initial commit of ebook 38588HEADmain

13 files changed, 42408 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/38588-8.txt b/38588-8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5fc6ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588-8.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,14050 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dealings with the Dead, Volume I (of 2), by 
+A Sexton of the Old School
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Dealings with the Dead, Volume I (of 2)
+
+Author: A Sexton of the Old School
+
+Release Date: January 16, 2012 [EBook #38588]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEALINGS WITH THE DEAD, VOL I ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Delphine Lettau, Meredith Bach and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Dealings with the Dead.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: DEALINGS with the DEAD, by a SEXTON of the OLD SCHOOL.
+
+DUTTON & WENTWORTH. BOSTON, 1856.]
+
+
+
+
+  DEALINGS WITH THE DEAD.
+
+
+  BY A SEXTON OF THE OLD SCHOOL.
+
+
+  VOLUME I.
+
+
+  BOSTON:
+  PUBLISHED BY DUTTON AND WENTWORTH,
+  33 AND 35 CONGRESS STREET:
+  AND
+  TICKNOR AND FIELDS,
+  CORNER OF WASHINGTON AND SCHOOL STREETS.
+  MDCCCLVI.
+
+
+
+
+"THE BURIAL SERVICE."
+
+
+This is a very solemn service, when it is properly performed. When I was a
+youngster, Grossman was Sexton of Trinity Church, and Parker was Bishop.
+Never were two men better calculated to give the true effect to this
+service. The Bishop was a very tall, erect person, with a deep, sonorous
+voice; and, in the earth-to-earth part, Grossman had no rival. I used to
+think, then, it would be the height of my ambition to fill Grossman's
+place, if I should live to be a man. When I was eight years old, I
+sometimes, though it frightened me half to death, dropped in, as an
+amateur, when there was a funeral at Trinity.
+
+I am not, on common occasions, in favor of reviving the old way of
+performing a considerable part of the service, under the church, among the
+vaults. The women, and feeble, and nervous people will go down, of course;
+and getting to be buried becomes contagious. It does them no good, if they
+don't catch their deaths. But, as things are now managed, the most solemn
+part of the service is made quite ridiculous. In 1796, I was at a funeral,
+under Trinity Church. I went below with the mourners. The body was carried
+into a dimly-lighted vault. I was so small and short, that I could see
+scarcely anything. But the deep, sepulchral voice of Mr. Parker--he was
+not Bishop then--filled me with a most delightful horror. I listened and
+shivered. At length he uttered the words, "earth to earth," and Grossman,
+who did his duty, marvellously well, when he was sober, rattled on the
+coffin a whole shovelful of coarse gravel--"ashes to ashes"--another
+shovelful of gravel--"dust to dust"--another: it seemed as if shovel and
+all were cast upon the coffin lid. I never forgot it. My way home from
+school was through Summer Street. Returning often, in short days, after
+dusk, I have run, at the top of my speed, till I had gotten as far beyond
+Trinity, as Tommy Russell's, opposite what now is Kingston Street.
+
+A great change has taken place, since I became a sexton. I suppose that
+part of the service is the most solemn, where the body is committed to the
+ground; and it is clearly a pity, that anything should occur, to lessen
+the solemnity. As soon as the minister utters the words, "Forasmuch as it
+hath pleased Almighty God," &c., the coffin being in the broad aisle, the
+sexton, now-a-days, steps up to the right of it, and makes ready by
+stooping down, and picking up a little sand, out of a box or saucer--a few
+more words, and he takes aim--"earth to earth," and he fires an
+insignificant portion of it on to the coffin--"ashes to ashes," and he
+fires another volley--"dust to dust," and he throws the balance, commonly
+wiping his hand on his sleeve. There is something, insufferably awkward,
+in the performance. I heard a young sexton say, last week, he had rather
+bury half the congregation, than go through this comic part. There is some
+grace, in the action of a farmer, sowing barley; but there is a feeling of
+embarrassment, in this miserable illustration of casting in the clods upon
+the dead, which characterizes the performance. The sexton commonly tosses
+the sand on the coffin, turning his head the other way, and rather
+downward, as if he were sensible, that he was performing an awkward
+ceremony. For myself, I am about retiring, and it is of little moment to
+me. But I hope something better will be thought of. What would poor old
+Grossman say!
+
+A SEXTON OF THE OLD SCHOOL.
+
+
+
+
+Dealings with the Dead.
+
+BY A SEXTON OF THE OLD SCHOOL.
+
+
+
+
+No. I.
+
+
+Throw aside whatever I send you, if you do not like it, as we throw aside
+the old bones, when making a new grave; and preserve only what you think
+of any value--with a slight difference--you will publish it, and we
+shouldn't. I was so fond of using the thing, which I have now in my hand,
+when a boy, that my father thought I should never succeed with the mattock
+and spade--he often shook his head, and said I should never make a sexton.
+He was mistaken. He was a shrewd old man, and I got many a valuable hint
+from him. "Abner," said he to me one day, when he saw me bowing, very
+obsequiously, to a very old lady, "don't do so, Abner; old folks are never
+pleased with such attentions, from people of your profession. They
+consider all personal approaches, from one of your fraternity, as wholly
+premature. It brings up unpleasant anticipations." Father was right; and,
+when I meet a very old, or feeble, or nervous gentleman, or lady, I always
+walk fast, and look the other way.
+
+Sextons have greatly improved within the last half century. In old times,
+they kept up too close an intimacy with young surgeons; and, to keep up
+their spirits, in cold vaults, they formed too close an alliance with
+certain evil spirits, such as gin, rum, and brandy. We have greatly
+improved, as a class, and are destined, I trust, to still greater
+elevation. A few of us are thinking of getting incorporated. I have
+read--I read a great deal--I have carried a book, of some sort, in my
+pocket for fifty years--no profession loses so much time, in mere waiting,
+as ours--I have read, that the barbers and surgeons of London were
+incorporated, as one company, in the time of Henry VIII. There is
+certainly a much closer relation, between the surgeons and sextons, than
+between the barbers and surgeons, since we put the finishing hand to their
+work. And as every body is getting incorporated now-a-days, I see no good
+reason against our being incorporated, as a society of sextons and
+surgeons. And then our toils and vexations would, in some measure, be
+solaced, by pleasant meetings and convivial suppers, at which the surgeons
+would cut up roast turkeys, and the sextons might bury their sorrows. When
+sextons have no particular digging to do, out of doors, it seems well
+enough for them to dig in their closets. There is a great amount of
+information to be gained from books, particularly adapted to their
+profession, some of which is practical, and some of which, though not of
+that description, is of a much more profitable character than police
+reports of rapes and murders, or the histories of family quarrels, or
+interminable rumors of battles and bloodshed. There is a learned
+blacksmith; who knows but there may spring up a learned sexton, some of
+these days.
+
+The dealings with the dead, since the world began, furnish matter for
+curious speculation. What has seemed meet and right, in one age or nation,
+has appeared absurd and even monstrous in another. It is also interesting
+to contemplate the many strange dispositions, which certain individuals
+have directed to be made, in regard to their poor remains. Men, who seem
+not to have paid much attention to their souls, have provided, in the most
+careful and curious manner, for the preservation of their miserable
+carcasses. It may also furnish matter for legitimate inquiry, how far it
+may be wise, and prudent, and in good taste, to carry our love of finery
+into the place, appropriated for all living. Aristocracy among the dead!
+What a thought. Sumptuary considerations are here involved. The rivalry of
+the tomb! The pride--not of life--but of death! How frequently have I
+seen, especially among the Irish, the practice of a species of pious fraud
+upon the baker and the milk man, whose bills were never to be paid, while
+all the scrapings of the defunct were bestowed upon the "birril!" The
+principle is one and the same, when men, in higher walks, put costly
+monuments over the ashes of their dead, and their effects into the hands
+of assignees. And then the pageantry and grandiloquence of the epitaph! In
+the course of fifty years, what outrageous lies I have seen, done in
+marble! Perhaps I may say something of these matters--perhaps not.
+
+
+
+
+No. II.
+
+
+Closing the eyes of the dead and composing the mouth were deemed of so
+much importance, of old, that Agamemnon's ghost made a terrible fuss,
+because his wife, Clytemnestra, had neglected these matters, as you will
+see, in your Odyssey, L. V. v. 419. It was usual for the last offices to
+be performed by the nearest relatives. After washing and anointing the
+body, the guests covered it with the _pallium_, or common cloak--the
+Romans used the _toga_--the Hebrews wrapped the body in linen. Virgil
+tells us, that Misenus was buried, in the clothes he commonly wore.
+
+            Membra toro deffeta reponunt,
+  Purpureasque super vestes velamina nota
+  Conjiciunt.
+
+This would seem very strange with us; yet it is usual in some other
+countries, at this day. I have often seen the dead, thus laid out, in
+Santa Cruz--coat, neckcloth, waistcoat, pantaloons, boots, and gloves. I
+was never a sexton there, but noted these matters as an amateur. Chaplets
+and flowers were cast upon the dead, by the Greeks and Romans. The body
+was exhibited, or laid in state, near the entrance of the house, that all
+might see there had been no foul play. While thus lying, it was carefully
+watched. The body of every man, who died in debt, at Athens, was liable to
+be seized by creditors. Miltiades died in jail. His son, Cimon, could not
+pay his father's debts; he therefore assumed his debts and fetters, that
+his father might have funeral rites. Some time before interment, a piece
+of money, an _obolus_, was put in the mouth of the corpse, as Charon's
+fee. In the mouth was also placed a cake, made of flour and honey, to
+appease Cerberus. Instead of crape upon the knocker, some of the hair of
+the deceased was placed upon the door, to indicate a house of mourning. A
+vessel of water was placed before the door, until the corpse was removed,
+that all who touched the dead might wash therein. This is in accordance
+with the Jewish usage. Achilles was burnt on the eighteenth day after his
+death. The upper ten thousand were generally burnt on the eighth, and
+buried on the ninth. Common folks were dealt with more summarily. When
+ready for the pile, the body was borne forth on a bier. The Lacedemonians
+bore it on shields. The Athenians celebrated their obsequies before
+sunrise. Funerals, in some of our cities, are celebrated in the morning.
+The Greeks and Romans were very extravagant, like the Irish. If baked
+meats and Chian and Falernian cost less than in more modern times--still
+sumptuary laws were found necessary. Pittacus made such, at Mytelene. The
+women crowded so abominably, at the funerals in Athens, that Solon
+excluded all women, under threescore years, from gadding after such
+ceremonies. Robes of mourning were sometimes worn; not always. Thousands
+followed the bodies of Timoleon and Aratus, in white garments, bedecked
+with garlands, with songs of triumph and dances, rejoicing, that they were
+received into Elysium.
+
+After the funeral, they abstained from banquets and entertainments.
+Admetus says they avoided whatever bore an air of mirth or pleasure, for
+some time. They sequestered themselves from company. It is particularly
+stated, by Archbishop Potter, that "_wine was too great a friend of
+cheerfulness to gain admission into so melancholy a society_." If Old
+Hundred had been known to the Jews, it would, I dare say, have been
+considered highly appropriate--but their good taste was such, that I much
+doubt, if, in the short space of eight and forty hours, they would have
+mingled _sacra profanis_, so very comically, as to bring champagne and Old
+Hundred together. The Greek mourners often cut off their hair, and cast it
+upon the funeral pile. This custom was also followed by the Romans. They
+sometimes threw themselves upon the ground, to express their sorrow. Like
+some of the Eastern nations, they put ashes upon their heads. They beat
+their breasts, tore their flesh, and scratched their faces, with their
+nails. For this, Dionysius says, the women were more remarkable, than the
+men.
+
+Burning and embalming, the latter of which was a costly business, were
+practised among the Greeks and Romans; the latter much more frequently,
+among the Eastern nations. We talk of getting these matters thoroughly
+discussed, ere long, before the Sextons' board, to see if it may not be
+well, to bring them into use again. I will send you the result.
+
+In regard to the use of wine and other intoxicating drinks, at funerals,
+we much more closely resemble the Lacedemonians now, than we did some
+thirty years ago. When I was a boy, and was at an academy in the country,
+everybody went to everybody's funeral, in the village. The population was
+small--funerals rare--the preceptor's absence would have excited remark,
+and the boys were dismissed, for the funeral. A table with liquors was
+always provided. Every one, as he entered, took off his hat, with his left
+hand, smoothed down his hair, with his right, walked up to the coffin,
+gazed upon the corpse, made a crooked face, passed on to the table, took a
+glass of his favorite liquor, went forth upon the plat, before the house,
+and talked politics, or of the new road, or compared crops, or swapped
+heifers or horses, until it was time to lift. Twelve years ago, a
+clergyman of Newburyport told me, that, when settled in Concord, N. H.,
+some years before, he officiated at the funeral of a little boy. The body
+was borne, as is quite common, in a chaise, and six little nominal
+pall-bearers, the oldest not thirteen, walked by the side of the vehicle.
+Before they left the house, a sort of master of ceremonies took them to
+the table, and mixed a tumbler of gin, water and sugar, for each.
+
+There is in this city a worthy man--I shall not name him--the doctor's and
+the lawyer's callings are not more confidential than ours. He used to
+attend every funeral, as an amateur. He took his glass invariably, and
+always had some good thing to say of the defunct. "A great loss," he would
+say, with a sad shake of his head, as he turned off the heel-tap. I have
+not seen him at a funeral, for several years. We met about five months
+ago. "Ah, Mr. Abner," said he, "temperance has done for funerals."
+
+
+
+
+No. III.
+
+
+The board of sextons have met, and we have concluded not to recommend a
+revival of the ancient custom of burning the dead. It would be very
+troublesome to do it, out of town, and inconvenient in the city. I have
+always thought it wrong to bury in the city; and it would be much worse to
+burn there. The first law of the tenth table of the Romans is in these
+words--"Let no dead body be interred or burnt within the city." Something
+may be got to help pay for a church, by selling tombs below. When a church
+was built here, some years ago, an eminent physician, one of the
+proprietors, was consulted and gave his sanction. Yet more than one of our
+board is very sure, that, on a warm, close Sunday, in the spring, he has
+snuffed up something that wasn't particularly orthodox, in that church.
+The old Romans were very careful of the rights of their fellows, in this
+respect: the twelfth law of the tenth table runs thus--"Let no sepulchre
+be built, or funeral pile raised within sixty feet of any house, without
+the consent of the owner of that house." They certainly conducted matters
+with great propriety, avoiding extravagance and intemperance, as appears
+by the seventh law of the same table--"Let no slaves be embalmed; let
+there be no drinking round a dead body; nor any perfumed liquors be poured
+upon it." So also the second law--"Let all costliness and excessive
+waitings be banished from funerals." The women were so very troublesome
+upon these occasions, that a special law, the fifth, was made for their
+government--"Let not the women tear their faces, or disfigure themselves,
+or make hideous outcries."
+
+It was not unusual for one person to have several funerals: to prevent
+this, however agreeable to the Roman undertakers, the tenth law of the
+tenth table was made--"Let no man have more than one funeral, or more than
+one bed put under him." There was also a very strange practice during the
+first Decemvirate; the friends often abstracted a finger of the deceased,
+or some part of the body, and performed fresh obsequies, in some other
+place; erecting there a _cenotaph_ or _empty_ sepulchre, in which they
+fancied the ghost of the departed took occasional refuge, when wandering
+about--in case of a sudden shower, perhaps; or being caught out too near
+daylight.
+
+For the correction of this folly, the Decemvirs passed the sixth law of
+the tenth table--"Let not any part of a dead body be carried away, in
+order to perform other obsequies for the deceased, unless he died in war,
+or out of his own country." It was upon such occasions as these, in which
+an empty form was observed, and no actual inhumation took place, that the
+practice of throwing three handsful of earth originated. This usage was
+practised also by the Jews, and has come down to modern times. Baron
+Rothschild (Nathan Meyer) who died in Frankfort, July 28, 1836, was buried
+in the ground of the Synagogue, in Duke's Place, London. His sons, Lionel,
+Anthony, Nathaniel, and Meyer, his brother-in-law, Mr. Montefiore, and his
+ancient friend, Mr. Samuels, at the age of ninety-six, commenced the
+service of filling up the grave,--by casting in, each one of them, three
+handsful of earth. Not satisfied with carrying a bottle of sal volatile to
+funerals, the women, and even the men, were in the habit of carrying pots
+of essences, which occasioned the enactment of the eighth law--"Let no
+crowns, festoons, perfuming pots, or any kind of perfume be carried to
+funerals."
+
+Burning or interring was adopted, by the ancients, at the will of the
+relatives. This is manifest from the eleventh law, which prohibits the use
+of gold in all obsequies, with a single exception--"Let no gold be used in
+any obsequies, unless the jaw of the deceased has been tied up with a gold
+thread. In that case the corpse may be _interred_ or _burnt_, with the
+gold thread." A large quantity of silver is annually buried with the dead.
+It finds its way up again, however, in the course of time.
+
+Common as burning was, among the ancients, it was looked upon, by some,
+with great abhorrence. The body to be burned was placed upon a pile--if
+the body of a person of quality, one or more slaves or captives were
+burned with it. When not forbidden, all sorts of precious ointments and
+perfumes were poured upon the corpse. The favorite dogs and horses of the
+defunct were cast upon the pile. Homer tells us, that four horses, two
+dogs, and twelve Trojan captives were burnt upon the pile, with the dead
+body of Patroclus. The corpses, that they might consume the sooner, were
+covered with the fat of beasts. Some near relative lighted the pile,
+uttering prayers to Boreas and Zephyrus to increase the flame. The
+relatives stood around, calling on the deceased, and pouring on libations
+of wine, with which they finally extinguished the flames, when the pile
+was well burnt down. They then collected the bones and ashes. How they
+were ever able to discriminate between men, dogs, and horses, it is hard
+to say. Probably the whole was sanctified, in their opinion, by
+juxtaposition. The bones might be distinguished, but not the dust. Such
+bones as could be identified, were washed and anointed _by the nearest
+relatives_. What an office! How custom changes the complexion of such
+matters! These relics were then placed in urns of wood, stone, earth,
+silver, or gold, according to the quality of the parties. Where are these
+memorials now! these myriads of urns! They were deposited in tombs--of
+which a very perfect account may be found in the description of the street
+of tombs, at Pompeii.
+
+
+
+
+No. IV.
+
+
+The Greeks, when interment was preferred to burning, placed the body in
+the coffin, as is done at present, deeming it safer for the defunct to
+look upwards. To ridicule this superstition, Diogenes requested, that his
+body might be placed face downward, "for the world, erelong," said he,
+"will be turned upside down, and then I shall come right." The feet were
+placed towards the East. Those, who were closely allied, were buried
+together. The epitaph of Agathias, on the twin brothers, is still
+preserved--
+
+  "Two brothers lie interred within this urn,
+  They died together, as together born."
+
+"They were lovely and pleasant in their lives," said David, of Saul and
+Jonathan, "and, in death, they were not divided."
+
+Plato says, that the early Greeks buried their dead, in their own houses.
+There was a law in Thebes, that no person should build a house, without
+providing a repository for the dead therein. An inconvenient fashion this.
+In after-times they buried out of the city, and generally by the way-side.
+Hence, doubtless, arose the very common appeal, on their tablets--_Siste
+Viator!_ On the road from Cape Ann Harbor to Sandy Bay, now Rockport, are
+a solitary grave and a monument--the grave of one, who chanced there to
+die. Our graveyards are usually on the roadside. Sometimes a common
+_cart-path_ is laid out, through an ancient burying-ground. Such is the
+case in Uxbridge, in this Commonwealth. This is Vandalism. Sextons, who
+have had long experience, are of opinion, that the rights of the living
+and the decencies of life are less apt to be maintained, wherever the
+ashes of the dead are treated with disrespect. Burying, by the road-side,
+has been said to have been adopted, for the purpose of inspiring
+travellers with thoughts of mortality--travellers in railway cars,
+perhaps! The first time I visited St. Peter's, in Philadelphia, I was much
+impressed with the tablets and their inscriptions, lying level with the
+floor of the church, and vertical, I supposed, to the relics below--but I
+soon became familiar, and forgetful.
+
+Every family, among the Greeks, who could afford it, had its own proper
+burying-ground--as is the case, at the present day, in our own country,
+among the planters and others, living far apart from any common point.
+This might be well enough, where the feudal system prevailed, and estates,
+by the law of descent, continued long in families. If the old usage were
+now in vogue, in New York, for instance, what a carting about of family
+urns there would be, on May day! Estates will pass from man to man, and
+strangers become the custodiers of the dead friends and relatives of the
+alienors. It is not unusual to find, on such occasions, a special clause,
+in the conveyance, for their protection, and for the perpetual _tabooing_
+of the place of sepulture. The first graves of the Greeks were mere
+caverns or holes; but, in later times, they were capacious rooms, vaulted
+and paved--so large, indeed, that in some instances, the mourners
+assembled and remained in them, for days and nights together. Monuments of
+some sort were of very early date; so were inscriptions, containing the
+names, ages, virtues, and actions of the deceased, and the emblems of
+their calling. Diogenes had the figure of a snarling cur engraved upon his
+tablet. Lycurgus put an end to what he called "talkative gravestones." He
+even forbade the inscription of the names, unless of men who died in
+battle, or women in childbed.
+
+Extravagance was, at one time, so notorious, in these matters, that Leon
+forbade the erection of any mausoleum, which could not be erected by ten
+men, in three days.
+
+In Greece and Rome, panegyrics were often pronounced at the grave. Games
+were sometimes instituted in honor of the eminent dead. Homer tells us
+that Agamemnon's ghost and the ghost of Achilles had a long talk upon this
+subject, telling over the number they had attended. After the funeral was
+over, the company met at the house of some near relative, to divert their
+sorrow; and, notwithstanding the abstemiousness of the Lacedemonians, they
+had, I am compelled to believe, what is commonly called a good time. The
+word, used to designate this kind of gathering, _perideipnon_, indicates
+a very social meeting--Cicero translates this word _circumpotatio_.
+
+Embalming was most in use with the Egyptians, and the process is described
+by Herodotus and Diodorus. The brain was drawn through the nostrils with
+an iron scoop, and the void filled with spices. The entrails were removed,
+and the abdomen filled with myrrh and cassia. The body was next pickled in
+nitre, for seventy days, and then enveloped in bandages of fine linen and
+gums. Among the repositories of the curious, are bodies embalmed some
+thousands of years ago. According to Herodotus, the place for the first
+incision having been indicated, by the priest, the operator was looked
+upon, with as much disgust, as we exhibit towards the common
+hangman,--for, no sooner had he hastily made the incision, than he fled
+from the house, and was immediately attacked with stones, by the
+bystanders, as one, who had violated the dead. Rather an undesirable
+office. After being embalmed, the body was placed in a box of sycamore
+wood, carved to resemble the human form.
+
+The story of Diogenes, who desired to be buried face downward, reminds me
+of one, related by old Grossman, as we were coming, many years ago, from
+the funeral of an old lady, who had been a terrible termagant. She
+resembled, old Grossman said, a perfect fury of a woman, whose husband
+insisted upon burying her, face downward; and, being asked the reason, for
+this strange procedure, replied--"the more she scratches the deeper she
+goes."
+
+
+
+
+No. V.
+
+
+Nil de mortuis nisi bonum. You will wonder where I got my Latin. If my
+profession consisted of nothing but digging and filling up--dust to dust,
+and ashes to ashes--I would not give a fig for it. To a sexton of any
+sentiment it is a very different affair. I have sometimes doubted, if it
+might not be ranked among the fine arts. To be sure, it is rather a
+melancholy craft; and for this very reason I have tried to solace myself,
+with the literary part of it. There is a great amount, of curious and
+interesting reading upon these marble pages, which the finger of time is
+ever turning over. I soon found, that a large part of it was in the Latin
+tongue, and I resolved to master so much of it, as impeded my progress. I
+have found, that many superb things are said of the defunct, in Latin,
+which no person, however partial, would venture to say, in plain English.
+
+The Latin proverb, at the head of this article, I saw, on the gravestone
+of a poor fellow, who was killed, by a sort of devil incarnate, in the
+shape of a rumseller, though some persons thought he was worried to death,
+by moral suasion. _Nothing of the dead but what is good_: Well, I very
+much doubt the wisdom of this rule. The Egyptians doubted it; and their
+kings were kept in order, through a fear of the sentence to be passed upon
+their character and conduct, by an assembly of notables, summoned
+immediately after their decease. Montaigne says it is an excellent custom,
+and to be desired by all good princes, who have reason to be offended,
+that the memories of the wicked should be treated with the same respect,
+as their own.
+
+In England and our own Commonwealth, we have, legislatively, repudiated
+this rule, in one instance, at least, until within a few years. I refer to
+the case of suicide. Instead of considering the account balanced by death,
+and treating the defunct with particular tenderness, because he was dead,
+the sheriff was ordered to bury the body of every person, _felo de se_, at
+the central point where four roads met, and to run a stake through his
+body. This, to say nothing of its cheating our brotherhood out of burial
+fees, seems a very awkward proceeding.
+
+There is a pleasant tale, related of Sheriff Bradford, which I may repeat,
+without marring the course of these remarks. Mr. Bradford was the politest
+sheriff, that we ever had in Suffolk, not excepting Sheriff Sumner.
+Sheriff Bradford was a real gentleman, dyed in the wool. It did one's
+heart good to see him serve an attachment, or levy an execution. Instead
+of knocking one down, and arresting him afterwards, Mr. Bradford made a
+pleasant affair of it. It actually seemed, as if he employed a sort of
+official ether, which took away the pain--he used, while placing his
+bailiff in a lady's drawing-room, to bow and smile, so respectfully and
+sympathizingly; and, in a sotto voice, to talk so very clerically, of the
+instability of human affairs.
+
+An individual, within the sheriff's precinct, cut his own throat. An
+officious neighbor, who was rather curious to see the stake part
+performed, brought tidings to Mr. Bradford, while at breakfast. The
+informant ventured to inquire, at what time the performances would
+commence. At five o'clock precisely, this afternoon, the sheriff replied.
+He instantly dispatched a deputy to the son of the defunct, with a note,
+full of the most respectful expressions of condolence, and informing him,
+that the law required the sheriff to run a stake through his father's
+body, _if to be found within his precinct_, and adding that he should call
+with the stake, at 5 P. M. The body was, of course, speedily removed, and
+_non est inventus_ was the end of the whole matter. Civilization
+advanced--several of the upper ten thousand cut their throats, or blew
+their brains out; and it would have been troublesome to carry out the
+provisions of the law, and cost something for stakes. The law was
+repealed.
+
+Some sort of ignominious sepulture, for self-murderers, was in vogue, long
+ago. Plato speaks of it, de legibus lib. ix., p. 660. The attempt to
+shelter mankind from deserved reproach, by putting complimentary epitaphs
+upon their gravestones, is very foolish. It commonly produces an opposite
+effect. One would think these names were intended as a hint, for the
+Devil, when he comes for his own--a sort of _passover_.
+
+I am inclined to think, if a grand inquest of any county were employed, to
+discover the last resting places of their neighbors and fellow-citizens,
+having no other guide, but their respective epitaphs, the names and dates
+having been previously removed or covered up, that inquest would be very
+much at a loss, in the midst of such exalted virtues, and supereminent
+talents, and extraordinary charities, and unbroken friendships, and great
+public services.
+
+Some inscriptions are, perhaps, too simple. In the burying-ground at the
+corner of Arch and Sixth streets, Philadelphia, and very near that corner,
+lies a large flat slab, with these words:
+
+  "Benjamin and Deborah Franklin,
+  1790."
+
+In Exeter, N. H., I once read an epitaph in the graveyard, near the
+Railroad Depot, in these words:
+
+  "Henry's grave."
+
+Pope's epitaph, in the garden of Lord Cobham, at Stow, on his Lordship's
+Italian friend, was, doubtless, well-deserved, though savoring of
+panegyric:
+
+  To the memory
+  of
+  SIGNOR FIDO,
+  an Italian of good extraction,
+  who came into England
+  not to bite us, like most of his countrymen,
+  but to gain an honest livelihood.
+  He hunted not after fame,
+  yet acquired it.
+  Regardless of the praise of his friends,
+  But most sensible of their love,
+  Though he lived among the great,
+  He neither learned nor flattered any vice.
+  He was no bigot,
+  Though he doubted not the 39 articles.
+  And, if to follow nature,
+  And to respect the laws of society
+  Be philosophy,
+  He was a perfect philosopher,
+  A faithful friend,
+  An agreeable companion,
+  A loving husband,
+  Distinguished by a numerous offspring,
+  All which he lived to see take good courses.
+  In his old age he retired
+  To the house of a clergyman, in the country,
+  Where he finished his earthly race,
+  And died an honor and an example to the whole species.
+  Reader
+  This stone is guiltless of flattery;
+  For he, to whom it is inscribed,
+  Was not a man
+  but a
+  GREYHOUND.
+
+
+
+
+No. VI.
+
+
+It could not have been particularly desirable to be the cook, or the
+concubine, or the cup-bearer, or the master of the horse, or the
+chamberlain, or the gentleman usher of a Scythian king, for Herodotus
+tells us, book 4, page 280, that every one of these functionaries was
+strangled, upon the body of the dead monarch.
+
+Castellan, in his account of the Turkish Empire, says, that a dying Turk
+is laid on his back, with his right side towards Mecca, and is thus
+interred. A chafing-dish is placed in the chamber of death, and perfumes
+burnt thereon. The Imam reads the thirty-sixth chapter of the Koran. When
+death has closed the scene, a sabre is laid upon the abdomen, and the
+next of kin ties up the jaw. The corpse is washed with camphor, wrapped in
+a white sheet, and laid upon a bier.
+
+The burial is brief and rapid. The body is never carried to the mosque.
+Unlike the solemn pace of our own age and nation, four bearers, who are
+frequently relieved, carry the defunct, almost on a run, to the place of
+interment. Over the bier is thrown a pall; and, at the head, the turban of
+the deceased. Women never attend. Mourning, as it is called, is never
+worn. Christians are not permitted to be present, at the funeral of a
+Mussulman.
+
+It is not lawful to walk over, or sit upon, a grave. A post mortem
+examination is never allowed, unless the deceased is so near confinement,
+that there may be danger of burying the living with the dead. The corpse
+is laid naked in the ground. The Imam kneels in prayer, and calls the name
+of the deceased, and the name of his mother, thrice. The cemeteries of the
+Turks are without the city, and thickly planted with trees, chiefly
+cypress and evergreens. Near Constantinople there are several
+cemeteries--the most extensive are at Scutari, on the Asiatic side of the
+Bosphorus. There, as here, marble columns designate the graves of the
+eminent and wealthy, but are surmounted with sculptured turbans. The
+inscriptions are brief and simple. This is quite common: "_This world is
+transient and perishable--today mine--tomorrow thine_."
+
+The funeral ceremonies of the Hindoos are minute, trivial, and ridiculous,
+in the extreme. A curious account may be found, in the Asiatic Researches,
+vol. 7, page 264. Formal, or nominal obsequies are performed, says Mr.
+Colebrooke, not less than ninety-six times, in every year, among the
+Hindoos.
+
+We do, for the dead, that, which we would have done for ourselves. The
+desire of making a respectable corpse is quite universal. It has been so,
+from the days of Greece and Rome, to the present. Such was the sentiment,
+which caused the Romans to veil those, whose features were distorted in
+death, as in the case of Scipio Africanus: such obsequies were called
+_larvata funera_. Such has ever been the feeling, among the civilized and
+the savage. Such was the opinion of Pope's Narcissa, when she exclaimed--
+
+  One need not sure be ugly, though one's dead;
+  And Betty, give this cheek a little red.
+
+The Roman female corpses were painted. So are the corpses of the
+inhabitants of the Polynesian Islands, and of New Zealand. When a New
+Zealand chieftain dies, says Mr. Polack, the relatives and friends cut
+themselves with muscle shells, and let blood profusely, because they
+believe that ghosts, and especially royal ghosts, are exceedingly partial
+to this beverage. The body is laid out by the priests. The head is adorned
+with the most valued feathers of the albatross. The hair is anointed with
+shark oil, and tied, at the crown, with a riband of _tapa_. The lobes of
+the ears are ornamented with bunches of white, down, from the sea-fowl's
+breast, and the cheeks are embellished with red ochre. The brow is
+encircled with a garland of pink and white flowers of the _kaikatoa_.
+Mats, wove of the silken flax, are thrown around the body, which is placed
+upright. Skulls of enemies, slain in battle, are ranged at its feet. The
+relics of ancestors, dug up for the occasion, are placed on platforms at
+its head. A number of slaves are slaughtered, to keep the chieftain
+company. His wives and concubines hang and drown themselves, that they
+also may be of the party. The body lies in state, three or four days. The
+priests flourish round it, with wisps of flax, to keep off the devil and
+all his angels. The _pihe_, or funeral song, is then chanted, which I take
+to be the Old Hundred of the New Zealanders, very much resembling the
+_noenia_, or funereal songs of the Romans. At last, the body is buried,
+with the favorite mats, muskets, trinkets, &c., of the deceased.
+
+The Mandans, of the Upper Missouri, never inhume or bury their dead, but
+place their bodies, according to Mr. Catlin, on light scaffolds, out of
+the reach of the wolves and foxes. There they decay. This place of deposit
+is without the village. When a Mandan dies, he is painted, oiled, feasted,
+supplied with bow, arrows, shield, pipe and tobacco, knife, flint, steel,
+and food, for a few days, and wrapped tightly, in a raw buffalo hide. The
+corpse is then placed upon the scaffold, with its feet to the rising sun.
+An additional piece of scarlet cloth is thrown over the remains of a chief
+or medicine man. This cemetery is called, by the Mandans, the village of
+the dead. Here the Mandans, especially the women, give daily evidence of
+their parental, filial, and conjugal devotion. When the scaffold falls,
+and the bones have generally decayed, the skulls are placed in circles,
+facing inwards. The women, says Mr. Catlin, are able to recognize the
+skulls of their respective husbands, by some particular mark; and daily
+visit them with the best cooked dishes from their wigwams. What a lesson
+of constancy is here! It is a pity, that so much good victuals should be
+wasted; but what an example is this, for the imitation of Christian
+widows, too many of whom, it is feared, resemble Goldsmith's widow with
+the great fan, who, by the laws of her country, was forbidden to marry
+again, till the grave of her husband was thoroughly dry; and who was
+engaged, day and night, in fanning the clods. Some thirty years ago, my
+business led me frequently to pass a stonecutter's door, a few miles from
+the city; and, in a very conspicuous position, I noticed a gravestone,
+sacred to the memory of the most affectionate husband, erected by his
+devoted and inconsolable widow. It continued thus, before the
+stonecutter's shop, for several years. I asked the reason. "Why," said the
+stonecutter, "the inconsolable got married, in four months after, and I
+have never got my pay. They pass this way, now and then, the inconsolable
+and her new husband, and, when I see them, I always run out, and brush the
+dust off."
+
+
+
+
+No. VII.
+
+
+I told that anecdote of the inconsolable widow, related in my last, to old
+Grossman. He and Smith were helping me at a grave, in the Granary ground.
+Bless my heart, how things have changed! We were digging near the Park
+Street side--the old Almshouse fronted on Park Street then--and the
+Granary stood where Park Street Church now stands, until 1809, and the
+long building, called the Massachusetts Bank, covered a part of Hamilton
+Place, and the house, once occupied by Sir Francis Barnard and afterwards
+by Mr. Andrews, with its fine garden, stood at the corner of Winter
+Street, on the site of the present granite block; and--but I am burying
+myself, sexton like, in the grave of my own recollections--I say, I told
+Grossman that story--the old man, when not translated by liquor, was
+delightful company, in a graveyard--we were digging the grave of a young
+widow's third husband. Grossman said she poisoned them. Smith was quite
+shocked, and told him Mr. Deblois was looking over the Almshouse wall.
+
+Grossman said he didn't mean, that she really gave all three of them
+ratsbane; but it was clear enough, she was the end of them all; and he had
+no doubt the widow would be a good customer, and give us two or three jobs
+yet, before she left off. This led me to tell that story. Smith said there
+was nothing half so restless, as an Irish widow. He said, that a young
+Tipperary widow, Nelly McPhee, I think he called her, was courted, and
+actually had an offer from Tooley O'Shane, on the way to her husband's
+funeral. "She accepted, of course," said Grossman. "No, she didn't," said
+Smith--"Tooley, dear," said she, "y'are too late: foor waaks ago it was, I
+shook hands wi Patty Sweeney upon it, that I would have him, in a dacent
+time, arter poor McPhee went anunderbood." "Well," said Grossman, "widows
+of all nations are much alike. There was a Dutch woman, whose husband,
+Diedrick Van Pronk, kicked the bucket, and left her inconsolable. He was
+buried on Copp's Hill. Folks said grief would kill that widow. She had a
+figure of wood carved, that looked very like her late husband, and placed
+it in her bed, and constantly kept it there, for several months.
+
+In about half a year, she became interested in a young shoemaker, who got
+the length of her foot, and finally married her. He had visited the widow,
+not more than a fortnight, when the servants told her they were out of
+kindling stuff, and asked what should be done. After a pause, the widow
+replied, in a very quiet way--"Maype it ish vell enough now, to sphlit up
+old Van Pronk, vat ish up shtair."
+
+Some persons have busied themselves, in a singular way, about their own
+obsequies, and have left strange provisions, touching their remains.
+Charles V., according to Robertson and other writers, ordered a rehearsal
+of his own obsequies--his domestics marched with black tapers--Charles
+followed in his shroud--he was laid in his coffin--the service for the
+dead was chanted. This farce was, in a few days, followed by the real
+tragedy; for the fatigue or exposure brought on fever, which terminated
+fatally. Yet this story, which has long been believed, is distinctly
+denied, by Mr. Richard Ford, in his admirable handbook for Spain; and this
+denial is repeated, in No. 151 of the London Quarterly Review.
+
+Several gentlemen, of the fancy, of the present age, and in this vicinity,
+have provided their coffins, in their life time. The late Timothy Dexter,
+commonly called Lord Dexter, of Newburyport; there was also an eminent
+merchant, of this city. This is truly a Blue Beard business; and, beyond
+its influence, in frightening children and domestics, it is difficult to
+imagine the utility of such an arrangement. After a few visitations, these
+coffins would probably excite just about as much of the _memento mori_
+sensation, as the same number of meal chests.
+
+Burton, in his Anatomy of Melancholy, states that John Zisca, the general
+of the Hussites, ordered a drum to be made of his skin, after he was dead,
+persuaded, that the sound of it would terrify his foes.
+
+When Edward I., of England, was dying, he bound his son, by an oath, to
+boil his body, and, separating the bones, to carry them always before him
+in battle, against the Scots; as though he believed victory to be chained
+to his joints.
+
+The bodies of persons, executed for crime, have, in different ages, and
+among different nations, been delivered to surgeons, for dissection. It
+seems meet and right, that those, who have been worse than useless, in
+their lives, should contribute, in some small degree, to the common weal,
+by such an appropriation of their carcasses. In some cases, these
+miserable creatures have been permitted to make their own bargains, with
+particular surgeons, beforehand; who have, occasionally, been taken in, by
+paying a guinea to an unscrupulous fellow, who knew, though the surgeons
+did not, that he was sentenced to be hung in chains, or, as it is commonly
+called, gibbeted. The difficulty of obtaining subjects, for anatomical
+purposes, has led to outrages upon the dead. Various remedies have been
+proposed--none effectual. Surgical students, will not be deterred, by the
+"Requiescat in pace," and the judges, between the demands of science and
+of sympathy, have been in the predicament of asses, between two bundles of
+straw. A poor vagabond, _nullius filius vel ignoti_, was snatched, by some
+of these young medical dogs, some years ago, and Judge Parsons, who tried
+the indictment, with a leaning to science, imposed a fine of five dollars.
+Not many years after, a worthy judge, a reverencer of Parsons, and a
+devotee to precedent, imposed a fine of five dollars, upon a young sloven,
+who but half completed his job, and left a respectable citizen of Maine,
+half drawn out from his grave, with a rope about his neck.
+
+It seems scarcely conceivable, that a pittance should tempt a man to take
+his fellow's life, that he might sell the body to a surgeon. In 1809,
+Burke was executed in Edinburgh, for this species of murder. It was his
+trade. Victims were lured, by this vampyre, to "the chambers of death,"
+strangled or suffocated, without any visible mark of murder, and then sold
+to the surgeons.
+
+This trade has been attempted in London, at a much later day. Dec. 5,
+1831, a wretch, named Bishop, and his accomplice, Williams, were hung, for
+the murder of an Italian boy, Carlo Ferrari, poor and friendless, whose
+body they sold to the surgeons. They confessed the murder of Ferrari and
+several others, whose bodies were disposed of, in a similar manner.
+
+From a desire to promote the cause of science, individuals have, now and
+then, bequeathed their bodies to particular surgeons. These bequests have
+been rarely insisted upon, by the legatees, and the intentions of the
+testator have seldom been carried out, by the executors; a remarkable
+exception, however, occurred, in the case of the celebrated Jeremy
+Bentham, an account of which I must defer for the present, for funerals
+are not the only things, which may be of unreasonable length.
+
+
+
+
+No. VIII.
+
+
+That eminent friend of science and of man, Jeremy Bentham, held the
+prejudice against dissection, in profound contempt, and bequeathed his
+body, for that object, to Dr. Fordyce, in 1769. Dr. Fordyce died, in 1792,
+and Mr. Bentham, who survived him, and seems to have set his heart upon
+being dissected, aware of the difficulties, that might obstruct his
+purpose, chose three friends, from whom he exacted a solemn promise, to
+fulfil his wishes. Accordingly, Mr. Bentham's body was carried to the Webb
+Street School of Anatomy and Surgery, and publicly dissected, June 9,
+1832, by Dr. Southwood Smith, who delivered an admirable lecture, upon
+that occasion. I wholly object to such a practice, not, upon my honor,
+from selfish motives, though it would spoil our business; but because the
+moral injury, which would result, from such a disposition of mortal
+remains, would be so much greater, than the surgical good. Mr. Bentham's
+example is not likely to be commonly adopted.
+
+A great amount of needless care is sometimes taken, by the living, in
+regard to their relics, and their obsequies, which care belongs,
+manifestly, to survivors. Akin to the preparation of one's coffin, and
+storing it in one's domicil, for years perhaps, is the preparation of
+one's shroud, and death cap, and all the et cætera of laying out. In
+ninety and nine cases, in every one hundred, these things are done, for
+the gratification of personal vanity, to attract attention, and to procure
+a small sample of that lamentation, which the desolate widower and orphans
+will pour forth, _one of these days_. It is observed, by one of the
+daughters, that the mother is engaged in some mysterious piece of needle
+work. "What is it, dear mother?" "Ah, my child, you should not inquire. We
+all must die--it is your poor mother's winding sheet." The daughter is
+convulsed, and pours forth a profluvium of tears. The judicious parent
+soothes, and moralizes, and is delighted. The daughter flies to her
+sisters; and, gathering in some private chamber, their tears are poured
+forth, as the fact is announced. The husband returns--the eyes of his
+household are like beet roots. They gather round their miserable meal. The
+husband has been informed. The sweet-breads go down, untasted. How
+grateful these evidences of sympathy to the wife and mother! A case
+occurred in my practice, of this very description, where the lady
+survived, married again, and the shroud, sallowed by thirty years' _non
+user_, was given, in an hour of need, to a poor family.
+
+Montaigne, vol. 1, page 17, Lond., 1811, says, "I was by no means pleased
+with a story, told me of a relation of mine, that, being arrived at a very
+old age and tormented with the stone, he spent the last hours of his life
+in an extraordinary solicitude, about ordering the pomp and ceremony of
+his funeral, pressing all the men of condition, who came to see him, to
+promise their attendance at his grave."
+
+Sophia Charlotte, the sister of George I., of England, a woman of
+excellent understanding, was the wife of Frederic I. of Prussia. When
+dying, one of her attendants observed how sadly the king would be
+afflicted by her death. "With respect to him," she replied, "I am
+perfectly at ease. His mind will be completely occupied in arranging the
+ceremonial of my funeral; and, if nothing goes wrong in the procession, he
+will be quite consoled for my loss."
+
+Man goeth to his long home, as of yore, but the mourners do not go about
+the streets, as they did, when I was young. The afternoons were given to
+the tolling of bells, and funeral processions. This was about the period,
+when the citizens began to feel their privations, as cow-yards grew
+scarce; and, when our old friend, Ben Russell, told the public, in his
+Centinel, that it was no wonder they were abominably crowded, and pinched
+for gardens, for Boston actually contained seventeen thousand inhabitants.
+I have seen a funeral procession, of great length, going south, by the Old
+South Church, passing another, of equal length, going north, and delaying
+the progress of a third, coming down School Street. The dead were not left
+to bury the dead, in those days. Invitations to funerals were sent round,
+as they are at present, to balls and parties. Othello Pollard and Domingo
+Williams had full employment then. I have heard it stated of Othello,
+that, having in hand two bundles of invitations, one for a fandango, of
+some sort, and the other for a funeral, and being in an evil condition, he
+made sad work in the delivery. Printed invitations are quite common, in
+some countries.
+
+I have seen one, in handbill form, for the funeral of a Madame Barbut, an
+old widow, in Martinique, closing with these words, "_un de profundis, si
+vous_," etc. Roman funerals were distinguished as _indictiva_ and
+_tacita_: to the former, persons were invited, by a crier; the others were
+private. The calling out, according to a prearranged list, which always
+gave offence to somebody, was of old the common practice here. Such was
+the usage in Rome, where the director was styled _dominus funeris_ or
+_designator_. I doubt, if martinets are more tenacious of their rank, in
+the army, than mourners, at a funeral.
+
+There was a practice, in Rome, which would appear very grotesque, at the
+present time. Pipers, _tibicines_, preceded the corpse, with players and
+buffoons, who danced and sang, some of whom imitated the voice, manner and
+gestures of the defunct. Of these, Suetonius gives some account, in his
+lives of Tiberius, Vespasian, and Cæsar.
+
+The practice of watching a corpse, until the time of burying or burning,
+was very ancient, and in use with the Greeks and Romans. The bodies of
+eminent men were borne to the grave, by the most distinguished citizens,
+not acting merely as pall bearers, but sustaining the body on their
+shoulders. Suetonius states, that Julius Cæsar was borne by the
+magistrates; Augustus by the senators. Tacitus, Ann. iii. 2, informs us,
+that Germanicus was supported, on the shoulders of the tribunes and
+centurions. Children, who died, before they were weaned, were carried to
+the pile by their mothers. This must have been a painful office.
+
+
+
+
+No. IX.
+
+
+When I first undertook, there was scarcely any variety, either in the
+inscriptions, or devices, upon gravestones: death's heads and crossbones;
+scythes and hour glasses; angels, with rather a diabolical expression;
+all-seeing eyes, with an ominous squint; squares and compasses; such were
+the common devices; and every third or fourth tablet was inscribed:
+
+  Thou traveller that passest by,
+  As thou art now, so once was I;
+  As I am now, thou soon shalt be,
+  Prepare for death and follow me.
+
+No wonder people were wearied to death, or within an inch of it, by
+reading this lugubrious quatrain, for the hundredth time. We had not then
+learned, from that vivacious people, who have neither taste nor talent for
+being sad, to convert our graveyards into pleasure grounds.
+
+To be sure, even in my early days, and long before, an audacious spirit,
+now and then, would burst the bonds of this mortuary sameness, and take a
+bolder flight. We have an example of this, on the tablet of the Rev.
+Joseph Moody, in the graveyard at York, Maine.
+
+  Although this stone may moulder into dust,
+  Yet Joseph Moody's name continue must.
+
+And another in Dorchester:
+
+  Here lies our Captain and Mayor of Suffolk,
+                Was withall,
+  A godly magistrate was he, and major general.
+  Two troops of hors with him here came, such
+                Worth his love did crave.
+  Ten companyes also mourning marcht
+                To his grave.
+  Let all that read be sure to keep the faith as
+                He has don;
+  With Christ he lives now crowned, his name
+        Was HUMPHREY ATHERTON,
+        He dyed the 16 of September, 1661.
+
+The following, also, in the graveyard at Attleborough, upon the tablet of
+the Rev. Peter Thacher, who died in 1785, is no common effort, and in the
+style of Tate and Brady:
+
+  Whom Papists not
+  With superstitious fire,
+  Would dare to adore,
+  We justly may admire.
+
+And another, in the same graveyard, upon the slave, Cæsar, is very clever.
+The two last lines seem by another hand:
+
+  Here lies the best of slaves,
+    Now turning into dust,
+  Cæsar, the Ethiopian, craves
+    A place, among the just.
+  His faithful soul is fled
+    To realms of Heavenly light,
+  And by the blood that Jesus shed,
+    Is changed from black to white.
+  January 15, he quitted the stage,
+  In the 77 year of his age.
+
+An erratum, ever to be regretted, is certainly quite unexpected, on a
+gravestone. In the graveyard at Norfolk, Va., there is a handsome marble
+monument, sacred to the memory of Mrs. Margaret, &c., wife of, &c., who
+died, &c.: "_Erratum, for Margaret read Martha_."
+
+In olden time, there was a provost of bonny Dundee, and his name was
+Dickson. He was a right jolly provost, and seemed resolved to have one
+good joke beyond the grave. He bequeathed ten pounds, apiece, to three
+men, remarkable above their fellows, for avarice, and dulness, on
+condition, that they should join in the composition of his epitaph, in
+rhyme and metre. They met--the task was terrible--but, Dr. Johnson would
+have said, what will not a Scotchman undertake, for ten pounds! It need
+not be long, said one--a line apiece, said the second--shall I begin? said
+the third. This was objected to, of course; for whoever commenced was
+relieved from the onus of the rhyme. They drew lots for this vantage
+ground, and he, who won, after a copious perspiration, produced the
+following line--
+
+  Here lies Dickson, Provost of Dundee.
+
+This was very much admired--brief and sententious--his name, his official
+station, his death, and the place of his burial were happily compressed
+in a single line. After severe exertion, the second line was produced:
+
+  Here lies Dickson, here lies he.
+
+It was objected, that this was tautological; and that it did not even go
+so far as the first, which set forth the official character of the
+deceased. It was said, in reply, by one of the executors, who happened to
+be present, and who acted as _amicus poetæ_, that the second line would
+have been tautological, if it _had_ set forth the official station, which
+it did not; and that as there had once been a female provost, the last
+word effectually established the sex of Dickson, which was very important.
+The third legatee, though he had leave of absence for an hour, and
+refreshed his spirit, by a ramble on the Frith of Tay, was utterly unable
+to complete the epitaph. At an adjourned meeting, however, he produced the
+following line,
+
+  Hallelujah! Hallelujee!
+
+There are some beautiful epitaphs in our language--there are half a dozen,
+perhaps, which are exquisitely so, and I believe there are not many more.
+I dare not present them here, in juxtaposition with such light matter.
+Swift's clever epitaph, on a miser, may more appropriately close this
+article:
+
+  Beneath this verdant hillock lies
+  Demer, the wealthy and the wise.
+  His heirs, that he might safely rest,
+  Have put his carcass in a chest--
+  The very chest, in which, they say,
+  His other self, his money, lay.
+  And if his heirs continue kind
+  To that dear self he left behind,
+  I dare believe that four in five
+  Will think his better half alive.
+
+
+
+
+No. X.
+
+
+Catacombs, hollows or cavities, according to the etymological import of
+the word, are, as every one knows, receptacles for the dead. They are
+found in many countries; the most ancient are those of Egypt and Thebes,
+which were visited in 1813 and 1818, by Belzoni. Psamatticus was a famous
+fellow, in his time: he was the founder of the kingdom of Egypt; and,
+after a siege of nearly three times the length of that at Troy, he
+captured the city of Azotus. The flight of the house of our lady of
+Loretto from Jerusalem, in a single night, would have seemed less
+miraculous to the Egyptians, than the transportation of the sarcophagus of
+Psamatticus, by a travelling gentleman, from Egypt to London. So it fell
+out, nevertheless. Belzoni penetrated into one of the pyramids of Ghizeh;
+he obtained free access to the tombs of the Egyptian kings, at
+Beban-el-Malook; and brought to England the sarcophagus of Psamatticus,
+exquisitely wrought of the finest Oriental alabaster. Verily kings have a
+slender chance, between the worms and the lovers of _vertu_. "Here lie the
+remains of G. Belzoni"--these brief words mark the grave of Belzoni
+himself, at Gato, near Benin in Africa, where he died, in December, 1823,
+safer in his traveller's robes, than if surrounded with aught to tempt the
+hand of avarice or curiosity. The best account of the Egyptian catacombs
+may be found in Belzoni's narrative, published in 1820.
+
+The catacombs of Italy are vast caverns, in the via Appia, about three
+miles from Rome. They were supposed to be the sepulchres of martyrs, and
+have furnished more capital to priestcraft, for the traffic in relics,
+than would have accrued, for the purposes of agriculture, to the fortunate
+discoverer of a whole island of guano. The common opinion is, that they
+were heathen sepulchres--the _puticuli_ of the ancients. The catacombs of
+Naples, according to Bishop Burnet, are more magnificent than those of
+Rome. Catacombs have been found in Syracuse and Catanea, in Sicily, and in
+Malta.
+
+Jahn, in his Archæologia, sec. 206, speaks of extensive sepulchres, among
+the Hebrews, otherwise called the _everlasting houses_; a term of peculiar
+inapplicability, if we may judge from Maundrell's account of the shattered
+and untenantable state, in which they are found. They are all located
+beyond the cities and villages, to which they belong, that is, beyond
+their more inhabited parts. The sepulchres of the Hebrew kings were upon
+Mount Zion. Extensive caverns, natural or artificial, were the common
+burying-places or catacombs. Gardens and the shade of spreading trees were
+preferred, by some; these are objectionable, on the ground, suggested in a
+former number: to alienate the estate and leave the dead, without the
+right of removal, reserved, is, virtually, a transfer of one's
+ancestors--and to remove them may be unpleasant. For this contingency the
+Greeks and Romans provided, by reducing them to such a portable compass,
+that a man might carry his grandfather in a quart bottle, and ten
+generations, in the right line, in a wheelbarrow. Numerous catacombs are
+to be found in Syria and Palestine. The most beautiful are on the north
+part of Jerusalem. The entrance into these was down many steps. Some of
+them consisted of seven apartments, with niches in the walls, for the
+reception of the dead.
+
+Maundrell, in his travels, page 76, writing of the "grots," as they were
+styled, which have been considered the sepulchres of kings, denies that
+any of the kings of Israel or Judah were buried there. He describes these
+catacombs, as having necessarily cost an immense amount of money and
+labor. The approach is through the solid rock, into an area forty paces
+wide, cut down square, with exquisite precision, out of the solid mass. On
+the south is a portico, nine paces long, and four broad, also cut from the
+solid rock. This has an architrave, sculptured in the stone, of fruits and
+flowers, running along its front. At the end of the portico, on the left,
+you descend into the passage to the sepulchres. After creeping through
+stones and rubbish, Maundrell arrived at a large room, seven or eight
+yards square, cut also from the natural rock. His words are these:--"Its
+sides and ceiling are so exactly square, and its angles so just, that no
+architect, with levels and plummets, could build a room more regular."
+From this room you pass into six more, of the same fabric; the two
+innermost being deepest. All these apartments, excepting the first, are
+filled around with stone coffins. They had been covered with handsome
+lids, and carved with garlands; but, at the period of this visit, the
+covers were mostly broken to pieces, by sacrilegious hands. Here is a
+specimen of the "everlasting houses," and a solemn satire upon the best of
+all human efforts--impotent and vain--to perpetuate that, which God
+Almighty has destined to perish. But of this I shall have more to say,
+when I come to sum up; and endeavor, from these dry bones, to extract such
+wisdom as I can, touching the best mode, in which the living may dispose
+of the dead, whose _memories_ they are bound to embalm, and whose _bodies_
+are entitled to a decent burial.
+
+The catacombs of the Hottentots are the wildest clefts and caverns of
+their mountains. The Greenlanders, after wrapping the dead, in the skins
+of wild animals, bear them to some far distant Golgotha. In Siberia and
+Kamtschatka, they are deposited in remote caverns, with mantles of snow,
+for their winding sheets. It is the valued privilege of the civilized and
+refined to snuff up corruption, and swear it is a rose--to bury their
+dead, in the very midst of the living--in the very tenements, in which
+they breathe, the larger part of every seventh day--in the vaults of
+churches, into which the mourners are expected to descend, and poke their
+noses into the tombs, to prove the full measure of their respect for the
+defunct. But the tombs are faithfully sealed; and, when again opened,
+after several months, perhaps, the olfactory nerves are not absolutely
+staggered--possibly a dull smeller may honestly aver, that he perceives
+nothing--what then? The work of corruption has gone forward--the gases
+have escaped--how and whither? Subtle as the lightning, they have
+percolated, through the meshes of brick and mortar; and the passages or
+gashes, purposely left open in the walls, have given them free egress to
+the outward air.
+
+Very probably neither the eye nor the nose gave notice of their escape.
+Doubtless, it was gradual. The yellow fever, I believe, has never been
+seen nor smelt, during its most terrible ravages. I do remember--not an
+apothecary--but a greenhorn, who, in 1795, heard old Dr. Lloyd say the
+yellow fever was in the air, and who went upon the house top, next morning
+early, to look for it--but he saw it not; and, ever after, said he did not
+think much of Dr. Lloyd. I have something more to say of burials under
+churches, and in the midst of a dense population.
+
+
+
+
+No. XI.
+
+
+A few more words on the subject of burying the dead under churches, and in
+the midst of a dense population. If men would adopt the language of the
+prologue to Addison's Cato--"_dare to have sense yourselves_"--the folly
+and madness of this practice would be sufficiently apparent. Upon some
+simple subjects, one grain of common sense is better, than any quantity of
+the uncommon kind. But it is hard to make men think so. They prefer
+walking by faith--they must consult the savans--the doctors. Now I think
+very well of a good, old-fashioned doctor--one doctor I mean--but, when
+they get to be gregarious, my observation tells me, no good can possibly
+come of it. At post mortems, and upon other occasions, I have, in my
+vocation, seen them assembled, by half dozens and dozens, and I have come
+to the conclusion, that no body of men ever look half so wise, or feel
+half so foolish.
+
+Some of the faculty were consulted, in this city, about thirty years ago,
+upon the question of burying under churches; and, on the strength of the
+opinion given, a large church, not then finished, was provided with tombs,
+and the dead have been buried therein, ever since. Now I think the public
+good would have been advanced, had those doctors set their faces against
+the selfish proposition. That it is a nuisance, I entertain not the
+slightest doubt. The practice of burying in their own houses, among the
+ancients, gave place to burying without the city, or to cremation. The
+unhealthiness, consequent upon such congregations of the dead, was
+experienced at Rome. The inconvenience was so severely felt, in a certain
+quarter, that Augustus gave a large part of one of the cemeteries to
+Mæcenas, who so completely purified it, and changed its character, that it
+became one of the healthiest sites in Rome, and there he built a splendid
+villa, to which Augustus frequently resorted, for fresh air and repose.
+Horace alludes to this transformation, Sat. 8, lib. 1, v. 10, and the
+passage reminds one of the change, which occurred in Philadelphia, when
+the Potter's field was beautifully planted, and transformed into
+Washington Square.
+
+  Hoc miseræ plebi stabat commune sepulchrum,
+  Pantolabo scurræ; Nomentanoque nepoti.
+  Mille pedes in fronte, trecentos cippus in agrum
+  Hic dabat, heredes monumentum ne sequeretur.
+  Nunc licet Esquiliis habitare salubribus, atque
+  Aggere in apprico spatiari, quâ modo tristes
+  Albis informem spectabant ossibus agrum.
+
+Millingen, in his work on Medical jurisprudence, page 54, remarks--"From
+time immemorial medical men have pointed out to municipal authorities the
+dangers, that arise from burying the dead, within the precincts of cities,
+or populous towns."
+
+The early Christians buried their martyrs, and afterwards eminent
+citizens, in their temples. Theodosius, in his celebrated code, forbade
+the practice, because of the infectious diseases.
+
+Theodolphus, the Bishop of Orleans, complained to Charlemagne, that vanity
+and the love of lucre had turned churches into charnel houses, disgraceful
+to the church, and dangerous to man.
+
+Cuthbert, Archbishop of Canterbury, first sanctioned the use of churches,
+for charnel houses, in 758--though Augustine had previously forbidden the
+practice. As Sterne said, in another connection, "they manage these
+matters much better, in France;" there Maret, in 1773, and Vicq d'Azyr, in
+1778, pointed out the terrible consequences, so effectually, that none,
+but dignitaries, were suffered to be buried in churches. In 1804,
+inhumation, in the cities of France, was wholly forbidden, without any
+exception. The arguments produced, at that time, are not uninteresting, at
+this, or any other. In Saulien, about 140 miles from Paris, in the year
+1773, the corpse of a corpulent person was buried, March 3, under the
+church of St Saturnin. April 20, following, a woman was buried near it.
+Both had died of a prevailing fever, which had nearly passed away. At the
+last interment a foul odor filled the church, and out of 170 persons
+present, 149 were attacked with the disease. In 1774 at Nantes, several
+coffins were removed, to make room for a person of note; and fifteen of
+the bystanders died of the emanation, shortly after. In the same year, one
+third of the inhabitants of Lectouse died of malignant fever, which
+appeared, immediately after the removal of the dead from a burial-ground,
+to give place to a public structure.
+
+The public mind is getting to be deeply impressed, upon this subject.
+Cities, and the larger towns are, in many instances, building homes for
+the dead, beyond the busy haunts of the living. The city of London has,
+until within a few years, been backward, in this sanatory movement. At
+present, however, there are six public cemeteries, in the suburbs of that
+city, of no inconsiderable area: the Kensall Green Cemetery, established
+by act 2 and 3 of William IV., in 1832, containing 53 acres--the South
+Metropolitan, by act 6 and 7 William IV., 1836, containing 40 acres--the
+Highgate and Kentish Town, by act 7 and 8 William IV., containing 22
+acres--the Abney Park, at Stoke Newington, containing 30 acres, 1840--the
+Westminster, at Earlscourt, Kensington road, 1840--and the Nunhead,
+containing 40 acres, 1840. Paris has its beautiful Père La Chaise,
+covering the site of the house and extensive grounds, once belonging to
+the Jesuit of that name, the confessor of Louis XIV., who died in 1709.
+New York has its Greenwood; Philadelphia its Laurel Hill; Albany its Rural
+Cemetery; Baltimore its Green Mount; Rochester its Mount Hope; we our
+Mount Auburn; and our neighboring city of Roxbury has already
+selected--and well selected--a local habitation for the dead, and wants
+nothing but a name, which will not long be wanting, nor a graceful
+arrangement of the grounds, from the hands of one, to whom Mount Auburn is
+indebted, for so much of all that is admirable there. I shall rejoice, if
+the governors of this cemetery should decree, that no _tomb_ should ever
+be erected therein--but that the dead should be laid in their _graves_.
+
+My experience has supplied me with good and sufficient reasons--one
+thousand and one--against the employment of tombs, some of which reasons I
+may hereafter produce, though the honor of our craft may constrain me to
+keep silence, in regard to others. Some very bitter family squabbles have
+arisen, about tombs. Two deacons, who were half brothers, had a serious
+and lasting dispute, respecting a family tomb. They became almost furious;
+one of them solemnly protesting, that he would never consent to be buried
+there, while he had his reason, and the other declaring, that he would
+never be put into that tomb, while God spared his life. This, however, is
+not one of those one thousand and one reasons, against tombs.
+
+
+
+
+No. XII.
+
+
+The origin of the catacombs of Paris is very interesting, and not known to
+many. The stone, of which the ancient buildings of Paris were constructed,
+was procured from quarries, on the banks of the river Bièore. No system
+had been adopted in the excavation; and, for hundreds of years, the
+material had been withdrawn, until the danger became manifest. There was a
+vague impression, that these quarries extended under a large part of the
+city. In 1774 the notice of the authorities was called to some accidents,
+connected with the subject. The quarries were then carefully examined, by
+skilful engineers; and the startling fact clearly established, that the
+southern parts of Paris were actually undermined, and in danger of
+destruction. In 1777 a special commission was appointed, to direct such
+works, as might be necessary. On the very day of its appointment, the
+necessity became manifest--a house, in the Rue d'Enfer, sunk ninety-two
+feet. The alarm--the fear of a sudden engulphment--was terrible.
+Operatives were set at work, to prop the streets, roads, palaces, and
+churches. The supports, left by the quarriers, without any method or
+judgment, were insufficient--in some instances, they had given way, and
+the roof had settled. Great fear was felt for the aqueduct of Arcueil,
+which supplied the fountains of Paris, and which passed over this ground,
+for it had already suffered some severe shocks; and it was apprehended,
+not simply that the fountains would be cut off, but that the torrent would
+pour itself into these immense caverns. And now the reader will inquire,
+what relation has this statement to the catacombs? Let us reply.
+
+For hundreds of years, Paris had but one place of interment, the Cemetery
+des Innocens. This was once a part of the royal domains; it lay without
+the walls of Paris; and was given, by one of the earlier kings, to the
+citizens, for a burying-place. It is well known, that this gift to the
+people was intended to prevent the continuance of the practice, then
+common in Paris, of burying the dead, in cellars, courts, gardens,
+streets, and public fields, within the city proper. In 1186 this cemetery
+was surrounded with a high wall, by Philip Augustus, the forty second king
+of France. It was soon found insufficient for its purpose; and, in 1218,
+it was enlarged, by Pierre de Nemours, Bishop of Paris. Generation after
+generation was deposited there, stratum super stratum, until the
+surrounding parishes, in the fifteenth century, began to complain of the
+evil, as an insufferable nuisance. Such a colossal mass of putrescence
+produced discomfort and disease. Hichnesse speaks of several holes about
+Paris, of great size and depth, in which dead bodies were deposited, and
+left uncovered, till one tier was filled, and then covered with a layer of
+earth, and so on, to the top. He says these holes were cleared, once in
+thirty or forty years, and the bones deposited, in what was called "_le
+grand charnier des Innocens_;" this was an arched gallery, surrounding the
+great cemetery.
+
+With what affectionate respect we cherish the venerated name of François
+Pontraci! _Magnum et venerabile nomen!_ He was the last--the last of the
+grave-diggers of _le grand charnier des Innocens_! In the days of my
+novitiate, I believed in the mathematical dictum, which teaches, that two
+things cannot occupy the same place, at the same time. But that dictum
+appears incredible, while contemplating the operations of Pontraci. He was
+a most accomplished stevedore in his department--the Napoleon of the
+charnel house, the very king of spades. All difficulties vanished, before
+his magic power. Nothing roused his indignation so much, as the
+suggestion, that a cemetery was _full_--_c'est impossible!_ was his
+eternal reply. To use the terms of another of the fine arts, the touch of
+Pontraci was irresistible--his _handling_ masterly--his _grouping_
+unsurpassed--and his _fore-shortening_ altogether his own. _Condense!_
+that word alone explained the mystery of his great success. Knapsacks are
+often thrown aside, _en route_, in the execution of rapid movements. In
+the grand march of death, Pontraci considered coffins an encumbrance.
+Those wooden surtouts he thought well enough for parade, but worse than
+useless, on a march. He had a poor opinion of an artist, who could not
+find room, for twenty citizens, heads and heels, in one common grave.
+Madame Pontraci now and then complained, that the fuel communicated a
+problematical flavor to the meat, while roasting--"_c'est odeur, qui a
+rapport à une profession particulière, madame_," was the reply of
+Pontraci. The register, kept by this eminent man, shows, that, in thirty
+years, he had deposited, in this cemetery, ninety thousand bodies. It was
+calculated, that twelve hundred thousand had been buried there, since the
+time of Philip Augustus. In 1805, the Archbishop of Paris, under a resolve
+of the Council of State, issued a decree, that the great cemetery should
+be suppressed and evacuated. It was resolved to convert it into a market
+place. The happy thought of converting the quarries into catacombs
+fortunately occurred, at that period, to M. Lenoie, lieutenant general of
+police. Thus a receptacle was, at once, provided for the immense mass of
+human remains, to be removed from the Cemetery des Innocens. A portion of
+the quarries, lying under the _Plaine de Mont Souris_, was assigned, for
+this purpose. A house was purchased with the ground adjoining, on the old
+road to Orleans. It had, at one time, belonged to Isouard, a robber, who
+had infested that neighborhood. A flight of seventy-seven steps was made,
+from the house down into the quarries; and a well sunk to the bottom, down
+which the bones were to be thrown. Workmen were employed, in constructing
+pillars to sustain the roof, and in walling round the part, designed for
+_le charnier_. The catacombs were then consecrated, with all imaginable
+pomp.
+
+In the meantime, the vast work of removing the remains went forward, night
+and day, suspended, only, when the hot weather rendered it unsafe to
+proceed. The nocturnal scenes were very impressive. A strange
+resurrection, to be sure! Bonfires burnt brightly amid the gloom. Torches
+threw an unearthly glare around, and illuminated these dealings with the
+dead. The operatives, moving about in silence, bearing broken crosses, and
+coffins, and the bones of the long buried, resembled the agents of an
+infernal master. All concerned had been publicly admonished, to reclaim
+the crosses, tombstones, and monuments of their respective dead. Such, as
+were not reclaimed, were placed in the field, belonging to the house of
+Isouard. Many leaden coffins were buried there, one containing the remains
+of Madame de Pompadour. During _the_ revolution, the house and grounds of
+Isouard were sold as national domain, the coffins melted, and the
+monuments destroyed. The catacombs received the dead from other
+cemeteries; and those, who fell, in periods of commotion, were cast there.
+When convents were suppressed, the dead, found therein, were transferred
+to this vast omnibus.
+
+During the revolution, the works were neglected--the soil fell in; water
+found its way to the interior; the roof began to crumble; and the bones
+lay, in immense heaps, mixed with the rubbish, and impeding the way. And
+there, for the present, we shall leave them, intending to resume this
+account of the catacombs of Paris, in a future number.
+
+
+
+
+No. XIII.
+
+
+In 1810, the disgusting confusion, in the catacombs of Paris, was so much
+a subject of indignant remark, that orders were issued to put things in
+better condition. A plan was adopted, for piling up the bones. In some
+places, these bones were thirty yards in thickness; and it became
+necessary to cut galleries through the masses, to effect the object
+proposed.
+
+There were two entrances to the catacombs--one near the barrier d'Enfer,
+for visitors--the other, near the old road to Orleans, for the workmen.
+The staircase consisted of ninety steps, which, after several windings,
+conducted to the western gallery, from which others branched off, in
+different directions. A long gallery, extending beneath the aqueduct of
+Arcueil, leads to the gallery of Port Mahon, as it is called. About a
+hundred yards from this gallery, the visitor comes again to the passage to
+the catacombs; and, after walking one hundred yards further, he arrives at
+the vestibule, which is of an octagonal form. This vestibule opens into a
+long gallery, lined with bones, from top to bottom. The arm, leg, and
+thigh bones are in front, compactly and regularly piled together. The
+monotony of all this is tastefully relieved, by three rows of skulls, at
+equal distances, and the smaller bones are stowed behind. How very French!
+This gallery leads to other apartments, lined with bones, variously and
+fancifully arranged. In these rooms are imitation vases and altars,
+constructed of bones, and surmounted with skulls, fantastically arranged.
+This really seems to be the work of some hybrid animal--a cross, perhaps,
+between the Frenchman and the monkey.
+
+These crypts, as they are called, are designated by names, strangely
+dissimilar. There is the Crypte de Job, and the Crypte d'Anacreon--the
+Crypte de La Fontaine, and the Crypte d'Ezekiel--the Crypte d'Hervey, and
+the Crypte de Rousseau. An album, kept here, is filled with mawkish
+sentimentality, impertinent witticism, religious fervor, and infidel
+bravado.
+
+The calculations vary, as to the number of bodies, whose bones are
+collected here. At the lowest estimate, the catacombs are admitted to
+contain the remains of three millions of human beings.
+
+While contemplating the fantastical disposition of these human relics, one
+recalls the words of Sir Thomas Browne, in his Hydriotaphia--"Antiquity
+held too light thoughts from objects of mortality, while some drew
+provocatives of mirth from anatomies, and jugglers showed tricks with
+skeletons."
+
+Here then, like "_broken tea-cups, wisely kept for show_," are the broken
+skeletons of more than three millions of human beings, paraded for public
+exhibition! Most of them, doubtless, received Christian burial, and were
+followed to their graves, and interred, with more or less of the forms and
+ceremonies of the Catholic church, and deposited in the earth, there to
+repose in peace, till the resurrection! How applicable here the language
+of the learned man, whom we just quoted--"When the funeral pyre was out,
+and the last valediction over, men took a lasting adieu of their interred
+friends, little expecting the curiosity of future ages should comment upon
+their ashes; and having no old experience of the duration of their relics,
+held no opinion of such after-considerations. But who knows the fate of
+his bones, or how often he is to be buried! Who hath the oracle of his
+ashes, or whither they are to be scattered?" How little did the gay and
+guilty Jeane Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, imagine this rude
+handling of her mortal remains! She was buried in the Cemetery des
+Innocens, in 1764--and shared the common exhumation and removal in 1805.
+
+It seems to have been the desire of mankind, in every age and nation, to
+repose in peace, after death. In conformity with this desire, the
+cemeteries of civilized nations, the morais of the Polynesian isles, and
+the cities of the dead, throughout the world, have been, from time
+immemorial, consecrated and tabooed. So deep and profound has been the
+sentiment of respect, for the feelings of individuals, upon this subject,
+that great public improvements have been abandoned, rather than give
+offence to a single citizen.
+
+Near forty years ago, a meeting was held in Faneuil Hall, to consider a
+proposition for some change, in the Granary burying-ground, which
+proposition, was rejected, by acclamation. During the Mayoralty, of the
+elder Mr. Quincy, it was the wish of very many to continue the mall,
+through the burial-ground, in the Common. The consent of all, but two or
+three, was obtained. They were offered new tombs, and the removal of their
+deceased relatives, under their own supervision, at the charge of the
+city. These two or three still objected, and this great public improvement
+was abandoned; and with manifest propriety. The basis of this sentiment is
+a deep laid and tender respect for the ashes of the dead, and an earnest
+desire, that they may rest, undisturbed, till the resurrection; and this
+is the very last thing, which is likely to befall the tenant of a TOMB;
+for the owner--and tombs, like other tenements, will change owners--in the
+common phraseology of leases, has a right to enter, "to view, and expel
+the lessee"--if no survivor is at hand to prevent, and the new proprietor
+has other tenants, whom he prefers for the dark and gloomy mansion. And
+they, in process of time, shall be served, in a similar manner, by
+another generation. This is no exception; it is the general rule, the
+common course of dealing with the dead. A tomb, containing the remains of
+several generations, may become, by marriage, the property of a stranger.
+His wife dies. He marries anew. New connections beget new interests. The
+tomb is _useless_, to him, because it is _full_. A general clearance is
+decreed. A hole is dug in the bottom of the tomb; the coffins, with an
+honorable exception, in respect to his late beloved, are broken to pieces;
+and the remains cast into the pit, and covered up. The tablet, overhead,
+perpetuates the lie--"Sacred to the memory," &c. However, the tomb is
+white-washed, and swept out, and a nice place he has made of it! All this,
+have I seen, again and again.
+
+When a tomb is opened, for a new interment, dilapidated coffins are often
+found lying about, and bones, mud, and water, on the bottom. We always
+make the best of it, and stow matters away, as decently as we can. We are
+often blamed for time's slovenly work. Grossman said, that a young
+spendthrift, who really cared for nothing but his pleasures, was, upon
+such an occasion, seized with a sudden fit of reverence for his great
+grandfather, and threatened to shoot Grossman, unless he produced him,
+immediately. He was finally pacified by a plain statement, and an
+exhibition of the old gentleman's bones behind the other coffins. We could
+not be looked upon, more suspiciously, by certain inconsiderate persons,
+if we were the very worms that did the mischief. As a class, we are as
+honorable as any other. There are bad men, in every calling. There is no
+crime, in the decalogue, or out of it, which has not been committed, by
+some apostle, in holy orders. Doctors and even apothecaries are,
+occasionally, scoundrels. And, in a very old book, now entirely out of
+print, I have read, that there was, in the olden time, a lawyer, _rara
+avis_, who was suspected of not adhering, upon all occasions, to the
+precise truth. Tombs are nuisances. I will tell you why.
+
+
+
+
+No. XIV.
+
+
+Tombs are obviously more liable to invasion, with and without assistance,
+from the undertaker and his subalterns, than graves. There may be a few
+exceptions, where the sexton does not cooperate. If a grave be dug, in a
+suitable soil, of a proper depth, which is some feet lower than the usual
+measure, the body will, in all probability, remain undisturbed, for ages,
+and until corruption and the worm shall have done their work, upon flesh
+and blood, and decomposition is complete. An intelligent sexton, who keeps
+an accurate chart of his diggings, will eschew that spot. On the other
+hand, every coffin is exposed to view, when a tomb is opened for a new
+comer. On such occasions, we have, sometimes, full employment, in driving
+away idlers, who gather to the spot, to gratify a sickly curiosity, or to
+steal whatever may be available, however "sacred to the memory," &c. The
+tomb is left open, for many hours, and, not unfrequently, over night, the
+mouth perhaps slightly closed, but not secured against intruders. During
+such intervals, the dead are far less protected from insult, and the
+espionage of idle curiosity, than the contents of an ordinary toy-shop, by
+day or night. Fifty years ago, curiosity led me to walk down into a vault,
+thus left exposed. No person was near. I lifted the lid of a coffin--the
+bones had nearly all crumbled to pieces--the skull remained entire--I took
+it out, and, covering it with my handkerchief, carried it home. I have, at
+this moment, a clear recollection of the horror, produced in the mind of
+our old family nurse, by the exhibition of the skull, and my account of
+the manner, in which I obtained it. "What an awful thing it would be," the
+dear, good soul exclaimed, "if the resurrection should come this very
+night, and the poor man should find his skull gone!" My mother was
+informed; and I was ordered to take it back immediately: it was then dark;
+and when I arrived at the tomb, in company with our old negro, Hannibal,
+to whom the office was in no wise agreeable, the vault was closed. I
+deposited the skull on the tomb, and walked home in double quick time,
+with my head over my shoulder, the whole way. I relate this occurrence, to
+show how motiveless such trespasses may be.
+
+There is a morbid desire, especially in women, which is rather difficult
+of analysis, to descend into the damp and dreary tomb--to lift the coffin
+lid--and look upon the changing, softening, corrupting features of a
+parent or child--to gaze upon the mouldering bones; and thus to gather
+materials, for fearful thoughts, and painful conversations, and frightful
+dreams!
+
+A lady lost her child. It died of a disease, not perfectly intelligible to
+the doctor, who desired a post mortem examination, which the mother
+declined. He urged. She peremptorily refused. The child was buried in the
+Granary ground. A few months after, another member of the same family was
+buried in the same vault. The mother, notwithstanding the remonstrances of
+her husband, descended, to look upon the remains of her only daughter;
+and, after a careful search, returned, in the condition of Rachel, who
+would not be comforted, because it was not. In a twofold sense, it was
+_not_. The coffin and its contents had been removed. The inference was
+irresistible. The distress was very great, and fresh, upon the slightest
+allusion, to the end of life. Cases of premature sepulture are, doubtless,
+extremely rare. That such, however, have sometimes occurred, no doubt has
+been left upon the mind, upon the opening of tombs. These are a few only
+of many matters, which are destined, from time to time, to be brought to
+light, upon the opening of _tombs_, and which are not likely to disturb
+the feelings of those whose deceased relatives and friends are committed
+to well-made _graves_. On all these occasions, ignorance is bliss.
+
+Tombs, not only such as are constructed under churches, but in common
+cemeteries, are frequently highly offensive, on the score of emanation.
+They are liable to be opened, for the admission of the dead, at all times;
+and, of course, when the worms are riotous, and corruption is rankest, and
+the pungent gases are eminently dangerous, and disgusting. Even when
+closed, the intelligible odor, arising from the dissolving processes,
+which are going on within, is more than living flesh and blood can well
+endure. Again and again, visitors at Mount Auburn have been annoyed, by
+this effluvium from the tombs. By the universal adoption of well-made
+graves, this also may be entirely avoided.
+
+When a family becomes, or is supposed to be, extinct, or has quitted the
+country, their dead kindred are usually permitted to lie in peace, in
+their _graves_. It is not always thus, if they have had the misfortune to
+be buried in _tombs_. To cast forth a dead tenant, from a solitary
+_grave_, that room might be found for a new comer, would scarcely be
+thought of; but the temptation to seize five or six _tombs_, at once, for
+town's account, on the pretext, that they were the tombs of extinct
+families, has, once, at least, proved irresistible, and led to an outrage,
+so gross and revolting, in this Commonwealth, that the whole history of
+cemeteries in our country cannot produce a parallel. In April, 1835, the
+board of health, in a town of this Commonwealth, gave notice, in a
+_single_ paper, that certain tombs were dilapidated; that no
+representative of former owners could be found; and that, if not claimed
+and repaired, within sixty days, those tombs would be sold, to pay
+expenses, &c. In fulfilment of this notice, in September following, the
+entire contents of five tombs were broken to pieces, and shovelled out. In
+one of these tombs there were thirty coffins, the greater part of which
+were so sound, as to be split with an axe. A portion of the silver plate,
+stolen by the operatives employed by the board of health, was afterwards
+recovered, bearing date, as recently as 1819. The board of health then
+advertised these tombs for sale, in _two_ newspapers. Nothing of these
+brutal proceedings was known to the relatives, until the deed of barbarity
+was done. Now it can scarcely be credited, that, in that very town, a few
+miles from it, and in this city, there were then living numerous
+descendants, and relatives of those, whose tombs had thus been violated.
+Some of the dead, thus insulted, had been the greatest benefactors of that
+town, so much so, that a narrative of their donations has been published,
+in pamphlet form. Among the direct descendants were some of the oldest and
+most distinguished families of this city, whose feelings were severely
+tried by this outrage. The ashes of the dead are common property. The
+whole community bestirs itself in their defence. The public indignation
+brought those stupid and ignorant officials to confession and atonement,
+if not to repentance. They passed votes of regret; replaced the ashes in
+proper receptacles within the tombs; and put them in order, at the public
+charge. A meagre and miserable atonement, for an injury of this peculiar
+nature; and, though gracelessly accorded,--extorted by the stringency of
+public sentiment, and the fear of legal process,--yet, on the whole, the
+only satisfaction, for a wrong of this revolting and peculiar character.
+The insecurity of tombs is sufficiently apparent. An empty tomb may be
+attached by creditors; but, by statute of Mass., 1822, chap. 93, sec. 8,
+it cannot be, while in use, as a cemetery. But no law, of man or nature,
+can prevent the disgusting effects, and mortifying casualties, and
+misconstructions of power, which have arisen, and will forever continue to
+arise, from the miserable practice of burying the dead, in _tombs_.
+
+
+
+
+No. XV.
+
+
+There is, doubtless, something not altogether agreeable, in the thought of
+being buried alive. Testamentary injunctions are not uncommon, for the
+prevention of such a calamity. As far, as my long experience goes, the
+percentage is exceedingly small. About twenty-five years ago, some old
+woman was certain, that a person, lately buried, was not exactly dead. She
+gave utterance to this certainty--there was no _evidence_, and ample room
+therefore for _faith_. The defunct had a little property--it was a clear
+case, of course--his relatives had buried him alive, to get possession! A
+mob gathered, in King's Chapel yard; and, to appease their righteous
+indignation, the grave was opened, the body exposed, doctors examined, and
+the mob was respectfully assured, that the man was dead--dead as a door
+nail. A proposition to bury the old woman, in revenge, was rejected
+immediately. But she did not give up the point--they never do. She
+admitted, that the party was dead, but persisted, that his death was
+caused, by being buried alive.
+
+Some are, doubtless, still living, who remember the affair in the Granary
+yard. Groans had been heard there, at night. Some person had been buried
+alive, beyond all doubt. A committee was appointed to visit the spot. Upon
+drawing near, subdued laughter and the sounds of vulgar merriment arose,
+from one of the tombs--a light was seen glimmering from below--the strong
+odor, not of corruption, but of mutton chops, filled the air. Some
+vagabonds had cleared the tomb, and taken possession, and, with broken
+coffins for fuel, had found an appetite, among the dead. The occupation of
+tombs, by the outcasts of society, was common, long before the Christian
+era.
+
+That the living have been buried, unintentionally, now and then, is
+undoubtedly true. Such has probably been the case, sometimes, under
+catalepsy or trance, the common duration of which is from a few hours, to
+two or three days; but of which Bonet, _Medic., Septentrion, lib. 1, sec.
+16, chap. 6_, gives an example, which lasted twenty days. Bodies have been
+found, says Millingen, in his Curiosities of Medical Experience, page 63,
+where the miserable victims have devoured the flesh of their arms; and he
+cites John Scott and the Emperor Zeno, as examples. Plato recites the case
+of a warrior, who was left ten days, as dead, upon the field of battle,
+and came to life, on his way to the sepulchre. In Chalmers' Memoir of the
+Abbe Prevôt, it is related, that he was found, by a peasant, having fallen
+in an apoplectic fit. The body was cold, and carried to a surgeon, who
+proceeded to open it. During the process, the Abbe revived, only, however,
+to die of the wound, inflicted by the operator.
+
+The danger of burying alive has been noticed by Pineau, _Sur le danger des
+Inhumations precipitées, Paris, 1776_. Dr. John Mason Good, vol. 4, page
+613, remarks, that catalepsy has been mistaken for real death; and, in
+countries where burial takes place speedily, it is much to be feared,
+that, in a few instances, the patient has been buried alive. A case of
+asphyxy, of a singular kind, is stated, by Mr. Pew, and recited by Dr.
+Good, of a female, whose interment was postponed, for a post mortem
+examination--most fortunately--for the first touch of the scalpel brought
+her to life. Diemerbroeck, _Tractat de Peste_, _Lib. 4, Hist. 8_, relates
+the case of a rustic, who was laid out for interment. Three days passed
+before the funeral. He was supposed to have died of the plague. When in
+the act of being buried, he showed signs of life, recovered, and lived
+many years. Dr. Good observes, that a critical examination of the region
+of the heart, and a clear mirror, applied to the mouth and nostrils, will
+commonly settle the question of life or death; but that even these signs
+will sometimes fail. What then shall be done? Matthæus Hildanus and
+others, who give many stories of this kind, say--wait for the infallible
+signs of putrefaction. It may be absurd to wait too long; it is indecorous
+to inhume too soon.
+
+The case, recited by Mr. Pew, reminds me of Pliny's account of persons who
+came to life, on the funeral pile. "Aviola in rogo revixit: et, quoniam
+subveniri non potuerat, prævalente flamma, vivus crematus est. Similis
+causa in L. Lamia, prætorio viro, traditur."--Lib. 7, sec. 53.
+
+Old Grossman's stories, in this connection, were curious enough. He gave a
+remarkable account of a good old deacon, who had a scolding wife. She fell
+sick and died, as was supposed, and was put in her coffin, and screwed
+down, and lifted. Everything, as Grossman said, went on very pleasantly,
+till they began to descend into the tomb, when the sexton, at the foot,
+slipped, and the coffin went by the run, and struck violently against the
+wall of the tomb. One instant of awful silence was followed, by a shrill
+shriek from the corpse--"_Let me out--let me out!_" The poor old deacon
+wrung his hands, and looked, as Grossman expressed it, "real melancholy."
+The lid was unscrewed, as soon as possible, and the lady, less in sorrow,
+than in anger, insisted on immediate emancipation. All attempts to
+persuade her to be still, and go home as she came, for the decency of the
+thing, were unavailing. The top of the coffin was removed. The deacon
+offered to help her out. She refused his proffered hand; and, doubling her
+fist in his face, told him he was a monster, and should pay for it, and
+insisted on walking back, in her death clothes. About six months after,
+she died, in good earnest. "The poor deacon," said Grossman, "called us
+into a private room, and reminding us of the sad turn things took, last
+time, begged us to be careful; and told us, if all things went right, he
+would treat us at his store, the next day. He retailed spirit, as all the
+deacons did, being the very persons, pointed at, by the finger of the law,
+as men of sober lives and conversations."
+
+Grossman told another story. We could scarcely credit it. He offered to
+swear to it; but we begged he wouldn't. It was of a woman, who was a cider
+sot. Her husband had tried all sorts of preventive experiments, in vain.
+His patience was exhausted. He tapped a barrel, and let her drink her
+fill. She and the barrel gave out together. She was buried. The coldness
+of the tomb brought her to life. She felt around the narrow domicil, in
+which she lay. Her consciousness, that she was in her coffin, and that she
+had been buried, was clear enough; but her other impressions were rather
+cloudy. It never occurred to her, that she had been buried alive. She
+imagined herself, in another world, and, knocking, as hard as possible,
+against the lid and sides of her coffin, she exclaimed, "Good people of
+the upper world, if ye have got any good cider, do let us have a mug of
+it." Luckily, the mouth of the tomb had not been closed, and, when the
+sexton came to close it, he was scandalized, of course, to hear a thirsty
+corpse, crying for cider; but the woman was soon relieved from her
+predicament. The Mandans, whose custom of never burying their dead, I have
+alluded to, may possibly be influenced, by a consideration of this very
+contingency. In some places, bodies have been placed in a lighted room,
+near the charnel house, there to remain, till the signs of corruption
+could no longer be mistaken. The tops of the coffins being loose; and a
+bell so connected with the body, as to ring on the slightest movement.
+
+
+
+
+No. XVI.
+
+
+My profession is very dear to me; and nothing would gratify me more, than
+to see my brother artists restored to their original dignity. It is quite
+common to look upon a sexton, as a mere grave-digger, and upon his
+calling, as a cold, underground employment, divested of everything like
+sentiment or solemnity.
+
+In the olden time, the sexton bore the title of sacristan. He had charge
+of the sacristy, or vestry, and all the sacred vessels and vestments of
+the church. At funerals, his office corresponded with that of the Roman
+_dominus funeris_ or _designator_, referred to by Horace, Ep. i., 7,
+6--and by Cicero to Atticus, iv., 2. He was, in point of law, considered
+as having a freehold, in his office, and therefore he could not be
+deprived, by ecclesiastical censure. It was his duty to attend upon the
+rector, and to take no unimportant part, in all those inestimable forms,
+and ceremonies, and circumgyrations, and genuflections, which render the
+worship of the high church so exceedingly picturesque. The sexton of the
+Pope's chapel was selected, from the order of the hermits of St.
