the Chief Executive Officer should be a native of the land on which he presides. Nor would I, on the score of qualification, put my talents in competition with those of many able men, who are ambitious of the honour. My other reason is insurmountable. 94 GENERAL C. C. PINCKNEY. If I were elected Governor, I should be obliged to make a speech; and I know, that in doing so, without gaining credit in your estimation, the consciousness of inferiority would humble me in my own — / cannot make a speech" GENERAL C. C. PINCKNEY. In 1794, his firm opposition to the arrogance of the French Directory, demanding tribute as the price of peace, obtained for him the universal applause of his country ; nor can it be forgotten, while the hallowed standard, raised at the construc- tion of the lines for the defence of Charleston, on the Pinck- ney redoubt, proclaims the cherished sentiment of America — " Millions for defence, but not a cent for tribute" Another trait of character, exhibited at a later period, I cannot withhold from view. An officer of rank, talent, and distinguished military services, having been nominated in 1794, to a command inferior to General Hamilton's, indig- nantly exclaimed — " Though my salvation depended on it, I would spurn the commission, rather than serve under a man whom I had once commanded." When General C. C. Pinck- ney, on his return from France, was informed that General Hamilton, his junior in rank, had been placed above him, by the nomination of General Washington, in the true spirit of patriotism, he replied—" I am confident that the Commander in Chief had sufficient reasons for this preference. Let us first dispose of our enemies — we shall then have leisure to settle the question of rank." It is a due tribute to the disinterestedness that I venerate, that I record one other occurrence of peculiar interest. It is a fact well understood, that at the period of the struggle of party, relative to the nomination of a President of the United States, in the year 1800, that General C. C. Pinckney, by GUSTAVUS III. 95 consenting to unite his name with that of Mr. Jefferson, would have secured to himself the unanimous vote of the electors of South Carolina. But, consistent with his decided principles, such an association could not be entered into ; and to relin- quish them, satisfied as he was of their purity and correctness, with a view to self-aggrandizement, would have evinced a duplicity altogether repulsive to his nature. The scheme of union was, accordingly, dropped. The contest took place, and the dignity aspired to was obtained by Mr. Jefferson. The Ex-President Adams, writing to General Gadsden on the occasion, thus expresses himself — " I have been well informed of the frank, candid, and honourable conduct of General C. C. Pinckney at your State Election, which was conformable to the whole tenor of his actions through life, as far as they have come to my knowledge." — Garden. GUSTAVUS III. When Gustavus the Third, King of Sweden, was in France, he was frequently solicited to visit Dr. Franklin, which he always declined. One of the French guards, who could use a little freedom with his majesty, begged to know why he denied himself an honour which every crowned head in Europe would be proud to embrace? " No man," said the monarch, " regards the doctor's scientific accomplishments more than I do ; but the king, who affects to like an enthusiast for liber- ty, is a hypocrite. As a philosopher, I love and admire the doctor; but as a politician, I hate him ; and nothing shall ever induce me to appear on terms of friendship and personal es- teem, with a man whom my habits and situation oblige me to detest." 96 THE ADOPTED SISTER. THE ADOPTED SISTER. UGENIA PERRAULT, a pretty little girl of seven years old, was coming home from school, with her basket on her arm. It was five o'clock in the afternoon, and the weather was severely cold. Passing by a new building, she encountered a little girl of about her own age, who appeared half dead with cold. " Miss," said she, " have you a little piece of bread to give me ? I am very hungry." " Yes, indeed," replied Eugenia, " here is some ; but, your clothes are all damp." " Yes, I have been standing here a long time ; my father brought me here from the country, and told me to wait for him a little while ; but, he has gone away and left me." " Have you no mother ?" " She is dead." " Have you any brothers and sisters?" " Yes ; there are seven of us." " Well, then, come with me ; I have a good mother ; she will give you food to eat, and a bed to sleep in, and you shall be my sister ;" and, taking the little stranger by the hand, Eugenia led her to her own home, saying : " Mamma, here is a poor little girl, whose father has forsaken her. You will keep her, will you not ? You know, in the fable of the forsa- ken child, the good God says he will bless those who are kind to the unhappy ; and he will bless you." According to Eugenia's entreaties, the orphan was taken in by her parents, and treated as their own child. Eugenia's father was an honest laborious founder. A young princess being informed of this charming trait, sent the interesting Eugenia a valuable testimonial of her approbation. I ■■' imw The Adopted Sister. (97) COLLOQUIAL POWERS OF DR. FRANKLIN. 99 COLLOQUIAL POWERS OF DR. FRANKLIN. Never have I known such a fireside companion as he was ! Great as he was, both as a statesman and a philosopher, he never shone in a light more winning than when he was seen in a domestic circle. It was once my good fortune to pass two or three weeks with him, at the house of a private gen- tleman, in the back part of Pennsylvania ; and we were con- fined to the house during the whole of that time, by the unintermitting constancy and depth of the snows. But con- finement could never be felt where Franklin was an inmate. His cheerfulness and his colloquial powers spread around him a perpetual spring. When I speak, however, of his colloquial powers, I do not mean to awaken any notion analogous to that which Boswell has given us, when he so frequently men- tions the colloquial pow T ers of Dr. Johnson. The conversation of the latter continually reminds one of " the pomp and cir- cumstance of glorious war." It was, indeed, a perpetual contest for victory, or an arbitrary and despotic exaction of homage to his superior talents. It was strong, acute, prompt, splendid and vociferous ; as loud, stormy, and sublime, as those winds which he represents as shaking the Hebrides, and rocking the old castles that frowned upon the dark rolling sea beneath. But one gets tired of storms, however sublime they may be, and longs for the more orderly current of nature. Of Franklin no one ever became tired. There w r as no am- bition of eloquence, no effort to shine, in anything which came from him. There was nothing which made any demand either upon your allegiance or your admiration. His manner was as unaffected as infancy. It was nature's self. He talked like an old patriarch ; and his plainness and simplicity put you, at once, at your ease, and gave you the full and free possession and use of all your faculties. His thoughts were of a character to shine by their own light, without any adventitious aid. They required only a 100 A TRUE KING. medium of vision like his pure and simple style, to exhibit, to the highest advantage, their native radiance and beauty. His cheerfulness was unremitting. It seemed to be as much the effect of the systematic and salutary exercise of the mind as of its superior organization. His wit was of the first order. It did not show itself merely in occasional coruscations ; but, without any effort or force on his part, it shed a constant stream of the purest light over the whole of his discourse. Whether in the company of commons or nobles, he was al- ways the same plain man; always most perfectly at his ease, his faculties in full play, and the full orbit of his genius for ever clear and unclouded. And then the stores of his mind were inexhaustible. He had commenced life with an attention so vigilant, that nothing had escaped his observation, and a judg- ment so solid, that every incident was turned to advantage. His youth had not been wasted in idleness, nor overcast by intemperance. He had been all his life a close and deep reader, as well as thinker ; and, by the force of his own powers, had wrought up the raw materials, which he had gathered from books, with such exquisite skill and felicity, that he had added a hundred fold to their original value, and justly made them his own. A TRUE KING. When Dr. Franklin applied to the King of Prussia to lend his assistance to America, " Pray, Doctor," says the veteran, " what is the object you mean to attain ?" " Liberty, Sire," replied the philosopher, " liberty ! that freedom which is the birthright of all men." The King, after a short pause, made this memorable answer : " I was born a prince, I am become a king, and I will not use the power I possess to the ruin of my own trade." FRANKLIN. 101 GEORGE PETRIE. Where generous interposition preserves the life of an intre- pid enemy, it ought not to be passed over unnoticed. At the battle of Stono, though nearly annihilated by the charge made upon them by the American Light Infantry, led on by Colonel Henderson and Major Pinckney, no troops could have be- haved better or fought with greater obstinacy, than the de- tachment of the 7 1st British Regiment, that sallied from their line of redoubts to oppose them. A Captain Campbell was particularly distinguished, by his activity and daring courage, but ultimately subdued by the severity of his wounds, and loss of blood ; he was leaning against a tree, awaiting the result of the contest, when a Continental soldier, raising his piece, was about to inflict an exterminating thrust with the bayonet, had he not been prevented by Lieutenant George Petrie, of the South-Carolina line, who, upbraiding him for a want of hu- manity to an unresisting and fainting foe, arrested his arm, and saved his gallant enemy. Colonel Henderson, who had seen the whole transaction, at this moment rode up, and ex- claiming, " That is too brave a fellow to die," committed him to the care of the very soldier who would have destroyed him, with a strict injunction to guard him, at the peril of his life, from injury, — Garden. FRANKLIN. Dr. Franklin, in his memoirs, is particularly anxious to in- culcate the duties of industry, in order that his posterity may know the use of a virtue, to which he was so largely indebt- ed. Throughout the whole of his long life, his precept was strengthened by an example of the most remarkable industry, of which he furnishes many instances. When a printer, he 9* 102 PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON. was engaged in a work of forty sheets, on which he worked exceeding hard, for the price was low. " I composed," says he, " a sheet a day, and Meredith worked it off at press ; it was often eleven at night, and sometimes later, before I had fin- ished my distribution for the next day's work ; for the little jobs sent in by our other friends, now and then put us back. But so determined was I to continue doing a sheet a day of the folio, that one night when having imposed my forms, and I thought my day's work over, one of them by accident was broken, and two pages were reduced to pi [a printer's term for the type getting mixed and in confusion], I immediately distributed and composed it over again before I went to bed ; and this industry, visible to our neighbors, began to give us character and credit; particularly I was told, that mention being made of the new printing office, at the merchants' every night club, the general opinion was, that it must fail, there being already two printers in the place, Keimer and Bradford ; but Dr. Baird, a native of St. Andrew's in Scotland, gave a contrary opinion. 1 For the industry of that Franklin,' said he, ' is superior to anything I ever saw of the kind ; I see him still at work when I go home from the club, and he is at work again before his neighbours are out of bed.' This struck the rest, and we soon after had offers from one of them to supply us with stationary ; but as yet we did not choose to engage in shop business." PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON. BY THE MARQUIS OF CHASTELLUX. Here would be the proper place to give the portrait of General Washington : but what can my testimony add to the idea already formed of him ? The continent of North America from Boston to Charleston, is a great volume, every page of PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON. 103 which presents his eulogium. I know, that having had the opportunity of a near inspection, and of closely observing him, some more particular details may be expected from me ; but the strongest characteristic of this respectable man is the per- fect union which reigns between the physical and moral quali- ties which compose the individual : one alone will enable you to judge of all the rest. If you are presented with medals of Caesar, of Trajan, or Alexander, on examining their features, you will still be led to ask what was their stature, and the form of their persons ; but if you discover, in a heap of ruins, the head or the limb of an antique Apollo, be not curious about the other parts, but rest assured they all were conformable to those of a God. Let not this comparison be attributed to en- thusiasm ! It is not my intention to exaggerate, I wish only to express the impression General Washington has left on my mind ; the perfect idea of a perfect whole, that cannot be the produce of enthusiasm, which rather would reject it, since the effect of proportion is to diminish the idea of greatness. Brave without temerity, laborious without ambition, generous with- out prodigality, noble without pride, virtuous without severity ; he seems always to have confined himself within those limits, where the virtues, by clothing themselves in more lively, but more changeable and doubtful colours, may be mistaken for faults. This is the seventh year that he has commanded the army, and that he has obeyed the Congress ; more need not be said, especially in America, where they know how to ap- preciate all the merit contained in this simple fact. Let it be repeated that Conde was intrepid, Turenne prudent, Eugene adroit, Catinat disinterested. It is not thus that Washington will be characterized. It will be said of him, at the end of a long civil war, he had nothing with ivhich he could reproach himself. If anything can be more marvellous than such a character, it is the unanimity of the public suffrages in his favour, Soldier, magistrate, people, all love and admire him ; all speak of him in terms of tenderness and veneration. Does 104 PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON. there then exist a virtue capable of restraining the injustice of mankind ; or are glory and happiness too recently established in America, for envy to have deigned to pass the seas ? In speaking of this perfect whole of which General Wash- ington furnishes the idea, I have not excluded exterior form. His stature is noble and lofty, he is well made, and exactly proportioned ; his physiognomy mild and agreeable, but such as to render it impossible to speak particularly of any of his features, so that in quitting him, you have only the recollection of a fine face. He has neither a grave nor a familiar air, his brow is sometimes marked with thought, but never with in- quietude ; in inspiring respect, he inspires confidence, and his smile is always the smile of benevolence. But above all, it is in the midst of his general officers, that it is interesting to behold him. General in a republic, he has not the imposing stateliness of a Marechal de France who gives the order ; a hero in a republic, he excites another sort of respect which seems to spring from the sole idea, that the safety of each individual is attached to his person. As for the rest, I must observe on this occasion, that the general officers of the American army have a very military and a very be- coming carriage ; that even all the officers, whose characters were brought into public view, unite much politeness to a great deal of capacity ; that the head-quarters of this army, in short, neither present the image of want, nor inexperience. When one sees the battalion of the general's guard encamped wdthin the precints of his house ; nine wagons, destined to carry hi& baggage, ranged in his court ; a great number of grooms taking care of very fine horses belonging to the gene- ral officers and their aids-de-camp ; when one observes the perfect order that reigns within these precincts, where tho guards are exactly stationed, and where the drums beat an alarm, and a particular retreat, one is tempted to apply to the Americans what Pyrrhus said of the Romans; — Truly these people have nothing barbarous in their discipline ! MODESTY AND MERIT. 105 MODESTY AND MERIT. Some few years ago, two gentlemen waited on the Duke of Wellington, at Apsley House, and told him, that a friend of theirs had died, leaving them executors to his will, in which, among other bequests, he had left five hundred pounds to the bravest man in the British army, and that as they considered his Grace to be the bravest man, they had called to hand over to him a check for the money. The duke was highly pleased at the compliment paid to him, but declined to receive the money, as he said there were many other men in the British army who equalled him in bravery. He was then requested to decide on whom the money should be bestowed. This was a difficult point ; but, at length he proposed it should be given to Major-General Sir James Macdonnel, who so resolutely defended Hougomont, the key to the British position, in the memorable battle of Waterloo. The two gentlemen then called on Major-General Mac- donnel, telling him the decision of the Duke of Wellington, and tendering him the five hundred pounds. But Sir James, in his turn, declined to receive it, knowing, as he said, a man w 7 ho, in the battle of Waterloo, had showed himself equal to any one in bravery. The major-general then described, that when the French troops made one of their rushes at the gates of the farm-house, called Hougomont, in that critical moment when victory and defeat hung evenly in the balance, Sergeant- Major Frazer, a very powerful man, boldly assisted him to close the gates, thereby shutting out the French, who w 7 ere soon after driven back with great slaughter. Thus was the fortune of the day decided. The Duke of Wellington considered Major-General Mac- donnel deserving of the money, on account of his resolute defence of Hougomont, and Sir James considered that Ser- 106 REWARD OF FIRMNESS AND CAUTION. geant-Major Frazer was entitled to share it with him, on ac- count of the great service he had rendered him on that occa- sion. The money was divided between the general and the sergeant-major, and the generosity of the Duke of Welling- ton and Sir James Macdonnel will not soon be forgotten. REWARD OF FIRMNESS AND CAUTION. As George II. was one day riding on horseback in Hyde- park, he met an old soldier who had fought with him in the battle of Dettingen. With this soldier he entered into free discourse. After talking together for some time, the King asked the old veteran what he could do for him? " Why, please your Majesty," said the soldier, " my wife keeps an apple-stall on the bit of waste ground as you enter the park, and if your Majesty would be pleased to make us a grant of it, we might build a little shed and improve our trade." The request was a very moderate one, and was at once granted. In a little time the old apple-woman prospered greatly, for the shed was built, and her business surprisingly increased. The situation was a good one for the purpose, and she carried on a very profitable trade. In the course of years the old soldier died, and the lord- chancellor, who was looking around him at the time for a suit- able piece of ground whereon he might build himself a mansion, fixed his mind on this very spot. The old woman was sadly alarmed when she saw her poor shed pulled down, and prepa- rations made for building up a great house where it stood, so away she went to her son, an attorney's clerk, to consult with him as to what course should be pursued. The son was shrewd enough to see at once the advantage that might be gained by remaining quiet in the matter, so he advised his mother to say nothing until the great mansion should be completed. No COURAGE OF CRILLON. 107 sooner was the house finished, than the son waited on the lord-chancellor to complain of the trespass committed on his mother's property, and to claim a recompense for the injury that had been sustained. When the chancellor saw that the claim was undeniable, he directly offered a few hundred pounds, by way of com- pensation ; but this was altogether refused ; the old woman, advised by her son, would by no means settle the affair on such easy terms. After some deliberation, a ground-rent of four hundred pounds a year was demanded, and his lordship at last agreed to the terms. To this very day, Apsley House, the mansion of the Duke of Wellington, yields a ground-rent of four hundred pounds per year, to the descendants of the old apple-woman. COURAGE OF CRILLON. It is not always in the heat of action that presence of mind, and true courage is most conspicuous. In cases of sudden alarm and emergency a man is tried to the utmost. It is said that the Duke of Guise, having a mind to try the courage of Lewis de Crillon, or Grillon, a gentleman of Avignon, agreed with some gentlemen to give a sudden alarm before Crillon's quarters, as if the enemy had been masters of the town ; at the same time he ordered two horses to the door, and rushing into Crillon's room, cried out that all was lost ; that the enemy were masters of the port and town, and had put to flight all that opposed them ; that two horses were at the door, and that he must haste and fly. Crillon was asleep when the alarm was given, and hardly awake whilst the Duke of Guise was speaking. However, without being at all disconcerted by so hot an alarm, he called for his clothes and his arms, say- ing, they ought not, on too slight grounds, to give credit to all 108 THE ABBE DE L'EPEE. that was said of the enemy ; and even if the account was correct, it was more becoming men of honour to die with their arms in their hands than to survive with the loss of the place. The Duke of Guise, being unable to prevail on him to change his resolution, followed him out of the room ; but when they were got half-way down stairs, not being able to contain himself any longer, he burst out a laughing, by which Crillon discovered the trick that had been played him. He assumed a look much sterner than when he only thought of going to fight, and squeezing the Duke of Guise's hand, said, " Young man, never make it a jest to try the courage of a man of honour, for hadst thou made me betray any weakness, I would have plunged my dagger in thy heart," and then left him, without saying a word more. Such coolness is worthy of imitation ; but not such vindictive feelings. THE ABBE DE L'EPEE. HARLES MICHEL DE L'EPEE was born at Versailles, on the 25th of November, 1712. His father, who was the king's architect, en- joyed a comfortable independence. A man of simple manners, and severe probity, he early accustomed his children to self-restraint, and the practice of goodness. The young De l'Epee betrayed, while still a child, the mildness of disposition, and simplicity of tastes, the humility and desire to befriend all around him, for which he was so remarkable in after life. His father destined him to a scientific career, in which he already had made rapid advances; but at the age of seventeen he felt himself called to the ministry, and after having, with some dif- ficulty, obtained the consent of his parents, he began the study of theology. The Abbe de VEpee and the Emperor Joseph. 10 (109) THE ABBE DE L'EPEE. Ill In the belief that his humble services at the altar were in- sufficient to acquit him of his debt to society, he also studied law, and was admitted to practice at the bar of Paris, but soon gave it up, his peculiar love of humanity inclining him to religious and moral duties. His ardent wishes were soon granted. The Bishop of Troyes, nephew of the great Bos- suet, a prelate as distinguished by his virtue, as by his toler- ance, received him, and gave him a humble benefice in his diocese. In the exercise of this holy office, the Abbe de l'Epee allied the softest virtues, to the most austere principles; his pastoral life equalled that of Fenelon. It was about this time, that, at the age of twenty-six, he with so much delicacy and humility, refused a bishopric, offered him by Cardinal Henry, in return for a personal service rendered him by the young Abbe. The subject of much intolerance, he respected all faiths. Mr. Ulrich, a protestant, came from Switzerland to his school, to learn the art of teaching the deaf and dumb ; he was received with kindness, and before long, a strong friend- ship arose between them. De l'Epee looked upon all men as his brothers, and in his latter days, was anxious for the Jews to be looked upon with the same favour as the Christians. This tolerance, this universal feeling of fraternity, this love of doing good, gave to his countenance that expression of sweet- ness to be observed in his portraits. Hitherto we have seen in the Abbe de l'Epee a virtuous and modest man, a pious and tolerant priest, now we shall behold the man of genius. The love of humanity was his passion, and chance ob- tained him the means of exercising it. The following is the account given by himself: — "Vanin, a priest, had undertaken the education of two twin sisters, deaf and dumb, from their birth. At his death, the two poor girls were left unprotected ; no one wishing for the responsibility of taking care of them. Under the belief 112 THE ABBE DE L'EPEE. that these children would live and die in ignorance of reli- gion, if I did not teach it to them, I was moved w r ith com- passion for their situation, and had them brought to my house, determining to do all I could for them." When the Abbe de l'Epee undertook this charitable task, he was ignorant of the nature of the instructions which had been imparted to these girls, imperfect as they had been, but had he been fully acquainted with the subject, he would not the less have been the inventor of the art of teaching the deaf and dumb. He was also a zealous promoter of his discovery. For this purpose he studied several languages, not content with the instruction of the deaf and dumb of his own country. " May the different nations," said he, " open their eyes to the advantages attendant upon a school for these afflicted creatures. I have offered my services, and I still offer them, but on condition that I receive no recompense of any kind whatsoever." During his stay at Paris, the Emperor Joseph was present one day at his school. Struck with admiration, he offered him an abbacy in his dominions. " I am an old man now," replied De l'Epee, " if your majesty wishes well to the deaf and dumb, heap not benefits upon my aged head, bowed to- wards the tomb, but on them themselves." The Emperor seized the idea, and sent Abbot Storck to him, who, after studying his method, returned home, and founded the Deaf and Dumb Institution in Vienna. In 1780, the Russian Ambassador came to congratulate L'Epee, on the part of the Empress Catharine the Second, and to offer him rich presents. " Tell her majesty," w r as the re- ply, " that I decline her presents, but wish her to send me a deaf and dumb person from her country, to be instructed by me." Thirty deaf and dumb persons were gratuitously taught by him. THE ABBE DE L'EPEE. 1 1 3 He was at once their instructer, and their father, providing for all their wants, clothing some of them, and paying ap- prentice fees for others, continuing to be their patron long after they left his care. In possession of a revenue of 12,000 francs, he imposed upon himself the greatest privations, in order to provide his pupils with comforts. During the rigor- ous winter of 1788, this venerable old man lived without fire until compelled by his proteges to buy some wood. Upon such occasions he would say to them, " My friends, I have wronged you of a hundred crowns." L'Abbe de PEpee died on the 23d of December, 1789, at the age of 78, the anniversary of the birth of Montgon. His funeral oration was delivered on the 23d of February, 1790, by the Abbe Fauchet, the king's preacher, in the presence of a deputation of the National Assembly, and his memory re- ceived still greater honours in the month of July following, by the foundation of the Paris Institution. Blessed be science, when it lends itself to aid the afflicted ! L'Abbe de l'Epee directed his attention principally to those of the deaf and dumb who were poor, and also sent skilful missionaries to propagate this beneficent art in other coun- tries, receiving disciples for that purpose, from Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland, and Switzerland, and his method now prevails in both hemispheres. " This," he said, " was the only reward he wished for." A remarkable trait in this excellent man's character, was the entire freedom from jealousy he evinced when improve- ments were made in his art by others, declaring that he felt his way along, and w T ould be very thankful for any hints on the subject. This last trait is by no means common among those by whose discoveries science has been advanced. On the contrary, it often happens that the most brilliant inven- tive genius is disfigured by weakness in this respect 10* 114 EFFECT OF DISCIPLINE. JUDGE PARSONS. The following anecdote, illustrative of the character of the late Judge Parsons, is, both in thought and language, sublime. A gentleman had been concerned in a duel ; the ball of his antagonist struck his watch, and remained there. It thus saved his life. The watch was afterwards exhibited, with the ball remaining in it, in a company where Judge Parsons was present. It was observed by several, that it was a valua- ble watch. "Yes," said Parsons; "very excellent: it has kept Time from Eternity." EFFECT OF DISCIPLINE. His Britannic Majesty's ship Atalanta, commanded by Captain Hickey, in November 1813, was standing in for Hali- fax harbour, in one of the thick fogs so frequent on that coast, when it unhappily mistook the signal-guns of another vessel, in the same situation, for those which are fired during such weather from Sambo Rock, as guides to ships entering the harbour ; the consequence was, that the Atalanta struck on the rocks, and the first blow carried away the rudder, half the stern-post, together with great part of the false keel, and, it is believed, a portion of the bottom. The ship instantly filled with water, and was buoyed up merely by the empty casks, till the decks and sides were burst and riven asunder by the waves. The captain, who throughout continued as composed as if nothing remarkable had occurred, then ordered the guns to be thrown overboard ; but before this could be even attempted, EFFECT OF DISCIPLINE. 115 the ship fell over so much that the men could not stand. In lowering the boats for the crew to take to, one, the jolly-boat, was lost ; the ship was now fast falling over on her beam-ends, and directions were given to cut away the masts; but the crash caused the ship to part in two, and a few seconds afterwards she again broke right across, between the fore and main-masts. A considerable crowd of men had got into the pinnace (or boat), in hopes that she might float as the ship sunk; but the captain, seeing that the boat was overloaded, desired some tw T enty men to quit her, and his orders were as promptly obeyed as they were coolly given, so completely was disci- pline maintained by the character of the commander, and consequent confidence of the crew. The pinnace then floated, but was immediately upset by a sea ; the people in her, how- ever, imitating the conduct of their captain, retained their self-possession, and, by great exertions, righted the boat, and got her clear of the wreck, where, at a little distance off, they waited further orders from their captain, who, with forty men, still clung to the remains of the vessel. It was now, however, absolutely necessary to quit it, as the wreck w r as disappearing rapidly; and in order to enable the boats to contain them, the men, as removed to the pinnace, were laid flat in the bottom like herrings in a cask, while the small boats returned to pick up the rest, which w r as at last accomplished with great diffi- culty; but, except the despatches, which had been secured by the captain from the first, and a chronometer, everything on board was lost. The pinnace now contained eighty persons, the cutter forty-two, and the gig eighteen, with which load they barely floated, the captain being the very last person to quit the wreck of the ship ; and hardly had he got into the boat when the last fragments disappeared : three hearty cheers were given by the gallant crew. The fog continued as dense as ever, and they had no means of knowing in which direction to proceed, and if it had not been for a small compass, which 116 PUNCTUALITY. one man had appended to his watch, for a toy, it is most pro- bable that they would not yet have been preserved ; at last they were all landed in safety, about twenty miles from Hali- fax, nearly naked, wet through and shivering, and miserably cramped by the close crowding in the boats. The captain took the worst provided, and most fatigued, round to the harbour in the boats, and the rest, under the officers, marched across the country in three divisions, w T ith as much regularity as if going well-appointed on some regular expedition, though very few had any shoes, and they had to traverse a country only partially cleared ; the same evening the whole crew, without one missing, officers, men, and boys assembled at Halifax in as exact order as if their ship had met with no accident. Such is the effect of habitual discipline and obe- dience. PUNCTUALITY. At the period of the disastrous campaign of Moscow, Colo- nel Evain was at Paris, where he had been directed to remain, in order to organize and forward the immense supplies of artillery and ordnance stores, that were required for the grand army. The celebrated 29th bulletin, from Smorgonj, had scarcely reached Paris, and had been made public but a few hours, when a messenger from the Tuileries came to Colonel Evain's office, and, to his utter surprise, informed him the Emperor had just arrived, and forthwith demanded his pre- sence at the Tuileries. Though thunderstruck at the unex- pected intelligence, which at once demonstrated the terrible misfortunes of the French army, Evain hastened to the palace, and was instantly ushered into the presence of his imperial master, whom he found in his travelling dress, pale, fatigued, with a beard of several days' growth, and in an evident state of great mental suffering. He had scarcely time to make his NOBLE CHILD. 117. bow or utter a word, ere Napoleon advanced towards him, and abruptly exclaimed, " Well, Evain ! you have read my 29th bulletin ; it does not tell the worst ; it would have been impolitic to have alarmed France. We have not a gun or a caisson remaining ! But our resources are immense — -our losses can be repaired." Then, after a pause, he added, " By the first of March I must have six hundred pieces of cannon, horsed and equipped. I know your zeal and activity; you know I must be obeyed." Then approaching close to Evain, Napoleon took hold of his arm, and with a smile, added, " If I have my guns on the appointed day you shall receive the brevet of Major-general; if not, I will hang you." Without being disconcerted, Colonel Evain replied : " Sire, the time is limited, but our arsenals are well stored. If your majesty will inform me where I can procure money to purchase horses, your orders shall be obeyed." — " Is that the only difficulty?" rejoined the Emperor. Then, sitting down to his bureau, he wrote an order for three millions of francs on his private treasury, the contents of which were in the vaults beneath the Tuileries — and Evain took his leave. On the 1st of March, Evain kept his word, and the Emperor fulfilled his promise. NOBLE CHILD. When the United States was drawing near the Macedonian, a child on board said to Decatur, " Commodore, I wish you would put my name on the muster roll!" "What for?" " That I may get a share of the prize money." It was done ; after the capture, the commodore said, " Well, Ned, she 's ours, and your share of the prize money will be about two hundred dollars; what will you do with it?" " I'll send one hundred to my mother, and the other shall send me to school." This boy was a midshipman. 118 GRATITUDE OF NAPOLEON WHERE YOU OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN. A clergyman who is in the habit of preaching in different parts of the country, was not long since at an inn, where he observed a horse jockey trying to take in a simple gentle- man, by imposing upon him a broken-winded horse for a sound one. The parson knew the bad character of the jockey, and taking the gentleman aside, told him to be cautious of the person he w T as dealing with. The gentleman finally declined the purchase, and the jockey, quite nettled, observed, " Par- son, I had much rather hear you preach, than see you pri- vately interfere in bargains between man and man, in this way." " Well," replied the parson, " if you had been where you ought to have been, last Sunday, you might have heard me preach." " Where was that," inquired the jockey. " In the State Prison," returned the clergyman. GRATITUDE OF NAPOLEON. When Buonaparte was in his prosperity, he employed, it is said, the same tradespeople who supplied him in his former days. A silversmith, who had given him credit when he set out for Italy, for a dressing-case, worth fifty pounds, was rewarded with all the business which his recommendations could bring to him ; and being clever in his trade, he became, under the patronage of the emperor, one of the wealthiest citizens of Paris. A little hatter, and a cobler, who had served Buonaparte when a subaltern, might have risen in the same manner, had their skill equalled that of the silversmith. Napoleon's example, however, could not persuade the good people of Paris to wear ill-shaped hats and clumsy boots ; but he, in his own person, adhered to the last to his original con- nexion with these poor trades-people. ELOQUENCE. 119 ELOQUENCE. " I was one Sunday travelling through the country of Orange, on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge," says Wirt, in his British Spy, " when my eye was caught by a cluster of horses tied near a ruinous wooden house, in the forest, not far from the road side. Having frequently seen such objects before, I had no difficulty in understanding that this was a place of religious worship. Curiosity to hear the preacher of such a wilderness, induced me to join the congregation. On my entrance, I was struck with his supernatural appearance. He was a tall and very spare old man; his head, which was covered with a white linen cap, his shrivelled hands, and his voice, were all shaking under the influence of palsy ; and a few moments ascertained to me that he was perfectly blind. It was the day of the sacrament — his subject was the passion of our Saviour ; and he gave it a new and more sublime pathos than I had ever before witnessed. When he descend- ed from the pulpit to distribute the mystic symbols, there was a peculiar, a more than human solemnity in his voice and manner which made my blood run cold, and my whole frame shiver. His peculiar phrases had that force of description, that the original scene seemed acting before our eyes. We saw r the very faces of the Jews ; the staring, frightful distor- tions of malice and of rage. But when he came to touch on the patience, the forgiving meekness of our Saviour : when he drew to the life his blessed eyes streaming with tears, his voice breathing to God the gentle prayer, ' Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do' — the voice of the preacher, which had all along faltered, grew fainter and faint- er, until his voice being entirely obstructed by the force of his feelings, he raised his handkerchief to his eyes, and burst into a loud and irrepressible flood of grief. The effect was inconceivable. The whole house resounded with mingled groans, and sobs, and shrieks. I could not imagine how the 120 INDIAN CHARACTER. speaker could let his audience down from the height to which he had wound them, without impairing the solemnity of his subject, or shocking them by the abruptness of his fall. But the descent was as beautiful and sublime as the elevation had been rapid and enthusiastic. The tumult of feeling subsided, and a death-like stillness reigned throughout the house, when the aged man removed his handkerchief from his eyes, still w r et with the torrent of his tears, and slowly stretching forth his palsied hand, he exclaimed, ' Socrates died like a philoso- pher,' — then pausing, clasping his hands with fervour to his heart, lifting his ' sightless balls' to heaven, and pouring his whole soul into his tremulous voice, he continued — ' but Jesus Christ died like a God.' Had he been an angel of light, the effect could have scarcely been more divine." INDIAN CHARACTER. A striking display of Indian character occurred some years since in a town in Maine. An Indian of the Kennebeck tribe remarkable for his good conduct, received a grant of land from the State, and fixed himself in a new township, where a number of families settled. Though not ill treated, yet the common prejudice against Indians prevented any sympathy with him. This was shown at the death of his only child, when none of the people came near him. Shortly afterwards he went to some of the inhabitants, and said to them, When ivhite man's child die — Indian man be sorry — he help bury him. — When my child die — no one speak tome — I make his grave alone — J can't no live here. He gave up his farm, dug up the body of his child and carried it with him two hundred miles through the forest, to join the Canada Indians. What energy and depth of feeling does this specimen of Indian cha- racter exhibit ! ' I must save the child." (122) HEROISM OF JOSEPH IGNACE. J 23 HEROISM OF JOSEPH IGNACE. TANDING on the banks of the Seille, in Lor- raine, (France,) there is a little village called Vic, which is almost unknown to the rest of the world, being several leagues from Nancy. The river runs through the street, and is generally so shallow as to be fordable in some places, but after a heavy rain, it will rise rapidly and do a great deal of mischief. In this village lived a man who seemed to have been placed there expressly by Providence, for the succour of the inhabitants in times of distress. Joseph Ignace, called Naxi, was a simple boatman, and at times a hat maker ; he had be- fore been a soldier. So much was he in the habit of lending his assistance to those who were in danger from the sudden rise of the waters, that he came to be considered as their guardian. If any ac- cident happened, the first idea which arose, was to send for Joseph Ignace. People had but to say, " If Joseph were only here," and Joseph was on the spot. He would leave his work, his shop, his dinner table, or his bed, at any moment, summer or winter, when his assistance was needed. He began this course of disinterested goodness at an early age — at eleven years old he rescued a man from imminent danger. Many of his generous deeds are recounted, and well at- tested by the inhabitants of Vic. He saved a man named Louis Paulhin, who fell into the Seille while fishing ; a saddler, Nicholas Chaussier, who also fell in ; a soldier on horseback, some labourers in a boat, two bathers, a crazy man, an old woman, and a child of three years old. This child fell in the river from a bridge. Two of the in habitants jumped in after it, but not knowing how to swim, 124 THE BRITISH LION. were of no avail. The child floated on till it approached a rapid and dangerous part of the stream. They ran to Joseph Ignace ; he was sick, but in spite of the entreaties of his wife, who with tears in her eyes, implored him not to risk his health, " I must save the child," cried he, and he did save it, and restored it to its parents. The river Seille, swollen by heavy rains, overflowed both its banks, covering the streets, and rising several feet in the houses. This day was one of triumph to Joseph Ignace, whose assistance was implored on all sides. Entire families owed their deliverance to him alone. He remained in the water from six in the morning until night, a period of eleven hours, during which he saved nineteen persons. If we lived in the time when a crown of oak was given for every life saved, Joseph Ignace would, to our certain know- ledge, have thirty-two to hang up in his house. A natural impulse leads us to endeavour to rescue the drowning, but when this becomes a habit, it ceases to be an impulse of courage or humanity, and is indeed a virtue. The Academy bestowed a prize for virtuous actions upon Joseph Ignace. THE BRITISH LION. In the commencement of the American revolution, when one of the British king's thundering proclamations made its appearance, the subject was mentioned in a company in Phila- delphia ; a member of congress who was present, turning to Miss Livingston, said, " Well, Miss, are you greatly terrified at the roaring of the British lion ?" " Not at all, sir, for I have learned from natural history, that beast roars loudest when he is most frightened " CUDJOE, THE FAITHFUL AFRICAN. 