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REM A R K S
ON THE
BEQUESTS OF THE REW. ROBERT C. WATERSTON,
AND ON
AN ORIGINAL PORTRAIT OF FRANKLIN.
AT a meeting of the MASSACHUSETTS Historical
SocIETY, held April 13, 1893, Dr. SAMUEL A. GREEN
made the following remarks : —
It is due to the memory of our late associate the Rever-
end Robert C. Waterston, who died on February 21, 1893,
that some reference should be made at this meeting to his
generous bequests to the Society, which are to take effect on
the death of his widow. The will was written entirely in his
own hand, and is dated May 21, 1870, two days before he
started on a trip to California over the Pacific Railroad, then
a great novelty. At the May meeting of that year (Proceed-
ings, XI. 809) a formal vote was passed requesting him to
represent the Society on any occasion during his absence that
might be agreeable to himself. It will be noted that Mr.
Waterston makes a condition of the legacy of his library, that
the Society shall remove to a more commodious and fireproof
building, and will appropriate a part of said building for its
reception; but since the date of his will the Society has erected
a more commodious building, which is considered by experts
to be also fireproof. Within a few days the Library has
2
received a printed copy of that instrument, which contains,
besides other liberal items to various persons and associations,
the following: —
At her [Mrs. Waterston’s] decease (from the proceeds of the real
estate, namely, the store in Milk Street, the store in Essex Street, and
the house in Essex Street, one or all), I give and bequeath the sum of
Ten thousand dollars to the Massachusetts Historical Society, to accom-
pany the collection of Autograph Letters, Papers and Documents which
I shall also leave to said Society, said sum to be safely invested and the
income thereof to be appropriated to the printing and publishing of a
complete catalogue of said Autograph papers, with proper description
thereof and the printing in whole or in part of such papers as may be
deemed desirable, also to arrangement for their more convenient use
and safe keeping, also for the purchase from time to time of any auto-
graphic letters and papers of literary or historical interest or value.
These letters and papers to be added to the above-named collection, and
the whole to be known and named as the Waterston Collection, partly
as a more convenient reference and to distinguish these from other
important and valuable collections now in possession of said Society, or
which may be added thereto.
I also give and bequeath the additional sum of Ten thousand dol-
lars, to be safely invested by said Society, namely: The Massachusetts
Historical Society, the income thereof to be used in the printing and
publishing of any important or interesting Autograph, original Manu-
scripts, Letters or Documents which may be in possession of said
Society, the Fund to be called the “Waterston Fund” No. 2, and the
volumes thus printed to be designated in the volume as published by
said Fund, and copies of such volumes, as far as considered desirable
by the Standing Committee, to be sent to other Historical Societies or
Public Libraries.
Also the sum of Ten thousand dollars left me in trust by my father
as a publishing fund, the income as by his will to be appropriated to
the publication and distribution of such papers, tracts and books as are
best calculated to disseminate useful information and promote spiritual
culture. By said will of my father I am authorized to make such dis-
position of said fund as I shall think proper, “either by appropriating
the same to public purposes or by designating into whose hands it shall
go.” I do therefore hereby give and bequeath the said sum of Ten
3
thousand dollars to the Massachusetts Historical Society, to be by them
safely invested and the income thereof to be used as a publishing fund
for the publication and distribution in such manner as the Standing
Committee shall deem best to Libraries or individuals of such papers
and books as are best calculated to disseminate useful, Historical, Bio-
graphical or Literary information, and to be of service in any way to
Society and mankind, the said fund to be known and designated as the
Waterston Fund No. 3, or Waterston Publishing Fund, and the fact
that any book is printed by such fund to be stated on the title page or
elsewhere in each book.
Also on condition that the said Society removes to a more commo-
dious and fire-proof building and will appropriate any room or portion
of said building for the purpose, I then give and bequeath my whole
Library, with such exception as may be hereafter named and desig-
nated, to the Massachusetts Historical Society, with the additional
amount of Ten thousand dollars to put such room or portion of said
building in order for the commodious and safe-keeping of the books, or
if such money is not so needed or is not wholly so used, the remainder
shall go to add books to this collection under the direction of the Stand-
ing Committee.
If there should be such room or portion of the building so set apart,
I hereby give and bequeath such of the best engravings which I may
have, with such works of art as may best tend to add interest and
attraction illustrative of Biography or History, or rendering such a
collection a pleasure and an advantage.
While I am on my feet, Mr. President, I will take this occa-
sion to say that at the meeting of the Society on June 14,
1883 (Proceedings, XX. 264), Mr. Winthrop, the President,
referred to a letter written to him by the United States Consul
at Dresden, announcing the discovery there, in private hands,
of an original portrait of Dr. Benjamin Franklin by the cele-
brated French artist Duplessis. The letter was accompanied
by a photograph, which was shown at the time to the mem-
bers. This picture is now temporarily on exhibition at the
Art Museum, where I saw it a few days ago. It is apparently
an excellent likeness and a fine painting, and is owned by Dr.
Clifford F. Snyder, an American dentist practising his profes-
4
sion in Berlin. At the Museum it has been placed side by
side with an original portrait of Franklin belonging to the
Boston Athenaeum, which has always been attributed to
Greuze ; and a good opportunity for a comparison of the two
pictures is thus offered. It is interesting to note that the One
painting is an exact copy of the other, even in its minutest
details; and it is evident, too, that they both were made by
the same artist, — undoubtedly, Duplessis.
SITY OF MICHIGAN
Lilliii.
3 9015 05095 3937

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