+Augustine, and was commonly a bishop. His title was _prefect of the Pope's
+sacristy_. When the Pope said mass, the sexton always tasted the bread and
+wine first. And, when the Pope was desperately sick, the sexton gave him
+extreme unction. I recite these facts, that the original dignity of our
+office may be understood.
+
+The employment of sextons has been rather singular, in some countries. M.
+Outhier states, that, when he visited the church of St. Clara, at
+Stockholm, he observed the sexton, during the sermon, with a long rod,
+waking those, who had fallen asleep.
+
+I fully believe, that the sextons of this city are all honorable men; and
+yet it cannot be denied, that the solemn occasion, upon which their
+services are required, is one, upon which, pride and sensibility forbid
+all higgling, on the part of the customer. However oppressively the charge
+of consigning a relative to the ground may bear, upon one of slender
+means, the tongue of complaint is effectually tied. The consciousness of
+this furnishes a strong temptation to imposition. The same desire to
+promote the public good, which induced Mr. Bentham to give his body for
+dissection, has led distinguished individuals, now and then, to prescribe
+simple and inexpensive obsequies, for themselves.
+
+Livy says, book 48, sec. 10, that Marcus Emilius Lepidus directed his sons
+to bury him without parade, and at a very small charge. As he was the
+Pontifex Maximus, possessed of wealth, and of a generous spirit, the
+promotion of the public good was the only motive. Cheating at funerals was
+as common at Athens, as at Rome. Demades, as Seneca relates, book 6, ch.
+33, _de beneficiis_, condemned an unprincipled Athenian sexton, for
+extortion, in furnishing out funerals. The friends and relatives are so
+busy with their sorrow, that they have neither time nor taste, for the
+examination of accounts, and, least of all, such as concern the obsequies
+of near friends. I was never more forcibly impressed with the truth, that,
+where the carcass is, there the vultures will be gathered together, than
+in the little island of St. Croix, during the winter of 1840. I was there
+with a friend, a clergyman, who visited that island, for the restoration
+of his wife's health. She died. Her remains were never buried there, but
+brought to this city, and here interred. In that island there is a
+tribunal, called the _Dealing Court_, analogous to the court of probate,
+or orphan's court, in this country. In less than forty-eight hours, a bill
+was presented, from this court, for "_dealing_" with the estate of the
+deceased. She had no estate; no act had been done. "True, but such is the
+custom of our island--such is the law of Denmark." After taking counsel,
+the bill was paid. The Danish Lutheran is the established religion of the
+island. The Episcopal lives, by sufferance. A few days after this lady's
+decease, a bill was presented, from the officers of the _Danish Lutheran_
+church, for granting permission to dig her grave, in the _Episcopal_
+ground. It was objected, that no permission had been asked, that no burial
+had been intended, that the body had been placed in spirits, for its
+removal to the United States. It was replied, "Such is the usage of the
+island; the permission is granted, and may be used or not; such is the law
+of Denmark."
+
+Shortly after this, a bill was presented, for digging the grave. It was in
+vain to protest, as before, and to assert, that no grave had been dug. The
+answer was the same; "the grave must be paid for; it will be dug or not,
+as you wish; such is the usage of the island; such is the law of Denmark."
+In due time, another demand was made, for carrying round invitations, and
+attendance upon the funeral. It was useless to say, that no invitations
+were sent--no funeral was had. "Such is the custom of the island; such is
+the law of Denmark." The reader, by this time, will be satisfied, that
+something is rotten in Denmark; this narrative appears so very improbable,
+that I deem it right to assure the reader the circumstances are stated
+faithfully, and that the clergyman referred to, is still living.
+
+In commending a respectable frugality, in our dealings with the dead, not
+only with regard to their obsequies, but in relation to sepulchral and
+monumental expenditure, I oppose the interest of our profession, and
+cannot be accused of any selfish motive. A chaste simplicity is due to the
+occasion; for surely no more illy chosen hour can be given to the
+gratification of pride, than that, in which the very pride of man is
+humbled in the dust. How often have my thoughts descended from the costly,
+sculptured obelisk, to the carnival of worms below!
+
+A well-set example of comely modesty, in these matters, would be
+productive of much advantage to the community. The man of common means, if
+he happen to be also a man of common sense, will not imitate the man of
+opulence, in the splendor of his equipage or furniture. But he will too
+readily enter into what he deems a righteous rivalry of funereal parade,
+and leave his debts unpaid, rather than abate one cubit, in the height of
+his monument, or obelisk. It is not now the custom to bury with the dead,
+or deposit with their ashes, as in urn burial, articles of use and value
+to the living. We have been taught, that those graves are the least likely
+to be violated, in which are deposited little else than mortal remains.
+But, in a certain sense, the dead can no longer be said to carry nothing
+with them. The silver and its workmanship alone, which are annually
+buried, furnish no inconsiderable item.
+
+The outer coffin of Nathan Meyer Rothschild "was of fine oak, and so
+handsomely carved and decorated with massive silver handles, at both sides
+and ends, that it appeared more like a cabinet, or splendid piece of
+furniture, than a receptacle of the dead. A raised tablet of oak, on the
+breast, was carved with the arms of the deceased." The arms of the
+deceased! Very edifying to the worms, those cunning operatives, who work
+so skilfully, in silence and darkness! The arms of the deceased! Matthew
+Prior had some shrewd notions of heraldry. He wrote his own epitaph--
+
+  Heralds and nobles, by your leave,
+    Here lie the bones of Matthew Prior;
+  The son of Adam and of Eve;
+    Let Bourbon and Nassau go higher.
+
+
+
+
+No. XVII.
+
+
+My attention has been called, by a young disciple of the great Pontraci,
+"a sexton of the new school," to an interesting anecdote, which I have
+heard related, in days by-gone, and which has, more than once, appeared in
+print. It is, by many, believed, that the remains of Major Pitcairn, which
+were supposed to have been sent home to England, are still in this
+country, and that those of Lieutenant Shea were transmitted, by mistake.
+Whether _he_ or _Shea_ will ever remain doubtful. Major Pitcairn was
+killed, as is well known, at the battle of Bunker's Hill. Shea died of
+inflammation on the brain. They were alike in size. On the top of the head
+of the body, selected by the sexton of Christ Church, as the remains of
+Major Pitcairn, it is stated, there was a blistering plaster; and, from
+this circumstance, the impression has arisen, that the monument in
+Westminster Abbey, however sacred to the memory of Pitcairn, stands over
+the remains of Lieutenant Shea. There is not more uncertainty, in relation
+to the remains of Major Pitcairn, than has existed, in regard to the
+individual, by whose hands he fell; though it is now agreed, that he was
+shot by a black soldier, named Salem. Fifty men, at the lowest estimate,
+have died in the faith, that they killed Pitcairn. He was a man of large
+stature, fearless, and ever in the van, as he is represented by Marshall,
+at the battle of Lexington.
+
+He was a palpable mark, for the muskets and rifles of the sharp-shooters.
+It is not improbable, that fifty barrels were levelled at his person, when
+he fell; and hence fifty claimants, for the merit of Pitcairn's
+destruction. Upon precisely similar grounds, rest the claims of Col.
+Johnson, for the killing of Tecumseh.
+
+When the flesh has gone and nothing but the bones remain, it is almost
+impossible, to recognize the remains of any particular individual, buried
+hastily, as the fallen commonly are, after a battle, in one common grave;
+unless we are directed, by certain external indicia. In April, 1815, I
+officiated at the funeral of Dr. John Warren, brother of the patriot and
+soldier, who fell so gloriously, at Bunker's Hill, and whose death was
+said, by the British General, Howe, to be an offset, for five hundred men.
+Dr. James Jackson delivered the eulogy, on Dr. John Warren, in King's
+Chapel. General Warren was buried in the trenches, where he so bravely
+fell; and, when disinterred, in 1776, for removal to Boston, the remains
+were identified, by an inspection of the teeth, upon which an operation
+had been performed, the evidence of which remained. This testimony was
+doubtless corroborated, by the mark of the bullet on his forehead; for he
+was not a man to be wounded in the back. "The bullet which terminated his
+life," says Mr. A. H. Everett in his memoir, "was taken from the body, by
+Mr. Savage, an officer in the Custom House, and was carried by him to
+England. Several years afterwards, it was given by him at London, to the
+Rev. Mr. Montague of Dedham, Massachusetts, and is now in possession of
+his family."
+
+These translations of the dead, from place to place, are full of
+uncertainty; and hence has arisen a marvellous and successful system of
+jugglery and priestcraft. The first translation of this kind, stated by
+Brady, in his Clavis, is that of Edward, king of the West Saxons. He was
+removed with great pomp from Wareham to the minster of Salisbury. Three
+years only had passed since his burial, and no error is imputed, in the
+relation. In the year 359, the Emperor Constantius was moved, by the
+spirit, to do something in this line; and he caused the remains of St.
+Andrew and St. Luke to be translated, from their original resting-places,
+to the temple of the twelve apostles, at Constantinople. Some little
+doubt might be supposed to hang over the question of identity, after such
+a lapse of years, in this latter case. From this eminent example, arose
+that eager search for the remains of saints, martyrs, and relics of
+various descriptions, which, for many centuries, filled the pockets of
+imposters, with gold, and the world, with idolatry. So great was the
+success of those, engaged in this lucrative employment, that John the
+Baptist became a perfect hydra. Heads of this great pioneer were
+discovered, in every direction. Some of the apostles were found, upon
+careful search, to be centipedes; and others to have had as many hands as
+Briareus. These monstrosities were too vast to be swallowed, without a
+miracle. Father John Freand, of Anecy, assured the faithful, that God was
+pleased to multiply these remains for their devotion. Consecration has
+been refused to churches, unprovided with relics. Their production
+therefore became indispensable. All the wines, produced in _Oporto_ and
+_Zeres de la Frontera_, furnish not a fourth part of the liquor, drunken,
+in London alone, under the names of Port and Sherry; and the bones of all
+the martyrs, were it possible to collect them, would not supply the
+occasions of the numerous churches, in Catholic countries. Misson says
+eleven holy lances are shown, in different places, for the true lance,
+that pierced the side of Christ.
+
+Many egregious sinners have undoubtedly been dug up, and their bones
+worshipped, as the relics of genuine saints. Though not precisely to our
+purpose, it may not be uninteresting to the reader, to contemplate a
+catalogue of some few of the relics, exhibited to the faithful, as they
+are enumerated, by Bayle, Butler, Misson, Brady and others;--the lance--a
+piece of the cross--one of Christ's nails--five thorns of the crown--St.
+Peter's chain--a piece of the manger--a tooth of John the Baptist--one of
+St. Anne's arms--the towel, with which Christ wiped the feet of the
+apostles--one of his teeth--his seamless coat--the hem of his garment,
+which cured the diseased woman--a tear, which he shed over Lazarus,
+preserved by an angel, who gave it, in a vial, to Mary Magdalene--a piece
+of St. John the Evangelist's gown--a piece of the table cloth, used at the
+last supper--a finger of St. Andrew--a finger of John the Baptist--a rib
+of our Lord--the thumb of St. Thomas--a lock of Mary Magdalene's hair--two
+handkerchiefs, bearing impressions of Christ's face; one sent by our Lord,
+as a present to Aquarus, prince of Edessa; and the other given by him, at
+the foot of the cross, to a holy woman, named Veronica--the hem of
+Joseph's garment--a feather of the Holy Ghost--a finger of the Holy
+Ghost--a feather of the angel Gabriel--the waterpots, used at the marriage
+in Galilee--Enoch's slippers--a vial of the sweat of St. Michael, at the
+time of his set-to with the Devil. This short list furnishes a meagre
+show-box of that immense mass of merchandise, which formed the staple of
+priestcraft. These pretended relics were not only procured, at vast
+expense, but were occasionally given, and received, as collateral security
+for debts. Baldwin II. sent the point of the holy lance to Venice, as a
+pledge for a loan. It was redeemed by St. Lewis, King of France, who
+caused it to be placed in the holy chapel at Paris. The importation of
+this species of trumpery, into England, was forbidden, by many statutes;
+and, by 3. Jac. i., cap. 26, justices were empowered to search houses for
+such things, and to burn them.
+
+It is pleasant to turn from these shadowy records to matters of reality
+and truth. There was an exhumation, some years ago, of the remains of a
+highly honorable and truly gallant man, for the purpose of returning them
+to his native land. Suspicions of a painful nature arose, in connection
+with that exhumation. Those suspicions were cleared away, most happily, by
+a venerable friend of mine, with whom I have conversed upon that
+interesting topic. I will give some account of the removal of Major
+André's remains, in my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XVIII.
+
+
+Major John André, aid-de-camp to General Clinton, and adjutant general of
+the British army, was, as every well-read school-boy knows, hanged as a
+spy, October 2, 1780, at Tappan, a town of New York, about five miles from
+the north bank of the Hudson.
+
+In June, 1818, by a vote of the Legislature of New York, the remains of
+that gallant Irishman, Major General Richard Montgomery, were removed from
+Quebec. Col. L. Livingston, his nephew, superintended the exhumation and
+removal. An old soldier, who had attended the funeral, forty-two years
+before, pointed out the grave. These relics were committed to the ground,
+once more, in St. Paul's church-yard in New York; and, by direction of the
+Congress of the United States, a costly marble monument was erected there,
+executed by M. Cassieres, at Paris. Nothing was omitted of pomp and
+pageantry, in honor of the gallant dead.
+
+Still the remains of André, whose fate was deeply deplored, however just
+the punishment--still they continued, in that resting place, humble and
+obscure, to which they had been consigned, when taken from the gallows.
+The lofty honors, bestowed upon Montgomery, operated as a stimulus and a
+rebuke. Mr. James Buchanan, the British consul, admits their influence, in
+his memorable letter. He addressed a communication to the Duke of York,
+then commander-in-chief of the British army, suggesting the propriety of
+exhumating the remains of André, and returning them to England. The
+necessary orders were promptly issued, and Mr. Buchanan made his
+arrangements for the exhumation.
+
+Mr. Demarat, a Baptist clergyman, at Tappan, was the proprietor of the
+little field, where the remains of André had been buried, and where they
+had reposed, for forty-one years, when, in the autumn of 1821, Mr.
+Buchanan requested permission to remove them. His intentions had become
+known--some human brute--some Christian dog, had sought to purchase, or to
+rent, the field of Mr. Demarat, for the purpose of extorting money, for
+permission to remove these relics. But the good man and true rejected the
+base proposal, and afforded every facility in his power.
+
+A narrow pathway led to the eminence, where André had suffered--the grave
+was there, covered with a few loose stones and briars. There was nothing
+beside, to mark the spot--I am wrong--woman, who was last at the cross,
+and first at the tomb, had been there--there was a peach tree, which a
+lady had planted at the head, and whose roots had penetrated to the very
+bottom of the shallow grave, and entered the frail shell, and enveloped
+the skull with its fibres. Dr. Thacher, in a note to page 225 of his
+military journal, says, that the roots of two cedar trees "had wrapped
+themselves round the skull bone, like a fine netting." This is an error.
+Two cedars grew near the grave, which were sent to England, with the
+remains.
+
+The point, where these relics lay, commanded a view of the surrounding
+country, and of the head-quarters of Washington, about a mile and a half
+distant. The field, which contained about ten acres, was cultivated--a
+small part only, around the consecrated spot, remained untilled. Upon the
+day of the exhumation, a multitude had gathered to the spot. After digging
+three feet from the surface, the operative paused, and announced, that his
+spade had touched the top of the coffin. The excitement was so great, at
+this moment, that it became necessary to form a cordon, around the grave.
+Mr. Buchanan proceeded carefully to remove the remaining earth, with his
+hands--a portion of the cover had been decomposed. When, at last, the
+entire top had been removed, the remains of this brave and unfortunate
+young man were exposed to view. The skeleton was in perfect order.
+"There," says Mr. Buchanan, "for the first time, I discovered that he had
+been a small man."
+
+One by one, the assembled crowd passed round, and gazed upon the remains
+of André, whose fate had excited such intense and universal sensibility.
+These relics were then carefully transferred to a sarcophagus, prepared
+for their reception, and conveyed to England. They now repose beneath the
+sixth window, in the south aisle of Westminster Abbey. The monument near
+which they lie, was designed by Robert Adam, and executed by Van Gelder.
+Britannia reclines on a sarcophagus, and upon the pedestal is
+inscribed--"Sacred to the memory of Major André, who, raised by his merit,
+at an early period of life, to the rank of Adjutant General of the British
+forces in America, and, employed in an important but hazardous enterprise,
+fell a sacrifice to his zeal for his king and country, on 2d of October,
+1780, aged twenty-nine, universally beloved and esteemed by the army, in
+which he served, and lamented even by his foes. His generous sovereign,
+King George III., has caused this monument to be erected." Nothing could
+have been prepared, in better taste. Here is not the slightest allusion to
+that great question, which posterity, having attained full age, has
+already, definitively, settled--the justice of his fate. A box, wrought
+from one of the cedar trees, and lined with gold, was transmitted to Mr.
+Demarat, by the Duke of York; and a silver inkstand was presented to Mr.
+James Buchanan, by the surviving sisters of Major André.
+
+Thus far, all things were in admirable keeping. It was, therefore, a
+matter of deep regret, that Mr. James Buchanan should have thought proper
+to disturb their harmony, by suggestions, painfully offensive to every
+American heart. Those suggestions, it is true, have been acknowledged to
+be entirely groundless. But that gentleman's original letter, extensively
+circulated here, and transmitted to England, has, undoubtedly, conveyed
+these offensive insinuations, where the subsequent admission of his error
+is not likely to follow. Mr. Buchanan, on the strength of some loose
+suggestions, at Tappan, and elsewhere, corroborated by an examination of
+the contents of the coffin, had assumed it to be true, or highly probable,
+that the body of André had been stripped, after the execution, from
+mercenary, or other equally unworthy, motives. This impression he hastily
+conveyed to the world. I will endeavor to present this matter, in its true
+light, in my next communication.
+
+
+
+
+No. XIX.
+
+
+After having removed the entire cover of André's coffin, "I descended,"
+says Mr. Buchanan, "and, with my own hands, raked the dust together, to
+ascertain whether he had been buried in his regimentals, or not, as it was
+rumored, among the assemblage, that he was stripped: for, if buried in his
+regimentals, I expected to find the buttons of his clothes, which would
+have disproved the rumor; but I did not find a single button, nor any
+article, save a string of leather, that had tied his hair." Mr. Buchanan
+had evidently arrived at the conclusion, that André had been stripped. In
+this conclusion he was perfectly right. He had also inferred, that this
+act had been done, with base motives. In this inference, he was perfectly
+wrong. "Those," continues he, "who permitted the outrage, or who knew of
+it, had no idea, that the unfeeling act they then performed would be
+blazoned to the world, near half a century, after the event." All this is
+entirely gratuitous and something worse. General Washington's
+head-quarters were near at hand. Every circumstance was sure to be
+reported, for the excitement was intense; and the knowledge of such an
+act, committed for any unworthy purpose, would have been instantly
+conveyed to Sir Henry Clinton, and blazoned to the world, some forty
+years before the period of Mr. Buchanan's discovery.
+
+Dr. James Thacher, in his military journal, states, that André was
+executed "in his royal regimentals, and buried in the same." Dr. Thacher
+was mistaken, and when he saw the letter of Mr. Buchanan, and the
+offensive imputation it contained, he investigated the subject anew, and
+addressed a letter to that gentleman, which was received by him, in a
+becoming spirit, and which entirely dissipated his former impressions. In
+that letter, Dr. Thacher stated, that he was within a few yards of André,
+at the time of his execution, and that he suffered in his regimentals.
+Supposing, as a matter of course, that André would be buried in them, Dr.
+Thacher had stated that, also, as a fact, though he did not remain, to
+witness the interment. He then refers to a letter, which he has discovered
+in the Continental Journal and Weekly Advertiser, of October 26, 1780,
+printed in Boston, by John Gill. This letter bears date, Tappan, October
+2, the day of the execution, and details all the particulars, and in it
+are these words--"_He was dressed in full uniform; and, after the
+execution, his servant demanded the uniform, which he received. His body
+was buried near the gallows_." "This," says Dr. Thacher, "confirms the
+correctness of my assertion, that he suffered in his regimentals, but not
+that they were buried with the body. I had retired from the scene, before
+the body was placed in the coffin; but I have a perfect recollection of
+seeing him hand his hat to the weeping servant, while standing in the
+cart."
+
+Mr. Buchanan observes, that an aged widow, who kept the toll-gate, on
+hearing the object stated, was so much gratified, that she suffered all
+carriages to pass free. "It marks strongly," he continues, "the sentiments
+of the American people at large, as to a transaction, which a great part
+of the British public have forgotten." This passage is susceptible of a
+twofold construction. It may mean, that this aged widow and the American
+people at large were unanimous, in lamenting the fate of Major André--that
+they most truly believed him to have been brave and unfortunate. It may
+also mean, that they considered the fate of André to have been
+unwarranted. Posterity has adjusted this matter very differently. Nearly
+sixty-eight years have passed. All excitement has long been buried, in a
+deeper grave than André's. A silent admission has gone forth, far and
+wide, of the perfect justice of André's execution. A board of general
+officers was appointed, to prepare a statement of his case. Greene,
+Steuben, and Lafayette were of that board. They were perfectly unanimous
+in their opinion. Prodigious efforts were made on his behalf. He himself
+addressed several letters to Washington, and one, the day before his
+death, in which he says: "Sympathy towards a soldier will surely induce
+your excellency and a military tribunal to adapt the mode of my death to
+the feelings of a man of honor." The board of officers, as Gordon states,
+were induced to gratify this wish, with the exception of Greene. He
+contended, that the laws of war required, that a spy should be hung; the
+adoption of any less rigorous mode of punishment would excite the belief,
+that palliatory circumstances existed in the case of André, and that the
+decision might thereby be brought into question. His arguments were sound,
+and they prevailed.
+
+Major André received every attention, which his condition permitted. He
+wrote to Sir Henry Clinton, Sept. 29, 1780, three days before his
+execution--"I receive the greatest attention from his excellency, General
+Washington, and from every person, under whose charge I happen to be
+placed." Captain Hale, like Major André, was young, brave, amiable, and
+accomplished. He entered upon the same perilous service, that conducted
+André to his melancholy fate. Hale was hanged, as a spy, at Long Island.
+Thank God, the brutal treatment he received was not retaliated upon André.
+"The provost martial," says Mr. Sparks, "was a refugee, to whose charge he
+was consigned, and treated him, in the most unfeeling manner, refusing the
+attendance of a clergyman, and the use of a bible; and destroying the
+letters he had written, to his mother and friends."
+
+The execution of Major André was in perfect conformity with the laws of
+war. Had Sir Henry Clinton considered his fate unwarranted, under any just
+construction of those laws, he would undoubtedly have expressed that
+opinion, in the general orders, to the British army, announcing Major
+André's death. These orders, bearing date Oct. 8, 1780, refer only to his
+_unfortunate fate_. They contain not the slightest allusion to any
+supposed injustice, or unaccustomed severity, in the execution, or the
+manner of it.
+
+The fate of André might have been averted, in two ways--by a steady
+resistance of Arnold's senseless importunity, to bring him within the
+American lines--and by a frank and immediate presentation of Arnold's
+pass, when stopped by Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart. His loss of
+self-possession, at that critical moment, is remarkable, for, as
+Americans, they would, in all human probability, have suffered him to
+pass, without further examination; and, had they been of the opposite
+party, they would certainly have conducted him to some British post--the
+very haven where he would be.
+
+
+
+
+No. XX.
+
+
+How shall _we_ deal with the dead? We have considered the usages of many
+nations, in different ages of the world. Some of these usages appear
+sufficiently revolting; especially such as relate to secondary burial, or
+the transfer of the dead, from their primary resting-places, to vast,
+miscellaneous receptacles. The desire is almost universal, that, when
+summoned to lie down in the grave, the dead may never be disturbed, by the
+hand of man--that our remains may return quietly to dust--unobserved by
+mortal eye. There is no part of this humiliating process, that is not
+painful and revolting to the beholder. Of this the ancients had the same
+impression. Cremation and embalming set corruption and the worm at
+defiance. Other motives, I am aware, have been assigned for the former.
+The execution of popular vengeance upon the poor remains of those, whose
+memory has become odious, during a revolution, is not uncommon. A
+ludicrous example of this occurred, when Santa Anna became unpopular, and
+the furious mob seized his leg, which had been amputated, embalmed, and
+deposited among the public treasures, and cooled their savage anger, by
+kicking the miserable member all over the city of Montezuma.
+
+In the time of Sylla, cremation was not so common as interment; but Sylla,
+remembering the indignity he had offered to the body of Marius, enjoined,
+that his own body should be burnt. There was, doubtless, another motive
+for this practice among the ancients. The custom prevailed extensively, at
+one time, of burying the dead, in the cellars of houses. I have already
+referred to the Theban law, which required the construction of a suitable
+receptacle for the dead, in every house. Interment certainly preceded
+cremation. Cicero De Legibus, lib. 2, asserts, that interment prevailed
+among the Athenians, in the time of Cecrops, their first king. In the
+earlier days of Rome, both were employed. Numa was _buried_ in conformity
+with a special clause in his will. Remus, as Ovid, Fast. iv. 356, asserts,
+was _burnt_. The accumulation of dead bodies in cellars, or subcellars,
+must have become intolerable. This practice undoubtedly gave rise to the
+whole system of household gods, Lares, Lemures, Larvæ, and Manes. Such an
+accumulation of ancestors, it may well be supposed, left precious little
+room for the amphoræ of Chian, Lesbian, and Falernian.
+
+Young aspirants sometimes inwardly opine, that their living ancestors take
+up too much room. Such was very naturally the opinion of the ancients, in
+relation to the dead. Like François Pontraci, they began to feel the
+necessity of condensation; and cremation came to be more commonly adopted.
+The bones of a human being, reduced to ashes, require but little room; and
+not much more, though the decomposition by fire be not quite perfect. Let
+me say to those, who think I prefer cremation, as a substitute for
+interment, that I do not. It has found little favor for many centuries. It
+seems to have been employed, in the case of Shelley, the poet. However
+desirable, when the remains of the dead were to be deposited in the
+dwelling-houses of the living, cremation and urn burial are quite
+unnecessary, wherever there is no want of ground for cemeteries, in proper
+locations. The funereal urns of the ancients were of different sizes and
+forms, and of materials, more or less costly, according to the ability and
+taste of the surviving friends. Ammianus Marcellinus relates, that
+Gumbrates, king of Chionia, near Persia, burnt the body of his son, and
+placed the ashes in a _silver_ urn.
+
+Mr. Wedgewood had the celebrated Portland vase in his possession, for a
+year, and made casts of it. This was the vase, which had been in
+possession of the Barberini family, for nearly two centuries, and for
+which the Duke of Portland gave Mr. Hamilton one thousand guineas. In the
+minds of very many, the idea of considerable size has been associated with
+this vase. Yet, in fact, it is about ten inches high, and six broad. The
+Wedgewood casts may be seen, in many of our glass and china shops. This
+vase was discovered, about the middle of the sixteenth century, two and a
+half miles from Rome, on the Frescati road, in a marble sarcophagus,
+within a sepulchral chamber. This, doubtless, was a funereal urn. The
+urns, dug up, in Old Walsingham, in 1658, were quite similar, in form, to
+the Portland vase, excepting that they were without ears. Some fifty were
+found in a sandy soil, about three feet deep, a short distance from an old
+Roman garrison, and only five miles from Brancaster, the ancient
+Branodunum. Four of these vases are figured, in Browne's Hydriotaphia;
+some of them contained about two pounds of bones; several were of the
+capacity of a gallon, and some of half that size. It may seem surprising,
+that a human body can be reduced to such a compass. "How the bulk of a man
+should sink into so few pounds of bones and ashes may seem strange unto
+any, who consider not its constitution, and how slender a mass will remain
+upon an open and urging fire, of the carnal composition. Even bones
+themselves, reduced into ashes, do abate a notable proportion." Such are
+the words of good old Sir Thomas.
+
+It was an adage of old, "He that lies in a golden urn, will find no quiet
+for his bones." If the costliness of the material offered no temptation to
+the avarice of man, still, after centuries have given them the stamp of
+antiquity, these urns and their contents become precious, in the eyes of
+the lovers of _vertu_. There is no security from impertinent meddling with
+our remains, so certain, as a speedy conversion into undistinguishable
+dust. Sir Thomas Browne manifestly inclined to cremation. "To be gnawed,"
+says he, "out of our graves, to have our skulls made drinking bowls, and
+our bones turned into pipes, to delight and sport our enemies, are
+tragical abominations, escaped in burning burials." Such anticipations are
+certainly unpleasant. An ingenious device was adopted by Alaricus--he
+appointed the spot for his grave, and directed, that the course of a river
+should be so changed, as to flow over it.
+
+It has been said, that certain soils possess a preserving quality. I am
+inclined to think the secret commonly lies, in some peculiar,
+constitutional quality, in the dead subject; for, wherever cases of
+remarkable preservation have occurred, corruption has been found generally
+to have done its full day's work, on all around. If such quality really
+exist in the soil, it is certainly undesirable. Those who were opposed to
+the evacuation of the Cemetery des Innocens, in the sixteenth century,
+attempted to set up in its favor the improbable pretension, that it
+consumed bodies in nine days. Burton, in his description of
+Leicestershire, states, that the body of Thomas, Marquis of Dorset, "was
+found perfect, and nothing corrupted, the flesh not hardened, but in
+color, proportion and softness, like an ordinary corpse, newly to be
+interred," after seventy-eight years' burial.
+
+A remarkable case of posthumous preservation occurred, in a village near
+Boston. The very exalted character of the professional gentleman, who
+examined the corpse, after it had been entombed, for forty years, gives
+the interest of authenticity to the statement. Justice Fuller, the
+father-in-law of that political victim, General William Hull, _who was
+neither a coward nor a traitor_, was buried in a family tomb, in Newton
+Centre. It was ascertained, and, from time to time, reported, that the
+body remained uncorrupted and entire. Mr. Fuller was about 80, when he
+died, and very corpulent. About forty years after his burial, Dr. John C.
+Warren, by permission of the family, with the physician of the village,
+and other gentlemen, examined the body of Mr. Fuller. The coffin was
+somewhat decomposed. So were the burial clothes. The body presented,
+everywhere, a natural skin, excepting on one leg, on which there had been
+an ulcer. There decomposition had taken place. The skin was generally of a
+dark brown color, and hard like dried leather; and so well preserved,
+about the face, that persons, present with Dr. Warren, said they should
+have recognized the features of Justice Fuller. My business lies not with
+the physiology, however curious the speculation may be. Were it possible,
+by any means, to perpetuate the dead, in a similar manner, it would be
+wholly undesirable. Dust we are, and unto dust must we return. The
+question is still before us,--How shall _we_ deal with the dead?
+
+
+
+
+No. XXI.
+
+
+It is commonly supposed, that the burial of articles of value with the
+dead, is a practice confined to the Indian tribes, and the inhabitants of
+unenlightened regions; who fancied, that the defunct were gone upon some
+far journey, during which such accompaniments would be useful. Such is not
+the fact. Chilperic, the fourth king of France, came to the throne A. D.
+456. In 1655 the tomb of Chilperic was accidentally discovered, in
+Tournay, "restoring unto the world," saith Sir Thomas Browne, vol. 3, p.
+466, "much gold adorning his sword, two hundred rubies, many hundred
+imperial coins, three hundred golden bees, the bones and horse-shoes of
+his horse, interred with him, according to the barbarous magnificence of
+those days, in their sepulchral obsequies." Stow relates, in his survey of
+London, that, in many of the funeral urns, found in Spitalfields, there
+were, mingled with the relics, coins of Claudius, Vespasian, Commodus, and
+Antoninus, with lachrymatories, lamps, bottles of liquor, &c.
+
+As an old sexton, I have a right to give my advice; and the public have a
+right to reject it. If I were the owner of a lot, in some well-governed
+cemetery, I would place around it a neat, substantial, iron fence, and
+paint it black. In the centre I would have a simple monument, of white
+marble, and of liberal dimensions; not pyramidal, but with four
+rectangular faces, to receive a goodly number of memoranda, not one of
+which should exceed a single line. I would have no other monument, slab,
+or tablet, to indicate particular graves. I would have a plan of this lot,
+and preserve it, as carefully, as I preserved my title papers. Probably I
+should keep a duplicate, in some safe place. When a body came to be
+buried, in that lot, I would indicate the precise location, on my plan,
+and engrave the name and the date of birth, and death, and nothing more,
+upon the monument. If the dryness and elevation of the soil allowed, I
+would dig the graves so deep, that the remains of three persons could
+repose in one grave, the uppermost, five or six feet below the surface.
+After the burial of the first, the grave would be filled up, and an even,
+sodded surface presented, as before, until re-opened. Thus, of course,
+those, who had been lovely and pleasant, in their lives, like Jonathan and
+Saul, would, in death, be not divided. This, so far from being
+objectionable, is a delightful idea, embalmed in the classical precedents
+of antiquity. It is a well-known fact, that urns of a very large size
+were, occasionally, in use, in Greece and Rome, for the reception and
+commingling of the ashes of whole families. The ashes of Achilles were
+mingled with those of his friend, Patroclus. The ashes of Domitian, the
+last, and almost the worst, of the twelve Cæsars, were inurned, as
+Suetonius reports, ch. 17, with those of Julia.
+
+With the Chinese, it is very common to bury a comb, a pair of scissors to
+pare the nails, and four little purses, containing the nail parings of the
+defunct. Jewels and coins of gold are sometimes inserted in the mouths of
+the wealthy. This resembles the practice of the Greeks and Romans, of
+placing an obolus, Charon's fee, in the mouth of the deceased. This
+arrangement, in regard to the nail parings, seems well enough, as they are
+clearly part and parcel, of the defunct. Rings, coins, and costly chalices
+have been found, with the ashes of the dead.
+
+Avarice, curiosity, and revenge, personal or political, have prompted
+mankind, in every age, to desecrate the receptacles of the dead. The
+latter motive has operated more fiercely, upon the people of France, than
+upon almost any other. No nation has ever surpassed them, in that intense
+ardor, nor in the parade and magnificence, with which they _canonize_--no
+people upon earth can rival the bitterness and fury, with which they
+_curse_. Lamartine, in his history of the Girondists, states, that
+"dragoons of the Republic spread themselves over the public places,
+brandishing their swords, and singing national airs. Thence they went to
+the church of Val de Grace, where, enclosed in silver urns, were the
+hearts of several kings and queens of France. These funeral vases they
+broke, trampling under foot those relics of royalty, and then flung them
+into the common sewer." And how shall _we_ deal with the dead?
+
+With a reasonable economy of space, a lot of the common area, at Mount
+Auburn, or Forest Hills, will suffice, for the occasion of a family of
+ordinary size, for several generations. In re-opening one of these graves,
+for a second or third interment, the operative should never approach
+nearer than one foot to the coffin beneath. The careless manner, in which
+bones are sometimes spaded up, by grave-diggers, results from their want
+of precise knowledge of previous inhumations. Common sense indicates the
+propriety of keeping a regular, topographical account of every interment.
+
+But it is quite time to bring these lucubrations to a close. To some they
+may have proved interesting, and, doubtless, wearisome to others. The
+account is therefore balanced. Most heartily do I wish for every one of my
+readers a decent funeral, and a peaceful grave. I have tolled my last
+knell, turned down my last sod, and am no longer a Sexton of the Old
+School.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXII.
+
+
+Some commendatory passages, in your own and other journals, my dear Mr.
+Transcript, seem very much to me like a theatrical _encore_--they half
+persuade me to reappear. There are other considerations, which I cannot
+resist. Twenty devils, saith the Spanish proverb, employ that man, who
+employeth not himself. I am quite sensible of my error, in quitting an old
+vocation prematurely. You have no conception of the severe depression of
+spirits, produced in the mind of an old sexton, who, in an evil hour, has
+cast his spade aside, and set up for a man of leisure. It may answer for a
+short time--a very short time. I can honestly declare, that I have led a
+wearisome life, since I gave up undertaking. Many have been the expedients
+I have adopted, to relieve the oppressive tedium of my miserable days. The
+funeral bell has aroused me, as the trumpet rouses an old war horse. How
+many processions I have followed, as an amateur! One or two young men of
+the craft have been exceedingly kind to me, and have given me notice,
+whenever they have been employed upon a new grave, and have permitted me
+to amuse myself, by performing a portion of the work.
+
+My own condition, since I left off business, and tried the terrible
+experiment of living on my income, and doing nothing, has frequently and
+forcibly reminded me of a similar passage, in the history of my excellent
+old friend, Simon Allwick, the tallow-chandler, with whom I had the
+happiness of living, in the closest intimacy, and whom I had the pleasure
+of burying, about twenty years ago.
+
+Mr. Allwick was a thrifty man; and, having acquired a handsome property,
+his ambitious partner persuaded him to abandon his greasy occupation, and
+set up for a gentleman. This was by no means, the work of a day. Mr.
+Allwick loved his wife--she was an affectionate creature; and, next to the
+small matter of having her own way in everything, she certainly loved
+Allwick, as her prime minister, in bringing that matter about. She was
+what is commonly called a devoted wife. Man is, marvellously, the creature
+of habit. So completely had Allwick become that creature, that, when his
+partner, upon the occasion of an excursion, as far as Jamaica Pond, for
+which Allwick literally tore himself away from the chandlery, could not
+restrain her admiration of that pretty, pet lake, he candidly confessed,
+that he felt nothing of the sort. And, when Mrs. Allwick exclaimed, with
+uplifted hands and tears in her eyes, that, in a cottage, on the borders
+of such a lake, she should be the happiest of the happy--"So should I, my
+dear," said her husband, with a sigh, so heavily drawn, that it seemed
+four to the pound--"so should I, my dear, if the lake were a vat of clear
+melted tallow, and I had a plenty of sticks and wicks."
+
+Suffice it to say, Mrs. Allwick had set her heart upon the measure. She
+had a confidential friend or two, to whom she had communicated the
+_projét_: her pride had therefore become enlisted; for she had given them
+to understand, that she meant to have her own way. She commenced an
+uncompromising crusade, against grease, in every form. She complained,
+that grease spots were upon everything. She engaged the services of a
+young physician, who gave it, as his deliberate opinion, that Mr.
+Allwick's headaches arose from the deleterious influence of the fumes of
+hot grease, acting through the olfactory nerves, upon the pineal gland.
+
+He even expressed a fear, that insanity might supervene, and he furnished
+an account of an eminent tallow-chandler in London, who went raving mad,
+and leaping into his own vat of boiling grease, was drawn out, no better
+than a great candle. It was a perfect _coup de grace_, when Mrs. Allwick
+drove candles from her dwelling, and substituted oil. The chandlery
+adjoined their residence, in Scrap Court; and it must be admitted, that,
+with the wind at south, the odor was not particularly savory. Mrs. Allwick
+was what the world would style a smart woman, and she was in the habit of
+calling her husband a very _wicked_ man and their mansion the most
+unclassical villa, though in the very midst of _grease_!
+
+It is quite superfluous to say, the point was finally carried--the
+chandlery was sold--a country house was purchased, not on the lake, but in
+a sweet spot. There was some little embarrassment about the name, but two
+wild gooseberry bushes having been discovered, within half a mile, it was
+resolved, in council, to call it Mount Gooseberry. Since the going forth
+of Adam from Eden, in misery and shame, never was there such an exodus, as
+that of poor Allwick from the chandlery. I have not time to describe it. I
+am glad I have not. It was too much. Even Mrs. Allwick began to doubt the
+perfect wisdom of her plan. But the die was cast. On they went to their
+El Dorado. It was a pleasant spot. It was "a bonnie day in June." The
+birds were in ecstacies--so was Mrs. Allwick--so were the children--the
+sun shone--the stream ran beautifully by--the leaves still glistened in
+the morning dew--there was a sprinkling of lambs on the hills--old Cato
+was at the door, to welcome them, and Carlo most affectionately covered
+the white frocks of the children with mud. "Was there ever anything like
+this?" exclaimed the delighted wife. "Isn't it a perfect pink, papa?"
+cried the children. In answer to all this, the _jecur ulcerosum_ of poor
+Allwick sent forth a deep groan, that shook the very walls of his
+tabernacle.
+
+The mind of man is a mill, and will grind chaff if nothing more
+substantial be supplied; and, peradventure, the upper will grind the
+nether millstone to destruction. For a brief space, Mr. Allwick found
+employment. Fences were to be completed--trees and bushes were to be set
+out--the furniture was to be arranged--but all this was soon over, and
+there was my good old friend, Simon Allwick, the busiest man alive, with
+nothing to do! Never was there a heart, in the bosom of a tallow-chandler,
+so perfectly "untravelled." Poor fellow, he went "up stairs and down
+stairs, and in my lady's chamber," but all to no other purpose, than to
+confirm him, in a sentiment of profound respect, for that homely proverb,
+_it is hard for an old dog to learn new tricks_.
+
+"Where is your father?" said Mrs. Allwick to the children, after
+breakfast, one awful hot morning, near the end of June. The children went
+in pursuit--there he was--he had sought to occupy his thoughts, by
+watching the gambols of some half a dozen Byfield cokies--there he was--he
+had rested his arms upon the rail of the fence, and had been looking into
+the sty--his chin had dropped upon his hands--he had fallen asleep! He was
+mortified and nettled, at being found thus, and continued in a moody
+condition, through the day. On the following morning, he went to the city,
+and remained till night. His spirits were greatly improved, on his return;
+and to some felicitations from his wife and family, he replied--"My dear,
+I feel better, certainly; and I have made an arrangement, which, I think,
+will enable me to get along pretty comfortably--I have seen Mr. Smith, to
+whom I sold the chandlery, and have extended the term of payment. He still
+dips on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and has agreed to set a kettle
+of fat and some sticks for me, in the little closet, near the back door,
+that I may slip in, and amuse myself, on dipping days."
+
+I ought to have been warned, by this example; but I had quite forgotten
+it. It is very agreeable to be thus welcomed back to the performance of my
+former duties. No one, but he, who is deprived of some long-cherished
+occupation, can truly comprehend the pleasure of occasionally handling a
+corpse.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXIII.
+
+
+Few things can be imagined, more thoroughly revolting and absurd, than the
+vengeance of the living, rioting among the ashes of the dead--rudely
+rolling the stone away from the door of the sepulchre--entering the narrow
+houses of the unresisting, _vi et armis_, with the pickaxe and the
+crowbar--and scattering to the winds the poor senseless remains of those,
+who were consigned to their resting-places, with all the honors of a
+former age. This, were it not awful, would be eminently ridiculous. For
+the execution of such posthumous revenge the French nation has the
+precedence of every other, civilized and savage. Frenchmen, if not,
+through all time, from the days of Pharamond to the present, remarkably
+zealous of good works, are clearly a peculiar people.
+
+The history of the world furnishes no parallel to that preposterous
+crusade, carried on by that people, in 1794, against the dead bodies of
+kings and princes, saints and martyrs. This war, upon dead men's bones,
+was not projected and executed, by the rabble, on the impulse of the
+moment. A formal, deliberate decree of the Convention commanded, that the
+tombs should be destroyed, and they were destroyed, and their contents
+scattered to the winds, accordingly. Talk not of all that is furious and
+fantastical, in the conduct of monkeys and maniacs--a nation of
+chimpanzees would have acted with more dignity and discretion. A colony of
+grinning baboons, as Shakspeare calls them, bent upon liberty, equality,
+and fraternity, might have dethroned some tyrannical ourang outang, who
+had carried matters with too high a hand, and extorted too many cocoa
+nuts, for the support of his civil list; but, after having cut off his
+head, it is not to be believed, that they would have gone about,
+scratching up the ashes of his ancestors, and wreaking their vengeance
+upon those unoffending relics.
+
+This miserable onslaught upon the dead began, immediately after December
+20, 1794. The new worship commenced on that day, and the goddess of reason
+then, for the first time, presented herself to the people, in the person
+of the celebrated actress, Mademoiselle Maillard. St. Genevieve, the
+patroness of the city of Paris, died in 512, and her remains were
+subsequently transferred to the church, which bears her name, and which
+was erected, by Clovis, in 517. The executive agents of the National
+Convention commenced their legalized fooleries, upon the ashes of this
+poor old saint. These French gentlemen--the politest nation upon
+earth--without the slightest regard for decency, or sanctification, or
+common sense, dug up Madame Genevieve's coffin, and, to aggravate the
+indignity, dragged the old lady's remains to the place of public
+execution, the _Place de Grève_; and, having burnt them there, scattered
+the ashes to the winds. The gates of bronze, presented by Charlemagne to
+the church of St. Denis, were broken to pieces. Pepin, the sire of
+Charlemagne and son of Charles Martel, was buried there, in 768. Nothing
+remained of Pepin but a handful of dust, which was served in a similar
+manner. It is stated by Lamartine, that the heads of Marshal Turenne,
+Duguesclin, Louis XII., and Francis I., were rolled about the pavement;
+sceptres, crowns, and crosiers were trampled under foot; and the shouts of
+the operatives were heard, when the blows of the axe broke through some
+regal coffin, and the royal bones were thrown out, to be treated with
+senseless insult.
+
+Hugh Capet, Philip the bold, and Philip, the handsome, were buried beneath
+the choir. The ruthless hands of these modern vandals tore from the
+corpses those garments of the grave, in which they had reposed for
+centuries, and threw the relics upon beds of quicklime.
+
+Henry IV. fell by the hands of Ravaillac, the assassin, May 14, 1610. His
+body, was carefully embalmed, by Italians. When taken from the coffin, the
+lineaments of the face fully corresponded with the numerous
+representations, transmitted by the hands of painters and statuaries. That
+cherished and perfumed beard expanded, as if it had just then received the
+last manipulation of the friseur. The marks were perfectly visible, upon
+the breast, indicating the first and second thrust of Ravaillac's
+stilletto. The popularity of this monarch protected his remains, though
+for a brief space. He was frank, brave, and humane. For two days, all that
+remained of this idol of the people--was exhibited to public view.
+
+The exhumed king was placed at the foot of the altar, and a countless
+multitude passed, in mute procession, around these favored relics. This
+gave umbrage to Javogues, a member of the Convention. He denounced this
+partiality, and railed against the memory of Henri le Grand. The
+multitude, impressible by the slightest impulse, hurled the dead monarch
+into the common fosse of quicklime and corruption; execrating, under the
+influence of a few feverish words, from the lips of a republican savage,
+the memory and the remains of one, cherished by their predecessors, for
+nearly three hundred years. A similar fate awaited his son and grandson,
+Louis XIII. and XIV. The vault of the Bourbons was thoroughly ransacked,
+in the same spirit of desolation. Queens, dauphinesses, and princesses,
+says the historian of the Girondists, were carried away, in armsful, by
+the laborers, to be cast into the trench, and consumed by quicklime. In
+the vault of Charles V., surnamed the wise, besides the corpse were found,
+a hand of justice and a golden crown. In the coffin of his wife, Jeanne of
+Bourbon, were her spindles and marriage rings. These relics were thrown
+into the ditch--the corpses--not the articles of gold, however debased by
+their juxtaposition. Of the French gentlemen it may be affirmed, as of
+Madame Gilpin--
+
+  "Though on pleasure she was bent,
+  She had a frugal mind."
+
+An economy, perfectly grotesque, mingled with an unmanly desecration. Even
+the lead was scraped together from these coffins, and converted into
+balls. In the vault of the Valois no bodies were discovered. The people
+were very desirous of showing some tokens of their wrath, upon the poor
+carcass of Louis XI., but it could not be found. Abbés, heroes, ministers
+of state were indiscriminately cast into the fosse. Upon the exhumation of
+Dagobert I., and his queen, Matilde, who had been buried twelve hundred
+years, her skeleton was found without a head. Such is said to have been
+the case with several other skeletons of the queens of France.
+
+In one of the upper lofts of the cabinet of Natural History of the Jardin
+des Plantes, among stuffed beasts and birds, surrounded by mixed and
+manifold rubbish, and covered with dust, there lay a case or package,
+unexamined and unnoticed, for nine long years. This envelope contained the
+mortal remains of a Marechal of France, the hero of an hundred
+battles,--of no other than Henry de la Tour, Viscount de Turenne. He was
+killed by a cannon ball, July 27, 1675, at the age of 64. All France
+lamented the death of this great man. The admiration of all Europe
+followed him to the grave. Courage, modesty, generosity, science have
+embalmed his memory. The king, Louis le Grand, ordered a solemn service to
+be performed, for the Marechal de Turenne, in the Cathedral church at
+Paris, as for the first prince of the blood, and that his remains should
+be interred in the abbey of St. Denis, the burial-place of the royal
+personages of France, where the cardinal, his nephew, raised a splendid
+mausoleum to his memory. So much for glory--and what then? In 1794, the
+remains of this great man were upon the point of being cast into the
+common fosse, by the agents of the Convention, when some, less rabid than
+the rest, smuggled them away; and, for security, conveyed them to the
+lumber room of the cabinet of Natural History of the Jardin des Plantes.
+Having reposed, nine years in state, peradventure between a dilapidated
+kangaroo and a cast-off opossum--these remains of the great Turenne were,
+at length, committed, in a quiet way, to the military tomb of the
+Invalids.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXIV.
+
+
+Burning dead saints, is a more pardonable matter, than burning living
+martyrs--the combustion of St. Genevieve's dry bones, than the fiery trial
+of Latimer and Ridley--the fantastical decree of the French Convention,
+than the cruel discipline of bloody Mary. Dark days were they, and full of
+evil, those years of bitterness and blood, from 1553 to Nov. 17, 1558,
+when, by a strange coincidence, this hybrid queen, whose sire was a
+British tyrant, and whose dam a Spanish bigot, expired on the same day
+with the Cardinal, Reginald Pole. From the remarkable proximity of the
+events arose a suspicion of poison, of which the public mind has long
+since been disabused.
+
+In this age of greater intelligence and religious freedom, the outrages,
+perpetrated, in the very city of London, within five brief years, are
+credible, only on the strength of well authenticated history. According to
+Bishop Burnet, two hundred and eighty-four persons were burnt at the
+stake, during four years of this merciless and miserable reign. Lord
+Burleigh makes the number of those, who died, in that reign, by
+imprisonment, torments, famine, and fire, to be near four hundred. Weever,
+in his Funeral Monuments, page 116, quotes the historian Speed, as saying,
+"In the heat of those flames, were burnt to ashes five bishops,
+one-and-twenty divines, eight gentlemen, eighty-four artificers, an
+hundred husbandmen, servants, and laborers, twenty-six wives, twenty
+widows, nine virgins, two boys, and two infants; one of them whipped to
+death by Bonner, and the other, springing out of the mother's womb from
+the stake, as she burned, thrown again into the fire." Here, in passing,
+suffer me to express my deep reverence for John Weever. I know of no book,
+so interesting to the craft, as his Funeral Monuments, a work of infinite
+labor and research. Weever died in 1632, and lies in St. James,
+Clerkenwell. His epitaph may be found in Strype's Survey:
+
+  Lancashire gave me birth,
+    And Cambridge education;
+  Middlesex gave me death,
+    And this church my humation;
+  And Christ to me hath given
+  A place with him in heaven.
+
+The structure of these lines will remind the classical reader of Virgil's
+epitaph:
+
+  Mantua me genuit: Calabri rapuere; tenet nunc
+  Parthenope; cecini pascua, rura, duces.
+
+The short and sharp reign of Mary Tudor was remarkable for burning
+Protestant Christians and wax candles. That fountain of fun, pure and
+undefiled, that prince of wags, Theodore Hook, was offered, very young,
+for admission at the University; and, when the chancellor opened the book,
+and gravely inquired if he was ready to sign the thirty-nine articles,
+"Yes, sir," replied the young puppy, "forty, if you please." Now, in
+contemplation of the enormous consumption of wax, especially upon the
+occasion of funeral obsequies, during Mary's reign, it would seem that a
+belief, in its vital importance, might have formed an additional article,
+in the Romish creed.
+
+I have never thought well of grafting religion upon the selfishness of
+man's nature. Nominal converts, it is true, are readily made, in that way.
+In Catholic countries, wax chandlers are Romanists, to a man. I always
+considered the attempt, a few years since, to convert the inhabitants of
+Nantucket to Puseyism, by a practical appeal to their self interest,
+however ingeniously contrived, a very wicked thing. And I greatly lauded
+the good old bishop of this diocese, for rebuking those very silly
+priests, who promoted a senseless and extravagant consumption of one of
+the great staples of that island, by burning candles in the day time. He
+made good use of his mitre as an extinguisher.
+
+On a somewhat similar principle, I have always objected to every attempt
+to augment the revenues of a state by taxing corpses--not upon the
+acknowledged principle, that taxation without representation is
+inadmissible--but because the whole system is a most miserable mingling of
+_sacra profanis_. I may not be understood by all, in this remark: I refer
+to those acts of Parliament, which, for the purposes of levying a tax, or
+promoting some particular branch of industry, have attempted to regulate a
+man's apparel, and the fitting up of his narrow house, after he is dead.
+The compulsory employment of flannel, by British statute, is an example of
+this legislative interference.
+
+Nothing is more common, in Strype's Ecclesiastical Memorials, than
+entries, such as these: "1557, May 3. The Lord Shandois was buried with
+heralds, an herse of wax, four banners of images, and other appendages of
+funeral honor." "On the 5th, the Lady Chamberlain was buried with a fair
+herse of wax." "May 28, in the forenoon, was buried Mrs. Gates, widow,
+late wife, as it seems, to Sir John Gates, executed the first year of this
+queen's reign. She gave seventeen fine black gowns, and fourteen of broad
+russet for poor men. There were carried two white branches, ten staff
+torches, and four great tapers." "July 10th the Lady Tresham was buried at
+Peterborough, with four banners, and an herse of wax, and torches." "1558,
+September 14th, was buried Sir Andrew Judd, skinner, merchant of Muscovy,
+and late Mayor of London, with ten dozen of escutcheons, garnished with
+angels, and an herse of wax." What is an herse of wax? This will be quite
+unintelligible to those, who have supposed that word to import nothing
+else than the vehicle, in which the dead are carried to the grave. Herse
+also signifies a temporary monument, erected upon, or near, the place of
+sepulture, and on which the corpse was laid, for a time, in state; and a
+herse of wax was a structure of this kind, surrounded with wax tapers.
+This will be made manifest, by some additional extracts from the same
+author: "1557. The 16th day of July, died the lady Anne, of Cleves, at
+Chelsey, sometime wife and queen unto King Henry VIII., but never crowned.
+Her corpse was cered the night following." "On the 29th began the herse at
+Westminster, for the Lady Anne of Cleves, consisting of carpenters' work
+of seven principals, being as goodly an herse as had been seen." "On the
+3d of August the body of the Lady Anne of Cleves was brought from Chelsey,
+where her house was, unto Westminster, to be buried--men bore her, under a
+canopy of black velvet, with four black staves, and so brought her into
+the herse, and there tarried _Dirge_, remaining there all night, with
+lights burning." "On the 16th day of August the herse of the King of
+Denmark was begun to be set up, in a four-square house. August 18, was the
+King of Denmark's herse in St. Paul's finished with wax, the like to which
+was never seen in England, in regard to the fashion of square tapers." And
+on the 23d, also was the King of Denmark's herse, at St. Paul's, "taken
+down by the wax chandlers and carpenters, to whom this work pertained, by
+order of Mr. Garter, and certain of the Lord Treasurer's servants." These
+herses were, doubtless, very attractive in their way. "Aug. 31, 1557. The
+young Dutchess of Norfolk being lately deceased, her herse began to be set
+up on the 28th, in St. Clements, without Temple bar, and was this day
+finished with banners, pensils, wax, and escutcheons."
+
+The office of an undertaker, in those days, was no sinecure. He was an
+_arbiter elegantiarum_. A funeral was a festival then. Eat, drink, and be
+merry, for tomorrow you die, was the common phylactery.
+
+             "The funeral baked meats
+  Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables."
+
+Baked meats shall be the subject of my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXV.
+
+
+Pliny, xviii. 30, refers to a practice among the Romans, very similar to
+that, in use among certain unenlightened nations, of depositing articles
+of diet upon tombs and graves, such as beans, lettuces, eggs, bread, and
+the like, for the use of ghosts. The stomachs of Roman ghosts were not
+supposed to be strong enough for flesh meat. Hence the lines of Juvenal,
+v. 85:
+
+  Sed tibi dimidio constrictus cammarus ovo
+  Ponitur, exigua feralis cæna patella.
+
+The _silicernium_ or _cæna funebris_ was a very different, and more solid
+affair. At first blush--to use a common and sensible expression--there
+seems no respectable keeping, between the art of burying the dead, and
+that of feasting the living. Depositing those, whom we love, in their
+graves, is certainly the very last relish for an appetite. Something of
+this was undoubtedly done, of old, under the promptings of Epicurean
+philosophy--upon the _dum vivimus vivamus_ principle--and, in that spirit
+which teaches the soldier, when he turns from the grave, to change the
+mournful, for the merry strain. The desire of equalling or excelling
+others, in the magnificence of funereal parade, has ever been a powerful
+motive. The eyes of others destroy us, said Franklin, and not our own.
+Grief for the departed, and sympathy with the bereaved, were not deemed
+sufficient, to insure an imposing parade. Games and festivals were
+therefore provided, for the people. Among other attractions, masses of
+uncooked meat were bestowed upon all comers. This was the _visceratio_ of
+the Romans. This word seems to have a different import; _viscera_,
+however, signifies all beneath the skin, as may be seen by consulting
+Serv. in Virg., Æn. i., 211. Suetonius Cæs. 39, and Cicero de Officiis ii.
+16, refer to this practice. It was by no means very common, but frequently
+adopted by those, who could afford the expense, and were desirous of the
+display.
+
+Marcus Flavius had committed an infamous crime. He was popular, and the
+ædiles of the people had fixed a day for his absolution. Under pretence of
+celebrating his mother's funeral, he gave a _visceratio_ to the people:
+Populo visceratio data, a M. Flavio, in funere matris. Erant, qui, per
+speciem honorandæ parentis, meritam mercedem populo solutam
+interpretarentur; quod eum, die dicta ab ædilibus, crimine stupratæ
+matris familæ absolvisset. Liv. viii. 22. A note upon this passage, in
+Lemaire's edition, fully explains the nature of this practice.
+
+This was a very different affair from the _silicernium_, or feast for the
+friends, after the funeral. Upon such occasions, the Falernian flowed, and
+boars were roasted whole. The reader, by opening his Livy, xxxix. 46, will
+find an account of the funeral of P. Licinius: a _visceratio_ was given to
+the people; one hundred and twenty gladiators fought in the arena; the
+funeral games lasted three days; and then followed a splendid
+entertainment. On that occasion, a tempest drove the company into the
+forum; this occurred, in the year U. C. 569. Through all time, the
+practice has prevailed, more or less, of providing entertainments, for
+those, who gather on such occasions. In villages, especially, and within
+my own recollection, the funeral has been delayed, to enable distant
+friends to arrive in season; and the interval has been employed, in the
+preparation of creature comforts, not only for such as attended, and
+observed the ceremonial of an hour, but for such, as came to the bereaved,
+like the comforters of the man of Uz, "every one from his place, and sat
+down with him, seven days and seven nights." Animal provision must surely
+be required, to sustain such protracted lamentation.
+
+In the age, when Shakspeare wrote, and for several ages before and after,
+"baked meats," at funerals, were very common. So far, from contenting
+themselves with the preparation of some simple aliment, for such as were
+an hungered, the appetites of all were solicited, by a parade of the
+rarest liquors and the choicest viands. Tables were spread, in the most
+ample manner, and the transition was immediate from the tomb to the festal
+board. The _requiescat in pace_ was scarcely uttered, before the blessing
+was craved, on the baked meats. It matters little, from what period of
+history we select our illustrations of this truth. Suppose we take our
+examples from the reign, preceding that, in which Shakspeare was born;
+comprehend some other incidents in our collection; and rely, for our
+authority, on good old John Strype, who was himself born in 1643. There is
+no higher authority. I will present a few specimens from his
+Ecclesiastical Memorials: "1557, May 5. Was the Lady Chamberlain buried.
+At the mass preached Dr. Chadsey. A great dole of money given at the
+church, and after, a great dinner. May 29, was buried Mrs. Gates; after
+mass a great dinner. June 7, began a stage play at the Grey Friars of the
+passion of Christ. June 10.--This day Sir John, a chantry priest, hung
+himself with his own girdle. The same day was the storehouse in Portsmouth
+burnt, much beer and victual destroyed. A judgment, perhaps, for burning
+so many innocent persons. June 29.--This same day was the second year's
+mind (i. e. yearly _obit_) of good master Lewyn, ironmonger; at his dirge
+were all the livery. After, they retired to the widow's place, where they
+had a cake and wine; and besides the parish, all comers treated." Aug.
+3.--After giving a long account of the funeral of Ann of Cleves, Strype
+adds, "and so they went in order to dinner." After reciting the
+particulars of the King of Denmark's funeral, in London, Aug. 18, 1557, he
+adds: "After the dirge, all the heralds and all the Lords went into the
+Bishop of London's place, and drank. The next day was the morrow-mass, and
+a goodly sermon preached, and after, to my Lord of London's to dinner."
+
+The account of the funeral of Thomas Halley is entitled to be presented
+entire: "On the 24th of this month, August, Mr. Thomas Halley,
+clarentieux, king-at-arms, was buried, in St. Giles's parish, without
+Cripplegate, with coat, armor, and pennon of arms, and scutcheons of his
+arms, and two white branches, twelve staff torches, and four great tapers,
+and a crown. And, after dirge, the heralds repaired unto Greenhill, the
+waxchandler, a man of note (being waxchandler to Cardinal Pole) living
+hard by; where they had spice-bread and cheese, and wine, great plenty.
+The morrow-mass was also celebrated, and sermon preached; and after
+followed a great dinner, whereat were all the heralds, together with the
+parishioners. There was a supper also, as well as a dinner." After a long
+account of the funeral of the Countess of Arundel, Oct. 5, 1557, follow
+the customary words--"and, after, all departed to my Lord's place to
+dinner." "Nov. 12, Mr. Maynard, merchant, was buried; and after, the
+company departed to his house, at Poplar, to a great dinner." "Oct. 19,
+died the Lord Bray; and so he went by water to Chelsea to be buried, &c.
+&c. Many priests and clerks attended. They all came back to this Lord's
+place, at Blackfriars, to dinner." At the funeral of Richard Capet, Feb.
+1, "All return to dinner." "On the 16th, Mr. Pynohe, fishmonger, and a
+brother of Jesus, was buried. All being performed at the church, the
+company retired to his house to drink." On the 24th, "a great dinner,"
+after the funeral of Sir George Bowers. This testimony is inexhaustible.
+After the funeral of Lady White, March 2, Strype says "there was as great
+a dinner as had been seen." I will close with two examples. "Aug. 3, 1588.
+The Lady Rowlet was buried; and after mass, the company retreated to the
+place to dinner, which was plentifully furnished with venison, fresh
+salmon, fresh sturgeon, and many other fine dishes. On the 12th, died Mr.
+Machyl, alderman and clothesworker." After a sermon by a grey friar, "the
+Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and all the mourners and ladies went to dinner,
+which was very splendid, lacking no good meat, both flesh and fish, and an
+hundred marchpanes."
+
+It is certain, that all this appears to us now to have been in very bad
+taste; and it is not easy to comprehend the principle, which conducted to
+the perpetration of such sensual absurdities; unless we suppose it to have
+been the design of all concerned, to felicitate the heir, upon his coming
+to possession; the widow, upon the fruition of an ample dower and abundant
+leisure; or the widower, upon the recovery of his liberty. This is not the
+only occasion, upon which man's features are required, from the extreme
+suddenness of the change, to undergo a process of moral distortion,
+amounting to grimace. Thus, grief, for the death of one monarch, is rudely
+expressed, by turbulent joy at the succession of another. Suffer me to
+conclude, in the words of father Strype--"The same day queen Mary
+deceased, in the morning between 11 and 12, the Lady Elizabeth was
+proclaimed queen: in the afternoon all the churches in London rang their
+bells; and at night were bonfires made, and tables set in the streets, and
+the people did eat, and drink, and make merry."
+
+
+
+
+No. XXVI.
+
+
+Among the dead--the mighty dead--there is one, in regard to whom, our
+national dealings may be fairly set forth, in the words of Desdemona--
+
+  In faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange;
+  'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful:
+  She wish'd she had not heard it.
+
+Forty-nine years have passed, since the interment of George Washington.
+Forty-nine years ago, "the joint committee," says Chief Justice Marshall,
+"which had been appointed to devise the mode, by which the nation should
+express its feelings, on this melancholy occasion, reported" a series of
+resolutions, among which was the following: "That a marble monument be
+erected, by the United States, at the city of Washington, and that the
+family of General Washington be requested to permit his body to be
+deposited under it; and that the monument be so designed, as to
+commemorate the great events of his military and political life." To the
+letter, transmitting the resolutions to Mrs. Washington, she replied, as
+follows: "Taught by the great example, which I have so long had before me,
+never to oppose my private wishes to the public will, I must consent to
+the request made by Congress, which you have had the goodness to transmit
+to me; and, in doing this, I need not, I cannot, say what a sacrifice of
+individual feeling I make, to a sense of public duty."
+
+All this is very fine. The nation requested permission to remove the
+remains--Mrs. Washington consented--but that monument! The remains have
+slumbered quietly, where they first were interred, for nine and forty
+years--and the monument is like Rachel's first born--it is not! There is
+something better in prospect. Such, however, is the record thus far. It is
+very true he needs no monument. No immortal can say more justly, from his
+elevated sphere, to every inhabitant of this vast empire, _si monumentum
+quæris, circumspice_!
+
+This fact, however, so far from taking the tithe of a hair from the
+balance of this account, illustrates the national delinquency. It may be
+matter of amusing speculation, to contrast the zeal, which prevails,
+especially in England, in relation to the most trifling memorials of
+Shakspeare, and the popular indifference, in regard to certain relics,
+known to have been the property of Washington, and to have been personally
+used by him.
+
+All are familiar with the recent excitement, on the subject of
+Shakspeare's house--that mulberry tree--a hair of him, for memory.
+
+Washington's library has lately been sold, for just about the price of
+four shares in one of the cotton mills at Lowell. A few years since, the
+cabinet of medals, struck at different times, in honor of the Father of
+his country, and which had become the property of one of his
+representatives, was sold by him, for five hundred dollars, and purchased
+by an individual citizen of Massachusetts. There are some things,
+seemingly so vast--so very--very national--that one can scarcely believe
+it possible for any private cabinet to contain them gracefully.
+
+Soon after the destruction of the Bastile, July 14, 1789, La Fayette sent
+its massive key to Washington--his political father--as the first fruits
+of those principles of liberty, which were then supposed to be bourgeoning
+forth, in a _free_ French soil. This colossal key was suspended, in the
+front entry, at Mount Vernon. A short time ago, an aged friend, residing
+in a neighboring town, and once intimate in the family of Washington, told
+me he had often seen that famous key, in its well known position. This
+also became the property of Washington's representatives. A few years
+since, I saw it stated, in the public journals, that, among other effects,
+this key of the Bastile was sold at auction, and purchased for
+seventy-five cents, by a gentleman, who had the good taste to return it to
+some member of the family.
+
+Eminent men, as they arise, are occasionally compared to Washington.
+Points of resemblance, now and then, may assuredly be found; but there
+never breathed a man, whose mental and moral properties combined, could
+endure a rigid comparison with his. Whoever attempts to run this parallel,
+between him and any other, will readily acknowledge the truth of the
+proverb, _nullum simile quatuor pedibus currit_. Select the example from
+the present, or the past, from our own or from other lands, and inquire,
+to which of them all would Erskine, so chary of his praise, so slow of
+faith in his fellow, have applied those memorable words, inscribed, in the
+presentation copy of his work, transmitted to Washington--_You, sir, are
+the only individual, for whom I ever felt an awful reverence_. Of whom
+else would Lord Brougham have pronounced this remarkable passage--"It will
+be the duty of the historian and the sage, in all ages, to omit no
+occasion of commemorating this illustrious man; and, until time shall be
+no more, will a test of the progress, which our race has made in wisdom
+and virtue, be derived, from the veneration paid to the immortal name of
+Washington."
+
+I have not yet met with any gentleman of our calling, who is not decidedly
+in favor of the election of General Taylor, or who would not gratuitously
+attend, in a professional way, upon Messieurs Cass and Van Buren. We
+perceive a resemblance between the first president and the present
+candidate, in their willingness to draw long bills on posterity for fame,
+in preference to numerous drafts, at sight, without grace, for daily
+applause. But we behold, in Washington, the image and superscription, not
+of Cæsar, but of a peerless mortal--of one, created, verily, a little
+lower than the angels--
+
+  "A combination, and a form, indeed,
+  Where every god did seem to set his seal,
+  To give the world assurance of a man."
+
+No men have done more to bedim the reputation of Washington, than
+Jefferson and Randolph. Verily they have their reward. In no portion of
+our country has the memory of that great man been more universally
+cherished and beloved, than in New England. A sentiment, not only of
+reverence for his character, but of affection for his person, was very
+general, in this quarter; and manifested itself, in a remarkable manner,
+upon the occasion of his death. Nothing could have been more unexpected,
+than the announcement of that event, in Boston. I will close this article,
+with a simple illustration of the popular feeling, when the sad tidings
+arrived. At the close of that year, 1799--I was a small boy then--I was
+returning from a ride on horseback, to Dorchester Point--there was no
+bridge, and it was quite a journey. As I approached the town, I was very
+much surprised, at the tolling of the bells. Upon reaching home, I saw my
+old father, at an unusual hour for him, the busiest man alive, to be at
+home, sitting alone in our parlor, with his bandanna before his eyes. I
+ran towards him, with the thoughtless gayety of youth, and asked what the
+bells were tolling for. He withdrew the handkerchief from his face--the
+tears were rolling down his fine old features--"Go away child," said he,
+"don't disturb me; do you not know, that Washington is dead?"
+
+The reader has surmised, that the worthy old man had sipped at the
+fountain of executive patronage. Not at all. He had never seen Washington,
+and never held an office civil or military, saving under Hancock's
+commission, as justice of the peace, which was accounted a very pretty
+compliment, in those days. No. He was nothing but an American, and he shed
+those American tears, upon the death of one, whose character and conduct
+had filled his heart with sentiments of pride, and love, and "awful
+reverence."
+
+
+
+
+No. XXVII.
+
+
+I am rather inclined to suspect, that man is a selfish animal. A few days
+ago, I administered a merited rebuke to a group of young sextons, who had
+gathered together, after a funeral, and were seated upon a barrow bier,
+before an unclosed tomb. They had been discussing the subject of capital
+punishment, and were opposed to it unanimously. They frankly admitted,
+that they were not influenced, by any consideration of humanity, but
+looked simply to the fact, that, as the bodies of executed criminals went,
+commonly, to the surgeons, every execution deprived us of a job. One
+observed, that Boston was dreadfully healthy--another remarked, that
+homoeopathy had proved a considerable help to us. Several compliments were
+paid to Thompson, Brandreth, and Mrs. Kidder. But they appeared to
+anticipate emolument from no source, so certainly, as from the approaching
+cholera.
+
+I was greatly shocked, and expressed my opinion very freely. I reminded
+them of the primitive dignity of the sacristan's office. I should deeply
+regret, to see our calling reduced to the level of a mere trade, with its
+tariff--shrouds all rising--coffins looking up! We have a fair share of
+funerals, and the members of our profession have no just cause for
+complaint. Steam has helped us prodigiously. It has been said, that,
+comparing the amount of steam travel with the amount of ante-steam travel,
+i. e., the present with the past, the relative amount of deaths, from
+accident, is about the same. Suppose it to be so; the cheapness and
+facility of locomotion, at present, stimulate a much larger number to
+move--there is a vast increase of frivolous and pleasure travel--cars are
+filled with women, crates with bandboxes, and death is to be averaged over
+the integer--I therefore repeat, that steam has helped our profession. If
+steam had been known, in ancient Rome, it would have been reckoned a
+deity, whose diet, like the sacrifice of Juggernaut, would have been flesh
+and blood.
+
+There is a very natural sensibility, on the part of steamboat and railroad
+proprietors, to the announcement of disasters, by steam. There is a
+wonderful eagerness to persuade the public to contemplate these
+catastrophes, with the larger end of the telescope toward the eye. This
+also is a great help to our profession. There is really no lack of
+business, and it is quite abominable, for thoughtless young sextons to
+pray for the advent of the cholera.
+
+We dwell in a region of the earth, seldom touched by this besom of
+destruction. Pestilence and famine have rarely come nigh unto us. It would
+be impious to envy the denizens of milder climes.
+
+  "With gold and gems if Chilian mountains glow,
+    If bleak and barren Scotia's hills arise;
+  There plague and poison, lust and rapine grow,
+    Here peaceful are the vales and pure the skies."
+
+I thank heaven, I was not an undertaker, in London, in 1665, when there
+were scarcely enough of the living to bury the dead. When I used to wrap
+myself up, in the pages of Robinson Crusoe, how little I suspected, that
+Daniel Defoe was the writer of some twenty volumes beside. His inimitable
+history of the plague, of 1665, is admirable reading, for the members of
+our craft.
+
+At irregular periods, plague, yellow fever, sweating sickness, and cholera
+have visited the earth, with terrible effect. Let us take a cursory view
+of these awful visitations. A. D. 78, 10,000 perished daily at Rome. The
+plague returned there A. D. 167. Terrible plague in Britain A. D. 430. A
+dreadful plague spread over Europe, Asia and Africa, A. D. 558, and
+continued, for several years. 200,000 died of the plague in
+Constantinople, A. D. 746. This plague raged for three years, and extended
+to Calabria, Sicily and Greece. William of Malmsbury states, that A. D.
+772, an epidemic disease carried off 34,000 in Chichester, England. 40,000
+died of pestilence in Scotland, A. D. 954. Hollingshed gives an account of
+a terrible plague among cattle, A. D. 1111, and in Ireland A. D. 1204. In
+this year a general plague raged in Europe. In London 200 persons were
+buried daily, in the Charterhouse yard. A dreadful mortality prevailed in
+London and Paris, A. D. 1362 and '7. Great pestilence in Ireland A. D.
+1383. Endemic destroyed 30,000 in London A. D. 1407. Great numbers died of
+plague in Ireland, following famine, A. D. 1466. Dublin was severely
+visited with plague A. D. 1470. Rapin and Salmon give an account of the
+plague at Oxford, A. D. 1471, and throughout England A. D. 1478.
+
+The sweating sickness, _sudor Anglicus_, first appeared, in England, in
+1483, in the army of Henry VII., on his landing at Milfordhaven. A year
+or two after, it travelled to London, and remained there, with
+intermissions, for forty years. It then passed over to the continent, and
+overran Holland, Germany, Flanders, France, Denmark, and Norway. It
+continued in those countries, from 1525 to 1530; it then returned to
+England; and was last known there, in 1551. It was a malignant fever,
+accompanied with very great thirst, delirium, and excessive sweat. Dr.
+Caius called it "a contagious, pestilential fever of one day, prevailing
+with a mighty slaughter, as tremendous as the plague of Athens." Dr.
+Willis says, "Its malignity was so extreme, that as soon as it entered a
+city, it made a daily attack, on five or six hundred persons, of whom
+scarcely one in a hundred recovered." Strype says, "The plague of sweat
+this summer, 1551, was very severe, and carried away multitudes of people,
+rich and poor, especially in London, where, in one day, July 10th, died an
+hundred people, and the next, one hundred and twenty. From the 8th of this
+month to the 19th, there died in London, of this sweat, 872."
+
+Stowe says that, in the 9th year of Henry VII., 1517, half the population,
+in the capital towns of England, died of the sweating sickness: and that
+it proved fatal, in three hours. In the year 1500, Stowe also says, that
+the plague was so terrible in London, that Henry VII. and his court went
+over to Calais. The plague prevailed in England and Ireland, in 1603, and
+in London 30,000 persons died. In 1611, 200,000 died of pestilence, in
+Constantinople; 35,000 persons died of an epidemic in London, in 1625. In
+1632 a general mortality prevailed in France; 60,000 died in Lyons. The
+plague was brought from Sardinia to Naples, in 1656, and 400,000 of the
+Neapolitans died, in six months. In the great plague of London, of 1665,
+described by De Foe, 68,596 persons died. In 1720, 60,000 perished of the
+plague at Marseilles.
+
+An account is given, by the Abbe Mariti, of one of the most awful plagues
+ever known, which prevailed in Syria, in 1760. In Persia, 80,000
+inhabitants of Bassorah, died of the plague, in 1773. In 1792, the plague
+destroyed 800,000 persons in Egypt. In 1799, 247,000 died of the plague at
+Fez; and in Barbary, 3000 daily, for several days. In 1804 and '5, an
+immense number were destroyed, by the plague, in Gibraltar. At the same
+place, in 1828, many were swept away, by an epidemic fever, scarce
+distinguishable from the plague. Verily the vocation of an undertaker is
+anything but a sinecure! But, in such terrible emergencies, as were hourly
+occurring, during the prevalence of the great plague of London, such an
+operator as Pontraci would have cast aside all thoughts of shrouds and
+coffins. In one single night 4000 died. The hearses were common dead
+carts; and the continued cry, _bring out your dead_, rang through every
+heart. Defoe rates the victims of the plague of 1665, at 100,000.
+
+At present, we have a deeper interest in the pestilence of modern times,
+though by some accounted of great antiquity. The Indian or Asiatic cholera
+traversed the north, east and south of Europe, and the countries of Asia,
+and, in two years, prostrated 900,000 victims. It subsequently appeared in
+England, at Sunderland, Oct. 26, 1831; in Scotland, at Edinburgh, Feb. 6,
+1832; in Ireland, at Dublin, March 3, 1832. The mortality was great, but
+much less than upon the continent. Between March and August, 1832, 18,000
+died of cholera, in Paris. In July and August, 1837, it reappeared in
+Rome, the Two Sicilies, Genoa, Berlin, and some other cities. Its ravages,
+in this country, were far less notable, than in many others. It is very
+wise to cast about us, and determine what we will do, if it should come
+again, and it is very likely to take us in its progress. But let us not
+forget, that it will most easily approach us, through our fears; and
+probably, in no disease, are fear and grief more fatal _avant couriers_,
+than in affections of the abdominal viscera.
+
+I am half inclined to the opinion of a charming old lady of my
+acquaintance, who, after listening to a learned discussion, as to the seat
+of the soul--the fountain of sensibility,--and whether or not it was
+seated in the conarion--the pineal gland--gave her decided opinion, that
+it was seated in the bowels.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXVIII.
+
+
+The dead speak from their coffins--from their very graves--and verily the
+heart of the true mourner hath ears to hear. Gloves and rings are the
+valedictories of the dead--their _vales_, or parting tokens, received by
+the mourners, at the hand of some surviving friend. This appropriated
+word, _vale_, as almost every one knows, is the leave-taking expression
+of the mourners; and, when anglicised, and used in the plural number, as
+one syllable, signifies those _vales_ or vails, tokens, in various forms,
+from shillings to crown pieces, bestowed by parting visitors, on
+domestics, from the head waiter to the scullion. They are intended as
+leave tokens. Every servant, in the families of the nobility, from the
+highest to the lowest, expects a _vale_, not in the classical sense of
+Menalcas--_Longum, formose, vale, vale_, but in lawful money, intelligible
+coin. This practice had become so oppressive to visitors, in the early
+part of the reign of George III., that Sir Jonas Hanway, remarkable, among
+other things, for his controversy with Dr. Johnson, on the subject of tea
+drinking, wrote and published eight letters to the Duke of Newcastle,
+against the custom of giving vails, in which he relates some very amusing
+anecdotes. Mr. Hanway, being quietly reproached, by a friend, in high
+station, for not accepting his invitations to dinner, more frequently,
+frankly replied, "Indeed, my Lord, I cannot afford it." He recites the
+manner of leaving a gentleman's house, where he had dined; the servants,
+as usual, flocked around him--"your great coat, Sir Jonas"--a
+shilling--"your hat, sir:" a shilling--"stick, sir:" a shilling--"umbrella,
+sir:" a shilling--"sir, your gloves"--"well, keep the gloves, they are not
+worth the shilling." A remarkable example of the insolence of a pampered
+menial was related to Mr. Hanway, by Sir Timothy Waldo. He had dined with
+the Duke of Newcastle: as he was departing, and handing over his coin to
+the train of servants, that lined the hall, he put a crown into the hand
+of the chief cook, who returned it, saying, "I never take silver, sir."
+"Indeed"--Sir Timothy replied, returning the piece to his pocket, "I never
+give gold."
+
+Sir Jonas was an excellent man; and, whatever objections he may have had
+to the practice of giving extravagant vails to servants, I think he would
+have little or nothing to say, against the practice of giving such vails,
+as the dead may be supposed, vicariously, to bestow upon the living, in
+the form of rings and gloves. The dead, it must be conceded, seem not so
+much disposed to give vails, at present, as they were, one hundred years
+ago. In such dispensations, in the olden time, the good man, the
+clergyman, was seldom forgotten. Gloves and rings were showered down, upon
+the Lord's anointed, at weddings, christenings, and funerals. When a
+child, I was very much puzzled, upon two points; first, what became of
+all the old moons, and, secondly, what the minister did with his gloves
+and rings. If he had had the hands of Briareus, he could not have worn
+them all.
+
+An interesting little volume is now lying upon my table, which explains
+the mystery, not at all, in relation to the moons, but most happily, in
+respect to rings and gloves. It is the Astronomical Diary or Almanac of
+Nathaniel Ames, Boston, New England, printed by J. Draper, for the
+booksellers, 1748. This little book is interleaved; and the blank leaves
+are written over, in the hand-writing of good old Andrew Eliot, who, April
+14, 1742, was ordained pastor of the new North Church, in Boston, as
+colleague with Mr. Webb, where, possessing very little of the locomotive
+or migratory spirit of the moderns, this excellent man remained, till his
+death, Sept. 13, 1778. If gall and wormwood are essential to the
+perfection of Christian theology, Dr. Eliot was singularly deficient, as a
+teacher of religion. His sermons were very full of practical godliness,
+and singularly free from brimstone and fire. He was elected President of
+Harvard University, but his attachment to his people caused him to decline
+the appointment. After this passing tribute, let us return to the little
+Almanac of 1748. On the inside of the marble cover the first entry
+commences thus: "Gloves, 1748, January." The gloves, received by Dr.
+Eliot, are set against particular names, and under every month, in the
+year. Certain names are marked with asterisks, doubtless denoting, that
+the parties were dead, or _stelligeri_, after the fashion of the College
+catalogue; and thus the good doctor discriminated, between funerals, and
+weddings and christenings. Although a goodly number of rings are enrolled,
+together with the gloves, yet a page is devoted to rings, exclusively, in
+the middle of the book. This is not arranged, under months, but years; and
+commences, in 1741, the year before he was ordained, as colleague with Mr.
+Webb. At the bottom of the record, the good man states how many pairs were
+kid; how many were lambswool; and how many were long or women's gloves,
+intended, of course, for the parson's lady.
+
+These rings and gloves were sold, by the worthy doctor, with the exception
+of such, as were distributed, in his own household, not a small one, for
+he left eleven children. A prejudice might have prevailed, an hundred
+years ago, against dead men's gloves, similar to that, recorded in the
+proverb, against dead men's shoes; certain it is, these gloves did not
+meet with a very ready market. It appears by the record, in the doctor's
+own hand, that Mrs. Avis was entrusted with fifteen pairs of women's and
+three dozen of men's; and returned, unsold, eight pairs of women's, and
+one dozen and ten pairs of men's. A dozen pairs of men's were committed to
+Mrs. Langstaff; half a dozen women's to Mr. Langdon, and seventeen pairs
+to Captain Millens. What a glove and ring market the dear Doctor's study
+must have been. In thirty-two years, he appears to have received two
+thousand nine hundred and forty pairs of gloves, at funerals, weddings,
+and baptisms. Of these he sold to the amount of fourteen hundred and forty
+one pounds, eighteen shillings, and one penny, old tenor, equal to about
+six hundred and forty dollars. He also sold a goodly number of his rings.
+From all this, the conclusion is irresistible, that this truly good man
+and faithful minister must have been, if I may use the common expression,
+hand and glove with his parishioners. The little volume before me contains
+the record of other matters, highly interesting, doubtless, in their day
+but of precious little moment, at the present hour. Of what importance can
+it be, I beg leave to inquire, for any one to know, on what precise day,
+one hundred years ago, the worthy pastor borrowed a box of candles of
+Deacon Langdon, or a loaf of sugar of his own father, or ten shillings,
+old tenor, of Deacon Grant! Who, of the present generation, cares, on what
+day, one hundred years ago, he repaid those three pounds to Deacon
+Barrett! Of what consequence to any living mortal can it be, that, on the
+thirteenth day of April, one hundred years ago, Betty Bouvè came to live
+at the manse, as a maid! It is past. The last of that box of candles has
+burnt down into the socket, long ago. That sugar has dissolved, and lost
+its sweetness. And Betty Bouvè! The places that knew her know her no more.
+Her sweeping days are over; for time, with its irresistible broom, hath
+swept her from the face of the earth, and given her the grave for a
+dustpan.
+
+The good old man himself has been called to the account of his
+stewardship. "It was a pleasant day," saith Father Gannett, on the
+fly-leaf of his almanac, "Sept. 15, 1778, when near four hundred couples
+and thirty-two carriages followed the remains of Dr. Andrew Eliot from his
+house, before the south side of his meeting-house, into Fore Street, up
+Cross Street, through Black Horse Lane, to Corpse Hill." I adopt Mr.
+Gannett's orthography, though rather less accurate than applicable.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXIX.
+
+
+The true value of an enlightened conscience may be duly estimated by him,
+who has enjoyed the luxury of travelling in the dark, with the assistance
+of a lantern, without a candle. A man, who has a very strong sense of
+duty, and very little common sense, is apt to be a very troublesome
+fellow; for he is likely to unite the stupidity of an ass with the
+obstinacy of a mule. Yet such there are; and, however inconvenient,
+individually, the evil is immeasurably increased, when they become
+gregarious, and form a party, for any purpose whatever. Such conscience
+parties have existed, in every age and nation. A few individuals, of
+higher intelligence, dissatisfied with their civil, political, military,
+religious, or literary importance, and fatally bent upon distinction, are
+necessary to elevate some enormous green cheese high in the firmament, and
+persuade their followers, that it is neither more nor less than the moon,
+at full. Herod was the great director of that conscience party, that
+believed it to be their bounden duty, to murder all the little children in
+Judea, under a certain age. The terrible sacrifice, on St. Bartholomew's
+eve, was conducted by a conscience party. The burnings and starvings, in
+bloody Mary's reign, were planned and executed, by a conscience party. In
+no country has conscience been so very rampant, as in Ireland, from the
+days of Heremon and King Olam Fodla, to the present hour. Almost every
+reader is aware how conscientiously Archbishop Sharp was murdered, in
+presence of his daughter, in Scotland.
+
+The widows of Hindostan, when they attempt to escape from the funeral
+pile, on which their late husbands are burning, are driven back into the
+flames, by a conscience party. It is well known, that certain inhabitants
+of India deposit their aged and decrepit parents, upon the very margin of
+the river, that the rising waters may bear them away. This is not the act
+of a few individuals; but the common practice, clearly indicating the
+existence of a conscience party, who undoubtedly believe they are acting,
+in a most filial and dutiful manner, and doing the very best thing in the
+world, for all parties. Infanticide is tolerated in China. Very little
+account is made of female babies there. This has been doubted and denied.
+Doubt and denial are of no use. There is a conscience party there, who
+believe it to be their duty to their male babies, to drown the females,
+unless they are pretty, and then they have a chance for life, in being
+sold for concubines. Among the numerous and best modern authorities, on
+this point, is Gutzlaff, whose voyages, along the coast of China, were
+published, in London, 1834. "At the beach of Amoy," says he, "we were
+shocked, at the spectacle of a pretty, new-born babe, which, shortly
+before, had been killed. We asked some of the bystanders what this meant;
+they answered with indifference, 'it is only a girl.'" On page 174,
+Gutzlaff remarks, "It is a general custom among them to drown a large
+proportion of their new-born female children. This unnatural crime is so
+common, that it is perpetrated, without any feeling, and even in a
+laughing mood; and, to ask a man of distinction, whether he has daughters,
+is a mark of great rudeness." Earle, in his narrative of New Zealand,
+London, 1832, states that the practice existed there.
+
+The insurrection of Shays, in this Commonwealth, in 1787, was a matter of
+conscience, beyond all doubt. He and many of his associates believed
+themselves a conscience party. After General Lincoln had suppressed the
+rebellion, great lenity was shown to the prisoners--not an individual was
+executed--and Shays, who died in 1825, at the age of 85, was even
+pensioned, in his old age, for his prior services in the revolution.
+
+The revolt of the Pennsylvania line, in 1781, was, I admit, less an affair
+of the conscience, than of the stomach and bowels; for the poor fellows
+were nearly starved to death. The insurrection under Fries, commonly
+called the whiskey rebellion, in Western Pennsylvania, in 1792, was a
+different affair. A conscience party resolved to drink nothing but untaxed
+whiskey--they conscientiously believed the flavor to be utterly ruined, by
+the excise. It is certain, that, when General Washington moved against the
+rebels, there was conscience enough, among them, to make cowards of them
+all, for they scattered, in all directions.
+
+A conscience party existed, in the early settlement of our country, when
+our pious ancestors, having fled to the howling wilderness, that they
+might enjoy liberty of thought, on religious subjects, began to hang the
+poor Quakers, for the glory of God.
+
+Never before had there been such a conscience party in Massachusetts, as
+from 1689 to 1693. It was then Cotton Mather exclaimed from the pulpit,
+that witchcraft was the "most nefandous high treason against the Majesty
+on high." It was then, that he satisfied himself, by repeated trials, that
+devils were skilled in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. It was then, that they
+hanged old women, for riding on broomsticks through the air; a mode of
+conveyance, which Lord Mansfield declared, long after, to be perfectly
+lawful, for all who preferred that mode of equitation.
+
+A conscience party has recently appeared, in this country, which it is not
+easy to describe. Every other party seems to have contributed to its
+formation. It is a sort of political mosaic, made up of tag, rag, and
+bobtail. Some of the prominent members of this party were whigs, but
+yesterday; and yet they have put forth all their energies, to elect, as
+president, a man, whom they and all other whigs have hitherto opposed, and
+denounced, and who, it was manifest, from the beginning, could not
+possibly be elected. This man has been accounted, by the whigs, a
+political charlatan; and all that he has done, to obtain the support of
+this conscience party, such of them at least, as were once whigs, is to
+avow certain sentiments, on the subject of slavery, the very contrary of
+those, which he has hitherto maintained, most openly and zealously. No
+grave and reflecting whig puts any more confidence, in the promises of
+this political spin-button, than he would put, in the words of Nicholas
+Machiavelli. Nor could this candidate do more to check the progress of
+slavery, than every honest whig believes will be done, by the candidate of
+their party, who certainly resembles Washington, in three particulars; he
+is himself a slaveholder--he is an honest man--and he wears the same
+political phylactery, "_I will be the president of the people, not of a
+party_."