125 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PHILLIPS. Many years since, when the late Lieut. Governor Phillips, of Andover, Mass., was a student at Harvard College, owing to some boyish freak, he quitted the University, and went home. His father was a grave man, of sound mind, strict judgment, and of few words. He inquired into the business, but defer- red expressing any opinion until the next day. At breakfast he said, speaking to his wife, " My dear, have you any tow cloth in the house suitable to make Sam a frock and trowsers." She replied, " Yes." " Well," said the old gentleman, " follow me, my son." Samuel kept pace with his father as he lei- surely walked near the common, and at length ventured to ask, " What are you going to do with me, father ?" " I am going to bind you an apprentice to that blacksmith," replied Mr. Phillips. " Take your choice ; return to college, or you must work." " I had rather return," said the son. He did return, confessed his fault, was a good scholar, and became a respectable man. If all parents were like Mr. Phillips, the students at our colleges would prove better students, or the nation would have a plentiful supply of blacksmiths. CUDJOE, THE FAITHFUL AFRICAN. A New England sloop, trading to Guinea, in the year 1752, left the second mate, William Murray, sick on shore, and sailed without him. Murray was at the house of a negro, named Cudjoe, with whom he had contracted an acquaint- ance during their trade. He recovered, and the sloop being gone, he continued with his black friend till some other oppor- tunity should offer of his getting home. In the mean time, a Dutch ship came into the road, and some of the negroes 11 * 126 HONOUR DEARER THAN LIFE. coming on board her, were treacherously seized, and carried off as slaves. Their relations and friends, transported with sudden rage, ran to the house of Cudjoe, to take revenge by- killing Murray. Cudjoe stopped them at the door, and de- manded what they wanted 1 " The white men," said they, " have carried away our brothers and sons, and we will kill all white men. Give us the white man you have in your house, for we will kill him." " Nay," said Cudjoe, " the white men that carried away your relations, are bad men — kill them, when you can take them : but this white man is a good man, and you must not kill him." "But he is a white man," they cried, " and the white men are all bad ; we will kill them all." " Nay," says he, " you must not kill a man that has done you no harm, only for being white. This man is my friend ; my house is his post ; I am his soldier, and must fight for him ; you must kill me before you can kill him. What good man will ever again come under my roof, if I let my floor be stained with a good man's blood V 9 The negroes, seeing his resolution, and being convinced that they were wrong, went away ashamed ; and afterwards declared that they were glad they had not killed the innocent man, for their God would have been very angry. HONOUR DEARER THAN LIFE. An American officer, during the war of independence, was ordered to a station of extreme peril, when several around him suggested various expedients, by which he might evade the dangerous post assigned him. He made them the follow- ing heroic reply : " I thank you, my friends, for your solici- tude — I know I can easily save my life, but who will save my honour, should I adopt your advice ?" THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 127 THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. The Duke, notwithstanding the fame and fortune he has acquired, is very simple in his habits, sleeping at the present time on the same narrow bed in which he reposed on the tented field. It has no curtains, and is so narrow that he has hardly room to turn round in it. But he says, " when a man thinks of turning, it is time he were up." We give an anec- dote or two of his conduct in battle. During the scene of tumult and carnage which the battle of Waterloo presented, at every moment, and in every place, the Duke of Wellington exposed his person with a freedom which made all around him tremble for that life on which it was obvious that the fate of the battle depended. There was scarcely a square but he visited in person, encouraging the men by his presence, and the officers by his directions. While he stood in the centre of the high road in front of Mount St. Jean, several guns were levelled against him, distinguished as he was by his suite, and the movements of the officers, who were passing to and fro with orders. The balls repeatedly grazed a tree near him ; when he observed to one of his suite, " That's good practice ; I think they fire better than in Spain." Riding up to the 95th, when in front of the line, and even then expecting a formidable charge of cavalry, he said, " Stand fast, 95th, we must not be beat; what will they say in Eng- land ?" On another occasion, when many of the best and bravest men had fallen, and the event of the action seemed doubtful to those w T ho remained, he said, with the coolness of a spectator, " Never mind, we'll win this battle yet." To another regiment, then closely engaged, he used a common sporting expression : " Hard pounding this, gentlemen ; let us see who will pound longest." One general officer found himself under the necessity of stating to the duke, that his brigade was reduced to one-third 128 COURAGE AND HUMANITY. of its numbers, and that those who remained were so ex- hausted with fatigue, that a temporary relief, of however short duration, seemed a measure of necessity. " Tell him," said the duke, " what he proposes is impossible. He, I, and every Englishman in the field, must die on the spot w T e now occupy." " It is enough," returned the general ; " I and every man under my command, are determined to share his fate." COURAGE AND HUMANITY. A town in Spain, defended by 1500 Carlists, was taken by assault, after two days' resistance. One house only was still defended by twenty-five men, who had shut themselves up there with the family. For this act of desperate courage the lives of the men, according to the terrible right, or rather custom, of war, were forfeited ; and a party of soldiers stormed the house, to put them all to the sword. Already was the door forced, when the officer of the attacking party hurried to the portal to prevent a useless loss of life. His own soldiers presented their bayonets to his breast, and threatened to destroy him, but he persisted in his heroic intention until all his men but two were prevailed upon to show mercy. These two persevered : they were Basque volunteers, of the Chapels Gory, who never gave nor received quarter, and they demanded to be permitted to kill two of the men at least. More savage than savages, they persisted in their demand, invoking the sacred name of their Creator in aid of the human sacrifice they were about to offer up ! Still undaunted, the resolute and humane officer resisted their cruel intentions. Courage overcame ferocity : the Carlist soldiers, and the old men, women, and children in the house, were saved. For this act of true heroism and philanthropy the officer was im- mediately made lieutenant-colonel, A Frederick the Great. (130) FREDERICK THE GREAT. 131 In a letter, written to him by the general under whom he served, are these words : — " It is not out of mere form that I mention you, but because I was witness, w T ith extreme plea- sure, to your courageous and generous conduct. An entire family and several Carlist soldiers owe their lives to the reso- lute protection you afforded them at the imminent peril of your own." FREDERICK THE GREAT. Prussia has long been a warlike country; for Frederick the Great called forth the military energies of his people. In Prussia, every able-bodied man of the kingdom is required to perform a limited service in the army At twenty he enters the regular army for three years, unless favoured by some regulation, which limits the term to one year. From twenty- three to twenty-five he belongs to the war reserve, when he enters the first ban of the landwehr, and continues to his thirty-second year, after which he serves another seven years in the second ban of the landwehr. After the fortieth year, he ranks till the fiftieth in the landsturm, or levee en masse of the whole population. Frederick the great was distinguished for great talents as a warrior, a statesman, and a man of science and literature. His enemies w T ere numerous, his exploits brilliant, and his tactics and policy eminently successful. Surrounded on all sides by his foes, he hurried from one part of his dominions to another with equal celerity, courage, prudence, and perse- verance, and though sorely tried, overcame all his difficulties, and gained the name of Frederick the Great. Before the battle of Rosbach, which led to the most cele- brated of all the King of Prussia's victories, Frederick ad- dressed his little army, not amounting to more than twenty- five thousand men, in nearly the following words : — " My 132 FREDERICK THE GREAT. brave soldiers, the hour is come in which all that is, and all that ought to be dear to us, depends upon the swords that are now drawn for the battle. Time permits me to say but little, nor is there occasion to say much. You know that there is no labour, no hunger, no cold, no watching, no danger, that I have not shared with you hitherto ; and you now see me ready to lay down my life with you, and for you. All I ask, is the same pledge of fidelity and affection that I give. Acquit yourselves like men, and put your confidence in God." The effect of this speech was indescribable. The soldiers answered it by an universal shout, and their looks and de- meanour became animated to a sort of heroic frenzy. Frederick led on his troops in person, exposed to the hottest of the fire. The enemy, for a few moments, made a gallant resistance, but overwhelmed by the headlong intrepidity of the Prussians, they, at length, gave way in every part, and fled in the utmost disorder. Night alone saved from total destruction the scattered remains of an army which, in the morning, was double the number of the conquerors. Frederick was an excellent general, and the soul of perse- verance. So severe was the duty in some of his regiments of cavalry, that war was said to be a mitigation rather than an addition to their hardships. Frederick had a very skilful general, of the name of De Zeithen, whom he had somewhat neglected in a time of peace. When war broke out, he was anxious to avail himself of his military talents and unequalled courage ; but De Zeithen had too keen a remembrance of the past neglect to proffer his services. After trying all other methods in vain, to persuade him to his wishes, Frederick at last said, he knew that his old and faithful general, De Zeithen, would never see his King in difficulty, and deny him his as- sistance. De Zeithen's proud heart was melted by this appeal of his sovereign, and, falling on his knees, with tears rolling down his cheeks, he devoted his sword while he had life to the service of his King. WHITFIELD. 133 When Frederick took the field against his enemies, in his last war, he was in his sixty-seventh year. " We have all grown old," said he to his assembled officers, " in the career of arms, and have shared together the glories and the fatigues of our former wars. You are, doubtless, as unwilling as my- self to shed blood, but new dangers, with which the empire and my territories are alike menaced, oblige me to take the most efficacious measures to dissipate the threatening storm. I cannot, therefore, avoid calling you once more to defend your country. It will give me the most lively satisfaction when I shall have to recompense you for your fresh services. I shall not appear during the campaign with a luxurious camp equipage ; you know I have never cared for such a thing ; my actual infirmities will, however, prevent my making the cam- paign as I should have done during the vigour of my life. I shall, in marches, make use of a carriage, but on a day of battle you may be sure of seeing me on horseback among you as formerly." WHITFIELD. EORGE WHITFIELD, a cler- )) gyman of the Church of England, ^T first arrived in this country, in the year 1738. He landed in jS Savannah, Georgia, and laid the foundation of an orphan house, a few miles from Savan- nah, and afterwards finished it at great ex- ||| pense. He returned to England the same year. On the following year he returned back to America, and landed at Philadelphia, and began to preach in different churches. In this and in his subsequent visits to America, he visited most of the principal places in 12 134 WHITFIELD. the Colonies. Immense numbers of people flocked to hear him wherever he preached. The effects produced in Philadelphia and other places were truly astonishing. Numbers of almost all religious denomina- tions, and many who had no connexion with any denomina- tion, were brought to inquire with the utmost eagerness, what they should do to be saved. Such was the eagerness of the multitude in Philadelphia, to listen to spiritual instruction, that there was public worship regularly twice a day for a year ; and on the Lord's day it was celebrated three or four times. During his visit to Philadelphia, he preached frequently- after night, from the gallery of the court-house in Market- street. So loud was his voice at that time, that it was dis- tinctly heard on the Jersey shore, and so distinct was his speech, that every word he said was understood on board a shallop, at Market-street wharf, a distance of upwards of 400 feet from the court-house. All the intermediate space was crowded with his hearers. He was truly remarkable for his uncommon eloquence and fervent zeal. His eloquence was indeed very great, and of the truest kind. He was utterly devoid of all affectation. The importance of his subject, and the regard due to his hearers, engrossed all his concern. Every accent of his voice spoke to the ear, every feature of his face, every motion of his hands, and every gesture, spoke to the eye ; so that the most dissipated and thoughtless found their attention arrested, and the dullest and most ignorant could not but understand. He appeared to be devoid of the spirit of sectarianism ; his only object seemed to be to preach Christ, and him crucified. The following anecdote respecting his manner of preaching, will serve to illustrate this part of his character. One day, while preaching from the balcony of the court-house, in Phila- delphia, he cried out, " Father Abraham, who have you got in heaven ; any Episcopalians ?" " No !" " Any Presbyter- ians ?" " No !" "Any Baptists ?" " No !" " Have you any INTREPIDITY OF SAILORS. 135 Methodists there V 9 " No !" " Have you any Independents or Seceders V 9 " No ! No !" " Why, who have you then V 9 " We don't know those names here ; all that are here are Christians — believers in Christ — men who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of his testimony !" " O, is this the case ? then God help me. God help us all to for- get party names, and to become Christians in deed and in truth." Mr. Whitfield died in Newburyport, Mass., on the 30th of September, 1770, in the fifty-sixth year of his age, on his seventh visit to America — having been in the ministry thirty- four years. INTREPIDITY OF SAILORS. If British sailors are daring in battle, they are equally so in braving all dangers to save the lives of others. A Flemish brig in a heavy gale struck on a shoal, to windward of Ostend harbour, and the crew clung to the rigging for safety, as the vessel was fast going to pieces. Several Flemish boats attempted to get to the wreck in vain, and the crew seemed doomed to destruction. It happened, however, that a Deal galley was in the harbour, and the little band of daring tars aboard her were somewhat more accustomed to such scenes. They launched their light bark, and though every sea hid them from view, and every breaker covered them with foam, they persevered, undiscouraged by repeated failures, until they reached the wreck, and saved every man that was found in her. 136 MRS. CHARLES ELLIOTT. FORTITUDE. At the siege of Yorktown, two blacks were placed as senti- nels together. When the relief came, the corporal found both in the same position he left them : on demanding of the one sitting why he did not rise, he answered, " I believe, Massa, I'se wounded, and I guess Cuffee dead ; han't poke dis good while." On examination Cuffee was really dead, and Sambo had the bones of his arm and leg so badly fractured as to render amputation absolutely necessary. When the poor fel- low was informed of it, he replied, " Well, Massa, take um off." After the operation was performed, the surgeons began to condole with him upon his misfortune, when he exclaimed, " Neber mind, Massa, tank God, I got noder leg and noder arm for um yet." MRS. CHARLES EtLIOTT. A patriot by inheritance, being the daughter of Mr. Thomas Ferguson, one of the most intrepid and strenuous promoters of the Revolution, Mrs. Charles Elliott appeared to consecrate every thought, and every hour of existence, to the interests of America. Undaunted amidst the storms that desolated her country, her energies increased with the pressure of calamity. Her benevolence to the distressed, her persuasive eloquence, skilfully employed to inspire the timid with confidence, and to strengthen the resolves of the firm, were never more con- spicuous, than when success was most despaired of. Beneath her roof the sick and wounded not only found shelter, but the tenderest attentions — the poor shared her purse — the persecu- MRS. CHARLES ELLIOTT. 1 37 ted the consolations of her sympathy. She daily visited her captive friends ; and by her cheering smiles and animating conversation, revived and sustained hope, inspiring a confi- dence of success equal to their most ardent desires. While such her conduct towards her friends, her influence over many of the superior officers in the British army was astonishing. Harsh and unbending to others, there was a charm attached to Mrs. Elliott, that rendered them the slaves of her will. Her fascinations forbid denial. Possessed of natural ease of man- ners, great cheerfulness in conversation, and a captivating sportiveness of disposition, asperities were so much softened, that when compelled to solicit favours, she seldom applied in vain. The advantage to our army arising from her influence, was both salutary and extensive ; and the supplies drawn from the British garrison, in consequence of it, of the highest im- portance. When the steady patriot, Mr. Thomas Ferguson, was first arrested and put on board a transport, to be sent into exile, his daughter, Mrs. Charles Elliott, was in the country — but on receiving the intelligence, immediately repaired to Charles- ton. Her earnest solicitation to bid her parent a tender adieu, being favourably attended to, she hastened on board the ves- sel in which he was confined, but had scarcely entered the cabin, when, oppressed both with grief and sickness, she faint- ed and fell. The Captain, much alarmed, recommended a thousand remedies in rapid succession. When saying in con- clusion, " I have a box of exquisite French liqueur- — a cordial would certainly revive her," she started from her couch and exclaimed, "Who speaks of the French — God bless the nation !" and turning to her father, with much feeling conti- nued — " Oh, my father, sink not under this cruel stroke of fate — let not oppression shake your fortitude, nor the delusive hope of gentler treatment cause you, for an instant, to swerve from your duty. The valour of your countrymen, aided by the friendly assistance of France, will speedily dissipate the gloom 12* 138 MRS. CHARLES ELLIOTT. of our immediate prospects — we shall experience more pro- pitious times, — again meet and be happy !" There was, in the Legion of Pulaski, a young French officer of singularly fine form and appearance, named Celeron ; as he passed the dwelling of Mrs. Elliott, a British Major, whose name is lost, significantly pointing him out, said — " See, Mrs. Elliott, one of your illustrious allies — what a pity it is that the hero has lost his sword" " Had two thousand such men," replied the lady, " been present to aid in the defence of our city, think you, Sir, that I should ever have been subjected to the malignity of your observation?" At the moment, a Negro, trigged out in full British uniform, happened to pass — " See, Major," continued she, " one of your allies — bow with grati- tude for the service received from such honourable associates — caress and cherish them — the fraternity is excellent, and will teach us more steadily to contend against the results." In the indulgence of wanton asperities towards the patriotic fair, the aggressors were not unfrequently answered with a keenness of repartee that left them little cause for triumph. The haughty Tarleton, vaunting his feats of gallantry to the great disparagement of the officers of the Continental cavalry, said to a lady at Wilmington, " I have a very earnest desire to see your far-famed hero, Colonel Washington." " Your wish, Colonel, might have been fully gratified," she promptly replied, " had you ventured to look behind you after the battle of the Cowpens." It was in this battle, that Washington had wounded Tarleton in the hand, which gave rise to a still more pointed retort. Conversing with Mrs. Wiley Jones, Colonel Tarleton observed — " You appear to think very highly of Colonel Washington ; and yet I have been told, that he is so ignorant a fellow, that he can hardly write his own name." " It may be the case," she readily replied, " but no man better than yourself, Colonel, can testify that he knows how to make his mark" Intrepidity of Matthew Mole. (140) INTREPIDITY OF MATTHEW MOLE 141 INTREPIDITY OF MATTHEW MOLE. r ATTHEW MOLE, son of Edward Mole, was born in 1584. His childhood was pass- ed amid the civil wars of the League ; he saw his father's life daily exposed, and learned from him the practice of that austere cou- rage which despises death whilst in the exercise of duty. When his studies were completed, Matthew was an enlightened counsellor. Parlia- ment received him as soon as he had attained the required age, and as early as thirty, Louis XIII. made him attorney- general — an honour approved by the public ; for every one saw in this young man a remarkable strength of intellect, joined to a rare gravity of demeanour. His integrity and purity would also merit a share of praise, if these virtues were not inseparable from the dignity of a magistrate. Richelieu, like all men of genius, knew how to distinguish true merit, and to make it subservient to the interests of the country. It was he who dictated the king's choice. But Mole's grave goodness found little sympathy in a man of Richelieu's character, and he had him arrested as a suspected person. As soon as Mole appeared in the council (which was held at Fontainebleau, where the court now was), all prejudice against him vanished. " His singular gravity," (says Taylor, who was no friend to him,) " procured him his liberty at once, and he returned to the duties of his office." After the death of Louis XIIL, which soon followed that of his minister, intrigue invaded the court, and disorder spread among the people. Men seemed abandoned with the state, to the rule of women ; nevertheless, amidst the frivolous and licentious habits of the times, Matthew Mole alone preserved 142 INTREPIDITY OF MATTHEW MOLE. a dignity, and seriousness, taught only by the experience of misfortune and the consciousness of a necessity for virtue. The Parliament became the scene of all the intrigues. Those who sustained the court, went by the name of Maza- rins, from that of the minister ; their adversaries were called Frondeurs, and Matthew Mole, Long Beard, from his wear- ing one of unusual length. One spark only was wanted to kindle a flame. A leader appeared, and revolt burst forth. The minority of Louis XIV. was the cause of all disturbances. Mazarin furnished a pretext ; Cardinal Retz, then Coadjutor of Paris, excited them ; Matthew Mole was called upon to restrain them. He, with his noble stature, his calm and fine countenance, grave manners, concise and dignified language, imposed as much respect upon the people, as the other party did mistrust. He penetrated the mystery of all intrigues, with as much art as the Coadjutor employed to create them. His presence alone overcame the fury of the people, and arrested their enter- prises. The Coadjutor feared the effects of his eloquence, by which he himself was touched. Matthew Mole spoke in few words, but they were strong and vivid, of a nature to move the heart and the imagination. The court had arrested Presidents Blancmenil and Char- ton, and Counsellor Broussel. Thence ensued great confusion on all sides ; the Coadjutor did all in his power to inflame the people, having lost his power of governing them. The Parlia- ment assembled, a furious multitude surrounded the building, and demanded loudly, that the liberty of the magistrates should be required of the Queen. Matthew Mole presided at the assembly, his face betrayed no emotion. He thought he ought to lend himself to the movement, in the hopes of directing it, and set out for the Louvre, at the head of his company. The barricades which had been put up in the streets fell before the Parliament. Arrived at the Louvre, the president represent- ed the situation of Paris, in energetic terms to the Queen. INTREPIDITY OF MATTHEW MOLE. 143 She would make no concessions, but Cardinal Mazarin pro- mised that the prisoners should be restored, on condition that the Parliament would meet no more. Matthew Mole re- plied, " that the people would believe they had been forced, if they agreed to anything within the palace, but that they would retire to the place of their ordinary sitting to de- liberate." At the return of the Parliament, the barricades again gave way, but the people, melancholy and furious, threatened them by their silence ; one hundred and sixty magistrates were on the point of being massacred. More than twenty-five men of distinction threw their badges into the crowd and escaped ! An iron merchant, named Caguenet, advanced, and placing his pistol's mouth upon Mole's breast, said, " Turn, traitor, if thou dost not wish to be massacred thyself, give us back Broussel, or we will have Mazarin and the Chancellor as hostages." Mole stood firm and unmoved ; he took time to rally as much of his company as possible, and preserving his usual dignity, in his looks and speech, he returned, little by little, to the palace, amid a fire of execrations. He w r as na- turally so bold, that he never spoke so well as in times of danger. At this emergency, he surpassed himself and moved all his hearers. The Coadjutor continually endeavoured to terrify him by the threats of the populace, who filled the avenues of the palace ; but the coolness and intrepidity of the president dis- concerted him more and more. " If it be not wrong," says the Coadjutor in his memoirs, " to say there is a man more brave than the great Gustavus, or the Prince, I would say it is M. Mole." It was only among his children that this great man poured out his soul, and was consoled for the anxieties attendant upon his situation. He succeeded, at last, in negotiating a treaty of peace ; the leads of the Fronde entered into an accommodation ; but when 144 INTREPIDITY OF MATTHEW MOLE. he tried to get to the palace, he found a great difficulty in reaching his destination, the way being filled with a crowd of citizens, and soldiers. As he appeared, there was a pro- found silence. Upon his entrance, he began to speak, and as he continued, rage and consternation were depicted on every face. But when the people heard that Mazarin had signed the treaty, a cry resounded through the room, and was re- peated throughout the palace. The Frondeurs loaded Mole with reproaches, when suddenly a horrible noise was heard at the doors of the large room ; the people were endeavouring to get in, and threatened to break down the doors, if Mole were not given up to them. His face was the only one which betrayed no emotion ; he took the votes with the same calm- ness as on ordinary occasions, and left the palace, leaning upon the Coadjutor's arm. When he appeared in the streets, the cries and threats redoubled. One man took up his gun and pointed it at him, saying he would shoot him. " Then," said Mole, " I shall only want six feet of earth." Arrived at his own house, he wrote an account of the result of the meet- ing to the Queen, and then spent several days in private in- terviews with the most ardent members of his company. His efforts were crowned with success. The next day the Parliament made a declaration of the acceptance of the treaty. Some time after, the Queen gave him the care of the seals, for he was the only man upon whose virtue she could depend ; but he was obliged to give up this trust. The Queen was generous enough to consult him as to what she should do in this respect. Mole perceiving her trouble, and under- standing better than she did herself, the necessity in which she was placed, did not allow her to finish, but taking the key which locked up the seals from his neck, presented it to her. Touched by this conduct, she offered him a cardinal's hat, but he refused it. She then wished to make his son se- cretary of state, or to continue to him ; his father's office of first President. He declined these offers on the plea of inex- MAGNANIMITY OF NAPOLEON. 145 perience on the part of the young man. At last she begged him to accept 100,000 crowns, but this he also respectfully declined. When Louis XIV. declared his majority to the govern- ment, Mole was recalled to the ministry, and when the queen retired to Bourges, with the king, Mole remained in Paris, uniting the functions of keeper of the seals and first President. His door was continually besieged by an irritated crowd, demanding the return of the court, and the diminution of taxes. One day when he was engaged with Marshal Scomberg, he was told that the populace were going to break down his doors, so infuriated were they against him. The marshal offered to disperse the mob. " No," replied Mole, " I have always thought the house of the first President should be open to every one." And in fact, as soon as he appeared, the violence w r as appeased, and the mob withdrew. Matthew Mole died keeper of the seals, at the age of seven- ty-two. MAGNANIMITY OF NAPOLEON. Buonaparte on one occasion exhibited a fine example of magnanimity. It was when he had taken Berlin, the Prussian capital. The Prince of Hatsfield, while under his protection, corresponded with the Prussian general, sending him an ac- count of the movements of the French. One of his letters being intercepted, the prince was arrested; when his wife, thinking her husband not guilty, gained access to the emperor, and boldly asserted his innocence. Napoleon handed to her the prince's letter : when she fell, in silence and despair, on her knees. " Put the paper in the fire," said Napoleon, " and there will then be no proof of guilt." 13 146 MATERNAL HEROISM. MATERNAL HEROISM. N the twenty-seventh of Janu- ary, 1796, a party of Indians killed George Mason, on Flat Creek, about twelve miles from Knoxville, Tennessee. During the night, he heard a noise at his stable, and stepped out, to ascertain the cause ; and the Indians, coming between him and the door, intercepted his return. He fled, but was fired upon and wounded. He reached a cave, a quarter of a mile from his house, out of which, already weltering in his blood, he was dragged, and murdered. Having done this, they returned to the house, to despatch his wife and children. Mrs. Mason, unconscious of the fate of her husband, heard them talking to each other as they approached the house. At first, she was delighted with the hope that her neighbours, aroused by the firing, had come to her assistance. But, perceiving that the conversation was neither in English nor German, the languages of her neigh- bours, she instantly inferred that they were savages, coming to attack the house. The heroine had, that very morning, learned how the double trigger of a rifle was set. Fortunately, the children were not awakened by the firing; and she took care not to awaken them. She shut the door, and barred it with benches and tables, and took down the well-charged rifle of her hus- band. She placed herself directly opposite to the opening which would be made by forcing the door. Her husband came not, and she was but too well aware that he was slain. She was alone, in the darkness. The yelling savages were without, pressing upon the house. She took counsel from her GOOD RETURNED FOR EVIL. 147 own magnanimity, heightened by affection for her children, that were sleeping, unconsciously, around her. The Indians, pushing w T ith great violence, gradually opened the door suffi- ciently wide to attempt an entrance. The body of one was thrust into the opening, and just filled it. He was struggling for admittance. Two or three more, directly behind him, were propelling him forward. She set the trigger of the rifle, put the muzzle near the body of the foremost, and in such a direction that the ball, after passing through his body, would penetrate those behind. She fired. The first Indian fell. The next one uttered the scream of mortal agony. This intrepid woman saw the policy of profound silence. She observed it. The Indians, in consequence, were led to believe that armed men were in the house. They withdrew from the house, took three horses from the stable, and set it on fire. It was after- wards ascertained, that this high-minded widow had saved herself and her children from the attack of twenty-five assail- ants ! GOOD RETURNED FOR EVIL. When we arrived at Albany, says the Baroness Reidesel, where we so often wished ourselves, but where we did not enter as we expected we should — victors ! we were received by the good General Schuyler, his wife and daughters, not as enemies, but kind friends ; and they treated us with the most marked attention and politeness, as they did General Burgoyne, who had caused General Schuyler's beautifully finished house to be burnt ; in fact they behaved like persons of exalted minds, who determined to bury all recollection of their own injuries in the contemplation of our misfortunes. General Burgoyne was struck with General Schuyler's generosity, and said to him, " You show me great kindness, although I have done you much injury" " That was the fate of war " replied the brave man ; " let us say no more about it" 148 BOSTONIAN BOYS. BOSTONIAN BOYS. The British troops which were sent to Boston, to keep that rebellious town in order, were everywhere received with the most unequivocal marks of anger and detestation. During their stay, the very air seemed filled with suppressed breath- ings of indignation. The insolence and indiscretion of some subaltern officers increased the ill will of the citizens; and vexations and quar- rels multiplied daily. At this period of public exasperation, the boys were much in the habit of building hills of snow, and sliding from them to the pond in the Common. The English troops, from the mere love of tantalizing, destroyed all their labours. They complained of the injury, and industriously set about repairs. However, when they returned from school, they found the snow-hills again levelled. Several of them now wailed upon the British Captain to inform him of the miscon- duct of his soldiers. No notice was taken of their complaint, *ind the soldiers every day grew more provokingly insolent. At last, they resolved to call a meeting of all the largest boys in town, and wait upon General Gage, Commander in Chief of the British forces. When shown into his presence, he asked, with some surprise, why so many children had called to see him. " We come, sir," said the foremost, " to claim a redress of grievances." " What, have your fathers been teaching you rebellion, and sent you here to utter it V 9 " No- body sent us, sir," replied the speaker, while his cheek red- dened, and his dark eye flashed : " we have never injured or insulted your troops ; but they have trodden down our snow- hills, and broken the ice on our skating ground. We com- plained, and they called us young rebels, and told us to help ourselves, if we could. We told the Captain of this, and he laughed at us. Yesterday our works were a third time de- stroyed ; and now we will bear it no longer." General Gage TRUE INDEPENDENCE. 149 looked at them with undisguised admiration, and turning to an officer who stood near him, he exclaimed, " Good heavens ! the very children draw in a love of liberty with the air they breathe ;" — and added, " You may go, my brave boys ; and be assured that if any of my troops hereafter molest you, they shall be severely punished." TRUE INDEPENDENCE. Soon after his establishment in Philadelphia, Franklin was offered a piece for publication in his newspaper. Being very busy, he begged the gentleman would leave it for considera- tion. The next day the author called and asked his opinion of it. " Why, sir," replied Franklin, "lam sorry to say that , I think it highly scurrilous and defamatory. But being at a loss on account of my poverty whether to reject it or not, I thought I would put it to this issue — at night, when my work w T as done, I bought a two-penny loaf, on which with a mug I supped heartily, and then wrapping myself in my great coat, slept very soundly on the floor till morning, when another loaf and a mug of water afforded me a pleasant breakfast. Now, sir, since I can live very comfortably in this manner, why should I prostitute my press to personal hatred or party pas- sion, for a more luxurious living V 9 One cannot read this anecdote of our American sage with- out thinking of Socrates's reply to King Archelaus, who had pressed him to give up preaching in the dirty streets of Athens, and come and live with him in his splendid courts : — " Meal, please your majesty, is a half-penny a peck at Athens, and water I can get for nothing" 13* 150 PROBITY RECOMPENSED. PROBITY RECOMPENSED. ERRIN was born in Brittany, near Vitre. An orphan before he could speak, he owed his subsistence to pub- lic charity; his education being limit- ed to a knowledge of reading and writing. At fifteen, he was entrusted by a farmer with the care of a flock of sheep. Lucetta, a young peasant girl in the neighbour- hood, performed a like office for her father. Continual meet- ing in the meadow where the flocks grazed, produced a friendship between them, which soon ripened into something warmer. Perrin proposed to offer himself as a son-in-law to her father. Lucetta consented, but did not wish to be pre- sent when the demand should be made. She was going to town the next day, so she begged Perrin to take that oppor- tunity for speaking to her father, and to come and meet her in the evening, and tell her how he had succeeded. At the appointed hour, Perrin flew to Lucetta's father, and frankly confessed that he loved his daughter, and would like to marry her. " You love my daughter V 9 interrupted the old man : " You would like to marry her, would you, Perrin ? How will you manage 1 Have you clothes to give her, a house to receive her, and money to buy food for her ? You are only a ser- vant; you have nothing; Lucetta is not rich enough to support you both." " But I have arms, I am strong, and I can always find work to do, especially if it is for Lucetta. I now make twen- ty crowns a year ; I have saved a hundred, which will pay for our wedding ; I shall work harder than ever, I shall soon be able to take a little farm. Some of our richest neighbours have begun as I shall do — why can I not succeed like them ?" Keep it then; 1 transfer it to you," and he tore in piece, the writing he held in his hand. (151) PROBITY RECOMPENSED. 153 " Well, you can try, you can wait awhile. Become rich, and my daughter shall be your wife. For the present, say no more about it." Perrin could obtain no farther answer than this. He ran to meet Lucetta, and soon saw her coming. She perceived by his countenance, that he had bad news to tell. " My father has then refused his consent !" " Ah, Lucetta, how unhappy I am in being so poor ! But I have not lost all hope ; times may grow better, we shall yet be united. Keep your heart faithful to me, remember that it is mine." They were now drawing near Vitre, and night was com- ing on ; and beginning to walk faster, Perrin stumbled and fell. In getting up, his hand accidentally touched what had caused his fall, and picking it up, he discovered it to be a heavy bag. Curious to know T its contents, he, with Lucetta, turned into a field by the road side, where the workmen had left the still blazing fragments of a fire. By this light, he opened the bag, and found it filled with gold ! " What is this ?" exclaimed Lucetta. " Oh, Perrin, you are rich now." " We can be married now !" said Perrin. " Heaven, favourable to our wishes, has sent us enough to satisfy your father, and to render us happy;" and he clasped his hands in thankfulness. This idea gave them great delight, and they hastened homewards to communicate their good fortune to the old man. They were not far from his house, when Perrin paused. "We expect happiness from this gold, Lucetta, but does it belong to us ? No doubt it is the property of some traveller. The fair at Vitre is just over. Some merchant, on his way home, must have dropped it, and perhaps at this moment, whilst we are so happy, he is wretched." " Oh, Perrin, what a ter- rible idea ! The owner is certainly unhappy — we should not 154 PROBITY RECOMPENSED. keep it — we found it accidentally ; if we do not restore it, we are thieves." " You make me shudder — we were going to carry it to your father — it would have been the source of our happiness, but of another person's misery. Let us go and consult the Rector ; he has always been very kind to me, he got me the place on the farm, and I would like to take his advice." The Rector was at home. Perrin gave the bag into his hands, telling him all the circumstances of their case. The good man listened with great interest. " Perrin," exclaimed he, " always preserve this honesty, and Heaven will bless you. We will discover the owner of the gold, who, no doubt, will give you a reward, to which I will add something. You shall have Lucetta ; I take it upon me to obtain her father's consent. If no one claims this money, it then goes to the poor. You are poor, and I shall fulfil Heaven's wishes by giving it back to you." Perrin and Lucetta withdrew, satisfied with having done their duty, and calmed by the delightful hopes which the Rec- tor had given them. The discovery of the bag of money was cried through the streets of the parish, and made known at Vitre, and all the neighbouring villages. Several dishonest people presented themselves to the Rector, pretending to be the owners ; but their descriptions of what they pretended to have lost, by no means answered to the treasure in question. Meanwhile, the Rector did not forget that he had promised to assist Perrin. He gave him a little farm, and the neces- sary agricultural implements ; and two months afterwards, performed the service of uniting him to Lucetta. The happy couple blessed God, and the Rector, and lived industriously and happily. The gold remained for two years unclaimed, and the Rec- tor judged it necessary to wait no longer ; he carried it to the virtuous couple, saying, " My children, enjoy the bounty of Providence, and let it not injure you. The 12,000 livres PROBITY RECOMPENSED. 155 are unemployed ; they are now yours. If, by accident, you ever should meet with the true owner, you will of course re- store it all to him. Make such a use of it as will not, in changing its nature, diminish its value." Perrin approved of this advice ; he proposed to buy the farm which he now rented. The money which he regarded as a deposite, could not be bet- ter employed, and if the owner should appear, he would have no cause to complain. The Rector agreed to this project, and the purchase was made. Perrin, become a proprietor, was able to improve his lands, which thus increased in value, and he lived very happily with Lucetta, and two lovely chil- dren. At his return from the fields, they would come to meet him, with smiling countenances, and accompany him home. Some years afterwards, the old Rector died, to the great grief of Perrin and Lucetta, who began to reflect as follows : " We too shall die, and our children will remain upon the farm, which does not belong to them. If the owner, after some years, should return, he may find a difficulty in obtain- ing possession of his own property." This idea distressed them so much, that they wrote an account of the circum- stances, and placed it in the hands of the new Rector, request- ing the most respectable inhabitants to sign it. Ten years afterwards, Perrin was coming home after a laborious day's work, when he beheld a carriage overturned in the road. He ran to offer his assistance, placed the bag- gage upon his own plough horses, and begged the two gentle- men, who had met with this accident, to accompany him to his own house. " This road is an unlucky one to me," said one of the travellers, " twelve years ago I lost a considerable sum of money in this very spot, on my way back from the fair at Vitre ; the amount was 12,000 francs in gold." " But," said Perrin, " did you make no inquiries nor re- searches V 9 " I was unable to do so, for I had taken my passage in a 156 PROBITY RECOMPENSED. vessel for the Indies, and I should have lost still more by delay." This conversation made Perrin start. He again entreated the gentlemen to remain at his house, during their stay in this place; it was the nearest and the best in many respects. They yielded to his entreaties, and Perrin led the way. When he met his wife, coming as usual to meet him, he told her to hurry home, and prepare a good dinner for their guests. Arrived at the house, he treated them with the greatest civility, and led the conversation again to the subject of the lost gold. Leaving them for a short time, he hastened to the Rector, and asked him to come and dine with him, to meet the owner of the property. The Rector went home with Perrin, as desired, full of admiration at the sincere joy testified by this honest man, at a discovery which must in- evitably ruin him. After dinner, the farmer invited the guests to visit the farm, showing them the house, the stable, the sheep-fold, the kitchen garden, and giving them an account of the produce. " All this is yours," said he to the traveller ; " what you lost fell into my hands ; finding that it was not claimed, I bought this farm with it, with the intention of re- storing it to the owner, should he ever appear. It is yours. If I had died before meeting with you, a writing in the Rec- tor's keeping would have proved your rights." The stranger, very much surprised, read the paper handed to him, and turning to Perrin and Lucetta, " What remarka- ble virtue !" exclaimed he ; " what a noble action ! and in your rank of life ! Have you anything else besides this farm V 9 " No, but if you do not sell it, you will need a farmer, and perhaps you will employ me." " Your honesty deserves a better reward. It is twelve years since I lost that money ; since then, thanks to God, I have been prosperous in business, so that I have never felt the want of it. I am rich enough, but you deserve this little fortune ; Providence has given it to NOBLE REVENGE. 157 voii. It would be an offence to him to deprive you of it. Keep it then, I transfer it to you. I do not want it." And he tore to pieces the writing he held in his hand. This action," continued he, " shall not remain unknown, I will have it published, that all the world may read the story of the virtuous Perrin and Lucetta." NOBLE REVENGE. Two French noblemen, the Marquis de Valaze, and the Count de Merci, were educated under the same masters, and reputed amongst all who knew them, to be patterns of friend- ship, honour, courage, and sensibility. Years succeeded years, and no quarrel had ever disgraced their attachment ; when, one unfortunate evening, the two friends having indulged freely in some fine Burgundy, repaired to a public coffee-house, and there engaged in a game of backgammon. Fortune declared herself in favour of the marquis, and the count was in des- pair of success ; in vain did he depend on the fickleness of the goddess, and that he should win her over to his side;— for once she was constant. The marquis laughed with ex- ultation at his unusual good luck. The count lost his temper, and once or twice upbraided the marquis for enjoying the pain which he saw excited in the bosom of his friend. At last, upon a fortunate throw of the marquis, which gam- moned his antagonist, the infuriated count threw the box and dice in the face of his brother soldier. The whole company in the room were in amazement, and every gentleman present waited with impatience for the mo- ment in which the marquis would sheathe his sword in the bosom of the now repentant count. " Gentlemen," cried the marquis, " I am a Frenchman, a 14 15S EMPRESS CATHERINE. soldier, and a friend. I have received a blow from a French- man, a soldier, and a friend. I know and I acknowledge the laws of honour, and will obey them. Every man who sees me, wonders why I am tardy in putting to death the author of my disgrace. But, gentlemen, the heart of that man is entwined with my own. Our days, our education, our tem- peraments, and our friendships, are coeval. But, Frenchmen, I will obey the laws of honour and of France : I will stab him to the heart." So saying, he threw his arms around his un- happy friend, and said, " My dear De Merci, I forgive you, if you will deign to forgive me for the irritations I have given to a sensible mind, by the levity of my own. And now, gentlemen," added the marquis, " though I have interpreted the laws of honour my own way, if there remains one French- man in this room, who dares to doubt my resolution to resent even an improper smile at me, let him accompany me ; my sword is by my side, to resent an affront, but not to murder a friend for whom I would die, and who sits there a monu- ment of contrition and bravery, ready with me to challenge the rest of the room to deadly combat, if any man dare to think amiss even of this transaction." The noble conduct of these true friends was applauded by the company present, who felt that " to err, was human ; to forgive, divine." The pardon of the count was sealed by the embraces of the marquis; and the king so far applauded both the disputants, that he gave them the cordon bleu. EMPRESS CATHERINE. The Empress Catherine I. of Russia, who was raised from a very humble situation in life, to be the wife of Peter the Great, and to succeed him on the throne, was never forgetful of her former condition. When Wurmb, who had been tutor EMPRESS CATHERINE. 159 to the children of Gluck, the Lutheran minister of Marien- burgh, at the time Catherine was a domestic in the family, presented himself before her, after her marriage with Peter had been publicly solemnized, she recollected him, and said, with great complaisance, " What, thou good old man, art thou still alive 1 I will provide for thee ;" and she accordingly set- tled a pension upon him. She was not less attentive to the family of her benefactor Gluck, who died a prisoner at Mos- cow ; she pensioned his widow, made his son her page, por- tioned her two eldest daughters, and advanced the youngest to be one of her maids of honour. But the most noble part of her character, was her peculiar humanity and compassion for the unfortunate. Motraye has paid a handsome compliment to her for this excellence. He says, " She had in some sort, the government of all his (Peter's) passions ; and even saved the lives of a great many persons ; she inspired him with that humanity, which, in the opinion of his subjects, nature seemed to have denied him. A word from her mouth in favour of a wretch just going to be sacrificed to his anger, would disarm him ; but, if he was fully resolved to satisfy that passion, he would give orders for the execution when she was absent, for fear she should plead for the victim." In a word, to use the expression of the celebrated Munich, " Elle etoit proprement la mediatrice entre le monarque et ses sujets." When Peter was surrounded by ten thousand Turks in his camp at Pruth, and in danger of perishing with his whole army, who were without provisions and without resources, he shut himself up in his tent, and issued the most rigorous pro- hibition against any person approaching it. Catherine, desi- rous of reanimating his courage, one day ventured into his tent, and with an air of gaiety and confidence, said, " I have an infallible method of delivering us from the power of the Ottomans." A less decisive and important announcement would not have obtained the ear of Peter, while his wife in- 160 ISABELLA OF CASTILE. formed him, that by sacrificing all her valuable jewels and a considerable sum in ducats, she had gained the Grand Vizier to her interest ; an armistice was proposed, to which the Turkish general, influenced by the Grand Vizier, agreed, and pro- visions were suffered to pass to the Russians. A few days afterwards an honourable peace was concluded, and thus the empire, the sovereign, and the army, were saved by the pre- sence of mind of Catherine. After the death of Peter, and Catherine's accession to the throne, she convoked an assembly of all the states of the em- pire, in order to obtain their consent to the publication of a new code. The deputies assembled, in their first address, styled the empress, " Great, wise, and mother of the people." Catherine refused all these titles, except the last, saying, " There is no true greatness in this world, nor is any mortal really wise ; I hope, however, that I shall always act as the mother of my people." ISABELLA OF CASTILE. OWEVER instructive the study of his- tory may be as a record of the rise and < progress of principles, however interest- f. ing as a narration of events, it is yet, ^ when viewed more generally, marked by an almost uninterrupted monotony. When w T e see ages and generations suc- ceeding each other in silent rotation, with the same exhibi- tions of vice and infirmity, our reflections are anything but flattering to the character of our race. The picture in this view, is indeed a dark one ; and were w 7 e not able to rest upon an occasional bright spot, we should be wearied with the gloomy sameness. Here and there, however, we may ISABELLA OF CASTILE. 161 contemplate noble instances of exalted worth ; and contrast- ing these with their too generally prevailing opposites, our feelings grow warm with admiration. It is in this state of mind that we emerge from tales of tu- mult and oppression, to dwell upon the character of Isabella, Queen of Castile. Her reign is an oasis in the desert of the past, and displays, in a strong light, the happy influence of great ability, guided by the dictates of nature and morality. Her strength of mind and amiableness of disposition are doubt- less to be attributed in a great degree to the circumstances of her early life. As she was not born to the expectation of sovereignty, her education was adapted to a more humble station ; and in the seclusion of private life, her mind was im- bued with the precepts of religion, and enlightened by the study of general literature. Thus removed from the enerva- ting influence of a court, she grew up graceful and vigorous in person, with great mental activity and warmth of feeling. At length, however, with no exertion on her part, we find her raised to the throne of Castile. In this exalted station, her energy and purity of character were fully displayed, and have descended to posterity, an example to princes, the admi- ration of all. Her political career was marked by the re- formation of morals and the revival of learning. The laws which by the strong had been trampled upon with impunity, and over the weak had been instruments of oppression, were restored to a just and energetic action. The union of the two crowns of Castile and Arragon at this period, and the expulsion of the Moors, are events well known. The latter was among the results of the national prosperity. Domestic foes were her first objects of concern ; and these being con- quered, foreign enemies were easily overcome. The state of society in Castile, previous to her reign, was most deplorable. The court was a scene of shameless profligacy, and the no- bility were distinguished for nothing but a contempt of autho- 14* 162 ISABELLA OF CASTILE. rity and the immorality of their lives, while the people were abject and vicious. But instead of grieving over the evils of the times in silent inactivity, with characteristic skill and ability she commenced the work of reform. Faction, so long triumphant, was sup- pressed ; agriculture and manufactures revived. In short, the country, assuming a new aspect, became prosperous and happy. But with all this good, was there no evil ? Alas, for human frailty! even in the character of this noble princess, we are not to look for perfection. It cannot be concealed that in some points she erred — that in certain acts of her reign she inflicted deep and abiding wounds upon the future pros- perity of her country. Yet even these, when we consider the ignorance and prejudice of the age, are not without palliatives. Intolerance and bigotry were not peculiar to her ; and if, in other instances, they had proceeded from as pure a heart, as sincere a motive, we should be inclined to cast upon them all the silent shades of forgetfulness. That her piety w 7 as undis- sembled, the whole course of her life bears ample testimony ; and by the dogma of her faith, she was taught that it was right to commit the keeping of her conscience into the hands of another. Thus was her penetrating judgment dethroned, while she consented to the banishment of the unfortunate Jew. The gentleness of her disposition yielded to the stern voice of religious duty, and the unhappy Moor was stretched upon the rack of the Inquisition. These are indeed blemishes which mar the harmony of her character, and are not easily over- looked. With these exceptions, however, which were her only political faults, her wisdom as a sovereign is unimpeacha- ble ; while as a woman, no shadow of a stain rests upon her memory. She sat upon the throne with a happy conscious- ness of being universally beloved and respected. The sons of Spain even now love to dwell upon this bright page in their history ; and never is the name of Isabella mentioned, but with the warmest benedictions. ISABELLA OF CASTILE. 163 One would think that, taking so active a part in the admin- istration of government, she would have lost that delicacy of feeling so natural to the female character, the want of which, no personal attractions, no external accomplishments, no gifts of mind can supply. We should be taking but a partial view of her character, did w 7 e fail to notice the many estimable traits for which she was distinguished in that peculiar sphere of woman — the domestic circle. In an age when morality was at its lowest ebb, when high and low were alike dissolute and unrestrained, Isabella stood forth a bright star, untouched by the baneful atmosphere beneath. To her husband constant and attached, she performed the duties of a faithful consort with singular affection. In his ill- ness, she watched with unwearied diligence by his side ; and even w r hen the pale hand of disease was laid upon herself, her last words were spent in expressions of affection and attach- ment towards him. Her duties as a parent were not trans- ferred to the hands of menials, but under her own eye, and surrounded by the sweet influences of home, the children of a royal line passed their early days. When arrived at maturity, her solicitude for them continued. She shared alike in their prosperity and adversity. Indeed, it was from this source that the most bitter trials of her life proceeded. The decline into which she at last fell, and from which she never reco- vered, was occasioned by the insanity of one of her daughters. She went down to the grave a victim to maternal tenderness. Unlike almost any other female sovereign, in this respect, the voice of slander never dared to utter a word against her unsullied purity. As a woman, she was " an honour to her sex :" as a queen, " the greatness of Spain." Thus, in beauty of person, in amiableness of disposition, in strength of mind, Isabella was not less worthy of respect as a sovereign, than of admiration as a woman. 164 COLIGNY. She was alone, (If her rare qualities, sweet gentleness, Her meekness saint-like, her wife-like government, Obeying in commanding, and her parts Sovereign and pious else could speak her out,) The queen of earthly queens. No one who is at all acquainted with the history of this period, can fail to admire the character of Isabella, " The in- fanta of Castile, the paragon of Spain." COLIGNY. MONG the many characters distinguished in 'European history, there is scarcely any one more deserving the attention of the American [ patriot than the celebrated Admiral Coligny. If the Pilgrim Fathers of New England are worthy of all praise, for founding an asylum for reli- gious liberty, Coligny is not less to be commended for having planned and attempted a colony for the same purpose, and that too upon our own shores ; and while they gain the applause which results from brilliant success, he should not be refused the reverence and sympathy which is due to greatness, virtue, and above all, misfortune. The Admiral de Coligny was born at Catillon-sur-Loin, in the year 1516, of noble parents, and received the best educa- tion that the times afforded. He was brought up in the Pro- testant faith, from which he never swerved during his whole life. In his youth he distinguished himself in several battles, under the reigns of Francis I. and Henry II., by his great bra- very and skill. After the death of the last mentioned king, Catherine de Medici was declared regent, and by her rigor- Coligny. (165) COLIGNY. 167 ous acts against the Protestants, she caused them to rise in arms. The Prince de Conde and Admiral Coligny were chosen as commanders of all the Protestant forces. After the death of Conde, which happened at the battle of Jarnac, the whole command devolved upon Coligny, and well did he prove himself worthy of the trust reposed in him. He carried on the w T ar against the troops of Catherine with various suc- cess, sometimes conquering, sometimes suffering a defeat, but never permitting himself to be disheartened, however great his loss might be. Catherine de Medici, finding, at length, that she could not exterminate the Protestants by force of arms, resolved to do so by stratagem. She therefore conclu- ded a peace with them, and invited the principal of them to court, where they were received with the greatest apparent cordiality. But Coligny, knowing the treachery of the queen, and suspecting some plot to be concealed under this veil of kindness, resolved to defeat her ends. For this purpose he in- tended to form a colony in the New World, where the Pro- testants, should circumstances hereafter compel them, might retire and live in peace and security. With this design, in the year 1562, he sent out an expedition consisting of two ships, under the command of John Ribaud. These vessels arrived on the coast of Florida in the month of May of the ^ame year, and Ribaud entered a river which he called the May, but which was subsequently named San Mateo, by the Spaniards ; it is now called St. John's. Here he erected a column (of stones), on which was inscribed the arms of France, as a token of possession ; he then sailed farther north, and left a colony at the bay of Port Royal. But this colony, on account of dissensions among the chiefs, was soon abandoned. A short time afterwards, Coligny sent out three other ves- sels, under the command of Laudonniere. He reached Flo- rida on the 20th of June, 1564, and sailed up the river May. Here he found the column which had been left by Ribaud still in existence, and decorated with garlands of flowers, 168 COLIGNY. which the Indians had hung around it, and which the chief Saturiova now showed him with great apparent gratification. Laudonniere, struck with the beauty of the place, determined to form his settlement here, and commenced building a for- tress, which he called Fort Carolina. But a scarcity of provi- sions arose, and the colonists became discontented, and desired to return to their native country. Laudonniere withstood their demands as long as possible, but finally yielding to their im- portunity, he embarked on the 28th of August, and began his voyage ; but he had sailed only a short distance when he met with a fleet of several vessels, commanded by Ribaud, who was appointed to succeed him in the command. They, there- fore, all returned, and the colony soon advanced to a more flourishing condition. But things were not long allowed to remain in this state. On the 20th of September an expedition of the Spaniards, under Melendez, arrived at the fort, and with the exception of women and children, massacred every living soul. This proved a death-blow to all the hopes of Coligny ; and thus the colony, which, had it been suffered to have flourished, would have saved France a civil war, and prevented the great massacre of St. Bartholomew's day, was entirely destroyed. Charles IX. and Catherine now began to display their hos- tility more openly than ever against the Protestant religion. They imposed such rigorous exactions upon its professors, that they once more rose in arms, and once more Coligny led them to battle. Here he met with various success ; but on the whole, fortune seemed to incline in his favour. Catherine, at last, despairing of ever conquering the Protestants in the field, again concluded a treaty with him. Coligny was invi- ted to Paris, where he was received with the most distin- guished marks of favour. He had one hundred thousand francs given him by Charles IX. as an indemnity for his losses in the wars, and was admitted to a seat in the council. Things continued in this condition until the night of St, Bar- COLIGNY. 169 tholomew's, the 24th of August, 1572, a night in which one of the most horrible transactions that ever disgraced humanity, occurred ; a night in which thousands of innocent beings were sent to their final account without previous warning ; a night in which deeds were perpetrated (the result not more of reli- gious than political animosity) which are now equally repro- bated by Catholic and Protestant. Particular orders had been given to prevent all chance of Coligny's escape. The Duke of Guise, with a band of miscreants, hastened to his house, which they surrounded. A man by the name of Besme then entered the room in which Coligny was sitting. " Art thou Coligny V 9 said he ; " I am he indeed," said the admiral ; " young man, you ought to respect my gray hairs ; but, do what you will, you can shorten my life only by a few days." Besme immediately plunged his sword into his body, and his companions pierced him with many wounds. The body was then thrown out of the window into the street, where Guise was impatiently waiting to see it. He wiped the blood off his face in order to recognize the features, and then gave orders to cut off his head, which he sent to Catherine. This head w r as then embalmed and sent to the Pope, whilst his body remained in the street, exposed to every indignity from the ferocious rabble. Thus perished Coligny, one of the greatest and most re- markable men that France ever produced. Well might his enemies exult in his fall ; for he was the bulwark of the cause which he had espoused. With him perished the best hopes of Protestantism in France. The succeeding leader renoun- ced the faith ; and then there followed persecution, exile and apostacy, till the Revolution levelled all distinctions, and seemed for a time to have extinguished all religion with a deluge of political fanaticism. 15 170 SULLY. SULLY, FIRST MINISTER OF HENRY IV. OF FRANCE. After the wretched assassination of his old master Henry the Fourth, Sully withdrew himself from public affairs, and lived in retirement thirty years at his chateau of Villebon, seldom or never coming to court. Louis the Thirteenth, how- ever, wishing to have his opinion upon some matters of conse- quence, sent for him to come to him at Paris, and the good old man obeyed his summons, but not with the greatest alac- rity. The gay courtiers on seeing a man dressed unlike to themselves, and of grave and serious manners, totally different from their own, and which appeared to be those of the last century, turned Sully into ridicule, and took him off to his face. Sully perceiving this, said coolly to the King, " Sire, when your father, of glorious memory, did me the honour to consult me on any matter of importance, he first sent away all the jesters and all the buffoons of his court." Sully kept up always at his table at Villebon, the frugality to which he had been accustomed in early life in the army. His table consisted of two dishes, dressed in the plainest and most simple manner. The courtiers reproached him often with the simplicity of his table. He used to reply in the words of an ancient, " If the guests are men of sense, there is sufficient for them ; if they are not, I can very well dispense with their company." Sully dined at the upper end of the hall, with the persons of his own age, at a table apart. The young people were ser- ved at a table by themselves. Sully gave as a reason for this arrangement, that the persons of different ages might not be mutually tiresome to each other. The Pope having once written a letter to M. de Sully upon his becoming Minister, which ended with his Holiness's wishes that he might enter into the right way ; Sully answered, that GONSALVO. 171 on his part he never ceased to pray for the conversion of his Holiness. A contemporary writer thus describes this great Minister : " He was," says he, " a man of order, exact, frugal, a man of his word, and had no foolish expenses, either of play or of anything else that was unsuitable to the dignity of his charac- ter. He was vigilant, laborious, and expedited business. He spent his whole time in his employments, and gave none of it to his pleasures. With all these qualifications he had the talent of diving to the bottom of everything that was submit- ted to him, and of discovering every entanglement and diffi- culty with which the financiers, when they are not honest men, endeavour to conceal their tricks and rogueries." The Abbe de Longuerue says, " that the Dutchess of Ne- mours used to tell him, that she had seen that good old man M. de Sully, and that he was so altered by being dismissed from his employments, that there remained nothing in him of the celebrated minister of that name ; and that he was em- ployed entirely in the management of his estate and of his family affairs. His secretaries," adds he, " loaded his Me- moirs with faults which he was not in a state to correct." GONSALVO, The great Captain, was a man of great presence of mind. When in some mutiny amongst his troops, one of the soldiers presented his halberd to his breast, he gently turned it aside with his hand. " Comrade," said he, " take care that in play- ing with that weapon, you do not wound your General." On some other mutiny for want of pay, on Gonsalvo's expressing his inability to give it to them, one of the soldiers advanced to him, and said in a menacing tone, " General, deliver up 172 GASSENDI. your daughter to us, and then we can pay ourselves." The General affecting not to hear him amidst the clamours of the troops, took no notice of it at the time, but in the night he took care to have him apprehended, and had him hung from a win- dow from which all the army might see the body. Gonsalvo took Naples by storm in the year 1503 ; and when some of his soldiers expressed their disapprobation at not hav- ing had a sufficient share in the spoil of that rich city, Gon- salvo nobly replied, " I will repair your bad fortune ; go to my apartments, take there all you can find, I give it all into your hands." Gonsalvo, for sometime before he died, retired to a convent ; giving as a reason for his conduct, that there should be some time for serious reflection between the life of a soldier and his death. GASSENDI. • ! N one of the letters of this celebrated philo- sopher, he says, that he was consulted by his friend the Count d'Alais, Governor of Provence, on a phenomenon that haunted his bed-chamber whilst he was at Marseilles on some business relative to his office. The Count tells Gassendi, that for several succes- sive nights, as soon as the candle was taken away, he and his Countess saw a luminous spectre, sometimes of an oval, sometimes of a triangular, form ; that it always disappeared when light came into the room ; that he had often struck at it, but could discover nothing solid. Gassendi, as a natural philosopher, endeavoured to account for it ; sometimes attri- buting it to some defect of vision, or to some dampness of the room ; insinuating that perhaps it might be sent from Heaven to him, to give him a warning in due time of something that GASSENDI. 173 should happen. The spectre continued its visits all the while that he staid at Marseilles ; and some years afterwards the Countess owned to her husband that she played this trick by means of one of her women placed under the bed, with a phial of phosphorus, to frighten her husband away from Marseilles, a place in which she disliked very much to reside. Gassendi was perhaps one of the hardest students that ever existed. In general he rose at three o'clock in the morning, and read or wrote till eleven, when he received the visits of his friends. He afterwards at twelve made a very slender dinner, at which he drank nothing but w^ater, and sat down to his books again at three. There he remained till eight o'clock, when, after having eaten a very light supper, he re- tired to bed at ten o'clock. His means of life were very small ; but, as M. Bernier in his Epitaph upon him says, Vixit sine querela, forte sua contentus Tnferioris notse, amicis jucundissimus. Viris, imperio, auctoritate, doctrina, Sapientia, prasstantissimus, Acceptissimus, charissimus. Gassendi appears to have died of his physicians ; for a dys- entery they bled him fourteen times at the age of sixty-one. He hinted to them, that as he was very feeble, he thought they might as well discontinue the bleedings. In spite of this re- monstrance, they pursued their cruel operations till they re- duced him to the greatest extremity of weakness. Gui Patin told him of the danger he was in, and recommended to him to settle his worldly affairs. The patient, lifting up his head from his pillow, said smilingly to him, Omnia prsecepi, atque animo mecum ante peregi. As he was dying he desired his secretary to put his hand gently upon his heart, and said to him, " Mon ami, voila ce que c'est que la vie de l'homme." Gassendi had, however, long before he said this, received the sacraments according 15* 174 GASSENDI. to the rites of the church of Rome. Like Dr. Johnson, Gassendi was a great repeater of verses in the several lan- guages with which he was conversant. He made it a rule every day to repeat six hundred. He could repeat six thou- sand Latin verses, besides all Lucretius, which he had by heart. He used to say, " That it is with the memory as with all other habits. Do you wish to strengthen it, or to prevent its being enfeebled, as it generally happens when a man is growing old, exercise it continually, and in very early life get as many fine verses by heart as you can : they amuse the mind, and keep it in a certain degree of elevation, that in- spires dignity and grandeur of sentiment." Gassendi's ad- versaries accused him of want of religion. This imputa- tion seems ill-founded, as every Sunday and holiday he sgid mass as a priest : and, according to Gui Patin, the disorder of which he died w r as owing to his keeping Lent too strictly, contrary to the advice of that learned physician. Gassendrs motto in his books was sapere aude. The prin- ciples of moral conduct that he laid down for the direction of his life, were, — To know T and fear God. — Not to be afraid of death ; and to submit quietly to it whenever it should hap- pen. — To avoid idle hopes, as well as idle fears. — Not to defer till to-morrow any innocent amusement that may take place to-day. — To desire nothing but what is necessary. — To govern the passions by reason and good sense. Gassendi was a most excellent astronomer, and had a mind so fraught with knowledge, and at the same time so divested of prejudice, that he wrote against Aristotle ; a bold attempt in the times in which he lived ; and offered to prove, that every thing which that great genius had advanced in philo- sophy was wrong. Yet how vain are the speculations of the most comprehensive minds, when unassisted by knowledge and experience ! Gassendi, who was a dabbler in anatomy and medicine, wrote a treatise to prove, that man was in- tended by nature to live only on vegetables. (170) MARIA THERESA. 177 MARIA THERESA. T often happens that a single well judged action fixes the future destiny of the agent. This was remarkably the case on that memorable occasion where the celebrated Maria Theresa, " the queen, the beauty," made her ap- peal to her nobles, and won the hearts of half Europe in a moment She was indeed a wonderful woman. Her character and actions di- vided the attention of the world with those of her illustrious antagonist, Frederick the Great, during the whole of his bril- liant career; and she has left on the imperishable records of history one among a thousand examples, which serve to illus- trate the intellectual equality of the sexes, by exhibiting a female as the counterpart to the man, who is the master spirit of the age. Pericles had such a counterpart ; and so had Caesar. Peter the Great had his Catharine ; and the spirit of Napoleon itself quailed under the terrible denuncia- tions of De Stael. Maria Theresa, Empress Queen of Bohemia and Hungary, was the daughter of the Emperor Charles VI., who, losing his only son, constituted her the heiress of his dominions. She was born in 1717, and, at the age of nineteen, married Francis of Lorraine ; and, on the death of her father, in 1740, ascended the throne. No sooner had she attained that en- vied, though dangerous position, than the neighbouring princes invaded her domains on all sides; and she, being no longer in safety at Vienna, fled for protection to her Hungarian sub- jects. She assembled the states, and, presenting herself be- fore them, with her infant in her arms, addressed them in Latin in the following memorable words : " Abandoned by my friends, persecuted by my enemies, attacked by my nearest 178 MARIA THERESA. relations, I have no other resource than in your fidelity, in your courage, and my own constancy. I commit to your care the son of your king, who has no other safety than your protection." At the spectacle of the beauty and distress of their young queen, the Hungarians, a warlike people, drew their swords, and exclaimed, as with one voice : " We will die for our king, Maria Theresa !" An army was assem- bled ; and the queen, who had two powerful supports in her rare talents, and the love of her people, recovered several im- portant places ; the kings of England and Sardinia espoused her cause ; and, after eight years of war, Maria Theresa was confirmed in her rights by the peace of 1748. She then di- rected her attention to repairing the evils which war had occasioned ; the arts were encouraged, and commerce ex- tended. The ports of Trieste and Turin were opened to all nations, and Leghorn extended her commerce to the Levant and the East Indies. The city of Vienna was enlarged and embellished ; and manufactures of cloth, porcelain, silk, &c, were established in its vast suburbs. To encourage science, the Empress erected universities and colleges throughout her dominions, one of which, at Vienna, bears her name. She founded schools for drawing, sculpture, and architecture ; formed public libraries at Prague and Inspruck, and raised magnificent observatories at Vienna, Gratz, and Tiernan. In 1756 the torch of war was again kindled, and was not extinguished till 1763, when the treaty of Hubertsbourgh placed the affairs of Germany on nearly the same footing as before the war. The only advantage Maria Theresa reaped was, electing her son Joseph king of the Romans in 1764. The next year she experienced a great domestic misfortune in the loss of her husband, to whom she had been tenderly attached ; the mourning she assumed was never laid aside during her life ; and she founded at Inspruck a chapter of nuns, whose office w T as to pray for the repose of the soul of this beloved husband. Vienna beheld her every month water THE REBEL FLOWER. 179 with her tears the tomb of this prince, who, for thirty years, had been her support and adviser. After a long and glorious reign, and having beheld her eight children seated on the thrones, or united to the monarchs of some of the most flourishing states of Europe, and after having merited the title of Mother of her Country, Maria Theresa descended to the tomb in 1780. Her last moments were employed in shedding benefits upon the poor and or- phans ; and the following were some of the last words she uttered : " The state in which you now behold me," said she to her son, " is the termination of what is called power and grandeur. During a long and painful reign of forty years, I have loved and sought after truth ; I may have been mistaken in my choice, my intentions may have been ill understood, and worse executed; but He who knows all, has seen the purity of my intentions, and the tranquillity I now enjoy is the first pledge of his acceptance, and emboldens me to hope for more. One of the most consoling thoughts on my death bed," said she, " is, that I have never closed my heart to the cry of misfortune." THE REBEL FLOWER. A British officer, noted for inhumanity and oppression, meeting Mrs. Charles Elliot in a garden adorned with a great variety of flowers, asked the name of the Chamomile, which seemed to flourish with remarkable luxuriance. " That is the rebel flower," she replied. " The rebel flower !" rejoined the officer, " why did it receive that name V 9 " Because," an- swered the lady, " it thrives most when most trampled on." 180 PATERNAL AFFECTION. PATERNAL AFFECTION. OHN EVELYN, who flourished in the stormy period of the English Com- monwealth, and who is known as the author of " The Sylva," of a " Diary" of much interest, and other works, pre- sents to our view a most touching ex- ample of paternal affection. He was happy in a wife of great personal at- tractions, and uncommon accomplishments ; and among his children a son, who died at the age of five, and a daughter w 7 hom he lost at the age of nineteen, were considered as little less than prodigies. The account of their extraordinary en- dowments, from the pen of the father himself, as well as the description he has left us of the manner in which he was affected by their deaths, cannot be read without exciting the tenderest emotions. The following is from Evelyn's Diary. " 1658, 27th Jan. — After six fits of an ague, died my son Richard, five years, five months, and three days old, only; but at that tender age a prodigy of wit and understanding : for beauty of body, a very angel : for endowments of mind, of incredible and rare hopes. Such early knowledge, such illumination, so far exceeding his age and experience ! And thus, God having dressed up a saint fit for himself, would not longer permit him to stay with us, unworthy of beholding the fruits of so incomparable and hopeful a blossom. Such a child I never saw ; for such a child I bless God, in whose bosom he is ! But He who giveth good things hath taken him from me : blessed be His name !" This fondest of fathers thus announces his loss to Sir Richard Browne : PATERNAL AFFECTION. 181 " Si r> — You will perceive how much reason I had to be afraid of my felicity. God has taken from us that dear child, your grandson, your godson, and with him all the joy and satisfaction that could be derived from the fondest hopes. A loss, the more to be deplored, as our contentment was extra- ordinary, and the indications of his future perfection as fair and high as any I ever saw or heard of in one so young. You, sir, have heard so much of this, that I may say it with the less crime and suspicion. What I before mentioned with the greatest joy, I now write with as much sorrow and amaze- ment. But so it is. It has pleased God to dispose of him. The blossom, — fruit I may rather say, is fallen. A void is made in our joys which I never hope to see repaired. The stroke is so severe, that I find nothing in all philosophy capa- ble of allaying its bitterness. To divide my sorrows with my friends, and mingle my tears with yours, is all that can alle- viate the sadness of, dear sir, yours, &c. John Evelyn." As some consolation under his severe bereavement, Evelyn devoted his leisure hours to a translation from the Greek of St. John Chrysostom's " Golden Book on the Education of Children." In an "Epistle Dedicatory to my most incom- parable brothers, George and Richard Evelyn, of Wooton and Woodcot, in Surrey, Esquires," he thus feelingly opens his heart upon this subject. " Among the very many diversions which I have experi- mented to mitigate and attemper the sorrows which still op- press me, for the loss of my children, and especially of that one so precious to me, nothing has afforded me greater conso- lation than this, — that it pleased God to give me opportunities, and such a subject to work upon. You have, brothers, both of you lost children, but none of them for whom you had rea- son to be so sensible as myself. They died infants, and could not so entirely engage your affections, as if they had arrived at years of maturity ; as if the spring had flattered you with 16 182 PATERNAL AFFECTION. the expectation of a fruitful harvest, as it did myself. Be as- sured, that of all the afflictions which can touch the heart in this life, one of the most superlative is the loss of a hopeful child. I have long sought a remedy, and one of them I here affectionately present unto you. It is the ' Golden Book' of St. Chrysostom, which has afforded me such consolation, that I hope it w 7 ill be acceptable to you. The subject is the edu- cation of children. Certain it is, that if this one thing w T ere well secured, princes w T ould have good subjects, fathers good children, wives good husbands, masters good servants, God would be sincerely served, and all things be well with us. And here I would end, did not my affections a little transport me, and the hopes that you will yet be indulgent, while I erect to my child this monument, to show the world how nearly I concurred with the instructions of this ' Golden Book.' When my son was a little above five years old, he excelled many that I have known of fifteen. He was taught to pray as soon as he could speak, and he was taught to read as soon as he could pray. At three years old he read any character or letter whatever, used in our printed books ; and within a little time after, any tolerable hand-writing. Before he was five, he had gotten by heart seven or eight hundred Latin and Greek words, as I have since calculated out of his Vocabu- lary, together with their genders and declensions. I then en- tered him upon the verbs, which in four months' time he could perfectly conjugate, together with most of the irregu- lars excepted in our grammars. These he conquered with incredible delight and intelligence. But what is more strange, when from them I set him to the nouns, he had in the interim, by himself, learned both the declensions and their examples, their exceptions, &c, without any knowledge or precept of mine, insomuch that I stood amazed at his assiduity and me- mory. This engaged me to bring him a Sententice Pueriles, and a Cato, and of late, Comenius ; the short sentences of the two first, and the more solid ones of the last, he learned to PATERNAL AFFECTION. 