+
+In consideration of the limit of power, neither of these candidates can do
+more than the other, for the object in view, if they were equally honest,
+which nobody dreams of, unless he dreams in Sleepy Hollow. If there had
+been an anti-cholera party, Van Buren might have commanded suffrages, as
+sensibly, by pledging himself to do all in his power, to prevent its
+extension. The remaining candidate, it is agreed, would, if elected, have
+turned the hopes, one and all, of both whig and conscience parties
+topsy-turvy. His election, it is clear, was made more probable, by every
+vote, given by a whig to that candidate, whose election was clearly
+impossible. These irregular whigs, have, therefore, spent their
+ammunition, as profitably, as the old covenanter spent his, who fired a
+horse pistol against the walls of Sterling Castle. Such is the conscience
+party.
+
+When I refer to the universal consent of the whigs, during the former
+canvass for Martin Van Buren, that he was, politically, the very devil
+incarnate; and, in making a selection of those, who were the loudest, and
+longest, and the most vehement of his antagonists, find them to be the
+very leaders of the present movement, in his favor; I am reminded of Peter
+Pindar's pleasant story of the chambermaid and the spider; and, not having
+my copy of Peter at hand, I will endeavor to relate the tale in prose, as
+well as I am able.
+
+A chambermaid, in going her rounds, observed an enormous spider, black and
+bloated, so far from his hole of refuge, that, lifting her broom, she
+exclaimed, "Now, you ugly brute, I have you! You are such a sly, cunning
+knave, and have such a happy non-committal way with you, that I never have
+been able to catch you before; for, the moment I raised my broom, you were
+out of sight, forsooth, and perfectly safe, in that Kinderhook of a hole
+of yours--but, now prepare yourself, for your hour has come." The spider
+turned every one of his eight eyes down upon the chambermaid, and,
+extending his two forelegs in a beseeching manner, calmly replied,
+"Strike, peerless maid, but hear me! I have given you infinite trouble,
+and have been a very bad fellow, I admit. Crafty and cruel, I have been an
+unmitigated oppressor of flies, and all inferior insects. I have sucked
+their blood, and lived upon their marrow. But now my conscience has
+awakened, and I am in favor of letting flies go free. It is not in quest
+of flies, that I am here, sweet maid; (and then he seemed perfectly
+convulsed;) I am changed at heart, and become a new spider. Pardon me for
+speaking the truth; my only object, in being here, is, from this elevated
+spot, to survey your incomparable charms." The chambermaid lowered her
+broom; and gently said, as she walked away, "Well, a spider is not such a
+horrid creature, after all."
+
+I may be thought, in these remarks, to have offended against the
+dictum--_ne sutor ultra crepidam_. Surely I am not guilty--my dealings are
+with _the dead_. Perhaps I am mistaken. The conscience party may not be
+dead, but cataleptic--destined to rise again--to fall more feebly than
+before.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXX.
+
+
+Funerals, in the earlier days of Rome, must have been very showy affairs.
+They were torch-light processions, by night. You will gather some
+information, on this subject, by consulting a note of Servius, on Virg.
+Æn. xi. 143. Cicero, de legibus, ii. 26, says, that Demetrius ordered
+nocturnal funerals, to check the taste for extravagance, in these matters:
+"Iste igitur sumptum minuit, non solum poena, sed etiam tempore; ante
+lucem enim jussit efferri." A more ancient law, of similar import, will be
+found recited, in the oration of Demosthenes, against Macartatus, viii.,
+82, Dove's London ed. Orat. Attici. _Funes_ or _funiculi_ were small ropes
+or cords, covered with wax or tallow; such were the torches, used on such
+occasions; hence the word _funus_ or funeral. A confirmation of this may
+be found in the note of Servius, Æn. i. 727. In a later age, funerals were
+celebrated in the forenoon.
+
+There were some things done, at ancient funerals, which would be accounted
+very extraordinary at the present day. What should we say to a stuffed
+effigy of the defunct, composed entirely of cinnamon, and paraded in the
+procession! Plutarch says; "Such was the quantity of spices brought in by
+the women, at Sylla's funeral, that, exclusive of those carried in two
+hundred and ten great baskets, a figure of Sylla at full length, and of a
+lictor besides, was made entirely of cinnamon, and the choicest
+frankincense."
+
+At the head of Roman funerals, came the _tibicines_, pipers, and
+trumpeters, immediately following the _designator_, or undertaker, and the
+lictors, dressed in black. Next came the "præficæ, quæ dabant cæteris
+modum plangendi." These were women hired to mourn, and sing the funeral
+song, who are popularly termed _howlers_. To this practice Horace alludes,
+in his Art of Poetry:
+
+  Ut, qui conducti plorant in funere, dicunt,
+  Et faciunt prope plura dolentibus ex animo--
+
+which Francis well translates:
+
+  As hirelings, paid for the funereal tear,
+  Outweep the sorrows of a friend sincere.
+
+I once witnessed an exhibition of this kind, in one of the West India
+Islands. A planter's funeral occurred, at Christianstadt, the west end of
+Santa Cruz. After the corpse had been lowered into the grave, a wild
+ululation arose, from the mouths of some hundred slaves, who had followed
+from the plantation--"Oh, what good massa he was--good, dear, old massa
+gone--no poor slave eber hab such kind massa--no more any such good, kind
+massa come agin." I noticed one hard-favored fellow, who made a terrible
+noise, and upon whose features, as he turned the whites of his big eyes up
+toward heaven, there was a sinister, and, now and then, rather a comical
+expression, and who, when called to assist in filling up, appeared to
+throw on the earth, as if he did it from the heart.
+
+After the work was done, I called him aside. "You have lost an excellent
+master," said I. The fellow looked warily round, and, perceiving that he
+was not overheard, replied, in an undertone--"No massa, he bad mule--big
+old villain--me glad the debble got him." Having thus relieved himself of
+his feelings, he hastened to join the gang, and I soon saw him, as they
+filed off, on their way back to the plantation, throwing his brawny arms
+aloft, and joining in the cry--"Oh, what kind, good massa he was!" Upon
+inquiry, I learned, that this planter was a very bad mule indeed, a
+merciless old taskmaster.
+
+Not more than ten flute players were allowed, at a funeral, by the Twelve
+Tables. The flutes and trumpets were large and of lugubrious tones; thus
+Ovid, Fast. vi. 660: Cantabat moestis tibia funeribus; and Am. ii. 66: Pro
+longa resonent carmina vestra tuba.
+
+Nothing appears more incomprehensible, in connection with this subject,
+than the employment of players and buffoons, by the ancients, at their
+funerals. This practice is referred to, by Suetonius, in his Life of
+Tiberius, sec. 57. We are told by Dyonisius, vii. 72, that these Ludii,
+Histriones, and Scurræ danced and sang. One of this class of performers
+was a professed mimic, and was styled _Archimimus_. Strange as such a
+proceeding may appear to us, it was his business, to imitate the voice,
+manner, and gestures of the defunct; he supported the dead man's
+character, and repeated his words and sayings. In the Life of Vespasian,
+sec. 19, Suetonius thus describes the proceeding: In funere, Favor,
+archimimus, personam ejus ferens, imitansque, ut est mos, facta ac dicta
+vivi, etc. This Favor must have been a comical fellow, and is as free with
+the dead, as Killigrew, Charles the Second's jester, was, with the
+living; as the reader will perceive, if he will refer to the passage in
+Suetonius: for the fellow openly cracks his jokes, on the absurd expense
+of the funeral. This, we should suppose, was no subject for joking, if we
+may believe the statement of Pliny, xxxiii. 47, that one C. Cæcillius
+Claudius, a private citizen, left rather more than nine thousand pounds
+sterling, by his will, for his funeral expenses.
+
+After the archimimus, came the freemen of the deceased, _pileati_; that
+is, wearing their caps of liberty. Men, not unfrequently, as a last act,
+to swell their funeral train, freed their slaves. Before the corpse, were
+carried the images of the defunct and of his ancestors, but not of such,
+as had been found guilty of any heinous crime. Thus Tacitus, ii. 32,
+relates, that the image of Libo was not permitted to accompany the
+obsequies of any of his posterity.
+
+The origin of the common practice of marching at military funerals, with
+arms reversed, is of high antiquity. Thus Virgil xi. 93, at the funeral of
+Pallas--_versis Arcades armis_: and upon another occasion, _versi fasces_
+occur in Tacitus iii. 2, referring to the lictors.
+
+In our cities and large towns, the corpse is commonly borne to the grave,
+in a hearse, or on the shoulders of paid bearers. Originally it was
+otherwise. The office of supporting the body to the grave was supposed to
+belong, of right, and duty, to relatives and friends; or, in the case of
+eminent persons, to public functionaries. Thus, in Tacitus, iii. 2, we
+find the expression, _tribunorum centurionumque humeris cineres
+portabantur_: and, upon the death of Augustus, Tac. i. 8, it was carried
+by acclamation, as we moderns say, _corpus ad rogum humeris senatorum
+ferendum_.
+
+The conduct of both sexes, at funerals, was, in some respects, rather
+ridiculous, in those days. Virgil says of King Latinus, when he lost his
+wife,
+
+  --------it, scissa veste, Latinus,
+  Canitiem immundo perfusam pulvere turpans;
+
+which means, in plain English, that the old monarch went about, with his
+coat torn, defiling his white hair with filthy dust.
+
+Cicero, in his Tusculan Questions, iii. 26, is entirely of this opinion:
+detestabilia genera lugendi, pædores, muliebres lacerationes genarum,
+pectoris, feminum, capitis percussiones--detestable kinds of mourning,
+covering the body with filth, women tearing their cheeks, bosoms, and
+limbs, and knocking their heads. Tibullus, in the concluding lines of his
+charming elegy to Delia, the first of his first book, though he evidently
+derives much happiness, from the conviction, that she will mourn for him,
+and weep over his funeral pile, implores her to spare her lovely cheeks
+and flowing hair. No classical reader will censure me, for transcribing
+this very fine passage:
+
+  Te spectem, suprema mihi quum venerit hora,
+    Te teneam moriens, deficiente manu.
+  Flebis et arsuro positum me, Delia, lecto.
+    Tristibus et lacrymis oscula mixta dabis.
+  Flebis; non tua sunt duro præcordia ferro,
+    Vincta, nec in tenero stat tibi corde silex.
+  Illo non juvenis poterit de funere quisquam
+    Lumina, non virgo, sicca referre domum.
+  Tu manes ne læde meos: sed parce solutis
+    Crinibus, et teneris, Delia, parce genis.
+
+The _suttee_, or sacrifice of the widows of Hindostan, on the funeral pile
+of their husbands, was not more a matter of course, than the laceration of
+the hair and cheeks, among Roman women. It was undoubtedly accounted
+disreputable, for a widow to appear in public, after the recent funeral of
+her husband, with locks unpulled and cheeks unscratched. To such extremity
+had this absurd practice proceeded, that the fifth law of the tenth of the
+Twelve Tables, to which reference has been made, in a former number, was
+enacted to prevent it--_mulieres genas ne radunto_.
+
+No discreet matron perpetrates any such absurdity, in modern times. The
+hair and cheeks of the departed have, occasionally, given evidence of
+considerable laceration, from some cause unknown; but neither the law of
+the Tables, nor the pathos of a Tibullus is commonly required, to prevent
+a Christian widow, from laying violent hands, upon her cheeks or her hair.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXI.
+
+
+The cholera seems to be forgotten--but without reason--for the yellowest
+and most malignant of all yellow fevers is down upon us, proving fatal to
+the peace of many families, and sweeping away our citizens, by hundreds.
+The distemper appears to have originated in California, and to have been
+brought hither, in letters from Governor Mason and others. It is deeply to
+be deplored, that these letters, which are producing all this mischief,
+had not been subjected to the process of smoking and sprinkling with
+vinegar; for the disease is highly contagious. This fever differs entirely
+from the _febris flava_--the _typhus icteroides_ of _Sauvages_. The
+symptoms are somewhat peculiar. The pulse is quick and fluttering--the
+head hot--the patient neglects his business, bolts his food, and wanders
+about--sometimes apparently delirious, and, during the paroxysms, calls
+furiously for a pickaxe and a tin pan. But the most certain indication,
+that the disease has entered into the system, is, not that the patient
+himself becomes yellow, but that everything, upon which he turns his eyes,
+assumes the yellow appearance of gold. The nature of this distemper will,
+however, be much better understood, by the presentation of a few cases of
+actual occurrence.
+
+I. Jeduthan Smink--a carpenter, having a wife and two children, residing
+at No. 9 Loafer's Lane. This is a strongly marked case. Mr. Smink, who is
+about five and twenty years of age, has always entertained the opinion,
+that work did him harm, and that drink did him good--labors--the only way
+in which he will labor--under the delusion, that all is gold that
+glistens--packed up his warming pan and brass kettle, to send them to the
+mint.
+
+II. Laban Larkin, a farmer--caught the fever of a barber, while being
+shaved--persuaded that the unusual yellowness of his squashes and carrots
+can only be accounted for, by the presence of gold dust--turned a field of
+winter rye topsy turvy, in search of it--believes finally, in the sliding
+qualities of subterraneous treasure--thinks his gold has slipped over into
+his neighbor's field of winter rye--offers to dig it all up, at the
+halves--excited and abusive, because his neighbor declines the offer--told
+him he was a superannuated ass, and behind the times.
+
+III. Molly Murphy resides, when at home, which is seldom, in Shelaly
+Court, near the corner, easily found by any one, who will follow his nose;
+has a husband and one child, a dutiful boy, who vends matches and penny
+papers, on week days, and steals, on Sundays, for the support of the
+family. Molly can read; has read what Gov. Mason writes about pigs
+rooting up gold, by mistake, for groundnuts--her brain much disturbed--has
+an impression, that gold may be found almost anywhere--with a tin pan, and
+no other assistance but her son, Tooley Murphy, she has actually dug over
+and washed a pile of filth, in front of her dwelling, which the city
+scavengers have never been able materially to diminish--urges her husband
+to be "aff wid the family for Killyfarny, where the very wheelbarries is
+made out of goold." Dreams of nothing but gold dust, and firmly believes
+it to be the very dust we shall all return to--while asleep, seized her
+husband by the ears, and could scarcely be sufficiently awakened, to
+comprehend that she had not captured the golden calf.
+
+Let us be grave. I shall not inquire, if Bishop Archelaus was right in the
+opinion, that the original golden calf was made, not by the Israelites,
+but by Egyptians, who were the companions of their flight; nor if the
+modern idol be a descendant in the right line. It is somewhat likely, that
+the golden calf of 1848, will grow up to be a terrible bull, for some of
+the adventurers.
+
+That there is gold in California, no one doubts. Governor Mason's standard
+of quantity is rather alarming--there is gold enough, says he, in the
+country, drained by the Sacramento and Joaquin rivers, and more than
+enough, "_to pay the cost of the present war with Mexico, a hundred times
+over_." This is encouraging, and may lead us to look upon the prospect of
+another, with more complacency; though the whole of this treasure will not
+buy back a single slaughtered victim--not one husband to the widow--nor
+one parent to an orphan child--nor one stay and staff, the joy and the
+pride of her life, to the lone mother. _N'importe_--we have gold and
+glory! "The people," says Mr. Mason, "before engaged in cultivating their
+small patches of ground, and guarding their herds of cattle and horses,
+have all gone to the mines. Laborers of every trade have left their work
+benches, and tradesmen their shops. Sailors desert their ships, as fast as
+they arrive on the coast."
+
+There is a marvellous fascination in all this, no doubt; and as fast and
+as far as the knowledge radiates, thousands upon thousands will be rushing
+to the spot. The shilling here, however, which procures a given amount of
+meat, fire and clothes, is equal to the sum, whatever it may be, which,
+there procures the same amount and quality. Loafers and the lovers of
+ease and indolence, who are tobacco chewers, to a man, are desirous of
+flying to this El Dorado. Let them have a care: an ounce of gold dust,
+valued at $12 there, though worth $18 here, is said to have been paid, for
+a plug of tobacco. A traveller in Caffraria, having paid five cowries,
+(shells, the money of the country) for some article, complained, that
+forty were demanded, for a like article, in a village, not far off; and
+inquired if the article was scarce; "no," was the reply, "but cowries are
+very plenty."
+
+Our adventurers intend to remain, perhaps, only till they obtain a
+competency. Even that is not the work of a day; and will be longer, or
+shorter, in the ratio of the consumption of means, for daily support,
+during the operation. There will, doubtless, be some difference also, as
+to the meaning of the word competency. An intelligent merchant, of this
+city, once defined it to mean a little more, in every individual's
+opinion, than he hath. Like the lock of hay, which Miss Edgeworth says is
+attached to the extremity of the pole, and which is ever just so far in
+advance of the hungry horses, in an Irish jaunting car, so competency
+seems to be forever leading us onward, yet is never fairly within our
+grasp.
+
+John Graunt, of whom a good account may be found in Bayle, says, that, if
+the art of making gold were known, and put extensively in practice, it
+would raise the value of silver. Of course it would, and of everything
+else, so far as the quantity of gold, given in exchange for any article,
+is the representative of value. As gold becomes plenty, it will be
+employed for other uses, sauce-pans perhaps, as well as for the increase
+of the circulating medium. The amount of gold, which has passed through
+the British mint, from the accession of Elizabeth, 1558, to 1840, is,
+according to Professor Farraday, 3,353,561 pounds weight troy; and nearly
+one half of this was coined during the reign of George III.
+
+Gold is a good thing, in charitable fingers; but it too frequently
+constructs for itself a chancel in our hearts. It then becomes the golden
+calf, and man an idolater. How dearly we get to love the chink and the
+glitter of our gold! How much like death it does seem, to go off 'change,
+before the last watch!
+
+Three score years and ten, devoted to the turning of pennies! How many of
+us, after we have had our three warnings, still hobble up and down, day
+after day, infinitely more anxious about pennies, than we were, fifty
+years ago, about pounds! An angel, the spirit, for example, of Michael de
+Montaigne, perched upon the City Hall--the eastern end of the ridge
+pole--must be tempted to laugh heartily. Without any angelic pretensions,
+I have done so myself, when, upon certain emergencies, the kegs, boxes,
+and bags of gold and silver, hand-carted and hand borne, have gone from
+bank to bank, backward and forward, often, in a morning, like the slipper,
+in the _jeu de pantoufle_! What an interest is upon the faces of the
+crowd, who gaze upon the very kegs and boxes; feasting upon the bald
+idea--the unprofitable consciousness--that gold and silver are within; and
+reminding one of old George Herbert's lines,--
+
+  "Wise men with pity do behold
+  Fools worship mules, that carry gold."
+
+"Verily," saith an ancient writer, "traffickers and the getters of gain,
+upon the mart, are like unto pismires, each struggling to bear off the
+largest mouthful."
+
+I am glad to see that the moderns are collecting the remains of good old
+George Herbert, and giving them an elegant _surtout_. His address to money
+is a jewel, and none the worse for its antique setting:
+
+    "Money! Thou bane of bliss, and source of wo!
+  Whence com'st thou, that thou art so fresh and fine?
+    I know thy parentage is base and low;
+  Man found thee, poor and dirty, in a mine.
+
+    "Surely thou didst so little contribute
+  To this great kingdom, which thou now hast got,
+    That he was fain, when thou wert destitute,
+  To dig thee out of thy dark cave and grot.
+
+    "Then, forcing thee by fire, he made thee bright;
+  Nay, thou hast got the face of man, for we
+    Have, with our stamp and seal, transferred our right;
+  Thou art the man, and we but dross to thee!
+
+  "Man calleth thee his wealth, who made thee rich,
+  And, while he digs out thee, falls in the ditch."
+
+The mere selfish getters of gain, who dispense it not, are, _civiliter et
+humaniter mortui_--dead as a door nail--dead dogs in the manger! I come
+not to bury them, at present; but, if possible, to awaken some of them
+with my penny trumpet; otherwise they may die in good earnest in their
+sins; their last breath giving evidence of their ruling passion--muttering
+not the _tête d'armée_ of Napoleon, but the last words of that
+accomplished Israelite, who caused his gold to be counted out, before his
+failing eyes--_per shent_.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXII.
+
+
+_Making mourning_, as an abstract phrase, is about as intelligible, as
+_making fish_. These arbitrary modes of expression have ever been well
+enough understood, nevertheless, by those employed in the respective
+operations. _Making mourning_, in ancient times, was assigned to that
+class of hired women, termed _præficæ_, to whom I have had occasion to
+refer. They are thus described, by Stephans--adhiberi solebant funeri,
+mercede conductæ, ut flerent, et fortia facta laudarent--they were called
+to funerals, and paid, to shed tears, and relate the famous actions of the
+defunct. Doubtless, by practice, and continual exercise of the will over
+the lachrymary organs, they acquired the power of forcing mechanical
+tears. We have a specimen of this power, in the case of Miss Sophy
+Streatfield, so often referred to, by Madame D'Arblay, in her account of
+those happy days at Mrs. Thrale's. _Making mourning_, in modern times, is,
+with a few touching exceptions, confined to that important class, the
+dress-makers.
+
+The time allowed, for mourning, was determined, by the laws of Numa.
+Plutarch informs us, that no mourning was allowed, for a child, that died
+under three years, and for all others, a month, for every year it had
+lived, but never to exceed ten, which was the longest term, allowed for
+any mourning. We often meet with the term, _luctus annus_, the year of
+mourning; but the year of Romulus contained but ten months; and, though
+Numa added two, to the calendar, the term of mourning remained unchanged.
+The howlers, or wailing women, were employed also in Greece, and in Judea.
+Thus in Jeremiah ix. 17, _call for the mourning women, &c., and let them
+make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with
+tears, &c._
+
+By the laws of Numa, widows were required to mourn ten months or during
+the year of Romulus. Thus Ovid, Fast. i. 35:
+
+  Per totidem menses a funere conjugis uxor
+    Sustinet in vidua tristia signa domo.
+
+Numa was rather severe upon widows. The _tristia signa_, spoken of by
+Ovid, were sufficiently mournful. According to Kirchmaun de Fun. iv. 11,
+they were not to stir abroad in public--to abstain entirely from all
+entertainments--to lay aside every kind of ornament--to dress in
+black--and not even to kindle a fire, in their houses. Not content with
+stinting and freezing these poor, lone creatures, to death, Numa forbade
+them to repeat the matrimonial experiment, for ten months. Indeed, it was
+accounted infamous, for a widow to marry, within that period. As though he
+were resolved to add insult to injury, he, according to Plutarch,
+permitted those to violate this law, who would make up their minds, to
+sacrifice a cow with calf. This unnatural sacrifice was intended, by Numa,
+to frighten the widows. Doubtless, in many instances, the legislative
+bugbear was effectual; but it is quite probable there were some courageous
+women, in those days, as there are, at present, who would have slaughtered
+a whole drove, rather than yield the tender point.
+
+The Jews expressed their grief, for the death of their near friends, by
+weeping, and crying aloud, beating their breasts, rending their clothes,
+tearing their flesh, pulling their hair, and starving themselves. They
+neither dressed, nor made their beds, nor washed, nor saw visitors, nor
+shaved, nor cut their nails, and made their toilets with sackcloth and
+ashes. The mourning of the Jews lasted commonly seven days, and never more
+than thirty--quite long enough, we should think, for such an exhibition of
+filth and folly. The Greeks also did much of all this--they covered
+themselves with dust and dirt, and rolled in the mire, and beat their
+breasts, and tore their faces.
+
+The color of the mourning garb, among the Romans, was originally
+black--from the time of Domitian, white. At present, the color of the
+mourning dress, in Europe is black--in China white--in Turkey blue or
+violet--in Egypt yellow--in Ethiopia brown. There have come down to us two
+admirable letters from Seneca, 63, and 99, on the subject of lamentation
+for the dead; the first to Lucilius, after the death of his friend,
+Flaccus--the second to Lucilius, communicating the letter Seneca had
+written to Murullus, on the death of his son. These letters must be read,
+_cum grano salis_, on account of the stoical philosophy of the writer. He
+admits the propriety of decent sorrow, but is opposed to violent and
+unmeasured lamentations--_nec sicci sint occuli, amisso amico, nec
+fluant_--shed tears, if you have lost your friend, but do not cry your
+eyes out--_lacrimandum est, non plorandum_--let there be weeping, but not
+wailing. He cites, for the advantage of Lucilius, the counsel of Ulysses
+to Achilles, whose grief, for the death of Patroclus, had become
+inordinate, to give one whole day to his sorrow, and have done with it. He
+considers it not honorable, for men, to exhibit their grief, beyond the
+term of two or three days. Such, upon the authority of Tacitus De Mor.
+Germ. 27, was the practice of the ancient Germans. Funerum nulla ambitio:
+... struem rogi nec vestibus, nec odoribus, cumulant: ... lamenta ac
+lacrimas cito, dolorem et tristitiam tarde, ponunt; feminis lugere
+honestum est; viris meminisse: there was no pride of funereal parade; they
+heaped no garments, no odors, upon the pile; they speedily laid aside
+their tears and laments; not so their grief and sorrow. It was becoming,
+for _women_ to mourn; for _men_ to cherish in their memories.
+
+In his letter to Lucilius, Seneca enters upon an investigation, as to the
+real origin of all this apparent sorrow, so freely and generally
+manifested, for the dead; and his sober conviction breaks forth, in the
+words--Nemo tristis sibi est. O infelicem stultitiam! est aliqua et
+doloris ambitio! No one mourns for himself alone. Oh miserable folly!
+There is ambition, even in our sorrow! This passage recalls Martial's
+epigram, 34, De Gellia:
+
+  Amissum non flet, quum sola est Gellia, patrem;
+    Si quis adest, jussæ prosiliunt lacrymæ.
+  Non dolet hic, quisquis landari, Gellia, quærit;
+    Ille dolet vere, qui sine teste dolet.
+
+Arthur Murphy, in his edition of Dr. Johnson's works, ascribes to that
+great man the following extraordinary lines:
+
+  If the man, who turnips cries,
+  Cry not, when his father dies,
+  'Tis a proof, that he had rather
+  Have a turnip than his father.
+
+Under the doctor's sanction, for a bagatelle, I may offer a translation of
+Martial's epigram:
+
+  When no living soul is nigh,
+  Gellia's filial grief is dry;
+  Call, some morning, and I'll warrant
+  Gellia'l shed a perfect torrent.
+  Tears unforc'd true sorrow draws:
+  Gellia weeps for mere applause.
+
+It is our fortune to witness not a little of this, in our line. We are
+compelled to drop in, at odd, disjointed moments, when the not altogether
+disagreeable occupations of the survivors contrast, rather oddly, to be
+sure, with the graver duties to the dead. A rich widow, like Dr. Johnson's
+_protègè_, in his letter to Chesterfield, is commonly overburdened with
+help. It is quite surprising, to observe the solicitude about her health,
+and how very fervent the hope of her neighbors becomes, that she may not
+have taken cold. The most prominent personages, after the widow and the
+next of kin, are the coffin-maker and the dress-maker--both are solicitous
+of making an excellent fit. Those, who, like myself, have had long
+practice in families, are often admitted to familiar interviews with the
+chief mourners, which are likely to take place, in the midst of
+dress-makers and artists of all sorts. How many acres of black crape I
+have witnessed, in half a century! "Mr. Abner--good Mr. Abner," said Mrs.
+----, "dear Mr. Abner," said she, "I shall not forget your kindness--how
+pleasant it is, on these occasions, to see a face one knows. You buried my
+first husband--I thought there was nothing like that: and you buried my
+second husband--and, oh dear me, I thought there was nothing like
+that--and now, oh dear, dear me, you are going to bury my third! How I am
+supported, it is hard to tell--but the widow's God will carry me through
+this, and other trials, for aught I know--Miss Buddikin, don't you think
+that dress should be fuller behind?" "Oh dear ma'am, your fine shape, you
+know," said Miss Buddikin. "There now, Miss Buddikin, at any other time I
+dare say I should be pleased with your flattery, but grief has brought
+down my flesh and spirits terribly. Good morning, dear Mr. Abner--remember
+there will be no postponement, on account of the weather."
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXIII.
+
+
+I am sad. It is my duty to record an event of deep and universal interest.
+On Sunday night, precisely as the clock of the Old South Church struck the
+very first stroke of twelve, departed this life, of no particular malady,
+but from a sort of constitutional decay, to which the family has ever been
+periodically liable, and at the same age, at which his ancestors have
+died, for many generations, A. Millesimus Octingentesimus Quadragesimus
+Octavus.
+
+It has been a custom in France, and in other countries, to send printed
+invitations to friends and relatives, inviting them to funerals. I have
+heard of a thriving widow--_la veuve Berthier_--who added a short
+postscript--_Madame Berthier will be happy to furnish soap and candles, at
+the old stand, as heretofore_. I trust I shall not be deemed guilty of a
+like indiscretion, if I add, for general information, that the business
+will be conducted hereafter, in the name of A. M. O. Q. Nonus.
+
+I did intend to be facetious, but, for the soul of me, I cannot. It is
+enough for me to know that the old year is dead and gone, and that the
+hopes and fears of millions are now lying in its capacious grave. Between
+the old year and the new, the space is so incalculably narrow, that, if
+those ancient philosophers were in the right, who contended, that an angel
+could not live in a vacuum, no angel, in the flesh, or out of it, could
+possibly get between the two: the partition is thin as tissue paper--thin
+as that between wit and madness, which is so exceedingly thin, as to be
+often undistinguishable, leaving us in doubt, on which side our neighbors
+may be found,--when at home.
+
+I see, clearly, in the close of another year, another milestone, upon
+Time's highway, from chaos to eternity. Is it not wise, and natural, and
+profitable, for the pilgrim to pause, and mark his lessening way? He
+cannot possibly know the precise number of milestones, that lie between
+the present and his journey's end; but he may sometimes shrewdly guess
+from the number he has passed already. There is precious little certainty,
+however, in the very best of man's arithmetic, on a subject like this:
+for, at every milestone, from the very first, and at countless
+intermediate points, he will observe innumerable tablets, recording the
+fact, that myriads of travellers have stopped here and there, not for the
+want of willingness to go forward, but for the want of breath--not for the
+night, to be awakened at the morning watch, by the attentive host, or the
+railway whistle,--but for a long, long while, to be summoned, at last, by
+the piercing notes of a clarion, loud and clear, which, as the bow of
+Ulysses could be bent only by the master's hand, can be raised, only by
+the lips and the lungs of an archangel.
+
+Well, Quadragesimus Octavus hath gone to his long home, and the mourners
+go about the streets--a motley group it is, that band of melancholy
+followers! Upon this, as upon all other occasions of the same sort, true
+tears, from the very well-spring of the heart, fall, together with showers
+of hypocritical salt water. Little children, who must ever refer their
+orphanage to the year that is past, are in the van; and with them, a few
+widowers and widows, who have not been married quite long enough, to be
+reconciled to their bereavement. There are others, who also have been
+divorced from their partners by death, and who submit, with admirable
+grace; and wear their weeds--of the very best make and fashion, by the
+way--with infinite propriety.
+
+It is quite amazing to see the great number of mourners, who, though,
+doubtless, natives, have a very Israelitish expression, and wear
+phylacteries, upon which are written three or four words whose import is
+intelligible, only to the initiated, but which, being interpreted,
+signify--_three per cent. a month_. None seem to wear an expression of
+more heartfelt sorrow, for the departure of Quadragesimus Octavus, during
+whose existence, being less greedy of honors than of gain, they were
+singularly favored, converting the necessities of other men into an
+abundance of bread and butter, for themselves.
+
+In the melancholy train, we behold a goodly number of maiden ladies,
+dressed in yellow, which is the mourning color of the Egyptians, and some
+of these disconsolate damsels are really beginning to acquire the mummy
+complexion: it happened that, as the old year expired, they were just
+turned of thirty.
+
+There are others, who have sufficient reason to mourn, and whose numerous
+writings have brought them into serious trouble. Their works, commencing
+with a favorite expression--_for value received I promise to pay_, owing
+to something rather pointed in the phraseology, were liable to be severely
+criticised, so soon as the old year expired.
+
+The lovers of parade, and show, and water celebrations, and torch-light
+processions, trumpeting and piping merrymakings, and huzzaings, the
+brayings of stump orators, and the intolerable noise and farrago of
+electioneering; the laudings and vituperatings of Taylor, Cass, and Van
+Buren; the ferocious lyings and vilifyings of partisans, politically drunk
+or crazy--the lovers of all or any of these things are one and all,
+attendants at the funeral of Quadragesimus Octavus.
+
+The good old year is gone--and, in the words of a celebrated clergyman,
+to a bereaved mother, who would not be comforted, but wailed the louder,
+the more he pressed upon her the duty of submission--"_what do you propose
+to do about it?_" I cannot answer for you, my gentle reader, but I am
+ready to answer for myself. As an old sexton, I believe it to be my duty
+to pay immediate attention to the very significant command--whatsoever thy
+hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor
+device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest. If
+good old Samuel had been an undertaker, he could not have said, more
+confidently than I do, at this moment, whose corpse have I taken, or whose
+shroud have I taken, or whom have I defrauded, or whom have I buried east
+for west, or wrong end foremost? Of what surgeon have I received a fee,
+for a skeleton, to blind mine eyes withal? I have neither the head nor the
+heart for mystical theology. I believe in the doctrine of election, as
+established by the constitution and laws of the United States, and of the
+States respectively, so far as regards the President, Vice President, and
+all town, county and state officers: and I respect the Egyptians, for one
+trait, recorded of them, by an eminent historian, who states, that those,
+who worship an ape, never quarrel with those, who worship an ox. A very
+fine verse, the thirteenth of the last chapter of Ecclesiastes--"Let us
+hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep his
+commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
+
+Let us try, during the year, upon whose threshold we are now standing, to
+do as much good, and as little harm, as possible. I respectfully recommend
+to all old men and women, who are as grey and grizzly as I am, to make
+themselves as agreeable as they can; and remember, that old age is
+proverbially peevish and exacting. In the presence of children, do not
+forget the wise sayings of Parson Primrose, who candidly confessed, when
+solicited to join in some childish pastime, that he complied, for he was
+tired of being always wise. Pray allow all you can for the vivacity and
+waywardness of youth. Nine young ladies, in ten, may find a clever fit,
+in Pope's shrewd line--
+
+  "Brisk as a flea, and ignorant as dirt."
+
+All, that can be said about it, lies in a filbert shell, _ita lex scripta
+est, ita rerum natura_. You will not mend the matter, by scowling and
+growling, from morning to night. Can you not remember, that you yourself,
+when a boy, were saluted now and then, with the title of "proper
+plague"--"devil's bird"--or "little Pickle?" I can. Some years ago, my
+very worthy friend, the Rev. John S. C. Abbott, did me the kindness to
+give me one of his excellent works, the Path of Peace. The preface
+contains a very short and clever incident, of whose applicability, you can
+judge for yourself.
+
+"Mother," said a little boy, "I do not wish to go to Heaven."
+
+"And why not, my son?"
+
+"Why, grandfather will be there, will he not?"
+
+"Yes, my son, I hope he will."
+
+"Well, as soon as he sees us, he will come, scolding along, and say,
+'Whew, whew, whew! what are these boys here for?' I am sure I do not wish
+to go to Heaven, if grandfather is to be there."
+
+This is a short tale of a grandfather, but it is a very significant story,
+for its length; and calculated, I fear, for many meridians.
+
+Well, here we are, in the very midst of bells and bonfires, screaming for
+joy, in honor of the new year, with our spandy new weepers on, for the old
+one.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXIV.
+
+
+Viewed in every possible relation, the most melancholy and distressing
+funerals, of which I have any knowledge, were a series of interments,
+which occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, not very many years ago, and
+of which, in 1840, I received, while sojourning there, a particular
+account, from an inhabitant of that hospitable city. These funerals were
+among the blacks; and, as there was no epidemic at the time, their
+frequency, at length, attracted observation. Every day or two, the colored
+population were seen, bearing, apparently, one of their number to the
+place, appointed for all living. Suspicion was, at last, awakened--a post
+mortem examination was resolved on--the graves, which proved to be
+uncommonly shallow, were opened--the coffins lifted out, and examined--and
+found to be filled, not with corpses, but with muskets, swords, pistols,
+pikes, knives, hatchets, and such other weapons, as might be necessary,
+for the perfection of a deadly work, which had been long projected, and
+was then not far from its consummation.
+
+These, I say, were the most melancholy funerals, of which I have any
+knowledge. This was burying the hatchet, in a novel sense. In 1840, the
+tumult of mind, resulting from immediate apprehension, had, in a great
+degree, subsided; yet a rigorous system of espionage continued, in full
+operation--the spirit of vigilance was still on tiptoe--the arsenal was in
+excellent working order, and capable, at any moment, of turning its iron
+shower, in every direction--the separate gathering of the blacks, for
+religious worship, had been, and still was, prohibited; for it was
+believed, that the little tabernacle, in which, before this alarming
+discovery, the colored people were in the habit of assembling, had been
+used, in some sort, for the purpose of holding insurrectionary conclaves;
+perhaps for the purpose also of muttering prayers, between their teeth, to
+the bondman's God, to give him strength to break his fetters.
+
+At the time, to which I refer, the slaves, who attended religious
+services, on the Sabbath, entered the same temples with their masters, who
+paid their vows, on cushions, while many of the slaves worshipped,
+squatting in the aisles. At this time, slaves, _ex cautela_, were
+forbidden, under penalty of imprisonment and the lash, from being present
+at any conflagration. Under a like penalty, they were commanded to retire
+instantly, upon the very first stroke of the curfew bell, to their homes
+and cabins. At every quarter of an hour, through the whole night, the cry
+of _all's well_ was sent forth by the armed sentinel, from the top of St.
+Michael's tower. Such was the state of things, in 1840, in the city of
+Charleston.
+
+Melancholy as were these funerals, the undertakers were quite as
+ingenious, as those cunning Greeks, who contrived the Trojan horse,
+_divinâ Palladis arte_. Melancholy and ominous funerals were they--for
+they were incidents of slavery, the CURSE COLOSSAL--that huge, unsightly
+cicatrice, upon the very face of our heritage. Well may we say to the most
+favored nation of the earth, in Paul's proud words,--_would to God ye were
+not only almost, but altogether such as we are, saving these bonds_.
+
+After taking a mental and moral _coup d'oeil_ of these matters, I remember
+that I lay long, upon my pillow, not consigning my Southern friends and
+brethren, votively, to the devil; but thanking God, for that blessed
+suggestion, which led good, old Massachusetts, and the other states of the
+North, to abolish slavery, within their own domains.
+
+Slavery is a curse, not only to the long-suffering slave, but to the
+mortified master. This chivalry of the South--what is it? Every man of the
+South, or the North, who comes to the blessed conclusion, that, while
+others own _jackasses_, _horses_, _and horned cattle_, he actually _owns
+men_--what a thought!--will soon become filled with this very chivalry. It
+is the lordly consciousness of dominion over one's fellow-man--a sort of
+Satrap-like feeling of power--a sentiment extremely oriental, which begets
+that important and consequential air of superiority, that marks the
+Southern man and the Southern boy,--Mr. Calhoun, diving, like one of
+Pope's heroes, after first principles, and fetching up, for a fact, the
+pleasant fancy, that _man is not born of a woman_--or the young,
+travelling gentleman, full of "Suth Cralina," who comes hither, to sojourn
+awhile, and carries in every look, that almost incomprehensible mixture of
+pride and sensitiveness, which is equally repulsive and ridiculous.
+
+The bitterness of sectional feeling is a necessary incident of slavery.
+Civil and servile wars are among its terrible contingencies. Slavery
+cannot endure in our land, though the end be not yet. I had rather the
+cholera should spread, than this moral scourge, over our new domains--not,
+upon my honor, because the former would be a help to our profession, but
+because a dead is more bearable, than a living curse.
+
+Of all the sciolists, who have offered their services, to remedy this
+evil, the conscience party is the most remarkable. A self-consecrated
+party, with their phlogistic system, would deal with the whole South,
+which, on this topic, is a perfect hornet's nest already, precisely as an
+intelligent farmer, in Vermont, dealt with a hornet's nest, under the
+eaves of his dwelling--he applied the actual cautery; his practice was
+successful--he destroyed the nest, and with it his entire mansion. There
+are men, of this party, to whom the constitution and laws of the Union are
+objects of infinite contempt; who despise the Bible; who would overthrow
+the civil magistrate; and unfrock the clergy. But there are many others,
+who abjure such doctrines--a species of conscience comeouters--who intend,
+after they have unkennelled the whirlwind, to appoint a committee of
+three, from every county, to hold it by the tail, _ne quid detrimenti
+respublica caperet_. These are to be selected from the most careful and
+judicious, who, when the firebrand is thrown into the barrel of gunpowder,
+will have a care, that not more than a moderate quantity shall be ignited.
+
+The constitution is a contract, made by our fathers, and binding on their
+children. Who shall presume to say that contract is void, for want of
+consideration, or because the subject is _malum in se_? Who shall decide
+the question of _nudum pactum_ or not? Not one of the parties, nor two,
+nor any number, short of the whole, can annul this solemn contract; nor
+can a decision of the question of constitutionality come from any other
+tribunal, than the Supreme Judicial Court of the United States.
+
+Lord Mansfield's celebrated dictum--_fiat justitia, ruat Cælum_, has been
+often absurdly applied, and in connection with this very question of
+slavery and its removal. _Justitia_ is a broad word, and refers not solely
+to the rights of the slave, but to those of the freeman. The proposition
+of the full-bottomed abolitionist--immediate emancipation, or dissolution
+of the Union, and civil and servile war to boot, if it must be so--is fit
+to be taught, only to the tenants of a madhouse. But there is a spirit
+abroad, whose tendency cannot be mistaken. Slavery is becoming daily more
+and more odious, in the east, in the west, in the north, ay, and in the
+south. Individually, many slaveholders are becoming less attached to their
+_property_. There may be too much even of _this good thing_. Slavery would
+continue longer, in the present slave states, if it were extended to the
+new territories; for it would be rendered more bearable in the former, by
+the power of sloughing off the redundancy, on profitable terms. The spirit
+of emancipation is striding over the main land, walking upon the waters,
+and planting its foot, upon one dark island after another. _Let us
+hope_--better to do that, than mischief. Let us rejoice, that, as the
+Scotch say, _there is a God aboon a'_--better to do that, than spit upon
+our Bibles, and scoff at law and order. It is always better to stand
+still, than move rudely and rashly, in the dark. Such was the decided
+opinion of my old friend and fellow-sexton, Grossman, when he fell, head
+first, into an unclosed tomb, and broke his enormous nose.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXV.
+
+
+In looking up a topic, for my dealings with the dead, this afternoon, I
+can think of nothing more interesting, at the present time, than _Lot's
+wife and the Dead Sea_. I consider Lieutenant Lynch the most fortunate of
+modern discoverers. He has discovered the long lost lady of Lot--the
+veritable pillar of salt! There are some incredulous persons, I am aware,
+who are of opinion, that the account of this discovery should be received,
+_cum grano salis_; but my own mind is entirely made up. I should have been
+better pleased, I admit, if he had verified the suggestion, which led to
+the discovery, by bringing home a leg, or an arm. Possibly, it may be
+thought proper to send a Government vessel, for the entire pillar, to
+ornament the Rotunda at Washington. The identification of Lot's wife is
+rendered exceedingly simple, by the fact, that seventeen of her fingers,
+and not less than fourteen of her toes, broken off from time to time, by
+the faithful, as relics, are exhibited in various churches and
+monasteries.
+
+Models of these, in plaster, could readily be obtained, I presume; and an
+application of their fractured parts to the salt corpse, discovered by
+Lieutenant Lynch, would settle the question, in the manner, employed to
+test the authenticity of ancient indentures. Besides, every one knows,
+that salt is a self preserver, and lasting in its character, especially
+the Attic. The very elements of preservation abound in the Dead Sea, and
+the region round about. Its very name establishes the
+fact--_Asphaltites_--so called from the immense quantity of _asphaltum_ or
+bitumen, with which it abounds. This is called _Jews' Pitch_, and was used
+of old, for embalming; and the corpse of Mrs. Lot, after the salt had
+thoroughly penetrated, rolled up, as it probably was found by Lieutenant
+Lynch, in a winding sheet of bitumen, which readily envelopes everything
+it touches, would last forever. This pitch is often sold by the druggists,
+under the name of mummy.
+
+In Judea, with the territory of Moab, on the East, and the wilderness of
+Judah, on the West, and having the lands of Reuben and Edom, or Idumea, on
+the North and South, lies that sheet of mysterious and unfrequented water,
+which has been called the East Sea--the Salt Sea--the Sea of the
+Desert--the Sea of the Plain--the Sea of Sodom--and, more commonly, the
+Dead Sea. To this I beg leave to add another title, the Legendary lake, or
+Humbug water. More marvel has been marked, learned, and inwardly digested,
+by Christians, on the subject of this sheet of water, than the broad ocean
+has ever supplied, to stir the landman's heart. Its dimensions, in the
+first place, have been set down, with remarkable discrepancy. Pliny, lib.
+v. 15, says, Longitudine excedit centum M. passuum, latitudine maxima
+xxv., implet, minima sex, making the length one hundred miles, and the
+breadth, from twenty-five miles, to six. Josephus estimates its length at
+five hundred and eighty furlongs, from the mouth of the Jordan, to the
+town of Segor, at the opposite end; and its greatest breadth one hundred
+and fifty furlongs. The Rev. Dr. William Jenks, of whose learning and
+labors a sexton of the old school may be permitted to speak, with great
+respect, sets down the length, in his New Gazetteer of the Bible, appended
+to his Explanatory Bible Atlas, of 1847, at thirty-nine miles, and its
+greatest breadth at nine. Carne, in his Letters from the East, says the
+length is sixty miles, and the breadth from eight to ten. Stephens states
+the length to be thirty miles, in his Incidents of Travel.
+
+The origin of this lake was ascribed to the submersion of the valley of
+Siddim, where the cities stood, which were destroyed, in the conflagration
+of Sodom and Gomorrah. This tremendous gallimaufry or hotch potch,
+produced, as some suppose, an intolerable stench, and impregnated the
+waters with salt, sulphur, and bitumen.
+
+Pliny, in the passage quoted above,--observes--Nullum corpus animalium
+recipit--no animal can live in it. Speaking of these waters, Dr. Jenks
+remarks--"no animals exist in them." On the other hand, Dr. Pococke, on
+the authority of a monk, tells us, that fish have been caught in the Dead
+Sea. _Per contra_ again, Mr. Volney affirms, that it contains neither
+animal nor vegetable life. M. Chateaubriand, on the other hand, who
+visited the Dead Sea, in 1807, remarks--"About midnight, I heard a noise
+upon the lake, and was told by the Bethlehemites, who accompanied me, that
+it proceeded from legions of small fish, which come out, and leap upon the
+shore." The monks of St. Saba assured Dr. Shaw, as he states in his
+travels, that they had seen fish caught there.
+
+In the passage quoted from Pliny, he says--Tauri camelique fluitant. Inde
+fama nihil in eo mergi--bulls and camels float upon this lake: hence the
+notion, that nothing will sink in it. It is true, that the water of the
+Dead Sea is specifically heavier than any other, owing to the great
+quantity of salt, sulphur, and bitumen; but Dr. Pococke found not the
+slightest difficulty, in swimming and diving in the lake. Sir Thomas
+Browne, treating of this, in his Pseudodoxia, vol. iii., p. 341, London,
+1835, observes--"As for the story, men deliver it variously. Some, I fear
+too largely, as Pliny, who affirmeth that bricks will swim therein.
+Mandevil goeth further, that iron swimmeth and feathers sink." "But,"
+continueth Sir Thomas, "Andrew Thevet, in his Cosmography, doth ocularly
+overthrow it, for he affirmeth he saw an ass with his saddle cast therein
+and drowned."
+
+Another legend is equally absurd, that birds, attempting to fly over the
+lake, fall, stifled by its horrible vapors. "It is very common," says
+Volney, "to see swallows skimming its surface, and dipping for the water,
+necessary to build their nests." Mr. Stephens, in his Incidents of Travel,
+vol. ii. chap. 15, gives an interesting account of the Dead Sea, and
+says--"I saw a flock of gulls floating quietly on its bosom."
+
+It has been roundly asserted, that, in very clear weather, the ruins of
+the cities, destroyed by the conflagration, are visible beneath the
+waters. Josephus soberly avers, that a smoke constantly arose from the
+lake, whose waters changed their color three times daily.
+
+The waters of Jordan and of the brooks Kishon, Jabbok, and Arnon, flow
+into the Dead Sea, yet produce no perceptible rise of its surface. The
+influx from these mountain streams is considerable. Hence another legend,
+to account for this mystery--a subterraneous communication with the
+Mediterranean--which would surely make the matter worse, for Dr. Jenks and
+other writers state, that "the waters lie in a deep caldron, many hundred
+feet _below_ the Mediterranean." Evaporation, which is said to be very
+great, explains the mystery entirely. At the rising of the sun, dense fogs
+cover the lake.
+
+Chateaubriand says--"The first thing I did, on alighting, was to walk into
+the lake, up to my knees, and taste the water. I found it impossible to
+keep it in my mouth. It far exceeds that of the sea, in saltness, and
+produces, upon the lips, the effect of a strong solution of alum. Before
+my boots were completely dry, they were covered with salt; our clothes,
+our hats, our hands were, in less than three hours, impregnated with this
+mineral." "The origin of this mineral," says Volney, "is easy to be
+discovered, for, on the southwest shore, are mines of fossil salt. They
+are situated, in the sides of the mountains, which extend along the
+border; and, for time immemorial, have supplied the neighboring Arabs, and
+even the city of Jerusalem."
+
+"Whoever," says Mr. Carne, in his Letters from the East, "has seen the
+Dead Sea, will have its aspect impressed upon his memory. It is, in truth,
+a gloomy and fearful spectacle. The precipices, in general, descend
+abruptly to the lake, and, on account of their height, it is seldom
+agitated by the winds. Its shores are not visited, by any footstep, save
+that of the wild Arab, and he holds it in superstitious dread. On some
+parts of the rocks, there is a thick, sulphureous incrustation, and, in
+their steep descents, there are several deep caverns, where the benighted
+Bedouin sometimes finds a home. The sadness of the grave was on it and
+around it, and the silence also. However vivid the feelings are, on
+arriving on its shores, they subside, after a time, into languor and
+uneasiness; and you long, if it were possible, to see a tempest wake on
+its bosom, to give sound and life to the scene."
+
+"If we adopt," says Chateaubriand, "the idea of Professor Michaelis, and
+the learned Busching, in his memoir on the Dead Sea, physics may be
+admitted, to explain the catastrophe of the guilty cities, without offence
+to religion. Sodom was built upon a mine of bitumen, as we know from the
+testimony of Moses and Josephus, who speak concerning wells of bitumen, in
+the valley of Siddim. Lightning kindled the combustible mass, and the
+cities sank in the subterranean conflagration." In Calmet's Dictionary of
+the Bible, vol. iii., article Lot, it is stated, that the Mahometans have
+added many circumstances to his history. They assert, that the angel
+Gabriel pried up the devoted cities so near to Heaven, that the angels
+actually heard the sound of the trumpets and horns, and even the yelping
+of puppies, in Sodom and Gomorrah: and that Gabriel then let the whole
+concern go with a terrible crash. Upon this, Calmet remarks,--"Romantic as
+this account appears, it preserves traces of an earthquake and a volcano,
+which were, in all probability, the _natural secondary cause_ of the
+overthrow of Sodom, and of the formation of the Dead Sea." Lot's wife in
+my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXVI.
+
+
+The conversion of Lot's wife into a pillar of salt has given rise to as
+much learned discussion, as the question, so zealously agitated, between
+Barcephas and others, whether the forbidden fruit were an _apple_ or a
+_fig_. _But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar
+of salt._ Gen. xix. 26. Very little account seems to have been made of
+this matter, at the time. The whole story, and without note or comment, is
+told in these fifteen words. It would have seemed friendly, and natural,
+and proper, for Abraham to have said a few words of comfort to Lot, on
+this sudden and singular bereavement; but, instead of this, we are told,
+in the following verse, that Abraham got up, next morning, and looked,
+very philosophically, at the smoke, which went up from the cities of the
+plain, like the smoke of a furnace. This neglect of Lot's wife is, too
+frequently, a wife's lot. Some of the learned have been sorely perplexed,
+to understand, why this unfortunate lady has not long since melted away,
+under the influence of the rains; for a considerable quantity of water has
+fallen, since the destruction of Sodom. But they seem to forget, that
+there is no measure of limitation, for a miracle; and that the salt might
+have been purposely designed, like _caoutchouc_, to resist the action of
+water. The departure from Sodom was sudden, to be sure; but the lady was
+clothed, in some sort, doubtless; yet nothing has been said, by
+travellers, about her drapery, and whether that also was converted into
+salt, or cast off, by the mere energy of the miracle, is unknown.
+
+This pillar of salt Josephus says he has seen; and, though he does not
+name the time, it is of little consequence, as, in such a matter, we can
+well afford to throw in a century or two; but it must have been between A.
+D. 37, and a point, not long after the 13th year of Domitian. Such being
+the term of the existence of Josephus, as nearly as can be ascertained.
+The cities of the plain were destroyed, according to Calmet's reckoning,
+1893 years before Christ; therefore, _the pillar_, which Josephus saw,
+must have then been standing more than nineteen centuries. These are the
+words of Josephus: "_But Lot's wife, continually turning back, to view the
+city, as she went from it, and being too nicely inquisitive what would
+become of it, although God had forbidden her so to do, was changed into a
+pillar of salt, for I have seen it, and it remains at this day_." Antiq.,
+vol. i. p. 32, Whiston's translation, Lond. 1825. The editor, in a note
+states, that Clement of Rome, a cotemporary of Josephus, also saw it, and
+that Irenæus saw it, in the next century. Mr. Whiston prudently declines
+being responsible for the statements of modern travellers, who say they
+have seen it. And what did they see?--a pillar of salt. This is quite
+probable. Volney remarks, "At intervals we met with misshapen blocks,
+which prejudiced eyes mistake for mutilated statues, and which pass, with
+ignorant and superstitious pilgrims, for monuments of the adventure of
+Lot's wife; though it is nowhere said that she was metamorphosed into
+stone, like Niobe, but into salt, which must have melted the ensuing
+winter." Volney forgets, that the salt itself was miraculous, and,
+doubtless, water proof.
+
+Mr. Stephens, in his Incidents of Travel, though he gives a description of
+the Dead Sea, in whose waters he bathed, says not a syllable of Lot's
+wife, or the pillar of salt.
+
+Some of the learned have opined, that Lot's wife, like Pliny, during the
+eruption of Vesuvius, was overwhelmed, by the burning and flying masses of
+sulphur and bitumen; this is suggested, under the article, Lot's Wife, in
+Calmet. "Some travellers in Palestine," says he, "relate that Lot's wife
+was shown to them, i. e. the rock, into which she was metamorphosed. But
+what renders their testimony very suspicious is, that they do not agree,
+about the place, where it stands; some saying westward, others eastward,
+some northward, others southward of the Dead Sea; others in the midst of
+the waters; others in Zoar; others at a great distance from the city." In
+1582, Prince Nicholas Radziville took a vast deal of pains to discover
+this remarkable pillar of salt, but all his inquiries were fruitless. Dr.
+Adam Clarke suggests, that Lot's wife, by lingering in the plain, may have
+been struck dead with lightning, and enveloped in the bituminous and
+sulphureous matter, that descended. He refers to a number of stories, that
+have been told, and among them, that this pillar possessed a miraculous,
+reproductive energy, whereby the fingers and toes of the unfortunate lady
+were regenerated, instanter, as fast as they were broken off, by the hands
+of pilgrims. Irenæus, one of the fathers, asserts, that this pillar of
+salt was _actually alive in his time_! Some of those fathers, I am
+grieved to say it, were insufferable story-tellers. This tale is also
+told, by the author of a poem, _De Sodoma_, appended to the life of
+Tertullian. Some learned men understand the Hebrew to mean simply, that
+"_she became fixed in the salsuginous soil_"--anglice, _stuck in the mud_.
+If this be the real meaning of the passage, it must have been some other
+lady, that was seen by Josephus, Clement, Irenæus, and Lieut. Lynch.
+
+Sir Thomas Browne, credulous though he was, had, probably, no great
+confidence in the _literal_ construction of the passage in Genesis. In
+vol. iii. page 327, of his works, London, 1835, he says--"We will not
+question the metamorphosis of Lot's wife, or whether she were transformed
+into a real statue of salt; though some conceive that expression
+metaphorical, and no more thereby than a lasting and durable column,
+according to the nature of salt, which admitteth no corruption." This is
+evidently the opinion of Dr. Adam Clarke. In other words, God, by her
+destruction, while her husband and daughters were saved, made her a
+_pillar or lasting memorial_ to the disobedient. In this sense a pillar of
+_salt_ means neither more nor less than an _everlasting memorial_. Salt is
+the symbol of perpetuity; thus Numbers xviii. 19. _It is a covenant of
+salt forever_: and 2 Chron. xvii. 5, the kingdom is given to David and his
+sons forever, _by a covenant of salt_. If this be the true construction,
+those four gentlemen, to whom I have referred, have been entirely misled,
+in supposing that any one of those masses of salt, which Volney says may
+be mistaken, for the remains of mutilated statues, has ever, at any period
+of the world, been the object of Lot's devotion, or the partner of his
+joys and sorrows.
+
+In vol. ii. page 212, of his Incidents of Travel, New York, 1848, Mr.
+Stephens, referring to an account, received by him, respecting what he
+supposed to be an island in the Dead Sea, writes thus--"_It comes from one
+who ought to know, from the only man, who ever made the tour of that sea,
+and lived to tell of it_." If Mr. Stephens will look at Chateaubriand's
+Travels, and his fine description of the Dead Sea, he will find there the
+following passage: "_No person has yet made the tour of it but Daniel,
+abbot of St. Saba. Nau has preserved in his travels the narrative of that
+recluse. From his account we learn_," &c.
+
+"The celebrated lake," says Chateaubriand, "which occupies the site of
+Sodom, is called in Scripture the Dead or Salt Sea." Not so: it is no
+where called the Dead Sea, in the sacred writings. By the Turks, it is
+called Ula Deguisi, and by the Arabs, Bahar Loth and Almotanah.
+
+It is quite desirable for travellers to be well apprized of all, that is
+previously known, in regard to the field of their peregrination. Goldsmith
+once projected a plan of visiting the East, for the purpose of bringing to
+England such inventions and models, as might be useful. Johnson laughed at
+the idea, and denounced Goldsmith, as entirely incompetent, from his
+ignorance of what already existed--"he will bring home a wheelbarrow,"
+said Johnson, "and think he had made a great addition to our stock." Mr.
+Stephens has preserved a respectable silence, on the subject of Lot's
+wife.
+
+The island, which is above referred to, turned out, like Sancho's in
+Barrataria, to be an optical illusion. The Maltese sailor, who said he had
+rowed about the lake with his employer, a Mr. Costigan, who died on its
+shores, was disposed, after fingering his fee, to enlarge and improve his
+former narrative. Mr. Stephens does not give the date of Costigan's visit
+to the Dead Sea. He, however, furnishes a linear map of its form. This
+also is drawn by the Maltese sailor, from memory. All that can be said of
+it is, that it corresponds with other plans, in one particular,--the
+Jordan enters the sea, at its northern extremity. Probably, no very
+accurate plan is to be found, such have been the impediments in the way of
+any deliberate examination--unless Lieutenant Lynch has succeeded in the
+work. The figure of the Dead Sea, in the Atlas of Lucas, has no
+resemblance to the figure, in the late Bible Atlas by Dr. Jenks.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXVII.
+
+
+Dr. Johnson said, if an atheist came into his house, he would lock up his
+spoons. I have always distrusted a sexton, who did not cherish a sentiment
+of profound and cordial affection, for his bell. It did my heart good,
+when a boy, to mark the proud satisfaction, with which Lutton, the sexton
+of the Old Brick, used to ring for fire. I have no confidence in a
+fellow, who can toll his bell, for a funeral, and listen to its deep, and
+solemn vibrations, without a gentle subduing of the spirit. I never had a
+great affection for Clafflin, the sexton of Berry Street Church; but I
+always respected the deep feeling of indignation he manifested, if anybody
+meddled with his bellrope.
+
+Bells were treated more honorably in the olden time, and ringing was an
+art--an accomplishment--then. Holden tells us some fine stories of the
+societies of ringers. In his youth, Sir Matthew Hale was a member of one
+of those societies. In 1687, Nell Gwinne--and it may be lawful to take the
+devil's water, as Dr. Worcester said, to turn the Lord's mill--Nell Gwinne
+left the ringers of the church bells of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, where
+there is a peal of twelve, a sum of money, for a weekly entertainment. I
+never shall get the chime of the North Church bells out of my ears--I hope
+I never shall--more than half an hundred years ago, my mother used to open
+the window, of a Christmas eve, that we might hear their music!
+
+In the olden time, bells were baptized--_rantized_ I presume--and wore
+_posies_ on their collars. They were first cast in England, in the reign
+of Edmund I., and the first tunable set, or peal, for Croyland Abbey, was
+cast A. D. 960. Weever tells us, in his Funeral Monuments, that, in 1501,
+the bells of the Priory of Little Dunmow, in Essex, were baptized, by the
+names of St. Michael, St. John, Virgin Mary, &c. As late as 1816, the
+great bell of Notre Dame, in Paris, was baptized, by the name of the Duke
+of Angouleme. Bells were supposed to be invested with extraordinary
+powers. They were employed, not only to call the congregation together, to
+give notice of conflagrations, civil commotions, and the approach of an
+enemy, and to ring forth the merry holiday peal--but to quell tempests,
+pacify the restless dead, and arrest the very lightning. Bells often bore
+inscriptions like these:
+
+  Laudo Deum verum, plebem voco, conjugo clerum,
+  Defunctos ploro, pestem fugo, festa decoro.
+
+  Funera plango; Fulgura frango; Sabbata pango;
+  Excito lentos; Dissipo ventos; Paco cruentos.
+
+The _passing bell_ was the bell, which announced to the people, according
+to Mabillon, that a spirit was taking its flight, or _passing away_, and
+demanding their prayers. Bells were also used to frighten away evil
+spirits, that were supposed to be on the watch, for their customers. The
+learned Durandus affirms, that all sorts of devils have a terror of
+bells. This, of course, can only be true of bells, that have been received
+into the flock, that is, baptized. Such was the Popish belief, and that
+the very devil, himself, cared not a fig, for an unbaptized bell. De
+Worde, in his Golden Legend, sayeth "it is said the evill spirytes that
+ben in the regyon of the ayre doubte moche, when they here the belles
+rongen, and this is the cause why the belles ben rongen, whan it
+thondreth, and when grate tempests and outrages of wether happen, to the
+ende that the feinds and wycked spirytes should be abashed and flee, and
+cease of the movinge of tempests."
+
+Compared with the big bells of the earth--ours--the very largest--are
+cowbells, at best. The great bell of St. Paul's weighs 8400 pounds--a
+small affair; Great Tom of Lincoln, 9894--Great Tom of Oxford, 17,000.
+This is precisely the weight of the bell of the Palazzo, at Florence;--St.
+Peter's at Rome, 18,607--the great bell at Erfurth, 28,224--St. Joan's
+bell, at Moscow, 127,836--the bell of the Kremlin, 443,772. The last is
+the marvel of travellers, and its metal, at a low estimate, is valued at
+£66,565. During the fusion of this bell, considerable quantities of gold
+and silver were cast in, the pious contribution of the people. This
+enormous mass has never been suspended.
+
+There was a bell--_parvis componere magna_--a very little bell
+indeed--very--a perfect _tintinabulum_. It made a most ridiculous noise.
+An account of this bell may be found, in a pamphlet, entitled Historical
+Notices, &c., of the New North Religious Society, in the town of Boston,
+1822. It weighed, says the writer, "_between three and four hundred_."
+Twelve or thirteen hundred such bells, therefore, would just about
+counterpoise the bell of the Kremlin. "Its tone," says the writer, "_was
+unpleasant_." The preposterous clatter of this bell was, nevertheless, the
+gathering cry of the worshippers, at the New North Church, for the term of
+eighty-three years, from 1719 to 1802, when it was purchased by the town
+of Charlton, in the county of Worcester; probably to frighten the _evyll
+spirytes_, in the shape of wolves and foxes, abounding there, that would
+be likely to _doubte moche_, when this bell was _ben rongen_. Not to look
+a gift horse in the mouth is a proverb--not to criticise the tone of a
+gift bell may be another. This bell, which a stout South Down wether might
+almost have carried off, was the gift of _Mr. John Frizzell_, a merchant
+of Boston, to the New North Church, _on the island of North Boston_, as
+all that portion of the town was then called, lying North of Mill Creek.
+On the principle which gave the title of Bell the Cat to the famous
+Archibald, Frizzell should have borne the name of Bell the Church. Let it
+pass: Frizzell and his little bell are both translated. The tongue of the
+former is still; that of the latter still waggeth, I believe, in the town
+of Charlton.
+
+The authenticity of the statements in the pamphlet to which I have
+referred, admits not of a doubt. The name of its highly respectable
+author, though not upon the title-page, appears in the certificate of
+copyright; and, in the range of my limited reading, I have met with
+nothing, more curious and grotesque, than his account of the installation
+of the Rev. Peter Thacher, over the New North Church, Jan. 27, 1720. Upon
+no less respectable evidence, would I have believed, that our amiable
+ancestors could have acted so much like _evil spirytes_, upon such an
+occasion. I have not elbow room for the farce entire--one or two touches
+must suffice. After agreeing upon a mode of choosing a colleague, for the
+Rev. Mr. Webb, and pitching upon Mr. Thacher, a quarrel arose, among the
+people. The council met, on the day of installation, at the house of the
+Rev. Mr. Webb, at the corner of North Bennet and Salem Streets. The
+aggrieved assembled, at the house of Thomas Lee, in Bennet Street, next to
+the Universal meeting-house. A knowledge of these points is necessary, for
+a correct understanding of the subsequent strategy. If the Council
+attempted to go to the New North Church, through the street, in the usual
+way, they must necessarily pass Lee's house. The aggrieved waited on the
+Council, by a committee, requesting them not to proceed with the
+installation of Mr. Thacher; and assuring them, that, if they persisted,
+force would be used, to prevent their occupation of the church.
+
+Instead, therefore, of proceeding through the street, the Rev. Mr. Webb
+led the Council, by his back gate, through Love Lane, and a little alley,
+leading to the meeting-house, and thus got possession of the pulpit. Thus,
+by a knowledge of by-ways, so important in the _petite guerre_, the worthy
+clergyman outwitted the malcontents. A mob, to whom an installation, in
+such sort, was highly acceptable, had already gathered. The party at Lee's
+house, being apprised of the ruse, and perceiving they were _in danger of
+the council_, flew to the rescue. They rushed into the church;
+vociferously forbade the proceedings, and were "_indecent_," says the
+writer, "_almost beyond credibility_." "However incredible," continues the
+narrator, "it is a fact, that some of the most unruly did sprinkle a
+liquor, which shall be nameless, from the galleries, upon the people
+below." The wife of Josiah Langdon used to tell, with great asperity, of
+her being a sufferer by it. This good lady retained her resentment to old
+age--the filthy creatures entirely spoiled a new velvet hood, which she
+had made for the occasion, and she could not wear it again.
+
+In the midst of this uproar, Mr. Thacher was installed. "The malcontents,"
+says the writer, "went off in a bad humor. They proceeded to the gathering
+of another church. In the plenitude of their zeal, they first thought of
+denominating it the _Revenge_ Church of Christ; but they thought better of
+it, and called it the New Brick Church. However, the first name was
+retained, for many years, among the common people. Their zeal was great,
+indeed, and descended to puerility. They placed the figure of a cock, as a
+vane, upon the steeple, out of derision of Mr. Thacher, whose Christian
+name was Peter. Taking advantage of a wind, which turned the head of the
+cock towards the New North Meeting-house, when it was placed upon the
+spindle, a merry fellow straddled over it, and crowed three times, to
+complete the ceremony." The solemn, if not the sublime, and the
+ridiculous, seem, not unfrequently, to have met together at ordinations,
+in the olden time. "I could mention an ordination," says the Rev. Leonard
+Woods, of Andover, in a letter, written and published, a few years since,
+"that took place about twenty years ago, at which I, myself, was ashamed
+and grieved, to see two aged ministers literally drunk; and a third
+indecently excited with strong drink. These disgusting and appalling facts
+I should wish might be concealed. But they were made public, by the guilty
+persons; and I have thought it just and proper to mention them, in order
+to show how much we owe to a compassionate God, for the great deliverance
+he has wrought." Legitimate occasion for a Te Deum this, most certainly.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXVIII.
+
+
+The _præficæ_, or mourning women, were not confined to Greece, Rome, and
+Judea. In 1810, Colonel Keatinge published the history of his travels. His
+account of Moorish funerals, is, probably, the best on record. The dead
+are dressed in their best attire. The ears, nostrils, and eyelids are
+filled with costly spices. Virgins are ornamented with bracelets, on their
+wrists and ankles. The body is enfolded in sanctified linen. If a male, a
+turban is placed at the head of the coffin; if a female, a large bouquet.
+Before a virgin is buried, the _loo loo loo_ is sung, by hired women, that
+she may have the benefit of the wedding song. "When a person," says Mr.
+Keatinge, "is thought to be dying, he is immediately surrounded by his
+friends, who begin to scream, in the most hideous manner, to convince him
+that there is no more hope, and that he is already reckoned among the
+dead."
+
+Premature burial is said to be very common, among the Moors. For this, Mr.
+Keatinge accounts, in this manner: "As, according to their religion, they
+cannot think the departed happy, till they are under ground, they are
+washed instantly, while yet warm; and the greatest consolation the sick
+man's friends can have, is to see him smile, while this operation is
+performing; not supposing such an appearance to be a convulsion,
+occasioned by washing and exposing the unfortunate person to the cold air,
+before life has taken its final departure."
+
+When a death occurs, the relations immediately set up the _wooliah woo_;
+or death scream. This cry is caught up, from house to house, and hundreds
+of women are instantly gathered to the spot. They come to scream and mourn
+with the bereaved. This species of condolence is very happily described by
+Colonel Keatinge, page 92. "They," the howlers, "take her," the mother,
+widow or daughter, "in their arms, lay her head on their shoulders, and
+scream without intermission for several minutes, till the afflicted
+object, stunned with the constant howling and a repetition of her
+misfortune, sinks senseless on the floor. They likewise hire a number of
+women, who make this horrid noise round the bier, over which they scratch
+their faces, to such a degree, that they appear to have been bled with a
+lancet. These women are hired at burials, weddings and feasts. Their
+voices are heard at the distance of half a mile. It is the custom of
+those, who can afford it, to give, on the evening of the day the corpse is
+buried, a quantity of hot-dressed victuals to the poor. This, they call
+"the supper of the grave."
+
+Dr. E. D. Clarke observes, in his Travels in Egypt, Lond., 1817, that he
+recognized, among the Egyptians, the same notes, and the repetition of the
+same syllables, in their funeral cries, that had become familiar to his
+ear, on like occasions, among the Russians and the Irish.
+
+Dr. Martin, in his account of the Tonga Islands, in the South Pacific,
+compiled from Mariner's papers, in his narrative of the funeral of a
+chief, states, that the women mourned over the corpse, through the whole
+night, sitting as near as possible, singing their dismal death song, and
+beating their breasts and faces.
+
+The desire, to magnify one's apostleship, is, doubtless, at the bottom of
+all extravagant demonstrations of sorrow, at funerals, in the form of
+screaming, howling, yelling, personal laceration, and disfigurement. In
+the highly interesting account of the missionary enterprise, upon which
+the Duff was employed, in 1796, it was stated, that, at the funeral of a
+chief of Tongataboo, the people of both sexes continued, during two days,
+to mangle and hack themselves, in a shocking manner;--some thrust spears,
+through their thighs, arms, and cheeks; others beat their heads, till the
+blood gushed forth in streams; one man, having oiled his hair, set it on
+fire, and ran about the area, with his head in a blaze. This was a burning
+shame, beyond all doubt. I never forget old Tasman's bowl, when I think of
+this island. Tasman discovered Tongataboo, in 1643. At parting, he gave
+the chief a wooden bowl. Cook found this bowl, on the island, one hundred
+and thirty years afterwards. It had been used as a divining bowl, to
+ascertain the guilt or innocence of persons, charged with crimes. When the
+chief was absent, at some other of the Friendly Islands, the bowl was
+considered as his representative, and honored accordingly. Captain Cook
+presented the reigning chief with a pewter platter, and the bowl became
+immediately _functus officio_, the platter taking its place, for the
+purposes of divination.
+
+In 1818, Captain Tuckey published the account of his expedition, to
+explore the Zaire, or Congo river. He describes a funeral, at Embomma, the
+chief mart, on that river. In returning to their vessel, after a visit to
+the chief, Chenoo, the party observed a hut, in which the corpse of a
+female was deposited, dressed as when alive. On the inside were four women
+howling lustily, to whom two men, outside, responded; the concert closely
+resembling the yell, at an Irish funeral. Captain Tuckey should not have
+spoken so thoughtlessly of the _keena_, the funeral cry of the wild Irish,
+the most unearthly sound, that ever came from the agonized lungs of
+mortal. For the most perfect description of this peculiar scream, this
+inimitable hella-baloo, the reader may turn to Mrs. Hall's incomparable
+account of an Irish funeral. In close connection with this incident,
+Captain Tuckey, p. 115, remarks, that, in passing through the burying
+ground, at Embomma, they saw two graves, recently prepared, of monstrous
+size, being not less than nine feet by five.
+
+This he explains as follows:--"Simmons (a native, returned from England to
+his native country) requested a piece of cloth to envelop his aunt, who
+had been dead seven years, and was to be buried in two months. The manner
+of preserving corpses, for so long a time, is by enveloping them in the
+cloth of the country, or in European cotton. The wrappers are successively
+multiplied, as they can be procured by the relations of the deceased, or
+according to the rank of the person; in the case of a rich and very great
+man, the bulk being only limited, by the power of conveyance to the
+grave." When the Spaniards entered the Province of Popayan, they found a
+similar practice there, with this difference, that the corpse was
+partially roasted, before it was enveloped. When a chief dies, among the
+Caribs of Guyana, his wives, the whole flock of them, watch the corpse for
+thirty days, to keep off the flies,--a task which becomes daily more
+burdensome, as the attraction becomes greater. At the expiration of thirty
+days, it is buried, and one of the ladies, probably the best beloved, with
+it.
+
+Some of the Orinoco tribes were in the practice of tying a rope to the
+corpse, and sinking it in the river; in twenty-four hours, it was picked
+clean to the bones, by the fishes, and the skeleton became a very
+convenient and tidy memorial. This is decidedly preferable to the mode,
+adopted by the Parsees. Their sacred books enjoin them not to pollute
+_earth_, _water_, or _fire_, with their dead. They therefore feel
+authorized to pollute the air. They bury not; but place the corpses at a
+distance, and leave them to their fate. It was the opinion of Menu, that
+the body was a tenement, scarcely worth inhabiting; "a mansion," says he,
+"with bones for beams and rafters,--nerves and tendons for cords; muscles
+and blood for mortar; skin for its outward covering; a mansion, infested
+by age and sorrow, the seat of many maladies, harassed with pains, haunted
+with darkness, and utterly incapable of standing long--such a mansion let
+the vital soul, its tenant, always quit cheerfully."
+
+This contempt for the tabernacle--the carcass--the outer man--strangely
+contrasts with that deep regard for it, evinced by the Egyptians, and such
+of the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, as were in the practice of embalming.
+When that extraordinary man, Sir Thomas Browne, exclaimed, in his
+Hydriotaphia, "who knows the fate of his bones or how oft he shall be
+buried? Who hath the oracle of his ashes, or whither they are to be
+scattered?" he, doubtless, was thinking of Egyptian mummies, transported
+to Europe, forming a part of the materia medica, and being actually
+swallowed as physic. A writer, in the London Quarterly, vol. 21, p. 363,
+states, that, when the old traveller, John Sanderson, returned to England,
+six hundred pounds of mummies were brought home, for the Turkey Company. I
+am aware, that it has been denied, by some, that the Egyptian mummies were
+broken up, and sent to Europe, for medicinal uses. By them it is asserted,
+that what the druggists have been supplied with is the flesh of executed
+criminals, or such others, as the Jews can obtain, filled with bitumen,
+aloes and other things, and baked, till the juices are exhaled, and the
+embalming matter has fitted the body for transportation. The Lord deliver
+us from such "_doctors' stuff_" as this.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXIX.
+
+
+_Non sumito, nisi vocatus_: let no man presume to be an undertaker, unless
+he have a _vocation_--unless he be _called_. If these are not the words of
+Puddifant, to whom I shall presently refer, I have no other conjecture to
+offer. Though, when a boy, I had a sort of hankering after dead men's
+bones, as I have already related, I never felt myself truly called to be a
+sexton, until June, 1799. It was in that month and year, that Governor
+Sumner was buried. The parade was very great, not only because he had been
+a Governor, but because he had been a very good man. All the sextons were
+on duty, but Lutton, as we called him--his real name was Lemuel Ludden. He
+was the sexton of the Old Brick, where my parents had worshipped, under
+dear parson Clarke, who died, the year before. He had the cleverest way,
+that man ever had, of winning little boys' hearts--he really seemed to
+have the key to their little souls. Lutton was sick--he was not able to
+officiate, on that memorable day; and no recently appointed ensign ever
+felt such a privation more keenly, on the very day of battle. He was a
+whole-souled sexton, that Lutton. He, most obligingly, took me into the
+Old Brick Church, where Joy's buildings now stand, to see the show. There
+was a half-crazy simpleton, whom it was difficult to prevent from capering
+before the corpse--a perfect Davie Gelatly. An awkward boy, whose name was
+Reuben Rankin, came from Salem, with a small cart-load of pies, which his
+mother had baked, and sent to Boston, hoping for a ready sale, upon the
+occasion of such an assemblage there. Like Grouchy, at Waterloo, he lost
+his _tète_; followed the procession, through every street; and returned to
+Salem, with all his wares.
+
+It was, while contemplating the high satisfaction, beaming forth, upon the
+features of the chief undertaker, that I first felt my _vocation_. I
+ventured, timidly, to ask old Lutton, if he thought I had talents for the
+office. He said, he thought I might succeed, clapped me on the shoulder,
+and gave me a smile of encouragement, which I never shall forget, till my
+poor old arm can wield a spade no more, and the sod, which I have so
+frequently turned upon others, shall be turned upon me.
+
+Old Grossman said, in my hearing, the following morning, that it had been
+the proudest day of his life. It is very pardonable, for an undertaker, on
+such occasions, to imagine himself the observed of all observers. This
+fancy is, by no means, confined to undertakers. Chief mourners of both
+sexes are very liable to the same impression. An over-estimate of one's
+own importance is pretty universal, especially in a republic. I never did
+go the length of believing the tale, related, by Peter, in his letter to
+his kinsfolk, who says he knew a Scotch weaver, who sat upon his stoop,
+and read the Edinburgh Review, till he actually thought he wrote it. I see
+nothing to smile at, in any man's belief, that he is the object of public
+attention, on occasions of parade and pageantry. It rather indicates the
+deep interest of the individual--a solemn sense of responsibility. At the
+late water celebration, I noticed many examples of this species of
+personal enthusiasm. The drivers of the Oak Hall and Sarsaparilla
+expresses were no mean illustrations; and when three cheers were given to
+the elephant, near the Museum, in Tremont Street, I was pleased to see
+several of the officials, and one, at least, of the water commissioners,
+touch their hats, and smile most graciously, in return.
+
+Puddifant, to whom I have alluded, officiated as sexton, at the funeral of
+Charles I. What a broad field, for painful contemplation, lies here! It is
+a curious fact, that, while preparations were being made, for depositing
+the body of King Charles in St. George's Chapel, at Windsor, a common foot
+soldier is supposed to have stolen a bone from the coffin of Henry VIII.,
+for the purpose of making a knife-handle. This account is so curious, that
+I give it entire from Wood's Athenæ Oxonienses, folio edit. vol. ii., p.
+703. "Those gentlemen, therefore, Herbert and Mildmay, thinking fit to
+submit, and leave the choice of the place of burial to those great
+persons, (the Duke of Richmond, Marquis of Hertford, and Earl of Lindsey)
+they, in like manner, viewed the tomb house and the choir; and one of the
+Lords, beating gently upon the pavement with his staff, perceived a hollow
+sound; and, thereupon ordering the stones to be removed, they discovered a
+descent into a vault, where two coffins were laid, near one another, the
+one very large, of an antique form, and the other little. These they
+supposed to be the bodies of Henry VIII., and his third wife, Queen Jane
+Seymour, as indeed they were. The velvet palls, that covered their
+coffins, seemed fresh, though they had lain there, above one hundred
+years. The Lords agreeing, that the King's body should be in the same
+vault interred, being about the middle of the choir, over against the
+eleventh stall, upon the sovereign's side, they gave orders to have the
+King's name, and year he died, cut in lead; which, whilst the workmen were
+about, the Lords went out, and gave Puddifant, the sexton, order to lock
+the chapel door, and not suffer any to stay therein, till further notice."
+
+"The sexton did his best to clear the chapel; nevertheless, Isaac, the
+sexton's man, said that a foot soldier had hid himself so as he was not
+discovered; and, being greedy of prey, crept into the vault, and cut so
+much of the velvet pall, that covered the great body, as he judged would
+hardly be missed, and wimbled a hole through the said coffin that was
+largest, probably fancying that there was something well worth his
+adventure. The sexton, at his opening the door, espied the sacrilegious
+person; who, being searched, a bone was found about him, with which he
+said he would haft a knife. The girdle or circumscription of capital
+letters of lead put upon the King's coffin had only these words--King
+Charles, 1648." This statement perfectly agrees with Sir Henry Halford's
+account of the examination, April 1, 1813, in presence of the Prince
+Regent.
+
+Cromwell had a splendid funeral: good old John Evelyn saw it all, and
+describes it in his diary--the waxen effigy, lying in royal robes, upon a
+velvet bed of state, with crown, sceptre and globe--in less than two years
+suspended with a rope round the neck, from a window at Whitehall. Evelyn
+says, the "funeral was the joyfullest ever seen: none cried but the dogs,
+which the soldiers hooted away with a barbarous noise, drinking and taking
+tobacco in the streets as they went." Some have said that Cromwell's body
+was privately buried, by his own request, in the field of Naseby: others,
+that it was sunk in the Thames, to prevent insult. It was not so. When,
+upon the restoration, it was decided, to reverse the popular sentiment,
+Oliver's body was sought, in the middle aisle of Henry VII's chapel, and
+there it was found. A thin case of lead lay upon the breast, containing a
+copper plate, finely gilt, and thus inscribed--Oliverius, Protector
+reipublicæ Angliæ, Scotiæ, et Hiberniæ, natus 25 April, 1599--inauguratus
+16 Decembris 1653--mortuus 3 Septembris ann--1658. Hic situs est. This
+plate, in 1773, was in possession of the Hon George Hobart of Nocton in
+Lincolnshire. By a vote of the House of Commons, Cromwell's and Ireton's
+bodies were taken up, Jan. 26, 1660--and, on the Monday night following,
+they were drawn, on two carts, to the Red Lion Inn, Holborn, where they
+remained all night; and, with Bradshaw's, which was not exhumed, till the
+day after, conveyed, on sledges, to Tyburn, and hanged on the gallows,
+till sunset. They were then beheaded--the trunks were buried in a hole,
+near the gallows, and their heads set on poles, on the top of Westminster
+Hall, where Cromwell's long remained.
+
+The treatment of Oliver's character has been in perfect keeping, with the
+treatment of his carcass. The extremes of censure and of praise have been
+showered upon his name. He has been canonized, and cursed. The most
+judicious writers have expressed their views of his character, in
+well-balanced phrases. Cardinal Mazarin styled him _a fortunate mad-man_;
+and, by Father Orleans, he was called a _judicious villain_. The opinion
+of impartial men will probably vary very little from that of Clarendon,
+through all time: he says of Cromwell--"he was one of those men, _quos
+vituperare ne inimici quidem possunt, nisi ut simul laudent_;" and again,
+vol. vii. 301, Oxford ed. 1826: "In a word, as he was guilty of many
+crimes, against which damnation is denounced, and for which hell-fire is
+prepared, so he had some good qualities, which have caused the memory of
+some men, in all ages, to be celebrated; and he will be looked upon by
+posterity as _a brave wicked man_." Oliver had the nerve to do what most
+men could not: he went to look upon the corpse of the beheaded
+king--opened the coffin with his own hand--and put his finger to the neck,
+where it had been severed. _He could not then doubt that Charles was
+dead._
+
+At the same time, when the authorized absurdities were perpetrated upon
+Oliver's body, every effort was ineffectually made to discover that of
+King Charles, for the purpose of paying to it the highest honors. This
+occurred at the time of the restoration, or about ten years after the
+death of Charles I. In 1813, i. e. one hundred and sixty-five years after
+that event, the body was accidentally discovered. To this fact, and to the
+examination by Sir Henry Halford, President of the Royal College of
+Physicians, I shall refer in my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XL.
+
+
+The passage, quoted in my last, from the Athenæ Oxonienses, shows plainly,
+that Charles I. was buried in 1648, in the same vault with the bodies of
+Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour; and this statement is perfectly sustained,
+by the remarkable discovery in 1813, which proves Lord Clarendon to have
+been mistaken in his account, Hist. Reb., Oxford ed., vol. vi. p. 243. The
+Duke of Richmond, the Marquis of Hertford, and the Earls of Southampton
+and Lindsey, who had been of the bed chamber, and had obtained leave, to
+perform the last duty to the decollated king, went into the church, at
+Windsor, to seek a place for the interment, and were greatly perplexed, by
+the mutilations and changes there--"At last," says Clarendon, "there was a
+fellow of the town, who undertook to tell them the place, where he said
+there was a vault, in which King Harry, the Eighth, and Queen Jane Seymour
+were interred. As near that place, as could conveniently be, they caused
+the grave to be made. There the king's body was laid, without any words,
+or other ceremonies, than the tears and sighs of the few beholders. Upon
+the coffin was a plate of silver fixed with these words only: 'King
+Charles, 1648.' When the coffin was put in, the black velvet pall, that
+had covered it, was thrown over it, and then the earth thrown in." _Such,
+clearly, could not have been the facts._
+
+Lord Clarendon then proceeds to speak of the impossibility of finding the
+body ten years after, when it was the wish of Charles II. to place it,
+with all honor, in the chapel of Henry VII., in Westminster Abbey. For
+this he accounts, by stating, that most of those present, at the
+_interment_, were dead or dispersed, at the restoration; and the memories
+of the remaining few had become so confused, that they could not designate
+the spot; and, after opening the ground, in several places, without
+success, they gave the matter up. Now there can be no doubt, that the body
+was placed in the vault, where it was found, in 1813, and that no
+_interment_ took place, in the proper sense of that word. Had Richmond,
+Hertford, Southampton, or Lindsey been alive, or at hand, the _vault
+itself_, and not a spot _near the vault_, would, doubtless, have been
+indicated, as the resting place of King Charles. Wood, in the Athenæ
+Oxonienses, states, that the royal corpse was "well coffined, and all
+afterwards wrapped up in lead and covered with a new velvet pall." All
+this perfectly agrees with the account, given by Sir Henry Halford, and
+certified by the Prince Regent, in 1813.
+
+Sir Henry Halford states, that George the Fourth had built a mausoleum, at
+Windsor; and, while constructing a passage, under the choir of St.
+George's Chapel, an opening was unintentionally made into the vault of
+Henry VIII., through which, the workmen saw, not only those two coffins,
+which were supposed to contain the bodies of Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour,
+but a third, covered with a black pall. Mr. Herbert's account, quoted in
+my last number, from the Athenæ, left little doubt, that this was the
+coffin of Charles I.; notwithstanding the statements of Lord Clarendon,
+that the body was interred _near_ the vault. An examination was made,
+April 1, 1813, in the presence of George IV., then Prince Regent, the Duke
+of Cumberland, Count Munster, the Dean of Windsor, Benjamin Charles
+Stevenson, Esq., and Sir Henry Halford; of which the latter published an
+account. London, 1831. This account is exceedingly interesting. "On
+removing the pall, a plain leaden coffin, with no appearance of ever
+having been enclosed in wood, and bearing an inscription, KING CHARLES,
+1648, in large legible characters, on a scroll of lead encircling it,
+immediately presented itself to view.
+
+"A square opening was then made, in the upper part of the lid, of such
+dimensions, as to admit a clear insight into its contents. These were an
+internal wooden coffin, very much decayed, and the body carefully wrapped
+up in cere-cloth, into the folds of which a quantity of unctuous or greasy
+matter, mixed with resin, as it seemed, had been melted, so as to exclude,
+as effectually as possible, the external air. The coffin was completely
+full; and from the tenacity of the cere-cloth, great difficulty was
+experienced, in detaching it successfully from the parts, which it
+enveloped. Wherever the unctuous matter had insinuated itself, the
+separation of the cere-cloth was easy; and when it came off, a correct
+impression of the features, to which it had been applied, was observed in
+the unctuous substance. At length the whole face was disengaged from its
+covering. The complexion of the skin of it was dark and discolored. The
+forehead and temples had lost little or nothing of their muscular
+substance; the cartilage of the nose was gone; but the left eye, in the
+first moment of exposure, was open and full, though it vanished, almost
+immediately; and the pointed beard, so characteristic of the period of the
+reign of King Charles, was perfect. The shape of the face was a long oval;
+many of the teeth remained; and the left ear, in consequence of the
+interposition of the unctuous matter, between it and the cere-cloth, was
+found entire.
+
+"It was difficult, at this moment, to withhold a declaration, that,
+notwithstanding its disfigurement, the countenance did bear a strong
+resemblance to the coins, the busts, and especially to the pictures of
+King Charles I., by Vandyke, by which it had been made familiar to us. It
+is true, that the minds of the spectators of this interesting sight were
+well prepared to receive this impression; but it is also certain, that
+such a facility of belief had been occasioned, by the simplicity and truth
+of Mr. Herbert's narrative, every part of which had been confirmed by the
+investigation, so far as it had advanced; and it will not be denied, that
+the shape of the face, the forehead, an eye, and the beard, are the most
+important features, by which resemblance is determined.