183 construe and parse, as fast as one could well teach and at- tend him. He became not only dexterous in the ordinary rules, by frequent recourse to them, — for indeed I never ob- liged him to get any of them by heart as a task, that carniji- cina puerorum, but, at this age, could also easily comprehend both the meaning and the use of the relative, the ellipsis, and the defects of verbs and nouns unexpressed. But to repeat here all that I could justly affirm of his promptitude in this regard, were altogether prodigious ; so that truly I have been sometimes constrained to cry out like the father of another Adeodatus, horrori mihi est hoc ingenium — such a display of genius is truly appalling. So insatiable was his desire of knowledge, that I well remember, that when, upon a time, some one was discoursing of Terence and of Plautus, and he was told, upon inquiring about those authors, that they were too difficult for him, he wept for very grief, and could hardly be pacified. To tell you how exactly he read French, how much of it he spake and understood, were to let you know that his mother instructed him without any confusion to the rest of his studies. He learned a catechism, and many pray- ers, and read divers things in that language. More to be admired was the liveliness of his judgment. Being much taken with the diagrams in Euclid, he readily repeated to me many of the postulates and definitions, which he could readily repeat in Latin, and apply. He was in one hour only taught to play upon the organ the first half of a thorough bass, to one of our church psalms. Let no man think that we did hereby crowd his spirit too full of notions. The things we force upon other children were strangely natural to him ; for as he very seldom affected their toys, such things were his usual recrea- tion as the gravest men might not be ashamed of withal. He was especially fond of the Apologues of ^Esop, most of which, with divers other stories, he could so readily account, that you would wonder whence he produced them : but he was never without some book or other in his hand. Pictures af- 184 PATERNAL AFFECTION. forded him infinite pleasure ; and above all, he was proud of a pen and ink, with which he now began to form his letters. He often delighted himself in reciting poems and sentences, some of which were in Greek, fragments of comedies, divers verses out of Herbert, and among the Psalms, his beloved and often-repeated Ecce quam bonum (Ps. 133). He had an ear so curiously framed to sounds, that he would never miss in- fallibly to tell you what language it was you read by the ac- cent only, were it Latin, Greek, French, Italian, or Dutch. To all this I might add the incomparable sweetness of his countenance and eyes, the clean fabric of his body, and pretty address; how easily he forgot injuries, when at anytime I would break or cross his humour, by sometimes interrupting his enjoyments, in the midst of some sweet or other delicious things which allured him ; that I might thereby render him more indifferent to all things. But, above all, extremely con- spicuous was his affection to his younger brother, with whose impertinencies he would patiently bear, saying, he was but a child, and understood no better. Then he was ever so smil- ing, cheerful, and in perfect good-humour, that it might be truly said of him, as St. Jerome did of Helidorus, gravitatem morum hilaritate frontis temper abat — he tempered the gravi- ty of his manner by the cheerfulness of his brow. But these things were obvious, and I dwell on them no longer. There are yet better behind ; and those are his early piety, and how ripe he was for God. Never did this child lie in bed, by his own will, longer than six or seven, winter or summer ; and the first thing he did, being up, was to say his French prayers, and repeat his Church Catechism ; after breakfast, that short Latin prayer, which having found at the beginning of Lilly's Grammar, he had learned by heart, without any knowledge or injunction of mine ; and whatever he so committed to me- mory, he would never desist till he perfectly understood. Yet with all this, he no day employed above two hours at his book, by my orders ; what he otherwise learned, was mostly PATERNAL AFFECTION. 185 by himself, without constraint, or the least severity, unseen, and wholly of his own inclination. Wonderful it was to ob- serve the chapters he himself would choose, and the psalms and verses he would apply upon occasions ! I should tire you with repeating all I could call to mind of his pertinent answers upon several occasions, one of which I will instance. When about Christmas, a kinsman of his was relating to us by the fireside some particulars of the presumptuous fasting of cer- tain enthusiasts near Colchester, and we were expressing our wonder at the same, ' That,' says the child (being on the gentleman's knee, and, as we thought, not minding the dis- course,) ' that is no such wonder, for is it not written, ' Man shall not live by bread alone,' &c. One Lord's-day, in re- peating to me our Church Catechism, he told me ' that he now perceived his godfathers were disengaged ; for that since he himself now understood what his duty was, it would be required of him, and not of them, for the future.' And let no man think, that, when I use the term ' disengaged,' it is to express the child's meaning with a fine word; for he not only made use of such phrases himself, but would frequently in his ordinary discourse come out with such expressions as one would wonder how he came by. How divinely this pious infant spoke of his being weary of this troublesome world, — into which he was scarcely entered ; and while he lay sick, his desire to go to heaven, that the angels might convey him into Abraham's bosom ; passionately persuading those that tended him to die with him, for he told them he knew he should not live. It was an ague which carried him from us, — a disease which I least apprehended, finding him so lively in the intervals. The day before he took his leave of us, he called to me, and said very soberly, ' Father, you have often told me that your house, your land, your books, and all your fine things should be mine ; but I tell you I shall have none of them : you will leave them all to my brother.' To show how truly jealous this child was lest he should offend God in 16* 186 EARL OF SANDWICH. the least scruple, that very morning, not many hours before he fell into that sleep which was his last, — being in the midst of his paroxysm, he called to me, and asked me whether he should not offend, if in the extremity of his pain he mentioned so often the name of God, calling for ease ; and whether God would accept his prayers, if he did not hold his hands out of bed in the posture of praying ? which when I had pacified him about, he prayed, till his prayers were turned into eternal praises. Thus ended your nephew, being but five years, five months, and three days old. More I could still say, but my tears mingle so fast with my ink, that I must break off here, and be silent." HEROISM OF THE EARL OF SANDWICH. WBm HE conduct of the Earl of Sand- wich in the naval war between the English and French on the one part, and the Dutch on the other, is thus narrated by Hume. The Dutch Admiral De Ruyter put to sea, with a formidable fleet, consisting of ninety-one ships of war and forty-four fire-ships. Cor- nelius de Wit was on board, as deputy from the States. They sailed in quest of the English, who were under the command of the Duke of York, and who had already joined the French, under Mareschal d'Etrees. The combined fleets lay at Solebay, in a very negligent pos- ture ; and Sandwich, being an experienced officer, had given the duke warning of the danger ; but received, it is said, such an answer, as intimated, that there was more of caution than of courage in his apprehensions. Upon the appearance of (18?) HONESTY. 189 the enemy, every one ran to his post with precipitation, and many ships were obliged to cut their cables, in order to be in readiness. Sandwich commanded the van ; and, though determined to conquer or to perish, he so tempered his cou- rage with prudence, that the whole fleet was visibly indebted to him for its safety. He hastened out of the bay, where it had been easy for De Ruyter, with his fire-ships, to have de- stroyed the combined fleets, which were crowded together ; and, by this wise measure, he gave time to the Duke of York, who commanded the main body, and to Mareschal d'Etrees, admiral of the rear, to disengage themselves. He himself, meanwhile, rushed into battle with the Hollanders ; and by presenting himself to every danger, had drawn upon him all the bravest of the enemy. He killed Van Ghent, a Dutch admiral, and beat off his ship : he sunk another ship, which ventured to lay him aboard : he sunk three fire-ships, which endeavoured to grapple with him : and though his vessel was torn in pieces with shot, and, of a thousand men she con- tained, near six hundred were laid dead upon the deck, he continued still to thunder, with all his artillery, in the midst of the enemy. But another fire-ship, more fortunate than the preceding, having laid hold of his vessel, her destruction was now inevitable. Warned by Sir Edward Haddock, his cap- tain, he refused to make his escape, and bravely embraced death, as a shelter from that ignominy, which a rash expres- sion of the duke's, he thought, had thrown upon him. HONESTY. Cardinal Farnese was properly named the Patron of the Poor, gave public audience once a week to indigent persons in his neighbourhood, and distributed his bounty among them according to their wants. A woman of genteel address, but 190 LORENZO DE MEDICIS. in a dejected, forlorn condition, presented herself one day with her daughter, a beautiful creature about fifteen years old, before this liberal ecclesiastic. " My lord," said she, " the rent of my house (five crowns) has been due some days, and my landlord threatens to turn me into the street, unless he is paid within the week. Have the goodness, my Lord Cardinal, to interpose your sacred authority, and protect me from this dreadful outrage, till by our industry we can satisfy the demand of our persecutor." The Cardinal wrote a billet which he put into the peti- tioner's hand, and said — " Go to my steward with this paper, and receive from him five crowns." But the steward on her presenting the document, paid down fifty. The woman ab- solutely refused to receive more than five, alleging that his eminence gave her to expect no more ; and that it must be a mistake. Both were so convinced of acting literally accord- ing to order, that it was mutually agreed to refer the matter to the Cardinal himself. " It is true," said he, " there must be a mistake. — Give me the paper, and I will rectify it." He then returned the billet, thus rectified, to the woman, saying, " So much candour and honesty deserves recompense. Here, I have ordered you a thousand crowns. What you can spare out of it, lay up as a dowry for your daughter in marriage, and regard my dona- tion as the blessing of God on the upright disposition of a pure mind." LORENZO DE MEDICIS. " What a curious sight," says Voltaire, " and how contrary to the manners of our times, it is to see the same person with one hand sell the commodities of the Levant, and with the other support the burden of a State, maintaining factors and LORENZO DE MEDICIS. 191 receiving ambassadors, making war and peace, opposing the Pope, and giving his advice and mediation to the princes of his time, cultivating and encouraging learning, exhibiting shows to the people, and giving an asylum to the learned Greeks that fled from Constantinople. Such was Lorenzo de Medicis ; and when to these particular distinctions the glori- ous names of the Father of Letters, the Father of his Country, and the Mediator of Italy, are appended, who seems more entitled to the notice and the admiration of posterity than this illustrious citizen of Florence !" "Lorenzo de Medicis," says Machiavel, "seems to have been the peculiar favourite of Heaven. Everything that he under- took was attended with success, whilst the designs of his ene- mies against him were as constantly frustrated. He was keen and eloquent in debate, circumspect in taking his resolutions, but bold and expeditious in executing them. He was passion- ately fond of poetry, of music, and of architecture. To en- courage and assist the youth of Florence in their studies, he founded an university at Pisa, and gave stipends to the most learned men that could be found in Italy, to come and read lectures to them. He showed great favour to those who ex- celled in any art, was a very liberal patron of learned men, of which his kindness to Agnoli da Montipulchiero, Christo- pher Londini, and Demetrius the Greek, are striking examples. He likewise sent the celebrated scholar John Lascaris into Greece, to purchase manuscripts, and contributed to embel- lish the taste and the language of his country by models of every kind taken from that polite and elegant people. His good fortune," continues Machiavel, " added to his prudence, munificence, and other noble qualities, procured him not only the esteem and admiration of all the princes of Italy, but of many sovereigns in distant parts of the world, who had heard of his virtues and his various accomplishments. Mat- thias king of Hungary gave him many honourable testimo- nies of his affection. The Sultan of Egypt sent ambassadors 192 LORENZO DE MEDICIS. to him with rich presents, and the Grand Seignior delivered up Bondini to him, who was one of the principal agents in the assassination of his brother Julian, and who had taken refuge in his dominions. He procured the dignity of cardinal for his youngest son Giovanni at the age of thirteen (who after- wards became Pope under the name of Leo X)." Lorenzo died at the age of forty-four, in April 1492. " No man," says Machiavel, " ever died in Florence, or in the whole extent of Italy, with a higher reputation, or more lament- ed by his country. Not only his fellow-citizens, but all the princes in Italy were so sensibly affected by his death, that there was not one of them who did not send ambassadors to Florence, to testify their grief, and to condole with the repub- lic upon so great a loss. That they had just reason for these demonstrations of sorrow, was soon afterwards fully manifest- ed by the events that followed it ; for immediately after his decease, such sparks of discord began to rekindle as shortly after broke out into a flame, which has preyed upon the vitals of Italy ever since, and is not yet extinguished." Lorenzo, according to Machiavel, was not exempt from foibles and infirmities. He was very fond of pleasure, and took too much delight in the conversation of men of wit and of satirists ; he even at times descended to such puerile recre- ations as seemed inconsistent with his wisdom and dignity ; so that if the usual gravity of his life be compared with the levities of which he was sometimes guilty, he appeared to have been composed of two different persons, united by an almost impossible conjunction. Lorenzo had some disputes with the State of Venice. Am- bassadors were sent to him from that republic to tell him amongst other things, that they were prepared against any attack of his, and that they had not been asleep. " No," re- plied he, " I believe I have prevented their sleeping. Pray," added he, " of what colour is my hair ?" " White." " It ELIOT. 193 will not be long then," said Lorenzo, " before the hair of your senators will become white too." In his last illness he closed his eyes many hoars before he died. His wife, who was by his bed-side, asked him why he did so. " That I may perceive the more clearly," was his reply. ELIOT, THE INDIAN MISSIONARY. ARLY in the year 1650, the society in England instituted for propagating the Gospel, began a correspondence with the Commissioners of the Colo- nies of New England, who were em- ployed as agents of the society. In ^„^ i consequence, exertions were made to Christianize the Indians. Mr. John Eliot, minister of Rox- bury, distinguished himself in this pious work. He collected the Indian families, and established towns ; he taught them husbandry, the mechanic arts, and a prudent management of their affairs, and instructed them w T ith unwearied attention in the principles of Christianity. For his uncommon zeal and success, he has been called the Apostle of New England. Mr. Eliot began his labours about the year 1646. His first labour was to learn the language, which was peculiarly difficult to acquire; for instance, the Indian word JVum- matchechodtantamoonganunnonash signifies no more in Eng- lish, than our lusts. Eliot having finished a grammar of this tongue, at the close of which he wrote, " Prayers and pains through faith in Jesus Christ will do anything !" with very great labour he translated the whole Bible into the Indian language. This Bible was printed in 1664, at Cambridge, 17 194 COLUMBUS. and was the first Bible ever printed in America. He also translated the Practice of Piety, Baxter's Call to the Uncon- verted, besides some smaller works, into the Indian tongue. Having performed many wearisome journeys, and endured many hardships and privations, this indefatigable missionary closed his labours in 1690, aged eighty-six years. The ardour and zeal of Eliot, Mayhew, and others, were crowned with such success, that in 1660, there were ten towns of Indians in Massachusetts who were converted to the Christian religion. In 1695, there were not less than three thousand adult converts in the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. COLUMBUS. The will of this great man is still extant in the archives of Genoa, in which city he was born. The most early life of him is to be met with in a book printed at Genoa in 1516, en- titled " Psalterium Hebrseum Grsecum, &c. cum tribus Inter- pretationibus," by Agostino Giustiniani. It occurs in a note on this verse of the Psalms, "Cceli enarrant gloriam Dei." In one of the letters which Columbus wrote to the King of Spain, from his fleet then lying before Jamaica, he has this remarkable passage : " The wealth that I have discovered, will rouse mankind to pillage and to violence, and will revenge the wrongs which I have suffered. The Spanish nation itself will perhaps suffer one day for the crimes that its malignity its ingratitude, and its envy, are now committing." One of Columbus's immediate descendants is said to have married into an English family. A Genoese gentleman of the Durazzo family published, some years ago, an eulogium upon this excellent and extraordinary man, in which there are COLUMBUS. 195 several particulars relative to him not generally known. Co- lumbus addressed four letters to his sovereign, three of which were translated into French some years ago by the Chevalier Flavigny ; the fourth is lost. Peter Martyr, in his very curious account of Columbus's voyages, tells us, that on his landing on the island of Jamaica, he immediately caused mass to be said on account of the safe landing of himself and of his followers, and that during the per- formance of that sacred mystery, an old Carib, eighty years of age, attended by several of his countrymen, observed the service with great attention. After it was over the old man approached Columbus w T ith a basket of fruit in his hand, which he in a very courteous manner presented to him, and by means of an interpreter thus addressed him : " We have been told, that you have in a very powerful and surprising manner run over several countries which were be- fore unknown to you, and that you have filled the inhabitants of them with fear and dismay. Wherefore I exhort and de- sire you to remember, that the souls of men, when they are separated from their bodies, have two passages ; the one hor- rid and dark, prepared for those who have been troublesome and inimical to the human race ; the other, a pleasant and delightful one, appointed for those who, whilst they were alive, delighted in the peace and quiet of mankind. Therefore you will do no hurt to any one, if you bear in mind that you are mortal, and that every one will be rewarded or punished in a future state according to his actions in the present one." Columbus, by the interpreter, answered the old man, " that what he had told him respecting the passage of souls after the death of the body had been long known to him and to his countrymen, and that he was much surprised those notions prevailed amongst them, who seemed to be living quite in a state of nature. That he (Columbus) and his followers were sent by the king and queen of Spain to discover all those parts of the world that had been hitherto unknown, that they 106 LOUIS XII. might civilize the cannibals and other wild men who lived in these countries, and inflict proper punishments upon them, and that they might defend and honour those persons who were virtuous and innocent : that therefore neither himself nor any other Carib, who had no intention of hurting them, had the least reason to fear any violence, and that they would avenge any injury that should be offered to him or to any other worthy persons of the island by any of their neighbours." The old man was so pleased with the speech and the man- ner of Columbus, that though he was extremely old, he offered to follow Columbus, and would have done so, had not his wife and children prevented him. The old man appeared much surprised to understand how a man of Columbus's dignity and appearance should be under the control of another person, and became much more astonished when the interpreter ex- plained to him the honour, the pomp, the wealth, of the seve- ral sovereigns of Europe, and the extent of the country, and the greatness and beauty of the things over which they reigned. He became pensive, melancholy, and in a flood of tears asked the interpreter repeatedly, whether it were the heavens or earth which had produced men so superior to them- selves as Columbus and his followers. LOUIS XII. Louis used to compare the nobility of his kingdom to so many Actaeons. " They are," said he, " eaten up by their dogs and their horses." Being one day desired by some of his courtiers who thought their own lives in danger, not to expose his sacred person so much in an engagement, he exclaimed, " Let all those who are afraid stand behind me." LOUIS XII. 197 Louis, who was a very economical prince, was told by some one, that he had been represented in a play as an avari- cious man. " I had rather," replied he, " that my people should laugh at my avarice, than weep at my prodigality." An officer of rank in his army having ill treated a peasant, he ordered him to be made to live for a few days upon wine and meat. The man, tired of this very heating diet, requested permission to have some bread allowed him. The king sent for him, and said to him, " How could you be so foolish as to ill treat those persons who put bread into your mouth I The peasants," added he, " are slaves to the gentleman and the soldier, and they in their turns are slaves to the Evil Spirit.^ L'AIviano, general of the Venetian armies, was taken priso- ner by the troops of Louis, and brought before him. The king treated him with his usual humanity and politeness, to w 7 hich the indignant captive did not make the proper return, but behaved with great insolence. Louis contented himself with sending him to the quarters where the prisoners were kept, saying to his attendants, " I have done right to send Alviano away. I might have put myself in a passion with him, for which I should have been very sorry. I have conquered him, I should learn to conquer myself." Louis was a great encourager of learning ; he was extreme- ly fond of Tully's Offices, and his Treatises on Friendship and on Old Age. He well merited the honourable title which was afterwards conferred upon Francis the First, " the Father of Letters." Louis exhibited the sweetness and kindness of his disposition even in his devices ; for whenever he entered a town which he had conquered, he wore a coat of mail upon which was painted a swarm of bees with this motto, " They bear no sting." 17* IDS JOAN OF ARC. JOAN OF ARC. MONG the wonderful episodes to be found in the history of the world, there is none more truly wonderful than the story of Joan of Arc. An English army is in France — in actual possession of the capital, and two-thirds of the whole country — young king Henry VI. has been crowned in Paris, and Charles, the rightful sovereign, is driven with a handful of retainers, to a remote corner of his dismembered kingdom. There is faction, too, within, as well as a foreign foe. The Duke of Burgundy is powerful, and w T ages a bitter intestine war against all who declare in favour of Charles, the Dauphin, who has been crowned in Poictiers as king of France. Charles and his friends have made a brave resistance, sometimes with success, yet oftener with defeat ; town after town has been taken, and castle after castle, until step by step they have been driven from the north towards the southern provinces, and often reduced to the greatest straits. The city of Orleans, a post of great importance to Charles, still maintains itself against the besieging army of the Duke of Bedford, regent for Henry VI. ; but all supplies being cut off, it is in imminent danger of falling into the enemy's hands. The possession of this city is of vast moment to Charles, for, lying between those provinces which have submitted to the English, and those which still acknowledge his authority, it serves as a gathering point to his adherents, and a strong hold from whence they can, with advantage, sally out and annoy their enemies. Unless this place is subdued, the Eng- lish cannot with safety pursue King Charles into the south- ern part of the kingdom ; the success of his cause is, therefore, solely dependent upon its possession. But, month after month passes away, and the defence grows weaker and weaker. JOAN OF ARC. 199 Charles, with his court, is at Chinon, reduced almost to hope- lessness. In every contest with the English, his troops are beaten. Orleans can hold out but a brief space longer, and then the Dauphin must retreat rapidly to Languedoc and Dauphiny, where a few faithful adherents are to be found, to make another feeble stand against the enemy. In this crisis, an humble maiden, the daughter of a shepherd in the obscure village of Domremy, who has been a day- dreamer from her childhood, becomes inspired with a wonder- ful heroism. For years she has imagined that " voices" spoke to her, and that she has seen visions of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, and St. Catherine and St. Margaret, two saints whose images she had been accustomed to adorn with flowers. Now she declares that her " voices" direct her to go to Charles at Chinon ; to lead on an army and raise the siege of Orleans — and then to conduct the young king to Rheims, where the anointing oil is kept in the sacred Ampulla, that he might there be crowned according to their custom. At first she is treated as one insane, but her importunities at last meet with respect She is sent to Charles, at Chinon, and, is, after some hesitation, admitted to an interview. Every atten- tion and honour are paid to her, and, as she desires, an army is sent under her direction with supplies for the beleaguered city. Mounted on horseback in a complete suit of armour, and carrying her banner, w 7 hich is w 7 hite, and fringed with silk, having on it a representation of the Saviour seated on a throne, holding a globe in his hand, with two angels in adora- tion, one holding a fleur-de-lis, which the Saviour seems to bless, with the words Jesus Maria on the border, she leads the army on and successfully enters, with large supplies, the city of Orleans. From this time forth, under the guidance of the inspired Maid, the French gain victory after victory — the king is conducted to Rheims, and there crowned — the English army is seized with a superstitious dread, and retires in con- 200 JOHN SOBIESKI. fusion whenever she appears with her charmed banner. Thus are the followers of Charles led on, until they advance even to the siege of Paris. But here the maid is wounded, and the army forced to retire. Still, many successes continue to crown the advances of the French army, until, at the defence of the town of Compiegne, which is besieged by the Duke of Burgundy, in a sharp contest which takes place beyond the barriers, the Maid is suddenly deserted by her followers. In vain she calls upon them to stand firm ; they are in full retreat, and she is left to combat alone with the enemy. She resists bravely, but is soon overcome, and made prisoner ! The En- glish get possession of her, and have her tried as a witch by an ecclesiastical court in France, which condemns her to the stake, and she is burnt to death at Rouen and her ashes scat- tered on the waters of the Seine, to the everlasting disgrace of both the French and English. JOHN SOBIESKI. He was a prince, of whom it may be truly said, that neither the world nor his own country were worthy of him. From the former, that is, from his allies, he received coldness and envy, in return for the most loyal attachment to treaties, and the most brilliant services on the field of battle ; — from the latter, he met but ingratitude, though he had raised her from the lowest esteem among European powers, and made her feared and respected ; and had by his wisdom retarded that ruin w 7 hich her own vicious constitution was sure eventually to entail upon her. He was the most devoted of husbands, and the most affectionate of fathers ; yet his wife and children were the very persons who, by their bad conduct, filled up the cup of his sorrows. John Sobieski, King of Poland. (201) I JOHN SOBIESKI. 203 The beautiful simplicity of mind of Sobieski, and his patri- otic and affectionate feelings, are best proved, however, by an extract from one of his private and familiar letters to his wife, written during the celebrated campaign of Vienna, and w 7 hich apparently answers the arguments of those persons who ob- jected to that expedition. " For me," says he, " I have de- voted my life to the glory of God, and to his sacred cause, and in that I will persist. At the same time, I do not expose myself to personal dangers more than is necessary for a king, who has the eyes of all Europe upon his actions. For I hold to life. I hold to it for the sake of Christianity, and of my country, for you, my love, for my children, for my family, and for my friends. But honour, which I have always had in view, and laboured for during the w 7 hole of my career; hon- our, also, ought to be dear to me ! To conclude, I think I can conciliate all these interests, and I trust to do so with the aid of the Almighty." That he had faults and blots in his character, in short, that he was human, is undoubted. But how immensely did his great and good qualities overbalance his less praiseworthy ones. As Charles the Twelfth, then a boy of only fifteen, said, when he heard of his decease, " Such men should never die." In consequence of the informalities which took place at the election and coronation of Augustus of Saxony, his successor, the funeral of Sobieski, which should, according to ancient custom, have accompanied the latter ceremony, was deferred for thirty-six years, till the coronation of Augustus's successor ; when at length the ashes of the hero reposed with those of the long line of his royal predecessors, in the cathedral of Cracow^ 204 SIR THOMAS MORE. SIR THOMAS MORE. ING HENRY THE EIGHTH," says Mr. More, in the life of his grandfather, used of a particular love to come on a sudden to Chelsey, where Sir Thomas I More lived, and leaning upon his shoul- der, to talk with him of secret counsel ^in his garden, and yea, and to dine with him upon no inviting." This excellent man is thus described by Erasmus, in a let- ter to Ulderic Haller : " More seems to be made and born for friendship, of which virtue he is a sincere follower and very strict observer. He is not afraid to be accused of having many friends, which, according to Hesiod, is no great praise. Every one may be- come More's friend ; he is not slow in choosing ; he is kind in cherishing ; and constant in keeping them. If by accident he becomes the friend of one whose vices he cannot correct, he slackens the reins of friendship towards him, diverting it rather by little and little, than by entirely dissolving it. Those persons whom he finds to be men of sincerity, and consonant to his own virtuous disposition, he is so charmed with, that he appears to place his chief worldly pleasure in their conversa- tion and company. And although More is negligent in his own temporal concerns, yet no one is more assiduous than himself in assisting the suits of his friends. Why should I say- more ? If any person were desirous to have a perfect model of friendship, no one can afford him a better than More. In his conversation there is so much affability and sweetness of manner, that no man can be of so austere a disposition, but that More's conversation must make him cheerful ; and no matter so unpleasing, but that with his wit he can take away from it all disgust." SIR THOMAS MORE. 205 Erasmus says again of this excellent man soon after his execution : " All men, even those who dislike him for differing from them in religion, must lament the death of Sir Thomas More ; so great was his courtesy to all, so great his affability, so sweet his disposition. Many persons favour only their own countrymen: Frenchmen favour a Frenchman; Scotchmen favour a Scotchman; but More's general benevolence hath imprinted his memory so deep in all men's hearts, that they bewail his death as that of their own father or brother. I myself have seen many persons weep for More's death, who had never seen him, nor yet received any kindness from him. Nay, as I write, tears flow from my eyes, whether I will or not. How many persons has that axe wounded, which severed More's head from his body !" " Therefore," adds Erasmus, " when my friends have con- gratulated me that I had a friend like More placed in so emi- nent a station, I was used to say that I would never congratu- late him upon his increase of dignity till he himself told me that I might." Sir Thomas More used to say of ungrateful persons, that they wrote good turns done to them in the dust, but engraved injuries upon marble. Of the folly of those who were over anxious for the dignities of the world, he observed, " As a criminal w T ho is about to be led to execution would be ac- counted foolish, if he should engrave his coat of arms upon the gate of the prison ; even so are they vain, who endeavour with great industry to erect monuments of their dignity in the prison of this world." 18 206 LORD MANSFIELD. LORD MANSFIELD. ORD CHIEF JUSTICE MANSFIELD was so extraordinary a person, and made so great a figure in the world, that his name must go down to posterity with dis- tinguished honour, in the public records of England ; for his shining talents dis- played themselves in every department of the state, as well as in the supreme court of justice, his peculiar province, which he filled with a lustre of reputation equalled, perhaps, certainly not exceeded by any of his pre- decessors. " Of his conduct in the House of Lords," says Bishop Wor- cester, in his life of Bishop Warburton, " I can speak with the more confidence, because I speak from my own observa- tion. Too good to be the leader, and too able to be the dupe of any party, he was believed to speak his own sense of pub- lic measures ; and the authority of his judgment was so high, that in regular times the House was usually decided by it. He was no forward or frequent speaker, but reserved himself (as was fit) for occasions worthy of him. In debate, he was eloquent as well as wise, or rather he became eloquent by his wisdom. His countenance and tone of voice imprinted the ideas of penetration, probity, and candour ; but what secured your attention and assent to all he said, was his constant good sense, flowing in apt terms, and in the clearest method. He affected no sallies of the imagination, or bursts of passion ; much less would he condescend to personal abuse or to petu- lant altercation. All was clear, candid reason, letting itself so easily into the minds of his hearers as to carry information and conviction with it. In a word, his public senatorial cha- racter very much resembled that of Messala, of whom Cicero says, addressing himself to Brutus, < Do not imagine, Brutus, LORD MANSFIELD. 207 that for worth, honour, and a warm love of his country, any one is comparable to Messala ; so that his eloquence (in which he wonderfully excels) is almost eclipsed by those vir- tues. And even in his display of that faculty his superior good sense shows itself most ; with so much care and skill hath he formed himself to the truest manner of speaking ! His pow- ers of genius and invention are confessedly of the first size, yet he almost owes less to them than to the diligent and stu- dious cultivation of judgment.' " In the commerce of private life, Lord Mansfield was easy, friendly, and agreeable, extremely sensible of worth in other men, and ready on all occasions to countenance and patro- nize it." Lord Mansfield had been a long time applied to by the late Mr. Owen Ruffhead for materials for his life, which he in- tended to write. The modest and ingenuous peer told him, " that his life was not of importance enough to be written." He added, " If you wish to write the life of a truly great man, write the life of Lord Hardwicke, who from very humble means, and without family support and connections, became Lord High Chancellor of England, on account of his virtue, his talents, and his diligence." Some of Lord Mansfield's observations were, " that cunning was the most foolish thing in the world; that we should always begin at the end of everything ; and that in politics, parties, instead of considering what is to be done, struggle only who should do it." Lord Mansfield, after the determination of some cause, found reason to alter his opinion for the directions he had given to the jury. Sometime afterwards he saw one of the counsel to whose client his opinion had not been favourable, and desired him to make a motion for a new trial. Lord Mansfield was telling this circumstance one day to one of his brethren, who seemed rather astonished at the cool and easy manner in which he mentioned his change of opinion. " Why," 208 ST. LOUIS. says he, " after all, it is only showing the world that you are wiser to-day than you were yesterday." To some military gentleman who was appointed Governor of one of the British West India Islands, and who expressed his apprehensions of not being able to discharge his duty as Chan- cellor of his province, Lord Mansfield gave this advice : " Always decide, and never give reasons for your decision. You will in general decide well, yet give very bad reasons for your judgment." ST. LOUIS. OUIS, whose reign and ac- ^ tions have been immortalized by his faithful chronicler Join- ville, was taken prisoner at the unfortu- nate battle of Damietta against the Sa- racens. In this state of trial he behaved so nobly and so magnanimously that his enemies said to him, " We look upon you as our captive and our slave ; but though in chains, you behave to us as if we were your prisoners." The Sultan sent one of his generals to him to demand a very considerable sum of money for his ransom : he replied to him, " Return and tell your master, that a king of France is not to be redeemed with money. I will give him the sum he asks for my subjects that are taken prisoners ; and I will deliver up to him the city of Damietta for my own person." Louis, on his return to France with his queen and his chil- dren, was very near being shipwrecked, some of the planks of the vessel having started, and he was requested to go into ST. LOUIS. 209 another ship, that was in company with that which carried them. He refused to quit his own ship, and exclaimed, " Those that are with me most assuredly are as fond of their lives as I can possibly be of mine. If I quit the ship, they will likewise quit it, and the vessel not being large enough to receive them, they will all perish. I had much rather en- trust my life, and those of my w T ife and children, in the hands of God, than be the occasion of making so many of my brave subjects perish." When he arrived in France, the Bishop of Auxerre, at the head of the clergy of that kingdom, represented to him, that the Christian faith was much weakened since his departure ; that it would be still more weakened, if some forcible remedy was not applied to restore it ; and that they intreated him to decree, that all the courts of justice of his kingdom should oblige those who had remained excommunicated for one year, to become observant, and to give satisfaction to the church. Louis told them, that he would very willingly com- ply with their request, but that he should insist upon it as a preliminary, that his courts of justice should examine the sentence of excommunication, to see whether it were just or not, before they attempted to put it in force. The clergy, after some conference together, told the wise monarch, that they could never allow that the church should submit to this formality. " Nor can I," replied Louis, " ever allow T eccle- siastics to have cognizance of what belongs to my courts of justice." Louis left in writing some instructions to his son, which the great Bossuet calls the noblest inheritance that St. Louis left to his family. He advises him to be economical in his expenses, and to maintain the rights and immunities of the great towns of his kingdom. " Be," says he, "just in every- thing, even against yourself. Never undertake a war with- out absolute necessity. In short," concludes Louis, " my son, endeavour to make yourself beloved by your subjects ; and 18* 210 ARCHBISHOP WARHAM. be assured, that with the greatest willingness I would put any stranger in your place, if I was certain that he would make a better prince than yourself." Louis, from the known integrity of his character, had the distinguished honour of being made arbitrator of the disputes between Henry the Third, king of England, and the Barons, in 1264. ARCHBISHOP WARHAM. The memory of this learned and good prelate will be ever endeared to all lovers of literature, for the patronage which he constantly afforded to Erasmus. Warham died, as D'Alembert says a Catholic bishop ever should die, without debts and without legacies. Though he had passed through the highest offices in the church and state, he left little more than was requisite to pay his funeral charges. Not long before he died, he called for his steward to know how much money he had in his hands, who told him that he had about thirty pounds. "" Well then," replied he cheerfully, " Satis viatici ad Caelum : there is enough to last me to heaven." Erasmus says, on hearing of the death of this kindest patron he ever had, in one of his letters to Charles Blunt, the son of LordMountjoy, "My letter is, I fear, an unpleasant, melancholy letter. I have this instant heard that that incomparable trea- sure of virtue and goodness, William Warham, has changed this life for a better. I lament my fate, not his ; for he was truly my constant anchor. We had made a solemn compact together, that we would have one common sepulchre ; and I had no apprehension but that he, though he was sixteen years older than myself, would have survived me. Neither age nor GENERAL ISAAC HUGER. 211 disease took away from us this excellent man, but a fatality not only to himself, but to learning, to religion, to the state, to the church. Though, as Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor of England, obliged to give audiences to ambassadors, and his time to suitors, yet he had still time enough not only to transact all his secular business, but to bestow a large portion of it upon study and religion. For he never lost a moment in hunting, in gaming, in idle talk, or in amusement of any kind. He occasionally received two hun- dred guests at his table ; amongst whom were bishops, dukes, and earls ; yet the dinner was always over within the hour. Himself seldom tasted w 7 ine ; and when he was near seventy, he drank, and that very moderately, a weak liquor which the English call beer. Though so sparing in his diet, he was always cheerful and lively in his conversation; and both before and after dinner, preserved the same sobriety of be- haviour. He joked himself, but with great pleasantry, and permitted it in others ; yet he never allowed his jokes, or those of his friends, to descend into personality and detrac- tion, which he abhorred as much as any man can detest a serpent. One peculiarity he had which was something royal ; he never dismissed any suitor from him dissatisfied or out of humour." GENERAL ISAAC HUGER. An officer calling out to him, " General Huger, I plainly see one of the enemy's riflemen taking deliberate aim to de- stroy you." " That is no concern of mine," said the general. " If you think proper, order one of your men to take the fel- low off." " Dodge, or change your position," rejoined the officer, " or you are a dead man." " I will neither dodge nor quit my post," replied the general, "be the consequence what it may." 212 HOWARD. JOHN HOWARD. ORN to a liberal fortune, and with every inducement around him to a life of pleasure or of study, according to his fancy, this extraordinary man, while still young, abandoned these pursuits, and spent his life in suc- couring those who were imprisoned. He himself had known the horrors of captivity. On his way to Lisbon, the Hanover was attacked by a French corsair, and the crew obliged to undergo fearful sufferings. Still later, in his capa- city of high sheriff of Bedford, his duties required continual attendance in the prisons committed to his charge. He be- held a number of people, heaped together in a narrow, dark, and unhealthy room, dying under the influence of a con* tagious disease, called the jail fever. He saw some of them in a state of intoxication and vice, deprived of all moral or religious aid. At this spectacle his soul was touched, and his vocation manifested itself. He went over the other English prisons, making an assiduous and judicious investigation of the treatment of the prisoners. Everywhere he witnessed the same evils. He wrote an ac- count, which he presented to the government, wherein he said, " In condemning the criminal to irons, you have intended to reform him, in punishing him ; not to render him worse. What is the punishment inflicted by you on those whom you pretend to think still innocent, on debtors, on young men, and on mere children, whom you bring up in crime V 9 His state- ment was heard, and thanks voted to this generous man, and better still, two bills were passed for the commencement of the improvement suggested by him. Howard's visit to the Plague Patients at Constantinople. (213) HOWARD. 