+
+"When the head had been entirely disengaged from the attachments, which
+confined it, it was found to be loose, and without any difficulty was
+taken up and held to view. It was quite wet, and gave a greenish and red
+tinge to paper and to linen, which touched it. The back part of the scalp
+was entirely perfect, and had a remarkably fresh appearance; the pores of
+the skin being more distinct, as they usually are, when soaked in
+moisture; and the tendons and ligaments of the neck were of considerable
+substance and firmness. The hair was thick, at the back part of the head,
+and in appearance, nearly black. A portion of it, which has since been
+cleansed and dried, is of a beautiful dark brown color. That of the beard
+was of a redder brown. On the back part of the head it was not more than
+an inch in length, and had probably been cut so short, for the convenience
+of the executioner, or perhaps, by the piety of friends, soon after death,
+in order to furnish memorials of the unhappy king."
+
+"On holding up the head to examine the place of separation from the body,
+the muscles of the neck had evidently retracted themselves considerably;
+and the fourth cervical vertebra was found to be cut through its substance
+transversely, leaving the surfaces of the divided portions perfectly
+smooth and even, an appearance, which could have been produced only by a
+heavy blow, inflicted with a very sharp instrument, and which furnished
+the last proof wanting to identify King Charles, the First. After this
+examination of the head, which served every purpose in view, and without
+examining the body below the neck, it was immediately restored to its
+situation, the coffin was soldered up again, and the vault closed."
+
+"Neither of the other coffins had any inscription upon them. The larger
+one, supposed, on good grounds, to contain the remains of Henry VIII.,
+measured six feet ten inches in length, and had been enclosed in an elm
+one, of two inches in thickness; but this was decayed, and lay in small
+fragments. The leaden coffin appeared to have been beaten in by violence
+about the middle, and a considerable opening in that part of it, exposed a
+mere skeleton of the king. Some beard remained upon the chin, but there
+was nothing to discriminate the personage contained in it."
+
+This is, certainly, a very interesting account. Some beard still remained
+upon the chin of Henry VIII., says Sir Henry Halford. Henry VIII. died
+Jan. 28, 1547. He had been dead, therefore, April 1, 1813, the day of the
+examination, two hundred and sixty-six years. The larger coffin measured
+six feet ten inches. Sir Henry means top measure. We always allow seven
+feet lid, or thereabouts, for a six feet corpse. Henry, in his History,
+vol. xi. p. 369, Lond. 1814, says that King Henry VIII. was tall. Strype,
+in Appendix A., vol. vi. p. 267, Ecc. Mem., London, 1816, devotes
+twenty-four octavo pages to an account of the funeral of Henry VIII., with
+all its singular details; and, at the last, he says--"Then was the vault
+uncovered, under the said corpse; and the corpse let down therein by the
+vice, with help of sixteen tal yeomen of the guard, appointed to the
+same." "Then, when the mold was brought in, at the word, pulverem pulveri
+et cinerem cineri, first the Lord Great Master, and after the Lord
+Chamberlain and al others in order, with heavy and dolorous lamentation
+brake their staves in shivers upon their heads and cast them after the
+corps into the pit. And then the gentlemen ushers, in like manner brake
+their rods, and threw them into the vault with exceeding sorrow and
+heaviness, not without grievous sighs and tears, not only of them, but of
+many others, as well of the meaner sort, as of the nobility, very piteous
+and sorrowful to behold."
+
+
+
+
+No. XLI.
+
+
+My attention was arrested, a day or two since, by a memorial, referred to,
+in the Atlas, from the owner of the land, famous, in revolutionary
+history, as the birth-place of LIBERTY TREE; and, especially, by a
+suggestion, which quadrates entirely with my notions of the fitness of
+things. If I were a demi-millionaire, I should delight to raise a
+monument, upon that consecrated spot--it should be a simple colossal
+shaft, of Massachusetts granite, surmounted with the cap of liberty. I
+would not inscribe one syllable upon it--but, if any grey-headed _Boston
+boy_--born here, within the limits of the old peninsula--should be moved,
+by the spirit, to write below--
+
+  Hæc olim meminisse juvabit--
+
+I should not deem that act any interference with my original purpose.
+
+What days and nights those were! 1765! then, the man, who has now passed
+on to ninety-four, was the boy of ten! How perfectly the tablet of memory
+retains those impressions, made, by the pressure of great events, when the
+wax was soft and warm!
+
+It is quite common, with the present generation, at least, to connect the
+origin of LIBERTY TREE with 1775-6. This is an error. It became
+celebrated, ten years earlier, during the disturbances in Boston, on
+account of the Stamp Act, which passed March 22, 1765, and was to be in
+force, on the first of November following. Intelligence arrived, that
+Andrew Oliver, Secretary of the Province, was to be distributor of stamps.
+
+There was a cluster or grove of beautiful elms, in HANOVER SQUARE--such
+was the name, then given to the corner of Orange, now part of Washington
+Street, and Auchmuty's Lane, now Essex Street. Opposite the southwesterly
+corner of Frog Lane, now Boylston Street, where the market-house now
+stands, there was an old house, with manifold gables, and two massive
+chimneys, and, in the yard, in front of it, there stood a large, spreading
+elm. This was LIBERTY TREE. Its first designation was on this wise. During
+the night of August 13, 1765, some of the SONS OF LIBERTY, as they styled
+themselves, assuming the appellation bestowed on them in the House of
+Commons, by Col. Barre, in a moment of splendid but unpremeditated
+eloquence, hung, upon that tree, an effigy of Mr. Oliver, and a boot, with
+a figure of the devil peeping out, and holding the stamp act in his hand;
+this boot was intended as a practical pun--wretched enough--upon the name
+of Lord Bute. In the morning of the 14th, a great crowd collected to the
+spot. Some of the neighbors attempted to take the effigy down. The _Sons
+of Liberty_ gave them a forcible hint, and they desisted. The Lieutenant
+Governor, as Chief Justice, directed the sheriff to take it down: he
+reconnoitred the ground, and reported that it could not be done, without
+peril of life.
+
+Business was suspended, about town. After dark, the effigy was borne, by
+the mob, to a building, which was supposed to have been erected, as a
+stamp-office. This they destroyed, and, bearing the fragments to Fort
+Hill, where Mr. Oliver lived, they made a bonfire, and burnt the effigy
+before his door. They next drove him and his family from his house, broke
+the windows and fences, and stoned the Lieutenant Governor and Sheriff,
+when they came to parley--all this, upon the night of August 14, 1765. On
+the 26th, they destroyed the house of Mr. Story, register-deputy of the
+Admiralty, and burnt the books and records of the court. They then served
+the house of Mr. Hollowell, Contractor of the Customs, in a similar
+manner, plundering and carrying away money and chattels. They next
+proceeded to the residence of the Lieutenant Governor, and destroyed every
+article not easily transported, doing irreparable mischief, by the
+destruction of many valuable manuscripts. The next day, a town meeting was
+held, and the citizens expressed their _detestation of the riots_--and,
+afterwards manifested their silent sympathy with the mob, by punishing
+nobody.
+
+Nov. 1, 1765, the day, when the stamp act came into force, the bells were
+muffled and tolled; the shipping displayed their colors, at half mast; the
+stamp act was printed, with a death's head, in the place of the stamp, and
+cried about the streets, under the name of the FOLLY OF ENGLAND, AND THE
+RUIN OF AMERICA. A new political journal appeared, having for its emblem,
+or political phylactery, a serpent, cut into pieces, each piece bearing
+the initials of a colony, with the ominous motto--JOIN OR DIE. More
+effigies were hung, upon "_the large old elm_," as Gordon terms
+it--LIBERTY TREE. They were then cut down, and escorted over town. They
+were brought back, and hung up again; taken down again; escorted to the
+Neck, by an immense concourse; hanged upon the gallows tree; taken down
+once more; and torn into innumerable fragments. Three cheers were then
+given, and, upon a request to that effect, every man went quietly home;
+and a night of unusual stillness ensued.
+
+Hearing that Mr. Oliver intended to resume his office, he was required,
+through the newspaper, by an anonymous writer, to acknowledge, or deny,
+the truth of that report. His answer proving unsatisfactory, he received a
+requisition, Nov. 16th, to appear "_tomorrow, under_ LIBERTY TREE, _to
+make a public resignation_." Two thousand persons gathered then, beneath
+that TREE--not the rabble, but the selectmen, the merchants, and chief
+inhabitants. Mr. Oliver requested, that the meeting might be held, in the
+town house; but the SONS OF LIBERTY seemed resolved, that he should be
+_treed_--no place, under the canopy of Heaven, would answer, but LIBERTY
+TREE. Mr. Oliver came; subscribed an ample declaration; and made oath to
+it, before Richard Dana, J. P. This exactitude and circumspection, on the
+part of the people, was not a work of supererogation: Andrew Oliver was a
+most amiable man, in private, but a most lubricious hypocrite, in public
+life; as appears by his famous letters, sent home by Dr. Franklin, in
+1772. After his declaration under the TREE, he made a short speech,
+expressive of his "_utter detestation of the stamp act_." What a spectacle
+was there and then! The best and the boldest were there. Samuel Adams and
+John--Jerry Gridley, Samuel Sewall, and John Hancock, _et id genus omne_
+were in Boston then, and the busiest men alive: their absence would have
+been marked--they must have been there. What an act of daring, thus to
+defy the monarch and his vicegerents! I paused, this very day, and gazed
+upon the spot, and put the steam upon my imagination, to conjure, into
+life and action, that little band of sterling patriots, gathered around;
+and that noble elm in their midst:--
+
+  "In medio ramos annosaque brachia pandit
+  Ulmus opaca, ingens."
+
+Thenceforward, the SONS OF LIBERTY seem to have taken the TREE, under
+their special protection. On Valentine's day, 1776, they assembled, and
+passed a vote, that _it should be pruned after the best manner_. It is
+well, certainly, now and then, to lop off some rank, disorderly shoots of
+licentiousness, that will sometimes appear, upon LIBERTY TREE. It was
+pruned, accordingly, by a party of volunteer carpenters, under the
+direction of a gentleman of skill and judgment, in such matters.
+
+News of the repeal of the stamp act arrived in Boston, May 16, 1766. The
+bells rang merrily--and the cannon were unlimbered, around LIBERTY TREE,
+and bellowed for joy. The TREE, so skilfully pruned, in February, must
+have presented a beautiful appearance, bourgeoning forth, in the middle of
+May! The nineteenth of May was appointed, for a merrymaking. At one, in
+the morning, the bell of the Hollis Street Church, says a zealous writer
+of that day, "_began to ring_"--_sua sponte_, no doubt. The slumbers of
+the pastor, Dr. Byles, were disturbed, of course, for he was a tory,
+though a very pleasant tory, after all. Christ Church replied, with its
+royal peal, from the North, and _God save the king_, rang pleasantly
+again, in colonial ears. The universal joy was expressed, in all those
+unphilosophical ways, enumerated by Pope,
+
+  With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbuss and thunder.
+
+LIBERTY TREE was hung with various colors. Fireworks and illuminations
+succeeded. Gov. Hancock treated the people with "_a pipe of Madeira_;" and
+the SONS OF LIBERTY raised a pyramid, upon the Common, with two hundred
+and eighty lamps. At twelve o'clock--midnight--a drum, upon the Common,
+beat the _tattoo_; and men, women, and children retired to their homes, in
+the most perfect order: verily, a soberness had come over the spirit of
+their dreams, and method into their madness. On the evening of the
+twentieth of May, it was resolved to have a festival of lanterns.
+
+The inhabitants vied with each other; and, about dusk, they were seen
+streaming, from all quarters, to HANOVER SQUARE, every man and boy with
+his lamp or lantern. In a brief space, LIBERTY TREE was converted into a
+brilliant constellation. Like the sparkling waters, during the burning of
+Ucalegon's palace, described by Homer, the boughs, the branches, the
+veriest twigs of this popular idol
+
+                                --------"were bright,
+  With splendors not their own, and shone with sparkling light."
+
+It appears, by the journals of that day, from which most of these
+particulars are gathered, that our fathers--what inimitable, top-gallant
+fellows they were!--took a pleasant fancy into their heads, that these
+lamps would shed a brighter lustre, if the poor debtors, in jail, could
+join in the general joy, under LIBERTY TREE. Accordingly they made up a
+purse and paid the debts of them all! There was a general jail delivery of
+the poor debtors, for very joy. Well: a Boston boy, of the old school, was
+a noble animal--how easily held by the heart-strings!--with how much
+difficulty, by the head or the tail!
+
+An antiquarian friend, to whom I am already under sundry obligations, has
+obligingly loaned me an interesting document, in connection with the
+subject of LIBERTY TREE; under whose shade I propose to linger a little
+longer.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLII.
+
+
+March 22, 1765. George III. and his ministers took it into their heads to
+sow the wind; and, in an almost inconceivably short time, they reaped the
+whirlwind. They scattered dragons' teeth, and there came up armed men.
+They planted the stamp act, in the Colonial soil, and there sprang into
+life, mature and full of vigor, the LIBERTY TREE, like Minerva, fully
+developed, and in perfect armor, from the brain of Jupiter. Whoever would
+find a clear, succinct, and impartial account of the effect of the stamp
+act, upon the people of New England, may resort to Dodsley's Annual
+Register, page 49, of that memorable year. "The sun of liberty has set,"
+wrote Franklin home, "but you must light up the candles of industry and
+economy."
+
+The life of that act of oppression was short and stormy. March 18, 1766,
+its miserable requiem was sung in Parliament--"an event," says the Annual
+Register, of that year, page 46, "that caused more universal joy,
+throughout the British dominions, than, perhaps, any other, that can be
+remembered." How such a viper ever found its way into the cradle of
+liberty is quite a marvel--certain it is, the genius of freedom, with the
+power of Hercules, speedily strangled it there.
+
+In America, and, especially, in Boston, the joy, as I have already stated,
+was very great; and some there were, beyond all doubt, who were delighted,
+to find an apology, for going back to monarchical usages. Even liberty may
+be, sometimes, irksome, at first, to him, who has long lived a slave; and
+it is no small grievance, I dare say, to such, to be deprived of the
+luxury of calling some one, Lord and Master, after the flesh. However
+monstrous, and even ridiculous, the idea of a king may seem to us,
+republicans, born in this wonderfully bracing atmosphere--there are some,
+who have a strong taste for _booing_ and genuflection, and the doffing of
+beavers, and throwing up of "greasy caps," and rending their throats, for
+very ecstacy, when the royal coach is coming along, bearing the heir
+apparent, in diapers. This taste, I suppose, like that for olives, must be
+acquired; it cannot be natural.
+
+May 19, and 20, 1766, the face of the town of Boston was dressed in
+smiles--a broad grin rather, from ear to ear, from Winnisimmet to Roxbury.
+Nothing was talked of but "_a grateful people_," and "_the darling
+monarch_"--which amounts to this--the "_darling monarch_" had graciously
+desisted, from grinding their faces any longer, simply because he was
+convinced, that the "_grateful people_" would kick the grindstone over,
+and peradventure the grinder, should the "_darling_" attempt to give it
+another turn.
+
+Under LIBERTY TREE, there was erected, during the rejoicings, an obelisk
+with four sides. An engraving of those four sides was made at the time,
+and is now, doubtless, very rare. A copy, loaned me by the friend, to whom
+I referred, in my last number, is lying before me. I present it,
+_verbatim, literatim, et punctuatim_.
+
+It is thirteen and an half inches long, and nine and an half wide. On top
+are these words--"A VIEW of the OBELISK erected under LIBERTY TREE in
+BOSTON on the Rejoicings for the Repeal of the ---- Stamp Act 1766." At
+the bottom--"To every Lover of LIBERTY this Plate is humbly dedicated by
+her true born SONS in BOSTON, New England." The plate presents,
+apparently, four obelisks, which are, in reality, the four sides of one.
+Every side, above the base, is divided horizontally, and nearly equally,
+into three parts. The superior division of each contains four heads, many
+of which may be readily recognized, and all of which have indicating
+letters. The middle division of each contains ten decasyllabic lines. The
+inferior division of each contains a sketch, of rude execution, and rather
+more patriotic, than tasteful, in the design. The principal portraits are
+of George III.; Queen Charlotte; Marquis of Rockingham; Duke of York; Gen.
+Conway; Lord Townshend; Colonel Barré; W. Pitt; Lord Dartmouth; Charles
+Townshend; Lord George Sackville; John Wilkes; Alderman Beckford; Lord
+Camden; &c. The first side is subscribed thus: "_America in distress,
+apprehending the total loss of_ LIBERTY;" and is inscribed thus:
+
+  Oh thou, whom next to Heaven we most revere
+  Fair LIBERTY! thou lovely Goddess hear!
+  Have we not woo'd thee, won thee, held thee long,
+  Lain in thy Lap and melted on thy tongue.
+  Thro' Deaths and Dangers rugged paths pursu'd
+  And led thee smiling to this SOLITUDE,
+  Hid thee within our hearts' most golden cell
+  And brav'd the Powers of Earth and Powers of Hell,
+  GODDESS! we cannot part, thou must not fly,
+  Be SLAVES! we dare to scorn it, dare to die.
+
+Beneath is the sketch--America recumbent and dejected, in the form of an
+Indian chief, under a pine tree, the angel of Liberty hovering over; the
+Prime minister advancing with a chain, followed by one of the bishops, and
+others, Bute clearly designated by his Scotch plaid, and gaiters; over
+head, flying towards the Indian, with the stamp act in his right claw, is
+the Devil; of whom it is manifest our patriotic sires had a very clever
+conception.
+
+The second side is subscribed thus: "_She implores the aid of her
+patrons_;" and is inscribed thus:
+
+  While clanking chains and curses shall salute
+  Thine Ears remorseless G----le, and thine O B----e,
+  To you blest PATRIOTS, we our cause submit,
+  Illustrious CAMPDEN, Britain's Guardian, PITT.
+  Recede not, frown not, rather let us be
+  Deprived of being than of LIBERTY,
+  Let fraud or malice blacken all our crimes,
+  No disaffection stains these peaceful climes.
+  Oh save us, shield us from impending woes,
+  The foes of Britain only are our foes.
+
+Beneath is the sketch--America, on one knee, pointing over her shoulder
+towards a retreating group, composed, as the chain and the plaid inform
+us, of the Prime Minister Bute, and company, upon whose heads a thunder
+cloud is bursting. At the same time America--the Indian, as
+before--supplicates the aid of others, whose leader is being crowned, by
+Fame, with a laurel wreath. The enormous nose--a great help to
+identification--marks the Earl of Chatham; Camden may be known by his wig;
+and Barré by his military air.
+
+The third side is subscribed thus: "_She endures the Conflict, for a short
+Season_" and is inscribed thus:
+
+  Boast foul Oppression, boast thy transient Reign,
+  While honest FREEDOM struggles with her Chain,
+  But know the Sons of Virtue, hardy, brave,
+  Disclaim to lose thro' mean Dispair to save;
+  Arrowed in Thunder awfull they appear,
+  With proud Deliverance stalking in their Rear,
+  While Tyrant Foes their pallid Fears betray,
+  Shrink from their Arms, and give their Vengeance way.
+  See in the unequal War OPPRESSORS fall,
+  The hate, contempt, and endless Curse of all.
+
+Beneath is the sketch--THE TREE OF LIBERTY, with an eagle feeding its
+young, in the topmost branches, and an angel advancing with an ægis.
+
+The fourth side is subscribed thus: "_And has her_ LIBERTY _restored by
+the Royal hand of_ GEORGE _the Third_;" and is inscribed thus:
+
+  Our FAITH approv'd, our LIBERTY restor'd,
+  Our Hearts bend grateful to our sov'reign Lord;
+  Hail darling Monarch! by this act endear'd,
+  Our firm affections are thy best reward--
+  Sh'd Britain's self against herself divide,
+  And hostile Armies frown on either side;
+  Sh'd hosts rebellious shake our Brunswick's Throne,
+  And as they dar'd thy Parent dare the Son.
+  To this Asylum stretch thine happy Wing,
+  And we'll contend who best shall love our KING.
+
+Beneath is the sketch--George the Third, in armor, resembling a Dutch
+widow, in a long-short, introducing America to the goddess of liberty, who
+are, apparently, just commencing the Polka--at the bottom of the engraving
+are the words--_Paul Revere Sculp._ Our ancestors dealt rather in fact
+than fiction--they were no poets.
+
+Gordon refers to LIBERTY TREE, i. 175.
+
+The fame of LIBERTY TREE spread far beyond its branches. Not long before
+it was cut down, by the British soldiers, during the winter of 1775-6, an
+English gentleman, Philip Billes, residing at Backway, near Cambridge,
+England, died, seized of a considerable fortune, which he bequeathed to
+two gentlemen, not relatives, on condition, that they would faithfully
+execute a provision, set forth in his will, namely, that his body should
+be buried, under the shadow of LIBERTY TREE, in Boston, New England. This
+curious statement was published in England, June 3, 1774, and may be found
+in the Boston Evening Gazette, first page, Aug. 22, 1774, printed by
+Thomas & John Fleet, sign of the Heart and Crown, Cornhill.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLIII.
+
+
+Josiah Carter died, at the close of December, 1774. Never was there a
+happier occasion, for citing the _Quis desiderio_, &c., and I would cite
+that fine ode, were it not worn threadbare, like an old coverlet, by
+having been, immemorially, thrown over all manner of corpses, from the
+cobbler's to the king's.
+
+If good old Dr. Charles Chauncy were within hearing, I would, indeed,
+apply to him a portion of its noble passages:
+
+  Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit,
+  Nulli flebilior quam tibi----.
+
+  For good Josiah many wept, I fancy;
+  But none more fluently than Dr. Chauncy.
+
+Josiah Carter was sexton of the Old Brick. He died, in the prime of
+life--fifty only--a martyr to his profession--conscientious to a
+fault--standing all alone in the cold vault, after the last mourner had
+retired, and knocking gently upon the coffin lid, seeking for some little
+sign of animation, and begging the corpse, for Heaven's sake, if it were
+alive, to say so, in good English.
+
+Carter was one of your real _integer vitæ_ men. It is said of him, that he
+never actually lost his self-government, but once, in his life.
+
+He was finishing a grave, in the Granary yard, and had come out of the
+pit, and was looking at his work, when a young, surgical sprig came up,
+and, with something of a mysterious air, shadowed forth a proposition, the
+substance of which was, that Carter should sell him the corpse--cover it
+lightly--and aid in removing it, by night. In an instant, Carter jerked
+the little chirurgeon into the grave--it was a deep one--and began to fill
+up, with all his might. The screams of the little fellow drew quite a
+number to the spot, and he was speedily rescued. When interrogated, years
+afterwards, as to his real intentions, at the time, Carter always became
+solemnized; and said he considered the preservation of that young
+doctor--a particular Providence.
+
+Carter had a strong aversion to unburying--so have I--especially a
+hatchet. I have a rooted hatred of slavery; and I hope our friends, on the
+sunny side of Mason's and Dixon's line, will not censure me, for digging
+up the graves of the past, and exposing unsightly relics, while I solicit
+the world's attention to the following literary _bijoux_.
+
+To be sold, a young negro fellow, fit for country or other business.--Will
+be sold to the highest bidder, a very good gold watch, a negro boy,
+&c.--Cheap, for cash, a negro man, and woman, and two children.--A very
+likely negro wench, about 16 years of age.--A likely negro woman, about
+30, cheap for cash.--A likely negro boy, about 13.--Sold only for want of
+employ, a healthy, tractable negro girl, about 18 years of age.--To be
+sold, for want of employ, a strong, hearty negro fellow, about 25 years of
+age.--Ran away, a negro, named Dick, a well-looking, well-shaped fellow,
+right negro, little on the yellow, &c.--A likely negro woman, about 33
+years old, remarkable for honesty and good temper.--Grant Webster has for
+sale new and second hand chaises, rum, wines, and male and female
+negroes.--At auction, a negro woman that is used to most sorts of house
+business.--A likely, healthy negro man, a good cook, and can drive a
+carriage.--Ran away, a negro man, named Prince, a tall, straight fellow;
+he is about 33 years old, talks pretty good English; his design was to get
+off in some vessel, so as to go to England, under the notion, if he could
+get there, he should be free, &c.--Ten dollars reward: ran away, negro
+Primus, five feet ten inches high, long limbs, very long finger nails,
+&c.--To be sold, for no fault, a negro man, of good temper.--A valuable
+negro man.--Ran away, my negro, Cromarte, commonly called Crum, &c., &c.;
+whoever will return said runaway to me, or secure him in some public jail,
+&c.--The cash will be given for a negro boy of good temper.--A fine negro
+male child, to be given away.--To be sold, a Spanish Indian woman, about
+21 years old, also a negro child, about two years old. To be sold, a
+strong, hearty negro girl, and her son, about a week old.--Ran away, my
+negro man, Samson; when he speaks has a leering look under his eyes;
+whoever will return him, or secure him in any of the jails, shall receive
+ten dollars reward. For sale, a likely negro man; has had the smallpox.--A
+likely negro boy, large for his age, about 13.--To be sold, very
+reasonably, a likely negro woman, about 33 or '4 years of age.--To be sold
+or hired, for a number of years, a strong, healthy, honest, negro girl,
+about 16 years of age.
+
+Ah, my dear, indignant reader, I marvel not, that you are grieved and
+shocked, that man should dare, directly under the eye of God, to offer his
+fellow for sale, as he would offer a side of mutton, or a slaughtered
+hog--that he should offer to sell him, from head to heel, liver and
+lights, and lungs, and heart, and bone, and muscle, and presume to convey
+over, to the buyer, the very will of the poor black man, for years, and
+for aye; so that the miserable creature should never draw in one single
+breath of freedom, but breathe the breath of a slave forever and ever.
+This is very damnable indeed--very. You read the advertisements, which I
+have paraded before you, with a sentiment of disgust towards the men of
+the South--_nimium ne crede colori_. These are northern negroes! these are
+northern advertisements!
+
+  --------Mutato nomine, de te
+  Fabula narratur--------.
+
+Every one of these slaves was owned in Boston: every one of these
+advertisements was published in the Boston Gazette, and the two last on
+December 10, 1781. They are taken from one only of the public journals,
+and are a very Flemish sample of the whole cloth, which may be examined by
+him, who has leisure to turn over the several papers, then published here.
+
+There is one, however, so awfully ridiculous, when we consider the
+profession of the deceased owner, and the place of sale, and which, in
+these connections, presents such an example of _sacra, commixta profanis_,
+that I must give the advertisement without defalcation. John Moorhead, the
+first minister of Bury, afterwards Berry Street Church, died Dec. 2, 1773.
+About a year after, his effects were sold, and the following advertisement
+appears, in the Boston Gazette, Jan. 2, 1775: "To be sold by Public
+Auction, on Thursday next, at ten o'clock in the Forenoon, all the
+Household Furniture, belonging to the Estate of the Rev. Mr. John
+Moorhead, deceased, consisting of Tables, Chairs, Looking Glasses, Feather
+Beds, Bedsteads and Bedding, Pewter, Brass, sundry Pieces of Plate, &c.,
+&c. A valuable collection of Books--Also a likely Negro Lad--The sale to
+be at the House in Auchmuty's Lane, South End, not far from Liberty
+Tree."--Moses and the Prophets! _A human being to be sold as a_ SLAVE,
+_not far from_ LIBERTY TREE, in 1775!
+
+Let me be clearly comprehended. Two wrongs cannot, like two negatives,
+neutralize each other. It is true, there was slavery in Massachusetts, and
+probably more of it, than is supposed to have existed, by many of the
+present generation. Free negroes were not numerous, in Boston, in those
+years. In the Boston Gazette of Jan. 2, 1775, it is stated, that 547
+whites and 52 blacks were buried in the town in 1774; and 533 whites and
+62 blacks in 1773. Such was the proportion then.
+
+The energy of our northern constitution has exorcised the evil spirit of
+slavery. Common sense and the grace of God put it into the minds and
+hearts of our fathers, when the accursed _Bohun Upas_ was a sapling, to
+pull it up, by the roots. It follows not, therefore, that the people of
+the South are entitled to be treated by us, their brethren, like _outside
+barbarians_, because they do not cast it out from their midst, as
+promptly, and as easily, now that it has stricken down its roots into the
+bowels of the earth, and become a colossus, and overshadowed the land.
+Slavery, being the abomination that it is, in the abstract, and in the
+relative, we may well regret, that it ever defiled our peninsula;
+especially that a slave market, for the sale of one slave only, ever
+existed, "_not far from Liberty Tree_." In sober truth, we are not quite
+justified, for railing at the South, as we have done. The sins of our
+dear, old fathers are still so comparatively recent, in regard to slavery,
+that I am absolutely afraid to fire canister and grape, among the group of
+offenders, lest I should disturb the ashes of my ancestors. Neither may we
+forget, that we, of the North, consented, aided and abetted,
+constitutionally, in the confirmation of slavery. Some of the most furious
+of the abolitionists, in this fair city, are _descendants in the right
+line, from Boston slaveholders_--their fathers did not recognize the
+sinfulness of holding slaves!
+
+The people of the South are entitled to civility, from the people of the
+North, because they are citizens of one common country; and, if there is
+one village, town, or city of these United States, that, more than any and
+all others, is under solemn obligations to cherish a sentiment of grateful
+and affectionate respect for the South, it is the city of Boston. I
+propose to refresh the reader's recollection, in my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLIV.
+
+
+_Delenda est Carthago--abolendum est servitium._--No doubt of it; slavery
+must be buried--decently, however. I cannot endure rudeness and violence,
+at a funeral. John Cades, in Charter Street, lost his place, in 1789, for
+letting old Goody Smith go by the run. The _naufragium_ of Erasmus, was
+nothing at all, compared with that of the old lady's coffin. Our Southern
+confederates are entitled to _civility_, because they are men and
+brethren; and they are entitled to _kindness and courtesy from us, of
+Boston_, because we owe them a debt of gratitude, which it would be
+shameful to forget. Since we, of the North, have presumed to be
+_undertakers_ upon this occasion, let us do the thing "_decenter et
+ornate_." Besides, our friends of the South are notoriously testy and
+hot-headed: they are, geographically, children of the sun. John Smith's
+description of the Massachusetts Indians, in 1614, Richmond ed., ii. 194,
+is truly applicable to the Southern people, "_very kind, but, in their
+fury, no less valiant_."
+
+I am no more inclined to uphold the South, in the continued practice of a
+moral wrong, because they gave us bread when we were hungry, as they
+certainly did, than was Sir Matthew Hale, to decide favorably for the
+suitor, who sent him the fat buck. _Nullum simile quatuor pedibus
+currit_--the South, when they bestowed their kindness upon us, during the
+operation of the _Boston Port Bill_, had no possible favor to ask, in
+return.
+
+This famous Port Bill, which operated like _guano_ upon LIBERTY TREE, and
+caused it to send forth a multitude of new and vigorous shoots, was an act
+of revenge and coercion, passed March 31, 1774, by the British Parliament.
+
+No government was ever so _penny wise_ and _pound foolish_, as that of
+Great Britain, in 1773-'4. They actually sacrificed thirteen fine,
+flourishing colonies for _three pence_! In 1773 the East India Company,
+suffering from the bad effects of the smuggling trade, in the colonies,
+all taxation having been withdrawn, by Great Britain, excepting on tea,
+proposed, for the purpose of quieting the strife, to sell their tea, free
+of all duties, in the Colonies, and that sixpence a pound should be
+retained by the Government, on exportation. But the Government insisted
+upon _three pence_ worth of dignity; in other words, for the honor of the
+Crown, they resolved, that the colonists _should pay three pence_ a pound,
+import duty. This was a very poor bargain--a _crown_ for _three pence_!
+Well; I have no room for detail--the tea came; some of it went back again;
+and the balance was tossed into the sea. It was not suffered to be landed,
+at Philadelphia and New York. Seventeen chests, brought to New York, on
+private account, says Gordon, vol. i. page 333, were thrown overboard,
+Nov. 18, 1773, and combustibles were prepared to burn the ships, if they
+came up from the Hook. Dec. 16, 1773, three hundred and twenty-four chests
+of tea were broken open, on board the ships, in Boston, and their contents
+thrown into the salt water, by a "number of persons," says Gordon, vol. i.
+page 341, "chiefly masters of vessels and shipbuilders from the north end
+of the town," dressed as Indians.
+
+In consequence of this, the _Port Bill_ was passed. The object of this
+bill was to beggar--commercially to neutralize or nullify--the town of
+Boston, by shutting the port, and cutting off all import and export, by
+sea, until full compensation should be made, for the tea destroyed, and to
+the officers of the revenue, and others, who had suffered, by the riots,
+in the years 1773 and 1774. Such was the _Port Bill_, whose destructive
+operation was directed, upon the port of Boston alone, under a fatal
+misunderstanding of the British government, in relation to the real
+unanimity of the American people.
+
+It is no easy matter, to describe the effect of this act of folly and
+injustice. The whole country seemed to be affected, with a sort of
+political _neuralgia_; and the attack upon Boston, like a wound upon some
+principal nerve, convulsed the whole fabric. The colonies resembled a band
+of brothers--"born for affliction:" a blow was no sooner aimed at one,
+than the remaining twelve rushed to the rescue, each one interposing an
+ægis. In no part of the country, were there more dignified, or more
+touching, or more substantial testimonies of sympathy manifested, for the
+people of Boston, than in the Southern States; and especially in Virginia,
+Maryland, and both the Carolinas.
+
+The _Port Bill_ came into force, June 1, 1774. The Marylanders of
+Annapolis, on the 25th of May preceding, assembled, and resolved, that
+Boston was "_suffering in the common cause of America_." On the 30th, the
+magistrates, and other inhabitants of Queen Anne's County resolved, in
+full meeting, that they would "_make known, as speedily as possible, their
+sentiments to their distressed brethren of Boston, and that they looked
+upon the cause of Boston to be the common cause of America_." The House of
+Burgesses, in Virginia, appointed the day, when the Boston Port Bill came
+into operation, as a day of fasting and prayer, throughout the ancient
+dominion. A published letter, from Kent County, Maryland, dated June 7,
+1774, says--"The people of Boston need not be afraid of being starved into
+compliance; if they will only give a short notice, they may make their
+town the granary of America."
+
+June 24, 1774.--Twenty-four days after the Port Bill went into operation,
+a public meeting was held at Charleston, S. C. The moving spirits were the
+Trapiers and the Elliots, the Horries and the Clarksons, the Gadsdens and
+the Pinkneys of that day; and resolutions were passed, full of brotherly
+love and sympathy, for the inhabitants of Boston.
+
+"Baltimore, July 16th, 1774.--A vessel hath sailed from the Eastern Shore
+of this Province, with a cargo of provisions as a free gift to our
+besieged brethren of Boston. The inhabitants of all the counties of
+Virginia and Maryland are subscribing, with great liberality, for the
+relief of the distressed towns of Boston and Charlestown. The inhabitants
+of Alexandria, we hear, in a few hours, subscribed £350, for that noble
+purpose. Subscriptions are opened in this town, for the support and
+animation of Boston, under their present great conflict, for the common
+freedom of us all. A vessel is now loading with provisions, as a testimony
+of the affection of this people towards their persecuted brethren."
+
+"Salem, Aug. 23, 1774.--Yesterday arrived at Marblehead, Capt. Perkins,
+from Baltimore, with 3000 bushels of corn, 20 barrels of rye meal, and 21
+barrels of bread, for the benefit of the poor of Boston, and with 1000
+bushels of corn from Annapolis, for the same benevolent purpose."
+
+"New York, Aug. 15, 1774.--Saturday last, Capt. Dickerson arrived here,
+and brought 376 barrels of rye from South Carolina, to be sold, and
+proceeds remitted to Boston, a present to the sufferers; a still larger
+cargo is to be shipped for the like benevolent purpose."
+
+"Newport, R. I.--Capt. Bull, from Wilmington, North Carolina, arrived here
+last Tuesday, with a load of provisions for the poor of Boston; to sail
+again for Salem."
+
+These testimonies of a kind and brotherly spirit, came from all quarters
+of the country. These illustrations might be multiplied to any extent. I
+pass by the manifestations of the most cordial sympathy from other
+colonies, and the contributions from the towns and villages around us--my
+business lies, at present with the South--and my object is to remind some
+of the more rampant and furious of my abolition friends, who are of
+yesterday, that the people of the South, however hasty they may be, living
+under the sun's fiercer rays, and however excited, when a Northern man,
+however respectable, comes to take up his quarters in their midst, and
+gather evidence against them, under their very noses--are not precisely
+_outside barbarians_.
+
+Let the work of abolition go forward, in a dignified and decent spirit.
+Let us argue; and, so far as we rightfully may, let us legislate. Let us
+bring the whole world's sympathy up to the work of emancipation. But, let
+us not revile and vituperate those, who are, to all intents and purposes,
+our brethren, as certainly as if they lived just over the Roxbury line,
+instead of Mason's and Dixon's. Such harsh and unmitigated scoffing and
+abuse, as we too often witness, are equally ungracious, ungentlemanly, and
+ungrateful.
+
+There is something strangely grotesque, to be sure, in the idea of calling
+a state, in which there are more slaves than freemen, the _land of
+liberty_. Our Massachusetts ancestors had a very good _theoretical_
+conception of its inconsistency and absurdity, as early as 1773; when the
+first glimmerings of independence began to come over the spirit of their
+dreams. In that year, the Massachusetts negroes caught the liberty fever,
+and presented a petition to have their fetters knocked off. May 17, 1773,
+the inhabitants of Pembroke addressed a respectfully suggestive letter to
+their representative in the General Court, John Turner; the last paragraph
+of which is well worthy of republication. The entire letter may be found
+in the Boston Gazette of June 14, 1773--"We think the negro petition
+reasonable--agreeable to natural justice and the precepts of the Gospel;
+and therefore advise that, in concurrence with the other worthy members of
+the assembly, you endeavor to find a way, in which they may be freed from
+slavery, without wrong to their present masters, or injury to
+themselves--and that a total abolition of slavery may in due time take
+place. Then we trust we may with humble confidence, look up to the Great
+Arbiter of Heaven and earth, expecting that he will in his own due time,
+look upon our affliction, and in the way of his Providence, deliver us
+from the insults, the grievances, and impositions we so justly complain
+of." This, as the reader will remember, had reference to slavery in
+Massachusetts.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLV.
+
+
+In 1823, and in the month of May, something, in my line, caused me to
+visit the first ex-President Adams, at the old mansion in Quincy. By some
+persons, he was accounted a cold man; and his son, John Quincy, even a
+colder man: yet neither was cold, unless in the sense, in which Mount
+Hecla is cold--belted in everlasting ice, though liable, occasionally, to
+violent eruptions of a fiery character.
+
+As I was taking my leave, being about to remove into a distant State, my
+daughter, between five and six years old, stepped timidly towards Mr.
+Adams, and placing her little hand upon his, and looking upon his
+venerable features, said to him--"_Sir, you are so old, and I am going
+away so far, that I do not think I shall ever see you again--will you let
+me kiss you before I go?_" His brow was suddenly overcast--the spirit
+became gently solemnized--"_Certainly, my child_" said he, "_if you desire
+to kiss a very old man, whom it is quite likely you will never see
+again_."--He bowed his aged form, and the child, rising on tiptoe,
+impressed a kiss upon his brow. I would give a great deal more than I can
+afford, for a fair sketch of that old man's face, as he resumed his
+position--I see it now, with the eye of a Swedenborgian. His features were
+slightly flushed, but not discomposed at all; tears filled his eyes; and,
+if one word must suffice to express all that I saw, that word is
+_benevolence_--that same benevolence, which taught him, on the day of his
+death, July 4, 1826, when asked if he knew what day it was, to
+exclaim--"_Yes, it is the glorious Fourth of July--God bless it--God bless
+you all_."
+
+At the time of the little occurrence, which I have related, Mr. Adams was
+eighty-eight years old. I ventured to say, that I wished we could give him
+the years of Methuselah--to which he replied, with a faint smile,--"_My
+friend, you could not wish me a greater curse_."--As we wax older and
+grayer, this expression, which, in the common phrase, is _Greek_ to the
+young and uninitiated, becomes sufficiently translated into every man's
+vernacular. Mr. Adams was born October 19, 1735, and had therefore
+attained his ninety-first year, when he died.
+
+Nothing like the highest ancient standard of longevity is attained, in
+modern times. Nine hundred, sixty, and nine years, is certainly a long
+life-time. When baby Lamech was born, his father was a young fellow of one
+hundred and eighty-seven. Weary work it must have been, waiting so long,
+for one's inheritance!
+
+The records of modern longevity will appear, nevertheless, somewhat
+surprising, to those, who have given but little attention to the subject.
+The celebrated Albert De Haller, and there can be no higher authority,
+enumerated eleven hundred and eleven cases of individuals, who had lived
+from 100 to 169. His classification is as follows:--
+
+  1000 from 100 to 110
+    60  "   110 to 120
+    29  "   120 to 130
+    15  "   130 to 140
+     6  "   140 to 150
+     1 of   169.
+
+The oldest was Henry Jenkins, of Yorkshire, who died in 1670. Thomas Parr,
+of Wilmington, in Shropshire, died in 1635, aged 152. He was a poor
+yeoman, and married his first wife, when he was in his 88th year, or, as
+some say, his 80th, and had two children. He was brought to Court, by the
+Earl of Arundel, in the reign of Charles I., and died, as it was supposed,
+in consequence of change of diet. His body was examined by Dr. Harvey, who
+thought he might have lived much longer, had he adhered to his simple
+habits. Being rudely asked, before the King, what more he had done, in his
+long life, than other old men, he replied--"_At the age of 105, I did
+penance in Alderbury Church, for an illegitimate child_." When he was 120,
+he married a second wife, by whom he had a child. Sharon Turner, in his
+Sacred History of the World, vol. iii. ch. 23, says, in a note, that
+Parr's son (by the second wife, the issue by the first died early) lived
+to the age of 113--his grandson to that of 109--his great-grandson to that
+of 124; and two other grandsons, who died in 1761 and 1763, to that of
+127.
+
+Parr's was a much longer life than Reuben's, Judah's, Issachar's, Abner's,
+Simeon's, Dan's, Zebulon's, Levi's, or Naphthali's. Dr. Harvey's account
+of the post mortem examination is extremely interesting. The quaint lines
+of Taylor, the water poet, as he was styled, I cannot omit:--
+
+  "Good wholesome labor was his exercise,
+  Down with the lamb, and with the lark would rise;
+  In mire and toiling sweat he spent the day,
+  And to his team he whistled time away:
+  The cock his night-clock, and till day was done,
+  His watch and chief sundial was the sun.
+  He was of old Pythagoras' opinion,
+  That green cheese was most wholesome with an onion;
+  Coarse meslin bread, and for his daily swig,
+  Milk, buttermilk, and water, whey and whig.
+  Sometimes metheglin, and by fortune happy,
+  He sometimes sipp'd a cup of ale most nappy,
+  Cider or perry, when he did repair
+  T'a Whitsun ale, wake, wedding or a fair;
+  Or, when in Christmas time he was a guest
+  At his good landlord's house, among the rest.
+  Else he had very little time to waste,
+  Or at the alehouse huff-cap ale to taste.
+  His physic was good butter, which the soil
+  Of Salop yields, more sweet than candy oil.
+  And garlic he esteemed, above the rate
+  Of Venice treacle or best Mithridate.
+  He entertained no gout, no ache he felt,
+  The air was good and temperate, where he dwelt;
+  While mavises and sweet-tongued nightingales
+  Did sing him roundelays and madrigals.
+  Thus, living within bounds of nature's laws
+  Of his long, lasting life may be some cause.
+  From head to heel, his body had all over
+  A quickset, thickset, nat'ral, hairy cover."
+
+Isaac lived to the age of 180, or five years longer than his father
+Abraham. I now propose to enter one or more well-known old stagers, of
+modern times, who will beat Isaac, by five lengths. Mr. Easton, of
+Salisbury, England, a respectable bookseller, and quoted, as good
+authority by Turner, prepared a more extensive list than Haller, of
+persons, who had died aged from 100 to 185. His work was entitled _Human
+Longevity_--1600 of his cases occurred, within the British Isles, and 1687
+between the years 1706 and 1799. He sets down three between 170 and 185,
+giving their names and other particulars.
+
+Mr. Whitehurst's tables contain several cases, not in Mr. Easton's work,
+from 134 years to 148. Some twenty other cases are stated, by Turner, from
+130 to 150. I refer, historically, to the case of Jonathan Hartop, not
+because of the very great age he attained, but for other reasons of
+interest: "1791.--Died, Jonathan Hartop, aged one hundred and
+thirty-eight, of the village of Aldborough, Yorkshire. He could read to
+the last, without spectacles, and play at cribbage, with the most perfect
+recollection. He remembered Charles II., and once travelled to London,
+with the facetious Killegrew. He ate but little; his only beverage was
+milk. He had been married five times. Mr. Hartop lent Milton fifty pounds,
+which the bard returned, with honor, though not without much difficulty.
+Mr. Hartop would have declined receiving it; but the pride of the poet was
+equal to his genius, and he sent the money with an angry letter, which was
+found, among the curious possessions of that venerable old man."
+
+On the 4th of July, 1846, I visited Dr. Ezra Green, at his residence, in
+Dover, N. H. He showed me a couple of letters, which he had received, a
+short time before, from Daniel Webster and Thomas H. Benton,
+congratulating him, on having completed his one hundredth year, on the
+17th of the preceding June, the anniversary of the battle of Bunker's
+Hill, and remarked, that those gentlemen had not regarded the difference,
+between the old style and the new. He told me, that in 1777, he had been a
+surgeon, in the Ranger, with John Paul Jones. Upon my taking out my
+glasses, to read a passage in a pamphlet, to which he called my attention,
+he told me he had never used spectacles, nor felt the need of any such
+assistance, in reading. Dr. Green died, in 1847.
+
+He graduated, at Harvard, in 1765. At the time of his death, every other
+member of his own class, numbering fifty-four, was dead.
+
+Previously to 1765, two thousand and seventy-five individuals are named,
+upon the catalogue. They were all dead at the time of his decease, though
+he died so recently, as 1847. Yet, from the year, when he graduated, to
+1786, a period of twenty years, of seven hundred and seventy-three
+graduates, fifteen only appear, upon the catalogue of 1848, without the
+fatal star. One of the fifteen, Harrison Gray Otis, has recently died,
+leaving three survivors only, in his class of 1783, Asa Andrews, J. S.
+Boies, and Jonathan Ewins. Another of the fifteen has also recently died,
+being the oldest graduate, Judge Timothy Farrar, of the class of 1767. The
+oldest living graduate of Harvard is James Lovell, of the class of 1776.
+
+I send my communication to the press, as speedily as possible, lest he
+also should be off, before I can publish.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLVI.
+
+
+A few days ago, I saw, in the hands of the artist, Mr. Alvan Clarke, a
+sketch, nearly completed, from Stuart's painting of John Adams, in his
+very old age. This sketch is to be engraved, as an accompaniment of the
+works of Mr. Adams, about to be published, by Little & Brown. I scarcely
+know what to say of this sketch of Mr. Adams. His fine old face, such as
+it was in the flesh, and at the very last of his long and illustrious
+career, is fixed in my memory--rivetted there--as firmly as his name is
+bolted, upon the loftiest column of our national history. Never have I
+seen a more perfect fac simile of man, without the aid of relief--it is
+the resurrection and the life. If I am at a loss what to say of the
+sketch, I am still farther at fault, what to say of the artist. Like some
+of those heavenly bodies, whose contemplation occupies no little portion
+of his time, it is not always the easiest thing in the world, to know in
+what part of his orbit he may be found; if I desire to obtain a portrait,
+or a miniature, or a sketch, he can scarcely devote his time to it, he is
+so very busy, in contriving some new improvement, for his already
+celebrated rifle; or if it is a patent muzzled rifle that I want, he is
+quite likely to be occupied, in the manufacture of a telescope. Be all
+these matters as they may, I can vouch for it, after years of experience,
+Alvan Clarke is a very clever fellow, _Anglice et Americanice_; and this
+sketch of Mr. Adams does him honor, as an artist.
+
+It was in the year 1822, I believe, that a young lady sent me her album,
+with a request, that I, of all people in the world, would occupy one of
+its pages. Well, I felt, that after all, it was quite in my line, for I
+had always looked upon a young lady's album, as a kind of cemetery, for
+the burial of anybody's bantlings, and I began to read the inscriptions,
+upon such as reposed in this place, appointed for the still-born. I was a
+little startled, I confess, at my first glance, upon the autograph of the
+late Bishop Griswold, appended to some very respectable verses. My
+attention was next drawn to some lines, over the name of Daniel Webster,
+_manu propria_. I forget them now, but I remember, that the American Eagle
+was invoked for the occasion, and flapped its wings, through one or more
+of the stanzas. Next came an article in strong, sensible prose, from John
+Adams, written by an amanuensis, but signed with his own hand. Such a
+hand--the "_manu deficiente_" of Tibullus. The letters, formed by the
+failing, trembling fingers, resembled the forked lightning. A solemnizing
+and impressive autograph it was: and, under the impulse of the moment, I
+had the audacity to spoil three pages of this consecrated album, by
+appending to this venerable name the following lines:--
+
+  High over Alps, in Dauphine,
+    There lies a lonely spot,
+  So wild, that ages rolled away,
+    And man had claimed it not:
+  For ages there, the tiger's yell
+  Bay'd the hoarse torrent as it fell.
+
+  Amid the dark, sequestered glade,
+    No more the brute shall roam;
+  For man, unsocial man, hath made
+    That wilderness his home:
+  And convent bell, with notes forlorn,
+  Is heard, at midnight, eve, and morn.
+
+  For now, amid the Grand Chartreuse,
+    Carthusian monks reside;
+  Whose lives are passed, from man recluse,
+    In scourging human pride;
+  In matins, vespers, aves, creeds,
+  With crosses, masses, prayers, and beads.
+
+  When hither men of curious mood,
+    Or pilgrims, bend their way,
+  To view this Alpine solitude,
+    Or, heav'nward bent, to pray,
+  Saint Bruno's monks their album bring,
+  Inscrib'd by poet, priest, and king.
+
+  Since pilgrim first, with holy tears,
+    Inscrib'd the tablet fair,
+  On time's dark flood, some thousand years,
+    Have pass'd like billows there.
+  What countless names its pages blot,
+  By country, kindred, long forgot!
+
+  Here chaste conceits and thoughts divine
+    Unclaim'd, and nameless, stand;
+  Which, like the Grecian's waving line,
+    Betray some master's hand.
+  And here Saint Bruno's monks display,
+  With pride, the classic lines of Gray.
+
+  While pilgrim ponders o'er the name,
+    He feels his bosom glow;
+  And counts it nothing less than fame,
+    To write his own below.
+  So, in this Album, fain would I,
+  Beneath a name, that cannot die.
+
+  Thrice happy book! no tablet bears
+    A nobler name than thine;
+  Still followed by a nation's pray'rs,
+    Through ling'ring life's decline.
+  The wav'ring stylus scarce obey'd
+  The hand, that once an empire sway'd!
+
+  Not thus, among the patriot band,
+    That name enroll'd we see--
+  No falt'ring tongue, no trembling hand
+    Proclaim'd an empire free!--
+  Lady, retrace those lines, and tell,
+  If, in thy heart, no sadness dwell?
+
+  And, in those fainting, struggling lines,
+    Oh, see'st thou naught sublime!
+  No tott'ring pile, that half inclines!
+    No mighty wreck of time!
+  Sighs not thy gentle heart to save
+  The sage, the patriot, from the grave!
+
+  If thus, oh then recall that sigh,
+    Unholy 'tis, and vain;
+  For saints and sages never die,
+    But sleep, to rise again.
+  Life is a lengthened day, at best,
+  And in the grave tir'd trav'llers rest;
+
+  Till, with his trump, to wake the dead,
+    Th' appointed angel flies;
+  Then Heav'n's bright album shall be spread,
+    And all who sleep, shall rise;
+  The blest to Zion's Hill repair,
+  And write their names immortal there.
+
+I had as much pleasure, in composing these lines, as I ever had, in
+composing the limbs or the features of a corpse; and now that they are
+fairly laid out, the reader may bury them in oblivion, as soon as he
+pleases. The lines of Gray, referred to, in the sixth stanza, may be found
+in the collections of his works, and were written in the album of the
+Chartreuse, in 1741.
+
+My recollections of John Adams, are very perfect, and preëminently
+pleasant. I knew nothing of him personally, of course, in the days of his
+power. I had nothing to ask at his hands, but the permission to sit and
+listen. How vast and how various his learning!--"Qui sermo! quæ præcepta!
+quanta notitia antiquitatis!... Omnia memoria tenebat, non domestica
+solum, sed etiam externa bella: cujus sermone ita tum cupide fruebar,
+quasi jam divinarem id, quod evenit, illo extincto, fore, unde discerem,
+neminem." Surpassingly delightful were the outpourings, till some
+thoughtless wight, by an ill-timed allusion, opened the fountain of
+bitter waters--then, history, literature, the arts, all were buried _in
+gurgite vasto_, giving place to Jefferson's injustice, the Mazzei letters,
+and Callender's prospect before us--_quantum mutatus ab illo_!
+
+How forcibly the dead are quickened, upon the retina of memory, by the
+exhibition of some well known and personally associated article--the
+little hat of Napoleon--the mantle of Cæsar--"_you all do know this
+mantle_!" I have just now drawn, from my treasury, an autograph of John
+Adams, bearing date, Jan. 31, 1824, and a lock of strong hair, cut from
+his venerable brow, the day before. In October of that year, he was
+eighty-nine years of age; and that lock of hair is a dark iron gray. I
+have also taken from its casket a silver pen, and small portable inkstand
+attached, which also were his. The contemplation of these things--I came
+honestly by them--seems almost to raise that venerable form before me. I
+can almost hear him repeat those memorable words--"THE UNION IS OUR ROCK
+OF SAFETY AS WELL AS OUR PLEDGE OF GRANDEUR."
+
+
+
+
+No. XLVII.
+
+
+I am rather surprised, to find how little is known, among the rising
+generation, about slavery, in the Old Bay State. One might delve for a
+twelve month, and not gather together the half of all, that is condensed,
+in Dr. Belknap's replies to Judge Tucker's inquiries, Mass. H. C., iv.
+191.
+
+I never was a sexton in the Berry Street Church, but I knew Dr. Jeremy
+Belknap well, in 1797, when he lived on the southeasterly side of Lincoln
+Street, near Essex. He died the following year. His garden was overrun
+with spiders. I had a great veneration for the doctor--he gave me a copy
+of his Foresters--and, to repay a small part of the debt, I was
+proceeding, one summer morning, with a strong arm, to demolish the
+spiders, when he pleasantly called to me to desist, saying, that he
+preferred them to the flies.
+
+Slavery was here--negro slavery--at a very early day. Josselyn speaks of
+three slaves, in the family of Maverick, on Noddle's Island, Oct. 2, 1639,
+M. H. C., xxiii. 231. These were probably brought directly from Africa.
+In 1645, the General Court of Massachusetts ordered Mr. Williams, at
+Pascataqua, over which Massachusetts exercised jurisdiction, to send the
+negro he had of Captain Smith, to them, that he might be sent home; as
+Smith had confessed, that the negroes he brought were stolen from Guinea.
+Ibid. iv. 195. In the same year, a law was passed, against the traffic in
+slaves, those excepted, who were taken in war, or cast into servitude, for
+crime. Ibid.
+
+The slave trade was carried on, in Massachusetts, to a very small extent.
+"In 1703," says Dr. Belknap, "a duty of £4 was laid on every negro
+imported." He adds--"By the inquiries which I have made of our oldest
+merchants, now living, I cannot find that more than three ships in a year,
+belonging to this port, were ever employed in the African trade. The rum
+distilled here, was the mainspring of this traffic. Very few whole cargoes
+ever came to this port. One gentleman says he remembers two or three. I
+remember one, between thirty and forty years ago, which consisted almost
+wholly of children. At Rhode Island the rum distillery and the African
+trade were prosecuted to a greater extent than in Boston; and I believe no
+other seaport, in Massachusetts, had any concern in the slave business."
+Ibid. 196. Dr. Belknap drew up his answers to Judge Tucker's inquiries,
+April 21, 1795: "_between thirty and forty years ago_," therefore, was
+between 1755 and 1765. Dr. Belknap remembered the arrival in Boston of a
+"_whole cargo_" of slaves, "_almost wholly children_," between the years
+1755 and 1765! If we have ever had an accurate and careful narrator of
+matters of fact, in New England, that man was Jeremy Belknap. The last of
+these years, 1765, was the memorable year of the Stamp Act, and LIBERTY
+TREE! Let us hope the arrival was nearer to 1755.
+
+"About the time of the Stamp Act," says Dr. Belknap, "this trade began to
+decline, and, in 1788, it was prohibited by law. This could not have been
+done previous to the Revolution, as the governors sent hither from
+England, it is said, were instructed not to consent to any acts made for
+that purpose." Ibid. 197. In 1767, a bill was brought into the House of
+Representatives, "to prevent the unnatural and unwarrantable custom of
+enslaving mankind, and the importation of slaves into the Province:" but
+it came to nothing. "Had it passed both houses in any form whatever," says
+Dr. B., ibid. page 202, "Gov. Bernard would not have consented to it."
+One scarcely knows which most to admire, the fury against the South, of
+gentlemen, whose ancestors imported cargoes of slaves, or bought and sold
+them, at retail, or the righteous indignation of Great Britain, who
+instructed her colonial governors, to veto every attempt of the
+Massachusetts Legislature, to abolish the traffic in human flesh. A
+disposition existed, at an earlier period, to abolish the brutal traffic.
+In a letter to the Rev. Dr. Freeman from Timothy Pickering, which may
+found in M. H. C., xviii. 183, he refers to the following transcript, from
+the records of the Selectmen of Boston: "1701, May 26. The Representatives
+are desired to promote the encouraging the bringing of white servants, and
+to put a period to negroes being slaves."
+
+"A few only of our merchants," says Dr. B., M. H. C., iv. 197, "were
+engaged in this traffic. It was never supported by popular opinion. A
+degree of infamy was attached to the characters of those, who were
+employed in it. Several of them, in their last hours, bitterly lamented
+their concern in it." Chief Justice Samuel Sewall wrote a pamphlet against
+it. Many, says Dr. B., who were wholly opposed to the traffic, would yet
+buy a slave, when brought here, on the ground that it was better for him
+to be brought up in a Christian land! For this, Abraham and the patriarchs
+were vouched in, of course, as supporters.
+
+Our winters were unfavorable to unacclimated negroes; white laborers were
+therefore preferred to black. "_Negro children_," says Dr. B., ibid. 200,
+"_were reckoned an incumbrance in a family; and, when weaned, were given
+away like puppies. They have been publicly advertised in the newspapers,
+to be given away_."
+
+In answer to the question, how slavery had been abolished in
+Massachusetts? Dr. Belknap answered--"_by public opinion_." He considers,
+that slavery came to an end, in our Commonwealth, in 1783. After 1781,
+there were, certainly, very few, who had the brass to offer negroes, for
+sale, openly, in the newspapers of Boston. Public opinion, as Dr. Belknap
+says, was accomplishing this work: and every calm, impartial person may
+opine for himself, how patiently we of the North should have endured, at
+that time, even a modicum of the galling abuse, of which such a
+_profluvium_ is daily administered, to the people of the South. It seems
+to me, that such rough treatment would have been more likely to addle,
+than to hatch the ovum of public opinion in 1783.
+
+Dr. Belknap's account, ibid. 203, is very clear. He says--"The present
+constitution of Massachusetts was established in 1780. The first article
+of the declaration of rights asserts that '_all men are born free and
+equal_.' This was inserted, not merely as a moral or political truth, but
+with a particular view to establish the liberation of the negroes, on a
+general principle; and so it was understood, by the people at large; but
+some doubted whether this were sufficient. Many of the blacks, taking
+advantage of the _public opinion_, and of this general assertion, in the
+bill of rights, asked their freedom and obtained it. Others took it
+without leave. Some of the aged and infirm thought it most prudent to
+continue in the families, where they had been well used, and experience
+has proved that they acted right. In 1781, at the court in Worcester
+County, an indictment was found against a white man for assaulting,
+beating, and imprisoning a black. He was tried at the Supreme Judicial
+Court, in 1783. His defence was that the black was his slave, and that the
+beating, &c., was the necessary restraint and correction of the master.
+This was answered by citing the aforesaid clause in the declaration of
+rights. The Judge and Jury were of opinion that he had no right to beat or
+imprison the negro. He was found guilty and fined forty shillings. This
+decision was a mortal wound to slavery in Massachusetts."
+
+The reader will perceive, that a distinction was maintained, between the
+_slave trade_, eo nomine, and the _holding of slaves_, inseparably
+connected as it was, with the incidents of sale and transfer from man to
+man, in towns and villages. He, who was engaged in the _trade_, so called,
+was supposed _per se_ or _per alium_ to _steal_ the slaves; but, contrary
+to the proverb, the _receiver_ was, in this case, not accounted so bad as
+the _thief_! The prohibition of the _traffic_, in 1788, grew out of public
+indignation, produced by the act of one Avery, from Connecticut, who
+decoyed three black men on board his vessel, under pretence of employing
+them; and while they were at work below, proceeded to sea, having
+previously cleared for Martinico. The knowledge of this outrage produced a
+great sensation. Gov. Hancock, and M. L'Etombe, the French Consul, wrote
+in favor of the kidnapped negroes, to all the West India Islands. A
+petition was presented to the Legislature, from the members of the
+association of the Boston Clergy; another from the blacks; and one, at
+that very time, from the Quakers, was lying on the table, for an act
+against equipping and insuring vessels, engaged in the traffic, and
+against kidnappers. Such an act was passed March 26, 1788.
+
+The poor negroes, carried off by that arch villain, Avery, were offered
+for sale, in the island of St. Bartholomew. They told their story
+publicly--_magna est veritas_--the Governor heard and believed it--the
+sale was forbidden. An inhabitant of the island--a Mr. ATHERTON, of
+blessed memory--became their protector, and gave bonds for their good
+behavior, for six months. Letters, confirming their story, arrived. They
+were sent on their way home rejoicing, and arrived in Boston, on the
+following 29th day of July.
+
+In 1763, according to Dr. Belknap, ibid. 198, there was 1 black to every
+45 whites in Massachusetts; in 1776, 1 to every 65; in 1784, 1 to every
+80. The whole number, in the latter year, 4377 blacks, 354,133 whites.
+
+It appears, by a census, taken by order of Government, in the last month
+of 1754, and the first month of 1755, that there were then in the Province
+of Massachusetts Bay 2717 negro slaves of and over 16 years of age. Of
+these, 989 belonged to Boston. This table may be found in M. H. C., xiii.
+95.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLVIII.
+
+
+Of all sorts of affectation the affectation of happiness is the most
+universal. How many, whose domestic relations are full of trouble, are,
+abroad, apparently, the happiest of mortals. How many, after laying down
+the severest sumptuary laws, for their domestics, on the subject of
+_sugar_ and _butter_, go forth, in all their personal finery, to inquire
+the prices of articles, which they have no means to purchase, and return,
+comforted by the assurance, that they have the reputation of fashion and
+wealth, with those, at least, who have, so deferentially, displayed their
+diamonds and pearls!
+
+Who would not be thought wealthy, and wise, and witty, if he could!
+
+Happiness is every man's _cynosure_, when he embarks upon the ocean of
+life. No man would willingly be thought so very unskilful, as that
+ill-starred Palinurus, who made the shores of Norway, on a voyage to the
+coast of Africa. Whether wealth, or fame, or fashion, or pleasure be the
+principal object of pursuit, no one is willing to be accounted a
+disappointed man, after the application of his best energies, for years.
+The man of wealth--the man of ambition, for example, are desirous of being
+accounted happy. It would certainly be exceedingly annoying to both, to be
+convinced, that they were believed, by mankind, to be otherwise. Their
+condition is rendered tolerable, only by the conviction, that thousands
+suppose them happy, and covet their condition accordingly. There is
+something particularly agreeable, in being envied, of course. Now, it is
+the common law of man's nature--a law, that executes itself--that
+_possession makes him poor_ as Horace says, Sat. i. 1, 1.
+
+  --------"Nemo, quam sibi sortem,
+  Seu ratio dederit, seu fors objecerit illi,
+  Contentus vivat."--------
+
+All experience has demonstrated, that happiness is not to be bought, and
+that what there is of it, in this present life, is a home-made article,
+which every one produces for himself, in the workshop of his own bosom. It
+no more consists, in the accumulation of wealth, than in snuffing up the
+east wind. The poor believe the rich to be happy--they become rich, and
+find they were mistaken. But they keep the secret, and affect to be happy,
+nevertheless.
+
+Seneca looked upon the devotion of time and talent to the acquirement of
+money, beyond the measure of a man's reasonable wants, with profound
+contempt. He called such, as gave themselves up to the unvarying pursuit
+of wealth, _short lived_; meaning that the hours and years, so employed,
+were carved out of the estate of a man's life, and utterly thrown away.
+There is a fine passage, in ch. 17, of Seneca's book, _De Brevitate Vitæ_.
+
+"Misserrimam ergo necesse est, non tantum brevissimam, vitam eorum esse,
+qui magno parant labore, quod majore possideant: operose assequuntur quæ
+volunt, anxii tenent quæ assecuti sunt. Nulla interim nunquam amplius
+redituri temporis est ratio"--It is clear, therefore, that the life must
+be very miserable, and very brief, of those, who get their gains with
+great labor, and hold on to their gettings with greater--who obtain the
+object of their wishes, with much difficulty, and are everlastingly
+anxious for the safe keeping of their treasures. They seem to have no true
+estimate of those hours, thus wasted, which never can return.
+
+In one of his admirable letters to Lucilius, the eightieth, on the subject
+of poverty, he says--"Si vis scire quam nihil in illa mali sit, compara
+inter se pauperum et divitum vultus. Sæpius pauper et fidelius ridet;
+nulla sollicitudo in alto est; etiamsi qua incidit cura, velut nubes levis
+transit Horum, qui felices vocantur, hilaritas ficta est, au gravis et
+suppurata tristitia; eo quidem gravior, quia interdum non licet palam esse
+miseros, sed inter ærumnas, cor ipsum exedentes, necesse est agere
+felicem"--If you wish to know, that there is no evil therein, compare the
+faces of the rich and the poor. The poor man laughs much oftener, and more
+heartily. There is no wearying solicitude pressing upon his inmost soul,
+and when care comes, it passes away, like a thin cloud. But the hilarity
+of these rich men, who are called happy, is affected, or a deep-seated and
+rankling anxiety, the more oppressive, because it never would answer for
+them to appear as miserable, as they are, being constrained to appear
+happy, in the midst of harassing cares, gnawing at their vitals.
+
+If Seneca had been on 'Change, daily, during the last half year, and
+watched the countenances of our wealthy money-lenders, he could not have
+portrayed the picture with a more masterly pencil. The rate of usury has,
+of course, a relation to the hazard encountered, and that hazard is ever
+uppermost in the mind of the usurer: and it is extremely doubtful, if the
+hope, however sanguine, of realizing two per cent. a month, is always
+sufficient, to quiet those fears, which will occasionally arise, of losing
+the principal and interest together.
+
+I never buried an old usurer, without a conviction, as I looked upon his
+hard, corrugated features, that, if he could carry nothing else with him,
+he certainly carried upon his checkered brow the very phylactery of his
+calling. We may talk about money, as an article of commerce, till we are
+tired--we may weary the legislature, by our importunity, into a repeal of
+the existing laws against usury--we may cudgel our brains, to stretch the
+mantle of the law over our operations, and make it appear _a regular
+business transaction_--it is a case, in which no refinement of the
+culinary art will ever be able to disguise, or neutralize, the odor of
+the opossum--there ever was--there is--there ever will be, I am afraid, a
+certain touch of moral _nastiness_ about it, which no casuistical
+chemistry will ever be able entirely to remove.
+
+Doubtless, there are men, who take something more, during a period of
+scarcity, than legal interest, and who are very worthy men withal. There
+are others, who are descendants, in the right line, from the horse-leech
+of biblical history--who take all they can get. Now, there is but one
+category: _they are all usurers_; and those, who are respectable, impart
+of their respectability to such, as have little or none; and give a
+confidence to those, who would be treated with contempt, for their
+merciless gripings, were they not banded together, with men of character,
+in the same occupation, as usurers. Those, who take seven or eight per
+cent. per annum, and those who take _one per cent. a day_, and such things
+have been, are not easily distinguished; but the question, who come within
+the category, as usurers, is a thing more readily comprehended. All are
+such, who exceed the law.
+
+_Usurer_, originally, was not a term of reproach; for _interest_ and
+_usury_ meant one and the same thing. The earlier statutes against usury,
+in England, were directed chiefly against the Jews--whose lineal
+descendants are still in our midst. Usury was forbidden, by act of
+Parliament, in 1341. The rate then taken by the Jews, was enormous. In
+1545, 37 Henry VIII., the rate established was ten per cent. This statute
+was confirmed by 13 Eliz. 1570. Reduced to eight per cent., 21 James I.
+1623, when the word _interest_ was first employed, instead of _usury_.
+Again reduced, by Cromwell, 1650, to six per cent. Confirmed by Charles
+II. 1660. Reduced to five per cent., 5 Anne, 1714.
+
+There are not two words about it; extortion and usury harden the heart;
+soil the reputation; and diminish the quantum of happiness, by lowering
+the standard of self-respect. That unconscionable griper, whose god is
+Mammon, and who fattens upon misery, as surely as the vulture upon
+carrion, stalking up and down like a commercial buzzard, tearing away the
+substance of his miserable victim, by piecemeal--_two per cent. a
+month_--can he be happy! However much like a human being he may have
+looked, in his youth, the workings of his mercenary soul have told too
+truly upon his iron features, until that visage would form an appropriate
+figure-head for the portal of 'Change alley, or the Inquisition.
+
+  --------"Is your name Shylock?
+  Shylock is my name."
+
+To how many, in this age of _anxious inquirers_, may we hold up this
+picture, and propound this interrogatory!
+
+God is just, though Mahomet be not his prophet. Instead of exclaiming,
+that God's ways are past finding out, let us go doggedly to work, and
+study them a little. Some of them, I humbly confess, appear sufficiently
+intelligible, with common sense for an expositor. Does not the All-wise
+contriver say, in language not to be mistaken, to such as worship, at the
+shrines of avarice and sensuality--you have chosen idols, and your
+punishment shall consist, in part, in the ridicule and contempt, which the
+worship of these idols brings upon your old age. You--the victim of
+intemperance--shall continue, with your bloated lips, to worship--not a
+stone image--but a stone jug; and grasping your idol with your trembling
+fingers, literally stagger into the grave! And you, though last, not
+least, of all vermicular things, whose whole time and intellectual powers
+are devoted to no higher object than making money--shall still crawl
+along, heaping up treasure, day after day--day after day--to die at last,
+not knowing who shall come after you, a wise man or a fool!
+
+  "Constant at Church and 'Change; his gains were sure,
+  His givings rare, save farthings to the poor!
+  The Dev'l was piq'd such saintship to behold,
+  And long'd to tempt him, like good Job of old;
+  But Satan now is wiser than of yore,
+  And tempts, by making rich, not making poor."
+
+
+
+
+No. XLIX.
+
+
+Self-conceit and vanity are very pardonable offences, till, stimulated by
+flattery, or aggravated by indulgence, they assume the offensive forms of
+arrogance and insolence. If we should drive, from the circle of our
+friends, all, who are occasionally guilty of such petty misdemeanors, we
+should restrict ourselves to the solitude of Selkirk. There are some
+worthy men, with whom this little infirmity is an intermittent,
+alternating, like fever and ague, between self-conceit and self-abasement.
+Like some estimable people, of both sexes, who, at one moment, proclaim
+themselves the chief of sinners, and the next, are in admirable working
+condition, as the spiritual guides and instructors of all mankind; these
+persons, under the influence of the wind, or the weather, or the world's
+smiles, or its frowns, or the state of their digestive organs, indicate,
+by their air and carriage, today, a feeling, far on the sunny side of
+self-complacency, and of deep humility, tomorrow.
+
+William Boodle has been dead, some twenty years. He was my school-fellow.
+I would have undertaken anything, for Boodle, while living, but I could
+not undertake for him, when dead. The idea of burying Billy Boodle, my
+playmate from the cradle--we were put into breeches, the very same
+day--with whom I had passed, simultaneously, through all the
+epocha--rattles--drums--go-carts--kites--tops--bats--skates--the idea of
+shovelling the cold earth upon him, was too much. I would have buried the
+Governor and Council, with the greatest pleasure, but Billy Boodle--I
+couldn't. So I changed works, that day, with one of our craft, who
+comprehended my feelings perfectly.
+
+I never shall forget my sensations, the first time he called me _Mr.
+Wycherly_. We had ever been on terms of the greatest intimacy, and had
+never known any other words of designation, than Abner and Bill. I was
+very much amazed; and he seemed a little confused, himself, when I laughed
+in his face, and asked him what the devil he meant by it. But he grew
+daily more formal in his manners, and more particular in his dress. His
+voice became changed--he began to use longer words--assumed an unusual
+wave of the hand, and a particular movement of the head, when
+speaking--and, while talking, on the most common-place topics, he had a
+way, quite new with him, of bringing down the fore-finger of his right
+hand, frequently and forcibly, upon the ball of the uplifted thumb of the
+left. He was a leather-breeches maker; and I caught him, upon two or three
+occasions, spouting in his shop, all by himself, before a small
+looking-glass. He once made a pair of buckskins, for old General
+Heath--they did not fit--the General returned them, and Boodle said he
+would have them _taken into a new draft_--I thought he was a little
+deranged: "taken where?" said the old General. Boodle colored, and
+corrected himself, saying he would have them _let out_. He had two turns
+of this strange behavior, in one year, during which, he was rather
+neglectful of his business, pompous in his family, and talked to his wife,
+who was a plain, notable woman, of nothing but first principles, and
+political economy. In the intervals between these attacks, he was
+perfectly himself again, and it was Abner and Bill, as in former days.
+
+I have often smiled, at my own dullness, in not sooner apprehending the
+solution of this little enigma. Boodle was a member of the Legislature;
+and the fits were upon him, during the sessions. No man, probably, was
+ever more thoroughly confounded, than my old friend, when, it having been
+deemed expedient to compliment the leather-breeches interest, the
+committee requested him to permit his name to be put upon the list of
+candidates, as one of the representatives of the city of Boston, in the
+General Court. He could not think of it--the committee averred the utter
+impossibility of doing without him--he was ignorant of the duties--they
+could be learned in half a day--he was without education--the very thing,
+a self-taught man! He consented.
+
+How much more easily we are persuaded to be great men, than to be
+Christians! There is but a step from conscious insignificancy to the
+loftiest pretension. Boodle was elected, and awoke the next morning, less
+surprised by the event, than at the extraordinary fact, that his talents
+had been overlooked, so long. He spoiled three good skins that day, from
+sheer absence of mind.
+
+However disposed we may be to laugh at the airs of men, who so entirely
+misapprehend themselves and their constituents, our laughter should be
+tempered with charity. They are not honestly told, that they are wanted,
+only as makeweights--to keep in file--to follow, _en suite_--to register
+an edict: and their vanity is pardonable, in the ratio of that ignorance
+of themselves, which leads them to rely, so implicitly, upon the testimony
+of others.
+
+Comparative mensuration is a very popular process, and a very comforting
+process, for all, who have made small progress in self-knowledge; and this
+category comprehends all, but a very small minority. There are a few, I
+doubt not, who think humbly of themselves; but there are very few, indeed,
+who cannot perceive, in themselves, or their possessions, some one or more
+points of imaginary superiority, over their fellows. This is an
+inexpensive mode of enjoying one's self, and I cannot see the wisdom, or
+the wit, of disturbing the self-complacency of any one, upon such an
+occasion, unless the delusion is of vital importance to somebody. What,
+if your neighbor prefers his Dutch domicil, with its overhanging gable, to
+your classic chateau--or sees more to admire, in his broad-faced squab of
+a wife, than in your faultless Helen--or vaunts the superiority of his
+short-legged cob, over your famous blood horse! Let him. Such things
+should be passed, with great forbearance, were it only for the innocent
+amusement they afford us. So far, however, is this from the ordinary mode
+of treating them, that I am compelled to believe vanity is often more apt,
+than criminality, to excite our irritable principle, and stimulate the
+spirit of resentment.
+
+I have known some worthy men, generous and humane, whose very gait has
+rendered them exceedingly unpopular. I once heard a pious and reverend
+clergyman say, of one of his very best parishioners, but whose unfortunate
+air of hauteur was rather remarkable, that, with all his excellent
+qualities, "it would do the flesh good to give him a kick."
+
+From a thousand illustrations, which are all around us, I will select one
+only. The anecdote, which I am about to relate, may be told without any
+apprehension of giving offence; as the parties have been dead, some thirty
+years. A worthy clergyman, residing in a neighboring state, grew old; and
+the parish, who entertained the most cordial respect and affection, for
+this venerable soldier of the cross, resolved to give him a colleague.
+After due inquiry, and a _quantum sufficit_ of preaching on probation,
+they decided on giving a call to Parson Brocklebank. He was a little, red,
+round man, with a spherical head, a Brougham nose, and a gait, the like of
+which had never been seen, in that parish, before. It had not attracted
+particular notice, until after he was settled. To be sure, an aged single
+lady, of the parish, was heard to say, that she saw something of it, at
+the ordination, when Parson Brocklebank stepped forward, to receive the
+right hand of fellowship. Suffice it to say, for the reader's particular
+edification, that it was indescribable. It became the village talk, and is
+thought to have had an injurious influence, in retarding a revival, which
+seemed to be commencing, just before the period of the ordination. However
+lowly in spirit, the new minister may have been, all who ever beheld him
+move, were satisfied, at a glance, that he had a most exalted opinion of
+himself. And yet he was an excellent man.
+
+This unfortunate trick of jerking out the hips, and those rotundities of
+flesh connected therewith, however it might have originated in "curs'd
+pride, that busy sin," had become, with Parson Brocklebank, an
+unchangeable habit. We often see it in a slight degree, but, as it existed
+in his particular case, it was a thing not known among men. I think I have
+seen it among women. Dr. Johnson would have called it a fundamental
+undulation, elaborated by the ostentatious workings of a pompous spirit.
+Whatever it was, it was fatal to the peace and prosperity of that parish.
+Every one talked of it. The young laughed at it; the old mourned over it;
+the middle aged were vexed by it; boys and girls were whipped, for
+imitating it; children were forbidden to look at it, for fear of their
+catching it; the very dogs were said to have barked at it.
+
+The parish began to dissolve, _sine die_. The deacons waited upon their
+old clergyman, Father Paybody, and the following colloquy ensued:
+
+"We're in a bad way, Father Paybody; and, if folks keep going off so, we
+don't see how we shall be able to pay the salaries.--Dismiss me: I am of
+little use now.--No, no, Father Paybody, while there's a potato in this
+parish, we'll share it together. We call'd for advice. Ever since Parson
+Brocklebank was settled, the parish has been going to pieces: what is the
+cause of it?--The shrewd old man shook his head, and smiled.--Parson
+Brocklebank is a good man, Father Paybody.--Excellent.--Sound
+doctrine.--Very.--Amazing ready at short notice.--Very.--Great at clearing
+a knotty passage.--Very.--We think him a very pious Christian.--Very.--In
+the parochial relation he is very acceptable.--Very.--I hear he has a
+winning way, and always has candy or gingerbread in his pockets, for the
+children, which helps the word greatly, with the little ones.--Well,
+nearly half our people are dissatisfied, and have left, or will leave
+soon. What is the cause of it, Father Paybody?--I will tell you: it's
+owing to no other cause under the sun, than that wriggle of Brother
+Brocklebank's behind."
+
+
+
+
+No. L.
+
+
+I sincerely hope, that Daniel H. Pearson, now in prison, under suspicion
+of having murdered his wife and twin daughters, at Wilmington, in this
+Commonwealth, in the month of April last, may be proved to be an innocent
+man. For, should he be convicted, he will certainly be sentenced to be
+hung; and it is quite probable, that Governor Briggs, and his iron-hearted
+Council may do, as they recently did, in the case of poor Washington
+Goode, a most unfortunate man, who, unhappily, committed a most infernal
+murder, of which, after an impartial trial, he was duly convicted. Will it
+be believed, in this age of improved contrivances, moral and physical,
+that the Governor and Council of our Commonwealth have actually refused,
+to rush between the sentence and the execution, and save this egregious
+scoundrel from the gallows! They have solemnly decided, not to interfere
+with the operation of that ancient law of this Commonwealth, which
+decrees, that he, who kills his fellow man, with malice prepense, shall be
+hanged, by the neck, till he is dead!
+
+It really seems to me, that the time has arrived when Massachusetts should
+be governed, by some compassionate person, who will prove himself, upon
+such unpleasant occasions, the murderer's friend. I am not unapprized of
+the fact, that there is a strong opposition to these opinions, among the
+wisest and best men in the community; and that, irrespectively of the
+operation of the _lex talionis_ upon the murderer, his death is accounted
+necessary, _in terrorem_, for the rest of mankind; as Cicero has
+said--"_ut poena ad paucos, metus ad omnes perveniat_"--that the
+punishment may reach the few, and fear the many. But Cicero was a heathen.
+There are also some individuals, having very little of that contempt for
+old wives' tales, which characterizes those profound thinkers, our
+interesting fellow-citizens of the Liberty Party, and who still venture,
+in these enlightened days, to cite the word of God--WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN'S
+BLOOD, BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED. In the present condition of
+society, when there are so very few of us, who do not feel, that we are
+wise above what is written, this precept, delivered by God Almighty, to
+Noah, appears exceedingly preposterous, greatly resembling some of those
+_blue laws_, which were in operation, in the olden time, in a sister
+state. What was Noah to Jeremy Bentham! Although I am pained to confess
+the shortcomings of Jeremy; for, though he did much to meliorate the
+severity of the British penal code, he went not, by any means, to those
+happy lengths, which we approve, in shielding the unfortunate murderer
+from the halter.
+
+There was a very amiable, old gentleman in England, who lived, through the
+times of Charles I., both Cromwells, and Charles II. He was reputed so
+wise, and learned, and just, and pious, that his judgment was highly
+prized, by all men. He was esteemed the greatest lawyer and the most
+upright, in all England; so much so, that, in 1671, he was created Lord
+Chief Justice of the realm. I desire to reason impartially, upon this
+subject, and therefore admit, that this great and good man, Sir Matthew
+Hale, believed death to be a very just punishment, for certain crimes,
+inferior to murder. Although Sir Matthew's crude notions are rapidly going
+out of fashion, it is but fair, to transcribe his words--"When offences
+grow enormous, frequent, and dangerous to a kingdom or state, destructive
+or highly pernicious to civil societies, and to the great insecurity and
+danger of the kingdom or its inhabitants, severe punishment and even death
+itself is necessary to be annexed to laws, in many cases, by the prudence
+of lawgivers." In all candor, we must admit, that Sir Matthew Hale was
+notoriously the very reverse of a sanguinary Judge. But Sir Matthew's days
+were the days of small things. We cannot sufficiently bless the Great
+Disposer of human affairs, for raising up the foolish, as He has done, in
+these latter days, and in such great numbers withal, to confound the wise.
+It is now no longer necessary, as of old, to pursue a particular course of
+study, to qualify mankind, for the work of legislation, or the practice of
+law, or physic, or the exposition of the more subtle points of religion,
+or ethics, or political economy.
+
+This truly is an age of intuition. He, who learns, or half learns, one
+profession, is, instanter, competent to perform the duties of all. It is a
+heavenly stream of universal light and power, somewhat analogous to the
+miraculous gift of tongues. Nothing, in this connection, is more
+remarkable, than the rapid turgescence of every man's confidence, in his
+own abilities, upon the slightest encouragement, from his neighbor. There
+has been scarcely a blacksmith in New England, since the remarkable and
+merited success of Elihu Burritt, who, if you ask his opinion of the
+efficacy of pennyroyal for the stomach-ache, will not, with your
+permission, of course, prescribe for any acute or chronic complaint, with
+which you are afflicted. Tailors, in full measure, nine to a man, will
+readily solve you a point of theology, which would have been fearfully
+approached, by Tillotston or Horne. And, upon this solemn subject of
+capital punishment, there is scarcely a man-midwife in the land, who is
+not ready, with his instruments, to deliver the community of all their
+scruples at once.
+
+This, certainly, is a blessed condition of things, for which we cannot be
+sufficiently thankful.
+
+That we may do abundant justice to our opponents, I propose to offer, in
+this place, a quotation from the Edinburgh Review, vol. 86, p. 216. The
+article is entitled--"_What is to be done with our criminals?_" The
+passage runs thus--"Another circumstance, which renders legislation on
+this subject peculiarly difficult, is the lamentably perverted
+sentimentality, which is extensively diffusing itself among the people,
+and which may soon render it problematical, whether any penal code, really
+calculated to answer its objects, can be devised; a sentimentality, which
+weeps over the criminal, and has no tears to spare for the miseries he has
+caused--which transforms the felon into an object of interest and
+sympathy, and forgets the innocent sufferers from his cruelty or perfidy.
+So far as pity for the criminal is consistent with a more comprehensive
+compassion for those he has wronged, and is limited by the necessity of
+obtaining them redress and providing for the safety of society--so far as
+it prompts to a desire to see the statute-book cleared of every needless
+severity, and that no punishments shall be inflicted for punishment's sake
+it is laudable.
+
+"But we must, with regret, profess our belief, that it has often far
+transcended these limits; and has exhibited itself in forms and modes,
+which, if permitted to dictate the tone of our criminal legislation, would
+tend to the rapid increase of crime. The people in question belong to a
+class, always numerous, who are led by the imagination, and not by their
+reason--by emotion rather than reflection. They see the felon in chains,
+and they are dissolved in commiseration; they do not stop to realize all
+the miseries, which have at last made _him_ miserable--perhaps, in the
+present apathy of his conscience, much less miserable than many of those
+whom he has injured."
+
+This is from an article, ably written, of some fifty-eight pages,
+published in 1847. I give it a place here, lest I should be suspected of
+suppressing all arguments, on the other side.
+
+The idea of hanging a murderer, by form of law, instead of placing him for
+a few years, in some _anxious seat_, the treadmill or the state prison,
+where he might be converted perhaps--cutting him off, in the midst of his
+days, without time allowed for repentance, is a terrible thing. I am
+perfectly aware, that it will be replied--this is the very thing which he
+did for his wretched victim.
+
+We are told, that the highest penalty known to the law is demanded. _All
+that a man hath will he give for his life_; and we are opposed, in our
+humane endeavors, by the scriptural edict referred to already. It is
+averred to be an all-important object in capital punishment, to operate
+upon the fears of others, _ut metus_, as we said before, _ad omnes
+perveniat_, which would be less likely to be the case, if the halter were
+abolished. It is true, that, while there is life, there is hope--hope of
+pardon; hope even of a natural and less horrible death; a fond, fearful
+hope of cutting the keeper's throat, and escaping from thraldom! How truly
+the poor murderer deserves our compassion!
+
+What a revolting spectacle this hanging is! Here, however, I confess, the
+answer is complete--nobody, but the functionaries, is suffered to see it.
+It is much less of an entertainment, than it was, in the days of George
+Selwyn, who was in the habit of feeing the keeper of Newgate, for due
+notice of every execution, and a reservation of the best seat, nearest the
+gallows. It has been said, that hanging has become more unpopular, since
+it ceased to be a public amusement. It may be so--I rather doubt it.
+
+In former times, there were very few inexpensive public amusements, in
+Boston, beside the Thursday lectures; and a hanging has always been highly
+attractive, in town and country. I well remember, not very many years ago,
+while riding into the city, in my chaise, having been compelled to halt,
+and remain at rest, for twenty minutes, in Washington, near Pleasant
+Street, while the immense mass of men, women and children rushed by, on
+their way to the execution of an Irishman, which took place at the
+gallows, near the grave-yard, on the Neck. The prisoner was in an open
+barouche, dressed in a blue coat and gilt buttons, white waistcoat, drab
+breeches, and white top boots, and his hair was powdered. He was
+accompanied by Mr. Larrassy, the Catholic priest, and the physician of the
+prison.
+
+During the afternoon of July 30, 1794, on the morning of which day the
+great fire occurred in Boston, three pirates, brought home in irons, on
+board the brig Betsey, Captain Saunders, belonging to Daniel Sargent,
+were hung on the Common; and three governors, sitting in their chairs,
+would not have drawn half the concourse, then and there assembled.
+
+
+
+
+No. LI.
+
+
+  "Thy Clarence he is dead that stabb'd my Edward;
+  And the beholders of this tragic play
+  Untimely smothered in their dusky graves."
+
+There were no humane and gentle spirits, in those days of old, to speak
+soft words of comfort in the ears of murderers and midnight assassins.
+Poor fellows! after they had let out the last drop of blood, in the hearts
+of their innocent victims, and reduced wives to widowhood, and children to
+orphanage--after the parricide had plunged the dagger in his father's
+heart--after the husband had murdered her, whom he had sworn, under the
+eye of God, to love and to cherish--after the wife, with the assistance of
+her paramour, had stealthily administered the poisonous draught to her
+confiding husband--they were respectively indicted--arraigned--publicly
+and deliberately tried--abundantly defended--and, when duly convicted at
+last, they were hanged, forsooth, by their necks, till they were dead!
+
+Merciful God! where were the Marys and the Marthas! Was there no political
+lawyer, in those days, whom the desire of personal aggrandizement could
+induce to befriend the poor, afflicted cut-throat, by which parade of
+philanthropy he might ride into notice, as the patriot of the
+Anti-capital-punishment party! Was there no tender-hearted doctor, whose
+leisure hours, neither few nor far between, might have been devoted to the
+blessed work of relieving the murderer, from the gallows, and himself,
+from the excruciating misery of nothing to do!
+
+Truly we live in a tragi-comical world. During the late trial of John
+Brown, the other day, for the murder of Miss Coventry, at Tolland, in
+regard to which the jury could not agree, a requisition arrived from the
+Governor of New York, for the prisoner, to answer, for the murder of Mrs.
+Hammond.--Dr. V. P. Coolidge, who murdered Matthews, at Waterville,
+committed suicide in prison, a few days since.--A precocious boy, eight
+years old, has, this month, chopped off the head of his sleeping father,
+with an axe, in the town of Lisle, N. Y.--Matthew Wood is to be hung in
+New York, June 22, for the murder of his wife.--Alexander Jones is to be
+hung, in the same State, on the same day, for arson.--Goode is to be hung
+here, in a few days.--On the 27th day of the last month, a man, named
+Newkirk, near Louisville, Kentucky, shot and killed his mother, near one
+hundred years of age.--On the third day of the present month, Mr. Carroll,
+near Philadelphia, murdered his lady, by choking and pitching her down
+stairs.--J. M. Riley is to be hung, June 5, for the murder of W. Willis,
+in Independence, Tennessee.--Vintner is under sentence of death, for
+murdering Mrs. Cooper, in Baltimore.--Elder Enos G. Dudley is to be hung,
+in New Hampshire, May 23, for the murder of his wife.--The wife of John
+Freedly, of Philadelphia, is now in jail, for helping her husband, to
+murder his first wife.--Pearson is now in prison, under charge of
+murdering his wife and twin daughters, at Wilmington, in this
+Commonwealth, in April last.--Mrs. McAndrew has been convicted of murder,
+for killing her sister-in-law, in Madison, Mississippi.--Elisha N. Baldwin
+is to be hung, June 5, for the murder of his brother-in-law, Victor
+Matthews, at St. Louis.--The girl, Blaisdell, is to be hung, in New
+Hampshire, Aug. 30, for poisoning a little boy, two and a half years old.
+She was on trial for this act only. She had previously poisoned the
+child's grandmother, her friend and protectress, and subsequently
+attempted to poison both its parents. This "_misguided young lady_" was
+engaged to be married, and wanting cash, for an outfit, had forged the
+note of the child's father, for four hundred dollars.
+
+Of Wood's case I know little more, than that he murdered his wife. Surely
+he is to be pitied, poor fellow. The case of Elder Enos is deeply
+interesting. This worthy Elder took his partner out, to give her a
+sleigh-ride, in life and health, and brought home her lifeless body. She
+had knocked her head against a tree--such, indeed, was the opinion,
+expressed by Elder Enos. He was also of opinion that it was not good for
+an Elder to be alone, for one minute; and he exhibited rather too much
+haste, perhaps, in taking to himself another partner. The jury were
+unanimously of opinion, that Elder Enos was mistaken, and that Mrs. Dudley
+came to her death, by the hands of Elder Enos himself. The Elder and the
+jury differed in opinion; and therefore, forsooth, Elder Enos must be
+hanged by the neck till he is dead! How much better to change this
+punishment, for perpetual imprisonment--and that, after a few years of
+good behavior, upon a petition, subscribed by hundreds, who care not the
+value of a sixpence, whether Elder Enos is in the State Prison, or out of
+it, for a pardon. Then the church will again be blessed with his services,
+as a ruling Elder; and the present Mrs. Dudley may herself be favored with
+a sleigh-ride, at some future day.
+
+The case of the "_misguided_" Miss Blaisdell is truly affecting. It is
+quite inconceivable how the people of New Hampshire can have the heart to
+hang such an interesting creature by the neck, till she is dead. I am of
+opinion, that the remarks, with which Judge Eastman prefaced his sentence,
+must have hurt Miss Blaisdell's feelings. It seems that she only made use
+of the little innocent, as æronauts employ a pet balloon, to try the wind.
+She wished to ascertain, if her poison was first proof, before she tried
+it, upon the parents. Although it had worked to perfection, upon the old
+lady, Miss Blaisdell, who appears to have acted with consummate prudence,
+was not quite satisfied of its efficacy, upon more vigorous constitutions.
+It is quite surprising, that Judge Eastman should have talked so unkindly
+to Miss Blaisdell, in open court--"_An experiment is to be made; the
+efficiency of your poison is to be tried; and the helpless innocent boy is
+selected. He is left in your care, with all the confidence of a mother. He
+plays at your feet, he prattles at your side. You take him up, and give
+him the fatal morphia; and, when you see him sicken and dizzy, and
+stretching out his little arms to his mother, and trying to walk, your
+heart relents not. May God soften it._" What sort of a Judge is this, to
+harrow up the delicate feelings of "_a misguided young lady_" after this
+fashion!
+
+It has been proposed, by a medical gentleman, whose philanthropy has
+assumed the appearance of a violent eruption, breaking out in every
+direction, that, if this abominable punishment, this destruction of life,
+which God Almighty has prescribed, in the case of murder, must continue to
+be inflicted, the "_misguided young ladies_" and "_unfortunate men_," who
+commit that crime, shall be executed under the influence of ether. This
+may be considered the happiest suggestion of the age. A tract may be
+expected from the pen of this gentleman, ere long, entitled "Crumbs of
+comfort for Cut-throats, or Hanging made easy." Jeremy Bentham gave his
+body to be dissected, for the good of mankind. Oh, that this worthy
+doctor, who has struck out this happy thought of hanging, under the
+influence of ether, would _verify the suggestion_!
+
+There are some individuals, who had rather be hanged, than talked to, in
+such an unfeeling manner, as Judge Eastman talked to the unfortunate and
+misguided Miss Blaisdell: it has therefore been decided to improve, upon
+the suggestion of hanging murderers, under the influence of ether; and we
+propose to apply for an act, authorizing the sponge to be applied to the
+nostrils of the condemned, by the clerk _ex officio_, during the time,
+when the judge is pronouncing the sentence. The time of the murderer is
+short, and there are many little comforts, and even delicacies, which
+would greatly tend to soften the rigor of his imprisonment. We have it,
+upon the testimony of more than one experienced keeper of Newgate, that,
+with some few exceptions, the appetite of the misguided, who are about to
+be hanged, is remarkably good.
+
+I fully comprehend the objections, which will be made to the use of ether,
+and granting such other little indulgences, to those, who are about to be
+sentenced, or are already condemned to be hanged. The Ciceronian
+argument,--_ut metus ad omnes perveniat_, will be neutralized. How many,
+it will be said, are now upon the earth, without God in this world,
+without the least particle of religious sensibility, disappointed men,
+desperate, degraded, men of utterly broken hopes, broken hearts, and
+broken fortunes, to whom nothing would be more acceptable, than an easy
+transition from this wide-awake world of pain and sadness to that region
+of negative happiness, which they anticipate, in their fancied state of
+endless oblivion beyond. They may be, nevertheless, disturbed, in some
+small degree, _in articulo_, by that indestructible doubt, which hangs
+over the mind, even the mind of the most sceptical, and deepens and
+darkens as death draws near,--SUPPOSE THERE SHOULD BE A GOD!--what then!
+They are therefore unwilling to cut their own throats, however willing to
+cut the throats of other people. But, if the State will take the
+responsibility, and furnish the ether, there are not a few, who would very
+complacently embrace the opportunity.
+
+That fear, which it is desirable to keep before the eyes of all men, say
+our opponents, is surely not the fear of the easiest of all imaginable
+deaths--the fear of meeting, not the King of terrors, but the very thing,
+which all men pray for, a placid exit from a world of care--a welcome
+spirit--an _etherial_ deliverer. On the contrary, we wish, say they, to
+hold up to the world the fear of a terrible, as well as a shameful death:
+and we desire to give a certainty to this fear, which we cannot do, while
+the frequent exercise of the power of commutation and of pardon teaches
+that portion of our race, which is fatally bent upon mischief, that the
+gibbet is nothing but a bugbear; and that, let them commit as many
+murders, as they will, there is not one chance, in fifty, of their coming
+to the gallows, at last.
+
+It is not easy to answer this argument, upon the spur of the moment; and
+it has been referred to a committee of our society, with instructions to
+prepare a reply, in season for the next execution.
+
+We have the satisfaction of knowing, that no efforts have been spared by
+us, to save Washington Goode, one of the most interesting of murderers,
+from the gallows. We have endeavored to get up an excitement in the
+community, by posting placards, in numerous places--"A MAN TO BE HANGED!"
+By this we intended to put an execution upon the footing of a puppet-show
+or play, and thereby to excite the public indignation. But, most
+unfortunately, there is too much common sense among the people of Boston,
+and too little enthusiasm altogether, for the successful advancement of
+our philanthropic views. However, importunity, if we faint not, will
+certainly prevail. The right of petition is ours. Let us follow, in the
+steps of Amy Darden and William Vans. The Legislature, at their last
+session, indefinitely postponed the consideration of the subject of the
+abolition of capital punishment. The Legislature is made of flesh and
+blood, and must finally give way, as a matter of course.
+
+It cannot be denied, that gentlemen make use, occasionally, of strange
+arguments, while opposing our efforts, in favor of those _misguided_
+persons, who _unfortunately_ commit rape, treason, arson, murder, &c. A
+few years since, when a bill was before our House of Representatives, for
+the abolition of capital punishment, in the case of rape, while it was
+proposed to retain it in the case of highway robbery--"Let us go home, Mr.
+Speaker," exclaimed an audacious orator, "and tell our wives and our
+daughters, that we set a higher value upon our purses, than upon the
+security of their persons, from brutal violation."
+
+
+
+
+No. LII.
+
+
+To my anonymous correspondent who inquires, through the medium of the
+post-office, in what respect my "dealings with extortioners" can fairly be
+entitled "_dealings with the dead_," I reply, because they are _alive_
+unto sin, and _dead_ unto righteousness.
+
+In Lord Bacon's Life of Henry VII., London edition of 1824, vol. v. 51,
+the Lord Chancellor Morton says to the Parliament--"His Grace prays you to
+take into consideration matters of trade, as also the manufactures of the
+kingdom, and to repress the bastard and barren employment of moneys to
+usury and unlawful exchanges, that they may be, as their natural use is,
+turned upon commerce, and lawful, and royal trading." Henry VIII. came to
+the throne, in 1509, and the rate of interest was fixed, in 1545, the 37th
+of that king's reign; and that rate was ten per cent. per annum. Before
+that time, no Christian was allowed to take interest for money; and the
+Jews had the matter of usury, all to themselves. It was shown, before
+Parliament, that, in 1260, two shillings was the rate, demanded and given,
+for the loan of twenty shillings for one week; and Stowe states, that the
+people were so highly excited against the Jews, on account of their
+extortion, as to massacre seven hundred of them, in London, in 1262. In
+1274, a law was passed, compelling every Jew, lending money on interest,
+to wear a plate on his breast, signifying, that he was an usurer, or to
+quit the realm. What an exhibition we should have, in State Street, and
+the alleys, if this edict should be revived, against those, whose
+uncircumcision would avail them nothing, to disprove their Levitical
+propinquity.
+
+In 1277, two hundred and sixty-seven Jews were hung, in London, for
+clipping the coin. Their usurious practices, at last, so highly
+exasperated the nation, that, according to Rapin, Lond., 1757, vol. iii.
+246, 15,000 were banished the realm, in 1290. They had obtained great
+privileges from King Edward; but, says Rapin, "lost all these advantages,
+by not curbing their insatiable greediness of enriching themselves, by
+unlawful means, as usury, &c." I find Sir Edward Coke denies the fact of
+their banishment. His version is this: "They were not banished, but their
+usury was banished, by the statute, enacted in this parliament, and that
+was the cause they banished themselves into foreign countries, where they
+might live by their usury; and because they were odious to the nation,
+that they might pass out of the realm in safety, they made a petition to
+the king, that a certain day might be prefixed for them to depart the
+realm, that they might have the king's writ to his sheriffs, for their
+safe conduct." 2d Institute, 507. Hume, nevertheless, Oxford ed., ii. 210,
+reaffirms the statement of Rapin.
+
+Hume says, ibid., the practice of usury was afterwards carried on, "by the
+English themselves upon their fellow-citizens, or by the Lombards and
+other foreigners;" and he adds--"It is very much to be questioned, whether
+the dealings of these new usurers were equally open and unexceptionable
+with the old." Perhaps it may be questioned, whether the community would
+not fare better, at the present day, if some of the circumcised could be
+imported hither, from the Jews' Quarter, in Istampol. The following remark
+of Hume, on the same page, is of importance to the political
+economist:--"But as the canon law, seconded by the municipal, permitted no
+Christian to take interest, all transactions of this kind must, after the
+banishment of the Jews, have become more secret and clandestine, and the
+lender, of consequence, be paid both for the use of his money, _and for
+the infamy and danger, which he incurred by lending it_." This is not from
+Aristotle, nor one of the school divines, but from David Hume, whose
+liberality is sufficiently notorious.
+
+The English usurers, in those days, were more excusable, because they were
+not permitted to take _any interest whatever_, for the loan of money,
+while money lenders here have not the same excuse for being usurers, as
+they may lawfully take six per cent. per annum, or one per cent. above the
+legal rate of Great Britain, as established in 1714, the 13th of Queen
+Anne, and which has remained unaltered, to the present day.
+
+I have heard of a fellow, who, upon being asked, after conviction of
+larceny, if he did not regret his conduct, replied, with an air of great
+sincerity, that he certainly did--for, instead of stealing a few pieces of
+gold, as he had done, he might easily have stolen enough, to bribe the
+court and jury. The Jews were wiser in their day and generation--they
+never suffered themselves to be placed in a predicament, which might cause
+them to suffer from any such regret. For many years, there subsisted a
+delightful understanding, between them and Edward I. Longshanks.
+Longshanks granted them many and various indulgencies; by his permission,
+they even had a synagogue in London. On their part, they were willing to
+relieve the necessities of Longshanks. In short, Longshanks was,
+vicariously, and upon the principle, that _qui facit per alium facit per
+se_, the very Apollyon of all usurers. He countenanced the extortion of
+the Jews, and shared the spoils. Sir Edward Coke, in his Second Institute,
+506, states that, in seven years, covering portions of the reigns of Henry
+III. and Edward I., the Crown had four hundred and twenty thousand pounds,
+fifteen shillings, and four pence from the Jews.
+
+After treating of the advantages and disadvantages of taking interest, on
+money loans, and arriving at the sensible conclusion, that it is
+impossible for society to get along without them, Lord Bacon remarks, ii.
+354--"Let usury (the term for interest in those days) in general be
+reduced to five in the hundred, and let the rate be proclaimed to be free
+and current: and let the State shut itself out to take any penalty for the
+same. This will preserve borrowing from any stop or dryness. This will
+ease infinite borrowers in the country, &c." Lord Bacon was therefore in
+favor of an universal rate of interest, established by law. Of usury, in
+the opprobrious sense of the word, the taking of excessive and unlawful
+interest, this great man speaks in his tract on Riches, ii. 340, in no
+very complimentary terms--"Usury is the certainest means of gain, though
+one of the worst, as that whereby a man doth eat his bread, in _sudore
+vultus alieni_," by the sweat of another's brow.
+
+I have heard it said of a rural governor of Massachusetts, now sleeping
+with his fathers, that, although addicted to the practice of virtual
+usury, he scrupulously abstained from lending money, at any rate, beyond
+six per cent. It became a by-word, in his district, however, when a farmer
+became straitened for a little money, and was inquiring among his
+neighbors--_that it was quite likely his excellency might have a yoke of
+cattle, that he did not care to winter over_! The cattle were sold at a
+high price to the needy man, who sold them forthwith, at auction, or
+otherwise, for a small one, giving the worthy governor his note in
+payment, and a mortgage on his farm, if required. The note was payable in
+six months, or a year, with "lawful interest."
+
+This moral manoeuvre appears to have been of ancient origin. There is the
+draught of a law for the punishment of it, in Lord Bacon's works, iv. 285.
+The preamble runs thus--"Whereas it is an usual practice, to the undoing
+and overthrowing of many young gentlemen and others, that where men are in
+necessity, and desire to borrow money, they are answered, that money
+cannot be had, but that they may have commodities sold unto them, upon
+credit, whereof they may make money, as they can: in which course it ever
+comes to pass, not only that such commodities are bought at extreme high
+rates, and sold again far under foot, at a double loss; but also that the
+party which is to borrow, is wrapt in bonds and counter bonds; so that
+upon a little money, which he receiveth, he is subject to penalties and
+suits of great value." Then follows the statute, taking away legal remedy,
+and punishing the broker or procurer with six months' imprisonment, and
+the pillory.
+
+It has been commonly understood, that, before the act of 37th Henry VIII.,
+though Christians were forbidden to take any interest for money, the Jews
+were not restrained; yet Lord Chief Baron Hale, Hard. 420, says that
+Jewish usury was forbidden, at common law, being forty per cent. and
+upwards, per annum, but no other. Lea, C. J., Palm. 292, says, that the
+usury, condemned at common law, was the "_biting usury_" of the Jews. To
+comprehend this expression, it must be understood, that, among the Jews,
+of old, there were two Hebrew words, signifying _usury_, _terebit_, which
+meant simply _increase_, and _Neshec_, which meant _devouring_ or _biting
+usury_. Of this distinction, an account may be found in Calmet, vol. iii.
+Fragment 46.
+
+When the statute of James I. was passed, in 1623, reducing the rate from
+ten to eight per cent., Orde says, in his Law of Usury, p. 5, that the
+Bishops "would not, at first, agree to it, for the sole reason, that there
+was no clause that disgraced usury, as in former statutes; and then the
+clause at the end of that statute was added, for their satisfaction."
+Usury was punished more severely in France, than in England. For the first
+offence, the usurer "was punished by a public and ignominious
+acknowledgment of his offence, and was banished. His second offence was
+capital, and he was hanged." Coke's 3d Institute, 152.
+
+
+
+
+No. LIII.
+
+
+Our society, whose object is nothing less than the entire and unqualified
+abolition of capital punishment, have derived the greatest advantage, from
+an ample recognition of the rights of women--not only by a free
+participation of counsel with the softer sex, after the example of certain
+other societies, the value of whose services can never be understood, by
+the present generation; but by assigning equally to both sexes, all
+offices of honor and trust. We have adhered to this principle, with the
+most perfect impartiality, in the composition of our committees. Thus, our
+committee, for visiting the condemned, consists of the Rev. Mr. Puzzlepot,
+and the five Miss Frizzles--the committee on public excitement, prior to
+an execution, consists of Dr. Omnibus, Squire Farrago, Mrs. Pickett, and
+her daughters, the Misses Patience and Hopestill Pickett. In like
+proportion, all our committees are constructed.
+
+We think proper, in this public manner, to express our warmest
+acknowledgments to Mrs. Negoose, Madam Moody, and Squire Bodkin, for their
+able report, on the iniquity of presumptive or circumstantial evidence.
+The notes, appended to this report, are invaluable--their authorship
+cannot be mistaken--every individual, acquainted with the peculiar style
+of the gifted author, will recognize the powerful hand of the justly
+celebrated Mrs. Folsom.
+
+This committee are of opinion, that, under the show or pretence of
+punishing murder, our legal tribunals are constantly committing it. They
+_presume_, forsooth, that is, they guess, that the prisoner is guilty, and
+therefore take the awful responsibility of hanging him by the neck, till
+he is dead! This, says Mrs. Negoose, is _presumption_ with a vengeance.
+
+The committee refer to the statement of Sir Matthew Hale, as cited by
+Blackstone, iv. 358-9, that he had known two cases, in which, after the
+accused had been hung for murder, the individuals, supposed to have been
+murdered, had re-appeared, in full life. Upon this, the committee reason,
+with irresistible force and acumen. How many judges, say they, there have
+been, since the world began, we know not. _Two cases_, in which innocent
+persons were executed, on presumptive or circumstantial evidence, are
+proved to have occurred, within the knowledge of _one judge_. It is
+reasonable, say the committee, to conclude that, at a moderate
+calculation, _three cases_ more, remaining undiscovered, occurred within
+the jurisdiction of that _one judge_. Now, we have nothing to do, but to
+ascertain the number of judges, who have ever existed, and then multiply
+that number by _five_; and thus, say the committee, "by the unerring force
+of figures, which cannot lie, we have the sanguinary result." "Talk not of
+ermine," exclaims Mrs. Negoose, the chairwoman of the committee, in a gush
+of scorching eloquence, "these blood-stained judges, gory with the blood
+of the innocents, let them be stripped of their ermine, and robed with the
+skins of wild cats and hyenas."
+
+It has excited the highest indignation in the society, that Sir Matthew
+Hale, who has ever borne the name of a humane and upright judge, should
+have continued to decide questions, involving life, upon circumstantial
+evidence, after the cases, referred to above, had come to his knowledge,
+and in the very same manner, that he had been accustomed to decide them,
+in earlier times. Mrs. Moody openly expresses her opinion, that he was no
+better than he should be; and Squire Bodkin only wishes, that he could
+have had half an hour's conversation with Sir Matthew. The only effect,
+produced upon the mind of Sir Matthew Hale, by these painful discoveries,
+seems to have been to call forth an expression of opinion, that
+circumstantial evidence should be received with caution; and that, in
+trials for murder and manslaughter, no person should ever be convicted,
+till the body of the individual, alleged to have been killed, had been
+discovered.
+
+An opinion, often repeated, as having been expressed by Chief Justice
+Dana, after the conviction of Fairbanks, for the murder of Miss Fales, at
+Dedham, in 1801, has frequently been a topic of conversation, among the
+members of our society, and Mrs. Negoose is satisfied, that if Chief
+Justice Dana expressed any such opinion, he must have been out of his
+head. Fairbanks was convicted and hung, on circumstantial evidence
+entirely. The concatenation, or linking together, of circumstances, in
+that remarkable case, was very extraordinary.
+
+The sympathy for Fairbanks was very great, and began to exhibit itself,
+almost as soon, as the spirit had fled from the body of his victim. After
+his condemnation, his zealous admirers, for such they seemed to be,
+assisted him successfully, to break jail. He was retaken, on the borders
+of Lake Champlain; and, as the jail in Boston was of better proof, than
+the jail in Dedham, he was committed to the former. The genealogy of
+Fairbanks was shrouded in a sort of mystery. Ladies, of respectable
+standing, visited him, in his cell, and one, in particular, of some
+literary celebrity, in our days of small things, was supposed to have
+supplied him with a knife, of rather expensive workmanship, for the
+purpose of self-destruction. This knife was found upon his person, after
+her visits. There was no positive proof, to establish the guilt of Jason
+Fairbanks--not a tittle. Yet a merciless jury found him guilty, by a
+process, which our society considers mere _guess work_,--and after the
+execution, Judge Dana is reported to have said, that he believed Fairbanks
+murdered Miss Fales, more certainly, from the circumstantial evidence,
+produced at the trial, than if he had had the testimony of his own
+eyesight, at a short distance, in a dusky day. What sort of a Judge is
+this? cried Mrs. Negoose--sure enough, exclaimed Madam Moody.
+
+I have no objection to give our opponents all the advantage, which they
+can possibly derive from a full and fair exposition of their arguments.
+When a witness, for example, swears, directly and unhesitatingly, that he
+saw the prisoner inflict a wound, with a deadly weapon, upon another
+person--that he saw that other person instantly fall, and die shortly
+after, this is _positive evidence of something_. Yet the act may be
+murder, or it may be manslaughter, or it may be justifiable homicide.
+Murder consists of three parts, the malice prepense, the blow inflicted or
+means employed, and the death ensuing, within a time prescribed by law.
+There can be no _murder_, if either of these parts be absent. Now, it is
+contended, by such as deem it lawful and right to hang the unfortunate,
+misguided, upon circumstantial evidence, that, however _positive_ the
+evidence may be, upon the two latter points--the act done and the death
+ensuing--it is necessary, from the nature of things, in every case to
+depend on _circumstantial_ evidence, to prove the malice prepense.
+
+One or more of the senses enable the witness to swear positively to either
+of the two latter points. But the malice prepense must be _inferred_, from
+words, deeds, and _circumstances_. Upon this Dr. Omnibus sensibly
+observes, that this very fact proves the impropriety of hanging upon all
+occasions: and Mrs. Negoose remarks, that she is of the same opinion, on
+the authority of that ancient dictum, the authorship of which seems to be
+equally ascribed to Solomon and Sancho Panza--that "_circumstances_ alter
+cases."
+
+It is really surprising, that so grave and sensible a man, as Mr. Simon
+Greenleaf, should have made the remark, which appears on page 74, vol. i.,
+of his Treatise on Evidence,--"_In both cases_ (civil and criminal) _a
+verdict may well be founded on circumstances alone; and these often lead
+to a conclusion far more satisfactory than direct evidence may produce_."
+Mr. Greenleaf refers, for illustration of this opinion, to the case of
+Bodine, N. Y. Legal Observer, vol. iv. p. 89, et seq. Lawyer Bodkin's work
+on evidence will, doubtless, correct this error.
+
+Let us reason impartially. Compunction, in a dying hour, we cannot deny
+it, has established the fact, that innocent persons have been hung, now
+and then, upon _positive_ evidence, the false witness confessing himself
+the murderer, _in articulo mortis_. Well, says Madam Moody, here is fresh
+proof of the great sinfulness of hanging.--To be sure.--But let our
+opponents have fair play. A. is found dead, evidently stabbed.--B. is
+seized upon suspicion.--C. heard B. declare he would have the heart's
+blood of A.--D. saw B. with a knife in his hand, ten minutes before the
+murder.--E. finds a knife bloody, near the place of the murder.--F.
+recognizes the knife as his own, and by him lent to B. just before the
+time of the murder.--G. says the size of the wound is precisely the size
+of the knife.--H. says, that, when he arrested B. his hand and
+shirt-sleeve were bloody.--I. says he heard B. say, just after the murder,
+"I've got my revenge." In the case supposed, C. D. E. F. G. H. and I.
+swear _positively_, each one to a particular fact. Here are seven
+witnesses. Here then is a chain of evidence, whereof each witness
+furnishes a single link. It is the opinion of Peake, Chitty, Starkie,
+Greenleaf, and all other writers, on the law of evidence, that this chain
+is often as strong or stronger, than it would be, were it fabricated by
+one man only. I will not deny, that Dr. Omnibus and Mrs. Negoose think
+differently.
+
+An extraordinary example of circumstantial evidence, in a capital case,
+was related by Lord Eldon. A man was on trial for murder. The evidence
+against him, which was wholly circumstantial, was so very insufficient,
+that the prisoner, confident of acquittal, assumed an air of easy
+nonchalance. The officer, who had arrested the prisoner, and conducted the
+customary search, had exhibited, in court, the articles, found upon his
+person, at the time of his capture--a few articles of little value, and,
+among them, a fragment of a newspaper. The surgeon, who examined the body
+of the victim after death, produced the ball, which he had extracted from
+the wound, precisely as he found it. Enveloped in a wrapper of some sort,
+and with the blood dried upon it, it presented an almost unintelligible
+mass.
+
+A basin of warm water was brought into court--the mass was softened--the
+wrapper carefully detached--it was the fragment of a newspaper, and fitted
+like the counterpart of an indenture to the fragment, taken by the officer
+from the prisoner's person. He was hung. Dear me! says Mrs. Negoose, what
+a pity!
+
+I regret to learn from the late London papers, that Mr. Horace Twiss is
+recently dead. No one, I am confident, will fail to join in this feeling
+of regret, who has enjoyed, as I have done, the perusal of his truly
+delightful work, "The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon."
+
+
+
+
+No. LIV.
+
+
+A pleasant anecdote is related by Nichols, of Dean Swift, who, when his
+servant apologized for not cleaning his boots, on a journey, because they
+would soon be dirty again, directed him to get the horses in readiness
+immediately: and, upon the fellow's remonstrance, that he had not eaten
+his breakfast, replied, that it was of little consequence, as he would
+soon be hungry again.
+
+The American Irish are, undoubtedly, a very sweet people, when they are
+thoroughly washed; but they rarely think of washing themselves or their
+children--they are so soon dirty again. Hydrophobia is an Irish epidemic;
+and there are also some of the Native American Party, I fear, who have not
+been into water, since the Declaration of Independence.
+
+When Peter Fagan applied to me, a few days since, to read for him a
+letter, from his cousin, Eyley Murphy, of Ballyconnel, in the county of
+Cavan, he was so insufferably filthy, that I gave him a quarter of a
+dollar, to be spent in sacrificing to the graces, that is, in taking a
+warm bath. While he was absent, I examined the letter; and found it to be
+a very interesting account of the execution of Fagan's fourth cousin,
+Rory Mullowny, for murder. As I thought its publication might be of
+importance here, at this time, I obtained Mr. Fagan's permission to place
+it before the community. I was, at first, disposed to correct the
+spelling, and give it rather more of an English complexion, but have, upon
+the whole, decided to publish it, as it is. Fagan tells me, that Eyley
+Murphy was the daughter of the hedge school-master, at Ballyconnel. The
+letter is written in a fair hand, and directed, "For Misther Pether Fagan,
+these--Boston, Capital of Amerriky."
+
+Ballyconnel, Cavan, March 19, 1849.--Fagan dear, bad news and thrue for ye
+it is; Rory Mullowny, your own blood cousin o' the forth remove, by the
+mither's side, was pit up yestreen for the murther o' Tooley O'Shane, and
+there was niver a felly o' all that's been hung in Ballyconnel, with sich
+respictable attindance. The widdy Magee pit the divle into both the poor
+fellies, no more nor a waak arter the birril o' her forth husband, and so
+she kipt a flarting wid the one and the tither, till she flarted um out o'
+the warld this away.
+
+Poor Rory--what a swaat boy he was--jist sax foot and fore inches in his
+brogans--och, my God! it's myself that wush'd I'd bin pit up along wid im.
+But he's claan gane now; whin we was childer togither how we used to
+gather the pirriwincles by the brook, and chase the fire-flaughts in the
+pasture o' a June evening--och my God--Pether--Pether--but there's no use
+waaping anyhow, so I'll be telling ye the shtory.
+
+Poor Mullowny was found guilty o' what they call sircumstanshul ividunce.
+A spaach it was he made whin the cussid sherry was pittin im up, and he
+swore he died more innisent o' the crime nor the mither o' God, and he
+called God to witness what he sed. Himself it was that was rather hasty
+onyhow, in makin a confission to father Brian Bogle o' this very murther,
+and some other small mathers, a rape or too, may be, and sich like.
+
+But the socyety that's agin pittin a body up--God bliss their sowls--they
+perswaded im to spaak at the gallows, and till the paaple how it was, and
+they rit im a spaach, in wich he toult 'em a body's last wull was the only
+wull that was gud in the law, and sure it was a poor body's last words and
+dyin spaach that was gud anunder the tree. And whin he had dun, the cursed
+divelsbird o' a sherry, wid a hart as coult as bog mud, swung im off in a
+minnit. It was himsilf was spaakin; and I jist pit my apurn to my face to
+wipe aff the saut wather, whin I heerd a shreek and a howl, louder and
+wilder nor ten thousand keenas at a birril, whin I lookd up and saw poor,
+daar Mullowny a swingin in the air. The like o' that yersilf niver saad,
+Pether Fagan, nor the mither that brot ye into this world o' care and
+confushon. The wimmin scraamed loud enuff to friten the little childer
+claan away in Ballymahon. The min swung their shillalies owr their heds.
+Father Brian Bogle was crossing himself, and a stone hurld by Jimmy
+Fitzgerald at the infarnal sherry, knocked father Bogle's taath down his
+throte. By the same token ye see, they was pit in for im the dee afore at
+considerable cost. Father Brian fell back, head foremost, ye see, on top
+o' Molly Mahoney's little bit table o' refrishments, and twas the wark o'
+a minnit.
+
+Molly, who jist afore was wall to do in the warld, was a brukken marchant,
+immadiately, all claan gane; tumblers o' whiskey, cakes, custards, and
+cookies was all knocked in the shape o' bit o'chalk; and all the pennies
+she had took since bick o'dee--for more nor ten thousan was on the spot to
+see poor Rory pit up afore dee--was scattered and clutched up, by hunders
+o' little childher that was playing prop and chuck farding anunder the
+gallus. A jug o' buthermilk was capsized ower the widdy Magee's bran new
+dress, that was made for the hanging precesely, and ruinated it pretty
+considerably intirely. It was not myself that pittied the hussy--she to be
+there, as naar to the gallus as she could squaze hersel, and the very
+cause o' the dith o' poor Rory, and Tooley O'Shane into the bargin.
+
+Och, Fagan, niver ye see was the likes o' it in Ballyconnel afore. Whin
+the sherry was for cuttin the alter and littin the corps o' poor, daar
+Mullowny down into the shell, that was all riddy below, the Mullownys
+swore they would have the body, for a riglar birrill, and a wake, and a
+keena, ye see--and the O'Shanes swore it should go to the risirictioners,
+to be made into a menotomy. Then for it, it was--sich a cursin and swaring
+and howling--sich a swingin o' shillalies, sich a crackin o' pates, sich
+callin upon Jasus and the blissid mither, sich a scramin o' wimmin and
+childer, niver was herd afore in county Cavan. The sherry he gat on Molly
+Mahoney's little table to read the ryot act, and whin he opunt his mouth
+Phelim Macfarland flung a rottun egg atwaan his taath preceesly, and brot
+im to a spaady conclushon.
+
+Poor Rory's vinrable oult mither was carried aff and murthered in the side
+o' the hid, wid a stone mint for the sherry, o' which she recovered
+diricly. They tried to kaap her quiet in her shanty, but she took on so
+gravous, that they let her attind the pittin up--poor ould sowl--she sed
+she had attinded the last moments o' her good man, and both her childer,
+Patrick and Pether, whin they wur pit up the same way, and it was not the
+like o' her to hart poor daar Rory's faalings onyhow.
+
+Dolly Macabe was saved by a myrrikle, ye see. She took out wid her her
+siven childer, leading little Phelim by the hand, wid her babe at the
+brist, and hersilf in a familiar way into the bargin. She was knocked ower
+and trampled under the faat o' the fellies as was yellin and fitin, and
+stunted out o' her raason intirely. Only jist think o' it, Fagan daar,
+when she kim too, not one o' the childher was hart in the laast, nor Dolly
+naather; and the first thing she asked wos, whose was the two swaat babes,
+lyin together, and they toult her they war her own. Ye see, Patrick
+O'Shane and some more trod upon Dolly Macabe and hastened matters a
+leetle, and she was delivered o' twins, widout knowin anything about it.
+They gied her a glass o' whiskey, and O'Flaherty, the baker, pit the swaat
+babes in his brid cart, and Dolly, who priffird walking, wint home as well
+as could be expected. All the Macabes have ixcillint constitushons, and
+make no moor o' sich thrifles, than nothing at all.
+
+But its for tellin the petiklars I'm writin. As I toult ye, twas about the
+widdy Magee. Rory toult more nor fifty, for a waak afore, that he'd have
+Tooley's hart's blood. When Tooley was found, it was ston ded he was, and
+his hed was bate all to paces, and Rory was o' tap o' im houltin im by the
+throte, wid a shillaly nigh by, covered wid blud, and the blood was rinnin
+out o' his eyes, and nose, and aars. Lawyer McGammon definded Rory, the
+poor unfortunit crathur, and he frankly admitted, that it was onlocky for
+him to be found jist that away, but he toult the jewry, that as he hoped
+for salvashun, Rory was an innysunt man, and he belaaved the foreman as
+guilty nor he. He brot half Ballyconnel to prove that Tooley was liable to
+blaad fraly at the nose, and was apt to have a rush o' blood to the hed,
+and he compared Rory to the good Summeritan, and sed he was there by the
+marest axidunt in the warld, and was tryin to stop the flow o' blud by
+houltin Tooley by the throte.
+
+As to the bloody shillaly, McGammon brot more nor twenty witnesses, and
+ivery one a Mullowny, to sware it was more like Tooley's own shillaly nor
+two paas in a pud; and then he had three lunatic doctors, they call'd em,
+to prove that the O'Shane's were o' the silf-distructive persuashun. As to
+what Rory had sed about havin Tooley's hart's blud, lawyer McGammon provd
+that it was a common mode o' spakin in Ballyconnel and all owr the
+contree, among frinds and neybors, and thin he hinted, in a dillikit wey,
+that all the Mullownys wuld be after sayin that virry same thing o' the
+jewry, if thay brot Rory to the gallus by thair vardic, and that he was
+guilty o' nothin but circumstanshul ividunce. But the jewry brot in the
+poor felly guilty o' murther, and its all owr wid poor Rory.
+
+It's no more I can rite--Your sister Betty Macnamarra has nine fine boys,
+at thraa births it is. From yours ever till the dee,
+
+EYLEY MURPHY.
+
+No impartial reader of Miss Eyley Murphy's letter will hesitate to
+pronounce Rory Mullowny an unfortunate man, and his case another example
+of the abominable practice of hanging innocent persons, upon
+circumstantial evidence.
+
+
+
+
+No. LV.
+
+
+Poor Eli--as the old man was familiarly called by the Boston sextons of
+his time. He was a prime hand, at the shortest notice, in his better days.
+He has been long dead--died by inches--his memory first. For a year or
+more before his death, he was troubled with some strange hallucinations,
+of rather a professional character--among them, an impression, that he had
+committed a terrible sin, in putting so many respectable people under
+ground, who had never done him any harm. He said to me, more than once,
+while attempting to dissipate this film from his mental vision--"Abner,
+take my advice, and give up this wicked business, or you'll be served so
+yourself, one of these days." I was, upon one occasion, going over one of
+our farms, with the old man--the Granary burying-ground--and he flew into
+a terrible passion, because no grave had been dug for old Master
+Lovell--the father. We tried to remind him, that Master Lovell, many years
+before, in 1776, had turned tory, and gone off with the British army; but
+poor old Eli was past conviction. He took his last favorite walk, among
+the graves on Copp's Hill, one morning in May--he there met a very worthy
+man, whom he was so fully persuaded he had buried, twenty years before,
+that he hobbled home, in the greatest trepidation, took to his bed, and
+never left it, but to verify his own suggestion, that we are all to be
+finally buried. During his last, brief illness, his mental wanderings were
+very manifest:--"Poor man--poor man"--he would mutter to himself--"I'm
+sure I buried him--deep grave, very--estate's been settled--his sons--very
+fast young men, took possession--gone long ago--poor weeping
+widow--married twice since--what a time there'll be--oh Lord forgive me,
+I'll never bury another." He was eighty-two then, and used to say he
+longed to die, and get among his old friends, for all, that he had known,
+were dead and gone.
+
+A feeling, somewhat akin to this, is apt to gather about us, and grow
+stronger, as we march farther forward on our way, the numbers of our
+companions gradually lessening, as we go. Our ranks close up--those, with
+whom we stood, shoulder to shoulder, are cut down by the great
+leveller--and their places are filled by others. As we grow older, and the
+friends and companions of our earlier days are removed, we have a desire
+to do the next best thing--we cannot supply their places--but there are
+individuals--worthy people withal--whose faces have been familiar to our
+eyes, for fifty or sixty years--we have passed them, daily, or weekly--we
+chance to meet, no matter where--the ice is broken, by a mutual agreement,
+that it is very hot, or that it is very cold--very wet, or very dry--an
+allusion follows to the great number of years we have known each other, by
+name, and this results, frequently, in a relation, which, if it be not
+entitled to the sacred name of friendship, is not to be despised by those,
+who are deep in the valley:--out of such materials, an old craft, near the
+termination of its voyage, may rig up a respectable jury-mast, at least,
+and sail on comfortably, to the haven where it would be.
+
+The old standard merchants, who transacted business, on the Long Wharf,
+Boston Pier, when I was a boy--are dead--_stelligeri_--almost every one of
+them; and, if all, that I have known and heard of them, were fairly told,
+it would make a very readable volume, highly honorable to many of their
+number, and calculated to operate, as a stimulus, upon the profession, in
+every age.
+
+One little narrative spreads itself before my memory, at this moment,
+which I received from the only surviving son of the individual, to whom it
+especially refers. A merchant, very extensively engaged in commerce, and
+located upon the Long Wharf, died February 18, 1806, at the age of 75,
+intestate. His eldest son administered upon the estate. This old gentleman
+used pleasantly to say, that, for many years, he had fed a very large
+number of the Catholics, on the shores of the Mediterranean, during Lent,
+referring to his very extensive connection with the fishing business. In
+his day, he was certainly well known; and, to the present time, is well
+remembered, by some of the "_old ones down along shore_," from the
+Gurnet's Nose to Race Point. Among his papers, a package, of very
+considerable size, was found, after his death, carefully tied up, and
+labelled as follows: "_Notes, due-bills, and accounts against sundry
+persons, down along shore. Some of these may be got by suit or severe
+dunning. But the people are poor: most of them have had fishermen's luck.
+My children will do as they think best. Perhaps they will think with me,
+that it is best to burn this package entire._"
+
+"About a month," said my informant, "after our father died, the sons met
+together, and, after some general remarks, our elder brother, the
+administrator, produced this package, of whose existence we were already
+apprized; read the superscription; and asked what course should be taken,
+in regard to it. Another brother, a few years younger than the eldest, a
+man of strong, impulsive temperament, unable, at the moment, to express
+his feeling, by words, while he brushed the tears from his eyes with one
+hand, by a spasmodic jerk of the other, towards the fireplace, indicated
+his wish to have the package put into the flames. It was suggested, by
+another of our number, that it might be well, first, to make a list of the
+debtors' names, and of the dates, and amounts, that we might be enabled,
+as the intended discharge was for all, to inform such as might offer
+payment, that their debts were forgiven. On the following day, we again
+assembled--the list had been prepared--and all the notes, due-bills, and
+accounts, whose amount, including interest, exceeded thirty-two thousand
+dollars, were committed to the flames."
+
+"It was about four months after our father's death," continued my
+informant, "in the month of June, that, as I was sitting in my eldest
+brother's counting-room, waiting for an opportunity to speak with him,
+there came in a hard-favored, little, old man, who looked as if time and
+rough weather had been to windward of him, for seventy years. He asked if
+my brother was not the executor. He replied, that he was administrator, as
+our father died intestate. 'Well,' said the stranger, 'I've come up from
+the Cape, to pay a debt I owed the old gentleman.' My brother," continued
+my informant, "requested him to take a seat, being, at the moment, engaged
+with other persons, at the desk."
+
+"The old man sat down, and, putting on his glasses, drew out a very
+ancient, leather pocket-book, and began to count over his money. When he
+had done--and there was quite a parcel of bank notes--as he sat, waiting
+his turn, slowly twisting his thumbs, with his old gray, meditative eyes
+upon the floor, he sighed; and I knew the money, as the phrase runs, _came
+hard_--and secretly wished the old man's name might be found, upon the
+forgiven list. My brother was soon at leisure, and asked him the common
+questions--his name, &c. The original debt was four hundred and forty
+dollars--it had stood a long time, and, with the interest, amounted to a
+sum, between seven and eight hundred. My brother went to his desk, and,
+after examining the forgiven list attentively, a sudden smile lighted up
+his countenance, and told me the truth, at a glance--the old man's name
+was there! My brother quietly took a chair, by his side, and a
+conversation ensued, between them, which I never shall forget.--'Your note
+is outlawed,' said my brother; 'it was dated twelve years ago, payable in
+two years; there is no witness, and no interest has ever been paid; you
+are not bound to pay this note, we cannot recover the amount.' 'Sir,' said
+the old man, 'I wish to pay it. It is the only heavy debt I have in the
+world. It may be outlawed here, but I have no child, and my old woman and
+I hope we have made our peace with God, and wish to do so with man. I
+should like to pay it'--and he laid his bank notes before my brother,
+requesting him to count them over. 'I cannot take this money,' said my
+brother. The old man became alarmed. 'I have cast simple interest, for
+twelve years and a little over,' said the old man. 'I will pay you
+compound interest, if you say so. The debt ought to have been paid, long
+ago, but your father, sir, was very indulgent--he knew I'd been unlucky,
+and told me not to worry about it.'
+
+"My brother then set the whole matter plainly before him, and, taking the
+bank bills, returned them to the pocket book, telling him, that, although
+our father left no formal will, he had recommended to his children, to
+destroy certain notes, due-bills, and other evidences of debt, and release
+those, who might be legally bound to pay them. For a moment the worthy old
+man appeared to be stupefied. After he had collected himself, and wiped a
+few tears from his eyes, he stated, that, from the time he had heard of
+our father's death, he had raked, and scraped, and pinched and spared, to
+get the money together, for the payment of this debt.--'About ten days
+ago,' said he, 'I had made up the sum, within twenty dollars. My wife knew
+how much the payment of this debt lay upon my spirits, and advised me to
+sell a cow, and make up the difference, and get the heavy burden off my
+spirits. I did so--and now, what will my old woman say! I must get back to
+the Cape, and tell her this good news. She'll probably say over the very
+words she said, when she put her hand on my shoulder as we parted--_I have
+never yet seen the righteous man forsaken, nor his seed begging bread_.'
+After a hearty shake of the hand, and a blessing upon our old father's
+memory, he went upon his way rejoicing.
+
+"After a short silence--taking his pencil and making a cast--'there,' said
+my brother, 'your part of the amount would be so much--contrive a plan to
+convey to me your share of the pleasure, derived from this operation, and
+the money is at your service.'"
+
+Such is the simple tale, which I have told, as it was told to me.
+
+
+
+
+No. LVI.
+
+
+"_Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them;
+otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven. Therefore
+when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the
+hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have
+glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou
+doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. That
+thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret,
+himself shall reward thee openly._"
+
+This ancient word--_alms_--according to its derivative import, comprehends
+not only those _oboli_, which are given to the wandering poor, but all
+bestowments, great and small, in the blessed cause of charity.
+
+In the present age, how limited the number, whose moral courage and
+self-denial enable them to do their alms in secret, and without sounding a
+trumpet, as the hypocrites do! How many, impatient of delay, prefer an
+immediate reward--_to have glory of men_--rather than a long draft, upon
+far futurity, though God himself be the paymaster!
+
+The ability, to plan a magnificent, prospective charity, to provide the
+means for its consummation, to preserve inviolate the secret of this high
+and holy purpose, except from some confidential friend perhaps, until the
+noble and pure-minded benefactor himself is beyond the reach of all human
+praise--this is indeed a celestial and a rare accomplishment.
+
+My thoughts have been drawn hitherward, by the public announcement of
+certain testamentary donations of the late Theodore Lyman--ten thousand
+dollars to the Horticultural Society--ten thousand dollars to the Farm
+School--and fifty thousand dollars to the Reform School at Westborough.
+The public have been long in doubt, who was the secret patron of that
+excellent establishment, upon which he had previously bestowed two and
+twenty thousand dollars.--While we readily admit, that, in these
+unostentatious and posthumous benefactions, there is every claim upon the
+grateful respect of the community--while we delight to cherish a sentiment
+of reverence, for the memory of a good man, who would not suffer the sound
+of his munificence to go forth, till he had descended to that grave, where
+there is no device, nor work, and where his ears must be closed forever to
+the world's applause--still there are some, who, doubtless, will marvel at
+these magnificent, noiseless, and posthumous appropriations. With a very
+small portion of the amounts, bestowed upon these institutions, what glory
+might have been had of men, aye, and in his own life time! By distributing
+the aggregate into comparatively petty sums--by the exercise of rather
+more than ordinary vigilance and cunning, in the selection of fitting
+opportunities, what a reputation Mr. Lyman might have obtained! He would
+not only have been preceded, by the sound of a trumpet, but every penny
+paper would have readily converted itself into a penny trumpet, to spread
+the fame of his showy benefactions. His name would have been in every
+mouth--aye, and on every omnibus and engine. Add to all this a very small
+amount--a few hundred dollars, devoted to the procurement of plaster casts
+of himself, to be skilfully distributed, and verily he would have had his
+reward.
+
+The Hon. Theodore Lyman is dead, and, today, my grateful and respectful
+dealings are with his memory. The practical benevolence of this gentleman
+has been well known to me, for years. There are quiet, unobtrusive
+charities, which are not likely to figure, in the daily journals, or to be
+known by any person, but the parties. For such as these I have
+occasionally solicited Mr. Lyman, and never in vain. On the other hand,
+there are individuals, whose names are forever before the public, in
+connection with some work, to be seen of men; but whose gold and silver,
+unless they are likely to glitter, _in transitu_, before the eye of the
+community, are parted with, reluctantly, if at all.
+
+This great public benefactor, upon the present occasion, seems to have
+said, in the gentle, unobtrusive whisperings of his noble spirit--"A
+portion of that, which God has permitted me to gather, I believe it is my
+bounden duty to return, into the treasury of the Lord. This will I do. The
+secret shall remain, while I live, between God, who gives me this willing
+heart, and myself. And, when the world shall, at last, become unavoidably
+apprized of the fact, I shall have taken sanctuary in the grave, where the
+fulsome applause of the multitude can never reach me."
+
+Between such apostolic charity as this, and certain flashy munificence,
+whose authors seem to be forever drawing drafts, at sight, and always
+_without grace_, upon the public, for fresh laudation--more votes of
+thanks--additional resolutions of all sorts of societies--and a more
+copious supply of vapid editorial adulation--between these, I say, there
+is all that real difference which exists, between the "gem of purest ray
+serene," and the wretched Bristol imitation--between the flower that
+blooms and sends abroad its perfume in secret, and that corruption whose
+veritable character can never be concealed; and I may be suffered to say,
+as truly as Jock Jabos of his professional relations, that one of my
+calling may be supposed to know something of corruption, by this time.
+
+                    ----"My ear is pained,
+  My soul is sick with every day's report"
+
+of _ad captandum_ benefactions. Today, that generous benefactor, Mr.
+Pipkin, endows some village Lyceum, which is destined forever to glory in
+the euphonious name of Pipkin. Tomorrow our illustrious fellow-citizen,
+Mr. Snooks, presents a bell to some village church, and, the very next
+week, we are told, that the bell was cracked, while ringing peals in honor
+of the munificent Snooks. Even the Tonsons, whose ubiquity is a proverb,
+and whose inordinate relish for all sorts of notoriety surpasses their
+powers of munificence, are always in, for a pen'worth of this species of
+titillating snuff, at small cost.
+
+The Hon. Theodore Lyman was born in Boston, in 1792. His father was
+Theodore Lyman, a shrewd, enterprising, and eminently successful merchant
+of this city. His mother's maiden name was Lydia Williams. She was a
+sister of Samuel Williams, the celebrated London Banker. The subject of
+this brief notice received his preparatory education, at Phillips Exeter
+Academy, under the charge of the venerable Dr. Abbott. He entered Harvard
+University in 1806, and took his degrees in the usual course.
+
+In 1812, Mr. Lyman went to England, upon a visit to his maternal uncle,
+Mr. Williams, and, during his absence, travelled on the continent, with
+Mr. Edward Everett, visiting Greece, Palestine, &c., and remaining abroad,
+until 1816. He was in Paris, when the allied armies entered that city. Of
+this event he subsequently published an account, in a work, very
+pleasantly written, entitled _Three Weeks in Paris_.
+
+In 1820, or very near that period, Mr. Lyman married Miss Mary Henderson
+of New York, a lady of rare personal beauty and accomplishments, who died
+in 1836. The issue of this marriage were three daughters and a son, Julia,
+Mary, Cora and Theodore. The two last survive. The elder children, Julia
+and Mary, in language of beautiful significancy, have "gone before."
+
+Mr. Lyman published an octavo volume, on Italy, and compiled two useful
+volumes, on the Diplomacy of the United States with Foreign Nations. In
+1834 and 1835, Mr. Lyman was Mayor of the City of Boston. He brought to
+that office the manners of a refined and polished gentleman; the
+independence of a man of spirit and of honor; a true regard for justice
+and the rights of all men; a lofty contempt for all time-serving policy;
+talents of a highly respectable order; a mind well stored and well
+balanced; and a cordial desire, exemplified in his own personal and
+domestic relations, and by his encouraging word and open hand, of
+promoting the best interests of the great temperance reform.
+
+To the duties of this office, in which there is something less of glory
+than of toil, he devoted himself, during those two years, with great
+personal sacrifice and privation to those, whom he loved most. The period
+of his mayoralty was, by no means, a period of calm repose. Those years
+were scored, by the spirit of misrule, with deep, dark lines of infamy.
+Those years are memorable for the Vandal outrage upon the Ursuline
+Convent, and the Garrison riot; in which, a portion of the people of
+Boston demonstrated the terrible truth, that they were not to be outdone
+in fury, even by the most furious abolitionist, who ever converted his
+stylus into a harpoon, and his inkhorn into a vial of wrath.
+
+Mr. Lyman, even in comparatively early life, filled the offices of a
+Brigadier and Major General of our Militia; and was in our Legislative
+Councils.
+
+The temperament of Mr. Lyman was peculiar. Frigid, and even formal, before
+the world, he was one of the most warm-hearted men, among the noiseless
+paths of charity, and in the closer relations of life. I have sometimes
+marvelled, where he bestowed his keen sensibility, while going through the
+rough and wearying detail of official duty. In the spring of 1840 we met
+accidentally, at the South--in the city of Charleston. He was ill. His
+mind was ill at ease. He seemed to me, at that time, a practical
+illustration of the truth, that it is not good for man to be alone. Yet he
+had been long stricken then, in his domestic relation. His chief anxiety
+seemed to be about the health of his little boy. He told me, that he
+lingered there on his account. I never knew a more devoted father.
+
+A gentleman, well-known to the community, by his untiring practical
+benevolence, to whom I applied for information, has sent me a reply, from
+which I must be permitted to extract one passage, for the benefit of the
+world--"I have known much of his benevolent acts, having been the
+frequent almoner of his bounty, with the injunction, '_Keep it to
+yourself_.' He often called, and spent one or two hours, to converse on
+temperance, and the poor, and would spend a long winter evening in my
+office, to learn of me what my situation enabled me to communicate, and
+always left a check for $50 or $100, to give to the Howard, or some other
+society. In the severe winter weather, I remarked that he would say,
+'_This weather makes one feel for the poor_.' He often sent his man with
+provisions to the houses of the destitute, and had a heart to feel for
+others' woe."
+
+He has gone! But the memory of this good man shall never go! It shall be
+embalmed in the grateful tears of the reformed, from age to age.
+Thousands, now unborn, shall be snatched, like brands from the burning,
+through the agency of this heavenly charity; and, as they turn from the
+walls of this noble institution, in a moral sense, regenerate, they shall
+bless the name of their noble benefactor; and thus raise and perpetuate,
+to the memory of THEODORE LYMAN, the _monumentum ære perennius_.
+
+
+
+
+No. LVII.
+
+
+It is scarcely credible, for what peccadilloes, life was forfeited, by the
+laws of England, within the memory of men, now living. One hundred and
+sixty offences, which may be committed by man, have been declared, by
+different acts of parliament, to be felony, without benefit of clergy;
+that is, punishable with death. It is truly wonderful, that, in the
+eighteenth century, it should have been a capital offence, in England, to
+break down the mound of a fish pond--to cut down a cherry tree in an
+orchard--or to be seen, for one month, in the company of those, who called
+themselves Egyptians.
+
+We constantly refer to the laws of Draco, the Archon of Athens, as a code
+of unequalled cruelty; under whose operation, crimes of the highest order,
+and the most trifling offences, were punished, with equal severity. Draco
+punished murder with death, and he punished idleness with death. The laws
+of England punished murder with death, and they punished theft, over the
+value of twelve pence, with death. What is the necessity of going back to
+the time of Draco, 624 years before Christ, for examples of inhuman, and
+absurdly inconsistent legislation?
+
+The Marquis of Beccaria, in his treatise, _De Delitti e Delle Pene_, seems
+to have awakened legislators from a trance, in 1764, by propounding the
+simple inquiry--_Ought not punishments to be proportioned to crimes, and
+how shall that proportion be established?_ A matter, so apparently simple,
+seems not to have been thought of before.
+
+Sir Samuel Romilly, Sir James Mackintosh, and Sir Robert Peel are entitled
+to great praise, for their efforts to soften and humanize the criminal
+code of Great Britain.
+
+The distinction, between grand and petty larceny, was not abolished, until
+1827, when, by the act 7th and 8th Geo. IV. chap. 29, theft was made
+punishable by transportation, or imprisonment and whipping. By this
+statute, robbery from the person, burglary, stealing in a dwelling-house
+to the value of £5, stealing cattle, and sheep-stealing are made
+punishable with death. So that the punishment was, even then, the same,
+for murdering a man, and stealing a sheep, or £5 from a dwelling-house.
+Death, by this statute, was also the punishment for arson, for setting
+fire to coal mines, and ships; and for riotously demolishing buildings or
+machinery.
+
+In the following year, 1828, by the act 9th Geo. IV. ch. 31, death is made
+the punishment, for murder, maliciously shooting, cutting and maiming,
+administering poison, attempting to drown, suffocate, &c., and for rape
+and sodomy. By this act, more than fifty statutes, relative to offences
+against the person, are repealed.
+
+The act 11th Geo. IV. and 1st Will. IV. ch. 66, passed in 1830, abolishes
+capital punishment, in all cases of forgery, excepting forgery of the
+royal seals, exchequer bills, bank notes, wills, bills of exchange,
+promissory notes, or money orders, transfers of stock, and powers of
+attorney. Death remained the penalty for all these forgeries, in 1830,
+and, for all other forgeries, transportation and imprisonment.
+
+Two years after, in 1832, another step was taken. By 2d Will. IV. ch. 34,
+capital punishment was abolished, and transportation and imprisonment
+substituted, for all offences, relative to the coin. This was a prodigious
+stride.
+
+This gave us a great hope, that misguided murderers might finally be
+suffered to live in security, at least, from the halter: for no object
+had been of greater moment with the British nation, than the coin of the
+realm, and the death penalty had often been exacted from those, who had
+dared to clip or counterfeit that sacred representative of majesty. The
+principle is well established, that men, who fly from one extreme, _in
+contraria currunt_. We trusted, therefore, that extremely lenient
+legislation would supervene, upon its very opposite.
+
+We had great confidence in a system of "indefatigable teasing," as Butler
+calls it. In the same year, 1832, by 2d and 3d Will. IV. ch. 62, capital
+punishment was abolished, in cases of stealing from a dwelling-house to
+the value of £5, and sheep-stealing; and by the same act, ch. 123, capital
+punishment was abolished, in all cases of forgery, excepting in the cases
+of wills, and powers of attorney for stock.
+
+In 1833, by 3d and 4th Will. IV. ch. 44, capital punishment was abolished
+in case of dwelling-house robbery; repealing so much of the larceny act of
+1827.
+
+Our good friends in England next thought it expedient to divest the
+process of hanging, of all its postmortuary terrors. I have heard of
+condemned persons, who expressed a greater horror, at the thought of being
+dissected, than of being hanged. It was deemed proper, therefore, to
+relieve the unfortunates, on this tender point. Accordingly, in 1834, by
+4th Will. IV. ch. 26, dissecting murderers, and hanging them, in chains,
+were abolished.
+
+It had been the law of England, that all persons returning, _sua sponte_,
+after transportation, should be hanged. But experience has shown how deep
+is the affection, which convicts bear to their former haunts, their native
+land. It is a perfect _nostalgia_. This law was therefore repealed, in
+1834, by 4th and 5th Will. IV. ch. 67.
+
+In 1835, by 5th and 6th Will. IV. ch. 33, sundry felonies, never before
+deemed bailable offences, were made so, notwithstanding the parties
+confessed themselves guilty.
+
+Sacrilege and letter-stealing had long been capital offences in England.
+In the same year, they were no longer punished with death.
+
+We had great hopes from Victoria. In 1837, 1 Vic. ch. 23, she began, by
+abolishing the pillory entirely;--and ch. 84, capital punishment is
+abolished, in all cases of forgery;--ch. 85, capital punishment is
+inflicted, for administering poison, or doing bodily injury with intent
+to mutilate; but other acts, with intent to murder, or maim, or disfigure,
+are punished with different degrees of transportation and
+imprisonment.--Ch. 86 takes away capital punishment, in burglary, unless
+accompanied with violence.--Ch. 87 takes away capital punishment, in case
+of robbery, unless attended with cutting or wounding. Ch. 88 leaves the
+punishment of death, transportation or imprisonment, to the discretion of
+the court, in case of piracy, where murder is attempted. Ch. 89 varies the
+laws of arson, making arson a capital offence, in regard to a
+dwelling-house, _any person being therein_.--Ch. 91 abolishes capital
+punishment in cases of riotous assemblies, seducing from allegiance, and
+certain offences against the revenue laws.
+
+It is rather surprising, that there is such a general prejudice throughout
+the world, in favor of putting murderers to death. The Bible is an awful
+stumbling block, in this respect. We are also reminded that Solon, when he
+abolished the code of Draco, retained the punishment of death, in the case
+of murder. I have never thought much of Solon, since I became acquainted
+with this weak point in his character.
+
+A writer in the Edinburgh Review, vol. 86, p. 217, speaking of death as
+the punishment for murder, observes--"The intense desire which now
+actuates a portion of the community, to get rid of capital punishment even
+for murder, may be taken as an indication of this excessive sensibility.
+The propriety of that punishment in the given case, would certainly appear
+to be distinctly sanctioned by that book, to which its opponents
+professedly appeal--by reason--and by the all but universal practice of
+nations. It is the only certain guarantee which society can have for the
+security of its members." Here we have it again--"that book"--the Bible.
+It cannot be denied that the Bible, or Solon, or Sir Matthew Hale, or
+somebody else, is everlastingly in the way of this and other modern,
+philanthropic movements. What was Solon, in comparison with David
+Crockett--we are sure we are right, and why should we not go ahead?
+
+For my own part, I have never been able to perceive the wisdom of
+attempting to conceal any of our prospective movements. Indeed, our future
+course must be sufficiently apparent, at a glance. When we have
+_agitated_, until capital punishment is abolished, and we have had a
+commemorative celebration, with emblematical banners, and an hundred guns
+on the Common, nothing will be further from our thoughts, than a
+dissolution, sine die. One of our chief arguments in favor of abolishing
+capital punishment, is the greater hardship of a life-long imprisonment.
+Availing of this argument, we shall be able to show, that we have placed
+these unfortunates, in a worse condition than before. A petition will be
+presented to the Governor and Council, from five thousand unhappy
+murderers, ravishers, house-burners, burglars and highway robbers--such we
+think will be the number, in a few years--representing their miserable
+condition, and respectfully requesting to be hanged, under the influence
+of ether or otherwise, as to the Governor and Council may seem fit. We
+shall then _agitate_ anew, and endeavor, through public meetings and the
+press, to exhibit the barbarity of refusing their humble request.
+
+This, we well enough know, will not be granted; and the only escape from
+the dilemma, will be to suffer them, to go at large, upon their parole of
+honor. It will not, of course, be expected, that this parole will be
+received from any, who cannot produce a certificate, under the hand of the
+warden, that they have committed no murder, rape, arson, burglary, or
+highway robbery, during the period of their confinement in the State
+Prison.
+
+
+
+
+No. LVIII.
+
+
+The late Archbishop of Bordeaux, when Bishop of Boston, Dr. Cheverus, told
+me, that he had very little influence with his people, in regard to their
+extravagance at funerals. It is very hard to persuade them to abate the
+tithe of a hair, in the cost of a _birril_.
+
+This post-mortuary profligacy, this pride of death, is confined to no age
+or nation of the world. It has prevailed, ever since chaos was licked into
+shape, and throughout all Heathendom and Christendom, begetting a childish
+and preposterous competition, who should bear off the corpses of their
+relations, most showily, and cause them to rot, most expensively.
+
+This amazing folly has often required, and received, the sumptuary curb of
+legislation. I have briefly referred, in a former number, to the
+restraining edicts of the law-givers of Greece, and the laws of the Twelve
+Tables at Rome.
+
+Even here, and among the earlier records of our own country, evidences are
+not wanting, that the attention of our worthy ancestors had been attracted
+to the subject of funereal extravagance. At a meeting, held in Faneuil
+Hall, October 28, 1767, at which the Hon. James Otis was the Moderator,
+the following resolution was passed: "_And we further agree strictly to
+adhere to the late regulations respecting funerals, and will not use any
+gloves but what are manufactured here, nor procure any new garments, upon
+such occasions, but what shall be absolutely necessary_." This resolution
+was passed, _inter alia similia_, with reference to the Stamp Act of 1765,
+and as part of the system of non-importation.
+
+There is probably no place like England--no city like London, for funereal
+parade and extravagance. The Church, to use the fox-hunting phrase, must
+be _in at the death_; and how truly would a simple funeral, without
+pageantry, in some sort--a cold, unceremonious burial, without mutes, and
+streamers, and feathers--without bell, book, or candle--flout and
+scandalize the gorgeous Church of England! The Church and the State are
+connected, so intimately and indissolubly connected, that he, who dies in
+the arms of Mother Church, must permit that particular old lady, in the
+matter of his funeral, to indulge her ruling passion, for costly forms and
+ceremonies.
+
+It is more than forty years, since, with infinite delight, I first read
+that effusion--outpouring--splendid little eruption, if you like--of
+Walter Scott's, called Llewellyn. Apart from all context, a single stanza
+is to my present purpose; I give it from memory, where it has clung, for
+forty years:
+
+  When a prince to the fate of a peasant has yielded,
+  The tapestry waves dark, round the dim lighted pall,
+  With scutcheons of silver the coffin is shielded,
+  And pages stand mute in the canopied hall.
+  Through the vault, at deep midnight, the torches are gleaming,
+  In the proudly arched chapel the banners are beaming,
+  Far adown the long aisle sacred music is streaming,
+  Lamenting a chief of the people should fall.
+
+In all this, the nobility ape royalty, the gentry the nobility, the
+commonalty the gentry: and there is no estate so low, as not, in this
+particular, to account the death of a near relative a perfect
+justification of extravagance.
+
+There is scarcely one in a thousand, I believe, who has any just idea of
+the amount, annually lavished upon funerals, in Great Britain; or of the
+extraordinary fact, that joint stock burial companies exist there, and
+declare excellent dividends.
+
+In 1843, at the request of her Majesty's principal Secretary of State, for
+the Home Department, Edwin Chadwick, Esquire, drew up "a report on the
+results of a special inquiry into the practice of interment, in towns."
+
+Mr. Chadwick states, that, _upon a moderate calculation, the sum annually
+expended in funeral expenses, in England and Wales, is five millions of
+pounds sterling_, and that four of these millions may be justly set down
+as expended on the mere fopperies of death.
+
+Evelyn says, that his mother requested his father, on her death bed, to
+bestow upon the poor, whatever he had designed, for the expenses of her
+funeral.
+
+Speaking of this abominable misapplication of money, a writer, in the
+London Quarterly Review, vol. 73, p. 466, exclaims--"To what does it go?
+To silk scarfs and brass nails--feathers for the horses--kid gloves and
+gin for the mutes--white satin and black cloth for the worms. And whom
+does it benefit? Not those, whose unfeigned sorrow makes them callous, at
+the moment, to its show, and almost to its mockery--not the cold
+spectator, who sees its dull magnificence give the lie to the preacher's
+equality of death--but the lowest of all hypocrites, the hired mourner,
+&c." It is calculated by Mr. Chadwick, that £60 to £100 are necessary to
+bury an upper tradesman--£250 for a gentleman--£500 to £1500 for a
+nobleman.
+
+High profits were obtained, by the joint stock burial companies in
+England, in 1843. The sale of graves in one cemetery was at the rate of
+£17,000 per acre, and a calculation, made for another, gave £45,375 per
+acre, not including fees for monuments, &c. One company, says Mr.
+Chadwick, has set forth an estimate, that seven acres, at the rate of ten
+coffins, in one grave, would accommodate 1,335,000--one million three
+hundred and thirty-five thousand--paupers. The following interrogatory was
+put, and repeated by members of the Parliamentary Committee, to the
+witnesses: "_Do you think there would be any objection to burying bodies
+with a certain quantity of quick lime, sufficient to destroy the coffin
+and the whole thing in a given time?_"
+
+In 1843, Mr. J. C. Loudon published, in London, his work on the Managing
+of Cemeteries and the Improvement of Churchyards. The cool, philosophic
+style, in which Mr. Loudon handles this interesting subject, is rather
+remarkable. On page 50, he expatiates, as follows: "_This temporary
+cemetery may be merely a field, rented on a twenty-one years' lease, of
+such an extent, as to be filled with graves in fourteen years. At the end
+of seven years more it may revert to the landlord, and be cultivated,
+planted, or laid down in grass, or in any manner that may be thought
+proper. Nor does there appear to us any objection to union workhouses
+having a portion of their garden ground used as a cemetery, to be restored
+to cultivation, after a sufficient time had elapsed._"
+
+This certainly is doing the utilitarian thing, with a vengeance. Quite a
+novel rotation of crops--cabbages following corpses. My long experience
+assures me, that the rapidity of decomposition depends, upon certain
+qualities in the subject and in the soil. Skeletons are sometimes found,
+in tolerably perfect condition, after an inhumation of two hundred years.
+Perhaps Mr. Loudon, in his eager festination for a crop, may have
+determined to bury in quicklime. Paupers and quicklime would make a
+capital compost, and scarcely require a top-dressing, of any kind, for
+years. What beets! what carrots, for the cockney market! Notwithstanding
+the quicklime, I should rather fear an occasional envelopment of some
+_unlucky_ relic, in the guise of a _lucky_ bone--a grinder, perhaps. And,
+when these vegetables shall again have been converted into animals, and
+these animals shall have served their day and generation, they shall again
+be converted into cabbages and carrots, as all their predecessors were.
+Well, this Mr. Loudon is a practical fellow; and his metastasis is
+admirable. Here are thousands of miserable wretches--_nullorum fiilii_,
+many of them--they have contributed scarcely anything to the common weal,
+while living; now let us put them in the way, with the assistance of a
+little quicklime, of doing something for their fellow-beings, after they
+are dead. The pauper squashes and cabbages must have been at a premium, in
+Leadenhall Market. Imagination is clearly worth something. After all my
+reason can accord, in the way of respect, for these utilitarian notions, I
+solemnly protest against marrowfats, cultivated in Mr. Loudon's pauper
+hotbeds. No doubt they would be larger, and the flavor richer and more
+peculiar--nevertheless, Mr. Loudon must excuse me--I say I protest. He
+gives an alternative permission, to lay down his mixture of dead bodies
+and quicklime to grass, or for the pasture of cows. Even then the milk
+would have a suspicious flavor, or _post-mortem_ smell, I apprehend; it
+would be the same thing, by second intention, as the surgeons say.
+
+The explanation of Mr. Loudon's monstrous proposition can be found
+nowhere, but in his concentrated interest in agriculture, to which he
+would have the living and the dead alike contribute. When contemplating
+the corpse of a portly pauper, he seems to think of nothing, but the
+readiest mode of converting it into cabbages.
+
+I have heard of a cutaneous fellow, who had an irresistible fancy, for
+skinning animals--it had become a passion. Nothing came amiss to him. He
+sought with avidity, for every four-footed and creeping thing, that died
+within five miles of his dwelling, for the pleasure of skinning it. The
+insides of his apartments were covered with the expanded skins, not only
+of beasts and the lesser vermin, but of birds, serpents and fishes. His
+house was an exuvial museum. He had a little son, a mere child, who
+assisted his father, on these occasions, in a small way. He had the
+misfortune to lose his grandmother--a fine old lady--and the following
+brief colloquy occurred, between the father and the child, the day before
+she was buried: "I say, father." "What, Peter?" "When are you going to
+skin Granny?"
+
+
+
+
+No. LIX.
+
+
+Last Sabbath morning, I read Cicero's _Dialogus de Amicitia_--simple
+Latinity, and very short--27 sections only. It seemed like enjoying the
+company of an old friend. It is now just forty-seven years, since I first
+read it, at Exeter. I marvel at Montaigne, for not thinking highly of
+it--but find some little motive, in the fact, that he had written a tract
+upon the subject, himself, which may be found, in his first volume, page
+215, London, 1811, and which can no more be compared to the _Dialogus_,
+than--to use George Colman's expression--a mummy to Hyperion.
+
+The Dialogus de Amicitia, of a Sabbath morning! Aye, my reverend, orthodox
+brother. Not having, in my system, one pulse of sympathy for
+disorganization, and liberty parties, I reverence the holy Sabbath, as
+much as you do yourself; and, to prevent the _Dialogus_ from hurting me, I
+read one sermon before, and another immediately after--Jeremy Taylor's
+_Apples of Sodom_; and Fléchier's _Sur La Correction Fraternelle_--such
+sermons, as, in the concoction, would, perhaps, be very likely to burst
+your mental boiler, and which would not suit the appetites of many, modern
+congregations, who have ruined their powers of inwardly digesting such
+strong meat, by dieting upon theological _fricandises faites avec du
+sucre_.
+
+And you was not at meeting then! Right again, my dear brother. I am deaf
+as a haddock; though Sir Thomas Browne has annihilated this favorite
+standard of comparison, by assuring us, that a haddock has as good ears,
+as any other fish in the sea. Mine, however, are quite unscriptural--ears
+not to hear. My ear is all in my eye.
+
+Roscius boasted of his power to convey his meaning, by mute gesticulation.
+Our modern clergy have so little of this gift, that, with my impracticable
+ears, it is all dumb show for me. Now and then, when the wind is fair, I
+catch a word or two; and no cross-readings were ever more grotesque and
+comical, than my cross-hearings. I am convinced, that I do not always have
+the worst of it. When, in reply to an old lady, who once asked me how I
+liked the preacher, I told her I heard not a syllable--what a mercy! she
+exclaimed. But consider the example! True, there is something in that. Try
+the experiment--stop the _meatus auditorius_ with beeswax, and try it, for
+half a dozen Sabbaths, even with the knowledge, that you can remove the
+impediment at will, which I cannot!
+
+After I had finished the _Dialogus_, I found myself successfully engaged,
+in the process of mental exhumation:--up they came, one after another, the
+playmates of my childhood, with their tee-totums and merry-andrews--the
+companions of my boyhood, with their tops, kites, and marbles--the friends
+and associates of my youth, with their skates, bats, and fowling pieces.
+It is really quite pleasant to gather a party, upon such short notice, and
+with so little effort; and without the trouble of providing wine and
+sweetmeats. Upon the very threshold of manhood, how they scatter and
+disperse! There is a passage of the Dialogus--the tenth section--which is
+so true to life, at the present hour, that one can scarcely realize it was
+written, before the birth of Christ:--"Ille (Scipio) quidem nihil
+dificilius esse dicebat, quam amicitiam usque ad extremum vitæ permanere.
+Nam vel ut non idem expediret utrique, incidere sæpe; vel ut de republica
+non idem sentirent; mutari etiam mores hominum sæpe dicebat, alias
+adversis rebus, alias ætate ingravescente. Atque earum rerum exemplum ex
+similitudine capiebat incuentis ætatis, quod summi puerorum amores sæpe
+una cum prætexta ponerentur; sin autem ad adolescentiam perduxissent,
+dirimi tamen interdum contentione, vel uxoriæ conditionis, vel commodi
+allicujus, quod idem adipisci uterque non posset. Quod si qui longius in
+amicitia provecti essent, tamen sæpe labefactari, si in honoris
+contentionem incidissent: pestem esse nullam amicitiis, quam in plerisque
+pecuniæ cupiditatem, in optimis quibusque honoris certamen et gloriæ: ex
+quo inimicitias maximas sæpe inter amicissimos extitisse." Lord Rochester
+said, that nothing was ever benefited, by translation, but a bishop. This,
+nevertheless, I believe, is a fair translation of the passage--
+
+He (Scipio) said, that nothing was more difficult, than for friendship to
+continue to the very end of life: either because its continuance was found
+to be inexpedient for one of the parties, or on account of political
+differences.
+
+He remarked, that men's humors were apt to be affected, sometimes, by
+adverse fortune, and at others, by the heavy listlessness of age. He drew
+an example of these things, from a similar condition in youth--the most
+vehement attachments, among boys, were commonly laid aside with the
+prætexta, or at the age of maturity; or, if continued beyond that period,
+they were occasionally interrupted, by some contention about the state or
+condition of the wife, or the possessions or advantages of somebody, which
+the other party was unable to equal. Indeed, if some there were, whose
+friendship was drawn along to a later period, it was very apt to be
+weakened, if they became rivals, in the path of fame. The greatest bane of
+friendship, among the mass, was the love of money, and among some, of the
+better sort, the thirst for glory; by which the bitterest hatred had been
+generated, between those, who had been the greatest friends.
+
+Unless it be orthodoxy, nothing has been so variously defined, as
+_friendship_. A man who stands by, and sees another murdered, in a duel,
+is his _friend_. Mutual endorsers are _friends_. Partisans are the
+_friends_ of the candidate. Those gentlemen, who give their time and
+talents to eat and drink up some wealthy fool, who would pass for an
+Amphytrion, and laugh at the fellow's simplicity, behind his back, are his
+_friends_. The patrons of players and buffoons, signors and signorinas,
+are their _friends_. The venders of Havana cigars and Bologna sausages
+inform their _friends_ and patrons, that they have recently received a
+fresh supply. Marat was the _friend_ of the people. Eliphaz, Bildad, and
+Zophar were the _friends_ of Job; and he told them rather uncivilly, I
+think, that they were miserable comforters. Matthew speaks of a _friend_
+of publicans and sinners.
+
+Monsieur Megret, who, as Voltaire relates, the instant Charles XII. was
+killed, exclaimed--_Voila la piece finie, allons souper_--see, the play is
+over, let us go to supper, was the king's _friend_. William the First,
+like other kings, had many _friends_, who, the moment he died, ran away,
+and literally left the dead to bury the dead; of which a curious account
+may be found, in the Harleian Miscellany, vol. iii. page 160, London,
+1809. Friendship flourishes, at Christmas and New Year, for every one, we
+are told, in the book of Proverbs, is a _friend_ to him that giveth gifts.
+There seems to be no end to this enumeration of _friends_. The name is
+legion, to say nothing of the whole society of _Friends_. What then could
+Aristotle have meant, when he exclaimed, as Diogenes Laertius says he did,
+lib. v. sec. 21, _My friends, there is no such thing as a friend_?
+Menander is stated by Plutarch, in his tract, on Brotherly Love, cap. 3,
+to have proclaimed that man happy, who had found even _the shadow of a
+friend_?
+
+It would be hard to describe the friend, whom Aristotle and Menander had
+in mind. Cicero has employed twenty-seven sections, and given us an
+imperfect definition after all. Such a friend comes not, within any one of
+the categories I have named.
+
+_Friends_, in the common acceptation of that word, may be readily lost and
+won. The direction, ascribed to Rochefoucault, seems less revolting, when
+applied to such _friends_ as these--_to treat all one's friends, as if,
+one day, they might be foes, and all one's foes, as if, one day, they
+might be friend_. This cold-blooded axiom is Rochefoucault's, only by
+adoption. Aristotle, in his Rhetoric, lib. ii. cap. 13, and Diogenes
+Laertius, in his life of Bias, lib. i. sec. 7, ascribe something like this
+saying to him. Cicero, in the sixteenth section of the _Dialogus de
+Amicitia_, after referring to the opinion--"_ita amare oportere, ut si
+aliquando esset ossurus_," and stating Scipio's abhorrence of the
+sentiment, expresses his belief, that it never proceeded from so good and
+wise a man, as Bias. Aulus Gellius, lib. i. cap. 3, imputes to Chilon, one
+of the seven wise men of Greece, substantially, the same sentiment--"_Love
+him, as if you were one day to hate him, and hate him, as if you were one
+day to love him_." Poor Rochefoucault, who had sins enough to answer for,
+is as unjustly held to be author of this infernal sentiment, as was Dr.
+Guillotin of the instrument, that bears his ill-fated name.
+
+Boccacio was in the right--_there is a skeleton in every house_. We have,
+all of us, our crosses to carry; and should strive to bear them as
+gracefully, as comports with the infirmity of human nature; and among the
+most severe is the loss of an old friend. Aristotle was mistaken--there is
+such a thing as a friend. Some fifty years ago, I began to have a
+friend--our professions and pursuits were similar. For some fifty years,
+we have cherished a feeling of mutual affection and respect; and, now that
+we have retired from the active exercise of our craft, we daily meet
+together, and, like a brace of veteran grasshoppers, chirp over days
+bygone. I believe I never asked of my friend an unreasonable or unseemly
+thing. God knows he never did of me. Thus we have obeyed Cicero's first
+law of friendship--_Hæc igitur prima lex in amicitia sanciatur, ut neque
+rogemus res turpes, nec faciamus, rogati_.
+
+We are most happily adapted to each other. I have always taken pleasure in
+regurgitating, from the fourth stomach of the mind, some tale or anecdote,
+and chewing over the cud of pleasant fancy. No man ever had a friend with
+a more willing ear, or a shorter memory. But for this, which I have always
+accounted a Providence, my stock would have been exhausted, long ago.
+After lying fallow, for two or three months, every tale is as good as new.
+
+God bless my friend, and compensate the shortness of his memory, by giving
+him length of days, and every good thing, in this and a better world.
+
+
+
+
+No. LX.
+
+
+Much has been said and written, of late, here and elsewhere, on the
+subject of _intra mural_ interment--burial within the _walls_ or
+_confines_ of cities. This term, though commonly employed by British
+writers, is wholly inapplicable, in all those rural cities, which have
+recently sprung up among us, and in which there are still many broad acres
+of meadow and pasture, plough-land and forest. In these almost nominal
+cities, the question must be, in relation to the propriety of burying the
+dead, not within the confines, but in the more densely peopled
+portions--in the very midst of the living.
+
+I have an opinion, firmly fixed, and long cherished, upon this important
+subject; and, considering myself, professionally, an expert, in these
+matters, I shall devote the present article to their consideration.
+
+There is no doubt, that a cemetery, from its improper location, or the
+mass of putrefying material, which the madness, or folly, or avarice of
+its proprietors has accumulated there, or from the indecent and almost
+superficial deposition of half-buried corpses, may become, like the burden
+of our sins--_intolerable_. It is not less certain, that it may become a
+_public nuisance_--not merely in the _popular_ sense--but _legally_, and,
+as such, indictable at common law. Neither can there be any doubt, that
+the city authorities, without a resort to the process of indictment, and
+as conservators of the public health, have full power, to prevent all
+future interments in that cemetery. This is true of a cemetery in the
+suburbs--_a fortiori_, of a cemetery in the city.
+
+At the present day, it may seem astonishing to many, that any doubt ever
+prevailed, in the minds of respectable members of the medical faculty, as
+to the unhealthy influences of the effluvia, arising from _animal_
+corruption. Orfila, Parant Duchâtelet, and other Frenchmen, of high
+professional reputation, have maintained, that such effluvia are perfectly
+innocuous. It seems to be almost universally agreed, at the present day,
+to reject such extraordinary doctrines entirely; although it is admitted,
+by the highest authorities, that the exhalations from _vegetable_
+corruption are the more pernicious of the two.
+
+So far as the decision of this question concerns the remedy, by legal
+process, it is of no absolute importance. The popular impression, that
+exhalations, of any kind, cannot constitute a _public nuisance_, in the
+technical import of those words, unless those exhalations are injurious to
+health, is erroneous. Lord Mansfield held this not to be necessary; and
+that it was enough, if the air were so affected, as to be breathed by the
+public, with less comfort and pleasure, than before.
+
+Interment, beyond the confines of the city, was enjoined, some eighteen
+hundred years ago. It was decreed in Rome, by the twelve tables--_hominem
+mortuum in urbe ne sepelito_.
+
+A writer, in the London Quarterly Review, vol. 73, p. 446, has written,
+very ably, on this interesting topic. He supplies some facts of
+importance, connected with the history of interment. A. D. 381.--The
+Theodosian code forbade all interment within the walls of the city, and
+even ordered, that all the bodies and monuments, already placed there,
+should be carried out.
+
+A. D. 529.--The first clause was confirmed by Justinian. A. D. 563.--The
+Council of Brague decreed, that no dead body should be buried, within the
+circle of the city walls.
+
+A. D. 586.--The Council of Auxerre decreed, that no one should be buried
+in their temples. A. D. 827.--Charlemagne decreed, that no person should
+be buried in a church. A. D. 1076.--The Council of Winchester decreed,
+that no person should be buried in the churches. A. D. 1552.--Latimer, on
+Saint Luke vii. ii., says, "the citizens of Nain had their burying places
+without the city; and I do marvel, that London, being so great a city,
+hath not a burial place without," &c. A. D. 1565.--Charles Borromeo, the
+good bishop of Milan, ordered the return to the ancient custom of suburban
+cemeteries.
+
+Sir Matthew Hale used to say, "churches were made for the living, not for
+the dead." The learned Anthony Rivet observed--"I wish this custom, which
+covetousness and superstition first brought in, were abolished; and that
+the ancient custom were revived to have burying places, in the free and
+open fields, without the gates of cities." In 1832, fifteen Archbishops,
+Bishops, and others, ecclesiastical commissioners, in London, recommended
+the abolition of all burials in churches.
+
+At great expense, the City Government of Roxbury have judiciously selected
+a spot, eminently beautiful, and remote from the peopled portion of the
+city, for the burial of the dead. The great argument--the manifest
+motive--was _a just regard for the health of their constituents_. If the
+present nuisance should continue much longer, and grow much greater, may
+not the question be respectfully asked, with some little pertinency, _what
+has become of that just regard?_
+
+Surely there is no lack of power. In 1832, the government of Boston said
+to the town of Roxbury, not in the language of David to Moab--thou shalt
+be "_my wash pot_"--but thou shalt be the receptacle of our offal--of all,
+that is filthy, and corruptible, within our borders. The City Government
+of Boston went extensively then into the carrion and garbage business, and
+furnished the provant for a legion of hogs, the property of an influential
+citizen of Roxbury. This awful hoggery was located on the road, now called
+East Street. The carrion carts of the metropolis of New England, _eundo,
+redeundo, et manendo_, dropping filth and fatness, as they went, became
+an abominable nuisance; and, as Commodore Trunnion beat up to church, on
+his wedding day, so every citizen, as soon as he discovered one of these
+aromatic vehicles, drawn by six or eight horses, tossing up their heads,
+and snorting sympathetically, was obliged to close-haul his nose, and
+struggle for the weather gage.
+
+Then again, the proprietor of this colossal hog-sty, with his burnery of
+bones, and other fragrant contrivances, created a stench, unknown among
+men, since the bituminous conflagration of the cities of the plain--Sodom
+and Gomorrah; and which terrible stench, in the language of Sternhold &
+Hopkins, "_came flying all abroad_." In the keeping of the varying wind,
+this "_arria cattiva_," like that from a graveyard, surcharged with
+half-buried corpses, visited, from day to day, every dwelling, and
+nauseated every man, woman, and child in the village. Four town meetings
+were held, upon this subject. Roxbury calmly remonstrated,--Boston
+doggedly persisted; and, at last, patience having had its perfect work,
+the carrion carts, while attempting to enter Roxbury, were met, by the
+yeomanry, on the line, and driven back to Boston. Chief Justice Shaw
+having refused an application for an _injunction_, the complaint was
+brought before the grand jury of Norfolk. Bills were found, against the
+owner of the hogs, and the city of Boston. My learned and amiable friend,
+the late John Pickering, then the City Solicitor, defended them both, with
+great ability; and the present Judge Merrick, then County Attorney,
+opposed the whole swinish concern, with the spirit of an Israelite, and
+the power of a Rabbi. The owner of the hogs and the city of Boston were
+both duly convicted, and, entering into a written obligation to sin no
+more, in this wise, the indictment was held over them, for a reasonable
+period, until they had given satisfactory evidence of their sincerity.
+
+In the testimony of Dr. George Cheyne Shattuck, which was published, at
+the time, after sustaining the prosecutors amply, in their allegation, in
+respect to the deleterious effect of the nuisance, he remarks--"_The
+Creator has established, in the sense of smelling, a sentinel, to descry
+distant danger of life. The alarm, sounded through this organ, seldom
+passes unheeded, with impunity._"
+
+Dr. John C. Warren and sixteen other respectable physicians concurred in
+this opinion.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXI.
+
+
+How long--oh Lord--how long will thy peculiar people disregard the simple,
+unmistakable teachings of common sense, and the admonitions of their own,
+proper noses, and bury the dead, in the very midst of the living!--Above
+all, how long will they continue to perpetrate that hideous folly of
+burying the dead, in tombs! What a childish effort, to keep the worm at
+bay--to stave off corruption, yet a little while--to procrastinate the
+payment of nature's debt, at maturity--DUST THOU ART AND UNTO DUST THOU
+SHALT RETURN!--For what? That the poor, senseless tabernacle may have a
+few more months or years, to rot in--that friends and relatives may, from
+time to time, be enabled, upon every re-opening of the tomb, to gratify
+their morbid curiosity, and see how the worms are getting on--that,
+whenever the tomb is unbarred, for another and another tenant, as it may
+often happen, at the time, when corruption is doing its utmost--its
+rankest work--the foul quintessence--the reeking, deleterious gases may
+rush back upon the living world; and, blending with ten thousand kindred
+stenches, in a densely peopled city, promote the mighty work of pestilence
+and death.
+
+Who does not sympathize with Cowper!
+
+  Oh for a lodge, in some vast wilderness,
+  Some boundless contiguity of shade,
+  Where the atrocious smells of docks, and sewers,
+  Eruptive gas, and rank distillery
+  May never reach me more. My lungs are pain'd,
+  My nose is sick, with this eternal stench
+  Of corpse and carrion, with which earth is fill'd.
+
+I am not unmindful, that, in a former number of these Dealings with the
+Dead, I have passed over these burial-grounds, and partially exhibited the
+interior of these tombs already. But there really seems to be a great
+awakening, upon this subject, at the present moment, at home and abroad;
+and I rejoice, that it is so.
+
+I am aware, that, within the bounds of old, peninsular Boston, no
+inhumations--_burials in graves_--are permitted. This is well.--_Burials
+in tombs_ are still allowed.--Why? This mode of burial is much more
+offensive. In _grave burial_, the gases percolate gradually; and a
+considerable portion may be reasonably supposed to be neutralized, _in
+transitu_. This is unquestionably the case, unless the grave is kept open,
+or opened, six times, or more, on the speculation principle, for the
+reception of new customers. In _tomb burial_, it is otherwise. The tomb is
+opened for new comers, and sometimes, most inopportunely, and the horrible
+smell fills the atmosphere, and compels the neighboring inhabitants, to
+close their windows and doors.
+
+As, with some persons, this may seem to require authentication, without
+leading the reader to every offensive graveyard in this city, I will take
+a single, and a sufficient example--I will take the oldest graveyard in
+the Commonwealth, and the most central, in the city of Boston. I refer to
+Isaac Johnson's lot, where, in 1630, his bones were laid--the Chapel
+burying-ground. The Savings Bank building bounds upon that cemetery. The
+rooms of the Massachusetts Historical Society are over the Bank.
+
+The stench, produced, by burials in the tombs, in that yard, during the
+summer of 1849, has compelled the Librarian to close his windows. _Tomb
+burial_, in this yard, has not been limited to deceased proprietors, and
+their relatives; it has, in some instances, been a matter of traffic. I
+have been struck with the present arrangement of the gravestones, in this
+yard. Some ingenious person has removed them all, from their original
+positions, and actually planted them, "_all of a row_," like the four and
+twenty fiddlers--or rather, in four straight rows, near the four sides of
+the graveyard. This is a queerer metamorphosis, than any I ever read of.