215 Nevertheless, Howard did not stop here. From a patriotic movement, he proceeded to one of humanity. He left his country, his family, his estate, renounced his habits, and ex- plored the world, a voluntary and generous missionary of public benevolence, bearing with him consolation and assist- ance for the suffering, advice to those in authority, and the treasure of experience to those who wished to imitate his ex- ample. Let us hear his own words, when, after again visit- ing the London prisons, he proposed a bill, the principal part of which was granted him. " At the time of my first visits to prisons, where the jail fever prevailed, I was always told that it was brought from those of London. In what London prison does there exist a proper separation between the prisoners, between the young and those hardened in vice, between the accus'ed and the con- demned ? Where do we behold solitary cells in which the guilty may be left to reflection? Where are the ill and the dying tended as they should be? Where are there regula- tions for the conduct of jailers, and the treatment of those awaiting their trial ? In what prison do we not hear oaths, not only from the prisoners but from the turnkeys ? Where is Sunday regarded? and although jailers have been forbid- den to provide the prisoners with drink, yet are there not venders of liquor habitually brought inside the prison walls, and allowed to sell to them ? In the last fourteen years, how many prisoners and jailers have perished from the effects of drunkenness? How many, who, before being admitted in either capacity into a prison, were men of temperate habits?" " If I have been able," says he, " to denounce some of these evils, to point out their causes, and their remedies, I owe it to a scrupulous and continual attention, which has supplied the want of talent in me. I hand over to my country the result of my past labours. My intention is to leave here now for Russia, Turkey, and some other countries, going as far as the Levant. I know that I shall incur dangers, but I trust to 216 HOWARD. Providence, who has hitherto preserved me, and I abandon myself joyfully to the decrees of his infallible wisdom. If it is his pleasure to cut the thread of my life, during my ab- sence, I beg those whom I am now leaving, not to impute my conduct to a rash enthusiasm, but to its true motives, to a firm conviction of duty, and a sincere desire to be more useful to my fellow-creatures, than I could ever have been in the retirement of private life." Independently of his repeated excursions to various parts of Great Britain, he crossed the ocean at least five times, to visit by turns, France, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Russia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Turkey ; and this, time after time, in order to see the fruit of his former instruc- tions and to communicate new ones. So deeply interested in the sufferings of the condemned criminal, he felt a still greater commiseration for those of old age and childhood in poverty, to be met with in various charitable asylums. Howard neglected none of these; he approached the bed of sickness, entering into conversa- tion with the overseers and those under them in such establishments. The most fearful evils were those to which his most atten- tive investigation was directed. At Constantinople, in the Levant, he was seen in the midst of the plague-stricken popu- lace. Studying the construction and arrangements of the lazarettos, where these creatures were shut up, to guard against infection, nothing escaped him; situation, interior, dis- tribution of rooms, &c, circulation of air, access of light, clothing, nourishment, cleanliness, discipline, &c. &c, and religious exercises, all interested him. His medical know- ledge assisted him in directing the treatment of the sick, and proposing ameliorations. In 1789, Howard visited Russia again, and was seen in Moscow, where more than 70,000 had been taken to the hospital the year before. HOWARD. 21? " I hope," said he, in one of his letters, " to carry the torch of philanthropy into these distant countries." He learned that Crimea was desolated by cruel epidemics, that succour was needed, that men were perishing in vast numbers ; he hur- ried to Witosoka, to Cherson, and to Saint Nicholas. A fear- ful spectacle offered itself to his eyes ; he watched by the bed- side of the infected, and himself fell a victim to it, on the 20th of January, 1790. The last words written by him, in his journal, were the following : — " I am a stranger here, and a pilgrim, but I hope, by the grace of God, to be one day in a country inhabited by my parents, and the friends of my youth ; I hope to rejoin these souls, and to be for ever with my God." So generous to others, his private habits were austere ; he made use of neither meat, nor wine, living upon bread, fruit, potatoes, butter, and tea. He avoided places of public amuse- ment and company; "I find," said he, "more pleasure in doing my duty, than in any worldly amusements." A holy indignation against the difficulties he met with, often expressed itself in his conversation. The Emperor Joseph II. received from his lips some severe truths, on the subject of the hos- pitals, and prisons in Vienna. The cause of misfortune was never pleaded with more persuasive eloquence. A subscription was made in England, for the purpose of erecting a statue. When this came to his knowledge, he wrote to those who had set it on foot, to have the proposal withdrawn, for it was one that displeased him. The monu- ment in Saint Paul's church was raised to him after his death. Another was raised to him in Crimea. The illus- trious orator Burke, delivered a beautiful improvisation to his honour ; but his noblest monument remains in his great work. 19 218 PASCAL. PASCAL ^ XHIBITS a striking instance of the earliest designation of the human mind to a particular pursuit, and the futility of an attempt to thwart and repress it. Pascal's father was a man of science, and was occasionally ^ visited by the great mathematicians of his country. Pascal, who was then quite a child, was present at their visits, and heard their conversation, which chiefly turned upon science, and more particularly upon that which they professed. He was very attentive to what they said, and conceived such a passion for mathematics, that he pressed his father very much to permit him to study them. This the father refused, as thinking it better that his son's early years should be given to the knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages ; and put out of his w 7 ay all the books he might happen to have that treated of mathematics. Pas- cal (then eleven years of age), at his leisure hours, used to re- tire to an upper chamber in his father's house, where he em- ployed himself in tracing, with sand upon the floor, the figures of triangles, of parallelograms, of circles, &c, without knowing the names of them. " There he compared," says his biogra- pher, Madame du Perrier, who was his sister, " the relations that these lines bear one to another when they meet : he then compared the size of the figures. His reasonings were dedu- ced from definitions and from axioms that himself had veri- fied, By degrees he came to conclude, that the angles of a triangle should be measured by the half of its circumference, that is to say, should equal tw r o right angles, and which is in fact the thirty-second proposition of the first book of Euclid. He was thus employed when his father burst in upon him, PASCAL. 219 who discovering what he was about, and the progress and result of his exertions, remained for some time quite insensible, equally surprised and pleased, and ran to one of his intimate friends to tell him what he had seen. He afterwards encour- aged his son in the pursuit of his favourite study with such success, that at the age of sixteen young Pascal had compo- sed his celebrated Treatise upon Conic Sections." Pascal was perhaps one of the best men that ever lived; his time was bestowed on works of piety and utility, and his money was expended on those who had occasion for his assist- ance. His provincial letters will immortalize him as one of the finest writers that the French have ever possessed. One know T s not what to admire most in them, his depth of learning, his strength of reasoning, the delicacy of his satire, or the purity of his intention. In his " Pensees," w T ith an honesty perhaps only pardonable in a man of his known virtue and simplicity, he says, " I am asked, if I do not repent that I have written the lettres provinciales 1 I answer, that so far from repentance that I have written them, I would, if I were to write them over again, make them still stronger. I am then asked, why I have mentioned the names of the authors from whom I have taken all the abominable positions which I have quoted in them ? I answer, that if I were in a town where there w r ere twelve springs of water, and I was certain that one of them had been poisoned, I should think myself obliged to advise the inhabitants not to get their water at that spring ; and as what I said might be taken for a matter of mere imagi- nation, I should think myself obliged to tell the name of the person w T ho poisoned the spring, rather than suffer the inhabi- tants of the town to be poisoned." 220 LADY FANSIIAWE. LADY FANSHAWE. ANY curious anecdotes of this in- comparable woman and her hus- band, as well as of the great person- ages of the times, are contained in the Memoirs of her Life, written by herself: unfortunately for the lovers of truth, of nature and simplicity, they remain in manuscript. The following beautiful picture of connubial affection blended with good sense and good humour, might well be appended as an additional chapter to Xenophon's excellent treatise on " (Economics ; or, the Duties of a Wife." " One day in discourse, Lady tacitly commended the knowledge of state affairs, and that some women were very happy in a good understanding thereof, as my Lady A., Lady S., Mrs. T., and divers others, and that for it nobody was at first more capable than myself — that in the night she knew there came a post from Paris from the queen, and that she would be extremely glad to hear what the queen commanded the king in order to his affairs ; saying, that if I would ask my husband privately, he would tell me what he found in the packet, and I might tell her. I, that was young and innocent, and to that day never had in my mouth ' What news V began to think there was more in inquiring into business of public affairs than I thought of, and that being a fashionable thing it would make me more beloved of my husband (if that had been possible) than I was. When my husband returned home from council, after welcoming him (as my custom ever was), he went with his hand of papers into his study for an hour or more. I followed him — He turned hastily, and said, ' What wouldst thou have, my life V I told him, I heard the prince had received a packet from the queen, and I guessed it that in LADY FANSHAWE. 221 his hand, and I desired to know what was in it. He smiling replied, ■ My love, I will immediately come to thee ; pray thee go, for I am very busy.' When he came out of his closet, I resumed my suit ; he kissed me, and talked of other things. At supper I would eat nothing. He (as usually) sat by me, and drank often to me (which was his custom), and was full of discourse to company that was at table. Going to bed I asked him again, and said, I could not believe he loved me, if he refused to tell me all he knew ; but he said nothing, and stopped my mouth with kisses ; so we went to bed. — I cried, and he went to sleep. Next morning very early (as his custom was) he called to rise, but began to discourse with me first, to which I made no reply. He rose, came to the other side of the bed, and kissed me, and drew the curtain softly, and went to court. When he came home to dinner, he presently came to me (as was usual) ; and when I had him by the hand, I said, ' Thou dost not care to see me troubled.' To which he (taking me in his arms) answered, ' My dearest soul, nothing upon earth can afflict me like that, and when you asked me of my business, it was wholly out of my power to satisfy thee ; for my life and fortune shall be thine, and every thought of my heart in which the trust I am in may not be revealed ; but my honour is mine own, which I cannot pre- serve if I communicate the Prince's affairs ; and pray thee, with this answer rest satisfied.' So great was his reason and goodness, that, upon consideration, it made my folly appear to be so vile, that from that day until the day of his death I never thought fit to ask him any business but what he com- municated to me freely, in order to his estate or family." The following exquisitely tender incident took place be- tween Lady Fanshawe and her husband, in a voyage they made together from Galway to Malaga, in the spring of the year 1649. " We pursued our voyage with prosperous winds, but a most tempestuous master, a Dutchman (which is enough to 19* 222 LADY FANSIIAWE. say), but truly, I think, the greatest beast I ever saw of his I kind. When we had just passed the straits, we saw coming towards us, with full sails, a Turkish galley well manned, and we believed we should be carried away slaves ; for this man had so laden his ship with goods for Spain, that his guns were useless, though the ship carried sixty guns. He called for brandy, and after he had well drunken and all his men, which w T ere near two hundred, he called for arms, and cleared the deck as well as he could, resolving to fight rather than lose his ship, which was worth 30,000/. This was sad for us passengers, but my husband bid us be sure to keep in the cabin, and not appear, which w r ould make the Turks think we were a man of war ; but if they saw women, they would take us for merchants, and board us. He went upon deck and took a gun, a bandelier, and sword, expecting the arrival of the Turkish man of w 7 ar. This beast-captain had locked me up in the cabin. — I knocked and called to no purpose until the cabin-boy came and opened the door. I, all in tears, desired him to be so good as to give me his thrum cap and his tarred coat, which he did, and I gave him half-a-crown, and putting them on, and flinging aw 7 ay my night-clothes, I crept up softly, and stood upon the deck by my husband's side, as free from sickness and fear as, I confess, of discretion, but it was the effect of that passion which I could never master. By this time the two vessels were engaged in parley, and so well sat- isfied with speech and sight of each other's force, that the Turks' man of war tacked about, and we continued our course. But when your father saw it convenient to retreat, looking upon me, he blessed himself, and snatched me up in his arms, saying, ' Good God, that love can make this change !' and though he seemingly chid me, he would laugh at it as often as he remembered that voyage." This excellent woman, in another part of her Memoirs, says : " About July this year (1645), the plague increased so fast THE INSOLVENT NEGRO. 223 at Bristol, that the prince (Charles the Second) and all his retinue went to Barnstaple (which is one of the finest towns I know in England), and your father and I went two days after the prince ; for during all the time I w T as in court, I never journeyed but either before him or after he was gone, nor ever saw him but at church ; for it was not in those days the fashion for honest women (except they had business) to visit a man's court" These Memoirs contain several very curious particulars relative to the civil wars, the fate of the exiled Cavaliers, Lord Clarendon, &c. They are exquisitely entertaining, and, differing from most of the celebrated French Memoirs, evince most clearly, that the trifling and foppish resource of intrigue is not necessary to render a narrative interesting. THE INSOLVENT NEGRO. A negro of one of the kingdoms on the African coast, who had become insolvent, surrendered himself to his creditor ; who, according to the established custom of the country, sold him to the Danes. This affected his son so much, that he came and reproached his father for not rather selling his children to pay his debts ; and after much entreaty, he pre- vailed on the captain to accept him, and liberate his father. The son was put in chains, and on the point of sailing to the West Indies; when the circumstance coming to the know- ledge of the governor, through the means of Mr. Isert, he sent for the owner of the slaves, paid the money that he had given for the old man, and restored the son to his father. 224 OMER TALON. OMER TALON, ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE PARLIAMENT OF PARIS. This intelligent and inflexible magistrate having, in a speech that he made in the parliament of Paris to Anne of Austria, during the minority of Louis the Fourteenth, touched gently upon the distresses of the common people of the kingdom of France, found himself treated with slight and coolness by her majesty at the next audience he had of her. " This," says he, " was owing to the misrepresentation of the ministers, and some of the vermin that frequent palaces." Talon having on some occasion taken a part that pleased the queen and the court, Cardinal Mazarin sent for him, and after paying him some compliments on his behaviour, offered him an abbey for his brother. M. de Talon very politely refused it, adding, that as his late conduct had nothing in view but the service of the king and the satisfaction of his own conscience, he should be extremely unhappy, if there was the least suspicion afforded to the world at large that he had acted from other motives. " I love," added this honest Frenchman, " both the king and the parliament, without being under any apprehen- sion that this apparent contradiction should do me any pre- judice with mankind." Mazarin sent for him another time, to request him to speak in the parliament of Paris in favour of some edicts of the king, that were to be presented by him- self in person to be registered by that assembly. M. de Talon replied, that he should do his duty — that the presence of the sovereign on such occasions caused always trouble and dis- content — that it was therefore the more necessary that he should exercise properly the functions of his office without fear and without partiality. M. Talon's reasons for quitting public affairs were those which but too often have inspired OMER TALON. 225 men as honest and as well-intentioned as himself. " All resistance and contradiction," says he, " to the governing powers were ineffectual and useless, who carried every point they wished to gain by violence and constraint. I was, how- ever," adds he, " very much astonished that many honest men, who wished well to the public peace, still attended the parliament, in which they w r ere certain that everything must be carried as it pleased the princes ; so that in the situation in which matters were, it would have been more for their honour, that what was done should have been done by the voices of a few persons only, whose partiality might well have been suspected, than by the majority of the parliament, who had not the power either to do the good, or to prevent the evil, as they wished. Nevertheless the general timidity was so great, that many persons were afraid of being sus- pected, if they did not attend that assembly ; and the majority of those that went there did not consider so much what opinion they should give, as how their persons should be secure, even when they had betrayed their conscience, and had voted on the same side with the princes." David Hume says in his Essay upon Eloquence, that during the disputes of the parlia- ment of Paris in the time of the Fronde, there appeared many symptoms of ancient eloquence. " The Avocat-General Talon," says he, from De Retz, " in an oration, invoked on his knees the spirit of St. Louis to look down with compas- sion on his divided and unhappy people, and to inspire them from heaven with the love of concord and unanimity." 226 PETER THE GREAT PETER THE GREAT. ETER no sooner saw himself in possession of the sovereignty which was his due, than he commenced his \f regeneration of Russia. As a preliminary 1 ' to this great work, he vanquished his own feelings and habits. Having been accus- tomed to idleness and riotous living, he be- came laborious and frugal; — having been brought up in comparative ignorance, he became most diligent in acquiring knowledge. Nay, he even overcame his constitutional anti- pathies. He was by nature afraid of water — this feeling was so strong that he was accustomed to be covered by a cold perspiration, and even to fall into convulsions, in passing a rivulet — yet he ended in becoming an experienced mariner, and in even feeling a pleasure in being both in and on the water. This he accomplished, by throwing himself every morning into a cold bath, till his horror of the element had abated. Another determination on the part of Peter, in his plan for the civilization of Russia, and which proved of essential service to him, was that of becoming himself, in the first place, acquainted with all the arts and improvements which he de- signed to introduce into his country. This he felt to be necessary, in consequence of the universal ignorance of all his subjects upon these matters. It was this determination which made him a labourer in the dockyards of Saardam, and led him to take lessons in different trades. Peter the Great, Empercr of Russia. (227) MARTIN LUTHER. 229 MARTIN LUTHER. Many particulars relative to this extraordinary man are to be met with in his " Colloquia Mensalia," or Table-Talk, col- lected and published by Doctor Aurifaber in 1569, and which he calls, " Fragments that fell from Luther's Table." Some extracts from them are subjoined. Luther was summoned to the Diet at Worms, and had a safe-conduct sent to him from the emperor for that purpose. " Now," says Luther, " when I came to Erfurt I received in- telligence that I was cast and condemned at Worms, and that my condemnation w r as published and spread abroad in the neighbouring cities ; so that even the herald that was sent to bring me with him, asked me whether I intended to go or not. Although I was rather astonished at his news, I told him, that (God willing) I would go to Worms, though there were as many devils as tiles in that city." Luther, in his journey to Worms, according to Dr. Burk- hardt, composed the words and the tune of one of his finest hymns, which begins, " God is our refuge in distress." On his appearance at Worms, he was pressed very hard to re- tract his opinions. " I cannot," replied he, " consent to be tried by any other rule than the word of God. For popes and councils have erred, and are not infallible. Unless I am bound and forced in my own mind, by arguments which convey conviction, to retract, it is not safe for me to do it. Here I am. I cannot. I dare not. I will not. So help me God. Amen." Luther was of a very warm temper. Melancthon com- plains that in some disputes with him he had often slapped his face. Luther, however, says of himself, " My rind is indeed very hard, but my core is soft and delicate ; for indeed I wish ill to no one." 20 230 MARTIN LUTHER. " A man," says he, " lives forty years before he knows himself to be a fool, and at the time in which he begins to see his folly his life is nearly finished : so that men many die before they begin to live." Luther thus instructs the preachers of his time : " Cursed," says he, " are all preachers that aim at sublimity, difficulty, and elegance, and neglecting the care of the souls of the poor, seek their own praise and honour, and to please one or two persons of consequence. When a man comes into the pulpit for the first time, he is much perplexed at the number of heads that are before him. When I stand in the pulpit I see no heads, but imagine those that are before me to be all blocks. When I preach, I sink myself deeply down ; I re- gard neither doctors nor masters, of which there are in the church above forty. But I have an eye to the multitude of young people, children, and servants, of which there are more than two thousand. I preach to them, and direct my dis- course to those who have need of it. A preacher should be a logician and a rhetorician ; that is, he must be able to teach and to admonish. When he preaches upon any article, he must first distinguish it ; then define, describe, and show what it is ; thirdly, he must produce sentences from the Scripture to prove and to strengthen it ; fourthly, he must explain it by examples ; fifthly, he must adorn it with similitudes ; and lastly, he must admonish and rouse the indolent, correct the disobedient, and reprove the authors of false doctrine. Young divines," adds Luther, " ought to study the Hebrew language, that they may be able to compare together Greek and He- brew words, and discern the property, the nature, and the force of them." Luther, not long before he died, sent a present of a beau- tiful glass to his friend Justus Jonas, on which was inscribed, in German, One glass presents a glass to another glass. Guess what it is : adding, MARTIN LUTHER. 23 1 Dat vitrum vitro Jonae vitrum ipse Lutherus, Se similem ut fragili noscat uterque vitro. " Patience," says Luther, " is necessary in most things. I must have patience with the pope ; I must have patience with heretics and seducers ; I must have patience with bab- bling courtiers ; I must have patience with my servants ; I must have patience with my wife Kate. In short, the occasions for patience are so great, that my whole life is nothing but patience." " When I first came to Rome," says Luther, " they show T ed me the head of St. Peter carved in the church that bears his name. On the next day I saw the following lines written under it : Ecclesiam pro mare rego. Mihi climata miindi Sunt mare. Scriptures retia. Piscis homo." Luther died February 16, 1548, at Eisleben. Not long before that event took place he was asked by one of his friends, whether he died in the firm conviction of the truth of the doctrine which he had preached. He answered " Yes," in a very loud tone of voice, and expired immediately. As Luther felt his strength declining he made his will; the conclusion of which is very remarkable, as it shows how highly he still thought of himself and of his ministry. " I have my reasons for omitting the usual formalities in this my last will, and I hope I shall have more credit given to me than to a notary. For I am well known in the world, since God, the Father of all mercy, has intrusted me, an unworthy sinner, with the gospel of his son, and enabled me to preach it with truth, fidelity, and perseverance even to this day ; so that many persons have been converted by my ministry, and think me a doctor of truth, notwithstanding the excommunica- tion of the pope, the ban of the emperor, and the wrath of many kings, princes, and priests ; nay, in spite of the wrath of all the devils. Why should I then not be credited in a matter 232 MARTIN LUTHER. so insignificant as my will, particularly since my hand-writ- ing is well known, and sufficient, if it can be said, This is written by Dr. Martin Luther, the Notary of God, and the Witness of his Gospel." Luther's body was carried to Wurtemberg, and buried in the Electoral church of that city. A brazen plate, with an inscription, covers his grave, which is opposite to that of his friend Melancthon. When the Emperor Charles the Fifth was at Wurtemberg in 1547, some of his officers desiring him to order the bones of Luther to be dug up and burnt, he nobly told them, " I have now nothing farther to do with Luther. He has hence- forth another judge, whose jurisdiction it is not lawful for me to usurp. Know that I make not war with the dead, but with the living who still continue to attack me." " The ardent spirit of Luther," says one of his biographers, " shone out in his eyes, which w T ere so sparkling, that no one could bear to look at them." Luther, though of a firm and strong constitution, was sub- ject to the disease of men of genius and of talents — melan- choly, which affected him so violently, that he occasionally imagined he saw the devil, and that he held conversations with him. Whilst Luther lay concealed in the strong fortress of Wartburgh, he thought he saw the Enemy of Mankind approaching to converse with him. The intrepid reformer threw his ink-stand at the phantom, and, according to Dr. Burkhardt, the spot which the ink made upon the wall of the room remains still visible. Seckendorf thus describes Luther : " He had an uncommon genius, a lively imagination, a good share of learning, a pious and devout disposition, a tinc- ture of melancholy and enthusiasm, and a great warmth and impetuosity, w 7 hich impelled him to insult and ridicule his adversaries. He was fond of music, and both a composer and performer, which he said was equally good for soul and GENERAL WOLFE. 233 body ; that it expelled melancholy, and put the devil to flight, who mortally hated music. He entertained a mean opinion of the capacity and disposition of those who had no taste for this excellent art. He also sacrificed to the Graces, and composed some poems, both in Latin and German." " I am accused," says Luther, " of rudeness and immodesty, particularly by my adversaries, who have not a grain of candour and good-manners. If, as they say, I am saucy and impudent, I am, however, simple, open, and sincere, and have none of their guile, dissimulation, and treachery." Luther, w T ho was a man of an ardent imagination, in one of his letters says, " When I behold by the light of the moon, in a clear night, the beautiful azure vault of heaven, be- sprinkled with the shining orbs, this feeds my imagination, and I am satisfied. Melancthon wishes to know where are the columns that support this splendid arch." Again he says, " It is no pleasure to me that certain per- sons are styled after me, Lutherans. I have done all in my power to avoid their being called so. I only wish that they would diligently peruse the Bible, and see what that tells them." GENERAL WOLFE. When the immortal Wolfe received his death wound on the heights of Quebec, his principal care was, that he should not be seen to fall. " Support me," said he to such as were near him : " let not my brave soldiers see me drop ; the day is ours ! Oh ! keep it ;" and with these words he expired. 20* 234 SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS j^p «p5\ AS born at Plimpton, St. Mary's, in Devonshire, in the year 1723. His father was a clergyman, and the inti- mate friend of that eminent divine Mr. Zechariah Mudge. Sir Joshua was very early in life sent to a grammar-school, where he made a good proficiency in Latin. He was ever of opinion, that his destination of mind to painting was occasioned by the accidental perusal of Richardson's Treatise on that Art, when he was very young. Some frontispieces to the Lives of Plutarch are still preserved by his relations, as specimens of his early predilection for his art, and of the promise that he gave of being eminent in it. He became pupil to Mr. Hud- son the painter, in 174-, who, amongst other advice that he gave him, recommended him to copy Guercino's drawings This he did with such skill, that many of them are now pre served in the cabinets of the curious in this country, as tfx originals of that very great master. About the year 1750 b went to Rome to prosecute his studies, where he remaine* nearly two years, and employed himself rather in making studies from, than in copying the works of the great painters with which that illustrious capital of art abounds. Here he amused himself with painting caricatures, particularly a very large one of all the English that were then at Rome, in the different attitudes of Raphael's celebrated School of Athens. He returned to England about the year 1752, and took a house in Newport street, Leicester-fields ; to which latter place he removed soon afterwards, and where he continued till the time of his death. Sir Joshua iiad so little of the jealousy of his profession, that when a celebrated English SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. 235 artist, on his arrival from Italy, asked him where he should set up a house, Sir Joshua told him, that the next house to him was vacant, and that he had found the situation a very good one. An ingenious critic thus delineates Sir Joshua's professional character : " Sir Joshua Reynolds was, most assuredly, the best por- trait painter that this age has produced. He possessed some- thing original in his manner which distinguished it from those painters who preceded him. His colouring was excellent, and his distribution of light and shadow so generally judicious and varied, that it most clearly showed that it was not a mere trick of practice, but the result of principle. In history painting his abilities were very respectable, and his invention and judgment were sufficient to have enabled him to have made a very distinguished figure in that very arduous branch of his profession, if the exclusive taste of this country for portraits had not discouraged him from cultivating a talent so very unproductive and neglected. His drawing, though incorrect, had always something of grandeur in it." To his own pictures might be well applied what he used to say respecting those of Rubens : " They resemble," said he, " a well-chosen nosegay, in which though the colours are splendid and vivid, they are never glaring or oppressive to the eye." Sir Joshua wrote — " Discourses delivered at the Royal Academy," 2 vols. 8vo. " Notes to Mr. Mason's Translation of Dufresnoy on Painting," 4to. Papers No. 76, 79, 82, in " The Idler," on the subject of Painting, were also written by him ; and he left behind him in manuscript some observations upon the pictures of Flanders and of Holland. Sir Joshua's views in art were always directed to something grand. He proposed to place his exquisite collection of foreign pictures in the Lyceum, and to give lectures upon them in imitation of the conferences of the French Academy of Painting under 236 SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. Louis the Fourteenth, and to illustrate by example the truth of those excellent precepts which he had delivered in his lec- tures. He was very desirous to introduce the ornaments of painting and of sculpture into the grand though denuded fabric of the cathedral of the metropolis. He wished to make it the British Temple of Fame for those Qui sui memores alios fecere merendo. With much effect, and at great expense, he procured a niche in that place of distinguished sepulture for his friend the British Lexicographer. There is still a niche left in the British Temple of Fame for himself, which gratitude, friendship, and a veneration for talents, must necessarily fill up. The fol- lowing character of this great artist, as given in the news- papers soon after his splendid and public funeral in St. Paul's, is the production of Mr. Burke. It is the eulogium of Par- rhasius pronounced by Pericles — it is the eulogium of the greatest painter by the most consummate orator of his time. " His illness was long, but borne with a mild and cheerful fortitude, without the least mixture of anything irritable or querulous, agreeably to the placid and even tenor of his whole life. He had from the beginning of his malady a dis- tinct view of his dissolution, which he contemplated with that entire composure which nothing but the innocence, integrity, and usefulness of his life, and an unaffected submission to the will of Providence, could bestow. In this situation he had every consolation from family tenderness, which his tender- ness to his family had always merited. " Sir Joshua Reynolds was, on very many accounts, one of the most memorable men of his time : — he was the first Eng- lishman who added the praise of the elegant arts to the other glories of his country. In taste, in grace, in facility, in happy invention, and in the richness and harmony of colouring, he was equal to the great masters of the renowned ages. In portrait he went beyond them ; for he communicated to that SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. 237 description of the art in which English artists are the most engaged, a variety, a fancy, and a dignity derived from the higher branches, which even those who professed them in a superior manner, did not always preserve when they de- lineated individual nature. His portraits remind the spectator of the invention of history, and the amenity of landscape. In painting portraits, he appears not to be raised upon that plat- form, but to descend to it from a higher sphere. His paintings illustrate his lessons, and his lessons seem to be derived from his paintings. " He possessed the theory as perfectly as the practice of his art. To be such a painter, he was a profound and pene- trating philosopher. " In full happiness of foreign and domestic fame, admired by the expert in art, and by the learned in science, courted by the great, caressed by sovereign powers, and celebrated by distinguished poets, his native humility, modesty, and can- dour never forsook him, even on surprise or provocation; nor was the least degree of arrogance or assumption visible to the most scrutinizing eye, in any part of his conduct or discourse. " His talents of every kind — powerful from nature, a$d not meanly cultivated in letters — his social virtues in all the rela- tions and all the habitudes of life, rendered him the centre of a very great and unparalleled variety of agreeable societies, which will be dissipated by his death. He had too much merit not to excite some jealousy, too much innocence to provoke any enmity. The loss of no man of his time can be felt with more sincere, general, and unmixed sorrow. " Hail ! and Farewell !" 238 CHATHAM. LORD CHATHAM EEMS to have been one of those superior spirits, who, in mercy to mankind, are permitted occasionally to visit this lower word, to revive or create nations, and to decide the fate of em- pires. The British empire, sinking under the disa- bility of his immediate predecessors, soon regained its pristine vigour under the influence of Lord Chatham. His great mind pervaded every part of it, and, like the torch of Prometheus, illumined and animated the whole. Called into power at the middle time of life, and with some experience in the com- plicated business of politics, by the voice of the people, and against the inclination of his sovereign, he never had the in- solence to declare with what rank only of the executive de- partment of government he w 7 ould do his country the honour and favour to be contented. In opposition to the ministers of his sovereign, he never, from spleen or from indignation, dared to attempt to innovate upon the established constitution of his country, and, with a view to be a favourite with the people, cajole them with the hopes of an increase of their power and of their consequence, which he never in his heart intended they should possess. When prime minister, he never dealt out the dignities and emoluments of office to persons merely because they were related to and connected with him, and whom he intended to direct, from the superiority of his understanding to theirs, and from his knowledge of their inca- pacity to fill the arduous and important stations which, at a very critical period of the state, he had assigned to them. In council, when a baleful influence prevailed, which from jeal- ousy of authority, and perhaps from meaner motives, by its William Pitt, Earl of Chatham. (239) CHATHAM. 241 improper interposition and dangerous interference, like the pernicious remora, impeded and counteracted the motion of the great vessel of government, he disdained to temporize, and, from views of interest or of fear, to keep the helm which he was not permitted to manage as he pleased. He nobly, and in the true spirit of the constitution, declared, that he would be no longer responsible for measures which he was not permitted to guide. Of the manliness, of the wisdom, and of the virtue of this declaration, his fellow-citizens were so sensible, that when his sovereign, the idol of his people, and himself met on an occasion of public festivity, he ap- peared to divide with the beloved vicegerent of heaven the applauses of the multitude ! Lord Chatham never degraded his mind with that attention to the patronage which his high situation afforded, nor di- vided and distracted his understanding by the minuteness of detail and the meaner operations of finance, which the most ordinary clerk in his office could have managed as well as himself. The great powers of his mind were always directed to some magnificent object. He saw with the eye of intui- tion itself into the characters of mankind : he saw for what each man w 7 as fitted. His sagacity pervaded the secrets of the cabinets of other countries ; and the energy of his mind informed and inspirited that of his own. The annals of his glorious administration w r ere not marked by the rise of the stocks, or by the savings of a few thousand pounds, but by the importation of foreign millions, the spoil of cities, the sack of nations, by conquests in every part of the globe. Lord Chatham was educated at Eton, and in no very par- ticular manner distinguished himself at that celebrated semi- nary. Virgil in early life was his favourite author. He was by no means a good Greek scholar ; and though he occasion- ally copied the arrangement and the expressions of Demos- thenes with great success in his speeches, he perhaps drew them from the Collana translation of that admirable orator 21 242 CHATHAM. (that book having been frequently seen in his room by a great lawyer some time deceased). The sermons of the great Dr. Barrow and of Abernethy, were favourite books with him ; and of the sermons of the late Mr. Mudge of Plymouth he always spoke very highly. He once declared in the House of Commons, that no book had ever been perused by him with equal instruction with the lives of Plutarch. Lord Chatham was an extremely fine reader of tragedy ; and a lady of rank and taste, now living (1795), declares with what satisfaction she has heard him read some of Shakspeare's historical plays, particularly those of Henry the Fourth and Fifth. She however uniformly observed, that when he came to the comic or buffoon parts of those plays, he always gave the book to one of his relations, and when they were gone through, he took the book again. Dr. Johnson says acutely, that no man is a hypocrite in his amusements ; and those of Lord Chatham seem always to have borne the stamp of greatness about them. Lord Chatham wrote occasionally very good verses. His taste in laying out grounds was exquisite. One scene in the gardens of South Lodge on Enfield Chase (which was de- signed by him), that of the Temple of Pan and its accom- paniments, is mentioned by Mr. Wheatley, in his elegant Essay upon Gardening, as one of the happiest efforts of well directed and appropriate decoration. Of Lord Chatham's eloquence who can speak that has not heard it 1 and who that had the happiness to hear it, can do justice to it by description ? It was neither the rounded and the monotonous declamation, the acute sophistry, or the attic wit and satirical point, that we have seen admired in our times. It was very various ; it possessed great force of light and shade ; it occasionally sunk to colloquial familiarity, and occasionally rose to epic sublimity. If he crept sometimes with Timaeus, he as often thundered and lightened with Peri- cles. His irony, though strong, was ever dignified ; his General Wolfe. (244) CHATHAM. 245 power of ridicule irresistible ; and his invective so terrible, that the objects of it shrunk under it like shrubs before the withering and the blasting east. Whoever heard this great man speak, always brought away something that remained upon his memory and upon his imagination. A verbum ardens, a glowing word, a happy facility of expression, an appro- priate metaphor, a forcible image, or a sublime figure, never failed to recompense the attention which the hearer had be- stowed upon him. Lord Chatham thought it disgraceful in a prime minister, because some of his colleagues differed in opinion from him, to see armies waste away, and fleets become useless ; to be- hold money ineffectually squandered, that had been w r rung from the sweat of the brow of the poor and of the laborious ; and the lives of thousands of his fellow-subjects sacrificed to murmuring complaisance, or to indignant pride that licks the dust. On certain occasions, Lord Chatham opposed not only the opinions of his brethren in office, but even the prejudices of the sovereign. The following anecdote, which was com- municated by his under-secretary of state, Mr. Wood, to a friend of his, is a striking proof of his honesty and firmness of mind. " Lord Chatham had appointed Mr. Wolfe to command at the siege of Quebec, and as he told him that he could not give him so many forces as he wanted for that expedition, he would make it up as well to him as he could, by giving him the appointment of all his officers. Mr. Wolfe sent in his list, included in which was a gentleman who was obnoxious to the sovereign, then George the Second, for some advice which, as a military man, he had given to his son the Duke of Cumberland. Lord Ligonier, then commander in chief, took in the list to the king, w T ho (as he expected) made some objections to a particular name, and refused to sign the com- mission. Lord Chatham sent him into the closet a second 21* 246 CHATHAM. time, with no better success. Lord Ligonier refused to go in a third time at Lord Chatham's suggestion. He was, how- ever, told that he should lose his place if he did not ; and that, on his presenting the name to the sovereign, he should tell him the peculiar situation of the state of the expedition, and that in order to make any general completely responsible for his conduct, he should be made, as much as possible, inex- cusable if he does not succeed; and that, in consequence, whatever an officer, who was entrusted with any service of confidence and of consequence, desired, should (if possible) be complied with. Lord Ligonier went in a third time, and told his sovereign w r hat he was directed to tell him. The good sense of the monarch so completely disarmed his prejudice, that he signed the particular commission, as he was desired." Soon after Sir Robert Walpole had taken away his cornet's commission from this extraordinary man, he used to drive himself about the country in a one-horse chaise, without a servant. At each town to which he came, the people gathered round about his carriage, and received him with the loudest acclamations. Lord Chatham thought very highly of the effects of dress and of dignity of manner upon mankind. He was never seen on business without a full-dress coat and a tie-wig, and he never permitted his under-secretaries to sit down before him. A general officer was once asked by Lord Chatham, " how many men he should require for a certain expedition ?" " Ten thousand," was the answer. " You shall have twelve thou- sand," said the minister, " and then if you do not succeed, it is your fault." The original of the character of Praxiteles, in Mr. Gre- ville's very entertaining book of Maxims, is said to have been Lord Chatham. When Cardinal Stoppani (surnamed in the Conclave of Cardinals II Politico) was informed that Lord Chatham had ceased to be minister of England, he told an English gentle- FANSHAWE. 