+Ovid has nothing to compare with it. There they are, every one, with its
+"_Here lies_," &c., compelled to stand forever, a monument of falsehood.
+
+Of all the pranks, ever perpetrated in a graveyard, this, surely, is the
+most amusing. In defiance of the _lex loci_, which rightfully enjoins
+solemnity of demeanor, in such a place--and of all my reverence for Isaac
+Johnson, and those illustrious men, who slumber there, I was actually
+seized with a fit of uncontrollable laughter; and came to the conclusion,
+that this sacrilegious transposition must have been the work of Punch, or
+Puck, or some Lord of misrule. As I proceeded to read the inscriptions, my
+merriment increased, for the gravestones seemed to be conferring together,
+upon the subject of these extraordinary changes, which had befallen them;
+and repeating over to one another--"_As you are now, so once was I_." As
+it happened, in the case of Major Pitcairn, should any person desire to
+remove the ashes of his ancestor, these misplaced gravestones would surely
+lead to the awakening of the wrong passenger; and some venerable old lady,
+who died in her bed, may be transported to England, and buried under arms,
+for a major of infantry, who died in battle.
+
+Why continue to bury in tombs? _Surely the sufferance on the part of the
+City Government, does not arise, from a respect for vested rights!!!_ If
+the City Government has power to close the offensive cellars in Broad
+Street, and elsewhere, being private property, because they are accounted
+injurious to public health, why may they not close the tombs, being
+private property, for the very same reason? Considerations of public
+health are paramount. When, upon an application from a number of the
+liquor-sellers, wholesale and retail, in this city, Chancellor Kent gave
+his opinion, adverse to their hearts' desire, that the license laws were
+_constitutional_, he alluded, analogically, to the power of the
+Commonwealth, to pass sanatory laws. If the municipal power were deemed
+inadequate, legislation would give all the power required. For it would,
+indeed, be monstrous, having settled the fact, that the public health
+suffered, from burial in tombs, to suppose it a remediless evil.
+
+The slaughter-houses and tanneries, which once existed, in Kilby Street
+and Dock Square, would not be tolerated now. Originally, they were not
+nuisances. Population gathered around them--their precedency availed them
+nothing--they became nuisances, by the force of circumstances. The tombs,
+in the churchyard, were not nuisances, when population was sparse--though
+they are so now. But the fact I have stated will increase the evil, from
+day to day: there can be no more burials, in graves, within the city
+proper--people will die--and, as we have not the taste nor courage to
+burn--they must be buried--where? In the tombs--which, as I have stated,
+is the most offensive and mischievous mode of burial. I have already
+alluded to some instances of traffic, connected with certain tombs, in the
+Chapel yard. If some plan be not adopted, a new line of business will
+spring up, in which the members of my profession will figure, to some
+extent: many of the present owners of tombs will sell out, and move their
+dead to Mount Auburn, or Forest Hills; and the city tombs will be crammed
+with as many corpses, as they can hold, by their speculating proprietors.
+Rather than this, it would have been better to continue the old mode of
+earth burial. The remedy is plain--the fields are before you--_carry out_
+"your dead!"
+
+A famous preacher of eternal torment, and who always, in addition to the
+sulphurous complexion of his discourses throughout, devoted three or four
+pages, at the close, exclusively to brimstone and fire; is said, upon a
+special occasion, to have produced a prodigious effect, upon the more
+devoted of his intensely agitated flock, by causing the sexton, when he
+heard the preacher scream BRIMSTONE, at the top of his lungs, to throw two
+or three rolls, into the furnace below, whose fumes speedily ascended into
+the church.
+
+This anecdote came instantly to my recollection, some twenty years ago,
+one Sabbath morning, while attending the services in St. Paul's church, in
+this city. The rector was absent, and a very worthy clergyman supplied his
+place. In the course of his sermon, he repeated, in a very solemn tone,
+pointing downward with his finger, in the direction of the tombs below,
+those memorable words of Job--_If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have
+made my bed in darkness. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to
+the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister._ Almost immediately--the
+coincidence was wonderful--I was oppressed by a most offensive stench,
+which certainly seemed to be _germain_ to the subject. It became more and
+more powerful. It seemed to me, and I call myself a pretty good judge, to
+be posthumous, decidedly. I certainly believed it proceeded from the
+charnel house below. My eyes turned right and left, to see how my
+neighbors were impressed. The females bowed their heads, and used their
+handkerchiefs--the males were evidently aware of it; but, with a slight
+compression of their noses, kept their eyes fixed upon the preacher. Two
+medical gentlemen, then present, and yet living, pronounced it to be _the
+worm and corruption_, and connected it with the burial of a particular
+individual, not long before.
+
+The case was carefully investigated, by the wardens and others; who were
+perfectly satisfied, that this horrible effluvium was, very probably,
+produced, by the burning of a heretic, in the form of a church mouse, that
+had taken up his quarters, in the pipe or flue, and was thus converted
+into an unsavory _pastille_.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXII.
+
+
+Draco, I think, would have been perfectly satisfied with some portions of
+the primitive, colonial and town legislation of Massachusetts. Hutchinson,
+i. 436, quotes the following decree--"Captain Stone, for abusing Mr.
+Ludlow, and calling him _Justass_, is fined an hundred pounds, and
+prohibited coming within the patent, without the Governor's leave, upon
+pain of death."
+
+Hazard, Hist. Coll. i. 630, has preserved a law against the Quakers,
+published in Boston, by beat of drum. It bears date Oct. 14th, 1656. The
+preamble is couched, in rather strong language--"Whereas there is a cursed
+sect of heretics lately risen up in the world, which are commonly called
+Quakers, who take upon them to be immediately sent of God," &c. The
+statute inflicts a fine of £100 upon any person, who brings one of them
+into any harbor, creek, or cove, compels him to carry such Quaker
+away--the Quaker to be put in the house of correction, and severely
+whipped; no person to speak to him. £5 penalty, for importing, dispersing,
+or concealing any book, containing their "devilish opinions;" 40 shillings
+for maintaining such opinions. £4 for persisting. House of correction and
+banishment, for still persisting.
+
+The poor Quakers gave our intolerant ancestors complete vexation. Hazard,
+ii. 589, gives an extract from a law, for the special punishment of two of
+these unhappy people, Peter Pierson and Judah Brown--"That they shall, by
+the constable of Boston, be forthwith taken out of the prison, and
+stripped from the girdle upwards, by the executioner, tied to the cart's
+tail, and whipped through the town, with twenty stripes; and then carried
+to Roxbury, and delivered to the constable there, who is also to tie them,
+or cause them to be tied, in like manner, to the cart's tail, and again
+whip them through the town with ten stripes; and then carried to Dedham,
+and delivered to the constable there, who is again, in like manner, to
+cause them to be tied to the cart's tail, and whipped, with ten stripes,
+through the town, and thence they are immediately to depart the
+jurisdiction, at their peril."
+
+The legislative designation of the Quakers was _Quaker rogues, heretics,
+accursed rantors, and vagabonds_.
+
+In 1657, according to Hutchinson, i. 197, "an additional law was made, by
+which all persons were subjected to the penalty of 40 shillings, for every
+hour's entertainment, given to a known Quaker, and every Quaker, after the
+first conviction, if a man, was to lose an ear, and a second time the
+other; a woman, each time, to be severely whipped; and the third time, man
+or woman, to have their tongues bored through, with a red-hot iron." In
+1658, 10 shillings fine were levied, on every person, present at a Quaker
+meeting, and £5 for speaking at such meeting. In October of that year, the
+punishment of death was decreed against all Quakers, returning into the
+Colony, after banishment. Bishop, in his "New England Judged," says, that
+the ears of Holden, Copeland, and Rous, three Quakers, were cut off in
+prison. June 1, 1660, Mary Dyer was hanged for returning, after
+banishment. Seven persons were fined, some of them £10 apiece, for
+harboring, and Edward Wharton whipped, twenty stripes, for piloting the
+Quakers. Several persons were brought to trial--"for adhering to the
+cursed sect of Quakers, not disowning themselves to be such, refusing to
+give civil respect, leaving their families and relations, and running from
+place to place, vagabond-like." Daniel Gold and Robert Harper were
+sentenced to be whipped, and, with Alice Courland, Mary Scott, and Hope
+Clifford, banished, under pain of death. William Kingsmill, Margaret
+Smith, Mary Trask, and Provided Southwick were sentenced to be whipped,
+and Hannah Phelps admonished.
+
+Sundry others were whipped and banished, that year. John Chamberlain came
+to trial, with his hat on, and refused to answer. The verdict of the jury,
+as recorded, was--"_much inclining to the cursed opinions of the
+Quakers_." Wendlock Christopherson was sentenced to death, but suffered to
+fly the jurisdiction. March 14, 1660.--William Ledea, "_a cursed Quaker_,"
+was hanged. Some of these Quakers, I apprehend, were determined to exhibit
+the naked truth to our Puritan fathers. "Deborah Wilson," says Hutchinson,
+i. 204, "went through the streets of Salem, naked as she came into the
+world, for which she was well whipped." At length, Sept. 9, 1661, an order
+came from the King, prohibiting the capital, and even corporal, punishment
+of the Quakers.
+
+Oct. 13, 1657.--Benedict Arnold, William Baulston, Randall Howldon, Arthur
+Fenner, and William Feild, the Government of Rhode Island, addressed a
+letter, on the subject of this persecution, to the General Court of
+Massachusetts, in reply to one, received from them. This letter is highly
+creditable to the good sense and discretion of the writers--"And as
+concerning these Quakers, (so called)" say they, "which are now among us,
+we have no law, whereby to punish any, for only declaring by words, &c.,
+their mindes and understandings concerning the things and ways of God, as
+to salvation and an eternal condition. And we moreover finde that in those
+places, where these people aforesaid, in this Coloney, are most of all
+suffered to declare themselves freely, and are only opposed by arguments
+in discourse, there they least of all desire to come; and we are informed
+they begin to loath this place, for that they are not opposed by the civil
+authority, but with all patience and meekness are suffered to say over
+their pretended revelations and admonitions, nor are they like or able to
+gain many here to their way; and surely we find that they delight to be
+persecuted by the civil powers, and when they are soe, they are like to
+gaine more adherents by the conseyte of their patient sufferings than by
+consent to their pernicious sayings."
+
+One is taken rather by surprise, upon meeting with such a sample of
+admirable common sense, in an adjoining Colony, and on such a subject, at
+that early day--so opposite withal to those principles of action, which
+prevailed in Massachusetts.
+
+The laws of the Colony, enacted from year to year, were first collected
+together, and ratified by the General Court, in 1648. Hutchinson, i. 437,
+says, "Mr. Bellingham of the magistrates, and Mr. Cotton of the clergy,
+had the greatest share in this work."
+
+This code was framed, by Bellingham and Cotton, with a particular regard
+to Moses and the tables, and a singular piece of mosaic it was. "Murder,
+sodomy, witchcraft, arson, and _rape of a child_, under ten years of age,"
+says Hutchinson, i. 440, "were the only crimes made capital in the Colony,
+which were capital in England." Rape, in the general sense, not being a
+capital offence, by the Jewish law, was not made a capital offence, in the
+Colony, for many years. High treason is not even named. The worship of
+false gods was punished with death, with an exception, in favor of the
+Indians, who were fined £5 a piece, for powowing.
+
+Blasphemy and reproaching religion were capital offences. Adultery with a
+married woman, whether the man were married or single, was punished with
+the death of both parties; but, if the woman were single, whether the man
+were married or single, it was not a capital offence, in either.
+Man-stealing was a capital offence. So was wilful perjury, with intent to
+take away another's life. Cursing or smiting a parent, by a child over
+sixteen years of age, unless in self-defence, or provoked by cruelty, or
+having been "unchristianly neglected in its education," was a capital
+offence. A stubborn, rebellious son was punished with death. There was a
+conviction under this law; "but the offender," says Hutchinson, ibid. 442,
+"was rescued from the gallows, by the King's commissioners, in 1665." The
+return of a "cursed Quaker," or a Romish priest, after banishment, and the
+denial of either of the books, of the Old or New Testament, were punished
+with banishment or death, at the discretion of the court. The jurisdiction
+of the Colony was extended, by the code of Parson Cotton and Mr.
+Bellingham, over the ocean; for they decreed the same punishment, for the
+last-named offence, when committed upon the high seas, and the General
+Court ratified this law. Burglary, and theft, in a house, or in the
+fields, on the Lord's day, were, upon a third conviction, made capital
+crimes. The distinction, between grand and petty larceny, which was
+recognized in England, till 1827, 7th and 8th Geo. IV., ch. 29, was
+abolished, by the code of Cotton and Bellingham, in 1648; and theft,
+without limitation of value, was made punishable, by fine or whipping, and
+restitution of treble value. In some cases, only double. Thus, ibid. 436,
+we have the following entry--"Josias Plaistowe, for stealing four baskets
+of corn from the Indians, is ordered to return them eight baskets, to be
+fined five pounds, and hereafter to be called by the name of Josias, and
+not Mr., as formerly he used to be."
+
+This lenity, in regard to larceny, Mr. Cotton seems to have been willing
+to counterbalance, by a terrible severity, on some other occasions.
+
+Mr. Hutchinson, ibid. 442, states, that he has seen the first draught of
+this code, in the hand-writing of Mr. Cotton, in which there are named six
+offences, made punishable with death, all which are altered, in the hand
+of Gov. Winthrop, and the death penalty stricken out. The six offences
+were--"Prophaning the Lord's day, in a careless or scornful neglect or
+contempt thereof--Reviling the magistrates in the highest rank, viz., the
+Governor and Council--Defiling a woman espoused--Incest within the
+Levitical degrees--The pollution, mentioned in Leviticus xx. 13 to
+16--Lying with a maid in her father's house, and keeping secret, till she
+is married to another." Mr. Cotton would have punished all these offences
+with death.
+
+On the subject of divorce, the code of 1648 differed from that of the
+present day, _with us_, essentially. Adultery in the wife was held to be
+sufficient cause, for divorce _a vinculo_: "but male adultery," says
+Hutchinson, i. 445, "after some debate and consultation with the elders,
+was judged not sufficient." The principle, which directed their decision,
+was, doubtless, the same, referred to and recognized, by Lord Chancellor
+Eldon, in the House of Lords, in 1801, as reported by Mr. Twiss, in his
+Memoirs, vol. i. p. 383.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXIII.
+
+
+If the materials, of which history and biography are made--the sources of
+information--were accessible to every reader, and the patience and ability
+were his, to examine for himself, there is, probably, no historian nor
+biographer, in whose accuracy and impartiality, his confidence would not
+be occasionally weakened. The statement or assertion, the authority for
+which lies scattered, among the pages of fifty different writers,
+perhaps, and which the historian has compressed within ten short lines,
+would, now and then, be found tinctured, and its true complexion
+materially altered, by the religious or political coloring of the writer's
+mind.
+
+The entire history of one or more ages has been written, to support a
+particular code of religious or political tenets. The prejudices of an
+annalist have, occasionally, from long indulgence, become so habitual,
+that his offences, in this wise, become almost involuntary.
+
+It is very probable, that the devoted followers--the wholesale
+admirers--of William Penn, who have presented their conceptions of his
+character, and their constructions of his conduct, to the world, from time
+to time, have been led into some little excesses, by the force of habitual
+idolatry. On the other hand, few readers, I believe, have failed to be
+surprised, by some of the statements and opinions, in regard to Penn,
+which are presented, on the pages of Mr. Macaulay's History of England.
+
+In my last number, I alluded to the persecution of the Quakers in
+Massachusetts. It is my purpose, to say something more of these "_cursed_"
+Quakers, and, particularly, of William Penn. My remarks may extend over
+several consecutive numbers of these Dealings with the Dead; and, I
+flatter myself, that, from the nature of the subject, they will not be
+wholly uninteresting to the reader.
+
+I have always cherished a feeling of regard and respect, for these
+"cursed" Quakers, originating in early impressions, and increased, by some
+personal intercourse, with certain members of the Society of Friends.
+
+It appears, by the Salem Records, that John Kitchen was fined thirty
+pence, for "unworthy and malignant carriages and speeches, in open court,
+Sept. 25, 1662." I was very much chagrined, when I first glanced at this
+record; for he was my great, great, great-grandfather, by the mother's
+side; and grandfather of the Hon. Col. John Turner, of Salem, who
+commanded, at the battle of Haverhill. Great was my satisfaction, when I
+discovered, that John Kitchen's offence was neither more nor less, than an
+absolute refusal to take off his hat, in presence of the magistrate. For
+the luxury of keeping it on, and absenting themselves from the ordinances,
+he appears to have paid £40 stirling, in fines, for himself and Elizabeth,
+his wife. The "_cursed_" Quakers appear to have had a hard time of it,
+about the middle of the seventeenth century. Felt tells us, in his Annals,
+p. 204, that Robinson and Stevenson were hung in 1659, for returning from
+banishment; and, on p. 206, that Mary Dyer, of the Friends, was hung, June
+1, 1660.
+
+The deposition of John Ward and Thomas Mekens, is still of record, taken
+in that very month and year, showing that they saw Mrs. Kitchen pulled off
+her horse, and heard one Batter tell her, she was "_a base, quaking
+slut_," and had been "_a powowing_."
+
+Now, John Kitchen was a good Quaker, doubtless, so far as regarded the
+essential qualification of obstinately wearing his hat, and refusing to
+take an oath. But he was made of flesh and blood, like all other Quakers;
+and this outrage, in pulling my gr. gr. gr. grandmother down from her
+horse, was more than flesh and blood could bear. A copy of the deposition
+of Giles Corey is now before me, showing, that John, upon other occasions,
+was not so pacific, as he might have been--and that, upon one occasion,
+"_he struck up Mr. Edward Norris his heels_"--and, upon another, he beat
+Giles Corey himself, "_till he was all blody_." He seems to have been
+moved, by the spirit, to thrash them both. I take this Giles Corey to be
+the man, or the father of the man, who, as Felt says, p. 308, was pressed
+to death, in Salem, for standing mute, during the witch mania, September
+19, 1692.
+
+William Penn was, for many years, engaged in controversy, chiefly in
+defence of the peculiar, religious opinions of the Quakers. Wood, in his
+Athenæ Oxonienses, iv. p. 647, Lond. 1820, gives the titles of fifty-two
+tracts and pamphlets, published by Penn, between 1668 and 1690. In the
+heat of controversy, his character was rudely assailed, and his conduct
+grossly misrepresented. The familiar relation, subsisting between him and
+James II., gave color, with some persons, to the report, that Penn, at
+heart, was a Papist and a Jesuit. These groundless imputations have, long
+ago, been swallowed up, in their own absurdity. So strong, however, was
+the hold, which these ridiculous fancies had taken of the public mind,
+that, after the revolution of 1688, he was examined before the Council,
+and obliged to give bond, for his appearance, from time to time; till, at
+last, he obtained a hearing before King William, and effectually
+established his innocence.
+
+Among the few men, of elevated standing, who gave, or pretended to give
+credit to the rumor, that Penn was a Papist, Burnet appears in the
+foremost rank. He, who could speak of Prior, as "_one Prior_," might be
+expected to speak of William Penn, as "_Penn the Quaker_." The appearance
+of Penn, at the Court of the Prince of Orange, could, on no account, have
+been agreeable to a Bishop, and, least of all Bishops, to Burnet; who saw,
+in the new comer, the confidential agent of his bitterest enemy, King
+James the Second; and who might, on other scores, have been jealous of the
+influence, even of "_Penn the Quaker_." Burnet's words are these, vol. ii.
+p. 318, Lond., 1818--"Many suspected that he was a concealed Papist; it is
+certain he was much with father Peter, and was particularly trusted by the
+Earl of Sunderland." On the preceding page Burnet thus describes the
+Quaker--"He was a talking vain man, who had been long in the King's favor,
+he being the Vice Admiral's son. He had such an opinion of his own faculty
+of persuading, that he thought none could stand before it; though he was
+singular in that opinion; for he had a tedious, luscious way, that was not
+apt to overcome a man's reason, though it might tire his patience." It is
+impossible not to perceive, in this description, some touches, which,
+historians have told us, were singularly applicable to Burnet himself.
+
+William, who perfectly comprehended the character of Halifax and Burnet,
+perceived the propriety of keeping them apart, when the former came to
+Hungerford, as a commissioner from the King, Dec. 8, 1688. How far I judge
+rightly, in applying a part of Burnet's description of Penn, to Burnet
+himself, may appear, in the following passage from Macaulay, vol. ii. p.
+538: "Almost all those, who were admitted to his (William's) confidence,
+were men, taciturn and impenetrable as himself. Burnet was the only
+exception. He was notoriously garrulous and indiscreet. Yet circumstances
+had made it necessary to trust him; and he would, doubtless, under the
+dexterous management of Halifax, have poured put secrets, as fast as
+words. William knew this well; and, when he was informed, that Halifax was
+asking for the Doctor, could not refrain from exclaiming, '_If they get
+together, there will be fine tattling_.'"
+
+Mr. Macaulay remarks, that--"_To speak the whole truth, concerning Penn,
+is a task, which requires some courage_." He then, vol. i. page 505,
+delivers himself as follows--"The integrity of Penn had stood firm
+against obloquy and persecution. But now, attacked by royal wiles, by
+female blandishments, by the insinuating eloquence and delicate flattery
+of veteran diplomatists and courtiers, his resolution began to give way.
+Titles and phrases, against which he had often borne his testimony,
+dropped occasionally from his lips and his pen. It would be well, if he
+had been guilty of nothing worse than such compliances with the fashions
+of the world. Unhappily it cannot be concealed, that he bore a chief part
+in some transactions, condemned, not merely by the rigid code of the
+society, to which he belonged, but by the general sense of all honest men.
+He afterwards solemnly protested that his hands were pure from illicit
+gain, and that he had never received any gratuity from those, whom he had
+obliged, though he might easily, while his interest at court lasted, have
+made a hundred and twenty thousand pounds. To this assertion full credit
+is due. But bribes may be offered to vanity, as well as to cupidity; and
+it is impossible to deny that Penn was cajoled into bearing a part, in
+some unjustifiable transactions of which others enjoyed the profits."
+
+This passage will tend, in the ratio of Mr. Macaulay's influence, to
+disturb the popular opinion of William Penn. It is very carefully written,
+and will not always be so carefully read. It is, perhaps, unfortunate for
+Penn, that Mr. Macaulay felt obliged, in pursuing the course of his
+history, to postpone the presentation of the facts, upon which his
+opinions rest, until they arise, in their chronological order. Thus the
+impression, instead of being removed, qualified, or confirmed, by instant
+examination, is suffered to become imbedded in the mind. Having carefully
+collated this passage, with every other passage, relative to Penn, in Mr.
+Macaulay's work, I must confess, that the exceedingly painful impression,
+produced by the paragraph, presented above, has been materially relieved,
+by a careful consideration of all the evidence, subsequently offered, by
+Mr. Macaulay himself, and by the testimony of other writers. Perhaps the
+reader will consent to go along with me, in the examination of this
+question.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXIV.
+
+
+Mr. Macaulay's second mention of William Penn may be found, vol. i. page
+650. A number of young girls, acting under the direction of their
+school-mistress, had walked in procession, and presented a standard to
+Monmouth, at Taunton, in 1635. Some of them had expiated their offence
+already. That hell-hound of a judge, Jeffreys, had literally frightened
+one of them to death. It was determined, under menace of the gibbet, to
+extort a ransom from the parents of _all_ these innocent girls. Who does
+not apply those lines of Shakspeare to this infernal judge!
+
+  "Did you say all? What, all? Oh, hell-kite, all?
+  What, all my pretty chickens and their dam,
+  At one fell swoop?"
+
+"The Queen's maids of honor," says Mr. Macaulay, "asked the royal
+permission, to wring money out of the parents of the poor children; and
+the permission was granted." They demanded £7000, and applied to Sir
+Francis Warre, to exact the ransom. "He was charged to declare, in strong
+language, that the maids of honor would not endure delay," &c.
+
+Warre excused himself. Mr. Macaulay proceeds as follows: "The maids of
+honor then requested William Penn to act for them, and Penn accepted the
+commission. Yet it should seem that a little of the pertinacious
+scrupulosity, which he had often shown, about taking off his hat, would
+not have been altogether out of place on this occasion. He probably
+silenced the remonstrances of his conscience, by repeating to himself,
+that none of the money, which he extorted, would go into his own pocket;
+that, if he refused to be the agent of the ladies, they would find agents
+less humane; that by complying he should increase his influence at the
+court; and that his influence at the court had already enabled him, and
+might still enable him to render greater services to his oppressed
+brethren. The maids of honor were at last forced to content themselves
+with less than a third part of what they had demanded."
+
+Now it seems to me, that no clear-headed, whole-hearted, _impartial_
+reader will draw the inference, from this passage, which Mr. Macaulay
+would manifestly have him draw. Penn well understood the resolute
+brutality of Jeffreys, the never-dying obstinacy and vindictive
+malevolence of James, and the heartless greediness of these maids of
+honor. He knew, as Mr. Macaulay says, that "_if he refused to be the agent
+of the ladies they would find agents less humane_." There was no secrecy
+here--this thing was not done in a corner. Mr. Macaulay says, "they
+_charged_ Sir Francis Warre," &c.: and after he refused, they "_requested_
+William Penn," &c. Penn acted as a peacemaker. He stood between these she
+wolves--these shameless maids of honor--and the Taunton lambs; and,
+instead of £7000, he persuaded those vampyres, who, under the royal grant,
+had full power in their hands to do their wicked will--to receive less
+than £2300. Mr. Macaulay admits, that Penn received not a farthing; and,
+that, had he refused, matters might have been worse for the oppressed.
+
+The known character of Penn demands of us the presumption, in his favor,
+that he entered upon this business conscientiously, and not as an
+_extortioner_--and that he made, as the result leads us to believe he did,
+the very best terms for the parents. Wherein was ever the sin or the shame
+of negotiating, between the buccaneers of the Tortugas, and the parents of
+captive children, for their ransom? Does not Mr. Macaulay present the
+reign of James II. before us, as blotted all over, with official piracy
+and judicial murder? If the adjustment of this odious business increased
+the influence of Penn, at court, and thereby enabled him to "_render great
+services to his oppressed brethren_"--these were the natural consequences
+of the act; without them, there was enough of just and honorable motive,
+for a mediator, to step between the oppressor and the oppressed, and
+lessen, as much as possible, the weight of the oppression.
+
+If the conduct of William Penn, upon this occasion, was the humane and
+Christian thing, which it certainly appears to have been, "_the
+pertinacious scrupulosity, which he had often shown, about taking off his
+hat_" would have been wholly out of place. And if so, what justification
+can be found for Mr. Macaulay's expressions--"_the remonstrances of his
+conscience_," and "_the money, which he extorted_."
+
+It is proverbially hard, for an old dog to learn new tricks. He, to whose
+hand the hatchet is familiar, when he substitutes the rapier, will still
+hack and hew with it, as though it were a hatchet. It may well be doubted,
+if an impartial history, especially those parts of it, wherein the writer
+deals with character and motive, can ever be trustworthily and impartially
+written, by a veteran, professional reviewer, of the tomahawk school,
+however splendid his talents may be.
+
+Upon this occasion, Penn, doubtless, persuaded the maids of honor to
+moderate their demands; at the same time, representing to the parents the
+uncompromising character of those, with whom they had to deal, and the
+unavoidable necessity of making terms. It is impossible to judge of the
+transaction aright, without taking into view the character of those dark
+days of tyranny and misrule, and the little security, then enjoyed by the
+subject.
+
+On page 659, ibid., Mr. Macaulay, once more, introduces Penn to his
+readers--"William Penn, for whom exhibitions, which humane men generally
+avoid, seem to have had a strong attraction, hastened from Cheapside,
+where he had seen Cornish hanged, to Tyburn, in order to see Elizabeth
+Gaunt burned. He afterwards related that, when she calmly disposed the
+straw about her, in such a manner, as to shorten her sufferings, all the
+bystanders burst into tears." Here is another attempt to lower the Quaker,
+in public estimation.
+
+That Penn ever, from the cradle to the grave, gazed, unsympathizingly,
+upon human suffering, nobody, but a madman, will credit, for a moment. Nor
+would Mr. Macaulay, notwithstanding the rather peculiar construction of
+the paragraph, venture _directly_ so to represent him. It has been my
+fortune to know several men, of kind and warm affections, who have
+confessed, without reserve, a strong desire to witness the execution of
+criminals. Cornish and Gaunt were executed on the same day, and their fate
+excited universal attention. Penn's account of the last moments of both
+was very minute; and shows him to have been a deeply interested observer.
+I am not aware, that he ever attended any other execution. And if he did
+not, the remark of Mr. Macaulay, which is _general_, can never be
+justified, in relation to Penn; though it would fairly apply to the
+celebrated George Selwyn, who, though remarkable for the keenness of his
+sensibility, and the kindness of his heart, was in the habit of attending
+every execution in London; and who, upon one remarkable occasion of this
+kind, actually embarked for the Continent.
+
+Why could not Mr. Macaulay, who often refers to Clarkson, have adopted
+some of his charitable and gentlemanly constructions of Penn's conduct,
+upon this occasion? Clarkson says--"Men of the most noted benevolence have
+felt and indulged a curiosity of this sort. They have been worked upon, by
+different motives; some, perhaps, by a desire of seeing what human nature
+would be, at such an awful crisis; what would be its struggles; what would
+be the effects of innocence or guilt; what would be the power of religion
+on the mind." * * * * "I should say that he consented to witness the
+scenes in question, with a view to do good; with a view of being able to
+make an impression on the King's mind, by his own relation," &c.
+
+In vol. ii. page 222, 1687, Mr. Macaulay says--"Penn had never been a
+strong-headed man: the life which he had been leading, during two years,
+had not a little impaired his moral sensibility; and, if his conscience
+ever reproached him, he comforted himself by repeating, that he had a good
+and noble end in view, and that he was not paid for his services in
+money."
+
+Again, ibid., page 227, referring to the effort of the King, to propitiate
+William Kiffen, a great man, among the Baptists, no phraseology would suit
+Mr. Macaulay, but this--"_Penn was employed in the work of seduction_."
+What _seduction_? Indeed, whenever a good chance presents itself to reach
+the Quaker, anywhere and anyhow, through the joints of the harness, the
+phylactery of Mr. Macaulay seems to have been--_semper paratus_.
+
+It was enough, that Penn was, in some sense, the confidant, and,
+occasionally, the _unconstrained and perfectly conscientious_ agent of
+this most miserable King.
+
+That posterity will sanction these politico-historical flings, at the
+character of William Penn, I cannot believe.
+
+Tillotson knew him well. He had once expressed a suspicion that Penn was a
+Papist. A correspondence ensued. "In conclusion," says Chalmers,
+"Tillotson declared himself fully satisfied, and, as in that case he had
+promised, he heartily begs pardon of Penn."
+
+Chalmers himself, who had no sympathy with the "_cursed Quakers_," closes
+his account of Penn, as follows--"_It must be evident from his works, that
+he was a man of abilities; and from his conduct through life, that he was
+a man of the purest conscience. This, without acceding to his opinions in
+religion, we are perfectly willing to allow and to declare_."
+
+
+
+
+No. LXV.
+
+
+There was a couple of unamiable, maiden ladies, who had cherished, for a
+long time, an unkindly feeling to the son of their married sister; and,
+whenever her temporary absence afforded a fitting opportunity, one of them
+would inquire of the other, if it was not _a good time to lick Billy_. Mr.
+Macaulay suffers no convenient occasion to pass, without exhibiting a
+practical illustration of this opinion, that it is _a good time to lick
+Billy_.
+
+In vol. ii. page 292, Mr. Macaulay says--"Penn was at Chester (in 1687,)
+on a pastoral tour. His popularity and authority among his brethren had
+greatly declined since he had become a tool of the King and the Jesuits."
+In proof of this assertion Mr. Macaulay refers to a letter, from Bonrepaux
+to Seignelay, and to Gerard Croese's Quaker History. Let us see, for
+ourselves, what Bonrepaux says--"Penn, chef des Quakers, qu'on sait être
+dans les intérêts du Roi d'Angleterre, est si fort décrié parmi ceux de
+son parti qu'ils n'ont plus aucune confiance en lui."
+
+Now I ask, in the name of historical truth, if Mr. Macaulay is sustained
+in his assertion, by Bonrepaux? Is there a jot or tittle of evidence, in
+this reference, that Penn "_had become a tool of the King and of the
+Jesuits_;" or that Bonrepaux was himself of any such opinion?
+
+Let us next present the passage from Croese--"Etiam Quakeri Pennum non
+amplius, ut ante, ita amabant ac magnifaciebant, quidam aversabantur ac
+fugiebant."
+
+I ask, in reference to this quotation from Croese, the same question? No
+possible version of these passages into English will go farther, than to
+show, that the Quakers were dissatisfied with Penn, about that time: in
+neither is there the slightest reference to Penn, as "_a tool of the King
+and of the Jesuits_." Mr. Macaulay's passage is so constructed, that his
+citation of authorities goes, not only to the fact of Penn's unpopularity,
+for a time, but to the cause of it, as assigned by Mr. Macaulay himself,
+namely, that Penn "_had become a tool of the King and of the Jesuits_."
+
+Now it is well known, that Penn, in 1687, was in bad odor with some of the
+Quakers. He was _suspected_, by some persons, of being a Jesuit--George
+Keith, the Quaker renegade, called him a deist--he was said by others to
+be a Papist. Even Tillotson had given countenance to this foolish story,
+which Penn's intimacy with King James tended to corroborate. How far
+Tillotston believed Penn to be a _Papist_, or a _tool_ of the King, or of
+the _Jesuits_, will appear, upon the perusal of a few lines from Tillotson
+to Penn, written in 1686, the year before that, of which Mr. Macaulay is
+writing--"I am very sorry that the suspicion I had entertained concerning
+you, of which I gave you the true account in my former letter, hath
+occasioned so much trouble and inconvenience to you: and I do now declare
+with great joy, that I am fully satisfied, that there was no just ground
+for that suspicion, and therefore do heartily beg your pardon for it."
+Clarkson's Memoirs, vol. i. chap. 22.
+
+If the authorities, cited, sustained the statement of Mr. Macaulay, their
+credibility would still form a serious question. In vol. ii. pages
+305-7-8, Mr. Macaulay refers to Bonrepaux's "complicity with the Jesuits."
+It would have been quite agreeable to that crafty emissary of Lewis, to
+have had it believed, that Penn was of their fraternity. As for Gerard
+Croese, Chalmers speaks of him and his history, with very little respect;
+and states, that it dissatisfied the Quakers. However this may have been,
+there is not a syllable in Gerard Croese's Historia Quakeriana, giving
+color to Mr. Macaulay's assertion, that Penn "_had become a tool of the
+King and of the Jesuits_." On the contrary, Croese, as I shall show
+hereafter, speaks of Penn, with great respect, on several occasions.
+
+In the same paragraph, of which a part is quoted, at the commencement of
+this article, Mr. Macaulay, after stating, that, when the King and Penn
+met at Chester, in 1687, Penn preached, or, to use Mr. Macaulay's word,
+_harangued_, in the tennis court, he says--"_It is said indeed, that his
+Majesty deigned to look into the tennis court, and to listen, with
+decency, to his friend's melodious eloquence_." What does Mr. Macaulay
+mean?--that the King did not laugh outright?--that he made some little
+exertion, to suppress a disposition to make a mock of Penn and his
+preaching? No intelligent reader, though he may not catch the invidious
+spirit of this remark, can fail to perceive the writer's design, to speak
+disparagingly of Penn.
+
+Well: what is Mr. Macaulay's authority for this? He quotes "Cartwright's
+Diary, Aug. 30, 1687, and Clarkson's Life of William Penn"--but without
+any indication of volume, chapter, or page. This loose and unsatisfactory
+kind of reference is quite common with Mr. Macaulay; and one might almost
+as well indicate the route to the pyramids, by setting up a finger post in
+Edinburgh, pointing in the direction of Cairo. No eminent historian,
+English or Scotch, has ever been thus regardless of his reader's comfort;
+neither Rapin nor Tindal, Smollett nor Hume, nor Henry, nor Robertson, nor
+Guthrie, nor any other. Of this the reader may well complain. This may all
+be well enough, in a historical romance--but in a matter, pretending to be
+true and impartial history, no good reader will walk by faith, altogether,
+and upon the staff of a single narrator; and he will too often find, that
+the spirit of the context, in the authority, is very different, from that
+of the citation.
+
+He, who imparts to any historical fact the coloring of his own prejudice,
+and _dresses up_ a statement, after his own fancy, has no right to vouch
+in, as his authority, for the _whole thing_, however grotesque he may have
+made it--the writer, who has stated the _naked fact_. If Clarkson said
+simply, that the King had listened to Penn's preaching, Mr. Macaulay has
+no right to quote Clarkson, as having said so, in a manner to lower Penn,
+the tithe of a hair, in the estimation of the world. _A fortiori_, if
+Clarkson has said, that the King listened to Penn's preaching, _on several
+occasion, with respect_, Mr. Macaulay had no right to quote Clarkson, as
+his authority, for the sneering and ill-natured statement, to which I have
+referred. This is not history, it is gross misrepresentation; and, the
+more forcibly and ingeniously it is fabricated, the more unjust and the
+more ungenerous the libel, upon the dead.
+
+The reader, if he will, may judge of Mr. Macaulay's impartiality, by
+comparing his words with the _only words_ uttered by Clarkson, on this
+point. They may be found, vol. i. chap. 23--"Among the places he (Penn)
+visited, in Cheshire, was Chester itself. The King, who was then
+travelling, arriving there at the same time, went to the meeting-house of
+the Quakers, to hear him preach. This mark of respect the King showed him
+also, at two or three other places where they fell in with each other, in
+the course of their respective tours."
+
+This is the only passage, which can be referred to, in Clarkson, by Mr.
+Macaulay, to sustain his ill-natured remark, whose evil spirit is entirely
+neutralized, by the very authority he cites. But there will be many, who
+will rather give Mr. Macaulay credit, for stating the point impartially;
+and few, I apprehend, who will take the trouble to look, through two
+octavo volumes, for a passage, thus vaguely referred to, without any
+indication of the volume, chapter, or page.
+
+This rude assault, upon the character and motives of William Penn, Mr.
+Macaulay commences, by saying--"_To speak the whole truths concerning
+Penn, is a task, which requires some courage_." It is becoming, in every
+historian, to speak the truth, the whole truth, and _nothing but the
+truth_. It certainly requires some courage--audacity, perhaps, is the
+better word--to present citations, in French and Latin, to sustain an
+assertion, which those citations do not sustain; and to refer to a highly
+respectable author, as having stated that, which he has nowhere stated.
+
+It may not be amiss, to present my views of Mr. Macaulay's injustice, more
+plainly than I have done. It is obvious to all, that a fact--the same
+fact--may, by the very manner of stating it, raise or lower the character
+of him, in regard to whom it is related. The _manner_ of representing it
+may become _material_, or, substantially, part and parcel of the fact, as
+completely, as the coloring is part and parcel of a picture. No man has a
+right to take the sketch or outline of an angel, and, having given it the
+sable complexion of a devil, ascribe the entire thing, such as he has made
+it, to the author of the original sketch. No man, surely, has a right to
+seize a wreath, respectfully designed for the brows of his neighbor;
+distort it into the shape of a fool's cap; clap it upon that neighbor's
+head; and then charge the responsibility upon him, who prepared the
+original chaplet, as a token of respect.
+
+Mr. Macaulay represents King James, as listening to the preaching of Penn,
+with concealed contempt--such are the force and meaning of his words; and
+he quotes Clarkson, as authority for this, who says precisely the
+contrary.
+
+Every reader, who is uninstructed in the French and Latin languages, will
+view the quotations from Bonrepaux and Croese, as authorities for Mr.
+Macaulay's assertion, that Penn had "_become the tool of the King and the
+Jesuits_"--for, whether carelessly, or cunningly, contrived, the sentence
+will certainly be understood to mean precisely this. A large number, even
+of those, who understand the languages, will take these quotations, as
+evidence, upon Mr. Macaulay's word, without examination. Now, as I have
+stated, there is not the slightest authority, in these passages, for Mr.
+Macaulay's assertion.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXVI.
+
+
+Mr. Macaulay's last attack upon William Penn will be found, in vol. ii.,
+pages 295-6-7. The Fellows of Magdalen College had been most abominably
+treated, by James II., in 1687. The detail is too long for my limits, and
+is, withal, unnecessary here, since there is neither doubt nor denial of
+the fact. The mediatorial agency of Penn was employed. The King was
+enraged, and resolved to have his way. His obstinacy was a proverb. There
+were three courses for Penn--right, left, and medial--to side with the
+King--to side with the Fellows--or to act as a mediator. Mr. Macaulay is
+pleased, in his Index, to speak of the transaction, as "_Penn's
+mediation_."
+
+Had he sided with the Fellows entirely, he would have lost his influence
+utterly, to serve them, with the King. Had he sided with the King
+entirely, he would have lost all confidence with the Fellows. Mr.
+Macaulay, here, as elsewhere, is evidently bent upon showing up Penn, as
+the "_tool of the King_:" and, if there is anything more unjust, upon
+historical record, I know not where to look for it.
+
+[1]With manifest effort, and in stinted measure, Mr. Macaulay lets down a
+few drops of the milk of human kindness, in the outset, and says of
+Penn--"_He had too much good feeling to approve of the violent and unjust
+proceedings of the government, and even ventured to express part of what
+he thought_." Here, that which proceeded from _fixed and lofty principle_,
+is ascribed to a less honorable motive--"_good feeling_," or _bonhommie_;
+and the "_part of what he thought_," was neither more nor less, than a
+bold and frank remonstrance, committed to writing, and sent to the King,
+by Penn.
+
+    [1] The palpable reluctance of Mr. Macaulay to deal in liberal
+    construction, and to award the smallest praise, on such occasions, is
+    not confined to Penn. A writer in Blackwood's Magazine, for October,
+    1849, page 509, after referring to the glorious defeat of the Dutch
+    fleet, off Harwich, when the Duke of York, afterwards James II.,
+    commanded in person, remarks--"Mr. Macaulay, in his late published
+    _History of England_, has not deigned even to notice this
+    engagement--a remarkable omission, the reason of which omission it is
+    foreign to our purpose to inquire. This much we may be allowed to say,
+    that no historian, who intends to form an accurate estimate of the
+    character of James II., or to compile a complete register of his
+    deeds, can justly accomplish his task, without giving that unfortunate
+    monarch the credit for his conduct and intrepidity, in one of the most
+    important and successful naval actions, which stands recorded, in our
+    annals."
+
+    Other English historians have related it. Hume, Oxford ed. 1826, vol.
+    vii. page 355--Smollett, Lond. ed. 1759, vol. viii. page 31.--Rapin,
+    Lond. ed. 1760, vol. xi. page 272. "The Duke of York," says Smollett,
+    "was in the hottest part of the battle, and behaved with great spirit
+    and composure, even when the Earl of Falmouth, the Lord Muskerry, and
+    Mr. Boyle, were killed at his side, by one cannon ball, which covered
+    him with the blood and brains of these three gallant gentlemen."
+
+When they met at Oxford, says Clarkson, vol. i. chap. 23, "William Penn
+had an opportunity of showing not only his courage, but his consistency in
+those principles of religious liberty, which he had defended, during his
+whole life." After giving an account of the Prince's injustice, Clarkson
+says--"Next morning William Penn was on horseback, ready to leave Oxford,
+but knowing what had taken place, he rode up to Magdalen College, and
+conversed with the Fellows, on the subject. After this conversation, he
+wrote a letter, and desired them to present it to the King." * * * * "Dr.
+Sykes, in relating this anecdote of William Penn, by letter to Dr.
+Chazlett, who was then absent, mentions that Penn, after some discourse
+with the Fellows of Magdalen College, wrote a short letter, directed to
+the King. He wrote to this purpose--that their case was hard, and that, in
+their circumstances, they could not yield obedience."
+
+This was confirmed by Mr. Creech, as Clarkson states, and by Sewell, who
+states, in his History of the Rise and Progress of the Quakers, that Penn
+told the King the act "_could not in justice be defended, since the
+general liberty of conscience did not allow of depriving any of their
+property, who did what they ought to do, as the Fellows of the said
+College appeared to have done_." This is the "_part of what he thought_,"
+referred to by Mr. Macaulay, who has not found it convenient, upon this
+occasion, to quote a syllable from Clarkson, nor from Sewell, of whose
+work Chalmers and others have spoken with respect.
+
+I know of no better mode of presenting this matter fairly, than by laying
+before the reader contrasted passages, from Mr. Macaulay, and from
+Clarkson, relating to the conduct of Penn, upon this occasion. Mr.
+Macaulay shall lead off--"James, was as usual, obstinate in the wrong. The
+courtly Quaker, therefore, did his best to seduce the college from the
+path of right."--Therefore!--Wherefore? Penn did his best to _seduce_ the
+college from the path of right, _because_ James was, as usual, obstinate
+in the wrong! This is based, of course, upon Mr. Macaulay's favorite
+hypothesis, that Penn was "_the tool of the King and the Jesuits_."--"He
+tried first intimidation. Ruin, he said, impended over the society. The
+King was highly incensed. The case might be a hard one. Most people
+thought it so. But every child knew that his Majesty loved to have his own
+way, and could not bear to be thwarted. Penn, therefore, exhorted the
+Fellows not to rely on the goodness of their cause, but to submit, or at
+least to temporize. Such counsel came strangely from one, who had been
+expelled from the University for raising a riot about the surplice, who
+had run the risk of being disinherited, rather than take off his hat to
+the princes of the blood, and who had been more than once sent to prison,
+for haranguing in conventicles. He did not succeed in frightening the
+Magdalen men."
+
+It may be thought scarcely worth while, to charge a Quaker, at the age of
+_forty-three_, with inconsistency, because his views had somewhat altered,
+since he was a wild young man, at _twenty-one_.
+
+It is also clear, that Penn viewed the Magdalen question, as one quite as
+much of _property_ as of _conscience_; and that he could see no good
+reason, with his eyes of toleration wide open, why all the great
+educational institutions should be forever, in the hands of one
+denomination.
+
+Mr. Macaulay again--"Then Penn tried a gentler tone. He had an interview
+with Hough and some of the Fellows, and after many professions of sympathy
+and friendship, began to hint at a compromise. The King could not bear to
+be crossed. The college must give way. Parker must be admitted. But he was
+in very bad health. All his preferments would soon be vacant. 'Dr. Hough,'
+said Penn, 'may then be Bishop of Oxford. How should you like that,
+gentlemen?' Penn had passed his life in declaiming against a hireling
+ministry. He held, that he was bound to refuse the payment of tithes, and
+this even when he had bought lands, chargeable with tithes, and had been
+allowed the value of the tithes in the purchase money. According to his
+own principles, he would have committed a great sin, if he had interfered,
+for the purpose of obtaining a benefice, on the most honorable terms, for
+the most pious divine. Yet to such a degree had his manners been corrupted
+by evil communications, and his understanding obscured by inordinate zeal
+for a single object, that he did not scruple to become a broker in simony
+of a peculiarly discreditable kind, and to use a bishopric as a bait to
+tempt a divine to perjury."
+
+Are these the words of truth and soberness? I rather think they are not.
+In the sacred name of common sense--did Penn become a _broker in simony of
+a peculiarly discreditable kind, and use a bishopric, as a bait to tempt a
+divine to perjury_, by stating, that Parker was very infirm, and, that,
+should he die, Hough might be his successor! If this is history, give us
+fiction, for Heaven's sake, which is said to be less marvellous than fact.
+There is not the least pretence, that he offered, or was authorized to
+offer, any such "_bait_." He spoke of a mere contingency; and did the best
+he could to mediate, between the King and the Fellows, both of whom were
+highly incensed.
+
+As to the matter of tithes, Penn was mediating, between men, _who had no
+scruples about tithes_. He recognized, _pro hac vice_, the usages of the
+parties; and a Christian judge may, as shrewdly, be charged with
+infidelity, for conforming to the established law of evidence, and
+permitting a disciple of Mahomet to be sworn, upon the Koran.
+
+When Hough replied, that the Papists had robbed them of University
+College, and Christ Church, and were now after Magdalen, and would have
+all the rest, "Penn," says Mr. Macaulay, "was foolish enough to answer,
+that he believed the Papists would now be content. 'University,' he said,
+'is a pleasant college. Christ Church is a noble place. Magdalen is a fine
+building. The situation is convenient. The walks by the river are
+delightful. If the Roman Catholics are reasonable, they will be satisfied
+with these.'"
+
+And now I will present Clarkson's just and sensible view of this
+transaction. Mr. Macaulay has said, vol. ii. page 295, that "_the agency
+of Penn was employed_," meaning, as the context shows, employed _by the
+King_. Clarkson, vol. i. chap. 23, says expressly, that, Oct. 3, 1687, Dr.
+Bailey wrote to Penn, "stated the merits of the case, and solicited his
+mediation." Penn told the Fellows, as appears from _Dr. Hough's own
+letter, written the evening after their last interview_, that he "feared
+they had come too late. He would use, however, his endeavors; and, if they
+were unsuccessful, they must attribute it to want of power in him, and not
+of good will to serve them." The mediation came to nothing. The Fellows
+grew dissatisfied with Penn; falling, doubtless, into the very common
+error of parties, highly excited, and differing so widely, that all, who
+are not _for them; in toto, are against them_. They seem to have been
+specially offended, by the following liberal remark of Penn's--"For my
+part, I have always declared my opinion, that the preferments of the
+Church should not be put into any other hands but such as they at present
+are in; but I hope you would not have the two Universities such invincible
+bulwarks of the Church of England, that none but they must be capable of
+giving their children a learned education."
+
+In the same volume and chapter, Clarkson remarks--"They (the delegates
+from Magdalen) thought, strange to relate, that Penn had been rambling;
+and because he spoke doubtfully, about the success of his intended
+efforts, and of the superior capacity of the established clergy, that they
+alone should monopolize education, that his language was not to be
+depended upon as sincere. How this could have come into their heads,
+except from the terror, into which the situation of the College had thrown
+them, it is not easy to conceive; for certainly William Penn was as
+explicit, as any man could have been, under similar circumstances. He
+informed them, that, after repeated efforts with the King, he feared they
+had come too late. This was plain language. He informed them again, that
+he would make another trial with the King; that he would read their papers
+to him, unless peremptorily commanded to forbear; but that, if he failed,
+they must attribute his want of success not to his want of will, but want
+of power."
+
+"This, though expressive of his doubts and fears, was but a necessary
+caution, when his exertions had already failed; and it was still more
+necessary, when there was reason to suppose, that, though the King had a
+regard for him, and was glad to employ him, as an instrument, in
+forwarding his public views, yet that he would not gratify him, where his
+solicitations directly opposed them. That William Penn did afterwards make
+a trial with the King, to serve the College, there can be no doubt,
+because no instance can be produced, wherein he ever forfeited his word or
+broke his promise. But all trials with this view must of necessity have
+been ineffectual. The King and his ministers had already determined the
+point in question."
+
+Such were the sentiments of Clarkson.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXVII.
+
+
+Charles I. was King, when William Penn was born; and, when he died, George
+I. was on the throne. Penn therefore lived in the reins of nine rulers of
+the realm--Charles I.--the Cromwells, Oliver and Richard--Charles
+II.--James II.--William and Mary as joint sovereigns--William
+alone--Anne--and George I.
+
+He was the son of Admiral, Sir William Penn, and was born on Tower Hill,
+London, Oct. 4, 1644. The spirit and the flesh strove hard for the
+mastery, before young William came forth a Quaker, fully developed. He was
+remarkable at Oxford, for his fine scholarship, and athletic performances.
+
+Penn believed, that the Lord appeared to him, when he was very young. The
+devil seems to have made him a short visit afterwards, if we may rely upon
+the testimony of Penn's biographers. Wood, in his Athenæ, iv. 645, gives
+this brief account of the Lord's visit--Penn was "educated in puerile
+learning, at Chigwell in Essex, where, at eleven years of age, being
+retired in a chamber alone, he was so suddenly surprised with an inward
+comfort, and, as he thought, an external glory in the room, that he has,
+many times, said that, from that time, he had the seal of divinity and
+immortality, that there was also a God, and that the soul of man was
+capable of enjoying his divine communications."
+
+His biographer, Clarkson, says, that Penn, at the age of sixteen, was led
+to a sense of the corruptions of the established faith, by the preaching
+of Thomas Loe, a Quaker; and broke off at the chapel, and began to hold
+prayer meetings. For this he was fined and admonished. It is remarkable,
+that Wood, though he states, that Penn, after he became a Quaker, in good
+earnest, was imprisoned, once in Ireland, once in the Tower, and three
+times in Newgate, does not even allude, in his Athenæ, to the expulsion
+from Oxford, which is related, by Chalmers, Clarkson, and others.
+
+It seems, that, after he had become impressed, by Loe's preaching, an
+order came down from court, that the students should wear surplices. This
+so irritated Penn, that, instead of letting his yea be yea, and his nay
+nay--in company with others, says Clarkson, "he fell upon those students,
+who appeared in surplices, and tore them everywhere over their heads." On
+the subject of his conversion, Wood says--"If you'll believe a satirical
+pamphlet--'_The history of Will Penn's conversion from a gentleman to a
+Quaker_,' printed at London, in 1682--you'll find, that the reason of his
+turning Quaker was the loss of his mistress, a delicate young lady, that
+then lived in Dublin; or, as others say, because he refused to fight a
+duel."
+
+For two, good and sufficient reasons, this statement, contained in the
+"_satirical pamphlet_," and referred to by Wood, is unworthy of the
+slightest credit. In the first place, though Penn met Loe, in Dublin,
+after the expulsion from Oxford, and became more fully impressed, yet his
+first meeting with Loe was at Oxford, before the expulsion, and the
+serious impression, produced by his preaching, led, albeit rather oddly,
+to the affair of the surplices.
+
+In the second place, the notion, that Penn would put on Quakerism, to
+avoid a duel, is still more incredible. Nothing could be more unfortunate,
+than any imputation upon Penn's courage, moral or physical. We have seen,
+that he was famous for his athletic exercises. Strange, though it may
+seem, to such as have contemplated Penn, as the quiet non-combatant, he
+was an accomplished swordsman, and, upon one occasion, was actually
+engaged in an affair, which had all the aspect, and all the peril, of the
+_duellium_, however it may have lacked the preliminary forms and
+ceremonies. "During his residence in Paris," says Chalmers, "he was
+assaulted in the street, one evening, by a person with a drawn sword, on
+account of a supposed affront; but among other accomplishments of a gay
+man, he had become so good a swordsman, as to disarm his antagonist."
+
+After his expulsion from Oxford, in 1662, he returned home. His father,
+the Admiral, was greatly provoked, to see his son resorting to the company
+of religious people, who were, of all, the least likely, in the licentious
+reign of Charles II., to advance his worldly interest. The old gentleman
+tried severity, and finally, as Penn himself relates, gave the Quaker
+neophyte a thrashing, and turned him out of doors.
+
+Ere long, the father got the better of the admiral. He relented: and,
+probably, supposing there was as little vitality in Paris, for a Quaker,
+as some of the old philosophers fancied there might be, in a vacuum, for
+an angel, he sent young William thither, as one of a fashionable
+travelling party.
+
+After his return, he was admitted of Lincoln's Inn, and continued there,
+till the year of the plague, 1665. The following year, his father sent him
+to Ireland, to take charge of an estate. At Cork, he met Loe once
+more--attended his meetings, became an unalterable Quaker, preached in
+conventicles--was committed to prison--released upon application to the
+Earl of Orrery--and summoned home, by his indignant father. The old
+Admiral loved his accomplished son, then twenty-three years old--but
+abhorred his Quakerish airs and manners. In all points, save one--the
+point of conscience--William was unexceptionably dutiful. At length, the
+Admiral agreed to compound, on conditions, which seem not to have been
+very oppressive: in short, he consented to waive all objections, and let
+William do as he pleased, in regard to his religion, provided he would
+yield, in one particular--doff his broad brim--take off his hat--in
+presence of the King, the Duke of York, and his own father, the Admiral.
+Young William demanded time for consideration. It was granted; and he
+earnestly sought the Lord, on an empty stomach, as he says himself, with
+prayer. He finally informed his father, that he _could not do it_; and,
+once again, the Admiral, in a paroxysm of wrath, turned the rebellious
+young Quaker out of doors, broad brim and all.
+
+William Penn now began to figure, as a preacher, at the Quaker meetings.
+The _friends_, and the fond mother, ever on hand, in such emergencies,
+supplied his temporal necessities. Even the old Admiral, becoming
+satisfied of William's perfect sincerity, although too proud to tack
+about, hoisted private signals, for his release, when imprisoned, for
+attending Quaker meetings; and evidently lay by, ready to bear down, in
+the event of serious difficulty.
+
+In 1668, Penn's brim grew broader and broader, and his coat became
+buttonless behind. He was a writer and a preacher, and a powerful defender
+of the "_cursed and depised_" Quakers. The titles of his various works may
+be found in Clarkson, and in Wood's Athenæ. They conformed to the fashion
+of the age, and were, necessarily, quaint and extended. I have room for
+one only, as a specimen,--the title of his first tract--"_Truth exalted,
+in a short but sure testimony, against all those religious faiths and
+worships, that have been formed and followed in the darkness of apostacy;
+and for that glorious light, which is now risen, and shines forth in the
+life and doctrine of the despised Quakers, as the alone good old way of
+life and salvation; presented to princes, priests, and people, that they
+may repent, believe, and obey. By William Penn; whom Divine love
+constrains, in an holy contempt, to trample on Egypt's glory, not fearing
+the King's wrath, having beheld the majesty of Him, who is invisible._" In
+this same year 1668, he was imprisoned in the Tower, for publishing his
+SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. There he was confined seven months, doing
+infinitely more mischief, for the cause of lawn sleeves and white frocks,
+forms, ceremonies, and hat-worship, as he calls it, than if he had been
+loose. For, then and there, he wrote his most able pamphlets, especially,
+NO CROSS NO CROWN, which gained him great praise, far beyond the pale of
+Quakerdom. His treatise has been often reprinted, and translated into
+foreign tongues.
+
+In 1670, his influence was so great, that he obtained an order in Council,
+for the release of the Quakers then in prison. At a later day, he again
+assumed the office of St. Peter's angel, and set three thousand captives
+free. In 1685, says Mr. Macaulay, "he strongly represented the sufferings
+of the Quakers to the new King," &c. "In this way, about fifteen hundred
+Quakers, and a still greater number of Roman Catholics regained their
+liberty." No wonder he was mistaken for a Papist, by those, who adopt that
+bastard principle, that charity begins at home, and ends there; whose
+religious circle forms the exclusive line of demarcation, for the exercise
+of that celestial principle; and who look, with the eye of a Chinaman,
+upon all beyond the holy sectarian wall, as outside barbarians. I was
+delighted and rather surprised, that Mr. Macaulay suffered the statement
+of this fact to pass, without some ill-natured expression, in regard to
+Penn--who, I say it reverentially, was less the TOOL of the King, than of
+Jesus Christ.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXVIII.
+
+
+In 1670, William Penn was, for the third time, committed to Newgate, for
+preaching. His fines were paid by his father, who died this year, entirely
+reconciled to his son; and, upon his bed of death, pronounced these
+comforting words--"_Son William, let nothing in this world tempt you to
+wrong your conscience: I charge you, do nothing against your conscience.
+So will you keep peace at home, which will be a feast to you in a day of
+trouble_."
+
+Penn inherited from his father an estate, yielding about £1500 per annum.
+About this time he wrote his "_Seasonable caveat against Popery_;" though
+he knew it was the faith of the Queen and his good friend, the Duke of
+York. Shortly after, he travelled in Holland and Germany. In 1672, he
+married Gulielma Maria Springett. In 1675, he held his famous dispute with
+Richard Baxter; and, in 1677, he again visited the continent, in company
+with George Cox and Robert Barclay, constantly preaching, and writing, and
+importuning, in behalf of his despised and oppressed brethren. About this
+period, and soon after his return to England, we find him petitioning
+Parliament, in their behalf. Twice, he was permitted to address the
+committee of the House of Commons, upon this subject.
+
+Whoever coveted the honor of being the creditor of royalty found a willing
+customer, in Charles the Second. In 1681, that monarch, in consideration
+of £16,000 due from him to the estate of Admiral Penn, conveyed to William
+the district, now called Pennsylvania. He himself would have given it the
+name of Sylvania, but the King insisted, on prefixing the name of the
+grantee. Full powers of legislation and government were bestowed upon the
+proprietor. The only limitation was a power, reserved to the Privy
+Council, to rescind his laws, within six months, after they were laid
+before that body. The charter bears date March 4, 1681. He first designed
+to call his domain "New Wales," and nothing saved the Philadelphians from
+being Welchmen, but an objection, from the under-secretary of state, who
+was himself a Welchman, and was offended at the Quaker's presumption.
+
+He encouraged emigrants, judiciously selected, to embark for his Province;
+and followed, himself, with about a hundred Quakers, in September, 1682.
+His arrival in the Delaware, his beneficent administration, and the whole
+story of his negotiation, with the Indians, are full of interest, and
+overflowing. It is a long story withal, too long, altogether, for our
+narrow boundaries. I have indicated the sources of information, and this
+is all my limits will allow.
+
+After two years, he returned to England, and became a greater favorite
+than ever, with James II.--was calumniated, of course--pursued by the
+unholy alliance of churchmen, and sectaries, and apostate Quakers--grossly
+insulted--"chastened but not killed"--and finally deprived of his
+government. Justice, at length, prevailed. Penn's rights were restored, by
+William III. Having lost his wife and son, he went again, upon his
+travels, and again married. In 1699, he returned to Pennsylvania, and
+remained there, for the term of two years. He then went home to England;
+and, after continuing to employ his tongue and his pen, as freely as ever,
+for several years, he died, July 30, 1718, at the age of seventy-two
+years, at Jordan, near Beaconsfield, in Buckinghamshire.
+
+Such is the mere _skeleton_ of this good man's life; and it is my purpose
+to _flesh it up_, with some few of those highly interesting, and well
+authenticated, incidents, which may be found, on the pages of trust worthy
+writers.
+
+I do not believe, that the pen of any past, present, or future historian,
+or biographer, however masterly the hand that holds it--however bitter and
+pungent the gall of bigotry or political venom, in which it may
+dipped--will ever be able, very grievously, or lastingly, to soil the
+character of William Penn. The world's opinion has settled down, upon firm
+convictions. If new facts can be produced, then, indeed, a writer may
+justly move, for a reconsideration of the public sentiment--but Mr.
+Macaulay does not present _a single fact_, in relation to William Penn,
+not known before--he gives a _construction_ of his own, so manifestly
+tinctured with ill nature, as, at once, to excite the suspicion of his
+reader.
+
+I wear a narrow brim, and have buttons behind--I am no Quaker--and,
+indeed, have a quarrel with them all--chiefly grammatical--though I esteem
+and respect the principles of that moral and religious people--but I
+simply describe the impulse of my own heart, when I say, that Mr.
+Macaulay's ill natured treatment of William Penn painfully disturbed my
+confidence, in his impartiality; and constrained me to "read, mark, learn
+and inwardly digest," the highly seasoned _provant_, which he has
+furnished--_cum grano salis_; and with great care, not to swallow the
+_flummery_. Scotchmen have not always written thus of William Penn; and
+the sentiments of mankind, now and hereafter, if I do not strangely err,
+will be found, embodied in the concluding passage of an article in the
+Edinburgh Review, vol. xxi. page 462.
+
+"We shall not stop to examine what dregs of ambition, or what hankerings
+after worldly prosperity may have mixed themselves with the pious and
+philanthropic principles, that were undoubtedly his chief guides in
+forming, that great settlement, which still bears his name, and profits by
+his example. Human virtue does not challenge nor admit of such a scrutiny:
+and it should be sufficient for the glory of William Penn, that he stands
+upon record, as the most humane, the most moderate, and most pacific of
+all governors." All this may be enough for his _glory_. But there are some
+simple, touching truths, to be told of William Penn, and some highly
+interesting personal details; which, though they may have little about
+them, in accordance with the ordinary estimate of _glory_, will long
+continue to envelop the memory of this extraordinary man, with a purer and
+a milder light.
+
+I know no better mode of concluding the present article, than by
+presenting a few extracts, from the valedictory letter of William Penn to
+his wife and children, written on the eve of his first visit to
+Pennsylvania, September, 1682. If the _saints_ write such admirable love
+letters, it would greatly benefit the _sinners_--the men of this world--to
+follow the example, and surpass it, if they can.
+
+"My dear wife and children. My love, which neither sea, nor land, nor
+death itself can extinguish nor lessen towards you, most endearingly
+visits you, with eternal embraces, and will abide with you forever. My
+dear wife! remember thou wast the love of my youth, and much the joy of my
+life; the most beloved, as well as most worthy of all my earthly comforts;
+and the reason of that love was more thy inward than thy outward
+excellencies, which yet were many. God knows, and thou knowest it, I can
+say it was a match of Providence's making; and God's image in us both was
+the first thing, and the most amiable and engaging ornament in our eyes.
+Now I am to leave thee, and that, without knowing whether I shall ever
+see thee more in this world. Take my counsel into thy bosom, and let it
+dwell with thee, in my stead, while thou livest."
+
+Here follows some domestic advice. Penn then proceeds--"And now, my
+dearest, let me recommend to thy care, my dear children, abundantly
+beloved of me, as the Lord's blessings, and the sweet pledges of our
+mutual and endeared affection. Above all things, endeavor to breed them
+up, in the knowledge and love of virtue, and that holy plain way of it,
+which we have lived in, that the world, in no part of it, get into my
+family. * * *
+
+"For their learning, be liberal. Spare no cost. For by such parsimony all
+is lost, that is saved: but let it be useful knowledge, such as is
+consistent with truth and godliness, not cherishing a vain conversation,
+or idle mind. * * * I recommend the useful parts of mathematics, &c., but
+agriculture is especially in my eye: let my children be husbandmen and
+housewives: it is industrious, healthy, honest and of good example. * * *
+Be sure to observe their genius, and do not cross it as to learning. * * *
+I choose not they should be married to earthly, covetous kindred; and of
+cities and towns of concourse, beware. The world is apt to stick close to
+those, who have lived and got wealth there. A country life and estate, I
+like best for my children. I prefer a decent mansion, of an hundred pounds
+per annum, before ten thousand pounds, in London, or such like place, in a
+way of trade."
+
+He then addresses his children, and finally his elder boys, in the
+following admirable strain, honorable alike to his understanding and his
+heart.
+
+"And, as for you, who are likely to be concerned, in the government of
+Pennsylvania, I do charge you, before the Lord God and his holy angels,
+that you be lowly, diligent and tender, fearing God, loving the people,
+and hating covetousness. Let justice have its impartial course, and the
+law free passage. Though to your loss, protect no man against it--for you
+are not above the law, but the law above you. Live therefore the lives,
+yourselves, you would have the people live; and then you have right and
+boldness to punish the transgressor. Keep upon the square, for God sees
+you: therefore do your duty, and be sure you see with your own eyes, and
+hear with your own ears. Entertain no lurchers; cherish no informers for
+gain or revenge; use no tricks; fly to no devices, to support or cover
+injustice but let your heart be upright before the Lord, trusting in him,
+above the contrivances of men, and none shall be able to hurt or
+supplant."
+
+The letter, from which I have made these few extracts, concludes--"So
+farewell to my thrice dearly beloved wife and children! Yours as God
+pleaseth, in that, which no waters can quench, no time forget, nor
+distance wear away."
+
+It is truly pleasant to get behind the curtain of form and ceremony, and
+look at these eminent men, in their night-gowns and slippers, and listen
+to them thus, while talking to their wives and their children.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXIX.
+
+
+It is remarkable, that such a genuine Quaker, as William Penn, should have
+sprung from such a belligerent stock. His father, as I have stated, was a
+British admiral; and his grandfather, Giles, was a captain in the navy.
+William Penn may, nevertheless, have derived, from this origin, and from
+his Dutch mother, Margaret Jasper, of Rotterdam--a certain quality,
+eminently characteristic of the Quaker--that resolute determination, which
+the coarser man of the world calls _pluck_, and the Quaker, _constancy_.
+
+This constancy of purpose, in William Penn, seems never to have been
+shaken. It appeared, in his refusal to doff his brim, before his father,
+the Duke of York, and the King. It was manifested, when, being imprisoned
+in the Tower, for printing his _Sandy Foundation Shaken_, and hearing,
+that the Bishop of London had declared the offender should publicly
+recant, or remain there, for life; he replied, "_he would weary out the
+malice of his enemies by his patience, and that his prison should be his
+grave, before he would renounce his just opinions, for he owed his
+conscience to no man_."
+
+This same constancy was signally exhibited, during the disputation,
+between himself and George Whitehead, for the Quakers, and Thomas Vincent
+and others, for the Presbyterians. Vincent had a parish, in Spitalfields.
+Two of his parishioners went to listen, perhaps to laugh, at the Quakers.
+Like Goldsmith's scoffers, who came to laugh, and remained to pray--they
+went in, Presbyterians, and came out, Quakers. They were converted. At
+this, Vincent lost his patience; and seems to have become a persecutor of
+the _cursed Quakers_; and, as Clarkson states, said all manner of
+"_unhandsome_" things of them, and their _damnable_ doctrines. Penn and
+Whitehead invited Vincent to a public discussion. After much delay and
+evasion, Vincent consented. As every fowl is bravest on his own
+_stercorium_, Vincent selected his own Presbyterian meeting-house, as the
+place for the discussion; and, before the appointed hour, filled it with
+his own people, so completely, that the disputants themselves, Penn and
+Whitehead, could scarcely gain admittance. They were instantly insulted,
+by a charge, suddenly made, that the Quakers held "_damnable doctrines_."
+Whitehead began a reply; Vincent interrupted him, and proposed, as the
+proper course, that he should put questions to the Quakers. He put the
+motion, and, as almost all present were of his party, it was agreed to, of
+course. He then put a question concerning the Godhead, which he knew the
+Quakers would answer in the negative. Whitehead and Penn attempted to
+explain. Several rose on the other side. Whitehead desired to put a
+question to Vincent. This the Presbyterians refused. They proceeded to
+laugh, hiss and stigmatize. Penn they called a Jesuit. Upon an answer from
+Whitehead, to a question from Vincent, uproar ensued, and Vincent "went
+instantly to prayer," that the Lord would _come short_ with heretics and
+blasphemers.
+
+When he had, by this manoeuvre, discharged his battery upon the Quakers,
+effectually securing himself from interruption--for no one would presume
+to interrupt a minister at prayer--he cut off all power of reply, by
+telling the people to go home immediately, at the same moment setting them
+the example.
+
+The closing part, which especially exhibits that constancy, for which the
+Quakers have ever been remarkable, cannot be more happily related, than in
+the language of Mr. Clarkson himself.
+
+"The congregation was leaving the meeting-house, and they had not yet been
+heard. Finding they would soon be left to themselves, some of them, at
+length, ventured to speak; but they were pulled down, and the candles, for
+the controversy had lasted till midnight, were put out. They were not,
+however, prevented by this usage, from going on: for, rising up, they
+continued their defence in the dark; and what was extraordinary, many
+staid to hear it. This brought Vincent among them with a candle.
+Addressing himself to the Quakers, he desired them to disperse. To this,
+at length, they consented, but only, on the promise, that another meeting
+should be granted them, for the same purpose, in the same place."
+
+Vincent did not keep his promise. He was, doubtless, fearful that more of
+his parishioners would be converted. Penn and Whitehead, at last, went to
+Vincent's meeting-house, on a lecture day; and, when the lecture was
+finished, rose and begged an audience: but Vincent went off, as fast as
+possible; and the congregation, as speedily, followed. Finding no other
+mode before him, Penn wrote and published his celebrated _Sandy Foundation
+Shaken_, which caused his imprisonment in the Tower, as already related.
+
+Another remarkable example of the constancy of Penn is recorded, in the
+history of his trial, before the Lord Mayor, for a breach of the
+conventicle act, in 1670. Mr. Macaulay is pleased to say, Penn had never
+been "_a strong-headed man_." This is one of those sliding phrases, that
+may mean anything, or nothing. It may mean, that not being a
+_strong-headed man_, he necessarily belonged to the other category, and
+was a _weak-headed man_. Or, it may mean, that he was not as strong-headed
+as Lord Verulam, or Mr. Macaulay. I wish the reader would decide this
+question for himself; and, for that end, read the history of this
+interesting trial, as given by Clarkson, in the first volume, and sixth
+chapter of his Memoirs of Penn. If the evidences of a strong head and a
+strong heart were not abundantly exhibited, by the accused, upon that
+occasion, I know not where to look for them.
+
+The jury returned a verdict of _guilty of speaking in Grace Street
+Church_. Sir Samuel Starling, the Mayor, and the whole court abused the
+jurors, after the example of Jeffreys, and sent them back to their room.
+After half an hour, they returned the same verdict, in writing, signed
+with their names. The court were more enraged than before; and, Mr.
+Clarkson says, the Recorder addressed them thus--"You shall not be
+dismissed, till we have a verdict, such as the court will accept; and you
+shall be locked up without meat, drink, fire, and tobacco; you shall not
+think thus to abuse the court; we will have a verdict, by the help of God,
+or you shall starve for it." After being out all night, the jury returned
+the same verdict, for the third time. They were severely abused by the
+court, after the fashion of that day, and sent to their room, once more. A
+fourth time, they returned the same verdict. Penn addressed the jury, and
+the court ordered the jailor to stop his mouth, and bring fetters, and
+stake him to the ground. Friend William, for an instant, merged the Quaker
+in the Englishman, and exclaimed--"Do your pleasure, I matter not your
+fetters."
+
+On the fifth of September, the jury, who had received no refreshment, for
+two days and two nights, returned a verdict of _not guilty_. Such was the
+condition of things, at that day, that, for the rendition of that verdict,
+the jury were fined forty marks apiece, and imprisoned in Newgate. Penn
+was, at this time, five-and-twenty years of age.
+
+The peculiar position of William Penn, at the court of Charles and James
+the Second, may be explained, without laying, at his door, the imputation
+of being a time-server, and a man of the world. Between the latter monarch
+and the Quaker, there existed a relation, akin to friendship. Penn, in
+keeping with his Quaker principles, was forgetful of injuries, and mindful
+of benefits. It is impossible to say, how long he would have remained in
+the tower, when imprisoned there, through the agency of the Bishop of
+London, had he not been released, upon the unsolicited importunity of
+James II., when Duke of York. When the Admiral, his father, was near his
+end, "he sent one of his friends," says Mr. Clarkson, "to the Duke of
+York, to desire of him, as a death-bed request, that he would endeavor to
+protect his son, as far as he consistently could, and to ask the King to
+do the same, in case of future persecution. The answer was gratifying,
+both of them promising their services, upon a fit occasion."
+
+Perhaps it would not be going too far--with Mr. Macaulay's permission, of
+course--to ascribe that personal consideration, which Penn exhibited, for
+Charles and James--a part of it, at least--to a grateful recollection of
+their favors, to his father and himself.
+
+"_Titles and phrases_," says Mr. Macaulay, "_against which he had often
+borne his testimony, dropped occasionally from his lips and his pen_." I
+rather doubt, if the recording angel, who will never "_set down aught in
+malice_," has noted the unquakerish sins of William Penn, in doing
+grammatical justice to personal pronouns. This, truly, is a mighty small
+matter. If Penn was not so particular, in these little things, as some
+others of his brotherhood, his birth and education may be well considered.
+He was not a Quaker born. His residence in France may also be taken into
+the account. "He had contracted," says Clarkson, "a sort of polished or
+courtly demeanor, which he had insensibly taken from the customs of the
+people, among whom he had lately lived."
+
+In the matter of the hat, even Mr. Macaulay will never charge William Penn
+with inconsistency. In Granger's Biographical History of England, iv. 16,
+I find the following anecdote--"We are credibly informed, that he sat with
+his hat on before Charles II., and that the King, as a gentle rebuke for
+his ill manners, put off his own: upon which Penn said to him--'Friend
+Charles, why dost thou not put on thy hat?' The King answered, ''Tis the
+custom of this place, that never above one person should be covered at a
+time.'" This tale is told also, in a note to Grey's Hudibras, on canto ii.
+v. 225, and elsewhere.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXX.
+
+
+_The pride of life_--that omnipresent frailty--that universal mark of
+man's congenital naughtiness--in William Penn, seemed scarcely an earthly
+leaven, springing, as it did, from a comforting consciousness of the
+purity of his own. _The pride of life_, with him, was essentially
+_humility_; for, when compelled to rest his defence, in any degree, upon
+his individual character, he vaunted not himself, but gave all the glory
+to the Giver.
+
+No man, however, more keenly felt the assaults, which were made upon his
+character, by the tongue and the pen of envy and hatred, ignorance and
+bigotry, because he knew, that the shaft, though aimed, ostensibly, at
+him, was frequently designed, for that body, whose prominent leader he
+was.
+
+In the very year of his father's death, and shortly after that event, he
+was seized, by a file of soldiers, sent purposely, for his apprehension,
+while preaching, in a Quaker meeting-house, and carried before Sir John
+Robinson, who treated him roughly, and sent him, for six months, to
+Newgate. In the course of the trial, Robinson said to Penn--"_You have
+been as bad as other folks_"--to which Penn replied--"_When and where? I
+charge thee to tell the company to my face._" Robinson rejoined--"Abroad,
+and at home too." This was so notoriously false and absurd, that an
+ingenuous member of the court, Sir John Shelden, exclaimed--"_No, no, Sir
+John, that's too much_." Penn, turning to the assembly, and with all the
+chastened indignation of an insulted Christian--Quaker as he
+was--delivered himself, with a strength and simplicity, which would have
+done honor to Paul, in the presence of Agrippa; and which must forever, so
+long as the precious record shall remain, touch a responsive chord--even
+in the bosoms of those, whose practice it is, upon ordinary occasions, to
+let their yea be yea, and their nay--nay.
+
+I am sure it would have cheered the old Admiral's heart, and elevated his
+respect for the broad brim, to have heard the manly language of his Quaker
+son, that day.
+
+"I make this bold challenge to all men, women, and children upon earth,
+justly to accuse me, with having seen me drunk, heard me swear, utter a
+curse, or speak one obscene word, much less that I ever made it my
+practice. I speak this to God's glory, who has ever preserved me from the
+power of these pollutions, and who, from a child, begot an hatred in me,
+towards them."
+
+"But there is nothing more common, than, when men are of a more severe
+life than ordinary, for loose persons to comfort themselves with the
+conceit, that these were once as they themselves are; as if there were no
+collateral or oblique line of the compass or globe, by which men might be
+said to come to the Arctic pole, but directly and immediately from the
+Antarctic. Thy words shall be thy burden, and I trample thy slanders, as
+dirt, under my feet."
+
+Mr. Clarkson is quoted, as good authority, by Mr. Macaulay. Such he has
+ever been esteemed. A brief quotation may not be amiss, in regard to
+Penn's relation to James II. Having referred to the Admiral's dying
+request to Charles and James, to have a regard for his Quaker son,
+Clarkson says--"From this period a more regular acquaintance grew up
+between them (William Penn and James II.) and intimacy followed. During
+this intimacy, however William Penn might have disapproved, as he did, of
+the King's religious opinions, he was attached to him, from a belief, that
+he was a friend to liberty of conscience. Entertaining this opinion
+concerning him, he conceived it to be his duty, now that he had become
+King, to renew this intimacy with him, and that, in a stronger manner than
+ever, that he might forward the great object, for which he had crossed the
+Atlantic, namely, the relief of those unhappy persons, who were then
+suffering, on account of their religion. * * * * He used his influence
+with the King solely in doing good."
+
+The relation, between William Penn and the Papist King, was indeed
+remarkable. Gerard Croese published his Historia Quakeriana, at Amsterdam,
+in 1695, which was translated into English, in the following year. It was
+greatly disliked, by the Quakers; and, in 1696, drew forth an answer from
+one of the society. The testimony of Croese, in relation to Penn, may
+therefore be deemed impartial. He says--"The king loved him, as a singular
+and entire friend, and imparted to him many of his secrets and counsels.
+He often honored him with his company in private, discoursing with him of
+various affairs, and that not for one but many hours together."
+
+When a peer, who had been long kept waiting for Penn to come forth,
+ventured to complain, the King simply said--"_Penn always talked
+ingeniously and he heard him willingly_." Croese says, that Penn was
+unwearied, as the suitor on behalf of his oppressed people, making
+constant efforts for their liberation, and paying their legal expenses,
+from his private purse. The King's remark certainly does not quadrate with
+Burnet's statement, that Penn "_had a tedious luscious way of talking_."
+With Queen Anne he was a great favorite; and Clarkson says, vol. ii. chap.
+15, "she received him always in a friendly manner, and was pleased with
+his conversation." So was Tillotson. So was a better judge than Queen
+Anne, Tillotson, or Burnet. In Noble's continuation of Granger, Swift is
+stated to have said--"_Penn talked very agreeably and with much spirit_."
+
+Somewhat of Penn's relation to King James may be gathered, from Penn's
+answer, when examined, in 1690, before King William, in regard to an
+intercepted letter from King James to Penn. In that letter, James desired
+Penn to "_come to his assistance and express to him the resentments of his
+favor and benevolence_." When asked what _resentments_ were intended, he
+replied that "he did not know, but he supposed the King meant he should
+compass his restoration. Though, however he could not avoid the suspicion
+of such an attempt, he could avoid the guilt of it. He confessed he had
+loved King James; and, as he had loved him, in his prosperity, he could
+not hate him, in his adversity--yes, he loved him yet, for the many favors
+he had conferred on him, though he could not join with him, in what
+concerned the state or kingdom." This answer, says Pickart, "_was noble,
+generous, and wise_."
+
+One of the most able and eloquent compositions of William Penn is his
+justly celebrated letter of October 24, 1688, to William Popple. Mr.
+Popple was secretary to the Lords Commissioners, for the affairs of trade
+and plantations, and a particular friend of Penn and of his schoolfellow,
+John Locke. Had Mr. Macaulay flourished then, he would have had readier
+listeners to these cavils, than he has at present. Penn, in 1688, was
+excessively unpopular. He was not only _the tool of the King and the
+Jesuits_, but a rank _Papist_ and _Jesuit_ himself--the _friend of
+arbitrary power,--bred at St. Omers in the Jesuits College--he had
+taken orders at Rome--married under a dispensation--officiated as a
+priest at Whitehall_--no charge against William Penn was too absurd, to
+gain credit with the people, at the period of the Revolution.
+
+Upon this occasion, Mr. Popple addressed to Penn a letter, eminently
+beautiful, in point of style, and containing a most forcible appeal to
+Penn's sense of duty to himself, to the society of Friends, to his
+children, and the world, to put down these atrocious calumnies, by some
+public written declaration. His letter will be found, in Clarkson's
+Memoirs, vol. ii. chap. i. I truly regret, that I have space only, for
+some brief disconnected extracts, from William Penn's reply.
+
+"Worthy Friend; it is now above twenty years, I thank God, that I have not
+been very solicitous what the world thought of me, &c. The business,
+chiefly insisted on, is my Popery and endeavors to promote it. I do say
+then, and that, with all simplicity, that I am not only no Jesuit, but no
+Papist; and which is more, I never had any temptation upon me to be so,
+either from doubts in my own mind, about the way I profess, or from the
+discourses or writings of any of that religion. And in the presence of
+Almighty God I do declare, that the King did never once directly or
+indirectly, attack me or tempt me upon that subject." * * * * "I say then
+solemnly, that so far from having been bred at St. Omers, and having
+received orders at Rome, I never was at either place; nor do I know
+anybody there, nor had I ever a correspondence with anybody in those
+places." After alluding to the absurdity of charging him with having
+officiated as a Catholic Priest, he adverts to his opinion of the views of
+King James, on the subject of toleration--"And in his honor, as well as in
+my own defence, I am obliged in conscience to say, that he has ever
+declared to me it was his opinion; and on all occasions, when Duke, he
+never refused me the repeated proof of it, as often as I had any poor
+sufferers for conscience' sake to solicit his help for." * * * * "To this
+let me add the relation my father had to this King's service; his
+particular favor in getting me released out of the Tower of London in
+1669, my father's humble request to him, upon his death-bed, to protect me
+from the inconveniences and troubles my persuasion might expose me to, and
+his friendly promise to do it, and exact performance of it, from the
+moment I addressed myself to him. I say, when all this is considered,
+anybody, that has the least pretence to good nature, gratitude, or
+generosity, must needs know how to interpret my access to the King."
+
+This letter contains sentiments, on the subject of religious toleration,
+which would be highly ornamental, if placed in golden characters, upon the
+walls of all our churches--"Our fault is, we are apt to be mighty hot upon
+speculative errors, and break all bounds in our resentments; but we let
+practical ones pass without remark, if not without repentance! as if a
+mistake about an obscure proposition of faith were a greater evil, than
+the breach of an undoubted precept. Such a religion the devils themselves
+are not without, for they have both faith and knowledge; but their faith
+doth not work by love, nor their knowledge by obedience." * * * "Let us
+not think religion a litigious thing; nor that Christ came only to make us
+disputants." * * * * "It is charity that deservedly excels in the
+Christian religion." * * * * "He that suffers his difference with his
+neighbor, about the other world, to carry him beyond the line of
+moderation in this, is the worse for his opinion, even if it be true. It
+is too little considered by Christians, that men may hold the truth in
+unrighteousness; that they may be orthodox, and not know what spirit they
+are of."
+
+Verily, this "_courtly Quaker_"--this "_tool of the King and the
+Jesuits_," who was "_never a strong-headed man_"--was quite a Christian
+gentleman after all.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXI.
+
+
+In the latter days of William Penn, _the sun and the light were
+darkened--the clouds returned after the rain--the grasshopper became a
+burden_--and the years had drawn nigh, when he could truly say he had _no
+pleasure in them_. No mortal, probably, ever enjoyed a more continual
+feast from the consciousness of a life, devoted to the glory of God, and
+the welfare of man; but many of his temporal reliances had crumbled under
+him; and trouble had gathered about his path, and about his bed.
+
+He had not much more comfort in his government, I fear, than Sancho Panza
+enjoyed, in that of Barataria. Its commencement was marked, by a vexatious
+dispute with Lord Baltimore; and the Governor's absence was ever the
+signal for altercation, between different cliques and parties, and
+vexatious neglect, on the part of his tenants and agents. In his letters
+to Thomas Lloyd, the President of his Council, he complains of some in the
+government, for drinking, carousing, and official extortion.
+
+In his letters to Lloyd and Harrison in 1686, he complains of the Council,
+for neglecting and slighting his letters; that he cannot get "_a penny_"
+of his quit-rents; and adds--"God is my witness, I lie not. I am now above
+six thousand pounds out of pocket, more than ever I saw by the province;
+and you may throw in my pains, cares, and hazard of life, and leaving of
+my family and friends to serve them."
+
+It is even stated by Clarkson, vol. i. ch. 22, that want of funds from the
+Province prevented his returning to America, in 1686. In the following
+year, he renews these complaints.
+
+In 1688, and after the revolution, he was examined, before the Lords of
+Council, on the charge of being a Papist and a Jesuit; gave bonds for his
+attendance, on the first day of the next term; and, no witness then
+appearing against him, he was discharged.
+
+In 1690, he was again arrested, and bound over as before, and, no witness
+appearing, was again discharged. In the same year, he was once more
+arrested, and committed to prison. On the day of trial, no witness
+appeared, and he was again discharged. He resolved to fly from such
+continual persecution, to America, and, while making his preparation, he
+was again arrested, upon the information of one Fuller, who was afterward
+set in the pillory, for his crime.
+
+Penn sought safety, in privacy and retirement from the world. In 1691, a
+new proclamation was issued for his arrest; and his American affairs wore
+a gloomy aspect. In 1693, he was deprived of his government, by King
+William; and pursued with unrelenting rage, by his enemies. In the words
+of Clarkson, he was "_a poor, persecuted exile_."
+
+"_Canonized to-day and cursed to-morrow_"--such seems to have been the
+fortune of William Penn. His only prudent course seemed to be to bow down,
+before the wrath of that popular hurricane, which swept furiously over
+him, and went upon its way. This good and great man was not wholly
+forgotten. He had never forfeited the affectionate respect of some
+persons, who have left bright names, for the admiration of future ages.
+Such were Locke and Tillotson. They marked their time, and moved in behalf
+of the oppressed. Lords Ranelagh, Rochester, and Sidney went to King
+William--they "_considered it a dishonor to the Government, that a man,
+who had lived such an exemplary life, and who had been so distinguished
+for his talents, disinterestedness, generosity, and public spirit, should
+be buried in an ignoble obscurity, and prevented from rising to future
+eminence and usefulness, in consequence of the charge of an unprincipled
+wretch, whom Parliament had publicly stigmatized, as a cheat and an
+impostor_."
+
+King William replied to these truly noble lords, "that William Penn was
+_an old friend of his, as well as theirs_, and that he might follow his
+business, as freely as ever, for he had nothing to say against him." The
+principal Secretary of State, Sir John Trenchard, and the Marquis of
+Winchester bore these joyful tidings to William Penn. And how did he
+receive them? He went instantly, of course, to tender the homage of his
+humble acknowledgments to King William--not so. He was then greatly
+embarrassed in his pecuniary affairs. Foes were on every side. The wife
+whom, in his parting letter, he bade remember, that she was _the love of
+his youth and the joy of his life_, was on her death-bed, prostrated
+there, according to Clarkson, in no small degree, by her too keen sympathy
+for her long suffering husband. His _heart_ was broken--his _spirit_ was
+not. He preferred rights before favors, and desired permission publicly to
+defend himself, before the King in council. This was granted, and he was
+abundantly acquitted, after a deliberate hearing.
+
+The last hours of his wife, Gulielma Maria, were cheered by this
+intelligence. In about a month after this event, she died. "She was an
+excelling person," said he, "as wife, child, mother, mistress, friend, and
+neighbor."
+
+In 1694, a complete reconciliation took place between Penn and the society
+of Friends; and, in the same year, he was restored to the Government of
+Pennsylvania. In 1696, he married Hannah Callowhill, of Bristol. These
+gleams of returning happiness were soon obscured. A few weeks after this
+marriage, he lost his eldest son. This young man was upon the eve of
+twenty-one. His father's simple narrative of the dying hour is truly
+affecting. "His time drawing on apace, he said to me--'My dear father,
+kiss me. Thou art a dear father. How can I make thee amends?' He also
+called his sister, and said to her, 'poor child, come and kiss me,'
+between whom seemed a tender and long parting. I sent for his brother,
+that he might kiss him too, which he did. All were in tears about him.
+Turning his head to me, he said softly, 'Dear father, hast thou no hope
+for me?' I answered, 'My dear child, I am afraid to hope, and I dare not
+despair, but am and have been resigned, though one of the hardest lessons
+I ever learned.'" When the doctor came, he was very weak, and the
+narrative continues thus. "He said--'Let my father speak to the doctor,
+and I'll go to sleep,' which he did and waked no more; breathing his last
+upon my breast, the tenth day of the second month, between nine and ten in
+the morning, 1696. So ended the life of my dear child and eldest son, much
+of my comfort and hope, and one of the most tender and dutiful, as well as
+ingenuous and virtuous youths I knew, if I may say so of my own dear son,
+in whom I lost all that any father can lose in a child; since he was
+capable of anything, that became a sober young man, my friend and
+companion, as well as most affectionate and dutiful child."
+
+About this time Penn was sorely grieved, by the conduct of George Keith,
+the apostate Quaker, who had been excommunicated, and now spent his time,
+in abusing the society.
+
+Penn had become well convinced of many solemn truths, presented in the
+last chapter of Ecclesiastes, and of none more fully, than that there is
+no end of making books. He continued to pour forth pamphlets, on various
+subjects. In this year, 1696, he became acquainted, and had several
+interviews, with Peter the Great, who was then working, as a common
+shipwright, in the dock yards at Deptford. In 1699 he once more visited
+Pennsylvania. In 1701 he returned to England. In 1702 and 1703 he
+continued to preach and publish, as vigorously as ever.
+
+In 1707 he became involved in a lawsuit, with the executors of one Ford,
+his former steward, or agent. Ford was undoubtedly a knave. Penn suffered
+severely from this cause. The decision was against him; and, though
+Chancery could not relieve, many thought him greatly wronged. He was
+compelled, in 1708, to live within the rules of the Fleet. This,
+doubtless, was the occasion of Mr. Burke's erroneous statement, many years
+after, that Penn died in the Fleet Prison. An amusing anecdote may be
+referred to this period, which, though not mentioned by Clarkson, nor in
+the life by Chalmers, may be found in the Encyclopædia Britannica, of
+1798, and is repeated, in Napier's edition of 1842. Penn is said to have
+had a peep-hole, through which, unseen, he could see every visitor. A
+creditor, having often knocked, and becoming impatient, knocked more
+violently; "will not your master see me?" said he, when the door was
+opened--"He hath _seen_ thee, friend," the servant replied, "but he doth
+not like thee."
+
+In 1709, his necessities were such, that he mortgaged his whole Province
+of Pennsylvania, for £6600. This necessity, as Oldmixon says, in his
+"Account of the British Empire in America," arose from "his bounty to the
+Indians, his generosity in minding the public affairs of the Colony more
+than his own private ones, his humanity to those, who have not made
+suitable returns, his confidence in those, who have betrayed him."
+
+In 1712, he had three apoplectic fits, followed by those painful effects,
+which are usual in such cases. His friend, Thomas Story, the first
+recorder of Philadelphia, made him yearly visits, after this period, till
+his death, which took place July 30, 1718. It is impossible to read the
+account of these visits, as given by Thomas Story himself, and presented
+by Clarkson, vol. ii. chap. 18, without emotion.
+
+It has too often befallen those, whose lives have been devoted to the
+benefit of mankind, to be outraged, after they were dead and buried.
+Malice delights to meddle with their ashes. Political prejudice and
+priestly bigotry seek, in graves, undisturbed by ages, for something to
+gratify their unnatural appetites, and satisfy the gnawings of a mean,
+vindictive spirit.
+
+Penn had not long been committed to the tomb, when a wretch, Henry
+Pickworth, an excommunicated renegade, spread abroad, with all the
+industry and energy of a malicious spirit, the report that Penn had died a
+raving maniac, at Bath. This rumor became so general, that it was thought
+necessary to destroy it, by the publication of certificates from those,
+who had ministered about his dying bed.
+
+For one hundred and thirty years, William Penn has slumbered in the grave.
+That _hutesium et clamor_, that spirit of persecution, by which this
+excellent man was pursued, vilified, impoverished, and exiled, has long
+been hushed. The high churchman, the bigot, the Quaker renegade, the false
+accuser, have worn out their viperous teeth upon the file. All, that bore
+the primeval impress of human weakness, in William Penn, had well nigh
+perished, and departed from the minds of men. All, that was excellent, and
+lovely, and of good report, had become case hardened, as it were, into a
+sort of precious immortality. That his spirit had found a celestial niche,
+among the just made perfect, was the firm faith of all, who believe, that
+their Father in Heaven is a God of toleration and of mercy. I have paid my
+imperfect tribute of affectionate respect to the memory of William Penn.
+
+Notwithstanding Mr. Macaulay's efforts to disturb the popular opinion, in
+regard to William Penn, his History of England is one of the most amusing
+books, in the English language. Relationship is worth something, even in a
+library; I have placed the two volumes, already published, between the
+works of Sir Walter Scott, and a highly prized edition of the Arabian
+Nights.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXII.
+
+
+Death has taken away, within a brief space, several of our estimable
+citizens--Mr. Joseph Balch, an excellent and amiable man, who filled an
+official station, honorably for himself, and profitably for others--Mr.
+Samuel C. Gray, a gentleman of taste and refinement, who graduated at
+Harvard College, in 1811, and, at the time of his death, was President of
+the Atlas Bank--Mr. John Bromfield, a man of a sound head, and a kind
+heart. Having bestowed five and twenty thousand dollars, in his life-time,
+upon the Boston Athenæum, he modestly left the more extended purposes of
+his benevolent heart, to be proclaimed, after his decease; and, by his
+will, distributed, among eight charitable institutions, and his native
+town, the sum of one hundred and ten thousand dollars.
+
+The features of these good men are still upon the retina of our memories;
+the tones of their voices yet ring in our ears; we almost expect their
+wonted salutation, upon the public walk. But there is no mockery
+here--they are gone--the places, that knew them, shall know them no more!
+
+Death has laid his icy hand upon these men, as he has ever laid the same
+cold palm upon their fathers, since time began. Such exits are common.
+Disease triumphed over the flesh, and they ceased to be.
+
+But Death has done his dismal work, of late, in our very midst, by the
+hand of cruel violence--not sitting like the King of Terrors, in quiet
+dignity, upon his throne, and casting his unerring shafts abroad; but
+darting down upon his unsuspecting victim, and, with a murderous grasp,
+crushing him at once. I allude, as every reader well knows, to the fate of
+the late Dr. George Parkman.
+
+As the Coroner's Inquest, after long and laborious investigation, has
+declared, that he was "_killed_," we must assume it to be so. I have known
+this gentleman, for more than forty years; and have had occasion to
+observe some of the peculiarities of his character, in the relations of
+business, as well as in those of ordinary intercourse--I say the
+_peculiarities_ of his character, for he certainly must be classed in the
+category of _eccentric_ men. Having heard much of this ill-fated
+gentleman, for many years, before the late awful occurrence, and still
+more since the event--for he was extensively known, and all, who knew him,
+have something to relate--I am satisfied, that those very traits of
+eccentricity, to which I refer, have led the larger part of mankind, to
+form erroneous impressions of his character.
+
+Dr. George Parkman was the son of Samuel Parkman, an enterprising, and
+successful merchant, of Boston, who was a descendant of Ebenezer Parkman,
+who graduated at Harvard College, in 1721, and was ordained Oct. 28, 1724,
+the first minister of Westborough; and who, after a ministry of sixty
+years, died, Dec. 9, 1782, at the age of 79, and whose wife was the
+daughter of Robert Breck, minister of Marlborough, who was the grandson
+of Edward Breck, one of the early settlers of Dorchester, in 1636.
+
+Dr. George Parkman graduated, at Harvard College, in 1809. When he
+commenced his junior year, John White Webster, now Erving Professor of
+Chemistry and Mineralogy, entered the University, as freshman. Dr.
+Webster, who is now in prison, charged with the "_killing_" of Dr.
+Parkman, will, in due time, be tried, by a jury of his countrymen. Will it
+not be decorous, and humane, and in accordance with the golden rule, for
+the men, women, and children of Massachusetts, to permit the accused to
+have an impartial trial? Can this be possible, if, upon the _on dits_ of
+the day, of whose value every man of any experience can judge, this
+individual, whose past career seems not to have been particularly
+bloodthirsty, is to be morally condemned, without a hearing?
+
+Hundreds, whose elastic intellects have been accustomed to jump in
+judgment, are already assured, that we believe Dr. Webster innocent. Now
+we _believe_ no such thing--nor do we _believe_ he is guilty. His
+reputation and his life are of some little importance to himself, and to
+his family; and we should be heartily ashamed, to carry a head upon our
+shoulders, which would not enable us to suspend our judgment, until all
+the _true facts_ are in, and all the _false facts_ are out.
+
+How much beautiful reasoning has been utterly and gratuitously wasted,
+upon premises, which have turned out to be not a whit better, than stubble
+and rottenness! The very readiness, with which everybody believes all
+manner of evil, of everybody, furnishes evidence enough, that the devil is
+in everybody; and goes not a little way, in support of the doctrine of
+original sin.
+
+Let us, by all means, and especially, by an avoidance of the topic, give
+assurance to the accused of a fair and impartial trial. If he shall be
+proved to be innocent, who will not blush, that has contributed to fill
+the atmosphere, with a presentiment of this poor man's guilt? If, on the
+other hand, he shall be proved to be guilty of an incomparably foul and
+fiendish murder--let him be hanged by the neck till he is dead, for God's
+sake--aye, for GOD'S SAKE--for God hath said--WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN'S BLOOD,
+BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED.
+
+The personal appearance of Dr. Parkman was remarkable--so much so, that
+his identity could not well be mistaken, by any one, who had carefully
+observed his person. His body was unusually attenuated, and I have often,
+while looking at his profile, perceived a resemblance to Hogarth's sketch
+of his friend Fielding, taken from memory, after death.
+
+The talents of Dr. George Parkman were highly respectable. His mind was of
+that order, which took little rest--its movements, like those of his body,
+were always quick; more so, perhaps, upon some occasions, than comported
+with the formation of just and permanent judgment. He was a respectably
+well read man, not only in his own profession, but he possessed a very
+creditable store of general information, and was an entertaining and
+instructive companion. In various ways, he promoted the best interests of
+medical science; and nothing, probably, prevented him from attaining very
+considerable eminence, in his calling, but the accession of hereditary
+wealth; whose management occupied, for many years, a large portion of his
+time and thoughts.
+
+By some persons, he has been accounted over sharp and hard, in his
+pecuniary dealings--mean and even miserly. No opinion can be more untrue.
+Dr. Parkman's eccentricity was nowhere so manifest, as in his money
+relations. The line was singularly well defined, in his mind, between
+charity, or liberality, and traffic. He adhered to the time-honored maxim,
+that _there is no love in trade_. There are persons, who, in their
+dealings, give up fractions, and suffer petty encroachments, for the sake
+of popularity; and who make, not only their own side of a bargain, but, in
+a very amiable, patronizing way, a portion of the other. Dr. Parkman did
+none of these things. He gave men credit, for a full share of selfishness
+and cunning--made his contracts carefully--performed them strictly--and
+expected an exact fulfilment, from the other party.
+
+It is perfectly natural, that the promptness and the pertinacity of Dr.
+Parkman, in exacting the punctual payment of money, and the strict
+performance of contracts, should be equally surprising and annoying to
+those, whose previous dealings had been with men, of less method and
+vigilance. But no man, however irritated by the daily repetition of the
+dun, has ever charged, upon Dr. Parkman, the slightest departure from the
+line of strict integrity. He was a man of honor, in the true acceptation
+of that word. His domestic arrangements were of the most liberal kind--his
+manners were courteous--and he possessed the high spirit of a
+gentleman--and, with all the occasional evidences, which his conduct
+_openly_ supplied, of his particular care, in the gathering of units; he
+could be _secretly_ liberal, with hundreds.
+
+It may well be doubted, if any individual has ever lived, for sixty years,
+in this city, whose real character has been so little understood, by the
+community at large. The reason is at hand--he exposed that regard for
+pittances, which most men conceal--and he concealed many acts of charity,
+which most men expose. He had many tenants of the lower order--he was
+frequently his own collector, and brought upon himself many murmurs and
+complaints, which are commonly the agent's portion.
+
+The charities of Dr. Parkman wore an aspect, now and then, of
+whimsicality, and were strangely contrasted with _apparent_ meanness.
+Thus, upon one occasion, he is said to have insisted upon being paid a
+paltry balance of rent, some twenty-five cents, by a poor woman, who
+assured him it was all she had to buy her dinner. "_Now we have settled
+the rent_," said he, and immediately gave her a couple of dollars.
+
+A gentleman, an old college acquaintance of Dr. Parkman's, told me, a day
+or two since, that the Dr. came to him, after this gentleman's failure,
+some years ago, and said to him, with great kindness and delicacy--"You
+want a house--there is mine in ---- street, empty and repaired--take
+it--you shall pay no rent for a year, and as much longer, as may suit your
+convenience."
+
+In 1832, this city was visited by the cholera. Mr. Charles Wells was
+Mayor, and a very good Mayor was he. Had his benevolence induced him to
+labor, for the more extensive diffusion of the blessing of alcohol, among
+the poor, the liquor trade would certainly have voted him a punch-bowl,
+for his vigorous opposition to the cholera. Upon the occasion, to which I
+refer, Dr. Parkman said to the city authorities--"You are seeking for a
+cholera hospital--take any of my houses, that may suit you, rent free, in
+welcome. If you prefer that, which I occupy, I will move out, with
+pleasure."
+
+When Dorcas died, the good people of Joppa began to display her handiwork.
+I am surprised, though much of it was known to me before, at the amount of
+evidence, which is now produced, from various quarters, to prove, that
+this unfortunate gentleman was a man of the most kind affections, and of
+extensive, practical benevolence.
+
+Let me close these remarks, with one brief anecdote; which, though once
+already related of Dr. Parkman, by the editor of the Transcript, is worthy
+of many republications, and is not at all like news, on the stock
+exchange, good only while it is new.
+
+"A politician stopped the Doctor in the street and asked him to subscribe
+for the expense of a salute, in honor of some political victory. The
+Doctor put his arm in his, and invited him to take a little walk. He led
+him round the corner into a dismal alley, and then up three flights of
+rickety stairs into a room where a poor woman was sitting, propped by
+pillows, feebly attempting to sew. Some pale, hungry-looking children were
+near. The Doctor took six dollars out of his pocket-book, and handed it to
+the politician, and, simply remarking, "do with it as you please," he
+darted out of the room in his usually impulsive way."
+
+I must close this feeble tribute of respect to the memory of one, who
+truly deserved a milder fate and an abler pen. Had we the power of
+recall--how well and wisely might we pay his ransom, with scores of men,
+quite as _eccentric_ in their way, but whose _eccentricity_ has very
+rarely assumed the charitable type!
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXIII.
+
+
+When I was a very young man, I had the honor of a slight acquaintance with
+a most worthy gentleman, my senior by many years, who represented the town
+of Hull, in the Legislature of our Commonwealth. As I marked the solemn
+step, with which he moved along the public way, towards the House of
+Representatives, and the weight of responsibility, which hung upon his
+anxious brow--if such, thought I, is the effect, produced upon the
+representative of Hull--what an awful thing it must be, to represent the
+whole United States of North America, at the court of the greatest nation
+in the world!
+
+In harmony with this opinion, every nation of the earth has selected, from
+the _élite_ of the whole country, for the high and responsible employment
+of standing before the world, as the legitimate representative of itself,
+a man of affairs--I do not mean the affairs of trade, and discounts, and
+invoices, and profits--I use the word, in its most ample diplomatic
+sense--a man of great wisdom, and knowledge, and experience--a man
+familiar with the laws of nations--a man of dignity--not that arrogated
+dignity, which looks supremely wise, while it feels supremely foolish--but
+that conscious dignity, which is innate, and sits upon the wearer, like an
+easy garment--a man of liberal education, and great familiarity, not with
+the whole circle of sciences, but with the whole circle of historical and
+correlative knowledge--a man of classical erudition, and a scholar,
+competent to bear a becoming part, in that elevated intercourse of mind,
+which forms the dignified and delightful recreation of the diplomatist, in
+the first society of Europe.
+
+Men, who have been bred up, amid the pursuits of trade, have been, with
+great propriety, selected, to fill the offices of _consuls_, in foreign
+lands; agreeably to the long established distinction, that _consuls_
+represent the _commercial affairs_--_ambassadors_ the _state and dignity_
+of the country, from whence they come.
+
+Oh! for the wand of that enchantress, the glorious witch of Endor! to turn
+up the sod of memory, and conjure, from their honorable graves, the train
+of illustrious, and highly gifted men, who, from time to time, have been
+sent forth, to represent this great Republic, before the throne of
+England!
+
+First, on that scroll of honor, is a name, which shall prove coeval with
+the first days, and with the last, of this Republic. It shall never
+perish, till the whole earth itself shall be rolled up, like a scroll. On
+the second day of June, 1785, JOHN ADAMS was presented to King George, the
+third. The very man, whom that obstinate, old monarch had never
+contemplated, in his royal visions, but as a rebel, suing for pardon, with
+a rope about his neck, then stood before him, calm and erect--the equal of
+that king, in all things, that became a man, and his mighty superior in
+many--the representative of a nation, which his consummate wisdom, and
+invincible, moral courage had contributed, so materially, to render free
+and independent.
+
+What a tribute was conveyed, in the words of Jefferson, his political
+rival--"_The great pillar and support to the declaration of independence,
+and its ablest advocate and champion on the floor of the house was_ JOHN
+ADAMS. _He was the Colossus of that Congress: not graceful, not eloquent,
+not always fluent, in his public addresses, he yet came out with a power
+both of thought and expression, which moved the hearers from their
+seats._"
+
+In those thoughtful days, secretaries of legation were carefully selected,
+and with some reference, of course, to their contingent responsibilities,
+in the event of the absence, or illness, of their principals. When, in
+1779, Mr. Adams went, on his mission to France, a gentleman of high
+qualifications, Mr. Francis Dana, gave up his seat, _as a member of
+Congress_, to follow that great man, _as secretary of legation_. Mr. Dana
+subsequently figured, ably and gracefully, in the highest stations. In
+1780, he was minister to Russia. In 1784, he was a delegate to Congress.
+In 1797, he declined the office of envoy extraordinary to France. From
+1792 to 1806, he was the able, impartial, and eminently dignified Chief
+Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
+
+In 1794, it was thought, by the appointing power, that John Jay might be
+trusted to represent our Republic, at the British Court. With what a
+reputation, for wisdom, and talents, and learning, that great man crossed
+the sea! Mr. Jay, an eminent lawyer, uniting the wisdom and dignity of
+years, with the vigor and zeal of early manhood, was a member of the first
+American Congress, at the age of twenty-nine. Chairman of the Committee,
+of which Lee and Livingston were members, he was the author of the
+eloquent "_Address to the People of Great Britain_." He was Chief Justice
+of the State of New York, from 1777 to 1779, and relinquished that
+elevated station, as incompatible with the due performance of his duties,
+as President of Congress. From his skilful hand came the stirring address
+of that assembly, to its constituents, of Sept. 8, 1779. He was appointed
+minister plenipotentiary to Spain, at the close of that year--a
+commissioner, to negotiate peace with Great Britain, in 1782--Chief
+Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of the United States, in
+1789--Governor of New York, in 1795, being then abroad, as minister
+plenipotentiary of the United States, to Great Britain, to which office he
+was appointed in 1794--and again Governor of New York, in 1798.
+
+Rufus King graduated at Harvard College, in 1777, with a high reputation,
+as a classical scholar and an orator; and studied his profession, with the
+late Chief Justice Parsons. In 1784, he was a delegate to Congress. He was
+a member of the Convention of 1787, to form the Constitution of the United
+States. In 1789, he was a member of the United States Senate. Of the
+celebrated Camillus papers, commonly ascribed to Hamilton, all, excepting
+the ten first, were from the pen of Rufus King. In 1796, he was nominated,
+by Washington, minister plenipotentiary to the Court of Great Britain. He
+filled that high station, till the close of the second year of the
+Jefferson administration. After a long retirement, he was again in the
+Senate of the United States, in 1813. After quitting the Senate, in 1825,
+he was once more appointed minister to Great Britain; but, after remaining
+abroad, about a year, in ill health, he returned, and died at Jamaica,
+Long Island, April 29, 1827.
+
+"_And what shall I more say?_ For the time would fail me, to tell of"
+Pinckney, and Gore, and the younger Adams, that incarnation of wisdom and
+learning, and Gallatin, and Maclean, and Everett, and Bancroft, every one
+of whom has been preceded, by the well-earned reputation of high,
+intellectual powers and attainments, whatever may have been the difference
+of their political opinions.
+
+Knowledge is power; talent is power; and fine literary tastes and
+acquirements are, preëminently, power; and, in no spot, upon the surface
+of the earth, are they more truly so, than in the great British
+metropolis. The wand of a man of letters can there do more, than can be
+achieved, by the power of Midas, or the wonder-working lamp of Aladdin.
+
+Our fathers, therefore, preferred, that the nation should be represented,
+in its simplicity and strength, by men of long heads, strong hearts, and
+short purses. They considered a regular, thorough, and polished education,
+literary attainments of a very high order, a clear and comprehensive
+knowledge of the law of nations, and an extensive store of general
+information, absolutely essential, in a minister plenipotentiary, from
+this Republic, to the Court of Great Britain; for our _state and dignity_
+were to be represented there, not less than our _commercial relations_.
+
+They well knew, that our representative should be qualified to represent
+the refined and educated portions of our community, in the presence of
+those elevated classes, among whom he must frequently appear; and "_whose
+talk_," to use the expression of Dr. Johnson, was not likely to be "_of
+bullocks_." They therefore invariably selected, for this exalted station,
+one, who would be abundantly able to represent the nation, with gravity,
+and dignity, and wisdom, and knowledge, and power; and who would never be
+reduced, whatever the subject might be, to believe his safety was in
+sitting still, or of suffering the secret of his impotency to escape, by
+opening his mouth.
+
+If I have passed too rapidly for the reader's willingness to linger, over
+the names of some highly distinguished men, who have so ably represented
+our country, at the British Court, and who still _survive_--it is because
+_my dealings are with the dead_.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXIV.
+
+
+"An immense quantity of fuel was always of necessity used, when dead
+bodies were burned, instead of buried; and a friend, learned in such lore,
+as well as in much that is far more valuable, informs us that the burning
+of a _martyr_ was always an expensive process."
+
+This passage was transferred, from the New York Courier and Enquirer, to
+the Boston Atlas, December 29, 1849, and is part of an article having
+reference to the partial cremation of Dr. Parkman's remains.
+
+I must presume, as a sexton of the old school, to doubt the accuracy of
+this statement, in the very face of the averment, that the editor's
+authority is "_a friend, learned in such lore_."
+
+To enable my readers to judge of the comparative expense of burial, in the
+ordinary mode, by interment or entombment, and by cremation, I refer, in
+the first place, to Mr. Chadwick's Report, made by request of Her
+Majesty's Principal Secretary of State, for the Home Department, Lond.
+1843, in which it is stated, that a Master in Chancery, when dealing with
+insolvent estates, will pass, "_as a matter of course_," such claims as
+these--from £60 to £100 for burying an upper tradesman--£250 for burying a
+gentleman--£500 to £1500 for burying a nobleman.
+
+But let us confine our remarks to the particular allegation. The "_friend,
+learned in such lore_," has greatly diminished the labor of refutation, by
+confining his statement to the burning of _martyrs_--"_the burning of a
+martyr was always an expensive process_," requiring, says the Courier and
+Enquirer, "_an immense quantity of fuel_."
+
+I well remember to have read, though I cannot recall the authority, that
+aromatic woods and spices were occasionally used in the East, during the
+_suttees_, to correct the offensive odor. In addition to the reason,
+assigned by Cicero, De Legibus, ii. 23, for the law against intramural
+burning, that conflagration might be avoided--Servius, in a note, on the
+Æneis, vi. 150, states another, that the air might not be infected with
+the stench. To prevent this, we know that costly perfumes were cast upon
+the pile; and the respect and affection for the defunct came to be
+measured, at last, by this species of extravagance; just as the funereal
+sorrow of the Irish is supposed to be graduated, by the number of coaches,
+and the quantity of whiskey.
+
+But our business is with the _martyrs_. What was the cost of burning John
+Rogers I really do not know. I doubt if the process was very expensive;
+for good old John Strype has told us, almost to a fagot, how much fuel it
+took, to burn Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley. The fuel, employed to burn
+Latimer and Ridley, cost fifteen shillings and four pence sterling for
+both; and the fuel for burning Cranmer, nine shillings and four pence
+only. Then there were chains, stakes, laborers, and cartage; and the whole
+cost for burning all three, was _one pound, sixteen shillings, and six
+pence_! Not a very expensive process truly. The authority is not at every
+one's command: I therefore give it entire, from Strype's Memorials of
+Cranmer, Oxford ed., 1840, vol. i. p. 563:--
+
+                                                                _s._  _d._
+  "For three loads of wood fagots to burn Ridley and Latimer,    12    0
+  Item, one load of furs fagots,                                  3    4
+  For the carriage of these four loads,                           2    0
+  Item, a post,                                                   1    4
+  Item, two chains,                                               3    4
+  Item, two staples,                                              0    6
+  Item, four laborers,                                            2    8
+
+  "FOR BURNING CRANMER.
+  For an 100 of wood fagots,                                      6    0
+  For an 100 and half of furs fagots,                             3    4
+  For the carriage of them,                                       0    8
+  To two laborers,                                                1    4."
+
+£1500 to _bury_ a nobleman, and £1 16 6, to _burn_ three martyrs! Leaving
+the Courier and Enquirer, and the "_friend, learned in such lore_," to
+_bury_ or to _burn_ this record, as they please, I turn to another
+subject, referred to, on the very same page of Strype's Memorials, and
+which is not without some little interest, at the present moment.
+
+A prisoner, charged with any terrible offence, innocent or guilty, lies
+under the _surveillance_ of all eyes and ears. The slightest act, the
+shortest word, the very breath of his nostrils are carefully reported. The
+public resolves itself into a committee of anxious inquirers, to ascertain
+precisely how he eats, and drinks, and sleeps. There are persons of lively
+fancies, whose imaginations fire up, at the mere sight of his prison
+walls, and start off, under high pressure, filling the air with rumors,
+too horribly delightful, to be doubted for an instant.
+
+If the topic were not the terrible thing that it is, it would be difficult
+to preserve one's gravity, while listening to some portion of the
+testimony, upon which, it may be our fortune, one of these days, to be
+convicted of murder, by the charitable public.
+
+Of the guilt or innocence of John White Webster I _know_ nothing, and I
+_believe_ nothing. But it has been currently reported, that, since his
+confinement, he has been detected, in the crime of eating oysters. I
+doubt, if this ordeal would have been considered entirely satisfactory,
+even by Dr. Mather, in 1692. Man is a marvellous monster, when sitting,
+self-placed, in judgment, on his fellow! The very thing, which is a sin,
+in the commission or observance, is no less a sin, in the omission and the
+breach--for who will doubt the blood-guiltiness of a man, that, while
+confined, on a charge of murder, can partake of an oyster pie! And if he
+cannot do this, who will doubt, that a consciousness of guilt has deprived
+him of his appetite!
+
+I have heard of a drunken husband, who, while staggering home, after
+midnight, communed with himself, as follows--"_If my wife has gone to bed,
+before I get home to supper, I'll beat her,--and if she is sitting up, so
+late as this, burning my wood and candles, I'll beat her_."
+
+Good John Strype, ibid. 562, says of Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley, while in
+the prison of Bocardo--"They ate constantly suppers as well as dinners.
+Their meals amounted to about three or four shillings; seldom exceeding
+four. Their bread and ale commonly came to two pence or three pence; they
+had constantly cheese and pears for their last dish, both at dinner and
+supper; and always wine." It is not uninteresting to note the prices, paid
+for certain articles of their diet, in those days, 1555. While describing
+the _provant_ of these martyrs, Strype annexes the prices, "_it being an
+extraordinary dear time_.--A goose, 14d. A pig, 12 oz. 13d. A cony, 6d. A
+woodcock, 3d. and sometimes 5d. A couple of chickens, 6d. Three plovers,
+10d. Half a dozen larks, 3d. A dozen of larks and 2 plovers, 10d. A breast
+of veal, 11d. A shoulder of mutton, 10d. Roast beef, 12d." He presents one
+of Cranmer's bills of fare:--
+
+  "Bread and ale,                   2.d.
+  Item oisters,                     1.d.
+  Item butter,                      2.d.
+  Item eggs,                        2.d.
+  Item lyng,                        8.d.
+  Item a piece of fresh salmon,    10.d.
+  Wine,                             3.d.
+  Cheese and pears,                 2.d."
+
+Two bailiffs, Wells and Winkle, upon their own responsibility, furnished
+the table of these martyrs, and appear never to have been reimbursed.
+Strype says, ibid. 563, that they expended £63 10s. 2d., and never
+received but £20, which they obtained from Sir William Petre, Secretary of
+State. Ten years after, a petition was presented to the successor of
+Cranmer, that these poor bailiffs might receive some recompense.
+
+After the pile had burnt down, in the case of Cranmer, upon raking among
+the embers, his heart was found entire. Upon this incident, Strype
+exclaims--"Methinks it is a pity, that his heart, that remained sound in
+the fire, and was found unconsumed in his ashes, was not preserved in some
+urn; which, when the better times of Queen Elizabeth came, might, in
+memory of this truly good and great Thomas of Canterbury, have been placed
+among his predecessors, in his church there, as one of the truest glories
+of that See."
+
+In 1821, Mr. William Ward, of Serampore, published, in London, his
+"_Farewell Letters_." Mr. Ward was a Baptist missionary; and, at the time
+of the publication, was preparing to return to Bengal. This work was very
+favorably reviewed in the Christian Observer, vol. xxi. p. 504. I have
+never met with a description, so exceedingly minute, of the _suttee_, the
+process of burning widows. He thus describes the funeral pile--"The
+funeral pile consists of a quantity of fagots, laid on the earth, rising,
+in height, about three feet from the ground, about four feet wide, and six
+feet in length." Admitting these fagots to be closely packed, the pile
+contains seventy-two cubic feet of wood, or fifty-six less than a cord.
+"_A large quantity of fagots are then laid upon the bodies_," says Mr.
+Ward. As the widow often leaps from the pile, and is chased back again,
+into the flames, by the benevolent Bramins, the fagots, which are not
+heaped _around_ the pile, but "_laid on the bodies_," cannot be a very
+oppressive load; and the quantity, thus employed in the _suttee_, is for
+the cremation of two bodies, at least, the dead husband, and the living
+widow.
+
+There can be no doubt of the superior economy of cremation, over
+earth-burial. The notions of an "_expensive process_," and the "_immense
+quantities of fuel_," have no foundation in practice. If the ashes, as has
+been sometimes the case, were given to the winds, or cast upon the waters,
+the expense of cremation would be exceedingly small. But cremation,
+however inexpensive, in itself, has led to unmeasured extravagance, in the
+matter of urns of the most costly materials, and workmanship, of which an
+ample account may be found, in the _Hydriotaphia_ of Sir Thomas Browne,
+London, 1835, vol. iii. p. 449.
+
+More remarkable changes have occurred, in modern times, than a revival of
+the practice of cremation. It is an error, however, to suppose this
+practice to have been the original mode of dealing with the dead. It was
+very general about the year 1225, B. C., but the usage, at the present
+day, was, doubtless, the primitive practice of mankind. So thought Cicero,
+De Legibus ii. 22. "Ac mihi quidem antiquissimum sepulturæ genus id fuisse
+videtur, quo apud Xenophontem Cyrus utitur. Redditur enim terræ corpus, et
+ita locatum ac situm, quasi operimento matris obducitur."
+
+Nevertheless, there is a strong cremation party among us. Who would not
+save sixpence, if he could, even in a winding-sheet! Should the wood and
+lumber interest be fairly represented, in our city councils, it would not
+be surprising, if there should be a majority, in favor of taking the
+remains of our citizens to Nova Scotia, to be burnt, rather than to
+Malden, to be buried. My friends, Birch, Touchwood, and Deal, are of this
+opinion; and would be happy to receive the citizens on board their
+regular coasters, for this purpose, at a reasonable price, per hundred, or
+by the single citizen--packed in ice.
+
+An experienced person will be always on hand, to receive the corpses.
+Religious services will be duly performed, during the burning, without
+extra charge; and, should the project find favor with the public, a
+regular line of funeral coasters, with appropriate emblems, and
+figure-heads, will, in due time, be established. Those, who prefer the
+more economical mode of water-burial, for their departed relatives,
+thereby saving the expense of fuel altogether, will be accommodated, if
+they will leave orders in writing, with the masters on board, who will
+personally superintend the dropping of the bodies, off soundings.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXV.
+
+
+While attempting to rectify the supposed mistakes of other men, we
+sometimes commit egregious blunders ourselves. In turning over an old copy
+of John Josselyn's Voyages to New England, in 1638 and 1663, my attention
+was attracted, by a particular passage, and a marginal manuscript note,
+intended to correct what the annotator supposed, and what some readers
+might suppose, to be a blunder of the printer, or the author. The passage
+runs thus--"In 1602, these North parts were further discovered by Capt.
+_Bartholomew Gosnold_. The first _English_ that planted there, set down
+not far from the _Narragansetts Bay_, and called their Colony _Plimouth_,
+since old _Plimouth, An. Dom., 1602_." The annotator had written, on the
+margin, "_gross blunder_," and, in both instances, run his indignant pen
+through 1602, and substituted 1620. There are others, doubtless, who would
+have done the same thing. The first aspect of the thing is certainly very
+tempting. The text, nevertheless, is undoubtedly correct. It is altogether
+likely, that the matter, stated by Josselyn, can be found, so stated by no
+other writer. In 1602, Gosnold discovered the Elizabeth Islands, and built
+a house, and erected palisades, on the "Island Elizabeth," the westernmost
+of the group, whose Indian name was Cuttyhunk. In 1797, Dr. Jeremy Belknap
+visited this interesting spot. "_We had the supreme satisfaction_," says
+he, Am. Biog. ii. 115, "_to find the cellar of Gosnold's store-house_!"
+
+Hutchinson, i. 1, refers expressly to the passage, in Josselyn; and after
+stating that Gosnold discovered the Elizabeth Islands, in 1602, and built
+a fort there, and intended a settlement, but could not persuade his people
+to remain, he adds, in a note--"_This, I suppose, is what Josselyn, and no
+other author, calls the first colony of New Plimouth, for he says it was
+begun in 1602, and near Narragansett Bay_."
+
+The writer of a "Topographical Description of New Bedford," M. H. C., iv.
+234, states, that the island, on which Gosnold built his fort and
+store-house, was _Nashaun_, and refers to Dr. Belknap's Biography. The New
+Bedford writer is wrong, in point of fact, and right, in point of
+reference. Dr. Belknap published the first volume of his Biography, in
+1794, containing a short notice of Gosnold, in which, p. 236, he
+says--"The island, on which Gosnold and his companions took up their
+abode, is now called by its Indian name, _Nashaun_, and is the property of
+the Hon. James Bowdoin, of Boston, to whom I am indebted for these remarks
+on Gosnold's journal." The writer of the description of New Bedford
+published his account, the following year, and relied on Dr. Belknap, who
+unfortunately relied on his informant, who, it seems, was entirely
+mistaken.
+
+Dr. Belknap published his second volume, in 1798, with a new and more
+extended memoir of Gosnold, in which, p. 100, he remarks--"The account of
+Gosnold's voyage and discovery, in the first volume of this work, is so
+erroneous, from the misinformation, which I had received, that I thought
+it best to write the whole of it anew. The former mistakes are here
+corrected, partly from the best information which I could obtain, after
+the most assiduous inquiry; but principally from _my own observations_, on
+the spot; compared with the journal of the voyage, more critically
+examined than before."
+
+Here is abundant evidence of that scrupulous regard for historical truth,
+for which that upright and excellent man was ever remarkable. With most
+writers, the pride of authorship would have revolted. The very thought of
+these _vestigia retrorsum_, would not have found toleration, for a moment.
+Some less offensive mode might have been adopted, by the employment of
+_errata_, or _appendices_, or _addenda_. Not so: this conscientious man,
+however innocently, had misled the public, upon a few historical points,
+and nothing would give him satisfaction, but a public recantation. His
+right hand had not been the agent, like Cranmer's, of voluntary
+falsehood, but of unintentional mistake, like Scævola's; and nothing would
+suffice, in his opinion, but the actual cautery.
+
+In this second life of Gosnold, p. 114, after describing "the island
+Elizabeth," or Cuttyhunk, Dr. Belknap says--"To this spot I went, on the
+20th day of June, 1797, in company with several gentlemen, whose curiosity
+and obliging kindness induced them to accompany me. The protecting hand of
+nature had reserved this favorite spot to herself. Its fertility and its
+productions are exactly the same, as in Gosnold's time, excepting the
+wood, of which there is none. Every species of what he calls 'rubbish,'
+with strawberries, pears, tansy, and other fruits, and herbs, appear in
+rich abundance, unmolested by any animal but aquatic birds. We had the
+supreme satisfaction to find the cellar of Gosnold's store-house."
+
+"_We had the supreme satisfaction to find the cellar of Gosnold's
+store-house!_"--A whole-souled ejaculation this! I reverence the memory of
+the man who made it. It is not every other man we meet on 'Change, who can
+estimate a sentiment like this. My little Jew friend, in Griper's Alley,
+entirely mistakes the case. Never having heard of Bart Gosnold before, he
+takes him, for the like of Kidd; and the venerable Dr. Jeremy Belknap, for
+a gold-finder. What _supreme satisfaction_ could there be, in discovering
+the cellar of a store-house, nearly two hundred years old, unless hidden
+treasures were there concealed! How, in the name of two per cent. a month,
+and all the other gods we worship, could a visit down to Cuttyhunk ever
+_pay_, only to stare at the stones of an ancient cellar!
+
+Dr. Belknap's ejaculation reminds one of divers interesting matters--of
+Archimedes, when he leaped from his bath, and ran about naked, for joy,
+with _eureka_ on his lips, having excogitated the plan, for detecting the
+fraud, practised upon Hiero.--It also recalls--_parvis componere
+magna_--Johnson's memorable exclamation, upon walking over the graves, at
+Icolmkill--"To abstract the mind from all local emotion would be
+impossible, if it were endeavored, and would be foolish, if it were
+possible. Whatever withdraws us from the power of our senses; whatever
+makes the past, the distant or the future predominate over the present,
+advances us in the dignity of thinking beings. Far from me and from my
+friends be such frigid philosophy, as may conduct as indifferent and
+unmoved over any ground, which has been dignified by wisdom, bravery or
+virtue. That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain
+force upon the plains of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer
+among the ruins of Iona."
+
+Dr. Jeremy Belknap was a Boston boy, born June 4, 1744. He learned his
+rudiments, under the effective birch of Master Lovell; graduated A. M. at
+Harvard, 1762, S. T. D. 1792. He was ordained pastor of the church in
+Dover, N. H. 1767; and in 1787, he became pastor of the church in Berry
+Street, formerly known as Johnny Moorehead's, who was settled there in
+1730, and succeeded, by David Annan, in 1783, and which is now Dr.
+Gannett's.
+
+Dr. Belknap was the founder of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and
+one of the most earnest promoters of the welfare of Harvard College.
+
+Dr. Belknap published sermons, on various occasions; a volume of
+dissertations, on the character and resurrection of Christ; his history of
+New Hampshire in three volumes; his American Biography, in two volumes;
+and the Foresters, an American Tale, well worthy of republication, at the
+present day. He wrote extensively, in the newspapers, and published
+several essays, on the slave trade, and upon the early settlement of the
+country.
+
+I have the most perfect recollection of this excellent man; for I saw him
+often, when I was very young; and I used to wonder, how a man, with so
+rough a voice, could bestow such a benign and captivating smile, upon
+little boys.
+
+The churchman prays to be delivered from _sudden_ death. Dr. Belknap
+prayed for _sudden_ death--that he might be translated "_in a
+moment_"--such were his words. Yet here is no discrepancy. No man,
+prepared to die, will pray for a lingering death--and to him, who is not
+prepared, no death, however prolonged, can be other than _sudden_ and
+premature. On the ninth of February, 1791, Dr. Belknap was called to mourn
+the loss of a friend, whose death was immediate. Among the Dr.'s papers,
+after his decease, the following lines were found, bearing the date of
+that friend's demise, and exhibiting, with considerable felicity of
+language, his own views and aspirations:--
+
+  "When faith and patience, hope and love
+  Have made us meet for Heav'n above;
+  How blest the privilege to rise,
+  Snatch'd, in a moment, to the skies!
+  Unconscious, to resign our breath,
+  Nor taste the bitterness of death!
+  Such be my lot, Lord, if thou please
+  To die in silence, and at ease;
+  When thou dost know, that I'm prepared,
+  Oh seize me quick to my reward.
+  But, if thy wisdom sees it best,
+  To turn thine ear from this request;
+  If sickness be th' appointed way,
+  To waste this frame of human clay;
+  If, worn with grief, and rack'd with pain,
+  This earth must turn to earth again;
+  Then let thine angels round me stand;
+  Support me, by thy powerful hand;
+  Let not my faith or patience move,
+  Nor aught abate my hope or love;
+  But brighter may my graces shine,
+  Till they're absorbed in light divine."
+
+The will of the Lord coincided with the wish of this eminent disciple; and
+his was the sudden death, that he had asked of God. At 4 o'clock in the
+morning of June 20, 1798, paralysis seized upon his frame, and, before
+noon, he was no more.
+
+Personal considerations of the flesh cannot be supposed, alone, to have
+moved the heart of this benevolent man. Who would not wish to avoid that
+pain, which is reflected, for days, and weeks, and months, and years, from
+the faces of those we love, who watch, and weep, about the bed of disease
+and death! Who can imagine this veteran soldier of the cross, with his
+armor of righteousness, upon the right hand and upon the left, awaiting
+the welcome signal to depart--without adopting, in the spiritual, and in
+the physical, sense, the language of the prophet--"_Let me die the death
+of the righteous, and let my last end be like his_."
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXVI.
+
+
+I never dream, if I can possibly avoid it--when the thing is absolutely
+forced upon me, why that is another affair. On the evening of the second
+day of January, 1850, from some inexplicable cause, I lost all appetite
+for my pillow. I had, till past eleven, been engaged, in the perusal of
+Goethe's Confessions of a Fair Saint. After a vain trial of the
+commonplace expedients, such as counting leaping sheep, up to a thousand
+and one; humming Old Hundred; and fixing my thoughts upon the heads of
+good parson Cleverly's last Sabbath sermon, on perseverance; I,
+fortunately, thought of Joel Barlow's Columbiad, and, after two or three
+pages, went, thankfully, to bed. I threw myself upon my right side, as I
+always do; for, being deaf--very--in the sinister ear, I thus exclude the
+nocturnal cries of fire, oysters, and murder.
+
+I think I must have been asleep, full half an hour, by a capital
+Shrewsbury clock, that I keep in my chamber. It was, of course, on the
+dawning side of twelve--the very time, when dreams are true, or poets lie,
+which latter alternative is impossible. I was aroused, by the stroke of a
+deep-toned bell; and, in an instant, sat bolt upright, listening to the
+sound. I should have known it, among a thousand--it was the old passing
+bell of King's Chapel. I am confident, as to the bell--it had the full,
+jarring sound, occasioned by the blockhead of a sexton, who cracked it, in
+1814. I counted the strokes--one--two--three--an adult male, of
+course--and then the age--seventy-four was the number of the strokes of
+that good old bell, corresponding with the years of his pilgrimage--and
+then a pause--I almost expected another--so, doubtless, did he, poor
+man--but it came not!--Some old stager, thought I, has put up, for the
+long night; and the power of slumber was upon me, in a moment.
+
+I slept--but it was a fitful sleep--and I dreamt such a dream, as none but
+a sexton of the old school can ever dream--
+
+        --------"velut ægri somnia, vanæ
+  Fingentur species, ut nec pes, nec caput uni
+  Reddatur formæ."
+
+"Funeral baked meats," and bride's cake, and weepers, and wedding rings
+seemed oddly consorted together. At one moment, two very light and airy
+skeletons seemed to be engaged, in dancing the polka; and, getting angry,
+flung their skulls furiously at each other. I then fancied, that I saw old
+Grossman, driving his hearse at a full run, with the corpse of an
+intemperate old lady, not to the graveyard, but, by mistake, to the very
+shop, where she bought her Jamaica. I dare not relate the half of my
+dream, lest I should excite some doubt of my veracity. For aught I know, I
+might have dreamt on till midsummer, had not a hand been laid on my
+shoulder, and a change come over the spirit of my dream, in a marvellous
+manner--for I actually dreamt I was wider awake, than I often am, when
+Sirius rages, of a summer afternoon, and I am taking my comfort, in my
+postprandial chair.
+
+Starting suddenly, I beheld the well known features of an old acquaintance
+and fellow-spadesman--"Don't you know me?" "Yes," said I--"no, I can't say
+I do"--for I was confoundedly frightened--"Not know me! Haven't we lifted,
+head and foot, together, for six and thirty years?" "Well, I suppose we
+have; but you are so deadly pale; and, will you be so kind as to take your
+hand from my shoulder; for it's rather airy, at this season, you know, and
+your palm is like the hand of death." "And such it is," said he--"did you
+not hear my bell?" "_Your_ bell?" I inquired, gazing more intently, at the
+little, white-haired, old man, that stood before me. "Even so, Abner," he
+replied; "your old friend, and fellow-laborer, Martin Smith, is dead. I
+always had a solemn affection, for the passing bell. It sounded not so
+pleasantly, to be sure, in the neighborhood of theatres and gay hotels;
+and its good, old, solemnizing tones are no longer permitted to be heard.
+I longed to hear it, once more; and, after they had laid me out, and left
+me alone, I clapped on my great coat, over my shroud, as you see, and ran
+up to the church, and tolled my own death peal. When, more than one
+hundred years ago, in 1747, Dr. Caner took possession, in the old way, by
+entering, and closing the doors, and tolling the bell, as the Rev. Roger
+Price had done before, in 1729, he did not feel, that the church belonged
+to him, half so truly as I have felt, for many years, whenever I got a
+fair grip of that ancient bell-rope."
+
+"Martin," said I, "this is rather a long speech, for a ghost; and must be
+wearying to the spirit; suppose you sit down." This I said, because I
+really supposed the good, little, old man, contrary to all his known
+habits, was practising upon my credulity--perhaps upon my fears; and was
+playing a new year's prank, in his old age: and I resolved, by the
+smallest touch of sarcasm in the world, to show him, that I was not so
+easily deceived. He made no reply; but, drawing my hand between his great
+coat and shroud, placed it over the region of his heart--"Good God! you
+are really dead then, Martin!" said I, for all was cold and still there.
+"I am," he replied. "I have lived long--did you count the strokes of my
+bell?"--I nodded assent, for I could not speak.--"Four years beyond the
+scriptural measure of man's pilgrimage. You are not so old as I
+am"--"No," I replied.--"No, not quite," said he.--"No, no, Martin," said
+I, adjusting my night cap, "not by several years."--"Well," said the old
+man, with a sigh, "a few years make very little difference, when one has
+so many to answer for; those odd years are like a few odd shillings, in a
+very long account. I have come to ask you to go with me."--A cold sweat
+broke through my skin, as quickly, as if it had been mere tissue paper;
+and my mind instantly sprang to the work of finding devices, for putting
+the old man off. "Surely," said he, observing my reluctance, "you would
+not deny the request of a dying man." "Perhaps not," I replied, "but now
+that you are dead, dear Martin, for Heaven's sake, what's the use of it?"
+
+The old man seemed to be pained, by my hesitation--"Abner," said he, after
+a short pause, "you and I have had a goodly number of strange passages, at
+odd hours, down in that vault--are ye afeard, Abner--eh!"--"Why, as to
+that, Martin," said I, "if you were a real, live sexton, I'd go with
+pleasure; but our relations are somewhat changed, you will admit. Besides,
+as I told you before, I cannot see the use of it." I felt rather vexed, to
+be suspected of fear.
+
+"You have the advantage of me, Abner Wycherly," said Martin Smith, "being
+alive; and I have come to ask you to do a favor, for me, which I cannot
+do, for myself."--"What is it?" said I, rather impatiently, perhaps.--"I
+want you to embalm my"--"Martin," said I, interrupting him--"I can't--I
+never embalmed in my life." "You misunderstand me"--the old man
+replied--"I want you to embalm my memory; and preserve it, from the too
+common lot of our profession, who are remembered, often, as
+resurrectionists, and men of intemperate lives, and mysterious
+conversations. I want you to allow me a little _niche_, among your
+_Dealings with the Dead_. I shall take but little room, you see for
+yourself"--and then, in an under-tone, he said something about thinking
+more of the honor, than he should of a place in Westminster Abbey; which
+was very agreeable, to be sure, notwithstanding the sepulchral tone, in
+which it was uttered. Indeed I was surprised to find how very refreshing,
+to the spirits of an author, this species of extreme unction might be,
+administered even by a ghost.
+
+"Martin," said I, "I have always thought highly of your good opinion; but
+what can I say--how can I serve you?" "I am desirous," said he, "of
+transmitting to my children a good name, which is better than
+riches."--"Well, my worthy, old fellow-laborer," I replied, "if that is
+all you want, the work is done to your hand, already. You will not suspect
+me of flattering you to your face, now that you are dead, Martin; and I
+can truly say, that I have heard thousands speak of you, with great
+kindness and respect, and never a lisp against you. All this I am ready to
+vouch for--but, for what purpose, do you ask me to go with you?"
+
+"I wish you to go with me, and examine for yourself," said the old man;
+"and then you can speak, of your own knowledge. Don't refuse me--let us
+have one more of those cozy walks, Abner, under the old Chapel, and over
+that yard. I desire to talk over some things with you there, which can be
+better understood, upon the spot--and I want to explain one or two
+matters, so that you may be able to defend my reputation, should any
+censure be cast upon it, after I am gone."--"I cannot go with you tonight,
+Martin," said I; "I see a gleam in the East, already."--"True," said he,
+"I may be missed."--For not more than the half of one second, I closed my
+eyes--and, in that twinkling of an eye, he was gone--but I heard him
+whisper, distinctly, as he went--"_tomorrow night_!"
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXVII.
+
+
+I verily believe, that ghosts are the most punctual people in the world,
+especially if they were ever sextons, after the flesh. The last stroke of
+twelve had not ceased ringing in my ears, when that icy palm was again
+laid upon my shoulder; and Martin Smith stood by the side of my bed.
+
+"Well, Martin," said I, "since you have taken the trouble to come out
+again, and upon such a stormy night withal, I cannot refuse your
+request."--It seemed to me, that I rose to put on my garments, and found
+them already on; and had scarcely prepared to go, with my old friend, to
+the Chapel, before we were in the middle of the broad aisle. Dreams are
+marvellous things, certainly--all this was a dream, I suppose--for, if it
+was not--what was it?
+
+There seemed to be an oppressive weight, upon the mind of my old friend,
+connected, doubtless, with those explanations, which he had proposed to
+make, upon the spot. We sat down, near Governor Shirley's monument.
+"Abner," said he, "I wish, before I am buried, to make a clean breast, and
+to confess my misdeeds."--"I cannot believe, Martin," I replied, "that
+there is a very heavy, professional load upon your conscience. If there
+is, I know not what will become of the rest of us. But I will hearken to
+all you may choose to reveal."--"Well," resumed the old man, with a sigh,
+"I have tried to be conscientious, but we are all liable to error--we are
+are all fallible creatures, especially sextons. I have been sexton here,
+for six and thirty years; and I am often painfully reminded, that, in the
+year 1815, I was rather remiss, in dusting the pews."--"Have you any other
+burden upon your conscience?"--"I have," he replied; and, rising,
+requested me to follow him.
+
+He went out into the yard, and walked near the northerly corner, where Dr.
+Caner's house formerly stood, which was afterwards occupied, as the Boston
+Athenæum, and, more recently, gave place to the present Savings Bank.
+"Here," said he, "thirty years ago, Dinah Furbush, a worthy, negro woman,
+was buried. The careless carpenter made her coffin one foot too short;
+and, to conceal his blunder, chopped off Dinah's head, and, clapping it
+between her feet, nailed down the lid. This scandalous transaction came to
+my knowledge, and I grieve to say, that I never communicated it to the
+wardens."--"Well, Martin," said I, "what more?"--"Nothing, thank Heaven!"
+he replied. Giving way to an irresistible impulse, I broke forth into a
+roar of laughter, so long and loud, that three watchmen gathered to the
+wall, and seeing Martin Smith, whom they well knew, with the bottom of his
+shroud, exhibited below his great coat, they dropped their hooks and
+rattles, and ran for their lives. Martin walked slowly back to the church,
+and I followed.
+
+He walked in, among the tombs--thousands of spirits seemed to welcome his
+advent--but, as I crossed the threshold, at the tramp of a living foot,
+they vanished, in a moment.
+
+"How many corpses have you lifted, my old friend, in your six and thirty
+years of office?" "About five thousand," he replied, "exclusive of babies.
+It is a very grateful employment, when one becomes used to it."
+
+"I have heard," continued Martin, "that the office of executioner, in
+Paris, is highly respectable, and has been hereditary, for many years, in
+the family of the Sansons. I have done all in my power, to elevate our
+profession; and it is my highest ambition, that the office should continue
+in my family; and that my descendants may be sextons, till the graves
+shall give up their dead, and death itself be swallowed up in victory." I
+was sensibly touched, by the enthusiasm of this good old official; for I
+honor the man, who honors his calling. I could not refrain from saying a
+few kind and respectful words, of the old man's son and successor. He was
+moved--"The eyes of ghosts," said he, "are tearless, or I should weep. You
+have heard," continued the old man, in a low, tremulous voice, "that, when
+the mother of Washington was complimented, by some distinguished men, upon
+the achievements of her son, she went on with her knitting, saying,
+'_Well, George always was a good boy_'--now, I need say no more of Frank;
+and, in truth, I can say no less. I knew he would be a sexton. He has
+forgotten it, I dare say; but he was not satisfied with the first go-cart
+he ever had, till he had fashioned it, like a hearse. He _took hold
+right_, from the beginning. When I resigned, and gave him the keys, and
+felt, that I should no more walk up and down the broad aisle, as I had
+done, for so many years, I wept like a child."
+
+"Yours has been a hale old age. You have always been _temperate_, I
+believe," said I.--"No," the old man replied, "I have always been
+_abstinent_. Like yourself, I use no intoxicating drink, upon any
+occasion, nor tobacco, in any of its forms, and we have come, as you say,
+to a hale old age. I have seen drunken sextons squirt tobacco juice over
+the coffin and pall; and let the corpse go by the run; and I know more
+than one successor of St. Peter, in this city, who smoke and chew, from
+morning to night; and give the sextons great trouble, in cleaning up after
+them."
+
+We had advanced midway, among the tombs.--"It is awfully cold and dark
+here, Martin," said I, "and I hear something, like a mysterious breathing
+in the air; and, now and then, it seems as if a feather brushed my
+cheek."--"Is it unpleasant?" said the old man.--"Not particularly
+agreeable," I replied.--"The spirits are aware, that another is added to
+their number," said he, "and even the presence of one, in the flesh, will
+scarcely restrain them from coming forth. I will send them back to their
+dormitories." He lighted a spirit lamp, not in the vulgar sense of that
+word, but a lamp, before whose rays no spirit, however determined, could
+stand, for an instant.
+
+There is comfort, even in a farthing rush light--I felt warmer. "What a
+subterraneous life you must have had of it," said I, "and how many tears
+and sighs you must have witnessed!" "Why yes," he replied, with a shake of
+the head, and a sigh, "the duties of my office have given to my features
+an expression of universal compassion--a sort of omnibus look, which has
+caused many a mourner to say--'Ah, Mr. Smith, I see how much you feel for
+me.' And I'm sure I did; not perhaps quite so keenly as I might, if I had
+been less frequently encored in the performance of my melancholy part.
+Yes," continued the old man--"I have witnessed tears and sighs, and deep
+grief, and shallow, and raving--for a month, and life-long; very proper
+tears, gushing from the eyes of widows, already wooed and won; and from
+the eyes of widowers, who, in a right melancholy way, had predetermined
+the mothers, for their orphan children. But passages have occurred, now
+and then, all in my sad vocation, pure and holy, and soul-stirring enough,
+to give pulse to a heart of stone."
+
+The old man took from his pocket a master key, and beckoned me to follow.
+He opened an ancient tomb. The mouldy shells were piled one upon another,
+and a few rusty fragments of that flimsy garniture, which was in vogue of
+old, had fallen on the bricks below.
+
+"_Sacred to the memory!_" said the old man, with a sad, significant smile,
+upon his intelligent features, as he removed the coffin of a child. I
+looked into the little receptacle, as he raised the lamp. "This," said he,
+"was the most beautiful boy I ever buried." "This?" said I, for the little
+narrow house contained nothing but a small handful of grayish dust. "Aye,"
+he replied, "I see; it is all gone now--it is twelve years since I looked
+at it last--there were some remnants of bones then, and a lock or two of
+golden hair. This small deposit was one of the first that I made, in this
+melancholy savings bank. Six-and-thirty years! So tender and so frail a
+thing may well be turned to dust.
+
+"Time is an alchymist, Abner, as you and I well know. If tears could have
+embalmed, it would not have been thus. I have never witnessed such agony.
+The poor, young mother lies there. She was not seventeen, when she died.
+In a luckless hour, she married a very gentlemanly sot, and left her
+native home, for a land of strangers. Hers was the common fate of such
+unequal bargains. He wasted her little property, died of intemperance, and
+left her nothing, but this orphan boy. And all the love of her warm, young
+heart was turned upon this child. It had, to be sure, the sweetest,
+catching smile, that I ever beheld.
+
+"Their heart strings seemed twisted together--the child pined; and the
+mother grew pale and wan. They waned together. The child died first. The
+poor, lone, young mother seemed frantic; and refused to part with her
+idol. After the little thing was made ready for the tomb, she would not
+suffer it to be removed. It was laid upon the bed, beside her. On the
+following day, I carried the coffin to the house; and, leaving it below,
+went up, with a kind neighbor, to the chamber, hoping to prevail upon the
+poor thing, to permit us to remove the body of the child. She was holding
+her little boy, clasped in her arms--their lips were joined together--'It
+is a pity to awaken her,' said the neighbor, who attended me--I put my
+hand upon her forehead--'Nothing but the last trump will awaken her,' said
+I--'she is dead.'"
+
+"Well, Martin," said I, "pray let us talk of something else--where is old
+Isaac Johnson, the founder of the city, who was buried, in this lot, in
+1630?"--"Ah"--the old man replied--"the prophets, where are _they_! I
+believe you may as well look among the embers, after a conflagration, for
+the original spark."
+
+"You must know many curious things, Martin," said I, "concerning this
+ancient temple."--"I do," said he, "of my own knowledge, and still more,
+by tradition; and some things, that neither the wardens nor vestry wot of.
+If I thought I might trust you, Abner, in a matter of such moment,
+but"--"Did I ever deceive you, Martin," said I, "while living; and do you
+think I would take advantage of your confidence, now you are a
+ghost?"--"Pardon me, Abner," he replied, for he saw, that he had wounded
+my feelings, "but the matter, to which I allude, were it made public,
+would produce terrible confusion--but I will trust you--meet me here, at
+ten minutes before twelve, on Sabbath night--three low knocks upon the
+outer door--at present I can reveal no more."--"No postponement, on
+account of the weather?" I inquired.--"None," the old man replied, and
+locked up the tomb.
+
+"Did you ever see Dr. Caner," I inquired, as we ascended into the body of
+the church.--"That," replied Martin Smith, "is rather a delicate question.
+In the very year, in which I was born, 1776, the Rev. Doctor Henry Caner,
+then an old man, carried off the church plate, 2800 ounces of silver, the
+gift of three kings; of which not a particle has ever been recovered: and,
+in lieu thereof, he left behind his fervent prayers, that God would
+"_change the hearts of the rebels_." This the Almighty has never seen fit
+to do--so that the society have not only lost the silver, but the benefit
+of Dr. Caner's prayers. No, Abner, I have never seen Dr. Caner, according
+to the flesh, but--ask me nothing further, on this highly exciting
+subject, till we meet again."
+
+I awoke, sorely disturbed--Martin had vanished.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXVIII.
+
+
+I know not why, but the idea of another meeting with Martin Smith,
+notwithstanding my affectionate respect, for that good old man, disturbed
+me so much, that I resolved, to be out of his way, by keeping awake. But,
+in defiance of my very best efforts, strengthened by a bowl of unsugared
+hyson, at half past eleven, if I err not, I fell into a profound slumber;
+and, at the very appointed moment, found myself, at the Chapel door. At
+the third knock, it opened, with an almost alarming suddenness--I quietly
+entered--and the old man closed it softly, after me.
+
+"In ten minutes," said he, "the congregation will assemble."--"What," I
+inquired, "at this time of night?"--"Be silent," said he, rather angrily,
+as I thought; and, drawing me, by the arm, to the north side of the door,
+he shoved me against the Vassal monument, with a force, that I would not
+have believed it possible, for any modern ghost to exert. "Be still and
+listen," said he. "In 1782, my dear, old pastor, Dr. Freeman, came here,
+as Reader; and became Rector, in 1787. Dr. Caner was inducted, in 1747,
+and continued Rector, twenty-nine years; for, as I told you, he went off
+with the plate, in 1776. There were no Rectors, between those two.
+Brockwell and Troutbeck were Caner's assistants only: the first died in
+1755, and the last left, the year before Dr. Caner."
+
+"Well," continued the old man, "never reveal what I am about to tell you,
+Abner Wycherly--the Trinitarians have never surrendered their claims, upon
+this Church; and, precisely at midnight, upon every Sabbath, since 1776,
+Dr. Caner and the congregation have gathered here; and the Church service
+has been performed, just as it used to be, before the revolution. They
+make short work of it, rarely exceeding fifteen minutes--hush, for your
+life--they are coming!"
+
+A glare of unearthly light, invisible through the windows, as Martin
+assured me, to all without, filled the tabernacle, in an
+instant--exceedingly like gas light; and, at the same instant, I heard a
+rattling, resembling the down-sitting, after prayers, in a village
+meeting-house, where the seats are clappers, and go on hinges. Observing,
+that my jaws chattered, Martin pressed my hand in his icy fingers, and
+whispered, that it was nothing but Dr. Caner's congregation, coming up,
+rather less silently, of course, than when they were in the flesh.
+
+Being the first Sunday in the month, all the communion plate, that Caner
+carried off, was paraded, on the altar. I wish the twelve apostles could
+have seen it. It glittered, like Jones, Ball & Poor's bow-window, viewed
+from the old, Donnison corner. The whole interior of the Chapel was
+marvellously changed. I was much struck, by a showy, gilt crown, over the
+organ, supported by a couple of gilt mitres. This was the famous organ,
+said to have been selected by Handel, and which came over in 1756.
+
+At this moment, a brief and sudden darkness hid everything from view;
+succeeded, instantly, by a brighter light than before; and all was
+changed. The organ had vanished; the monuments of Shirley and Apthorp, and
+the tablet of Price, over the vestry door, were gone; I looked behind me,
+for the Vassal monument, against which I had been leaning; it was no
+longer there. Martin Smith perceived my astonishment, and whispered, that
+Dr. Caner was never so partial to the Stone Chapel, which was opened in
+1754, as he was to the ancient King's Chapel, in which he had been
+inducted in 1747, and in which we then were.
+
+The pews were larger than any Hingham boxes I ever saw; but very small.
+The pulpit was on the north side. In front of it was the governor's pew,
+highly ornamented, lined with China silk; the cushions and chairs therein
+were covered with crimson damask, and the window curtain was of the same
+material. Near to this, I saw an elevated pew, in which were half a dozen
+fine looking skeletons, with their heads up and their arms akimbo. This
+pew, Martin informed me, was reserved, for the officers of the army and
+navy. A small organ was in the western gallery, said to be the first, ever
+heard in our country. From the walls and pillars, hung several escutcheons
+and armorial bearings. I distinguished those of the royal family, and of
+Andros, Nicholson, Hamilton, Dudley, Shute, Belcher, and Shirley.
+
+I had always associated the _hour-glass_ with my ideas of a Presbyterian
+pulpit, in the olden time, when the very length of the discourse gave the
+hearer some little foretaste of eternity. I was rather surprised to see an
+hour-glass, of large proportions, perched upon the pulpit, in its highly
+ornamented stand of brass. The altar-piece was at the easterly end of the
+Church, with the Glory, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the
+Creed, and some texts of Scripture.
+
+The congregation had taken their seats; and a slender, sickly looking
+skeleton glided into the reading desk. "Dr. Caner?" said I. "Brockwell,
+the assistant," replied Martin, in a whisper, "the very first wardens, of
+1686, are in the pew, tonight, Bullivant and Banks. They all serve in
+rotation. Next Sabbath, we shall have Foxcroft and Ravenscroft. Clerke
+Hill, and Rutley are sextons, tonight."
+
+The services were very well conducted; and, taking all things into
+consideration, I was surprised, that I comprehended so well, as I did. The
+prayer, for the royal family, was very impressively delivered. The
+assistant made use, I observed, of the Athanasian creed, and every one
+seemed to understand it, at which I was greatly surprised. Dr. Caner
+seemed very feeble, and preached a very short discourse upon the loss of
+Esau's birthright, making a pointed application, to the conversion of
+King's Chapel, by the Unitarians. He made rather a poor case of it, I
+thought. Martin was so much offended, that he said, though being a ghost,
+he was obliged to be quiet, he wished I would call the watch, and break up
+the meeting. I told him, that I did not believe Dr. Caner's arguments
+would have any very mischievous effect; and it seemed not more than fair,
+that these ancient worshippers should have the use of the church, at
+midnight, so long as they conducted themselves orderly--consumed no
+fuel--and furnished their own light.
+
+One of the sextons, passing near me, accidentally dropped a small parcel.
+I was seized with a vehement desire of possessing it; and, watching my
+opportunity, conveyed it to my pocket. When Dr. Caner pronounced his final
+amen, light was instantly turned into darkness--a slight noise
+ensued--"_the service is over!_" said Martin, and all was still. I begged
+Martin to light his lamp; and, by its light, I examined the parcel the
+sexton had dropped. It was a small roll, containing some extracts from the
+records. They were not without interest. "Sept. 21, 1691.--It must not be
+forgot that Sir Robert Robertson gave a new silk damask cushion and cloth
+pulpit-cover." "1697.--Whit Sunday. Paid Mr. Coneyball, for buying and
+carting Poses and hanging the Doares 8s." "Dec. 20.--Paid for a stone Gug
+Clark Hill broak." "March 29, 1698.--Paid Mr. Shelson for Loucking after
+the Boyes £1." "1701, Aug. 4.--Paid for scouring the brass frame for the
+hour-glass 10s." "1733, Oct. 11.--Voted that the Brass Stand for the
+hour-glass be lent to the church of Scituate, as also three Diaper
+napkins, provided Mr. Addington Davenport, their minister, gives his note
+to return the same to the Church wardens of the Church, &c." "April 3,
+1740.--Rec'd of Mr. Sylvester Gardner Sixteen Pounds Two Shills, in full
+for wine for the Chapple for the year past. John Hancock."
+
+I was about to put this fragment of the record into my pocket--"If," said
+Martin, "you do not particularly covet a visit from Clark Hill, or
+whichever of the old sextons it was, that dropped that paper, leave it, as
+you found it." I did so, most joyfully.
+
+"If you have any questions to ask of me," said the old man, "ask them now,
+and briefly, for we are about to part--to meet no more, until we meet, as
+I trust we shall, in a better world." "As a mere matter of curiosity,"
+said I, "I should like to know, if you consider your venerable pastor, now
+dead and gone, Dr. Freeman, as the successor of Saint Peter?" "No more,"
+said Martin Smith, with an expression almost too comical for a ghost,
+"than I consider you and myself successors of the sexton, who, under the
+directions of Abraham, buried Sarah, in the cave of the field of
+Machpelah, before Mamre." "Do you consider the Apostolical succession
+broken off, at the time of Dr. Freeman's ordination?" "Short off, like a
+pipe stem," he replied. "And so you do not consider the laying on of a
+Bishop's hand necessary, to empower a man to preach the Gospel?" "No
+more," said he, "than I consider the laying on of spades, necessary to
+empower a man, to dig a grave. We were a peculiar people, but quite as
+zealous for good works, as any of our neighbors. The Bishop of New York
+declined to ordain our pastor, because we were Unitarians; and we could
+not expect this service from our neighbors, had it been otherwise, on
+account of our adherence to the Liturgy, though modified, and to certain
+Episcopal forms--so we ordained him ourselves. The senior warden laid his
+hands upon the good man and true--said nothing of the thirty-nine
+articles--but gave him a Bible, as the sole compass for his voyage, in
+full confidence, that, while he steered thereby, we should be upon our
+course, to the haven, where we would be. We have never felt the want of
+the succession, for a moment, and, ever since, we have been a most happy
+and u----."
+
+Just then a distant steam whistle struck upon the ear, which Martin,
+undoubtedly, mistook, for cock-crowing--for his lamp was extinguished, in
+an instant, and he vanished.
+
+If my confidence in dreams needed any confirmation, nothing more could be
+required, than a careful comparison of many of these incidents, with the
+statements, in the history of King's Chapel, published by the late,
+amiable Rector, seventeen years ago. A copy is, at this moment, beneath my
+eye; and, upon the fly leaf, in the author's own hand writing, under date
+Jan. 1, 1843, I read--"_Presented to Martin Smith, for many years, a
+sexton of this church, from his friend F. W. P. Greenwood_." Aye; every
+one was the _friend_ of good old Martin Smith. Here, deposited among the
+leaves of this book, is an order, from that excellent man, my honored
+friend, Colonel Joseph May, then junior warden. It bears date "Saturday,
+18 June, 1814." It is laconic, and to the point. "_Toll slow!_" This also
+is subscribed "_Your friend_."
+
+Yes, every one was the friend of Martin Smith. He was a spruce, little,
+old man--especially at Christmas.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXIX.
+
+
+Nothing can be more entirely unfounded, than the popular notion, that
+circumstantial evidence is an inferior quality of proof. The most able
+writers, on the law of evidence, have always maintained the contrary.
+
+Sir William Blackstone and Sir Matthew Hale, it is true, have expressed
+the very just and humane opinion, that circumstantial evidence should be
+weighed with extreme caution; and the latter has expressly said, that, in
+trials, for murder and manslaughter, no conviction ought ever to be had,
+until the fact is clearly proven, or the body of the person, alleged to
+have been killed, has been discovered; for he stated, that two instances
+had occurred, within his own knowledge, in which, after the execution of
+the accused, the persons, supposed to have been murdered, had reäppeared
+alive.
+
+Probably, one of the most extraordinary cases of fatal confidence in
+circumstantial evidence, recorded, in the history of British, criminal
+jurisprudence, is that, commonly referred to, as the case of "_Hayes and
+Bradford_." In that case, a murder was certainly committed; the body of
+the murdered man was readily found; the murderer escaped; and, after many
+years, confessed the crime, in a dying hour; and another person, who had
+designed to commit the murder, but found his intended victim, already
+slain, was arrested, as the murderer; and, after an elaborate trial,
+suffered for the crime, upon the gallows.
+
+There is a case in the criminal jurisprudence of our own country, in all
+its strange particulars, far surpassing the British example, to which I
+have referred; and attended by circumstances, almost incredible, were the
+evidence and vouchers less respectable, than they are. I refer to the case
+of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, who were tried, for the murder of Russell
+Colvin, and convicted, before the Supreme Judicial Court of the State of
+Vermont, in October, 1819. In this remarkable case, it must be observed,
+that the Judges appeared to have acted, in utter disregard of that
+merciful caution of Sir Matthew Hale, to which I have alluded; and that
+these miserable men were rescued, from their impending fate, in a most
+remarkable manner.
+
+It is my purpose to present a clear and faithful account of this
+occurrence; and, to enable the reader to go along with me, step by step,
+with perfect confidence, in a matter, in which, from the marvellous
+character of the circumstances, to doubt would be extremely natural, I
+will first exhibit the sources, from which the elements of this narrative
+are drawn. I. The public journals of the day, published in Vermont. II.
+"Mystery developed, &c., by the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, Hartford, 1820." III.
+A sermon, on the occasion, by the same. IV. "A brief sketch of the
+Indictment, Trial, and Conviction of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, for the
+murder of Russell Colvin, by S. Putnam Waldo, Hartford." V. "A Collection
+of remarkable events, by Leonard Deming. Middlebury, 1825." VI. "Journals
+of the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, for 1819, October
+session," in which, page 185, may be found the minutes of the testimony,
+taken on the trial, and certified up, by Judge Chace, to the Legislature,
+by request, on petition, for a commutation of punishment. VII. Law
+Reporter, published in Boston, vol. v. page 193. VIII. Trial of Stephen
+and Jesse Boorn, Rutland, 1820. IX. Remarks thereon, N. A. Review, vol. x.
+page 418. X. Greenleaf's Treatise on Evidence, vol. i. page 320, note 2.
+XI. Cooley's Memoir of Rev. Lemuel Haynes, N. Y., 1839.
+
+In the village of Manchester, Bennington County, and State of Vermont,
+there resided in 1812, an old man, whose name was Barney Boorn, who had
+two sons, Stephen and Jesse, and a daughter Sarah, who had married Russell
+Colvin. Like the conies of the Bible, these people were _a feeble
+folk_--their mental powers were slender--they grew up in ignorance--their
+lot was poverty. Colvin, in particular, was, notoriously, an _imbecile_.
+He had been, for a long period, partially deranged. He was incompetent to
+manage the concerns of his family. He moved about in an idle, wandering
+way, and was perfectly inoffensive; and the wilful destruction of such a
+man would have been the murder of an _innocent_.
+
+In May, 1812, Russell Colvin was missing from home. This, in consideration
+of his uncertain habits, occasioned, at first, but little surprise. But
+his continued absence, for days, and weeks, and months, produced very
+considerable excitement, in the village of Manchester. This excitement
+naturally increased, with the term of his absence; and the contagion
+began, ere long, to catch upon the neighboring towns; until the most
+exciting topic of the day, throughout that portion of the Hampshire
+Grants, in the absence of mad dogs and revivals, was the mysterious
+disappearance of Russell Colvin.
+
+Rumors began to spread, from lip to lip. Suspicion, like a hungry
+leech--"a German one"--fastened upon the Boorns. Nor was this suspicion
+groundless. Thomas Johnson, a neighbor of all the parties, a credible
+witness, who swore to the facts, seven years after, on the trial,
+reported, that the last time he saw Russell Colvin was immediately before
+his remarkable disappearance, and that he and the Boorns were then
+quarrelling, while engaged in picking up stones.
+
+Lewis Colvin, the son of Russell, with manifest reluctance, stated, that,
+just before his father's disappearance, a quarrel took place, between his
+father and Stephen--that his father struck Stephen first--that Stephen
+then knocked his father down twice with a club--that he, the boy, was
+frightened and ran away--that Stephen told him never to mention what had
+happened--and that he had never seen his father since.
+
+Here, doubtless, was legitimate ground, for suspicion, and the village of
+Manchester, on the Battenkill, was in a state of universal
+fermentation--the very atmosphere seemed redolent of murder. It is
+marvellous, in what manner the Boorns escaped from being lynched, without
+trial; and, more especially, how Stephen was preserved, from the fate of
+his namesake, the martyr. A shortlived calm followed this tempest of
+popular feeling--parties were formed--some were sure the Boorns were the
+murderers of Colvin--some were inclined to believe they were not. The
+Boorns continued to dwell in the village, _without any effort to escape_;
+and the evidence against them was not deemed legally sufficient then, even
+to authorize their arrest.
+
+It appeared, upon the statement of Mrs. Colvin, that Stephen and Jesse,
+her brothers, had told her, upon a certain occasion, that she might be
+satisfied her husband was dead, and that _they knew it_. This additional
+fact gave fresh impulse to the popular excitement.
+
+In such miserable society, as may be supposed to have remained to these
+suspected men, it is not wonderful, that they should often have
+encountered the most unsparing allusions, and vulgar interrogatories--nor
+that they should have met this species of persecution, with equally vulgar
+and unflinching replies. It became well established, ere long, upon the
+declarations of a Mr. Baldwin and his wife, that, when asked where Colvin
+had gone, one of the Boorns replied, that he had "_gone to hell_"--and
+the other that he had "_gone where potatoes would not freeze_."
+
+It is not wonderful, that, upon such evidence, the daughters of Manchester
+should begin to prophecy, and the young men to see visions, and the old
+men to dream dreams. In the language of one, who has briefly described the
+condition of that village, during this period of intense
+excitement--"_Every house was haunted with the ghost of Colvin_."
+
+At length, a respectable man, a paternal uncle of the Boorns, began to
+dream, in good earnest. The ghost of Colvin appeared to him, and told him,
+upon his honor, that he had been murdered; and indicated the place, with
+unmistakable precision, where his body lay concealed. Like a bill, which
+cannot pass to enactment, until after a third reading, the declarations of
+a ghost are not entitled to the slightest regard, until after a third
+repetition. Every sensible ghost knows this, of course. The ghost of
+Colvin seems to have understood his business perfectly; and he manifested
+a very commendable delicacy, in selecting one of the family, for his
+confidant. Three times, in perfect conformity with acknowledged precedent,
+the ghost of Colvin announced the fact of his murder, and indicated the
+place, where his body was concealed.
+
+To put a slight upon a respectable ghost, in perfectly good standing, who
+had taken all this trouble, was entirely out of the question. Accordingly,
+the uncle of the Boorns summoned his neighbors--announced these
+revelations--gathered a posse--proceeded to dig in the hole, so
+particularly indicated by the ghost--and, after digging to a great depth,
+succeeded completely, in discovering nothing of any human remains. Indeed
+he was as unsuccessful, as our worthy friend, the Warden of the Prison, in
+his recent search for hidden treasure--excepting, that it does not appear,
+that the ghost made the slightest effort to bury him alive.
+
+This movement was productive, nevertheless, of additional testimony,
+against the Boorns. In the hole, were found a jack-knife and a button,
+both which Mrs. Colvin solemnly declared to have belonged to her husband.
+
+In regard to the location of the body, the ghost was certainly mistaken;
+perhaps Mr. Boorn, the uncle, being dull of hearing, might have
+misunderstood the revelation; and perhaps the memory of the ghost was
+treacherous. Evidence, gathered up by piecemeal, was, nevertheless,
+gradually enveloping the fate of these miserable men--evidence of a much
+more substantial material, than dreams are made of.
+
+Thomas Johnson, the witness, above referred to, having purchased the
+field, where the quarrel took place, between Colvin and the Boorns, the
+children of Johnson found, while playing there, an old mouldy hat; which
+Johnson asserted, at the time, and afterwards, at the trial, swore,
+positively, had belonged to Colvin.
+
+Nearly seven years had passed, since the disappearance of Russell Colvin.
+Stephen Boorn had removed from Manchester, about five years after the
+supposed murder; and resided in Denmark, Lewis County, New York; at the
+distance of some two hundred miles. Jesse still continued in Manchester;
+and _neither of these wretched men, upon any occasion, appears to have
+attempted flight, or concealment_.
+
+Stephen Boorn, who, as the sequel will abundantly show, seems not to have
+been entirely deficient, in natural affection, had discovered, after a
+bitter experience of five long years, that the burden of his sins was not
+more intolerable, than the oppressive consciousness of the tenure, by
+which he lived, and moved, and had his being; which tenure was no other,
+than that, by which Cain walked upon the earth, after the murder of Abel.
+Stephen Boorn gathered up the little, that he had, and went into a far
+country--not hastily, nor by night--but openly, and in the light of day.
+
+Jesse, who was, evidently, the weaker brother--the poorer spirit--remained
+behind; deeming it easier, doubtless, to endure the continued suspicion
+and contempt of mankind, than to muster enough of energy, to rise and
+walk.
+
+Well nigh seven years, as I have stated, had passed, since the
+disappearance of Colvin. A discovery was made, at this period, which left
+very little doubt, upon the minds of the good people of Manchester, that
+the Boorns were guilty of the murder of this unhappy man, and of
+attempting to conceal his remains, by cremation.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXX.
+
+
+At this period, about seven years after the disappearance of Russell
+Colvin, a lad, walking near the house of Barney Boorn, was attracted, by
+the movements of a dog, that seemed to have discovered some object of
+interest, near the stump of an ancient tree, upon the banks of the
+Battenkill river. This stump was about sixty rods from the hole, in which,
+upon the suggestion of the ghost, the uncle of the Boorns, and his curious
+neighbors had sought for the body of Colvin. The lad examined the stump,
+and discovered the cavity to be filled with bones!
+
+Had the magnetic been then in operation, the tidings could not have been
+telegraphed more speedily. The affair was definitively settled--the bones
+of Colvin were discovered; and the ghost appeared to have been only sixty
+rods out of the way, after all. Murder will find a tongue. Manchester
+found thousands. The village was on fire. Young men and maidens, old men
+and children came forth, to gaze upon the bones of the murdered Colvin;
+and to praise the Lord, for this providential discovery! Whatever the
+value of it might be--the merit seemed clearly to belong, in equal
+moieties, to the dog and the ghost.
+
+How prone we are--the children of this generation--to reason upon the
+philosophy, before we weigh the fish! This was a case, if there ever was a
+case, for the recognition of the principle, _cuique in sua arte credendum
+est_. Accordingly the medical magi of Manchester and of its highly excited
+neighborhood were summoned, to sit in judgment, upon these bones. The
+question was not--"_can these dry bones live?_"--but are they the bones of
+the murdered Colvin? One, thoughtful practitioner believed there was a
+previous question, entitled to some little consideration--are these bones
+the bones of a man, or of a beast? Never were scruples more entirely out
+of place. Imagine the indignation of the good people of Manchester, at the
+bare suggestion, that they had wasted so much excellent sympathy, upon the
+bones, peradventure, of a horse or a heifer!
+
+The doubter, as might have been expected, stood alone: but he sturdily
+persisted. The regular faculty, with the eyes of their well-persuaded
+patients riveted, encouragingly, upon theirs, expressed their clear
+conviction, that the bones were human bones, and, if human bones,
+whose--aye whose--but the murdered Colvin's! This gave universal
+satisfaction, of course.
+
+It was evident, that some of these bones had been broken and pounded--the
+quantity was small, for an entire skeleton--some few bones had been found,
+beneath a barn, belonging to the father of the Boorns, which had been,
+previously, consumed by fire--and some persons may have supposed, that the
+murderers, having deposited the dead body there, had destroyed the barn,
+to conceal their crime--and, finding a part of the body unconsumed, after
+the conflagration, had deposited that part, in the hollow stump, to be
+disposed of, at some future moment of convenience.
+
+A very plausible theory, beyond all doubt. But the doubting doctor
+continued to turn over these bones, with an air of provoking unbelief; now
+and then, perhaps, holding aloft, in significant silence, the fragment of
+a cranium, of remarkably sheepish proportions.
+
+This was not to be endured. Anatomical knowledge appears not to have made
+uncommon strides, in that region, in 1819; for, when it was finally
+decided to compare these bones with those of the human body, there
+actually seems to have been nothing in that region, which would serve the
+purpose of the faculty, but the leg of a citizen, long before amputated,
+and committed to the earth. I will here adopt the words of the Rev. Mr.
+Haynes--"_A Mr. Salisbury, about four years ago, had his leg amputated,
+which was buried, at the distance of four or five miles. The limb was dug
+up, and, by comparing, it was universally determined that the bones were
+not human._" This was a severe disappointment, undoubtedly; but not
+absolutely total: for two nails, or something, in the image thereof, were
+found, amid the mass, which nails, says Mr. Haynes, "_were human, and so
+appeared to all beholders_."
+
+Let us now turn to the murderers, or rather to Jesse, for Stephen was two
+hundred miles away, entirely unsuspicious of the gathering cloud, which
+was destined, ere long, to burst upon his devoted head.
+
+When the discovery of these bones had excited the feelings and suspicions
+of the people, to the utmost, it was deemed proper to take Jesse into
+custody. An examination took place, on Tuesday, May 27, 1819, and
+continued, till the following Saturday. This examination was conducted, in
+the meeting-house, as it appears, from the testimony of Truman Hill, upon
+the subsequent trial; who says of Jesse, that--"when the knife was
+presented to him, in the meeting-house, and also when the hat was
+presented to him, his feelings were such, as to oblige him to take hold of
+the pew, to steady himself--he appeared to be much agitated--I asked him
+what was the matter--he answered there was matter enough--I asked him to
+state--he said he feared, that Stephen had killed Colvin--that he never
+believed so, till the spring or winter, when he went into William Boorn's
+shop, where were William and Stephen Boorn--at which time he gained a
+knowledge of the manner of Colvin's death; and that he thought he knew,
+within a few rods, where Colvin was buried."
+
+Such was the evidence of Truman Hill, upon the trial; and he related the
+facts, very naturally, at the time, to his neighbors. The statement was
+considered, by the community, as tantamount to a confession. At this time,
+the examination of Jesse Boorn had nearly closed--no ground for detention
+appeared against him--the bones, discovered in the stump, were
+acknowledged to have belonged to some brute animal--it was the general
+opinion, that Jesse should be released; when this declaration of his to
+Truman Hill, turned the tide of popular sentiment entirely; and Jesse
+Boorn was remanded to prison.
+
+Truman Hill was the jailer; or, in his own conservative phraseology, he
+"_kept the keys of the prison_." Jailers are rather apt to look upon their
+prisoners, as great curiosities, in proportion to the crimes, with which
+they are charged, and themselves as showmen. Most men are sufficiently
+willing to be distinguished, for something or other:--to see Jesse
+Boorn--to catechise the wretched man--to set before him the fear of death,
+and the hope of pardon--to beg him to confess--nothing but the truth, of
+course--these were privileges--favors--and Truman Hill had the power of
+granting them. Thus he says--he "_let in_" Mr. Johnson; and, when Mr.
+Johnson came out, he went in himself, and found Jesse "in great
+agitation"--and then he, himself, urged Jesse to confess--the truth of
+course--if he said anything--assuring him, that every falsehood he told,
+would sink him deeper in trouble. It must have been evident to the mind of
+Jesse, that a confession of the murder would be particularly agreeable to
+the public, and that a continued protestation of his innocence would
+disappoint the reasonable expectations of his fellow-citizens.
+
+Jesse confessed to Judge Skinner, that Stephen had, probably, buried
+Colvin's body in the mountain; and that the knife, found with the button,
+in the hole, indicated to his uncle by the ghost, was, doubtless,
+Colvin's; for he had often seen Colvin's mother use it, to cut her
+tobacco. Judge Skinner and Jesse took an edifying walk up the mountain, in
+search of the body--they did not find it, which is very surprising.
+
+About the middle of the month of May, 1819, Mr. Orange Clark, a neighbor
+of Stephen Boorn, in the town of Denmark, some two hundred miles from
+Manchester, entered his dwelling, in the evening. He took a chair, and
+commenced a friendly conversation with Stephen and his wife--for Stephen
+had married a wife--the sharer of all his sorrows--his joys, probably,
+were few, and far between, and not worth the partition. Shortly after, a
+Mr. Hooper, another neighbor, dropped in. He had scarcely taken his seat,
+before another entered the apartment, Mr. Sylvester, the innkeeper, who,
+upon some grave testimony, then recently imported into Denmark, had
+arrived at the solemn conclusion, that there was something rotten there.
+
+Stephen and his helpmate were, doubtless, somewhat surprised, at this
+unusual gathering, in their humble dwelling. Their surprise was greatly
+increased, of course, by the appearance, almost immediately after, of
+Messieurs Anderson and Raymond, worthy men of Manchester. If the ghost of
+Russell Colvin had stalked in, after them, Stephen Boorn could not have
+been more astonished, than he was, when he beheld, closing up the rear of
+all this goodly company--no less a personage, than Captain Truman Hill,
+the jailer of Manchester--the gentleman, I mean, who "_kept the keys of
+the prison_."
+
+To Stephen there must have been something not wholly incomprehensible in
+this. His ill-starred partner was not long left in doubt. The very glances
+of the party were of evil omen. Their business was soon declared. The
+gentleman, that _kept the keys_, kept also the _handcuffs_. They were
+speedily produced. Stephen Boorn must go back to the place, from whence he
+came--and from thence--so opined the men, women and children of
+Manchester--to the place of execution. But, when the process commenced, of
+putting the irons upon that wretched man--the poor woman--the wife of his
+bosom--for he had a bosom, and a human heart therein, full of tenderness,
+as the sequel will demonstrate, for her; however inconceivable to the
+gentleman, that "_kept the keys_"--and to those learned judges, who, in
+the very teeth, and in utter contempt, of the law, so clearly laid down by
+Sir Matthew Hale, of glorious memory, would have hanged this miserable
+man, but for the signal Providence of Almighty God--this poor woman was
+completely overwhelmed with agony.
+
+The estimate of many things, in this nether world, is a vastly relative
+affair. That, which would be in excellent taste, among a people, without
+refinement, however moral, will frequently appear to the enlightened
+portion of mankind, as absolutely barbarous.
+
+The idea of allaying the anguish of a wife, produced by the forcible
+removal of her husband, in chains, on a charge of murder, by _making her
+presents_, hurries one's imagination to the land of the Hottentots, or of
+the Caffres; where the loss of a child is sometimes forgotten, in the
+contemplation of a few glass beads--and no consolation proves so effectual
+for the loss of wife, as a nail or a hatchet.
+
+And yet it is impossible--and it ought to be--to read the short and simple
+statement of that good man, the Rev. Mr. Haynes, without emotion--"_The
+surprise and distress of Mrs. Boorn, on this occasion, are not easily
+described: they excited the compassion of those, who came to take away her
+husband; and they made her some presents_."
+
+"The prisoner," continues Mr. Haynes, "was put in irons, and brought to
+Manchester, on the 15th of May. He peremptorily asserted his innocence,
+and declared he knew nothing about the murder of his brother-in-law. The
+prisoners were kept apart, for a time. They were afterwards confined in
+one room. Stephen denied the evidence, brought against him by Jesse, and
+treated him with severity."