247 man that he could not give any credit to it. " What heir," he added, " on coming to a considerable estate, and finding it excellently well managed by a steward, would dismiss that steward merely because he had served his predecessor?" SIR RICHARD FANSHAWE, MOST excellent and faithful servant of a careless and profligate master (Charles II.), on receiving his dismis- sion from him as his minister at Ma- drid, wrote the following letter,published for the first time from the original manu- script, in the " Anecdotes of Distin- guished Persons," printed in 1795. " Madrid, Thursday, 3d June, 1666. St Loci. " By the hands of my Lord of Sandwich, who arrived in this court upon Friday last, was delivered to me a letter of revocation from your majesty, directed to the queen regent, and at the same time another with which your majesty honoured me for myself, implying the principal (if not the only) motive of the former to have been, some exceptions that had been made relative to the papers which I signed with the Duke of Medinas de los Torres, upon the 17th of Decem- ber last past ; a consideration sufficient to have utterly cast down a soul less sensible than hath ever been mine of your majesty's least show of displeasure, though not accompanied with other punishments, if your majesty (according to the accustomed tenderness of your royal disposition, in which you excel all monarchs living), to comfort an old servant, had not yourself broken the blow in the descent, by this gra- cious expression in the same letter : — ' That I may assure myself your majesty believes I proceeded in the articles 248 FA A SUA WE. signed by me as aforesaid, with integrity and regard to your royal service, and that I may be further assured the same will justify me towards your majesty, whatever exceptions may have been made to my papers.' " In obedience to your majesty's letter abovementioned, I make account, God willing, to be upon my way towards England some time next month, having in the interim per- formed to my Lord Sandwich (as I hope I shall to his full satisfaction) those offices which your majesty commands me in the same, whose royal person, councils, and undertakings, God Almighty preserve and prosper many years ; the daily fervent prayers of " Your majesty's ever loyal subject, " Ever faithful and most obedient servant, " Richard Fanshawe." His recall is said to have broke his heart ; he died soon afterwards. Sir Richard was a scholar in the ancient and modern languages. He translated the Pastor Fido of Guarini in the spirit of the original, of which Sir John Denham thus speaks, after having censured servile translations : A new and nobler way thou dost pursue To make translations and translators too ; They but preserve the ashes, thou the flame, True to his sense, but truer to his fame. Sir Richard translated into Latin verse that beautiful mo- dern pastoral Fletcher's " Faithful Shepherdess ;" and wrote some original poems and letters during his embassies in Spain and Portugal. Sir Richard's person and disposition are thus described in the MS. Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe, which are addressed by her to her only son, and begin in this exquisitely tender and affecting manner : " I have thought it convenient to discourse to you, my most FANSHAWE. 249 dear and only son, the most remarkable actions and incidents of your family, as well as those eminent ones of your father's and my life ; and necessity, not delight nor revenge, hath made me insist upon some passages which will reflect on their owners, as the praises of others will be but just (which is my intent in this narrative). I would not have you be a stranger to it, because, by your example, you may imitate what is applicable to your condition in the world, and endea- vour to avoid those misfortunes we have passed through, if God pleases. " Endeavour to be innocent as a dove, but as wise as a serpent ; and let this lesson direct you most in the greater extremes of fortune : — Hate idleness, and avoid all passions. Be true in your words and actions. Unnecessarily deliver not your opinion ; but when you do, let it be just, consistent, and plain. Be charitable in thought, word, and deed, and ever ready to forgive injuries done to yourself; and be more pleased to do good than to receive good. Be civil and oblig- ing to all (dutiful where God and nature command you), but a friend to one; and that friendship keep sacred, as the greatest tie upon earth ; and be sure to ground it upon virtue, for no other is either happy or lasting. "Endeavour always to be content in that state of life to which it hath pleased God to call you ; and think it a great fault not to improve your time, either for the good of your soul, or the improvement of your understanding, health, or estate ; and as these are the most pleasant pastimes, so it will make you a cheerful old age, which is as necessary for you to design, as to make provision to support the infirmities which decay of strength brings ; and it was never seen that a vicious youth terminated in a contented cheerful old age, but perished out of countenance. " Ever keep the best qualified persons' company, out of whom you will find advantage ; and reserve some hours daily to examine yourself and fortune ; for if you embark yourself in 250 FANSHAWE. perpetual conversation or recreation, you will certainly ship- wreck your mind and fortune. Remember the proverb, ' Such as his company is, such is the man ;' and have glorious actions before your eyes, and think what will be your portion in heaven, as well as what you may desire upon earth. Man- age your fortune prudently, and forget not that you must give God an account hereafter, and upon all occasions. " Remember your father ; whose true image though I can never draw to the life, unless God will grant me that blessing in you, yet because you were but ten months old when God took him out of this world, I will for your advantage show you him with all truth, and without partiality. " He was of the biggest size of men, strong, and of the best proportion ; his complexion sanguine, his skin exceeding fair ; his hair dark-brown, and very curling, but not long ; his eyes grey and penetrating ; his nose high, his countenance gracious and wise, his motion good, his speech clear and distinct. He used no exercise but walking, and that generally with some book in his hand (which oftentimes was poetry, in which he spent his idle hours) : sometimes he would ride out to take the air, but his most delight was to go with me in a coach some miles, and there discourse of those things which then most pleased him (of what nature soever). He was very obliging to all, and forward to serve his master (his king), his country, and friend. Cheerful in his conversation, his dis- course ever pleasant, mixed with the sayings of wise men, and their histories repeated as occasion offered ; yet so re- served, that he never showed the thought of his heart, in its greatest sense, but to myself only ; and this I thank God with all my soul for, that he never discovered his trouble to me, but he went away with perfect cheerfulness and content ; nor revealed he to me his joys and hopes, but he would say they were doubled by putting them in my breast I never heard him hold dispute in my life, but often he would speak against it, saying it was an uncharitable custom, which never turned FANSHAWE. 251 to the advantage of either party. He could never be drawn to the faction of any party, saying, he found it sufficient honestly to perform that employment he was in. He loved and used cheerfulness in all his actions, and professed his religion in his life and conversation. He was a true Protestant of the church of England, and so brought up and died. His con- versation was so honest, that I never heard him speak a word in my life that tended to God's dishonour, or encouragement of any kind of debauchery or sin. He was ever much esteemed by his two masters (Charles the First and Second), both for great parts and honesty, as well as for his conversa- tion, in which they took great delight, he being so free from passion that it made him beloved by all that knew him. Nor did I ever see him moved but with his master's concerns, in which he would hotly pursue his interest through the greatest difficulties. He was the tenderest father imaginable ; the carefullest and the most generous master I ever knew. He loved hospitality, and would often say, it was wholly essential for the Constitution of England. " He loved and kept order with the greatest decency pos- sible ; and though he would say i" managed his domestics wholly, yet I ever governed them and myself by his com- rnands; in the managing of which I thank God I found his approbation and content. " Now, my son, you will expect that I should say some- thing that may remain of us jointly (which I will do, though it make my eyes gush out with tears, and cuts me to the soul to remember), and in part express the joys with which I was blessed in him. Glory be to God, we never had but one mind throughout our lives; our souls were w r rapped up in each other; our aims and designs were one; our loves one; our resentments one. We so studied one the other, that we knew each other's minds by our looks. Whatever was real happi- ness, God gave it to me in him. But to commend my better half (which I want sufficient expression for), methinks is to JOHN HUSS. commend myself, and so may bear a censure. But might it be permitted, I could dwell eternally on his praise most justly. But thus without offence I do, and so you may — imitate him in his patience, his prudence, his chastity, his charity, his generosity, his perfect resignation to God's will ; and praise God for him as long as you live here, and be with him here- after in the kingdom of heaven." JOHN HUSS. ENFANT, in his History of the Council of Constance, has preserved some Latin lines of this venerable reformer, taken from one of his sermons upon the certainty of death : Mors est ventura, quid net de praeposstura ? Mors est ventura, quae dissipabit beneficia plura. Mors est ventura, quae caput quatiet & tua crura. Mors est ventura, non fac quae scis nocritura. Mors est ventura, quam non excutiet & Papatura. Death is at hand, the bane of every joy, That shall each human dignity destroy ; The crown and mitre in one fatal hour Must yield to death's inexorable power. Before its ruthless stroke, the lot of all, Beauty and strength, and learning's self must fall. Death is at hand, and judgment swift pursues, Be virtuous, and to heaven direct thy views : For know, the sacred diadem of Rome In vain shall try to ward the impending doom. Many articles of accusation were brought against John Huss in the Council of Constance ; to all of which he was ordered to answer at once. He remonstrated, that it would JOHN HUSS. 253 ^e impossible for him to remember every accusation, and much more so to answer them all together. He was ordered to be silenced immediately, by the officers who attended. He then lifted up his hands to heaven, and begged the prelates to let him justify himself in his own manner; " after which," said he, " you may then do with me as you please." But the prelates persisting in their refusal, he fell upon his knees, and lifting up his hands and eyes to heaven, recommended his cause to the Sovereign Judge of the world, in a prayer which he pronounced with a loud voice. This intrepid reformer was executed, in violation of the safe-conduct which the Emperor Sigismund had given him. The Emperor Charles the Fifth behaved more nobly on a similar occasion than his predecessor. He was requested by Eccius, and some other persons, to seize upon the person of Martin Luther, to whom he had likewise given a safe-conduct to attend the diet of Worms. Charles refused, and gave as a reason, that he did not resemble Sigismund, who, when he had done what they had desired him to do, could never after- wards bear to look a man in the face. The Council of Constance passed a decree in the same year in which John Huss w 7 as burned (1415), to declare that every safe-conduct granted by the emperor, kings, &c. to heretics, or to persons accused of heresy, in hopes of reclaim- ing them, ought not to be of any prejudice to the Catholic faith, nor to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, nor prevent such persons from being examined, judged, and punished (accord- ing as justice shall require), if these heretics refuse to revoke their errors, even though they should be arrived at the place where they are to be judged only upon the faith of the safe- conduct, without which they would not have come there : and the person who shall have promised them this security, shall not in this case be obliged to keep his promise, by what- soever tie he may be engaged, because he had done all that is in his power to do. 22 254 RED JACKET. Another decree was likewise passed in the same councjj, which is, according to Lenfant, not in the printed acts, but in MS. in the Imperial Library at Vienna, which declares that the emperor did with regard to John Huss, what he might and ought to have done notwithstanding his safe-conduct given to him, and forbids all the faithful to speak ill either of the emperor or of the council respecting what passed relative to John Huss. A prophecy of Huss is recorded, which he pronounced to his barbarous judges : " You are now going to roast a goose (Hus being German for a goose); but in a hundred years a swan (Luther in the same language signifying a swan) will come whom you shall not be able to destroy." RED JACKET. It happened during the revolutionary war, that a treaty was held with the Indians, at which La Fayette was present. The object was to unite the various tribes in amity with America. The majority of the chiefs were friendly, but there was much opposition made to it, more especially, by a young warrior, who declared that when an alliance was entered into with America, he should consider the sun of his country as set for ever. In his travels through the Indian country, when lately in America, it happened at a large assemblage of chiefs, that La Fayette referred to the treaty in question, and turn- ing to Red Jacket, said, " Pray tell me if you can, what has become of that daring youth, who so decidedly opposed all our propositions for peace and amity ? Does he still live — and what is his condition V 9 " I, myself, am the man," re- plied Red Jacket, " the decided enemy of the Americans, as long as the hope of opposing them with success remained, but now their true and faithful ally until death." Death of Francesco Francia. (256) FRANCESCO FRANCIA. 257 FRANCESCO FRANCIA. ■N contemplating the era of the revi- val of learning and science, we find that period adorned by the most pro- .md, as well as remarkable men, and those most powerful and vigorous minds. In e manner, the period when the art of paint- ing emerged, like a phoenix, from its long-silent ashes, was marked by the most eminent and distinguished masters. It may be considered the true heroic age of the art; and we have reason to lament, with Ossian, that the power and gran- deur of this noble era are now departed from earth. Numbers in various places, came forth from obscurity, and raised themselves to fame entirely by means of their own unaided genius. The lives and labours of such men are worthy of being preserved to the remotest posterity, in the chronicles that we yet possess from the hands of modern amateurs of the art; and their spirit was as venerable, as are now their bearded visages, which we contemplate w T ith awe among the valuable collections of their portraits. There happened, in their times, many events of an extraordinary nature, and, at the present day, scarcely credible; for the enthusiasm that now glimmers like the feeble rays of a taper, in that golden age sufficed to kindle the world into a flame. But degene- rate posterity doubts, or derides many authentic narratives of these times, as mere fables, now that the etherial spark is extinguished in their souls. One remarkable history of this kind, I have never been able to read without emotion. It is the account of the death of the old painter Francesco Francia. He was the father and founder of the school of Bologna and Lombardy, and was 22* 258 FRANCESCO FRANCIA. of humble parentage; but through his unwearied industry and ever-aspiring genius, had risen to the highest pinnacle of fame. Francesco lived in the first generation of those noble artists, who commanded greater and more general esteem, inasmuch as they founded, upon the ruins of barbarism, a new and illustrious empire; and in Lombardy he was the founder and first sovereign of this newly-established dominion. His skil- ful hand perfected a vast number of masterly paintings, which soon circulated, not only throughout Lombardy (in which there was no town that had not, at least, one proof of his in- dustry), but also in many other parts of Italy. The nobles of the land were emulous to possess his paintings; and eulogies poured in upon him from every side. Travellers carried his fame to all places where they journeyed; and the flattering report of their praises re-echoed in his ear. The Bolognese who visited Rome, praised the artist of their city to Raphael ; and he, having seen and admired the productions of his pencil, expressed to him, in a letter, with his wonted courtesy of manner, his regard and affection. The authors of the day could not refrain from interweaving his praises into all their works ; they direct the eyes of posterity to him, and tell us, with impressive manner, that he is worthy of divine honours. One of them is even bold enough to say, that Raphael, on seeing his Madonna, abandoned the frigidity of style con- tracted from the school of Perugia, and adopted one more vigorous and elevated. What other effect could these repeated bursts of praise have, upon the mind of our Francesco, than that his active spirit should eagerly aspire to the loftiest pride of art, so that he began, in his inmost soul, to believe in his divine genius ? Where, now, do we find this elevated pride ? In vain do we seek it among artists of the present day, many of whom are, indeed, abundantly self-conceited, but by no means proud of their art FRANCESCO FRANCIA. 259 Raphael was the only one, of all the painters of his time, whom Francesco deigned to consider as his rival. He had not, however, as yet, had the satisfaction of seeing a picture from his hand, for never in his life had he travelled far from Bologna. Notwithstanding, from many descriptions, he had formed in his mind a conception of the style of Raphael, and particularly from that modest and complaisant tone pervading his letters, had firmly persuaded himself, that, in most pieces he equalled, and, in some, had even surpassed him. To his old age it was reserved, to behold with his own eyes a pic- ture from Raphael. On one occasion he very unexpectedly received a letter from him, in which that artist imparted the information that he had just finished a painting of St. Cecilia, which was des- tined as an altar-piece for the church of St. John, at Bologna, and further wrote, that he would forward the picture to him; and requested Francesco to show him a favour, by overseeing its erection in its proper place, and also, if it had become in- jured in any w r ay, on the journey, as a friend, to retouch and repair it. This letter, by which Raphael thus placed the pencil in his hand, threw him into ecstasies, and he impa- tiently awaited the arrival of the picture. He knew not, alas, what scenes were in reserve ! As he was once returning home from a w 7 alk, his pupils hastened to him, and informed him, with great joy, that the picture of Raphael had meanw 7 hile arrived, and they had already placed it in the fairest light. Francesco, beside him- self, eagerly rushed within. But how shall I describe, to the world of this day, the sensations which this extraordinary man felt rending his inmost soul? He was affected as one might be who hoping to embrace a long-absent brother, sepa- rated from him since childhood, should, in his stead, behold an angel of light before his eyes. The heart of Francesco was melted; and, in full contrition of soul, he prostrated him- self, as in adoration before a higher being, and lay over- 260 FRANCESCO FRANCIA, powered with deep emotions. His pupils eagerly crowded around, and raising him, used their utmost endeavours to restore him. After he had somewhat recovered, his gaze was riveted in- cessantly on the divine picture before him. How had he at once fallen from his loftiness ! How severely must he expiate the sin of presumptuously exalting himself, even to the stars, and ambitiously placing himself above the inimitable Raphael! He passionately smote upon his breast, and wept bitter, sorrow- ing tears, that he had passed his life in vain, ambitious toil, and had thereby only augmented his folly; and now, at last, he must look back upon his whole existence, as a pitiful, unfinished work of trifles. In suppliant posture he raised his eyes to the holy Cecilia, disclosed to Heaven his wounded, but re- penting heart, and humbly prayed for forgiveness. From this time his soul was in constant commotion; and you might ever mark in his countenance a seeming wander- ing of the mind. The infirmities of old age, and prostration of the spirit, that had been employed so long in the creation of so many and various forms, with fancy continually on the wing, threatened utterly to destroy his earthly tenement. The manifold and ever-varying images of beauty, that had floated through his vivid imagination, and had passed into reality upon the canvass, now rushed, with fearful rapidity, through his soul, and became his tormenting spirits, that filled him with terror in the anguish of his malady; and ere his pupils were aware of it, the vital spark had fled. Thus did this high-souled man become truly great, when he felt himself so far inferior to the divine Raphael. The genius of painting has long since consecrated his memory, and en- circled his brow with a halo of glory, which points him out as a true martyr to his enthusiastic devotion to his art. REWARD OF CONSTANCY AND COURAGE. 261 REWARD OF CONSTANCY AND COURAGE. • DWARD, Prince of Wales," says Montaigne, " that English Prince who governed Guienne for so long a time, a personage whose con- dition and whose fortune had always some distinguished points of grandeur, having been very much offended by the inhabitants of the city of Limoges, and taking the town by storm, could not be wrought upon by the cries of the people, of the women and of the children, given up to slaughter, im- ploring his mercy, and throwing themselves at his feet, till proceeding farther in the town, he perceived three French gentlemen, who with an incredible degree of courage were alone sustaining the shock of his victorious army. His con- sideration and respect of such distinguished valour, imme- diately blunted the edge of his resentment, and he began, by granting the lives of those three persons, to spare the lives of all those that were in the town. Froissart has preserved the names of these three brave men. " They were," says he, " Messieurs Jehan de Villemur, Hugues de la Roche, and Roger de Beaufort, son of the Count de Beaufort, captains of the town. When they saw," adds the chronicler, " the misery and destruction that was pressing upon themselves and their people, they said, we shall be all dead men, if we do not defend ourselves : let us then sell our lives dearly, as true chevaliers ought to do : and these three French gentlemen did many feats at arms. When the Prince in his car came to the spot where they were, he observed them with great pleasure, and became softened and appeased by their extraordinary acts of valour. The three French gentlemen, after having fought thus va- liantly, fixing their eyes upon their swords, said with one 262 HONOURABLE CONDUCT OF JOHN, KING OF FRANCE. voice to the Prince and the Duke of Lancaster, My Lords, we are yours ; you have conquered us ; dispose of us according to the law of arms. By heaven, replied the Duke of Lan- caster, we have no other intention, Messire Jehan, and we take you as our prisoners. And so," adds Froissart, " these noble chevaliers were taken, as I have been informed." " The most common method," says Montaigne, to soften the hearts of those whom we have offended, is, when they have the power to revenge themselves in their hands, by seeing us at their mercy, to move them by our submission to pity and commiseration. Sometimes, however, bravery, constancy, and resolution, though directly contrary methods, have pro- duced the same effect." HONOURABLE CONDUCT OF JOHN, KING OF FRANCE. "This Prince," says an old French chronicler very strongly, M vendit sa propre chair en Vencam, — sold his own flesh by auction. For, in order to ease his subjects from taxes he was obliged to impose upon them to pay his own ransom, having been taken prisoner by Edward the Black Prince, and con- fined in the Tower of London, he gave his daughter Isabella in marriage to Galeas Visconti, Duke of Milan, for a con- siderable sum of money. This alliance, indeed, so beneath the royal race of France, did honour to the sovereign, from the excellence of the motive, and could not disgrace the Princess, as she became the fortunate instrument of con- tributing to the ease and happiness of her country." John had left as hostages in England for the payment of his ransom, two of his sons. One of them, the Duke of Anjou, tired of his confinement in the Tower of London, escaped to France. His father, more generous, prepared John Langdon. (264) THE PATRIOT MERCHANTS. 265 instantly to take his place ; and when the principal officers of his court remonstrated against his taking that honourable though dangerous measure, he told them, " Why, I myself was permitted to come out of the same prison in which my son was, in consequence of the treaty of Bretagne, which he has violated by his flight. I hold myself not a free man at present. I fly to my prison. I am engaged to do it by my word. I tear myself away from my people ; yet I trust that my Frenchmen will soon liberate me." The unfortunate monarch dying soon afterwards in the Tower of London, his body was brought over to France, and interred in the abbey of St. Denis, in 1364. THE PATRIOT MERCHANTS. HEN our country was comparatively poor, struggling against oppression and harassed by invading hordes of disciplined ruffians and wild savages, there were occasionally presented to view acts of disinterested patriotism and self-sacrifice, which deserve to be remembered, recounted to our children, and commended to their admiration and imitation. The men of the Revolu- tion, as every child knows, were lavish of their blood. Indeed, the feeling of indignation against our oppres- sors w r as so strong, that men were much more easily obtained than those sinews of war which are equally indispensable to success, money and munitions. The difficulty of obtaining these was the greatest hindrance to the success of the Ame- rican arms. Men were more ready to fight than to pay taxes and subsidies, and our affairs were frequently brought to the brink of ruin for want of a sum not equal to a hundredth 23 266 THE PATRIOT MERCHANTS. part of what a single state has since been willing to squander in one year, on the most visionary schemes, of what is called internal improvement. If in those times the country was indebted for its independ- ence to the courage of its soldiers, it was not less indebted for the same great acquisition to the generosity of its mer- chants. When, therefore, we commend the patriotism of Warren, Mercer, and Greene, let us not forget the disinterest- edness of Hancock, Morris, and Langdon. The mention of this last name recalls to our recollection an act of noble generosity, which is thus recorded in Governor Everett's Life of General Stark. The " state of affairs" referred to in the opening words is that which existed when Burgoyne was ad- vancing into the country from Canada, and carrying all before him. " It must be confessed that it required no ordinary share of fortitude, to find topics of consolation in the present state of affairs. The British were advancing with a well appointed army, into the heart of the country, under the conduct, it was supposed, of the most skilful officers, confident of suc- cess, and selected to finish the war. The army consisted in part of German troops, veterans of the Seven Years' War, under the command of a general of experience, conduct, and valour. Nothing could have been more ample than the mili- tary supplies, the artillery, munitions and stores, w T ith which the army was provided. A considerable force of Canadians, and American loyalists, furnished the requisite spies, scouts, and rangers; and a numerous force of savages in their war- dresses, with their peculiar weapons and native ferocity, in- creased the terrors of its approach. Its numbers were usually rated at ten thousand strong. " On the evacuation of Ticonderoga, and the further ad- vance of such an army, the New England States, and particu- larly New Hampshire and Massachusetts, were filled with alarm. It was felt that their frontier was uncovered, and THE PATRIOT MERCHANTS. 267 that strenuous and extraordinary efforts for the protection of the country were necessary. In New Hampshire, as being nearer the scene of danger, a proportionally greater anxiety was felt. The Committee of Safety of what was then called the New Hampshire Grants, the present state of Vermont, wrote in the most pressing terms to the New Hampshire Committee of Safety, at Exeter, apprising them, that if assist- ance should not be sent to them, they should be forced to abandon the country, and take refuge east of the Connecticut river. When these tidings reached Exeter, the Assembly had finished their spring session, and had now gone home. A summons from the committee brought them together again, and in three days they took the most effectual and decisive steps for the defence of the conntry. Among the patriotic members of the Assembly, who signalized themselves on this occasion, none was more conspicuous than the late Governor Langdon. . The members of that Assembly were inclined to despond ; the public credit was exhausted ; and there were no means of supporting troops, if they could be raised. Mean- time, the defences of the frontier had fallen, and the enemy, with overwhelming force, was penetrating into the country. At this gloomy juncture, John Langdon, a merchant of Ports- mouth, and Speaker of the Assembly, thus addressed its members : " I have three thousand dollars in hard money ; I will pledge my plate for three thousand more ; I have seventy hogsheads of Tobago rum, which shall be sold for the most it will bring. These are at the service of the state. If we succeed in defending our firesides and homes, I may be remunerated ; if we do not, the property will be of no value to me. Our old friend Stark, who so nobly maintained the honour of the state, at Bunker's Hill, may be safely intrusted with the conduct of the enterprise, and we will check the pro- gress of Burgoyne." This proposal infused life into the measures of the Assem- 268 GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS. bly. They formed the whole militia of the state into two brigades. Of the first, they gave the command to Wm. Whipple, of the second, to John Stark. They ordered one- fourth part of Stark's brigade, and one-fourth of three regi- ments of Whipple's, to march immediately, under the com- mand of Stark, " to stop the progress of the enemy on our western frontiers." They ordered the militia officers to take away arms from all persons who scrupled or refused to assist in defending the country ; and appointed a day of fasting and prayer, which was observed with great solemnity. The events which now followed in rapid succession are familiar to every school-boy. The battle of Bennington, being the first check given to Burgoyne, raised the drooping spirits of our countrymen, and formed the starting point of those brilliant successes which terminated only in the fall of Yorktown. When the patriot merchant in the decline of an honourable life, surveyed all the splendid results of this single act of generosity, he must have felt a glow of pardonable pride and exultation. The recollection of such an act is an inheritance of which his children's children may be proud. GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS, KING OF SWEDEN. This great general was certainly one of the heroes of the 17th century — a century abounding in heroes; his courage, his general force of mind, his integrity, and his piety, well en- titling him to that dignified appellation. In one of his letters to Louis XII. of France, who had writ- ten to him to express his sorrow at being told that he was de- jected on account of Wallenstein's successes in the field against him, he says, " I am not so ill at my ease as my enemies wish to give out. I have troops enough to oppose to them, and Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden. 23* GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS. 271 troops which will never lose their courage but with their life. We skirmish together every day, and I think that Wallenstein begins now to experience what troops well disciplined and courageous can do, especially when they fight for so noble a cause as that of general liberty, and defend kings and nations who are groaning under the yoke of tyranny and persecution." When the town of Landshut, in Bavaria, surrendered to him at discretion, the principal inhabitants of it fell down upon their knees before him, and presented him with the keys of their town. " Rise, rise," said he ; (i it is your duty to fall upon your knees to God, and not to so frail and feeble a mortal as I am." » Gustavus, differently from our modern generals, never engaged in any battle without first praying at the head of the troops he was about to lead towards the enemy, sometimes with, and sometimes without book. This done, he used to thunder out in a strong and energetic manner some German hymn or psalm, in which he w 7 as followed by his whole army. (The effect of this in unison with thirty or forty thousand men was wonderful and terrible.) Immediately before the battle of Lutzen, so fatal to himself, but so honour- able to his army, he vociferated the translation of the forty- sixth psalm, made by Luther when he w 7 as a prisoner in the fortress of Coburg, that begins " God is our strong castle." The trumpets and drums immediately struck up, and were accompanied by the ministers and all the soldiers in the army. To this succeeded a hymn made by Gustavus himself, which began, " My dear little army fear nothing, though thy numerous enemies have sworn thy ruin." — The word given by the king for that day was, " God be with us." The ministers of Louis XIII. king of France were desirous to insert in a treaty between their sovereign and Gustavus, that the king of France had the king of Sweden under his protection. Gustavus spiritedly replied, " I have no occasion for any protection but that of God, and I desire no other. 272 GUSTAVUS ADOLFHUS. After God I acknowledge no superior, and I wish to owe the success of my arms to my sword and my good conduct alone." In a conference he had with the Minister from the British court, Sir Henry Vane, whom he supposed to have been bribed by the court of Spain, as Sir Harry was pressing him in a manner which he did not like, he said to him in Latin, " Sir, I do not understand you, you talk Spanish." He always preferred foreign soldiers, who served volun- tarily for pay, to those which were enlisted by the authority of government in his own country. "A hound," said he, " that is dragged by force to the field never hunts well. " In one of his journeys he was accosted by a student in Latin, who desired him to permit him to serve in his cavalry. " Be it so, sir," replied the king ; " an indifferent scholar may make a very good soldier. But why, sir, do you wish to discontinue your studies V 9 " Alas ! sire," said the student, " I prefer arms to books." " Ah, man !" replied the king, who spoke Latin very fluently, and who was a good Latin scholar, " I see what it is— it is as Horace says, Optat ephippia bos piger ; optat arare caballus. The slow dull ox gay trappings wants; To plough the fiery courser pants." Gustavus used to say, " That a man made a better soldier, in proportion to his being a better Christian." He used also to say, " That there were no persons so happy as those that died in the performance of their duty." It was said of his death, " He died with his sword in his hand, the word of command in his mouth, and with victory in his imagination.' EXECUTION OF SIR HENRY VANE. 273 EXECUTION OF SIR HENRY VANE. MONG the acts of the restored government of England, under Charles the Second, one of the most flagrant was the sacrifice of a noble champion of human rights, who had commenced his political career as Governor of Massachusetts, Sir Harry- Vane. We copy the account of this atrocious transaction from a British historian. " The house of commons demanded the trial, or rather the execution, of Lambert and Vane, state prisoners since the Restoration. It is necessary to repeat here, that they were excepted from the act of oblivion, that both houses at the same time petitioned the king for their lives, and that the king promised his compliance. The new parliament disdained the moderation of the convention, and clamoured for their blood. They were accordingly brought to trial in a few days after the prorogation. Neither had sat in judgment upon Charles I. : their crime was their having served the usurpation — now the style and title of the commonwealth. Lambert, a brave soldier, but a weak man, confessed himself guilty, made abject supplication for the royal clemency, and was suffered to reach the end of his natural life in the island of Guernsey, either wholly unthought of, or remembered only to be despised. " Vane had the reputation of wanting personal firmness. He defended himself on his trial with undaunted resolution, and never gave more shining proof of the elevation of his talents and his principles. The indictment charged him with treason against the person and government of Charles II. ; and the overt acts to sustain it were his official acts, as a public servant of the commonwealth. His defence was, first, that he acted under the authority of the parliament, then the supreme, sole, and established governing power of England ; 274 EXECUTION OF SIR HENRY VANE. next, that the authority of the parliament was legal and supreme, and the cause which it vindicated just and sacred before God and man. The judges decided that Charles II. was King of England de facto as well as de jure, whilst he lived a wandering exile, repudiated even by foreign courts ; and the pretence of this revolting iniquity was, that there was then no person in England assuming the style and title of king. The verdict of guilty against Vane was, under the circumstances, a matter of course. He offered a fruitless bill of exceptions, founded on the king's pledged faith to the late parliament. Charles broke his faith, aud thereby left one of the darkest stains upon his personal character. " On the 14th of June, Sir Henry Vane was led on foot to the scaffold at Tower Hill. There are preserved minute particulars of his demeanour and treatment. He was clad in a black suit and mantle, with a scarlet waistcoat showing itself at the breast, his head uncovered, his eye bright, his colour unchanged. It was remarked that he showed the solemn calmness of a mere spectator of the scene. He pro- ceeded to address the people from written notes, but was soon interrupted and reviled by the Lieutenant of the Tower. The sheriff snatched his notes from his hand, whilst the lieu- tenant ransacked his pockets for papers, and trumpets were sounded to drown his voice. He appealed from men to Hea- ven, and submitted to his fate. His last words, as he knelt before the scaffold, were, * Father, glorify thy servant in the sight of men, that he may glorify thee in the discharge of his duty to thee and his country.' " The death of Vane has been ascribed to his having pro- duced the minute of council in evidence against Strafford ; and Echard. in his perfidious compilation, ventures to declare the death of Vane on the same spot where Strafford died, a judgment of God. But Charles had not virtue enough to in- herit the remorse or vengeance of his father, for the sacrifice of that famous minister; and his own letter to Clarendon, EXECUTION OF SIR HENRY VANE. 275 shows that he broke his faith from fear and hatred of the virtue and intrepidity with which Vane defended his life and vindicated his principles on his trial. " The king and his chief minister came to the determina- tion of ' putting out of the way' a man in whom the genius of the commonwealth survived. Vane belongs in a peculiar manner to that epoch. It has been remarked, as anomalous and extraordinary, that a diplomatist, an administrator, and statesman, of versatile accomplishments and superior genius, should indulge in the wildest mysticism as a religionist: but the simple and obvious truth is that he was more than ordina- rily imbued with the spirit of his age. With the visionary fervour of his religion he combined the first principle to which he would have been led by the light of reason and philoso- phy — that of religious toleration. In this, however, he but shared a virtue of the independents. All sects are ready to preach toleration when they are partly oppressed. The in- dependents alone have passed that sure ordeal of principle, the possession of power. The liberty of conscience, which they asked when they were weak, they gave when they became strong." We should add to this account that the people of England were so outraged at the injustice of Vane's trial and condem- nation, as to occasion serious alarm to the court party, who were fain to make their peace by restoring to his family the titles and estates, which they have ever since enjoyed. The late head of the family, the Duke of Cleveland, was true to the principles of his illustrious ancestor ; and although ele- vated to the rank of the highest aristocracy, was an earnest advocate for popular rights. — Frost's Pictorial United States. 270 CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE DISCOVERER OF AMERICA. HIS great and good man may be proposed as a model to all future discoverers. Brave, intelli- gent, patient, persevering, and humane, he ap- pears to realize the ideal perfection of that character. His laurels, unlike those of his successors, were never stained with blood, and he appears to have been as anxious for the safety and well-being of those whom he conquered, as of his own people. Reciprocity of benefit seems to have been his constant aim, yet calumny sullied that reputation which it was so much for the interest of virtue to have continued spotless, and ignominious chains shackled those hands which seemed destined by nature to have borne a sceptre. " The hardships and disappointments suffered on occasion of the conquering of Jamaica, and his sovereign's ingratitude together (for Isabella was then dead)," says an acute and investigating writer, Mr. Bryan Edwards, in his history of the West Indies, " proved too mighty for his generous spirit, and he fell under them on his return to Spain ; leaving, however, a name not to be extinguished but with that world whose boundaries he had enlarged." Columbus thus addresses Ferdinand in a letter dated from Jamaica, 1504: " Diego Mendez and the papers I sent by him will show your highness what rich mines of gold I have discovered at Veragua ; and how I intended to have left my brother at the river Bela, if the judgments of heaven and the greatest misfortunes in the world had not prevented it. However, it is sufficient that your highness and your successors will have the glory and advantage of all, and that the full discovery and settlement are reserved for happier persons than the unfortunate Columbus. May God be so merciful to me as to Columbus in chains. 24 (277) CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 279 conduct Mendez to Spain ! I doubt not but that he will con- vince you and my illustrious mistress that this will not only be a Castile and a Leon, but a discovery of a world of subjects, lands, and wealth, greater than man's unbounded fancy could ever comprehend, or avarice itself covet; but neither he, this paper, nor the tongue of mortal man can express the anguish and afflictions of my body and mind, nor the miseries and dangers of my son, brother, and friends." " Alas ! piety and justice have retired to their habitations above, and it is a crime to have undertaken and persevered too much. As my misery makes my life a burden to myself, so I fear the empty titles of Viceroy and Admiral render me obnoxious to the hatred of the Spanish nation. It is visible that all methods are taking to cut the thread that is break- ing ; for I am in my old age oppressed with insupportable pains of the gout, and am now languishing and expiring with that amongst savages, where I have neither medicines nor provisions for the body, priest nor sacrament for the soul. " O blessed Father of God, that compassionates the misera- ble and afflicted, why did not cruel Bovadilli kill me, when he robbed me and my brother of our dearly-purchased gold, and sent us to Spain in chains, without trial, crime, or shadow of misconduct ? These chains are all the treasures I have, and they shall be buried with me, if I chance to have a coffin or a grave; for I would have the remembrance of so unjust an action perish with me, and, for the glory of the Spanish name, be utterly forgotten. Let it not bring a further injury on the Castilian name ; nor let ages to come know, that there were wretches so vile in this, as to think of recommending themselves to your Majesty by destroying the unfortunate and the miserable Christopher Columbus, not for his crimes but for his services, in giving Spain a New World. As it was Heaven that inspired and conducted me to it, the heavens will weep for me, and show pity ; let the earth, and 280 CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. every soul in it that loves justice and mercy, weep for me; and oh, ye glorified saints of heaven, that know my inno- cence, and see my sufferings here, have mercy upon me ! for though this present age is envious and obdurate, surely those that are to come will pity me, when they are told that Chris- topher Columbus, with his own fortune, at the hazard of his own life, his brother's life, and with little or no expense to the court of Spain, in ten years and in four voyages, rendered greater services than ever mortal man did to any prince or kingdom, yet was left to perish, without being charged with the least crime, in poverty and misery ; all but his chains being taken from him : so that he who gave Spain another world, had neither safety in it, nor yet a cottage for himself and his wretched family. But should Heaven still persecute me, and seem displeased with what I have done, as if the dis- covery of this new may be fatal to the old world ; and, as a punishment, bring my life to a period in this miserable place, yet do you, good angels ! — you that succour the oppressed and innocent, — bring this paper to my great mistress ! She knows how much I have done, and will give credit to what I have suffered for her glory and service ; and will be so just and pious as not to let the children of him that has brought to Spain such immense riches, and added to its dominions vast and unknown kingdoms and empires, want bread or subsist only upon alms. She (if she lives) will consider that cruelty and ingratitude will bring down the wrath of Heaven, so that the world I have discovered shall be the means of stirring up all mankind to revenge and rapine ; and the Spanish nation will suffer hereafter for what envious, malicious, and ungrateful persons do now." The whole letter is preserved in Mr. Edwards's inestimable work. " The common proverb," says Thoret, in his life of this illustrious navigator, " which tells us, that those who promise mountains of gold make promises that can never be accom- MICHAEL ANGELO 281 plished, is brought to shame by the discovery of Columbus ; who, having promised such mountains, did indeed make good his promise to that sovereign who was wise enough to attend to w T hat Columbus told him : upon w 7 hose name some persons have made a forcible allusion to the dove, which, being sent from the Ark of Noah, brought back some news of a world that had been hidden bv the waters." MICHAEL ANGELO, .^^i^^rfel ROM his infancy, showed a strong inclination qP5hI MHfcP for painting, and made so rapid a progress in it, Qw! flJJ^ that he is said at the age of fourteen to have i^jg^^ been able to correct the drawings of his master, Dominico Grillandai. When he w 7 as an old man, one of these drawings being shown to him, he modestly said, " In my youth I was a better artist than I am now." His quickness of eye was wonderful. He used to say, that a sculptor should carry his compass in his eye. " The hands, indeed," said he, " do the work, but the eye judges." Of his power of eye he was so certain, that having once ordered a block of marble to be brought to him, he told the stone-cutter to cut away some particular parts of the marble, and to polish others. Very soon an exquisite fine figure starts out from the block. The stone-cutter, surprised, beheld it with admiration. " Well, my friend," says Michael Angelo, " what do you think of it now V 9 " I hardly know what to think of it," answered the astonished mechanic ; " it is a very fine figure, to be sure. I have infinite obligations to you, sir, for thus making me discover in myself a talent which I never knew I possessed." Angelo, full of the great and sublime ideas of his art, lived 24* 282 MICHAEL ANGELO. very much alone, and never suffered a day to pass without handling his chisel or his pencil. When some person re- proached him with living so. melancholy and solitary a life, he said, " art is a jealous thing ; it requires the whole and entire man." On being asked why he did not marry, he said, " My art is my wife, and gives me all the trouble that a married life could do. My works will be my children. Who would ever hear of Ghiberti, if he had not made the gates of St. John? His children have dissipated his fortune; his gates remain." On being one day asked, what he thought of Ghiberti's gates? "They are so beautiful," replied Angelo, "that they might serve as the gates of Paradise." He went one day with Vasari to see Titian at work at the palace of the Belvidere at Rome, who had then his picture of Danae on his easel. When they returned, Angelo said to Vasari, " I much approve of Titian's colouring, and his manner of work ; but what a pity it is, that in the Vene- tian school they do not learn to draw correctly, and that they have not a better taste of study ! If Titian's talents had been seconded by a knowledge of art and of drawing, it would have been impossible for any one to have done more or better. He possesses a great share of genius, and a grand and lively manner ; but nothing is more certain than this, that the painter who is not profound in drawing, and has not very diligently studied the chosen works of the ancients and of the moderns, can never do anything well of himself, nor make a proper use of what he does after nature ; because he cannot apply to it that grace, that per- fection of art, which is not found in the common order of nature, where we generally see some parts which are not beautiful." He was extremely disinterested. For his immortal design of the Church of St. Peter at Rome, he received only twenty- MICHAEL A.\'CELO. 283 five Roman crowns: it was finished in a fortnight. San Gallo had been many years about his wretched models, and received four thousand crowns for them. This being told to Angelo, he said, " I work for God, and desire no other recompense." His disinterestedness, however, did not make him neglect the honour of his art, which he would not sacrifice even to his friends. — Signior Doni, who was an intimate friend of Michael Angelo, desired to have a picture painted by him. Angelo painted a picture for him, and sent it to him, with a receipt for seventy crowns. Doni returned him word, that he thought forty crowns were sufficient for the picture. An- gelo gave him to understand, that he now asked one hundred crowns. Doni informed him, that he would now give him the seventy crowns. Angelo sent him for answer, that he must either return him the picture, or send him one hundred and forty crowns. Doni kept the picture, and paid the money. Angelo was ever jealous of the dignity of his character as an artist. While he was employed by Pope Julius the Second on his Mausoleum, he had twice requested to see his Holiness without success. He told the Chamberlain on the second refusal, " when his Holiness asks to see me, tell him that I am not to be met with." Soon afterwards he set out for Florence : the Pope dispatched messenger after messenger to him ; and at last he returned to Rome, when Julius very readily forgave him, and would never permit any of his enemies or detractors to say anything against him in his presence. Some of his rivals, wishing to put him upon an under- taking for which they thought him ill qualified, recommended it to Julius the Second to engage him to paint the Sestine Chapel. This he effected with such success, that it was no less the envy of his contemporaries than it is the admiration of the present times; and the great style in which it is 284 MICHAEL ANGELO. painted, struck Raphael so forcibly, that he changed his manner of painting, and formed himself upon this grand and sublime model of art. When it was finished, the Pope, un- conscious perhaps of the native dignity of simplicity, told him, that the chapel appeared cold and mean, and that there wanted some brilliancy of colouring and some gilding to be added to it. " Holy Father," replied the artist, " formerly, men did not dress as they do now, in gold and silver ; those personages whom I have represented in my pictures in the chapel, were not persons of wealth, but saints, who despised pomp and riches." Under the papacy of Julius the Third, the faction of his rival San Gallo gave him some trquble respecting the build- ing of St. Peter's, and went so far as to prevail upon that Pope to appoint a committee to examine the fabric. Julius told him, that a particular part of the church was dark. " Who told you that, Holy Father V* replied the artist. " I did," said Cardinal Marcello. " Your eminence should con- sider, then," said Angelo, " that besides the window there is at present, I intend to have three more on the ceiling of the church." * You did not tell us so," replied the Cardinal. " No, indeed, I did not, sir," answered the artist ; " I am not obliged to do it, and I would never consent to be obliged to tell your eminence, or any person whatsoever, anything con- cerning it. Your business is to take care that money is plenty at Rome ; that there are no thieves there ; to let me alone ; and to permit me to go on with my plan as I please." Angelo worked by night at his sculpture with a hat on his head, and a candle in it ; this saved his eyes, and threw the light properly upon the figure. He never desired to show any work of his to any one until it was finished: — On Vasari's coming in one evening to him to see an unfinished figure, Michael Angelo put out the candle, as if by accident, and Vasari lost his errand. This great artist was extremely frugal, temperate, and LE CHEVALIER BAYARD. 285 laborious, and so persevering in his work, that he used oc- casionally at night to throw himself upon his bed without taking off his clothes. To young men of talents and of dili- gence he was extremely attentive ; and, as he was superin- tending the construction of the church of St. Peter at Rome, in a very advanced period of his life, he would, while sit- ting on his mule, correct their drawings. To his servants and inferiors he was very kind: — To one of them who had long waited on him with assiduity, and who was taken dangerously ill as soon as he had been enabled to do some- thing for him, he said, " Alas ! poor fellow, how hard it is ! You die, now, when I am able to give you something." The late Sir Joshua Reynolds was an enthusiastic admirer of Michael Angelo ; and he, perhaps, never imitated the manner of that great man so successfully, as in his picture of the death of Count Ugolino. LE CHEVALIER BAYARD. HE continence and the generosity of the Chevalier sans peur et sans reproche have been immortalized in " The Spectator ;" and what history of his time has not celebrated his courage ? Being asked one day, what was the best legacy which a father could leave to his children ; he replied, " Valour and virtue, which fear neither rain, nor storm, nor tempest, nor the strength of man. Valour and vir- tue a toute epreuve" Francis the First was desirous to be created a knight by Bayard, the evening before the battle of Marignan. Bayard made his excuses, as not being worthy of that 286 LE CHEVALIER BAYARD. honour. Francis insisted, and Bayard having given him the accolade with his sword, exclaimed, " Sire, I hope the cere- mony performed by me will prevail as much as if it had been performed by Roland." Then apostrophizing his sword before he returned it into the scabbard, he said, " From this time, my good sword, you will be regarded as preciously as if you were a relic." In the war carried on by Julius the Second against the Duke of Ferrara and the French, the Duke agreed with Grendo an Italian, to poison Julius. Bayard, hearing of this, remon- strated in the strongest terms with the duke against this atrocious action. The duke endeavoured to excuse it by saying, that Julius had once hired some one to assassinate him. " Alas ! my lord," replied Bayard, " let us never do that w 7 hich we condemn as a crime in others. Give me up that scoundrel Grendo, and I will either hang him immedi- ately, or send him to the Pope in irons." It being once proposed to him to enter into the service of the King of England, he answered, " I have already two masters — God and my Prince ; I will never serve any other." At the siege of Mezieres, which town he defended, the Comte de Nassau summoned him to surrender it. " Nay," replied he, " if I must march out of the place, it shall be over a bridge of the dead bodies of the enemy." At the defeat of Romagnano, when Bonivet, wounded and not able to serve any longer, gave him up the command of the army, he said, " It is rather late, perhaps ; but a man should serve his country at the risk of losing that life which he owes to it." Bayard, as usual, performed prodigies of valour, but was wounded by a shot from a musket, which broke some of the vertebras of his back. He then caused him- self to be helped off his horse, and to be placed at the foot of a tree ; " that at least," said he, " my face be looking toward the enemy." The celebrated constable of Bourbon coming up to him, said, " Alas ! M. Bayard, how shocked and con- SIR WILLIAM GASCOIGN. 287 founded I am to see you in this situation ! I have always loved and honored you for the great valour and virtue which you have always possessed." Bayard, making an effort to recover some strength, leaned forward toward the constable, and said, in a firm tone of voice, " For God's sake, my Lord, do not have any pity for me, but rather have it for yourself, who are fighting against your allegiance and your sovereign, while I am dying for my sovereign and my allegiance." It was said of Bayard by the military men of his time, that he assaulted like a greyhound, defended himself like a lion, and retreated like a wolf, who always retires from his pursuers with his face towards them. His device was a porcupine, with this motto : Vires agminis unus habet. One man possesses the power of a whole troop. This was given him in consequence of his having singly de- fended a bridge against two hundred Spaniards. SIR WILLIAM GASCOIGN, LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE KING'S BENCH. ^^jjySSbQ!™" -^-^ following account of this courageous and / fjr^ 'iBy^plllJJJ inflexible magistrate is taken from " Magnce mi'%%^£m^ Britannia Notitia" article " Gunthorp :" ^A aS^^M " famous only for the ancient, virtuous, and |S\ '^^Z^ warlike family of Gascoign, two of which r f/f\ ^ otn knights and named William) were high Sheriffs MV °^ ^ e count y °f York in the reigns of Henry VI. and rm ^^' ^ ut > ^ e ^ ore e i*her of these, there was a knight of ^ this family, named also Sir William Gascoign, far more famous than they. He was bred up in our Municipal laws in 288 SIR WILLIAM GASCOIGN. the Inner Temple, London, and grew so eminent for his skill and knowledge in them, that he was made Chief Justice of the King's Bench by Henry the Fourth in the eleventh year of his reign, and kept that high situation till the fourteenth year of that king's reign, demeaning himself all the time with admirable integrity and courage, as this example will show : " It chanced that the servant of Prince Henry (afterwards Henry V.) was arraigned before the judge for felony; and the Prince, being zealous to deliver him out of the hand of justice, went to the bench in such a fury, that the spectators thought he would have stricken the judge, and attempted to take his servant from the bar; but Sir William Gascoign, well knowing whose person he represented, sat unconcerned ; and, knowing the prince's attempt to be illegal, committed him to the king's bench prison, there to remain till the king his father's pleasure was known. This action was soon re- presented to the king, with no good will to the judge ; but it proved to his advantage ; for when the king heard what his judge had done, he replied, that he thanked God for his in- finite goodness, who had at once given him a judge who dared impartially to administer justice, and a son that would submit to it. The prince himself when he came to the king (reflect- ing upon this transaction), thus expressed himself in relation to Sir William Gascoign : * I shall ever hold him worthy of his place and of my favour ; and I wish that all my judges may possess the like undaunted courage, to punish offenders, of what rank soever.' " THE END. A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS, IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF LITERATURE, PUBLISHED BY D. APPLETON & Co., New-York, GEO. S. APPLETON, Philadelphia. For sale by the several Booksellers throughout the United States. s (Ulasstfietr 3xtttx. AGRICULTURE. Falkner on Manures. Smith's Productive Farming. Farmer's Treasure, by Falkner and Smith. ARTS, MAmJFAOTURES, &c. Ewbank's Mechanics and Hydraulics. Hodge on the Steam-Engine. Lafever's Modern Architecture. " Stair-case Construction. Ure'a Dictionary of Arts, Manuf., and Mines. BIOG-RAFHT. Hamilton (Ales.), Life of. Philip's Life of Milne. CHEMISTRY. Fresenius's Chemical Analysis. Liebig's Chemical Letters. Parnell's Applied Cirsmistry. EDUCATION. Hazen's Symbolical Speller. Keightley's Mythology of Greece and Italy. Taylor's Home Education HISTORY. Frost' History of United States Navy. Amy. Guizot's History of Civilization. L' Ardeche's History of Napoleon. Taylor's Natural History of Society. JUVENILE. Boone, Daniel, Adventures o£ Boy's Manual. Cameron's Farmer's Daughter. Child's Delight. Copley's Early Friendships Copley's Poplar Giove. Cortes, Adventures of. De Foe's Robinson Crusoe. Evans's Joan of Arc. " Evenings with the Chroniclers. Guizot's Young Student. Girl's Manual. Holyday Tales. Howitt's Love and Money. " Work and Wages. " Little Coin, much Care. " Which is the Wiser? " Who shall be Greatest u Hope on, Hope ever. " Strive and Thrive. u Sowing and Reaping. " No Sense like Common Sense, " Alice Franklin. Jerram's Child's Story-Book. Applet on' s Catalogue of Valuable Publications. 'iOoking-Glass for the Mind. Lucy and Arthur. iiOg Cabin, or World before You. Martineau's Crofton Boys. " Peasant and Prince. Warryat's Masterman Ready. : )Id Oak Tree. Prize Story- Book. Pratt's Dawnings of Genius. Sindham's Twin Sisters. Smith, Capt.. Adventures oil Sherwood's Duty is Safety. " Jack the Sailor. " Think before you Act. r aylor's Young Islanders. ery Little Tales. c outh's Book of Nature. MEDICAL. i.havasse's Advice to Mothers, ball's Principles of Diagnosis. Smith on Nervous System. MISCELLAltfEOUS. Arthur's Tired of Housekeeping. Austin's German Writers. Oarlyle's Heroes, Hero Worship. Ootton's Exiles of Siberia. ^'Israeli's Curiosities of Literature. Heleuze on Animal Magnetism. Ellis's Mothers of England. " Wives of England. " Daughters of England. " Women of England. " First Impressions. " Danger of Dining Out. " Somerville Hall. Embury's Nature's Gems. Foster's Miscellanies. " Christian Morals. Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield. " Essays. Johnson's Rasselas. Lover's Handy Andy. « £. s. d.— Treasure Trove. Maxwell's Hector O'Halloran. More's Domestic Tales. " Rural Tales. Pure Gold. Sinclair's Scotland and Scotch. *' Shetland and Shetlanders. St. Pierre's Paul and Virginia. Taylor's Physical Theory of Another Life. Useful Letter- Writer. Woman's Worth. POETRY. ilurns's Poetical Works. Oowper's " <»ems from American Poets. Flemans's Poetical Works. " Songs of the Affections. f jewis's Records of the Heart. Milton's Poetical Works. " Paradise Lost. " " Regained Moore's Lallah Rookh. Pollok's Course of Time. £eott's Poetical Works. '* Lady of the Lake. M Marmion. " Lay of the Last Minstrel, ''outhey's Poetical Works. Thomson's Seasons. Token of Affection, by various writers " Friendship. Token of Love. " the Heart. " Remembrance. Young's Night Thoughts. RELIGIOUS. A Kempis's Imitation of Christ. Anthon's Catechism on Homilies. Beaven's Help to Catechising. Bible Expositor. Book of Common Prayer. Burnet's Hist, of Reformation. " Exposition of XXXIX. Artic.es. Bradley's Practical Sermons. " Sermons at Clapham and Glasburj* Churton's Early English Church. Christmas Bells. Cruden's Concordance, N. T. Clarke's Scripture Promises. Evans's Rectory of Valehead Faber on Election. Gresley on Preaching. " English Churchman. Hare's Sermons. Hooker's Works. James's True Christian. " Widow Directed. " Young Man from Home. " Christian Professor. " Anxious Inquirer after Salvation. " Happiness, its Nature and Sourcet- Kip's Double Witness. Kingsley's Sacred Choir. Lyra Apostolica. Magee on Atonement. Manning on Unity of the Church. Marshall's Notes on Episcopacy. More's Private Devotion. " Practical Piety. Maurice's Kingdom of Christ. Newman's Parochial Seimons. " Sermons on Subjects of the Day Ogilby on Lay-Baptism, " Lectures on the Church. Palmer on the Church. Paget's Tales of the Village. Pearson on the Creed. Philip's Devotional Guides. " The Hannahs. " The Marys. " The Marthas. " The Lydias. " Love of the Spirit. Sherlock's Practical Christian. Smith on Scripture and Geology. Spencer's Christian Instructed. Spincke's Manual of Devotion. Sprague's Lectures to Young People " True and False Religion. Sutton's Learn to Live. ' Learn to Die. M On Sacrament. Stuart's Letters to Godchild Taylor on Episcopacy. '" Golden Grove. " Spiritual Christianity Wayland's Human Responsibility Wilson's Sacra Privata. Wilberforce's Communicant's Manual. VOYAG-ES AND TRAVELS, Cooley's American in Egypt. Olmsted's Whaling Voyage. Silliman's American Scenery Southgate's Turkey and Persia. Applet on* s Catalogue of Valuable Publications. A KEMPIS.— OF THE IMITATION OF CHRIST: Four books by Thomas a Kempis. One elegant volume, 16mo. $1 00. " The author of this invaluable work -was born about the year 1380, and haa always been honoured by the Church for his eminent sanctity. Of the many pious works composed by him, /lis ' Imitation of Christ ' (being collections of his devotional thoughts and meditations on impor- tant practical subjects, together ^iih a separate treatise on the Holy Communion) is the most celebrated, and has ever been admired ana valued oy devout Christians of every name. It has passed through numerous editions and translations, the first of which into English is said to have been made by the illustrious Lady Margaret, mother of King Henry VII. Messrs. Appleton's very beautiful edition is a reprint from the last English, the translation of which was chiefly copied from one printed at London in 1677 It deserves to be a companion of the good Bishop Wilson's Sacra Privata. — Banner of the Cross. AMERICAN POETS,— GEMS FROM AMERICAN POETS. One volume, 32mo., frontispiece, gilt leaves, 37 1-2 cents. Forming one of the series of " Miniature Classical Library." Contains selections from nearly one hundred writers, among which are — Bryant, Ilalleck, Longfellow, Percival, Whittier, Sprague, Brainerd, Dana, Willis, Pinkney, Allston, Hillhouse, Mrs. Sigourney, L. M. David- son, Lucy Hooper, Mrs. Embury, Mrs. Hale, etc. etc ANTHON-CATECHISMS ON THE HOMILIES OF THE CHURCH, 18mo. paper cover, 6 1-4 cents, $4 per hundred. CONTENTS. I. Of the Misery of Mankind. III. Of the Passion of Christ. IL Of the Nativity of Christ. IV. Of the Resurrection of Christ. By HENRY ANTHON, D. D., Rector of St. Mark's Church, New York. This little volume forms No. 2, of a series of " Tracts on Christian Doctrine and Practico," now in course of publication under the supervision of Rev. Dr. Anthon. AUSTIN.— FRAGMENTS FROM GERMAN PROSE WRITERS- Translated by Sarah Austin, with Biographical Sketches of the Authons. One handsomely printed volume, 12mo. $1 25. ARTHUR.— TIRED OF HOUSE-KEEPING By T. S. Arthur, author of "Insubordination," etc. etc. One volume, 18mo, frontispiece, 37 1-2 cents. Forming one of the series of" Tales for the People and their Children." Contents. — I. Going to House-keeping. — II. First Experiments. — ITT. Morning Calls. — IV. First Demonstrations. — V. Trouble with Servants. — VI. A New One.— VII. More Trouble— VIII. A True Friend.— IX. Another Powerful Demonstration. — X. Breaking up. — XI. Experiments in Boarding and Taking Boarder. — XII. More Sacrifices. — XIII. Extracting Good from Evil. — XIV. Failure of the First Experiments. — XV. The New Boarding- house.— XVI. Trouble in Earnest.— XVII. Sickness.— XVIII. Another Change. — XIX. Conclusion. BEAVEN.— A HELP TO CATECHISING, For the use of Clergymen, Schools, and Private Families. By James Bea ven, D. D., Professor of Theology at King's College, Tore nto. Revised and adapted to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. By Henry Anthon, D. D., Rector of St. Mark's Church, N. Y. 18mo., paper cover, 6 1-4 cents, $4 per hundred. Forming No. 1 of a series of" Tracts on Christian Doctrine and Practice," now in course o' publication under the superintendence of Rev. Dr Anthon. Ajjpleton's Catalogue of Valuahh Publications. BIBLE EXPOSITOR. Confirmation of the Truth of the Holy Scriptures, from the Observations ol recent Travellers, illustrating the Manners, Customs, and Places referred to in the Bible. Published under the direction of the Society for the Promo tion of Christian Knowledge, London. Illustrated with 90 cuts. On$ volume, 12mo., 75 cents. EXTRACT FROM PREFACE. •* The Holy Scriptures contain many passages full of importance and beauty, hut not generally understood, because they contain allusions ^o manners and customs, familiar indeed to those towhonr they were originally addressed, but imperfectly known to us. In order to obviate this difficulty this volume is now presented to the public, consisting of extracts from the narratives of trave- lers who have recorded the customs of the oriental nations, from whom we learn that some usage* were retained among them to this day, such as existed at the times when the Scriptures were written, and that their manners are in many instances little changed since the patriarchal times. The compiler of this volume trusts that it may be the means, under God's providence, of leading unlearned readers to a more general acquaintance with Eastern customs, and assist them to a clearer perception of the propriety and beauty of the illustrations so often drawn from them in the Bible." BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER; And Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies ol the Church, according to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, together with the Psalter or Psalms of David. Illustrated with six steel engravings, rubricated, l3mo. size, in various bindings. Morocco, extra gilt leaves, $2 25. With clasp, do., $3 00. Imitation of Morocco, gilt leaves, $1 50. Plain do., $1 00. Without rubrics, in Morocco, extra, $2 00. Imitation do., $1 25. Sheep, plain, 37 1-2 cents. It may also be had in rich silk velvet binding, mounted with gold, gilt borders, clasp, •' poetry than in his works. He was endowed with all the powers which a poet could want wh- ivas to be the moralist of the world — the reprover, but not the satirist, of men — the teacher v: simple truths, which were to be rendered gracious without endangering their simplicity. CRUDEN— CONCORDANCE OFTHE NEW TESTAMENT, By Alexander Cruden, M. A., with a Memoir of the Author by W. Youngman Abridged from the last London Edition, by Wm. Patton, D. D. Portrait One volume, 32mo., sheep, 50 cents. *** Contains all the words to be found in the large work relating to the New Testament. DE FOE.— PICTORIAL ROBSNSON CRUSOE. The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. By Daniel De Foe. With a Memoir of the Author, and an Essay on his Writings, with upwards of 300 spirited Engravings, by the celebrated French artist, Grandville One elegant volume, octavo, of 500 pages. $1 75. Crusoe has obtained a ready passport to the mansions of the rich, and the cottages of the poor, and communicated equal delight to all ranks and classes of the community. Few works hav^ been more generally read, or more justly admired ; few that have yielded such incessant amuse ment, and, at the same time, have developed so many lessons of practical instruction. — Sir Walter Scott. The Messrs. Appleton & Co., of New York, have just published a beautiful edition of "Tfrp Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe." Not the miserable abridgment generally circulated but De Foe's genuine work. Robinson Crusoe in full and at length, a story which never palls upon the reader, and never can lose its popularity while the English language endures. — Pemisylvaman. D'ISRAELI.— CURSOSITSES OF LITERATURE, A.nd the Literary Character illustrated, by I. D'Israeli, Esq., D. C. L., F. S. A. First and Second Series. The Literary Character, illustrated by the Histo- ry of Men of Genius, drawn from their own feelings and confessions, by 1 D'Israeli, Esq. Curiosities of American Literature, compiled, edited, and arranged by Rev. Rufus W. Griswold. The three works in one volume, large 8vo. Price $3 50. This is the double title of a large and beautifully printed octavo volume, which has just made its appearance in the World of Letters. With the first part every body ig already familiar. The deep research, the evident enthusiasm in his subject, and the light and pungent humor displayed by D'Israeli in it, are the delight of all classes of readers, and mil undoubtedly send him down a theerful journey to posterity, if only on account of the pleasant company in which he has managed ©o agreeably to introduce himself. The other portion of this work — that relating to the Curiosi- ties of American Literature — i3 entirely new to the public; yet we shall be disappointed if it is not uirectly as popular as the other. Mr. Griswold has performed his task in a manner highly creditable to his taste, while displaying most favorably his industry, tact, and perseverance. — AT&p York Tribune. DE LEUZE— PRACTICAL INSTRUCTSCN IN ANIMAL Magnetism, by J. P. F. De Leuze, translated by Thomas C. Hartshorn. Re- vised edition, with an Appendix of Notes by the Translator, and Letters from eminent Physicians and others, descriptive of cases in the U. States. One volume, 12mo. $1 00. The translator of this work has certainly presented the piofession with an uncommonly wel { digested treatise, enhanced in value by his own notes and the corroborative testimony of eminas? 9h.jBicia.ns. — Boston Med $* Surg. Journal. 7 Appleton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. ELLIS.— THE DAUGHTERS CF ENGLAND; Their position in Society, Character, and Responsibilities. By Mrs. Ellis. In one handsome volume, 12mo., cloth gilt. 50 cents. ELLIS.— THE WOMEN OF ENGLAND; Their Social Duties and Domestic Habits. By Mrs. Ellis. One handsome volume, 12mo., cloth gilt. 50 cents. ELLIS.-THE WIVES OF ENGLAND; Their Relative Duties, Domestic Influences, and Social Obligations. By Mrs. Ellis. One handsome volume, 12mo., cloth gilt. 50 cents. ELLIS— THE MOTHERS OF ENGLAND; Their Influence and Responsibility. By Mrs. Ellis. One handsome volume, l2mo., cloth gilt. 50 cents. This is an appropriate and very valuable conclusion to the series of works on the subject of female duties, by which Mrs. Ellis has pleased, and we doubt not profited, thousands of readers. Her counsels demand attention, not only by their practical, sagacious usefulness, but also by the meek and modest spirit in which they are communicated. — Watchman. ELLIS.— THE MINISTER'S FAMILY; Or Hints to those who would make Home happy. By Mrs. Ellis. One vol- ume, 18mo. 37 1-2 cents. ELLIS— FIRST IMPRESSIONS; Or Hints to those who would make Home happy. By Mrs. Ellis. One vol ume, !8mo. 37 1-2 cents. ELLIS— DANGERS OF DINING OUT; Or Hints to those who would make Home happy. By Mrs. Ellis. One vol ume, !8mo. 37 1-2 cents. ELLIS— SOMERVILLE HALL; Or Hints to those who would make Home happy. By Mrs. Ellis. One vol- ume, J8mo. 37 1-2 cents. The above four volumes form a portion of series of" Tales for the People and their Children." " To wish prosperity to such books as these, is to desire the moral and physical welfare of the human species." — Bath Chronicle. EVANS— EVENINGS WITH THE CHRONICLERS; Or Uncle Rupert's Tales of Chivalry. By R. M. Evans. With seventeen illustrations. One volume, 16mo., elegantly bound, 75 cents. This would have been a volume after our own hearts, while we were younger, and it is scarcely less so now when we are somewhat older. It discourses of those things which •.harmed all of us in early youth — the daring deeds of the Knights and Squires of feudal warfare — the true version of the " Chevy Chase," — the exploits of the stout and stalwart Warriors of England, Scotland, and Germany. In a word, it is an attractive book, and rendered more so to young read- ers by a series of wood engravings, beautifully executed. — Courier ty Enquirer. EVANS— THE HISTORY OF JOAN OF ARC. By R. M. Evans, author of u Evenings with the Chroniclers," with twenty- four elegant illustrations. One volume, 16mo. Extra gilt. 75 cents. In the work before us, we have not only a most interesting biography of this female prodigy, including what she was and what she accomplished, but also a faithful account of the relations that exirted between England and France, and of the singular state of things that marked the period when this wonderful personage appeared upon the stage. The leading incidents of hei Mfe are related with exquisite simplicity and touching pathos ; and you cannot repress your admi- ration for her heroic qualities, or scarcely repress your tears in view of her ignominious end. To \he youthful reader we heartily recommend this volume. — Albany Advertiser. 8 AppJeton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. EVANS -THE RECTORY OF VALEHEAD ; Or, the Records of a Holy Home. By the Rev. It. W. Evans. From the twelfth English edition. One volume, 16mo. 75 cents. Universally and cordially do we recommend this delightful volume We believe no person could read this work, and not be the better for its pious and touching lessons. It i3 a page takea 'rom the book of life, and eloquent with all the instruction of an excellent pattern ; it is a com- mentary on the affectionate warning, " Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth." We have not for some time seen a work we could so deservedly praise, or so conscientiously recom- ce:,d — Literary Gazette. EMBURY— NATURE'S GEMS; OR, AMERICAN FLOWERS in their Native Haunts. By Emma C. Embury. With twenty plates of Plants carefully colored after Nature, and landscape views of their localities, from drawingatfjtaken on the spot, by E. W. Whitefield. One imperial oc- tavo volume, printed on the finest paper, and elegantiy bound. This beautiful work will undoubtedly form a " Gift -Book" for all seasons of the year. It is illustrated with twenty colored engravings of indigenous flowers, taken from drawings made on the spot where they were found ; while each flower is accompanied by a view of some striking feature of American scenery. The literary plan of the book differs entirely from that of any other work on a similar subject which has yet appeared. Each plate has its botanical and local de- scription, though the chief part of the volume is composed of original tales and poetry, illustrative of the sentiment of the flowers, or associated with the landscape. No pains or expense has been spared in the mechanical execution of the volume, and the fact that it is purely American both in its graphic and literary departments, should recommend it to general notice. EWBANK— HYDRAULIOS AND MECHANICS. A Descriptive and Historical Account of Hydraulic and other Machines for raising Water, including the Steam and Fire Engines, ancient and modern ; with Observations on various subjects connected with the Mechanic Arts ; including the Progressive Development of the Steam Engine. In five books. Illustrated by nearly three hundred Engravings. By Thomas Ewbank. One handsome volume of six hundred pages. $3 50. This is a highly valuable production, replete with novelty and interest, and adapted to gratify equally the historian, the philosopher, and the mechanician, being the result of a protracted and extensive research among the arcana of historical and scientific literature. — wVai. Intelligencer. FABER.--THE PRIMITIVE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION; Or, an Historical Inquiry into the Ideality and Causation of Scriptural Elec- tion, as received and maintained in the primitive Church of Christ. By George Stanley Faber, B. D., author of "Difficulties of Romanism,' "Difficulties of Infidelity," &c. Complete in one volume, octavo. $1 75. Mr. Faber verifies his opinion by demonstration. We cannot pay a higher respect to his work than by recommending it to all. — Church of England Quarterly Review. FALKNER— THE FARMER'S MANUAL. A Practical Treatise on the Nature and Value of Manures, founded from Experiments on various Crops, with a brief Account of the most Recent Discoveries in Agricultural Chemistry. By F. Falkner and the Author of " British Husbandry." 12mo., paper cover 31 cents, cloth 50 cents. It is the object of the present treatise to explain the nature and constitution of manures gene- rally — to point out the means of augmenting the quantity and preserving the fertilizing power of fan>:-yard manure, the various sources of mineral and other artificial manures, and the cause of tinir frequent failuies. — Author's Preface. FARMER'S TREASURE, THE; Containing " Falkner's Farmer's Manual," and " Smith's Productive Farm- ing," bound together. 12mo., 75 cents. FOSTER— ESSAYS ON CHRISTIAN MORALS, Experimental and Practical. Originally delivered as Lectures at Broadmead Chapel, Bristol. By Joh r . Foster, author of " Essays on Decision of Char- acter, etc. One volume, 13mo., 50 cents. This volume contains twenty-six Essays, some of which are of the highest ordei of sublimitf and er.'yttlence. Appleton's Catalogue of Valuable Publicatic^s. FOSTER.— BIOG., LIT., AND PHIL. ESSAYS, Contributed to the Eclectic Review, by John Foster, author of u Essays on De* cision of Human Character," etc. One volume, 12mo., $1 25. These contributions well deserve to class with those of Macauley, Jeffrey, and Sidney Smith, in the Edinburgh Review. They contain the productions of a more original and profound thinker than either, whose master-mind has exerted a stronger influence upon his readers, and has left a deeper impression upon our literature; and whose peculiar merit it was to present the doctrines and moralities of the Christian faith, under a form and aspect which redeemed the familiar from triteness, and threw a charm and freshness about the severest truths. — London Patriot. FROST— THE BOOK OF THE NAVY: Comprising a General History of the American Marine, and particular accounts of all the most celebrated Nava* Battles, from the Declaration of Independ ence to the present time, compiled from the best authorities. By John Frost, LL. D. With an Appendix, containing Naval Songs, Anecdotes, &c. Embellished with numerous original Engravings, and Portraits of distinguished Naval Commanders. One volume, 12mo., $1 00. This is the only popular and yet authentic single view which we have of the naval exploits oi our country, arranged with good taste and set forth in good language. — U. S. Oazette. This volume is dedicated to the Secretary of the Navy, and is altogether a very faithful and attractive historical record. It deserves, and will doubtless have, a very extended circulation — Nat. Intelligencer. FROST— THE BOOK OF THE ARMY: Comprising a General Military History of the United States, from the period of the Revolution to the present time, with particular accounts of all the most celebrated Battles, compiled from the best authorities. By Johr Frost, LL. D. Illustrated with numerous Engravings, and portraits o^ distinguished Commanders. One volume, 12mo., $1 25. This work gives a complete history of military operations, and their causes and effects, fron the opening of the Revolution to the close of the last war, with graphic descriptions of the cela brated battles and characters of the leading generals. It is illustrated with numerous portraits oi eteel and views of battles, from original drawings by Darley and others. The importance of pop ular works of the class to which this and the " Book of the Navy" belong, must be obvious to a/ who recognize the value of national recollections in preserving a true national spirit. FRESENIUS— OHEMIOAL ANALYSIS. Elementary Instruction in Chemical Analysis. By Dr. C. Rhemigius Frese- nius. With a Preface by Prof. Liebig. Edited by I. Lloyd Bullock. One neat volume, 12mo. Paper, 75 cents ; cloth, $1 00. This Introduction to Practical Chemistry is admitted to be the most valuable Elementary In- structor in Chemical Analysis fo scientific operatives, and for pharmaceutical chemists, which haa ever been presented to the public. GUIZOT.— THE YOUNG STUDENT; <0r, Ralph and Victor. By Madame Guizot. From the French, by Samuel Jackson. One volume of 500 pages, with illustrations. Price 75 cents, or in three volumes, $1 12. This volume of biographical incidents is a striking picture of juvenile life. To all that num- berless class of youth who are passing through their literary education, whether in boarding- schools or academies, in the collegiate course, or the preparatory studies connected with them, we know nothing more piecisely fitted to meliorate their character, and direct their course, subordi- nate to the higher authority of Christian ethics, than this excellent delineation of " The Young Student," by Madame Guizot. * * * The French Academy were correct in their judgment, when they pronounced Madame Guizot's Student the best book of the year.— Courier 4" Enquirer* GUIZOT.-GENERAL HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION In Europe, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the French Revolution. Translated from the French of M. Guizot, Professor of History to la FacuJ- te des Lettres of Paris, and Minister of Public Instruction. Third Ameri- can edition, with Notes, by C. S. Henry, D. D. One handsome volume, 12mo., $1 00. M. Guizot in his instructive Lectures has given us an epitome of modern history, distinguished by all the merit which, in another department,, renders Blackstone a subject of such peculiar and unbounded praise— a work closely condense}, including nothing useless, omitting nothing «ssen lial ; written with grace, and conceived and arranged with consummate ability. — BosL Traveller 10 Applet on's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. GRISWOLD— CURIOSITIES OF AMER. LITERATURE: Compiled, edited, and arranged by Rev. Rufus W. Griswold. See Disraeli GIRL'S MANUAL: Comprising a summary View of Female Studies, Accomplishments, and Prin ciples of Conduct. Frontispiece. One volume, 18mo , 50 cents. GOLDSMITH.-PICTORIAL VICAR OF WAKEFIELD. The Vicar of Wakefield. By Oliver Goldsmith. Illustrated with upwards of 100 engravings on wood, making a beautiful volume, octavo, of 300 pages, $1 25. The same, miniature size, 37 1-2 cents. We love to turn back over these rich old classics of our own language, and re-juvenate our- selves by the never-failing associations which a re-perusal always calls up. Let any one who has not read this immortal tale for fifteen or twenty years, try the "experiment, and we* will warrant that he rises up from the task — the pleasure, we should have said — a happier and a better man. In the good old Vicar of Wakefield, all is pure gold, without dross or alloy of any kind. This much we have said to our last generation readers. This edition of the work/however, we take it, was got up for the benefit of the rising generation, and we really envy our young friends the plea- sure which is before such of them as will read it for the first time. — Savannah Republican. GOLDSMITH— ESSAYS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, By Oliver Goldsmith. Miniature size, 37 1-2 cents. Forming one of the seiies of "Miniature Classical Library." GRESLEY — PORTRAIT OF A CHURCHMAN, By the Rev. W. Gresley, A. M. From the Seventh English edition. On» elegant volume, 16mo., 75 cents. " The main part of this admirable volume is occupied upon the illustration of the practical vwrkino- of Church principles when sincerely received, setting forth their value in the commerce oi daily life, and how surely they conduct those who embrace them in the safe and quiet path of holy life." GRESLEY.— A TREATISE ON PREACHING, [n a Series of Letters by the Rev. W. Gresley, M. A. Revised, with Supple- mentary Notes, by the Rev. Benjamin I. Haight, M. A., Rector of All Saints' Church, New York. One volume, 12mo. $1 25. Advertisement. — Tn preparing the American edition of Mr. Gresley's valuable Treatise, a few foot-notes have been added by the Editor, which are distinguished by brackets. The more extend- ed notes at the end have been selected from the best works on the subject — and which, with one or two exceptions, are not easily accessible to the American student. HAMILTON,— THE LIFE OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON, Edited by his son, John C. Hamilton. Two volumes, 8vo., $5 00. We cordially recommend the perusal and diligent study of these volumes, exhibiting, as thej do, much valuable matter relative to tbe Revolution, the establishment of the Federal Constitu- tion, and other important events in the annals of our country. — JV*. Y. Review. HEMANS-THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS Of Felicia Hemans, printed from the last English edition, edited by her Sister. Illustrated with 6 steel Engravings. One beautifully printed and portable volume, 16mo., $ , or in two volumes, § Of this highly accomplished poetess it has been truly said, that of all her sex " few have writ- ten so much and so well." Although her writings possess an energy equal to their high-ton«i beauty, yet are they so pure and so refined, that not a line of them could feeling spare or delicacy blot fiom her pages. Her imagination was rich, chaste, and glowing. Her chosen thsmes are th8 cradle, the hearth-stone, and the death-bed. Tn her poems of Cceur de Lion, Ferdinand of Ara- fon, and Bernard del Carpio,we see beneath the glowing colors with which she clothes her ideas, the feelings of a tec-man's heart. Her earlier poems. Records of Woman and Forest Sanctuary, Hand unrivalled. In short, her works will ever be read by a pious and enlightened community. HEMANS— SONGS OF THE AFFECTIONS, By Felicia Hemans. One volume, 32mo., gilt 31 cents. Forming one of the series of" Miniature Classical Library." HARE— SERMONS TO A COUNTRY CONGREGATION, By Augustus William Hare, A. M., late Fellow of New College, and Rector of Alton Barnes. One volume, roval 8vo., $2 25. 11 Apphton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. HALL— THE PRINCIPLES OF DIAGNOSIS, By Marshall Hall, M. D., F. R. S., &c. Second edition, with many improve- ments. By Dr. John A. Sweet. One volume, 8vo., $2 00. This work was published in accordance with the desire of some of the most celebrated physi- cians of this country, who were anxious tiiat it should be brought within the reach of all claaseg of medical men, to whose attention it offers strong claims as the best work on the subject. HAZEN.— SYMBOLICAL SPELLING-BOOK. The Symbolical Spelling-Book, in two parts. By Edward Hazen. Contain- ing 288 engravings. 18 3-4 cents. This work is used in upwards of one thousand different schools, and pronounced to be one *A the best works published. HODGE— THE STEAM-ENGINE s Its Origin and gradual Improvement, from the time of Hero to the present day, as adapted to Manufactures, Locomotion, and Navigation. Illustrated with 48 Plates in full detail, numerous wood cuts, &c. By Paul R. Hodge, C. £. One volume folio of plates, and letter-press in 8vo. $10 00. This work should be placed in the " Captain's Office " of every steamer in our country, and also with every engineer to whom is confided the control of the engine. From it they would de- rive all the information which would enable them to comprehend the cau«* and effects of every ordinary accident, and also the method promptly and successfully to repair any injury, and to rem- edy any defect. HOLYDAY TALES: Consisting of pleasing Moral Stories for the Young. One volume, square l6mo., with numerous illustrations. 37 1-2 cents. This is a most capital little book. The stories are evidently written by an able hand, and that too m an exceedingly attractive style. — Spectator. HOOKER— THE COMPLETE WORKS Of that learned and judicious divine, Mr. Richard Hooker, with an account of his Life and Death. By Isaac Walton. Arranged by the Rev. John Keble, M. A. First American from the last Oxford edition. With a complete general Index, and Index of the texts of Scripture, prepared expressly for this edition. Two elegant volumes, 8vo., $4 00. Contents. — The Editor's Preface comprises a general survey of the former edition of Hooker's Works, with Historical Illustrations of the period. After which follows the Life of Hooker, by Isaac Walton. His chief work succeeds, on the " Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity." It commences with a lengthened Preface designed as an address " to them who seek the refor- mation of the Laws and Orders Ecclesiastical of the Church of England." The discussion is divi- ded intoeight books, which include an investigation of the topics. After those eight books of the 44 Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity," follow two Sermons, "The certainty and perpetuity of Faith in the elect ; especially of the Prophet Habakkuk's faith ;" and " Justification, Works, and how the foundation of faith is overthrown." Next are introduced " A supplication made to the Council by Master Walter Travers," and " Mr. Hooker's answer to the supplication that Mr Travera made to the Council." Then follow two Sermons — '* On the nature of Pride," and a " Remedy against Sorrow and Fear." Two Sermons on part of the epistle of the Apostle Jude are next in- serted, with a prefatory dedication by Henry Jackson. The last article in the works of Mr. Hooker is a Sermon on Prayer. The English edition in three volumes sells at $10 00. The American is an exact reprint, at lass than half the price. HUDSON— THE ADVENTURES OF HENRY HUDSON, By the author of " Uncle Philips Conversations." Frontispiece. 18mo , cloth. 37 cents. Forming one of the series of" A Library for my Young Countrymen." This little volume furnishes us, from authentic sources, the most important facts in this ce*e- ©rated adventurer's life-, and in a style that possesses more than ordinary interest. — Evening PoaU HOWITT- THE CHILD'S PICTURE AND VERSE-BOOK? Commonly called " Otto Speckter's Fable-Book." Translated from the Ger- man by Mary Howitt. illustrated with ] 00 engravings on wood. Square 12mo., in ornamental binding, $ A celebrated German review says, " Of this production, which makes itself an epoch in the wtrld of children, it is superfluous to speak. The Fable-Book is throughout all Germany in the aaed* of parents and children, and will always be new, because every vear fresh children are born K 12 ,.....-. Appleton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. HOWITT- LOVE AND MONEY; An Every-Day Tale, by Mary Howitt. ISmo., two Plates, cloth gilt, 38 cents LITTLE COIN, MUCH CARE; Or, How Poor People Live. By Mary Howitt. ISmo., two Plates, 38 cent* SOWING AND REAPING; Or, What will Come of It. By Mary Howitt. ISmo., two Plates, 33 cents. ■ ALICE FRANKLIN; A Sequel to Sowing and Reaping — a Tale. By Mary Howitt. 18mo. two Plates, cloth gilt, 33 cents. WORK AND WAGES; Or, Life in Service — a Tale. By Mary Howitt. ISmo., two Plates, cloth gilt, 38 cents. STRIVE AND THRIVE; A Tale. By Mary Howitt. ISmo., two Plates, cloth gilt, 38 cents. WHO SHALL BE GREATEST; A Tale. By Mary Howitt. 18mo., two Plates, cloth gilt, 33 cents. WHICH IS THE WISER; Or, People Abroad — a Tale. By Mary Howitt. ISmo., two Plates, 38 cents. HOPE ON, HOPE EVER; Or, The Boyhood of Felix Law — a Tale. By Mary Howitt. 18mo., two Plates, cloth gilt, 38 cents. NO SENSE LIKE COMMON SENSE; A Tale. By Mary Howitt. ISmo., two Plates, cloth gilt, 38 cents. *%* The above ten volumes form a portion of the series published under the general title of '• Tales for the People and their Children." Of late years many writers have exerted their talent" in juvenile literature, with great success. Miss Marti neau has made polHcal economy as familiar to boys as it formerly was to statesmen. Our own Miss Sedgwick has produced some of the most beautiful moral stories, for the edification and delight of children, which have ever been written. The Hon. Horace Mann, in addresses to adults, has presented the claims of children for good education, with a power and eloquence of Btyle, and an elevation of thought, which shows his heart is in his work. The stories of Mary Howitt Harriet Martineau, Mrs. Copley, and Mrs. Ellis, which form apart of" Tales for the Peo- ple and their Children." will he found valuable additions to juvenile literature ; at the same time they mny be read with profit by parents for the good lessons they inculcate, and by all other read- ers for the literary excellence they display We wish they could be placed in the hands andengTaven on the minds of all the you'n in the country. They manifest a nice and accurate observation of human nature, and especially the na- tu c of children, a fine sympathy with every thing good and pure, and a capability of infusing it in the minds of others — great beauty and simplicity of style, and a keen eye to practical life, with ail its faults, united with a deep love for ideal excellence. Messrs Appleton &. Co deserve the highest praise for the excellent manner in which they have ;; got up" their juvenile library, and we sincerely hope that its success will be so great as to induce them to make continual contributions to its treasures. The collection is one which should be owned by every parent who wishes that the moral and intellectual improvement of his children should keep pace with their grow r th in years, and ths development of their physical powers* — ■ American Traveller JERRAM— THE CHILD'S OWN STORY-BOOK ; Or, Tales and Dialogues for the Nursery. By Mrs. Jerram (late Jane Eliza- beth Holmes). Illustrated with numerous Engravings. 50 cents. There are seventy stories in this volume. They are admirably adapted for the countless youth for whose edification they are narrated. — Boston Gazette. JOHNSON.— THE HISTORY OF RASSELAS, Prince of Abyssinia — a Tale. By Samuel Johnson, LL. D. 32mo., gi^ leaves, 38 cents. *** Forming one of the series of" Miniature Classical Library.** 13 Applet 07i 9 s Catalogue of Valuable Publications. JAMES— THE TRUE CHRISTIAN, Exemplified in a Series of Addresses, by Rev. John Angell James. One vol 18mo, 33 cents. These addresses are amongst the choicest effusions of the admirable author. — Chr. lntell. THE ANXIOUS INQUIRER A.fte- Salvation Directed and Encouraged. By Rev. John Angell James, One volume, 18mo., 38 cents. Upwards of twenty thousand copies of this excellent little volume have been sold, which fully attests the high estimation the work has attained with the religious community. HAPPINESS, ITS NATURE AND SOURCES. By Rev. John Angell James. One volume, 32mo., 25 cents. This is written in the excellent author's best vein. A better book we have not in a long tim« seen. — Evangelist. THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSOR: Addressed in a Series of Counsels and Cautions to the Members of Christian Churches. By Rev. John Angell James. Second edition. One volume, 18mo., 63 cents. A most excellent work from the able and prolific pen of Mr. James. — Chr. Intelligencer THE YOUNG MAN FROM HOME. In a Series of Letters, especially directed for the Moral Advancement of Youth. By Rev. John Angell James. Fifth edition. One volume, ]8mo., 33 cents. The work is a rich treasury of Christian counsel and instruction. — Albany Advertiser THE WIDOW DIRECTED To the Widow's God. By Rev. John Angell James. One volume, 18mo., 38 cents. The book is worthy to be read by others besides the class for which it is especially designed ; and we doubt not that it is destined to come as a friendly visitor to many a house of mourning, and as a healing balm to many a wounded heart. — JV. Y. Observer KEIGHTLEY.— THE MYTHOLOGY OF GREECE And Italy, designed for the use of Schools. By Thomas Keightley. Nume- rous wood-cut illustrations. One volume, 18mo., half bound, 44 cents. This is a neat little volume, and well adapted to the purpose for which it was prepared. It presents, in a very compendious and convenient form, every thing relating to the subject, of impor- tance to the young student. — L. I. Star, KINGSLEY.— THE SACRED CHOIR s A Collection of Church Music, consisting of Selections from the most distin- guished Authors, among whom are the names of Haydn, Mozart, Beetho- ven, Pergolessi, &c. &c, with several pieces of Music by the Author, also a Progressive Elementary System of Instruction for Pupils. By George Kingsley, author of the Social Choir, &c. &c. Fourth edition. 75 cents. Mr. George Kingsley : Sir, — We have examinedthe " Sacred Choir " enough to lead us to ap- preciate the work as the best publication of Sacred Music extant. Tt is beautifully printed and iiabstantially bound, conferring credit on the publishers. We bespeak for the " Sacred Choir" an extensive circulation O. S. Bowdoin, Sinceiely yours, E O. Goodwin D. In GRAHAM. KIP —THE DOUBLE WITNESS OF THE CHURCH, By Rev. Win. Ingraham Kip, author of "Lenten Fast." One volume, 12ino Second edition. Boards 75 cents, cloth $1 00. This is a sound, clear, and able production — a book mush wanted for these times, and one th*'■ the Principal Arguments advanced, and the Mode oi Reasoning employed, by the Opponents of those Doctrines, as held by the Established Church. By the late Most Rev. William M'Gee, D. D., Arch- bishop of Dublin. Two volumes, 8vo., $5 00. This is one of the ablest critical and polemical works of modern times. The profound biblical information on a variety of topics which the Archbishop brings forward, must endear his name to all lovers of Christianity. — Or me. MANNING -THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH, By the Rev. Henry Edward Manning, M. A., Archdeacon of Chichester. On« volume, 16mo., $1 00. Part I. The History and Exposition of the Doctrine of Catholic Unity. Part II. The Moral Design of Catholic Unity. Part lit. The Doctrine of Catholic Unity applied to the Actual State of Christendom. We commend it earnestly to the devout and serious perusal of all Churchmen, and particularly of all clergymen, as the ablest discussion we ever met with of a deeply and vitally important sub- ject. — Churchman. MARRYAT— MASTERMAN READY; Or, The Wreck of the Pacific. Written for Young Persons, by Capt. Marry- at. Complete in 3 vols., 18mo., with Frontispiece, cloth gilt, $1 25. Forming a portion of the series of" Tales for the People and their Children." We have never seen any thing from the same pen we like as well as this. It is the mederfi Crusoe, and is entitled to take rank with that charming romance. — Commercial Advertiser. MARSHALL— NOTES ON THE EPISCOPAL POLITY Of the Holy Catholic Church, with some account of the Developments of Mo dern Religious Systems, by Thomas William Marshall, B. A., of the Dio cese of Salisbury. Edited by Jonathan M. Wainwright, D. D. With a new and complete Index of the Subjects and of the Texts of Scripture One volume, 12mo., $1 25. 1. Introduction. II. Scripture Evidence. III. Evidence of Antiquity. IV. Admission oi Adversaries. V. Development of Modern Religious Systems. A more important work than this has not been issued for a long time. We earnestly reco^A mend it to the attention of every Churchman. — Banner of the Cross. MARTINEAU — THE CROFTON BOYS; A Tale for Youth, by Harriet Martineau. One volume, 18mo., Frontispiece Cloth gilt, 38 cents. Forming one of the series of "Tales for the People and their Children." It abounds in interest, and is told with the characteristic ability and spirit of the distinguished author. — Evening Post. THE PEASANT AND THE PRINCE; A Tale of the French Revolution, by Harriet Martineau. One volume, 18mo Frontispiece. Cloth gilt, 38 cents. Forming one of the series of" Tales for the People and their Children.' This is a most inviting little history of Louis the Sixteenth and his family. Here, in a itylfl eve a more familiar than Scott's Tales of a Grandfather, we have a graphic epitome of many fact* connected with the davs of the " Revolution." — Courier fy Enquirer. 16 Appleton*s Vataiogue oj Vaiuauit Jr a u it cat ion*. MAURICE— THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST; Or, Hints respecting the Principles, Constitution, and Ordinances of the Cath- olic Church. By Rev. Frederick Denison Maurice, M. A. London. One volume, 8vo., 600 pages, $2 50. On the theory of the Church of Christ, ail should consult the work of Mr. Maurice, the mot! philosophical writer of the day. — Prof. GarbeWs Bampton Lectures, 1842 MILTON.-THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS Of John Milton, with Explanatory Notes and a Life of the Author, hy the Rev Henry Stebbing, A. M. Illustrated with six steel Engravings. One vol- ume, 16mo., $1 25. Forming one of the series of "Cabinet Edition of Standard Poets." *** The Latin and Italian Poems are included in this edition. Mr. Stebbing , s Notes will be found very useful in elucidating the learned allusions with which the text abounds, and they are also valuable for the correct appreciation with which the writer di- rects attention to the beauties of the author. PARADISE LOST, By John Milton. With Notes, by Rev. H. Stebbing. One volume, 18mo. f cloth 38 cents, gilt leaves 50 cents. PARADISE REGAINED, By John Milton. With Notes, by Rev. H. Stebbing. One volume, 18mo,, cloth 25 cents, gilt leaves 38 cents. MAXWELL-FORTUNES OF HEOTOR O'HALLORAN And his man Mark Antony O'Toole, by W. H. Maxwell. One volume, Svo., two plates, paper, 50 cents, twenty-four plates, boards, $1 00, cloth, $1 25 It is one of the best of all the Irish stories, full of spirit, fun, drollery, and wit. — Cow. <§• Enq MOORE.-LALLAH ROOKH ; An Oriental Romance, by Thomas Moore. One volume, 32mo., frontispiece, cloth gilt, 38 cents. Forming a portion of the series of" Miniature Classical Library." This exquisite Poem has long been the admiration of readers of all classes. MORE.-PRACTICAL PIETY, By Hannah More. One volume, 32mo., frontispiece, 38 cents. Forming one cf the series of" Miniature Classical Library." n Practical Piety " has always bee deemed the most attractive and eloquent of all Hanaafc More's works. PRIVATE DEVOTION: A Series of Prayers and Meditations, with an Introductory Essay on Prayer, chiefly from the writings of Hannah More. From the twenty-fifth London edition. One volume, 32mo., Frontispiece, cloth gilt, 31 cents. Forming one of the series of" Mmiature Classical Library." Upwards of fifty thousand copies of this admirable manual have been sold in the U. States. DOMESTIC TALES And Allegories, illustrating Human Life. By Hannah More. One voiurne, ]8mo., 38 cents. CoirrENTs. — I. Shepherd of Salisbury Plain. II. Mr. Fantom the Philosopher. III. Ts»© Shoemakers. IV Giles the Poacher. V. Servant turned Soldier VI. General Jail Delivery RURAL TALES, By Hannah More. One volume, 18mo., 38 cents. Contents.— I. Parley the Porter. II. All for the Best. III. Two Wealth-* Farmers. IV Tom White. V. Pilgrims. VI. Valley of Teais Forming a portion of the series of" Tales for the People and their Children " These two volumes comprise that portion of Hannah More's Repository Tale* ovhich a« adapted to general usefulness in this country. 17 * AjjjJct on's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. NAPOLEON— PICTORIAL HISTORY Of Napoleon Bonaparte, translated from the French of M . Laurent de I/Ar- deche, with Five Hundred spirited Illustrations, after designs by Horace VpT.et, ^nd twenty Original Portraits engraved in the best style. Com- plete in two handsome volumes, 8vo., about 500 pages each, $3 50 ; cheap edition, paper cover, four parts, $2 00. The work is superior to the long, verbose productions of Scott and Bourienne — not in style alone, but in truth — being written to please neither Charles X. nor the English aristocracy, but ftsr the cause of freedom. It has advantages over every other memoir extant. — American Traveller. NEWMAN.— PAROCHIAL SERMONS, By John Henry Newman, B. D. Six volumes of the English edition in two volumes, 8vo., $5 00. SERMONS BEARING ON SUBJECTS Of the Day, by John Henry Newman, B. D. One volume, 12mo., $1 25. As a compendium of Christian duty, these Sermons will be read by people of all denomina- tions ; as models of style, they will be valued by writers in every department of licrature. — United States Gazette. OGILBY— ON LAY-BAPTISM: An Outline of the Argument against the Validity of Lay-Baptism. By John D. Ogilby, D. D., Professor of Eccles. History. One vol., 12mo., 75 cents. From a cursory inspection of it, we take it to be a thorough, fearless, and able discussion of the subject which it proposes — aiming less to excite inquiry, than to satisfy by learned and ingenious argument inquiries already excited. — Churchman. CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ENGLAND And America. Three Lectures — I. The Church in England and America Apostolic and Catholic. II. The Causes of the English Reformation. Ill Its Character and Results. By John D. Ogilby, D. D. One vol., 16ino., 75 cents. u I believe in one Catholic and Apostolic Church." Nicene Creed Prof. Ogilby has furnished the Church, in this little volume, with a most valuable aid. We Qiinkitis designed to become a text-book on the subject of which it treats. — True Catholic. OLD OAK TREE: Illustrated with numerous wood-cuts. One volume, 18mo., 38 cents. The precepts conveyed are altogether unexceptionable, and the volume is well calculated to prove attractive with children. — Saturday Chronicle. OLMSTED— INCIDENTS OF A WHALING VOYAGE: To which is added, Observations on the Scenery, Manners, and Custome, and Missionary Stations of the Sandwich and Society Islands, accompanied by numerous Plates. By Francis Allyn Olmsted. One vol., 12mo., $1 50. The work embodies a mass of intelligence interesting to the ordinary reader as well as to tho philosophical inquirer. — Courier fy Enquirer PAGET— TALES OF THE VILLAGE, By the Rev. Francis E. Paget, M. A. Three elegant volumes, 18mo., $1 7; The first series, or volume, presents a popular view of the contrast in opinions and modes of thought between Churchmen and Romanists ; the second sets forth Church principles, as opposed to what, in England, is termed Dissent; and the third places in contrast the chaiacter of the Churchman and the Infidel. At any time these volumes would be valuable, especially to tho young. At present, when men's minds are much turned to such subjects, they cannot fail of being eagerly sought for. — New-York American PALMER— A TREATISE ON THE CHUROH Of Christ. Designed chiefly for the use of Students in Theology. By the Rev. William Palmer, M. A., of Worcester College, Oxford. Edited, with Notes, by the Right Rev. W. R. Whittingham, D. D., Bishop of the Prot. £pis. Church in the Diocese of Maryland. Two volumes, 8vo., $5 00. Ths chief design of this work is to supply some answer to the assertion so frequently made, fckat individuals are not bound to submit to any ecclesiastical authority whatever : or that, if they are, they must, inconsistency, accept Romanism with all its claims and errors. — Preface. 18 Appleton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. PARNELL.-APPLIED CHEMISTRY, In Manufactures, Arts, and Domestic Economy. Edited by E. A. Parnell. Illustrated with numerous wood Engravings, and specimens of Dyed and Printed Cottons. Paper cover 75 cents, cloth $1 00. The Editor's aim is to divest the work, as far as practicable, of all technical terms, sc is to adapt it to the requirements of the general reader. The above forms Lie first division of the work. It is the author's intention to continue i from time to time, so as to form a complete Practical Encyclopaedia of Chemistry applied to the Arts, The subjects to immediately follow will be, Manufacture of Glass, Indigo, Sulphuric Acid Zinc, Potaah. Coffee, Tea, Chocolate. &x. PEARSON.-AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREED, By John Pearson, D. D., late Bishop of Chester. With an Appendix, contain- ing the principal Greek and Latin Creeds. Revised and corrected by the Rev. W. S. Dobson, M. A., Peterhouse, Cambridge. One vol., Svo., $2 00. The full owing may be stated as the advantages of this edition over all others .• First — Great care has been taken to correct the numerous errors in the references to the texts of Scripture, which had crept in by reason of the repeated editions through which this admirable work has passed, and many references, as will be seen on turning to the Index of Tests, have Deen added. Secondly — The Quotations in the Notes have been almost universally identified ana the refer- ence to them adjoined. Lastly — The principal Symbola or Creeds, of which the particular Articles have betn cited by Ibe Author, have been annexed ; and wherever the original writers have given the Symbola in a scattered and disjointed manner, the detached parts have been brought into a successive and con- nected point of view. These have been added in Chronological order, in the form of au Appen- dix. — Vide Editor PHILIP— THE LIFE AND OPINIONS Of Dr. Milne, Missionary to China. Illustrated by Biographical Annals of Asiatic Missions, from Primitive Protestant Times : intended as a Guide to Missionary Spirit. By Rev. Robert Philip. One vol., 12mo., 50 cents. The work is executed with great skill, and embodies a vast amount of valuable missionary inte ligence, besides a rich variety of personal incidents, adapted to gratify not only the missionary or the Christian, but the more general reader. — Observer YOUNG MAN'S CLOSET LIBRARY, By Robert Philip. With an Introductory fssay, by Rev. Albert Barnes. One volume, l'2mo., $1 00. LOVE OF THE SPIRIT, Traced in His Work : a Companion to the Experimental Guides. By Robert Philip. One volume, ISmo.. 50 cents. — DEVOTIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL Juides. By Robert Philip. "With an Ir. Toductory Essay by Rev. Albert Barnes. Two volumes, 12mo., SI 75 Containing Guide to the Per- plexed, Guide to the Devotional, Guide tc the Thoughtful, Guide to the Doubting, Guide to the Conscientious, Guide to Reden ption. LADY'S OLOSET LIBRARY: The Marys, t. r Beauty of Female Holiness : The Martha, or Varieties of Fe- male Piety , The Lydias, or Development, of Female Character. By Rob- ert Philip. Each volume, ISmo., 50 cents The MATEPvXAL series of the above popular Library i3 now ready, entitled The Hannahs ; or, Maternal Influence of Sons. By Robert Philip. Ons volume, 18mo., 50 cents. The author of this excellent work is known to the public as one of the most prolific writers «> fke day. and scarcely any writer in the deparcment which he occupies has acquired so extensive and well-merited a popularity.— Evangelist. POLLOK.— THE OOURSE OF TIME, T\y Robert Pollok. With a Life of the Author, and complete Analytical In dex, prepared expressly for this edition. 32mo., frontispiece, 33 cents. Forming one of the series of "Miniature Classical library." Few modem Poems exist which at on:e attained such acceptance and celebrity as thia, 19 Apjjlcton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. PRATT.-DAWNINGS OF GENIUS; Or, the Early Lives of some Eminent Persons of the last Century. By Anna Pratt. One volume, 18mo., frontispiece, 38 cents. Forming one of the series of" A Library for my Young Countrymen." Contents. — Sir Humphrey Davy — Rev. George Crabbe — Baron Cuvier — Sir Joshua Reynold* — Lindley Murray — Sir James Mackintosh — Dr. Adam Clarke. PRIZE STORY-BOOK: Consisting chiefly of Tales, translated from the German, French, and Italians together with Select Tales from the English. Illustrated with numerous Engravings from new designs. One thick volume, 16mo., cloth gilt. PURE GOLD FROM THE RIVERS OF WISDOM: A Collection of Short Extracts from the most Eminent Writers — Bishop Hail, Jeremy Taylor, Barrow, Hooker, Bacon, Leighton, Addison, Wilberforce, Johnson, Young, Southey, Lady Montague, Hannah More, etc. One volume, 32mo., frontispiece, cloth gilt, 31 cents. Forming one of the series of " Miniature Classical Library." PUSS IN BOOTS: A pure Translation in Prose, from the original German. Illustrated with 1 original Designs, suitable for the Tastes of the Young or Old, by the cele- brated artist, Otto Speckter. One vol., square 12mo., cloth gilt. SAINT PIERRE.-PAUL AND VIRGINIA: A Tale, by J. B. H. De Saint Pierre. One volume, 32mo., frontispiece, cloth gilt, 31 cents. Forming one of the series of" Miniature Classical Library." SANDHAM— THE TWIN SISTERS: A Tale for Youth, by Mrs. Sandham. From the twentieth London edition One volume, 18mo., frontispiece, cloth gilt, 38 cents. Forming a portion of the series of" Tales for the People and their Children." The moral is excellent throughout. Its merit renders it a pleasant book for even grown-up children. — Boston Post. SOOTT-— THE POETICAL WORKS Of Sir Walter Scott, Bart. Containing Lay of the Last Minstrel, Marmion, Lady of the Lake, Don Roderick, Rokeby, Ballads, Lyrics, and Songs, with a Life of the Author. Illustrated with six steel Engravings. One volume, 16mo., $1 25. LA©Y OF THE LAKE : A Poem, by Sir Walter Scott. One volume, 18mo., frontispiece, cloth 25 cents, gilt edges 38 cents. MARMION: A Tale of Flodden Field, by Sir Walter Scott. One volume, 18mo., frontis piece, cloth 25 cents, gilt edges 38 cents. LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL: A Poem, by Sir Walter Scott. One volume, 18mo., frontispiece, cloth 25 cents, gilt edges 38 cents. Walter Scott is the most popular of all the poets of the present day, and deservedly so. lie describes that which is most easily and generally understood with more vivacity and effect than aay other writer. His style is clear, flowing, and transparent; his sentiments, of which his style is an easy and natural medium, are common to him with his readers. — Hailitt. SPINOKES— MANUAL OF PRIVATE DEVOTIONS: 'Complete,) collected from the writings of Archbishop Laud, Bishop Andrews, Bishop Ken, Dr. Hickes, Mr. Kettlewell, Mr. Spinckes, and other eminent old English divines. With a Preface by the Rev. Mr. Spinckes. Edited by Francis E. Paget, M. A. One elegant volume, lo'mo., $1 00. As a manual of private devotions, it will be found most valuable — New- York American* 20 Appleton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. SPENCER.— THE CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTED In the Ways of the Gospel and the Church, in a series of Discourses delivered at St. James's Church, Goshen, New- York. By the Rev. J. A. Spencer M. A., late Rector. One volume, 16mo., $1 25. This is a very useful volume of Sermons : respectable in style, sound in doctrine, and alTec tionate in tone, they are well adapted for reading in the family circle, or placing on the familj book-shelf. * * * We think it a work of which the circulation is likely to promote true reli eion and genuine piety. It is enriched with a body of excellent notes selected from the writing! of the dead and living ornaments of the Church in England and this country. — True Catholic. SPRAGUE— TRUE AND FALSE RELIGION. Lectures illustrating the Contrast between true Christianity and various othei Systems. By William B. Sprague, D. D. One volume, 12mo., $1 00. LECTURES TO YOUNG PEOPLE, By W. B. Sprague, D. D. With an Introductory Address, by Samuel Miller t D. D. Fourth edition. One volume, 12mo., 88 cents. SUTTON— MEDITATIONS ON THE SACRAMENT. Godly Meditations upon the most Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. By Christopher Sutton, D. D., late Prebend of Westminster. One volume, royal 16mo., elegantly ornamented, $1 00. We announced in our last number the republication in this country of Sutton's " Meditations on the Lord's Supr /' and, having since read the work, are prepared to recommend it warmly and without qualification to the perusal of our readers. — Banner of the Cross. DISCE MORI— LEARN TO DIE: A Religious Discourse, moving every Christian man to enter into a Serious Remembrance of his End. By Christopher Sutton, D. D. One volume, 16mo., $1 00. Of the three works of this excellent author lately reprinted, the " Disce Mori " is, in our judg- ment, decidedly the best. We do not believe that a single journal or clergyman in the Church will be found to say a word in its disparagement. — Churchman. - DISCE VIVERE— LEARN TO LIVE: Wherein is shown that the Life of Christ is and ought to be an Express Pat- tern for Imitation unto the Life of a Christian. By Christopher Sutton, D. D. One volume, 16mo., $1 00. In the " Disce Vivere," the author moulded his materials, after the manner of a Kempis, into an " Imitatio Christi ;" each chapter inculcating some duty, upon the pattern of Him who gave Himself to be the beginning and the end of all perfection. — Editor's Preface. SWART.-LETTERS TO MY GODCHILD, By the Rev. J. Swart, A. M., of the Diocese of Western New-York. One volume, 32mo., cloth, gilt leaves, 38 cents. The design of this little work, as expressed by the author in the preface, is, the discharging 1 of Sponsorial obligations. We have read it with interest and pleasure, and deem it well fitted to se- cure its end. — Primitive Standard. SHERLOCK— THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN; Or, the Devout Penitent ; a Book of Devotion, containing the Whole Duty 0$ a Christian in all Occasions and Necessities, fitted to the main . se of a holy Life. By R. Sherlock, D D. With a Life of the Author, by the Right Rev. Bishop Wilson, Author of " Sacra Privata," &c. Lne elegant vol- ume, 16mo., $1 00. Considered as a manual of private devotien, and a means of practical preparation for the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, this book is among the best, if not the best, ever ^jmmended to the members of our Church. — Churchman, SILLIMAN.-A GALLOP AMONG AMERICAN SCENERY; Or, Sketches of American Scenes and Military Adventure. Silliman One volume, 16mo., 75 cents. 21 Appleton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications, SHERWOOD— DUTY IS SAFETY 5 Or, Troublesome Tom, by Mrs. Sherwood. One volume, small 4to., illustra ted with wood cuts, cloth, 25 cents. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT, By Mrs. Sherwood. One volume, small 4to., wood cuts, cloth, 25 cents. JACK THE SAILOR-BOY, By Mrs. Sherwood. One volume, small 4to., wood cuts, cloth, 25 cents. Mrs. Sherwood's stories carry with them always such an excellent moral, that no child can roa them without becoming better. — Philadelphia Enquirer. SINCLAIR— SCOTLAND AND THE SCOTCH; Or, the Western Circuit. By Catharine Sinclair, author of Modern Accom plishments, Modern Society, &c. &c. One volume, 12mo., 75 cents. SHETLAND AND THE SHETLANDERS ; Or, the Northern Circuit. By Catharine Sinclair, author of Scotland and the Scotch, Holiday House, &c. &c. One volume, 12mo., 88 cents. The author has proved herself to be a lady of high talent and rich cultivated mind. — JV*. Y. Jim. SMITH,— SCRIPTURE AND GEOLOGY; On the Relation between the Holy Scriptures and some parts of Geological Science. Eight Lectures. By John Pye Smith, D. D., author of the Scripture Testimony of the Messiah, &c. &c. One vol., 12mo., $1 25. ADVENTURES OF CAPT. JOHN SMITH, The Founder of the Colony of Virginia. By the author of Uncle Philip's Conversations. One volume, 18mo., frontispiece, 38 cents. Forming one of the series of " Library for my Young Countrymen." It will be read by youth with all the interest of a novel, and certainly with much more profit DISCOURSES ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. Select Discourses on the Functions of the Nervous System, in opposition to Phrenology, Materialism, and Atheism ; to which is prefixed a Lecture on the Diversities of the Human Character, arising from Physiological Pecu- liarities. By John Augustine Smith, M. D. One vol., 12mo., 75 cents. PRODUCTIVE FARMING. A Familiar Digest of the Most Recent Discoveries of Liebig, Davy, Johnston, and other celebrated Writers on Vegetable Chemistry, showing how the results of Tillage might be greatly augmented. By Joseph A. Smith. One volume, 12mo., paper cover 31 cents, cloth 50 cents. SOUTHGATE.— TOUR THROUGH TURKEY And Persia. Narrative of a Tour through Armenia, Kurdistan, Persia, and Mesopotamia, with an Introduction and Occasional Observations upon the Condition of Mohammedanism and Christianity in those countries. By the Rev. Horatio Southgate, Missionary of the American Episcopal tlhurch. Two volumes, 12mo., plates, $2 00. SOUTHEY— THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS Of Robert Southey, Esq., LL. D. The ten volume London edition in one ele- gant volume, royal 8vo., with a fine portrait and vignette, $3 50. At the age of sixty-three I have undertaken to collect and edit my poetical works, with the last corrections that I can expect to bestow upon them. They have obtained a reputation equal te my wishes. * * Thus to collect and revise them is a duty which I owe to that part of the pub- lic by whom they have been auspiciously received, and to those who will take a lively concern in my £00(1 name when I shall have departed. — Extract from Jiuthor'' s Preface. The beauties of Mr. Southey's poetry are such, that this edition can hardlv fail to find a place in the library of every man fond of elegant literature. — Eclectic Review Applcton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. TAYLOR.— THE SACRED ORDER AND OFFICES Of Episcopacy Asserted and Maintained ; to which is added, Clerus Domini, a Discourse on the Office Ministerial, by the Right Rev. Bishop Jeremy Taylor, D. D. One volume, 16mo. ? $1 00. The reprint in a portable form of this eminent divine's masterly defence of Zpiscopacy, cannot fail of being welcomed by every Churchman. ^The publishers have presented this jewel in a fitting casket. — N. Y. American. THE GOLDEN GROVE: A choice Manual, containing what is to be Believed, Practised, and Desired, or prayed for; the Prayers being fitted for the several Days of the Week. To which is added, a Guide for the Penitent, or a Model drawn up for the Help of Derout Souls wounded with Sin. Also, Festival Hymns, &c. By the Right Rev. Bishop Jeremy Taylor. One volume, 16mo., 50 cents. THE YOUNG ISLANDERS: A Tale of the Last Century, by Jefferys Taylor. One volume, 16mo., beauti- fully illustrated, 75 cents. This fascinating and elegantly illustrated volume for the young is pronounced to equal in inte- rest De Foe's immortal work, Robinson Crusoe. HOME EDUCATION* By Isaac Taylor, author of "Natural History of Enthusiasm, 1 ' &c. &c. Sec- ond edition. One volume, 12mo., $1 00. Avery enlightened, just, and Christian view of a most impor f ant subject. — Am. Bib. Repos. PHYSSOAL THEORY Of another Life, by Isaac Taylor. Third edition. One vol., 12m o., 83 cents. One of the most learned and extraordinary works of modern times. SPIRITUAL CHRISTIANITY. Lectures on Spiritual Christianity, by Isaac Taylor. One vol., 12mo., 75 cents The view which this volume gives of Christianity, both as a system of truth and a system of duty, is in the highest degree instructive. — Albany Evenin g Journal. NATURAL HISTORY OF SOCIETY In the Barbarous and Civilized State. An Essay towards Discovering the Origin and Course of Human Improvement, by W. Cooke Taylor, LL. D., &c, of Trinity College, Dublin. Handsomely printed on fine paper. Two volumes, 12mo., $2 25. THOUGHTS IN PAST YEARS: A collection of Poetry, chiefly Devotional, by the author of The Cathedral. One volume, 16mo., elegantly printed, §1 25. TOKEN OF AFFECTION. One volume, 32mo., frontispiece, cloth, gilt leaves, 31 cents. FRIENDSHIP. One volume, 32mo., frontispiece, cloth, gilt leav^ SI cents. LOVE. Jne volume, 32mo., frontispiece, cloth, gilt leaves, 31 cents. REMEMBRANCE. One volume, 32mo., frontispiece, cloth, gilt leaves, 31 cents. THE HEART. One volume, 32m o., frontispiece, cloth, gilt leaves, 31 cents. Forming a portion of the scries of" Miniature Classical Library." Each volume consists of nearly one hundred appropriate extracts fiom the best writers of Eng iand raid America. 23 Appleton's Catalogue of Valuable Publications. THOMSON. -THE SEASONS, A Poem, by James Thomson. One vol., 32mo., cloth, gilt leaves, 38 cents Forming one of the series of* Miniature Classical Library." Place " The Seasons " in any light, and the poem appears faultless. — S. C. Hall. URE.— DICTIONARY OF ARTS, Manufactures, and Mines, containing a clear Exposition of their Principles and Practice. By Andrew Ure, M. D., F. R. S , &c. Illustrated with 1240 Engravings on wood. One thick volume of 1340 pages, bound in leather $5 00, or in two volumes, $5 50. In every point of view, a work like the present can but be regarded as a benefit done to theorem i«& and practical science, to commerce and industry, and an important addition to a species o< literature the exclusive production of the present century, and the present state of peace and civi- lization — Athenccum. Dr. Urc's Dictionary, of which the American edition is now completed, is a stupendous proof of persevering assiduity, combined with genius and taste. For all the benefit of individual enter- prise in the practical arts and manufactures, and for the enhancement of general prospeiity through the extension of accurate knowledge of political economy, we have not any work worthy to bo sompared with this important volume. We are convinced that manufacturers, merchants, trades- men, students of natural and experimental philosophy, inventive mechanics, men of opulence, members of legislatures, and all who desire to comprehend something of the rapidly accelerating progress of those discoveries which facilitate the supply of human wants, and the augmentation of social comforts with the national weal, will find this invaluable Dictionary a perennial source of salutary instruction and edifying enjoyment. — National Intelligence!'. VERY LITTLE TALES, For Very Little Children, in single Syllables of three and four Letters — first series. One volume, square 18mo., numerous illustrations, cloth, 38 cents Second Series, in single Syllables of four and five Letters. One volume, square 18mo., numerous illustrations — to match first series — 38 cents. WAYLAND.-LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN Responsibility. By Francis Wayiand, D. D. One volume, 13mo., 38 cents. Contents. — I. The Nature of the Subject. II. Individual Responsibility. III. Individual Responsibility (continued). IV. Peisecution on account of Religious Opinions. V. Propagation of Truth. VI. Voluntary Associations. VII. Ecclesiastical Associations. VIII. Official Respon sibility. IX. The Slavery Question. WILBERFOROE.— MANUAL FOR OO MM UN 10 ANTS \ Or, The Order for administering the Holy Communion ; conveniently arrang- ed with Meditations and Prayers from old English divines : being the Eu- charistica of Samuel Wilberforce, M. A., Archdeacon of Surrey, (adapted to the American service.) 38 cents, gilt leaves 50 cents. We most earnestly commend the work. — Churchman. WILSON— SACRA PRIVATA. The Private Meditations, Devotions, and Prayers of the Right Rev. T. Wil- son, D. 1)., Lord Bishop of Soder and Man. First complete edition. One volume, 16mo., elegantly ornamented, $1 00. The reprint is an honor to the American press. The work itself is, perhaps, on the whole, the best devotional treatise in the language. It has never before in this country been printed entire. — Churchman. A neat miniature edition, abridged for popular use, is also published. Price 31 cents. WOMAN'S WORTH ; Or, Hints to Raise the Female Character. First American from the last Eng lish edition, with a Recommendatory Notice, by Emily Marshall. One neat volume, 18mo., cloth gilt 38 cents, paper cover 25 cents. The sentiments and principles enforced in this book may be safely commended to the atten- tion of women of all ranks. — London Atlas. YOUTH'S BOOK OF NATURE; Or, The Four Seasons Illustrated, being Familiar Descriptions of Natural His- tory, made during Walks in the Country, by Rev. H. B. Draper. Illustra- ted with upwards of 50 wood Engravings. One vol., square 16mo., 75 cents. On@ ef the most faultless volumes for the young that has ever been is Reflector. 24 LIB P.^,„9r,,^?.™.^i S w\ llli wMKBSm