+
+These men, imprisoned in May, 1819, were not tried, until October of that
+year. The _evidence_, upon which they were convicted of murder, in the
+first degree, lies now before me, _certified up to the General Assembly of
+the State of Vermont, upon their request, by Judge Dudley Chace, Nov. 11,
+1819_. Let us now turn from _on dits_, and dreams, and ghosts, and
+doubtful relics, to the _duly certified testimony, upon which these men
+were sentenced to be hung_.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXI.
+
+
+The grand jurors of Bennington County found a bill of indictment, against
+Stephen and Jesse Boorn, September 3, 1819, for the murder of Russell
+Colvin, May 10, 1812, charging Stephen, as principal, in the first count,
+and Jesse, in the second.
+
+The facts, proved, upon the trial, by witnesses, whose testimony was
+unimpeached, and which facts appear, in the minutes of evidence, certified
+by Judge Dudley Chace to the General Assembly, November 11, 1819, were,
+substantially, these. Before the time of the alleged murder, Stephen had
+complained that his brother-in-law, Colvin, was a burden to the family;
+and Stephen had said, if there was no other way of preventing him from
+multiplying children, for his father-in-law, Barney Boorn, to support, he
+would prevent him himself.
+
+At the time of the alleged murder, Stephen and Jesse Boorn had a quarrel
+with Colvin. The affair, in part, was seen and heard, by a neighbor, from
+a distance. Lewis Colvin, then ten years old, the son of Russell, was
+present; and, when seventeen, testified at the trial, that the last time
+he saw his father was, when the quarrel took place, which arose, at the
+time they were all engaged, in picking up stones--that Colvin struck
+Stephen first, with a small stick--that Stephen then struck Colvin, on his
+neck, with a club, and he fell--that Colvin rose and struck Stephen
+again--that Stephen again struck Colvin with the club, and knocked him
+down--whereupon the witness, being frightened, ran away; and was
+afterwards told, by Stephen, that he would kill him, if he ever told of
+what had happened. The witness further stated, that he ran, and told his
+grandmother.
+
+Stephen appears to have been gifted with a lively fancy. It was testified,
+that, before this occurrence, speaking of his sister and her husband, he
+had said he wished Russell and Sal were both dead; and that he would _kick
+them into hell if he burnt his legs off_. This piece of evidence, after
+having produced the usual effect upon the jury, was rejected.
+
+Upon another occasion, four years after the alleged murder, Stephen stated
+to Daniel D. Baldwin, and Eunice, his wife, that Colvin went off very
+strangely; that the last he saw of him was when he, Stephen, and Jesse
+were together, and Colvin went off to the woods; that Lewis, the son of
+Colvin, upon returning with some drink, for which he had been sent, asked
+where his father was, and that he, Stephen, replied, that Colvin had gone
+to hell; and Jesse, that they had put him where potatoes would not freeze;
+and Stephen added, while making this statement to the Baldwins, that it
+was not likely he or Jesse would have said this to the boy, if they had
+killed his father.
+
+When the body was sought for, before the bones were discovered, which were
+mistaken for human remains, a girl said to Stephen, "they are going to dig
+up Colvin for you; aren't they?" He became angry, and said, that Colvin
+often went off and returned--and that, when he went off, the last time, he
+was crazy; and went off without his hat.
+
+About four years after his disappearance, an old mouldy hat was
+discovered, in the field, where the quarrel took place; and was
+identified, positively, as the hat of Colvin, by the witness who had seen
+the quarrel, from a distance, as I have stated.
+
+Stephen denied, to Benjamin Deming, that he, Stephen, was present, when
+Colvin went off, and stated, that he was then, at a distance.
+
+To Joseph Lincoln he said, that he never killed Colvin--that he, and
+Colvin, and Jesse were picking up stones, and that Colvin was crazy, and
+went off into the woods, and that they had not seen nor heard from him
+since.
+
+To William Wyman, Stephen reäffirmed his statement, made to Benjamin
+Deming--called on Wyman to clear up his statement, that he, Stephen, had
+killed Colvin--asserted, that he knew nothing of what had become of
+Colvin; and that he had never worked with him an hour.
+
+The minutes of the Judge furnish other examples of similar contradiction
+and inconsistency, on the part of Stephen Boorn.
+
+But the reader will bear constantly in mind, that, through a period of
+seven years, during which the suspicion of the vicinage hung over them,
+like an angry cloud, sending forth occasional mutterings of judgment to
+come, and threatening to burst upon their heads, at any moment; _neither
+of these miserable men attempted flight or concealment_. Two years before
+his arrest, Stephen removed from Manchester, as I have related; but, in an
+open manner. There was not the slightest disguise, in regard to his abode;
+and there, when it was thought proper to arrest him, he was readily found,
+in the bosom of his family.
+
+In 1813, Jesse Boorn was asked, by Daniel Jacobs, where Russell Colvin
+was; and replied, that he had enlisted, as a soldier in the army.
+
+Thus far, the evidence, certified by Judge Chace, appears to have
+proceeded from perfectly credible witnesses. Silas Merrill, _in jail, on a
+charge of perjury_, testified to the following confession--that, when
+Jesse returned to prison, after his examination, he told Merrill, that
+"_they_" had encouraged him to confess, _with promise of pardon_, and that
+he, Merrill, had told him, that, perhaps, he had better confess the whole
+truth, and _obtain some favor_. In June, 1819, Jesse's father visited him
+in jail--after he went away, Jesse seemed much afflicted. After falling
+asleep, Jesse awoke, and shook the witness, Merrill--told him that he,
+Jesse, was frightened--had seen a vision--and wished the witness to get
+up, for he had something to tell him. They both arose; and Jesse made the
+following disclosure. He said it was true, that he, and Stephen, and
+Colvin, and Lewis were in the lot, picking stones--that Stephen struck
+Colvin with a club--that the boy, Lewis, ran--that Colvin got up--that
+Stephen struck him again, above the ear, and broke his skull--that his,
+Stephen's father came up, and asked if Colvin was dead; and that he
+repeated this question three times--that all three of them carried Colvin,
+not then dead, to an old cellar, where the father cut Colvin's throat,
+with a small penknife of Stephen's--that they buried him, in the
+cellar--that Stephen wore Colvin's shoes, till he, Jesse, told him it
+would lead to a discovery.
+
+Jesse, as the witness stated, informed him, that he had told his brother
+Stephen, that he had confessed. When Stephen came into the room, witness
+asked him, if he did not take the life of Colvin; to which he replied,
+that "_he did not take the main life of Colvin_." Stephen, as the witness
+stated, said, that Jesse's confession was true; and that he, Stephen, had
+made a confession, which would only make manslaughter of it. The witness,
+Merrill, then proceeded to say, that Jesse further confessed, that,
+eighteen months after they had buried the body, they took it up, and
+placed it under the floor of a barn, that was afterwards burnt--that they
+then pounded the bones, and put them in the river; excepting a few, which
+their father gathered up, and hid in a hollow stump.
+
+At this stage of the trial, the prosecuting officer offered the written
+confession of Stephen Boorn, dated Aug. 27, 1819. The document was
+authenticated. An attempt was made by the prisoners' counsel, to show,
+that this confession was made, under the fear of death and hope and
+prospect of pardon. Samuel C. Raymond testified, that he had often told
+the prisoner to confess, _if guilty_, but not otherwise. Stephen said he
+was _not guilty_. The witness then told him _not to confess_. The witness
+said he had heard Mr. Pratt, and Mr. Sheldon, the prosecuting officer,
+tell Jesse, that, if he would confess, _in case he was guilty_, they would
+petition the legislature in his favor. The witness had made the same
+proposition to Stephen himself, and _always told him he had no doubt of
+his guilt; and that the public mind was against him_.
+
+The court, of course, rejected the _written confession_ of Stephen, made,
+obviously, under the fear of death, and the hope and prospect of pardon.
+William Farnsworth was then produced, to prove the _oral confession_ of
+Stephen, much to the same effect. To this the prisoners' counsel objected,
+very properly, as it occurred after the very statement and proposal, made
+to the prisoner, by Mr. Raymond. _The court, nevertheless, permitted the
+witness to proceed._ Mr. Farnsworth then testified, that, about two weeks
+_after_ the date of the written confession, Stephen confessed, that he
+killed Russell Colvin--that Russell struck at him; and that he struck
+Russell and killed him--hid him in the bushes--buried him--dug him
+up--buried him again, under a barn, that was burnt--threw the unburnt
+bones into the river--scraped up some few remains, and hid them in a
+stump--and that the nails found he knew were Russell Colvin's. The witness
+told him his case looked badly; and, probably, gave him no encouragement.
+Stephen then said they should have done well enough, had it not been for
+Jesse, and wished he "_had back that paper_," meaning the written
+confession.
+
+After Mr. Farnsworth had been, thus absurdly, permitted to testify, there
+was no cause for withholding the written confession; and the prisoners'
+counsel called for its production. This confession embodies little more,
+with the exception of some particulars, as to the manner of burying the
+body; but is entirely inconsistent with the confession of Jesse. It is a
+full confession, that he killed Russell Colvin, and buried his remains.
+But, unlike the confession of Jesse, there is not the slightest
+implication of their father.
+
+The evidence, in behalf of the prisoners, was of very little importance,
+excepting in relation to the fact, that _they were persuaded, by divers
+individuals, that the only chance of escaping the halter was, by an ample
+confession of the murder_. They were told to confess _nothing but the
+truth_--but this was accompanied, by ominous intimations, that their case
+"_looked dark_"--that they were "_gone geese_"--or, by the considerate
+language of _Squire Raymond_--as he is styled in the minutes--that he
+"_had no doubt of their guilt_;" and if they would confess _the
+truth_--that is, _what the Squire had no doubt of_--he would petition the
+legislature in their favor! What atrocious language to a prisoner, under a
+charge of murder!
+
+It would be quite interesting to read the instructions of Judge Dudley
+Chace, while submitting the case of Stephen and Jesse Boorn to the jury;
+that we might be able to comprehend the measure of his respect, for the
+law, touching the inadmissibility of such extra judicial confessions, and
+for the solemn, judicial declaration of Sir Matthew Hale, that _no
+conviction ought ever to take place in trials, for murder or manslaughter,
+until the fact was clearly proven, or the dead body of the person, alleged
+to have been killed, was discovered_.
+
+In "_about an hour_," the jury returned a verdict of guilty, against
+Stephen and Jesse Boorn. And, in "_about an hour_" after, the prisoners
+were brought into court again, and sentenced to be hung, on the
+twenty-eighth day of January, 1820. Judge Chace is said to have been
+"_quite moved_," while passing sentence on Stephen and Jesse Boorn. It
+would have been well, for the cause of humanity, and not amiss, for the
+honor of his judicial station, if he had shed tears of blood, as the
+reader of the sequel will readily admit.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXII.
+
+
+Sentenced, on the last day of October, 1819, to be hung, on the 28th of
+January following, the Boorns were remanded to their prison, and put in
+irons.
+
+From this period, their most authentic and interesting prison history is
+obtained, from the written statement of the clergyman, who appears to have
+performed his sacred functions, in regard to these men, with singular
+fidelity and propriety. This clergyman, the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, belonged
+to that class of human beings, commonly denominated _colored people_--a
+term, to which I have always sturdily objected, because drunkards, who are
+often a highly-colored people, may thus be confounded with temperate and
+respectable men of African descent.
+
+[2]Mr. Haynes was, in part, of African parentage; and the author of the
+narrative, and occasional sermon, to which I have referred, at the
+commencement of these articles. There flourished, in this city, some five
+and thirty years ago, a number of very respectable, negro musicians,
+associated, as a band; and Major Russell, the editor of the Centinel, was
+in the habit of distinguishing the music, by the color of the performers.
+He frequently remarked, in his journal, that the "_black music_" was
+excellent. If this phraseology be allowable, I cannot deny, that the
+black, or colored, narrative of Mr. Haynes is very interesting; and that I
+have seldom read a black or colored discourse, with more satisfaction; and
+that I have read many a white one, with infinitely less.
+
+    [2] The editor of the New York Sun, _under date, Jan. 25, 1850_,
+    says--"Yesterday, we were waited on, by the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, of
+    this city, the person, who, convinced of the innocence of the
+    condemned parties, aided in finding the man, supposed to be
+    murdered."--The Sun must have been under a total eclipse. This very
+    worthy man, the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, who figured, honorably for
+    himself, in the affair of the Boorns, was born July 18, 1753, and died
+    Sept. 28, 1833, at the age of 80--as the gentleman, who conducts the
+    chariot of the Sun, will discover, by turning to Cooley's "Sketches of
+    the life and character of the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, N. Y. 1839," p. 312.
+    Some dark object must have passed before the editor's eye.
+
+Previously to their trial, and after the arrest of Stephen, the Rev. Mr.
+Haynes expressly states, that Jesse, having had an interview with Stephen,
+positively denied his own former statement, that Stephen had admitted he
+killed Colvin. These are the words of Mr. Haynes--"During the interval,
+the writer frequently visited them, in his official capacity; and did not
+discover any symptoms of compunction; but they persisted, in declaring
+their innocence, with appeals to Heaven. Stephen, at times, appeared
+absorbed in passion and impatience. One day, I introduced the example of
+Christ, under sufferings, as a pattern, worthy of imitation: he
+exclaimed--'I am as innocent, as Jesus Christ!' for which extravagant
+expression I reproved him: he replied--'I don't mean I am guiltless, as he
+was, I know I am a great sinner; but I am as innocent of killing Colvin,
+as he was.'"
+
+The condition of the Boorns, immediately after sentence, cannot be more
+forcibly exhibited, than in the language of this worthy clergyman--"None
+can express the confusion and anguish, into which the prisoners were cast,
+on hearing their doom. They requested, by their counsel, liberty to speak,
+which was granted. In sighs and broken accents, they asserted their
+innocence. The convulsion of nature, attending Stephen, at last, was so
+great, as to render him unable to walk, and he was supported to the
+prison."
+
+Compassion was excited, in the hearts of some--doubts, peradventure, in
+the minds of others. A petition was presented to the General Assembly; and
+the punishment of Jesse was changed to imprisonment, for life.
+Ninety-seven deadly noes, against forty-two merciful ayes, decided the
+fate of Stephen.
+
+On the 29th of October, 1819, Jesse bade Stephen a last farewell; and was
+transferred to the State prison, at Windsor.
+
+"I visited him--Stephen"--says Mr. Haynes, "frequently, with sympathy and
+grief; and endeavored to turn his mind upon the things of another world;
+telling him, that, as all human means had failed, he must look to God, as
+the only way of deliverance. I advised him to read the Holy Scriptures; to
+which he consented, if he could be allowed a candle, as his cell was dark.
+This request was granted; and I often found him reading. He was at times
+calm, and again impatient."
+
+Upon another occasion, still nearer the day of the prisoner's doom--"the
+last of earth"--Mr. Haynes remarks, that Stephen addressed him
+thus--"_'Mr. Haynes, I see no way but I must die: everything works against
+me; but I am an innocent man: this you will know, after I am dead.' He
+burst into a flood of tears, and said--'What will become of my poor wife
+and children; they are in needy circumstances; and I love them better than
+life itself.'_--I told him, God would take care of them. He replied--'_I
+don't want to die. I wish they would let me live, even in this situation,
+somewhat longer: perhaps something will take place, that will convince
+people I am innocent._' I was about to leave the prison, when he
+said--'_will you pray with me?_'--He arose with his heavy chains on his
+hands and legs, being also chained down to the floor, and stood on his
+feet, with deep and bitter sighings."
+
+On the 26th day of November, 1819--two brief months before the time,
+appointed, for the execution of Stephen Boorn, the following notice
+appeared in the Rutland Herald--"MURDER.--_Printers of Newspapers,
+throughout the United States, are desired to publish, that Stephen Boorn
+of Manchester, in Vermont, is sentenced to be executed for the murder of
+Russell Colvin, who has been absent about seven years. Any person, who can
+give information of said Colvin, may save the life of the innocent, by
+making immediate communication. Colvin is about five feet five inches
+high, light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, about forty years of age.
+Manchester, Vt., Nov. 26, 1819._"
+
+This notice, published by request of the prisoner, was, doubtless,
+prepared, by one of his counsel:--by whomsoever prepared, it bears, in its
+very structure, unmistakable evidence of the writer's entire confidence,
+in the innocency, of Stephen Boorn, of the _murder_ of Russell Colvin. No
+man, who had a doubt upon his mind, could have put these words together,
+in the very places, where they stand. Had it been otherwise, some little
+hesitancy of expression--some conservative syllable--one little if, _ex
+abundanti cautela_, to shelter the writer from the charge of a most
+miserably weak and merciful credulity, would have characterized this last
+appeal--this short, shrill cry for mercy--as the work of a doubter, and a
+hireling.
+
+There may have been a few, whose strong confidence, in the bloodguiltiness
+of Stephen Boorn, had become slightly paralyzed, by his entire and
+absolute retractation of all his confessions, made before trial. There may
+have been a few, who believe, that they, themselves, might have confessed,
+though innocent, in the same predicament--assured by the _squires_, the
+_magnates_ of the village, whom they supposed powerful to save, that _no
+doubt existed of their guilt_--that they were _gone geese_--and who
+proffered an effort in their favor--to save them from the gallows--if they
+would confess _the truth_, which _truth_ could, of course, be nothing, but
+their _guilt_. If they would confess a crime, though innocent, they might
+still live! If not, they must be deemed liars, and murderers, and die the
+death!
+
+The prisoner, Stephen Boorn, even supposing him to be innocent, but of
+humble station in society, and of ordinary mental powers--oppressed by the
+chains he wore, and, more heavily, by the dread of death--clinging to
+life--not only because it is written, by the finger of God, in the members
+of man, that all a man hath will be given for his life--but because, as
+the statement of Mr. Haynes convincingly shows, poor degraded outcast as
+Stephen was, he was deeply and tenderly attached to his wife and
+children--might well fall under the temptation, so censurably spread
+before him.
+
+There may have been a few, who were compelled to doubt, if Stephen were a
+murderer, upon hearing the simple narrative, spread through the village,
+by the worthy clergyman, of the fervent and awful declaration of Stephen
+Boorn, in a moment of deep and energetic misery--"I am as innocent of the
+murder of Russell Colvin, as Jesus Christ."
+
+But the strong current of popular indignation ran, overwhelmingly, against
+him. By a large number, the brief notice, published in the Rutland Herald,
+was, undoubtedly, accounted a mere personal, or professional attempt, to
+produce an impression of the murderer's innocence, in the hope of
+commutation, or of pardon--and, with many, it certainly tended to confirm
+the prejudice against him. Days of unutterable anguish were succeeded, by
+nights of frightful slumber. The cell was feebly lighted, by the taper
+allowed him--with unpractised fingers, the prisoner turned over the pages
+of God's holy word--but a kind, faithful guide was at his elbow--the voice
+of fervent prayer, amid the occasional clanking of the prisoner's fetters,
+went up to that infallible ear, that is ever ready to hear.--The Judicial
+power had consigned this victim to the gallows--the general sense had
+decided, that Stephen Boorn ought not to live--to prepare him to die was
+the only remaining office, for the man of God.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXIII.
+
+
+In April, 1813, about a year after poor Colvin was murdered, by the
+Boorns, according to the indictment--there came to the house of a Mr.
+Polhamus, in Dover, Monmouth County, New Jersey, a wandering man--he was a
+stranger, and Mr. Polhamus was a good man, and took him in--he was hungry,
+and he fed him--he was ragged, if not absolutely naked, and he clothed
+him. He was a man of mean appearance, rapid utterance, and disordered
+understanding. He was harmless withal, perfectly tractable, capable of
+light service, and grateful for kindness. In the family of Mr. Polhamus,
+this poor vagrant had continued, to the very time, when the Boorns were
+convicted of the murder of Russell Colvin.
+
+Not far from Dover, lies the town of Shrewsbury, near Long Branch, the
+Baiæ of the Philadelphians. There dwelt in Shrewsbury, in the year 1819,
+Mr. Taber Chadwick, the brother-in-law of Mr. Polhamus, and familiarly
+acquainted with the domestic affairs of his relative. He also was a man of
+kind and generous feelings. He had accidentally read in the New York
+Evening Post, a paper which he rarely met with, the account of the
+conviction of the Boorns, for the murder of Colvin. The notice in the
+Rutland Herald, he had never seen. He was firmly persuaded, that the
+stranger, who arrived at the house of his brother-in-law, some six years
+before, was Russell Colvin. What reasons he had, for this conviction, the
+reader will gather from a perusal of the following letter, which appeared
+in the Evening Post:--
+
+"SHREWSBURY, Monmouth, N. J., Dec. 6, 1819. To the Editor of the New York
+Evening Post: Sir. Having read in your paper of Nov. 26th last, of the
+conviction and sentence of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, of Manchester,
+Vermont, charged with the murder of Russell Colvin, and from facts, which
+have fallen within my own knowledge, and not knowing what facts may have
+been disclosed on their trial, and wishing to serve the cause of humanity,
+I would state as follows, which may be relied on. Some years past, (I
+think between five and ten), a stranger made his appearance in this
+county: and, upon being inquired of, said his name was Russell Colvin,
+(which name he answers to at this time)--that he came from Manchester,
+Vermont--he appeared to be in a state of mental derangement; but, at
+times, gave considerable account of himself--his connections,
+acquaintances, &c.--He mentions the names of Clarissa, Rufus, &c.--Among
+his relations he has mentioned the Boorns above--Jesse as Judge (I think,)
+&c., &c. He is a man rather small in stature--round favored--speaks very
+fast, and has two scars on his head, and appears to be between thirty and
+forty years of age. There is no doubt but that he came from Vermont, from
+the mention that he has made of a number of places and persons there, and
+probably is the person supposed to have been murdered. He is now living
+here, but so completely insane, as not to be able to give a satisfactory
+account of himself, but the connections of Russell Colvin might know, by
+seeing him. If you think proper to give this a place in your columns, it
+may possibly lead to a discovery, that may save the lives of innocent
+men--if so, you will have the pleasure, as well as myself, of having
+served the cause of humanity. If you give this an insertion in your paper,
+pray be so good as to request the different editors of newspapers, in New
+York, and Vermont, to give it a place in theirs. I am, sir, with
+sentiments of regard, yours, &c.,
+
+TABER CHADWICK."
+
+To render a certain part of this letter intelligible to the reader, it is
+proper to state, that Clarissa and Rufus, as it appeared from the
+evidence, were the names of Colvin's children; and that "_the judge_" was
+a title, or sobriquet, frequently bestowed upon Jesse, by Stephen.
+
+Upon the arrival of a printed copy of Mr. Chadwick's letter, in
+Manchester, it produced little or no effect. Very few of the inhabitants
+gave any credit to the story; and it might have been very reasonably
+supposed, that St. Thomas had begotten a large majority of the population.
+Squire Raymond was certain of Stephen's guilt; and to differ from Squire
+Raymond, was probably accounted, by the villagers, as one of the
+presumptuous sins. Besides, if a doubt of their guilt had existed, would
+not those most learned judges have given the prisoners the full advantage
+of that doubt! How little the good people of Manchester imagined, that,
+upon the trial of the Boorns, the well established rules of evidence had
+been outrageously violated, and a great fundamental principle of criminal
+jurisprudence shamefully disregarded, by the court! Such, however painful
+and disgraceful the admission, was manifestly the fact. Judges, who sit
+thus, in judgment, upon the lives of men, would do well to doff their
+ermine, and assume the robe, commended by Faulconbridge to Austria. To the
+enforcement of this simple truth I shall turn hereafter.
+
+Let us now go to the dungeon, taking with us, of course, the newspaper,
+containing these living lines--these tidings of exceeding great joy. But
+the details of all that occurred within the prison, are related with great
+simplicity and power, by the good clergyman, who stood by Stephen Boorn,
+in his deepest need. Let Mr. Haynes, himself, describe in a few words, the
+effect of this communication, upon the prisoner--"Mr. Chadwick's letter
+was carried to the prison, and read to Stephen. The news was so
+overwhelming, that, to use his own language, nature could scarcely sustain
+the shock; but, as there was some doubt as to the truth of the report, it
+tended to prevent an immediate dissolution. He observed to me, that, if
+Colvin had then made his appearance before him, he believed it would have
+caused immediate death. Even now a faintness was created, that was painful
+to endure."
+
+Not a few very charitable people, who shrink, instinctively, from the very
+thought of giving pain, marvelled at the cruelty of those, who presumed to
+raise the poor prisoner's hopes, upon such frail and improbable grounds.
+
+Soon, intelligence arrived in Manchester, that a Mr. Whelpley, of New
+York, formerly of Manchester, who knew Colvin well, having seen Mr.
+Chadwick's letter, had gone to New Jersey, to settle the question of
+identity. This, according to Mr. Deming's account, was done, at the
+instance of the city authorities of New York.
+
+Doubt fell, fifty per cent., in the market of Manchester, when a brief
+letter, in the well known handwriting of Mr. Whelpley, was received, in
+that village, immediately upon his return to New York, containing these
+vital words--"I HAVE COLVIN WITH ME!" This letter was immediately followed
+by another from a Mr. Rempton, who knew him well, in which he
+says--"_while writing, Russell Colvin is before me_!" The New York
+journals now published the notice, that _Colvin had arrived, and would
+soon proceed to Vermont_. Doubt dies hard, in the bosoms of those, whose
+pride of opinion forbids them to recant. Squire Raymond, and his tail, as
+the Scotch call a great man's followers, could not believe the story.
+Their honors, who sentenced the Boorns to death, in one hour, after the
+verdict had been delivered--were very naturally inclined to take a longer
+time, for consideration, before they sentenced themselves to merited
+reproach, for their rash and unjustifiable conduct. Bets were made, says
+Mr. Haynes, that the man, on his way to Vermont, notwithstanding the
+positive averments of Whelpley and Rempton, was not the true Colvin, but
+an impostor.
+
+Whoever he was, he was soon upon his way. He passed through Albany. The
+streets, says Mr. Deming, were literally crowded to get a glimpse of the
+man, who was dead and alive again. He passed through Troy. The Trojan
+horse could not have produced a greater measure of amazement, in the days
+of Priam. Dec. 22, he arrived with Mr. Whelpley, at Bennington. The court
+then in session, suspended business, to look upon him, for several hours.
+
+Towards evening, upon that memorable day, Dec. 22, 1819, the stage was
+seen, driving into Manchester, and the driving was like the driving of
+Jehu, for it drove furiously. When the dust cleared away, sufficiently, to
+enable the excited population to obtain a clearer view, an unusual signal
+was observed floating above the advancing vehicle. A shout broke forth
+from the crowd--COLVIN HAS COME! Hundreds ran to their houses to
+communicate the tidings--_Colvin has come!_ The stage drove up to the
+tavern door; and a little man, of mean appearance, and wild, disordered
+look, came forth into the middle of the eager multitude. His bewildered
+eyes turned, rapidly and feverishly, in all directions, encountering eyes
+innumerable, that seemed to drink him in, with the strong relish of wonder
+and delight. Hundreds upon hundreds pressed forward, to grasp this poor,
+little, demented creature, by the hand; and enough of sense and memory
+remained, to enable him, feebly, to return the smiles of his former
+neighbors, and to call them, by their names. All was uproar and frantic
+joy. The people of Manchester believed it to be their bounden duty to go
+partially mad; and they did their duty to perfection. Guns were fired,
+amid wild demonstrations of excitement; and Colvin was tumultuously borne
+to the cell of the condemned. The meeting shall be described by Mr.
+Haynes--"_The prison door was unbolted--the news proclaimed to Stephen,
+that Colvin had come! The welcome reception, given it by the joyful
+prisoner, need not be mentioned. The chains, on his arms, were taken off,
+while those on his legs remained. Being impatient of an interview with
+him, who had come to bring salvation, they met. Colvin gazed upon the
+chains, and asked--'What is that for?'--Stephen answered--'Because, they
+say, I murdered you'--'You never hurt me'--replied Colvin._"
+
+Colvin recognized his children; but marvelled how they came in Manchester,
+asserting, that he left them, at the house of his kind benefactor, Mr.
+Polhamus, in New Jersey. Of his wife, who came to see him, he took little
+notice, asserting, that she did not belong to him. There may have been
+enough of method, in his madness, to enable him to appreciate, correctly,
+the value of his marital relation. The breath of Manchester may have blown
+the truth into his ear. An ingenious person may find some little
+resemblance between the wanderings of Ulysses and those of Colvin the
+_Oudeis_ of Manchester--but the testimony, upon the trial, peremptorily
+forbids the slightest comparison, between Penelope and Mrs. Colvin, who
+appears not to have embarrassed her suitors, with the preliminary ordeal
+of the bow.
+
+There is an admirable painting, in the Boston Athenæum, by Neagle, of
+Patrick Lyon, the blacksmith, who was long imprisoned, in Philadelphia,
+for the robbery of a bank, of which crime he was perfectly innocent, as it
+finally appeared, to the entire satisfaction of the government, by whom he
+was, consequently, discharged. Lyon is represented, at his forge; and he
+desired the artist to introduce the Walnut Street prison in the rear,
+where he had suffered, so unjustly, and so long.
+
+The graphic hand of a master might do something here. I would pay more
+than I can well afford, for a couple of illustrative paintings--I. The
+Judges, with tears in their eyes, sentencing Stephen and Jesse to be
+hanged, for the murder of Colvin--the best books on evidence, before them,
+and open at the pages where it is expressly stated that extra-judicial
+confession, under fear of death, and hope of pardon, shall never be
+received--and the leaf turned down, at the authority of Sir Matthew Hale,
+that no conviction ought ever to take place, upon trials for murder and
+manslaughter, till the fact be clearly proven, or the _dead body_ be
+discovered.
+
+II. The dungeon, Dec. 22, 1819, just thirty-six days, before the time,
+appointed for the execution of Stephen--the murderer and the murdered man,
+standing face to face, in full life--Squire Raymond still avowing his
+conviction of Stephen's guilt, and holding aloft his written
+confession--Judge Chace seen in the distance, burying the "_certified
+minutes of evidence_" in the very hole, pointed out, to Nathaniel Boorn,
+by Colvin's ghost--and Judge Doolittle evidently regretting, that he had
+not done less, in this unhappy transaction, which came so near the
+consummation of judicial murder.
+
+In the succeeding number, I shall endeavor to present a simple version of
+the motives and conduct of the parties--and some brief remarks, upon this
+extraordinary trial.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXIV.
+
+
+After a little reflection, the true explanation of this apparent mystery
+appears to be exceedingly simple. Colvin had become an object of contempt
+and hatred to the Boorns; and especially to Stephen. His mental feebleness
+had produced their contempt--the burdensomeness of himself and his family
+had begotten their hatred. The poor, semi-demented creature happened, in a
+luckless hour, to boast, most absurdly, no doubt, of his great importance
+and usefulness, as a member of this interesting family. This gave a doubly
+keen edge to the animosity of Stephen; and he berated his brother-in-law,
+in terms, almost as vulgar and abusive, as those we daily meet with, in so
+many of our leading political journals, of all denominations.
+
+Forgetful of his inferiority, this miserable worm exemplified the proverb,
+and turned upon his oppressor, in a feeble way. He struck Stephen with "_a
+small riding stick_." This was accounted sufficient provocation by
+Stephen; and, in the language of the witness, "_Stephen then struck
+Russell on his neck with a club, and knocked him down_." He rose, and made
+a slight effort to renew the battle, and then Stephen again knocked him
+down. Upon this, Colvin rambled off, towards the mountain, and was seen in
+that region, no more, till he was brought back, after the expiration of
+seven years, in December, 1819.
+
+He went off without his hat and shoes; whether, in his effort to shake off
+the dust of that city, he unconsciously shook off his shoes, is unknown.
+The discovery of the hat, some years after, formed a part of that wretched
+_rope of sand_, for it is not worthy of being called a _chain of
+evidence_, upon which Stephen and Jesse were sentenced to death. Colvin
+had, doubtless, long been aware, that he was an object of hatred to the
+Boorns. The blows, inflicted upon this occasion, undoubtedly, aggravated
+his insanity; yet enough remained of the instinctive love of life, to
+teach him, that his safety was in flight. How he found his way to that
+part of New Jersey, which lies near the Atlantic Ocean, is of little
+importance. He was, notoriously, a wanderer. It was the spring of the
+year. He moved onward, without plan, camping out, among the bushes, or
+sleeping in barns; the world before him, and Providence his guide. He,
+probably, rambled from Manchester, which is in the southwest corner of
+Vermont, into the State of New York, which lies very near; and, wandering,
+in a southerly direction, along the westerly boundary lines of
+Massachusetts and Connecticut, he would, before many days, have entered
+the northerly part of New Jersey.
+
+Accustomed to his occasional absences, the Boorns, undoubtedly, expected
+his return, for weeks and months, even though the summer had past, and the
+harvest had ended. But, after the snows of winter had come, and covered
+the mountains; and the spring had returned, and melted them away; and
+Colvin came not; then Stephen Boorn, doubtless, began to fear, that he
+had, unintentionally, killed him--that he had wandered away, and died of
+the effects of the blows he had received--and that his bones were
+bleaching, in some unknown part of the mountain, whither he had wandered,
+immediately after the occurrence.
+
+Upon this hypothesis, alone, can we explain one remarkable word, in the
+answer of Stephen to Merrill's question, in the jail, as certified, by
+Judge Chace, in his minutes--"_I asked him, if he did take the life of
+Colvin.--He said he did not take the_ main _life of Colvin. He said no
+more at that time._"
+
+Does any reflecting man inquire--what could have induced these men to
+confess the crime, with such a particular detail of minute, and
+extraordinary, circumstances? The answer has already been given, in
+part.--Stephen, doubtless, believed it to be quite probable, that he had
+been the means of Colvin's death. To explain the motive for confession,
+more fully, it is only necessary to stand, for one moment, in the
+prisoner's shoes. He was assured, by "Squire Raymond," and others, in whom
+he confided, that no doubt was entertained of his guilt--that his case was
+dark--and that his only hope lay in confession.
+
+His mind was brought to the full and settled belief, that he should be
+hung, before many days, _unless he confessed_. If he had confessed the
+simple truth--the quarrel--the blows--the departure of Colvin--all this
+would have availed him nothing. It was not this, of which "Squire
+Raymond," and others, had _no doubt he was guilty_. They had no doubt he
+was guilty of the _murder_ of Colvin. No confession of anything, short of
+_the murder of Colvin_, would satisfy "Squire Raymond," and induce him to
+"petition the legislature in favor" of the prisoner! Stephen well knew,
+that, if he confessed the murder of Colvin, it would be immediately
+asked--where he had buried the body--a puzzling question, it must be
+confessed, for one, who had committed no murder. But it was a delicate
+moment, for Stephen. It was necessary for him to stand, not only _rectus
+in curia_--but _rectus_ with "Squire Raymond," and all his other attentive
+patrons. He therefore, to save his life, and secure the patronage of the
+"Squire," strung together a terrible tissue of lies, too manifestly
+preposterous and improbable, even for the credulous brain of Cotton
+Mather, in 1692. He relieved himself of all embarrassment, in regard to
+the dead body of the _living_ Colvin, by _confessing_, that he first
+buried it, in the earth--then took it up and reburied it, under a
+barn--and, after the barn had been burnt, took up the bones again, and
+cast them into the Battenkill river.
+
+The confession of Jesse was made, when he was aroused from sleep, at
+midnight, under the impression, as he stated, at the time, that
+"_something had come in at the window, and was on the bed beside
+him_"--somewhat extra-judicial, this confession, to be sure. This Jesse
+appears to have been a most unfilial scoundrel; for, instead of
+_confessing_, as Stephen had _confessed_, that Stephen himself killed
+Colvin, single-handed and alone; Jesse catered, more abundantly, to the
+popular appetite for horrors, by _confessing_ that his old father, Barney
+Boorn, "_damned_" his son-in-law, Colvin, very frequently, and "_cut his
+throat with a small penknife_." All this clotted mass of inconsistent
+absurdity, extorted by hope and fear, his honor, Judge Chace, received, as
+legal evidence, and gravely certified up to the General Assembly of
+Vermont.
+
+It is true, Judge Chace, as we have stated, rejected the written
+confession of Stephen, because Raymond swore, as follows--"_I have heard
+Mr. Pratt and Mr. Sheldon tell Jesse Boorn, that if he would confess, in
+case he was guilty, they would petition the legislature for him--I have
+made the same proposition to Stephen myself, and always told him I had no
+doubt of his guilt, and that the public mind was against him._" It is
+needless to expatiate on the gross impropriety of addressing such language
+to a prisoner, under such circumstances.
+
+But the witness, Farnsworth, was then produced to prove Stephen's oral
+confession, that he killed Colvin. It appears, by the minutes, certified
+by Judge Chace, that he put the preliminary questions, and that the
+witness swore, "that neither he nor anybody else, _to his knowledge_, had
+done anything, directly or indirectly, to influence the said Stephen to
+the _talk_ he was about to communicate." In vain, the prisoners' counsel
+protested, that the evidence was inadmissible, because the "_talk_"
+between Stephen and Farnsworth was subsequent to the proposition made to
+Stephen by Raymond. In vain they pressed the consideration, that if, on
+this ground, the written confession had been rejected, the oral confession
+should also be rejected. In vain they offered to prove other proposals and
+promises, made to the prisoners, at other times, _before_ the
+conversation, now offered to be proved. Nothing, however, would stay their
+honors, from gibbetting their judicial reputation, in chains, which no
+time will ever knock off. They suffered Farnsworth to testify; and he
+swore, that Stephen told him, "about two weeks _after_ the written
+confession, that he killed Colvin," &c. This must have been about
+September 10, 1819, and, of course, before the trial, when he was still
+relying on the promises of Squire Raymond, and others.
+
+The prisoners' counsel very judiciously moved, for the reception of the
+written confession, and it was read accordingly. Unable to restrain the
+judicial antics of the Court, it appeared to be the only course, for the
+prisoners' counsel, to throw the whole crude and incongruous mass before
+the jury, and leave its credibility, or rather, its palpable
+incredibility, to their decision. It would be desirable, as a judicial
+curiosity, to possess a copy of Judge Chace's charge. Of his instructions
+to the jury he says nothing, in his certified statement to the General
+Assembly.
+
+Now, apart from the confessions of these men, extorted, so clearly, by the
+fear of death, and the hope of pardon, there was evidence enough to excite
+_suspicion_, and there was no more: but, the law of our country convicts
+no man of murder, or manslaughter, upon _suspicion_. I shall conclude my
+remarks, upon this interesting case, in the following number.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXV.
+
+
+The chains of Stephen Boorn were stricken off, and Jesse was liberated
+from prison. They were men of note. If there were not _giants_, there were
+_lions_, in those days. Colvin soon became weary of standing upon that
+dizzy eminence, where circumstances had placed him. He had a painful
+recollection, no doubt, more or less distinct, of the past: and, after he
+had served the high purpose, for which he had been brought from New
+Jersey, he expressed an earnest wish to return to the home of his
+adoption; where he had found, in the good Mr. Polhamus, a friend, who had
+considered the necessities and distresses of his body and mind; and, who
+had been willing, in return for his feeble services, to give him shelter
+and protection.
+
+The Boorns had, undoubtedly, a fortunate, and, almost a miraculous,
+escape. So had their honors, the Judges, Chace and Doolittle. Their first
+meeting, after the _denouement_, must have been perfectly tragi-comical.
+
+Their escape from an awful precipice may admonish all, who sit, in
+judgment, upon the lives of their fellow-men, to administer the law, with
+extreme caution, and with a high and holy regard, for those
+well-established principles, and rules, which can never be disregarded,
+with impunity. God forbid, that any humble phraseology of mine should, for
+an instant, be perverted, to mislead the meanest understanding--to foster
+those principles, which, for the purpose of extending mercy, undeserved,
+to the murderer, would heap gross injustice and cruelty, upon the whole
+community--to break down the positive law of God, which Jesus Christ
+declared, that he came to confirm; and, in its place and stead, to erect
+the sickly decrees of a society of philandering puppets, whose wires are
+notoriously pulled, by certain professional and political managers.
+
+In the commencement of my remarks, upon this romance of real life, I
+endeavored to forefend, against the suspicion of undervaluing that species
+of evidence, which is called presumptive, or circumstantial. It is
+accounted, by the most able writers, on this branch of jurisprudence, of
+the highest quality. Thus, in his admirable work, on Evidence, vol. i.
+sec. 13, Professor Greenleaf remarks, that, in both civil and criminal
+cases, "_a verdict may well be founded on circumstances alone; and these
+often lead to a conclusion, far more satisfactory than direct evidence can
+produce_."
+
+The errors, committed by the Judges, upon the trial of the Boorns--and
+those errors were egregious--were twofold--the admission of extra-judicial
+confessions, manifestly extorted by hope and fear--and suffering a
+conviction to take place, before the dead body of the person, alleged to
+have been murdered, had been discovered.
+
+The rule, on the subject of confessions, is sufficiently plain.
+"_Deliberate confessions of guilt_," says Mr. Greenleaf, ibid. sec. 215,
+"are among the most effectual proofs in the law." But they should be
+received and weighed with caution; for, as he remarks, sec. 214--"it
+should be recollected, that the mind of the prisoner himself, is oppressed
+by the calamity of his situation, and that he is often influenced by
+motives of hope or fear, to make an untrue confession." Mr. Greenleaf then
+proceeds to say, in a note on this passage--"of this character was the
+remarkable case of the two Boorns," &c., and proceeds to give a summary of
+the case.
+
+"In the United States," says Mr. Greenleaf, ibid. sec. 217, "the
+prisoner's confession, when the _corpus delicti_ is not otherwise proved,
+has been held insufficient, for his conviction; and this opinion,
+certainly, best accords with the humanity of the criminal code, and with
+the great degree of caution, applied in receiving and weighing the
+evidence of confessions, in other cases; and it seems countenanced by
+approved writers, on this branch of the law."
+
+Again, ibid. sec. 219, he remarks--"Before any confession can be received,
+in evidence, in a criminal case, it must be shown, that it was
+_voluntary_. * * * * 'A free and voluntary confession,' said Eyre, C. B.,
+'is deserving of the highest credit, because it is presumed to flow from
+the strongest sense of guilt, and therefore it is admitted as proof of the
+crime, to which it refers; but a confession forced from the mind, by the
+flattery of hope, or by the torture of fear, comes in so questionable a
+shape, when it is to be considered as the evidence of guilt, that no
+credit ought to be given to it; and therefore it is rejected.'"
+Unfortunately, Judges Chace and Doolittle thought otherwise; and brought
+themselves and the condemned, upon the very threshold of a terrible
+catastrophe.
+
+Mr. Greenleaf, in the note, above referred to, alludes to an article, in
+the North American Review, vol. 10, p. 418, in which this case of the
+Boorns is examined. It was from the pen of a gentleman, whose high
+professional prospects were blasted, by an early death. This writer had
+seen nothing, however, but "_a very imperfect report of the trial_." His
+article was published, in April, 1820, about four months after the
+discovery of Colvin. The conclusions, at which he arrives, that the
+confessions ought not to have been admitted, would have gained additional
+strength, had he inspected the _certified minutes_, taken on the trial, by
+the Chief Justice.
+
+Had he seen those certified minutes of the evidence, he would scarcely
+have described the utter inconsistency of the two confessions, by the
+inadequate phrase--"_there are differences between them_:" for Stephen's
+claims the whole act of killing to himself--while Jesse's charges the
+father, who was notoriously not present, with cutting Colvin's throat,
+while he was yet living, and after Stephen had given him a blow.
+
+This writer relies strongly, upon the humane caution of Sir Matthew Hale,
+to which I have alluded, that no conviction in case of murder or
+manslaughter should ever take place, till the fact were proved--or the
+dead body had been discovered.
+
+A perfect horror of induction seems to have settled down, like a dense
+cloud, upon the southwestern corner of Vermont. Judges and jurymen appear
+to have been stupefied, by its power. The important _consequence_, vital
+to the whole, they assumed to be true, without trial or experiment. I have
+looked, attentively, into every document, that I could lay my hands upon,
+connected with this subject; and I cannot discover, that any effort
+whatever was made, by any one, _till after the trial_, to discover the
+_living_ body of Colvin. The interesting ramble of Jesse and Judge
+Skinner, upon the mountain, was in search of Colvin's _dead_ body! But,
+upon the publication of the notice, in the Rutland Herald, Nov. 26, 1819,
+stating the facts, and calling for information, in regard to Colvin, and a
+similar notice, of the same date, in the New York Evening Post--in ten
+days, that is, Dec. 6, the most ample and satisfactory information was
+published, by Mr. Taber Chadwick, in regard to the _living_ body of
+Russell Colvin!
+
+The great caution of Sir Matthew Hale was meant, not less for the
+prisoner, than for the whole community; no one of whom can be sure,
+through a long life, of escaping from the oppressive influence of
+circumstances, accidentally, or purposely, combined against him. His
+_discreet_ humanity spread no mantle of imitation charity or morbid
+philanthropy over the guilty. He was a bold practitioner--too bold, by
+far, occasionally, as in the case of Cullender and Duny. But this great,
+good man, well knew, that prisoners, charged with murder, were entitled to
+all the benefit of _reasonable_ doubt. He well knew, that no judicial
+caution could go farther, to save, than the fierce suspicion of an excited
+community would go, to destroy. He well knew, that, with not a small
+number, the very enormity of the crime seems to supply the want of legal
+evidence; and, that, in many cases, to be suspected is to be condemned. We
+have all heard of the jury, who, having convicted a prisoner of murder,
+in direct opposition to the Judge's instructions, and being questioned and
+reproved--replied, that an enormous crime had been committed, and ought to
+be atoned for; and they saw no good reason, why the prisoner, the only
+person _suspected_, should not be selected, as the victim!
+
+Sir Matthew Hale's forbearance extended to cases of reprieve, after
+conviction, before another judge. Thus in H. P. C., vol. ii. ch. lvi., he
+says--"I have generally observed this rule, that I would never give
+judgment, or award execution, upon a person, reprieved by any other judge
+but myself, because I could not know, upon what ground or reason he
+reprieved him."
+
+Upon this, there is the following pertinent note--"The usefulness of this
+caution may be seen, from what is observed, by Sir John Hawles, in his
+remarks on Cornish's trial, where he relates the case of some persons, who
+had been convicted of the murder of a person absent, barely by inferences
+from foolish words and actions; but the judge, before whom it was tried,
+was so unsatisfied in the matter, because the body of the person, supposed
+to be murdered, was not to be found, that he reprieved the persons
+condemned; yet, in a circuit afterwards, a certain unwary judge, without
+inquiring into the reasons of the reprieve, ordered execution, and the
+persons to be hanged in chains, which was done accordingly; and
+afterwards, to his reproach, the person, supposed to be murdered, appeared
+alive."
+
+The death of the person, alleged to have been murdered, is, manifestly,
+not less a constituent part of the crime, than the malice prepense, or the
+employment of the means. These three things are necessary to constitute
+murder, in the eye of the law. Thus, an acquittal has taken place, where
+the _murder_ was alleged to have been committed, _on the high seas_; and
+the _malice_ and the _blow_ only were proved to have occurred _on the high
+seas_--and the _death_, in the harbor of Cape François. Such was the case
+of the U. S. against McGill, reported in Dallas. This extreme
+particularity appears, to some persons, exceedingly ridiculous; but not
+quite as much so, as certain commentaries, upon legal proceedings which we
+sometimes meet with, in the ordinary journals of the day.
+
+Aaron Burr, whom I desire not to quote, too frequently, once shrewdly
+remarked--"_he, who despises forms, knows not what he despises_." To infer
+the death, from the malice, and the employment of the means, in all
+cases, would be absurd. If one man maliciously knocks another into the
+sea, here is, certainly, a violent assault and battery--perhaps an assault
+with intent to kill. But, before we join, in the popular _hutesium et
+clamor_, we have two important points to settle, beyond all _reasonable_
+doubt--first, if the person, knocked overboard, be dead, for he may have
+swum to land, or have been picked up, at sea, alive, in which case, unless
+he die of the blow, within the time prescribed, there can be neither
+murder nor manslaughter. And, secondly, if he be proved to have died of
+the injury within that time, we must duly weigh the previous circumstances
+and the provocation, to ascertain, if the act done be manslaughter or
+murder.
+
+Those, who vociferate, most loudly, against the law, for its hesitancy,
+and demand the immediate descent of the executioner's axe, upon the neck
+of the victim, will be the very first fervently to supplicate, for the
+law's most merciful carefulness of life, should a father, a brother, or a
+son be charged with crime, and involved in the complicated meshes of
+presumptive evidence.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXVI.
+
+
+The transition state, when the confidence of youth begins to give place to
+that wholesome distrust, which is the usual--by no means, the
+invariable--accompaniment of riper years, is often a state of disquietude
+and pain. It is no light matter to look upon the visions of our own
+superiority, and imaginary importance, as they break, like bubbles, one
+after another, and leave us abundantly convinced, that we are of
+yesterday, and know nothing.
+
+The confidence of ignorance, however venial in youth, is not altogether so
+excusable, in full grown men. Its exhibitions, however ridiculous and
+absurd, are daily manifested, by mankind, in relation to those arts and
+sciences, which have little or nothing in common with their own respective
+vocations. The physician, the lawyer, the clergyman, the deeper they
+descend into their respective, professional wells, where truth is
+proverbially said to abide, proceed with increasing caution. Yet it is
+quite amazing, to witness the boldness, with which they dive into the very
+depths, that lie entirely beyond their professional precincts. The
+physician, who proceeds, in the cure of bodies, with the extremest
+caution, seems to be quite at home, in the cure of souls; and has very
+little doubt or difficulty, upon points, which have perplexed the brains
+of Hale and Mansfield. The lawyer, who, in his own department, moves
+warily; weighs evidence with infinite care; and consults authorities, with
+great deliberation--looks upon physic and theology, as rather speculative
+matters, and of easy acquirement. The clergyman frequently practises
+physic gratuitously; and holding the doctrine in perfect contempt, that
+the _viginti studia annorum_ are necessary to make a tolerable lawyer,
+he rather opines, that, as _majus implicat minus_, so his knowledge of the
+Divine law necessarily comprehends a perfect knowledge of mere human
+jurisprudence.
+
+This confidence of ignorance is nowhere more perfectly, or more briefly,
+expressed, than in four oft-repeated lines, in Pope's Essay on Criticism:
+
+  "A _little_ learning is a dangerous thing;
+  Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
+  These shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
+  And drinking largely sobers us again."
+
+The editors of public journals are, in many instances, men of education
+and highly respectable abilities--men of taste and learning--men of
+integrity, and refinement, cherishing a just regard for the rights of
+individuals, and of the community. There is a very different class of men,
+who, however incompetent to improve the minds or the manners of the
+public, have a small smattering of knowledge; hold a reckless, rapid pen;
+and, by the aid of the scavengers, whom they employ, to rake the gutters
+for slander and obscenity, cater, daily, to the foulest appetites of
+mankind. There are some, who descend not thus, to the very nadir of all
+filth and corruption, but whose columns, nevertheless, are ever open, like
+the mouths of so many _cloacæ_, for the filthy contributions of every
+dirty depositor; and who are ever on hand, like the Scotch cloak-man, in
+_Auld Reekie_, to serve the occasions of a customer.
+
+The very phraseology of the craft has a tendency to the amplification of
+an editor; and to give confirmation to the confidence of ignorance. The
+broken merchant, the ambitious weaver, the briefless lawyer, the literary
+tailor are speedily sunk, in "_we_," and "_our sheet_," and "_our
+columns_," and "_our-self_."
+
+This confidence of ignorance has rarely been manifested, more extensively,
+upon any occasion, than in connection with the indictment, trial, and
+condemnation of Dr. Webster, for the murder of Dr. George Parkman.
+
+The indictment was no sooner published, than three _religious_ journals
+began to criticise this _legal_ instrument, which had been carefully, and,
+as the decision of the learned Chief Justice and of the Court has decided,
+sufficiently, prepared, by the Attorney General of the Commonwealth. This
+indictment contained several counts, a thing by no means unusual, the
+object of which is well understood, by professional men. "If the crime was
+committed with a knife, or with the fists, how could it be committed with
+a hammer?" It would not be an easy task to convince these worthy ministers
+of the Gospel, how exceedingly ridiculous such commentaries appear, to men
+of any legal knowledge.
+
+Judge, Jurymen, and Counsellors are severely censured, for the parts they
+have borne, in the trial and condemnation of Dr. Webster. By whom? By the
+editors of certain far-away journals, upon the evidence, _as it has
+reached them_. The evidence has been very variously reported. A portion of
+the evidence, however deeply graven upon the hearts, and minds, and
+memories of the highly respectable jury, and of the court, and of the
+multitude, present at the trial, is, from its peculiar nature, not
+transferable. I refer to the appearance, the air, the manner, the voice of
+the prisoner, especially, when, in opposition to the advice of his
+counsel, he fatally opened his mouth, and said precisely nothing, that
+betokened innocence.
+
+I do not believe there was ever, in the United States, a more impartial
+trial, more quietly conducted, than this trial of Dr. Webster. Party
+feeling has had no lot, nor share, in this matter. The whole dealing has
+been calmly and confidingly surrendered to the laws of the land. With
+scarcely an exception, from the moment of arrest to the hour of trial, the
+public journals, in this vicinity, have borne themselves, with great
+forbearance to the prisoner. The family connexions of Dr. Parkman have
+held themselves scrupulously aloof, unless summoned to bear witness to
+facts, within their knowledge.
+
+It has been asserted, in one or more journals, that even the body of Dr.
+Parkman has not been discovered. The reply is short, and germain--the
+coroner's jury, twenty-four grand jurors, and twelve jurors in the Supreme
+Judicial Court have decided, that the mutilated remains were those of the
+late George Parkman; and that John White Webster was his murderer; and the
+Court has gravely pronounced the opinion, that the verdict is a righteous
+verdict, and in accordance with the law and the evidence. This opinion
+appears to meet with a very general, affirmative response, in this
+quarter. The jury--and the members of that panel, one and all, after
+twelve days' concentration of thought, upon this solemn question of life
+and death, appear to have been conscientious men--the jury have not
+recommended the prisoner, as a person entitled to mercy.
+
+In view of all this, the editor of a distant, public journal may be
+supposed to entertain a pretty good opinion of his qualifications, who
+ventures to pronounce his ex-cathedral decree, either that Dr. Webster is
+innocent, or, if guilty, that, on technical grounds, he has been illegally
+convicted. There is something absolutely melancholy in the contemplation
+of such presumption as this. But, under all the circumstances of this
+heart-sickening occurrence, it is impossible to behold, without a smile,
+the extraordinary efforts of some exceedingly benevolent people, in the
+city of New York, who are circulating a petition to the Governor of
+Massachusetts, not merely for a commutation of punishment, but for a
+pardon. This, to speak of it forbearingly, may be safely catalogued among
+the works of supererogation.
+
+If the Governor of Massachusetts needs any guidance from man, upon the
+present occasion, his Council is at hand. The highest judicial tribunal of
+the Commonwealth, entirely approving the verdict of an impartial and
+intelligent jury, has sentenced Dr. Webster to be hung, for a murder, as
+foul and atrocious, as was ever perpetrated, within the borders of New
+England. Talents, education, rank aggravate the criminality of the guilty
+party. "To kill a man, upon sudden and violent resentment, is less penal
+than upon cool deliberate malice."
+
+If there be any substantial reasons, for pardon or commutation of
+punishment--any new matter, which has not been exhibited, before the court
+and jury--those reasons will be duly weighed--that matter will be gravely
+considered, by the Governor and Council. But, if the objections to the
+execution of the sentence, upon the present occasion, rest upon any
+imaginary misdirection, on the part of the Court, or any misunderstanding,
+on the part of the jury, those objections must be unavailing. After a
+careful comparison of the evidence, in the case of Dr. Webster, with the
+evidence, in the case of Jason Fairbanks, who was executed, for the murder
+of Betsy Fales, the _concatena_--the chain of circumstances--seems even
+less perfect in the latter case. Yet, after sentence, in that memorable
+trial, Chief Justice Dana, who sat in judgment, upon that occasion, was
+reported to have said, that he believed Fairbanks to be the murderer, more
+firmly, upon the evidence before the court, than he should have believed
+the very same thing, upon the evidence of his own eyesight, in a cloudy
+day--the first could not have deceived him--the latter might.
+
+If an application, for pardon or commutation, be grounded, on the
+objection to all capital punishment, that objection has been too recently
+disposed of, in the case of Washington Goode. The majesty of the law, the
+peace of society, the decree of Almighty God call for impartial
+justice--WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN'S BLOOD BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED!
+
+With the eye of mercy turned upon all--aye upon all--who have any relation
+to the murderer, the better course is Christian submission to the decrees
+of God and man. What may be the value of a few more years of misery and
+contempt! God's high decree, that the murderer shall die, is merciful and
+just. His judgment upon Cain was far more severe--not that he should
+die--but _that he should live_!--that he should walk the earth, and wear
+the brand of terrible distinction forever--"_And now thou art cursed from
+the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from
+thy hand. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto
+thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth.
+And Cain said unto the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear.
+Behold thou hast driven me out, this day, from the face of the earth; and
+from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in
+the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall
+slay me. And the Lord said unto him, therefore whosoever slayeth Cain,
+vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold. And the Lord set a mark upon
+Cain, lest any one finding him should slay him._"
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXVII.
+
+
+It may be said of a proud, poor man--especially, if he be a fearless,
+godless man, as Dirk Hatteraick said of himself, to Glossin--that he is
+"_dangerous_." It is quite probable, there are men, even in our own
+limited community, of an hundred and thirty thousand souls, who would
+rather die an easy death, than signify abroad their inability to maintain,
+any longer, their expensive relations to the fashionable world.
+
+What will not such a man occasionally do, rather than submit gracefully,
+under such a trial, to the will of God? He will beg, and he will
+borrow--he will lie, and he will steal. Is there a crime, in the
+decalogue, or out of it, which he will not, occasionally, perpetrate, if
+its consummation be likely to save him from a confession of his poverty,
+and from ceasing to fill his accustomed niche, in the _beau monde_? Not
+one--_no, not one_!
+
+Well may we, who profess to be Republicans, adopt the wisdom and the words
+of Montesquieu--"_The less luxury there is in a Republic, the more it is
+perfect. * * * * Republics end with luxury._"
+
+A significant illustration of these remarks will readily occur, to every
+reader of American History, in the conduct and character of Benedict
+Arnold. Among the dead, who, with their own hands, have prepared
+themselves graves of infamy, there are men of elevated rank, who have made
+shipwreck of the fairest hopes, in a similar manner. But, far in advance
+of them all, Arnold is entitled to a terrible preëminence.
+
+The last turn of the screw crushes the victim--it is the last feather, say
+the Bedouins, that breaks the camel's back--and the train, which has been
+in gradual preparation for many years, may be exploded, in an instant, by
+a very little spark, at last.
+
+There are periods, in the lives of certain individuals, when, upon the
+approach of minor troubles--baleful stars, doubtless, but of the third or
+fourth magnitude--it may be said, as Rochefoucault said of the calamities
+of our friends, that there is something in them, not particularly
+disagreeable to us. A man, whose afflictions, especially when
+self-induced, are chafing, at every turn, against his already lacerated
+pride, and who is seeking some apology, for deeds of desperation, often
+discovers, with a morbid satisfaction, in some petty offence, or
+imaginary wrong, ample excuse, for deeds, absolutely damnable.
+
+Such were the influences, at work, in the case of Benedict Arnold. In
+1780, in obedience to the sentence of a court martial, he was reprimanded
+by the Commander-in-Chief; but in terms so highly complimentary, that it
+is impossible to read them, without a doubt, whether this official
+reprimand were a crown of thorns, or a crown of glory. At that very time,
+Arnold's pecuniary embarrassments were overwhelming. Without the rightful
+means of supporting a one-horse chaise, he rattled up and down, in the
+city of Philadelphia, in a chariot and four. The splendid mansion, which
+he occupied, had, in former times, been the residence of the Penns. Here
+he gave a sumptuous repast to the French ambassador, and entertained the
+minister and his suite, for several days.
+
+Hunger, it is said, will break through stone walls; even this is a feeble
+illustration of that force and energy, which characterized Arnold's
+_passion_ for parade. To support his career of unparalleled extravagance
+and folly, he resorted to stratagems, which would have been contemptible,
+in a broker of the lowest grade--petty traffic and huckstering
+speculation--the sale of permits, to do certain things, absolutely
+forbidden--such were among the last, miserable shifts of this "brave,
+wicked" man, when his conscience came between the antagonist muscles of
+poverty and pride. For some of these very offences, he had been condemned,
+by the court martial. Even then, he had secretly become, at heart, a
+scoundrel and a renegade; and, covertly, under a feigned name, had already
+tendered his services to the enemy.
+
+The sentence of the court, sheer justice, but so graciously mingled with
+mercy, as scarcely to wear the aspect of punishment, supplied him with the
+very thing he coveted--a pretence, for complaining of injustice and
+oppression. He sought the French ambassador; and, after a plain allusion
+to his own needy condition, shadowed forth, in language, not to be
+mistaken, his willingness to become the secret servant of France. The
+prompt reply of the French minister is of record, most honorable for
+himself, and sufficiently humiliating to the spirit of the applicant.
+
+The result is before the world--Arnold became a traitor, detested by
+those, whose cause he had forsaken, and utterly despised by those, whose
+cause he affected to espouse--trusted by them, only, because they well
+knew he might safely be employed against an enemy, who would deal with
+him, if captured, not as a prisoner of war, but as a traitor. I have, thus
+briefly, alluded to the career of Arnold, only for the purpose of
+illustration.
+
+No truth is more simple--none more firmly established by experience--none
+more universally disregarded--than, that the growth of luxury must work
+the overthrow of a republic. As the largest masses are made up of the
+smallest particles, so the characteristic luxury of a whole people
+consists of individual extravagance and folly. The ambition to be foremost
+becomes, ere long, the ruling, and almost universal, passion--in still
+stronger language, "_it is all the rage_." In a certain condition of
+society, talent takes precedence of virtue, and men would rather be called
+knaves than fools: and, where luxury abounds, as the poorer and the
+middling classes will imitate the wealthier, there must be a large amount
+of indebtedness, and many men and women of desperate fortunes. We cannot
+strut about, in unpaid-for garments, nor ride about, in unpaid-for
+chariots, nor gather the world together, to admire unpaid-for furniture,
+without an inward sense of personal degradation.
+
+It would be a poor compliment to our race, to deny the truth of this
+assertion. True or false, the argument goes steadily forward--for, if not
+true, then that callous, case-hardened condition of the heart exists,
+which takes off all care for the common weal, and turns it entirely upon
+one's self, and one's own aggrandizement. Nothing can be more destructive
+of that feeling of independence, which ever lies, at the bottom of
+republican virtue.
+
+This condition of things is the very hot-bed of hypocrisy,--and it makes
+the heart a forcing-house, for all the evil and bitter passions, envy,
+hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness. Pastors, of all denominations,
+may well unite, in the chorus of the churchman's prayer, and cry
+aloud--_Good Lord deliver us!_
+
+A very fallacious and mischievous estimate of personal array, equipage,
+and furniture has always given wonderful preëminence to this species of
+emulation. It is perfectly natural withal. Distinction, of some sort, is
+uppermost, in most men's minds. It is comforting to many to know there is
+a _tapis_--"_the field of the cloth of gold_"--on which the wealthy fool
+is more than a match, for the poor, wise man; and, as this world contains
+such an overwhelming majority of the former class, the ayes have it, and
+luxury holds on, _vires acquirens eundo_.
+
+None but an idiot will cavil, because a rich man adorns his mansion, with
+elegance and taste, and receives his friends in a style of liberal
+hospitality. Even if he go beyond the bounds of republican simplicity, and
+waste his substance, it matters not, beyond the circle of his creditors
+and heirs; if the example be not followed by thousands, who are unable, or
+unwilling, to be edified, by Æsop's pleasant fable of the ox and the frog.
+
+But it never can be thus. The machinery is exceedingly simple, in these
+manufactories, from which men of broken fortunes are annually turned out
+upon the world.
+
+When once involved in the whirl of fashion, extrication is difficult and
+painful--the descent is wonderfully easy--_sed revocare gradum_! The
+maniac hugs not his fetters, more forcibly, than the devotee of fashion
+clings, with the assistance, occasionally, of his better half, to his
+_position in society_.
+
+These remarks are, by no means, exclusively applicable to those, who move
+in the higher circles. This is a world of gradation, and there are few so
+humble, as to be entirely without their imitators.
+
+What shall we do to be saved? This anxious inquiry is not always offered,
+I apprehend, in relation to the concerns of a better world. How often, and
+how oppressively, the spirit of this interrogatory has agitated the bosom
+of the impoverished man of fashion! What shall I do to be saved, from the
+terrible disgrace of being exposed, in the court of fashion, as being
+guilty of the awful crime of _poverty_, and disfranchised, as one of the
+_beau monde_? And what will he not do, to work out this species of
+salvation, with fear and trembling? We have seen how readily, under the
+influence of pride and poverty, treason may be committed by men of lofty
+standing. It would be superfluous, therefore, to inquire, if there be any
+crime, which men, heavily oppressed by their embarrassments, and
+restrained thereby, from drinking more deeply of that luxury, with which
+they are already drunk, will hesitate to commit.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXVIII.
+
+
+There is a popular notion, that sumptuary laws are applicable to
+monarchies--not to republics. The very reverse is the truth. Montesquieu
+says, Spirit of Laws, book vii. ch. 4, that "_luxury is extremely proper
+for monarchies, and that, under this government, there should be no
+sumptuary laws_."
+
+Sumptuary laws are looked upon, at present, as the relics of an age gone
+by. These laws, in a strict sense, are designed to restrain pecuniary
+extravagance. It has often been attempted to stigmatize the wholesome,
+prohibitory laws of the several States, in regard to the sale of
+intoxicating liquor, by calling them _sumptuary laws_. The distinction is
+clear--sumptuary laws strike at the root of extravagance--the prohibitory,
+license laws, as they are called, strike, not only at the root of
+extravagance, but at the root of every crime, in the decalogue.
+
+The _leges sumptuariæ_ of Rome were numerous. The Locrian law limited the
+number of guests, and the Fannian law the expense, at festivals. The
+Didian law extended the operation of all these laws over Italy.
+
+The laws of the Edwards III., and IV., and of Henry VIII., against shoes
+with long points, short doublets, and long coats, were not repealed, till
+the first year of James I. Camden says, that, "in the time of Henry IV.,
+it was proclaimed, that no man should wear shoes, above six inches broad,
+at the toes." He also states, "that their other garments were so short,
+that it was enacted, 25 Edward IV., that no person, under the condition of
+a lord, should wear any mantle or gown, unless of such length, that,
+standing upright, it might cover his buttocks."
+
+Diodorus Siculus, lib. xii. cap. 20, gives an amusing account of the
+sumptuary laws of Zeleucus, king of the Locrians. His design appears to
+have been to accomplish his object, by casting ridicule upon those
+practices, against which his laws were intended to operate. He decreed,
+that no free woman should have more than one maid to follow her, unless
+she was drunk; nor should she stir out of the city by night, nor wear
+jewels of gold, or an embroidered gown, unless she was a professed
+strumpet. No men, but ruffians, were allowed to wear gold rings, nor to be
+seen, in one of those effeminate vests of the manufacture of Miletum.
+
+The very best code of sumptuary laws is that, which may be found in the
+common sense of an enlightened community. Nothing, that I have ever met
+with, upon this subject, appears more just, than the sentiments of Michael
+De Montaigne, vol. i. ch. 43--"The true way would be to beget in men a
+contempt of silks and gold, as vain and useless; whereas we add honor and
+value to them, which sure is a very improper way to create disgust. For to
+enact, that none but princes shall eat turbot, nor wear velvet or gold
+lace, and interdict these things to the people, what is it, but to bring
+them into greater esteem, and to set every one more agog to eat and wear
+them?"
+
+No truth has been more amply demonstrated, than that a republic has more
+to fear from internal than from external causes--less from foreign foes,
+than from enemies of its own household.
+
+To the ears of those, who have not reflected upon the subject, it may
+sound like the croaking note of some ill boding _ab ilice cornix_--but I
+look upon extravagant parade, and princely furniture of foreign
+manufacture, the introduction of courtly customs, transatlantic servants
+in livery, _et id genus omne nugarum_, as so many premonitory symptoms of
+national evil--as part and parcel of that luxury, which may justly be
+called the gangrene of a republic.
+
+But does any one seriously fear, that an extravagant fandango, now and
+then, will lead to revolution, or produce a change in our political
+institutions? Probably not. But it will provoke a spirit of rivalry--of
+emulation, not unmingled with bitterness, and which will cost many an
+aspirant a great deal more, than he can afford. It will lead the community
+to turn their dwellings into baby houses, and to gather vast assemblies
+together, not for the rational purposes of social intercourse, but for the
+purpose of exhibiting their costly toys and imported baubles. It will tend
+to harden the heart; and render us more and more insensible to the cries
+of the poor; for whose keen occasions we cannot afford one dollar, having,
+just then, perhaps, invested a thousand, in some glittering absurdity. It
+will, ultimately, produce numerous examples of poverty, and fill the
+community with desperate men.
+
+The line of distinction, between the liberality of a patrician and the
+flashy, offensive ostentation of a parvenu, at Rome, or at Athens, was as
+readily perceived, as the difference between the manners of a gentleman,
+and those of a clown.
+
+Every rank of society, like the troubled sea, casts forth upon the strand,
+from year to year, its full proportion of wrecked adventurers--men, who
+have gone beyond their depth; lived beyond their means; and who cherish no
+care, _ne quid detrimenti Respublica caperet_; but, on the contrary, who
+are quite ready for oligarchy, or monarchy; and some of whom would prefer
+even anarchy, to their present condition of obscurity and poverty.
+
+Law and order are of the first importance to every proprietor; for, on
+their preservation, the security of his property depends; but they are of
+no importance to those, who are thus, virtually, denationalized, through
+impoverishment, produced by a career of luxury. Such, if not already the
+component elements of Empire clubs, are always useless, and often
+dangerous men.
+
+It was a well known saying of Jefferson's, that _great cities_ were _great
+sores_. "In proportion," says Montesquieu, "to the populousness of towns,
+the inhabitants are filled with notions of vanity, and actuated by an
+ambition of distinguishing themselves, by trifles. If they are very
+numerous, and most of them strangers to one another, their vanity
+redoubles, because there are greater hopes of success." According to the
+apothegm of Franklin, it is the eyes of others, and not our own, that
+destroy us.
+
+"Every body agrees," says Mandeville in his Fable of the Bees, i. 98,
+"that, as to apparel and manner of living, we ought to behave ourselves
+suitable to our conditions, and follow the example of the most sensible
+and prudent, among our equals in rank and fortune; yet how few, that are
+not either universally covetous, or else proud of singularity, have this
+discretion to boast of? We all look above ourselves, and, as fast as we
+can, strive to imitate those that, some way or other, are superior to us."
+
+"The poorest laborer's wife in the parish, who scorns to wear a strong
+wholesome frize, will half starve herself and her husband, to purchase a
+second-hand gown and petticoat, that cannot do her half the service,
+because, forsooth, it is more genteel. The weaver, the shoemaker, the
+tailor, the barber, has the impudence, with the first money he gets, to
+dress himself like a tradesman of substance; the ordinary retailer, in the
+clothing of his wife, takes pattern from his neighbor, that deals in the
+same commodity by wholesale, and the reason he gives for it is, that,
+twelve years ago, the other had not a bigger shop than himself. The
+druggist, mercer, and draper, can find no difference, between themselves
+and merchants, and therefore dress and live like them. The merchant's
+lady, who cannot bear the assurance of those mechanics, flies for refuge
+to the other end of the town, and scorns to follow any fashion, but what
+she takes from thence. This haughtiness alarms the court--the women of
+quality are frightened to see merchants' wives and daughters dressed like
+themselves. This impudence of the city, they cry, is intolerable;
+mantua-makers are sent for; and the contrivance of fashions becomes all
+their study, that they may have always new modes ready to take up, as soon
+as those saucy cits shall begin to imitate those in being. The same
+emulation is contrived through the several degrees of quality, to an
+incredible expense; till, at last, the prince's great favorites, and those
+of the first rank, having nothing else left, to outstrip some of their
+inferiors, are forced to lay out vast estates in pompous equipages,
+magnificent furniture, sumptuous gardens, and princely palaces."
+
+Like an accommodating almanac, the description of Mandeville is applicable
+to other meridians, than that, for which it was especially designed.
+
+The history of all, that passes in the bosom of a proud man, unrestrained
+by fixed religious and moral principles, during his transition from
+affluence to poverty, must be a very edifying history. With such an
+individual the fear of God is but a pack-thread, against the unrelaxing,
+antagonist muscle of pride. The only _Hades_, of which he has any dread,
+is that abyss of obscurity and poverty, in which a man is condemned to
+abide, who falls from his high estate, among the upper ten thousand. What
+plans, what projects, what infernal stratagems occasionally bubble up, in
+the overheated crucible! Magnanimity, and honor, and humanity, and justice
+are unseen--unfelt. The dust of self-interest has blinded his eyes--the
+pride of life has hardened his heart.
+
+If the energies of such men are not mischievously employed, they are, at
+best, utterly lost to the community.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXIX.
+
+
+I noticed, in a late, English paper, a very civil apology from Sheriff
+Calcraft, for not hanging Sarah Thomas, at Bristol, as punctually as he
+ought, on account of a similar engagement, with another lady, at Norwich.
+The hanging business seems to be _looking up_ with us, as the traders say
+of their cotton and molasses; though, in England, it has fallen off
+prodigiously. According to Stowe, seventy-two thousand persons were
+executed there, in one reign, that of Henry VIII. That, however, was a
+long reign, of thirty-eight years. Between 1820 and 1830, there were
+executed, in England alone, seven hundred and ninety-seven convicts. But
+we must remember, for what trifles men were formerly executed _there_,
+which _here_ were at no time, capital offences. According to authentic
+records, the decrease of executions in London, since 1820, is very
+remarkable. Haydn, in his Dictionary of Universal Reference, p. 205, gives
+the ratio of nine years, as follows--1820, 43--1825, 17--1830, 6--1835,
+none--1836, none--1837, 2--1838, none--1839, 2--1840, 1. There is a
+solution for this riddle--a key to this _lock_, which many readers may
+find it rather difficult to pick, without assistance. Before the first
+year, named by Haydn, 1820, Sir Samuel Romilly, who fell, by his own hand,
+in a fit of temporary derangement, in 1818, occasioned by the death of his
+wife, had published--not long before--his admirable pamphlet, urging a
+revision of the criminal code, and a limitation of capital punishment. In
+consequence of his exertions, and of those of Sir James Mackintosh
+afterwards, and more recently of Sir Robert Peel and others, a great
+change had taken place, _in the mode of punishment_. _Crime had not
+diminished_, in London--it was _differently dealt with_. I advise the
+reader, who desires light, upon this highly important and interesting
+subject, to read, with care, the entire article, from which I transcribe
+the following short passage--
+
+"_The enormous number of our transported convicts--five thousand annually,
+for many years past--accompanied, at the same time, with a large increase
+of crime in general, would seem, prima facie, to be no very conclusive
+argument, in favor of the efficiency of the present system._" Ed. Rev., v.
+86, p. 257, 1847. "WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH OUR CRIMINALS?" Such is the
+caption of the able article, to which I refer. Lord Grey, and the most
+eminent statesmen of Great Britain have been terribly perplexed, by this
+awful interrogatory.--Well: _we_ are a very great people.--Dr. Omnibus,
+Squire Farrago, and Mrs. Negoose have no difficulty upon this point; and
+there is some thought in our society, of sending out Mrs. Negoose, in the
+next steamer, to have a conference with Lord Brougham. Lord Grey's plan
+was, after a short penitentiary confinement, to distribute the
+malefactors, among their own colonies, and among such other nations, as
+might be willing to receive them. Sending them to Canada, therefore, would
+be sending them, pretty directly, to the States. Dr. Omnibus is greatly
+surprised, that Lord Grey has never thought of building prisons of
+sufficient capacity to hold them all, since there are no more than five
+thousand transported, per annum, in addition to those, who have become
+tenants of prisons, for crimes, which are yet capital, in England, and for
+crimes, whose penalty is less than transportation.
+
+It seems to be the opinion of the writer in the Edinburgh Review, whom I
+last quoted, that, under the anti-capital punishment system, there has
+been "_a large increase of crime in general_." This he states _as a fact_.
+Facts are stubborn things--so are Mrs. Negoose--Dr. Omnibus--and Squire
+Farrago. They contend, that our habits of life and education, and the
+great difference of our political institutions entirely nullify the
+British example. They show, with great appearance of truth, that the
+perpetrators of murder, rape, and other crimes, in our own country, are
+more religiously brought up, than the perpetrators of similar crimes, in
+Great Britain. The statistics, on this point, are curious and interesting.
+They present an imposing array of educated laymen, physicians, lawyers,
+bishops, priests, deacons, ruling elders, professors, and candidates, in
+the United States, who have been tried, for various crimes, by civil or
+ecclesiastical courts; deposed, or acquitted, on purely technical grounds;
+or sentenced to imprisonment, for a shorter or longer term, or to the
+gallows, and duly executed. Now we contend, that the ignorant felon, and
+such he is apt to be, in all countries, where there is but little
+diffusion of knowledge, and especially of religious knowledge, when again
+let loose upon the community, whether by a full pardon, or by serving out
+his term, returns, commonly, to his evil courses, as surely as the dog to
+his vomit, or the sow to her wallowing in the mire. But we find, that men
+of talent and education, and particularly men, who have figured, as
+preachers, and professors of religion, who commit any crime, in the
+decalogue, or out of it, become objects of incalculably deeper and
+stronger interest, with a certain portion of the community--after they
+repent, of course--which they invariably do, in an inconceivably short
+space of time. Thus, when strong liquor, and lust, and prelatical
+arrogance turn bishops, priests, and deacons, into brutes, and prodigals,
+and sometimes into murderers, they, _invariably_, excite an interest,
+which they never could have excited, by preaching their very best, to the
+end of their lives.
+
+I have sometimes thought, that, in the matter of temperance, for which I
+cherish a cordial respect, a lecturer, as the performer is called, though
+the thing is not precisely an abstract science, cannot do a better thing,
+for himself and the cause, when he finds, that he is wearing out his
+welcome with the public, than to get pretty notoriously drunk. Depend upon
+it, he will come forth, purified from the furnace. He will take a new
+departure, for his temperance voyage. His deep-wrought penitence will
+enlist a very large part of the army of cold-water men, in his favor. A
+small sizzle will be of no use; but the drunker he gets, the more
+marvellous the hand of God will appear, in his restoration.
+
+From these considerations, our Anti-Punishment Society reason onward, to
+the following conclusions: that, whatever the penalty imposed may be,
+deposition, imprisonment, or death, it is all wrong, radically wrong. For,
+thereby, the community is deprived, for a time, or forever, of the
+services of a true penitent. They all become penitent, if a little time be
+allowed, or they are persecuted innocents, which is better still.
+
+Besides, how audacious, for mere mortals to lessen the sum total of joy,
+among the immortals! As religious men, who, when _misguided_, commit rape
+or murder, invariably repent, if there is any prospect of pardon; hanging
+may be supposed, in many cases, to prevent that great joy, which exists in
+Heaven--rather more than ninety-nine per cent.--over one sinner that
+repenteth.
+
+To be convicted of some highly disgraceful or atrocious crime, or to be
+acquitted, upon some technical ground, though logically convicted, in the
+impartial chancel of wise and good men's minds, is not such a terrible
+thing, after all, for a vivacious bishop, priest, or deacon; provided, in
+the former case, he can contrive to escape the penalty. Such an one is
+sometimes more sure of a parish, than a candidate, of superior talents,
+and unspotted reputation. It is manifest, therefore, that a serious injury
+is done to society, by shutting up, for any great length of time, these
+penitent, misguided murderers, ravishers, &c., and, especially, by hanging
+them by the neck, till they are dead.
+
+This phrase, _hanging by the neck, till they are dead_, imports something
+more, than some readers are aware of. It was not uncommon, in former
+times, for culprits to come--_usque ad_--to the gallows, and be there
+pardoned, with the halter about their necks. Occasionally, also, criminals
+were actually hung, the halter having been so mercifully adjusted, as not
+to break their necks, and then cut down, and pardoned. Of thirty-two
+gentlemen, traitors, who were taken, in the reign of Henry VI., 1447,
+after Gloucester's death, five were drawn to Tyburn on a hurdle, hanged,
+cut down alive, marked with a knife for quartering, and then spared, upon
+the exhibition of a pardon. This matter is related, in Rymer's Foedera,
+xi. 178; also by Stowe, and by Rapin, Lond. ed. 1757, iv. 441.
+
+We are a cruel people. Our phraseology has become softened, but our
+practice is merciless, and our lawgivers are Dracos, to a man. When a poor
+fellow, urged by an impulse, which he cannot resist, seizes upon the wife
+or the daughter of some unlucky citizen, commits a rape upon her person,
+and then takes her life to save his own--and what can be more natural, for
+all that a man hath will he give for his life--with great propriety, we
+call this poor fellow a _misguided man_. This is as it should be. He
+certainly committed a mistake. No doubt of it. But are we not all liable
+to mistakes? We call him a _misguided man_, which is a more Christian
+phrase than to say, in the coarser language of the law, that he was
+_instigated by the devil_. But, nevertheless, we hang this _misguided_ man
+by the neck, till he is dead. How absurd! How unjust!
+
+A needy wanderer of the night breaks into the house of some rich, old
+gentleman; robs his dwelling; breaks his skull, _ex abundanti cautela_;
+and sets fire to the tenement; thus combining burglary, murder, and arson.
+He well knew, that ignorance was bliss; and that the neighborhood would be
+happier, in the belief, that accident was at the bottom of it all, than
+that such enormities had been committed, in their midst. Instead of
+calling this individual, by all the hard names in an indictment, we
+charitably style him an _unfortunate person_--provided he is caught and
+convicted--if not, he deems himself a _lucky fellow_, of course. Now, can
+anything be more barbarous, than to hang this _unfortunate person_, upon a
+gallows!
+
+A desperate debtor rouses the indignation of a disappointed creditor, by
+selling to another, as unincumbered, the very property, which had been
+transferred, as collateral security, to himself. Irritated by the
+creditor's reproaches, and alarmed by his menaces of public exposure, the
+debtor decides to escape, from these compound embarrassments, by taking
+the life of his pursuer. He affects to be prepared for payment; and
+summons the creditor, to meet him, at a _convenient_ place, where he is
+_quite at home_, and at a _convenient_ hour, when he is _quite
+alone--bringing with him the evidences of the debt_. He kills this
+troublesome creditor. He is suspected--arrested--charged with
+murder--indicted--tried--defended, as ably as he can be, by honorable men,
+oppressed by the consciousness of their client's guilt--and finally
+convicted. He made no attempt, by inventing a tale of angry words and
+blows, to merge this murder, in a case of manslaughter: for, before his
+arrest, and when he fancied himself beyond the circle of suspicion, he had
+_framed the tale_, and reduced it to writing, in the form of a brief,
+portable memorandum, found upon his person. _He had paid the creditor, who
+hastily grasped the money and departed--returning to perform the unusual
+office of dashing out the debtor's name from a note delivered up, on
+payment, into the debtor's possession!_ Thus he cut short all power to
+fabricate a case of manslaughter.
+
+Why charge such a man with _malice prepense_? Why say, that he was
+_instigated by the devil_? Not so; he was an _unfortunate, misguided,
+unhappy_ man. And yet the judges, with perfect unanimity, have sentenced
+this unhappy man to be hanged! The liberties of the people appear to be in
+danger; and it is deeply to be deplored, that those gentlemen of various
+crafts, who are sufficiently at leisure, to sit in judgment, upon the
+judges themselves, have not appellate jurisdiction, in these high matters,
+with power to invoke the assistance of the Widow's society, or some other
+male, or female, auxiliary _ne sutor ultra crepidam_ society.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Dealings with the Dead, Volume I (of 2), by 
+A Sexton of the Old School
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEALINGS WITH THE DEAD, VOL I ***
+
+***** This file should be named 38588-8.txt or 38588-8.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/5/8/38588/
+
+Produced by Delphine Lettau, Meredith Bach and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive.)
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/38588-8.zip b/38588-8.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5ed789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588-8.zip
diff --git a/38588-h.zip b/38588-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d442b52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588-h.zip
diff --git a/38588-h/38588-h.htm b/38588-h/38588-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa4e279
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588-h/38588-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,14292 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
+    "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
+
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
+  <head>
+    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" />
+    <title>
+      Dealings With The Dead, by A Sexton of the Old School&mdash;A Project Gutenberg eBook
+    </title>
+
+    <style type="text/css">
+
+    p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;}
+
+    body {margin-left: 12%; margin-right: 12%;}
+
+    .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right; font-style: normal;}
+
+    h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {text-align: center; clear: both;}
+
+    hr {width: 33%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; clear: both;}
+
+    table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;}
+
+    .giant {font-size: 200%}
+    .huge {font-size: 150%}
+    .large {font-size: 125%}
+
+    .poem {margin-left: 15%;}
+    .title {text-align: center; font-size: 150%;}
+
+    .right {text-align: right;}
+    .center {text-align: center;}
+
+    .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;}
+    .smcaplc {text-transform: lowercase; font-variant: small-caps;}
+
+    .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;}
+
+    a:link {color:#0000ff; text-decoration:none}
+    a:visited {color:#6633cc; text-decoration:none}
+
+    </style>
+  </head>
+<body>
+
+
+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dealings with the Dead, Volume I (of 2), by 
+A Sexton of the Old School
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Dealings with the Dead, Volume I (of 2)
+
+Author: A Sexton of the Old School
+
+Release Date: January 16, 2012 [EBook #38588]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEALINGS WITH THE DEAD, VOL I ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Delphine Lettau, Meredith Bach and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="" /></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/dealings.jpg" alt="Dealings with the Dead." /></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/frontis.jpg" alt="" /></div>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="DEALINGS with the DEAD, by a SEXTON of the OLD SCHOOL. DUTTON &amp; WENTWORTH. BOSTON, 1856." /></div>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p class="center"><span class="huge">DEALINGS</span></p>
+<p class="center">WITH</p>
+<p class="center"><span class="giant">THE DEAD.</span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p class="center"><small>BY</small><br />
+<span class="large">A SEXTON OF THE OLD SCHOOL.</span></p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p class="center">VOLUME I.</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p class="center">BOSTON:<br />
+PUBLISHED BY DUTTON AND WENTWORTH,<br />
+<span class="smcap">33 and 35 Congress Street:</span><br />
+<span class="smcaplc">AND</span><br />
+TICKNOR AND FIELDS,<br />
+<span class="smcap">Corner of Washington and School Streets</span>.<br />
+MDCCCLVI.</p>
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p>
+<p class="title">&#8220;THE BURIAL SERVICE.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This is a very solemn service, when it is properly performed. When I was a
+youngster, Grossman was Sexton of Trinity Church, and Parker was Bishop.
+Never were two men better calculated to give the true effect to this
+service. The Bishop was a very tall, erect person, with a deep, sonorous
+voice; and, in the earth-to-earth part, Grossman had no rival. I used to
+think, then, it would be the height of my ambition to fill Grossman&#8217;s
+place, if I should live to be a man. When I was eight years old, I
+sometimes, though it frightened me half to death, dropped in, as an
+amateur, when there was a funeral at Trinity.</p>
+
+<p>I am not, on common occasions, in favor of reviving the old way of
+performing a considerable part of the service, under the church, among the
+vaults. The women, and feeble, and nervous people will go down, of course;
+and getting to be buried becomes contagious. It does them no good, if they
+don&#8217;t catch their deaths. But, as things are now managed, the most solemn
+part of the service is made quite ridiculous. In 1796, I was at a funeral,
+under Trinity Church. I went below with the mourners. The body was carried
+into a dimly-lighted vault. I was so small and short, that I could see
+scarcely anything. But the deep, sepulchral voice of Mr. Parker&mdash;he was
+not Bishop then&mdash;filled me with a most delightful horror. I listened and
+shivered. At length he uttered the words, &#8220;earth to earth,&#8221; and Grossman,
+who did his duty, marvellously well, when he was sober, rattled on the
+coffin a whole<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> shovelful of coarse gravel&mdash;&#8220;ashes to ashes&#8221;&mdash;another
+shovelful of gravel&mdash;&#8220;dust to dust&#8221;&mdash;another: it seemed as if shovel and
+all were cast upon the coffin lid. I never forgot it. My way home from
+school was through Summer Street. Returning often, in short days, after
+dusk, I have run, at the top of my speed, till I had gotten as far beyond
+Trinity, as Tommy Russell&#8217;s, opposite what now is Kingston Street.</p>
+
+<p>A great change has taken place, since I became a sexton. I suppose that
+part of the service is the most solemn, where the body is committed to the
+ground; and it is clearly a pity, that anything should occur, to lessen
+the solemnity. As soon as the minister utters the words, &#8220;Forasmuch as it
+hath pleased Almighty God,&#8221; &amp;c., the coffin being in the broad aisle, the
+sexton, now-a-days, steps up to the right of it, and makes ready by
+stooping down, and picking up a little sand, out of a box or saucer&mdash;a few
+more words, and he takes aim&mdash;&#8220;earth to earth,&#8221; and he fires an
+insignificant portion of it on to the coffin&mdash;&#8220;ashes to ashes,&#8221; and he
+fires another volley&mdash;&#8220;dust to dust,&#8221; and he throws the balance, commonly
+wiping his hand on his sleeve. There is something, insufferably awkward,
+in the performance. I heard a young sexton say, last week, he had rather
+bury half the congregation, than go through this comic part. There is some
+grace, in the action of a farmer, sowing barley; but there is a feeling of
+embarrassment, in this miserable illustration of casting in the clods upon
+the dead, which characterizes the performance. The sexton commonly tosses
+the sand on the coffin, turning his head the other way, and rather
+downward, as if he were sensible, that he was performing an awkward
+ceremony. For myself, I am about retiring, and it is of little moment to
+me. But I hope something better will be thought of. What would poor old
+Grossman say!</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;"><span class="smcap">A Sexton of the Old School.</span></span></p>
+
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p>
+<p class="title">Dealings with the Dead.</p>
+<p class="center">BY A SEXTON OF THE OLD SCHOOL.</p>
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<h2>No. I.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Throw aside whatever I send you, if you do not like it, as we throw aside
+the old bones, when making a new grave; and preserve only what you think
+of any value&mdash;with a slight difference&mdash;you will publish it, and we
+shouldn&#8217;t. I was so fond of using the thing, which I have now in my hand,
+when a boy, that my father thought I should never succeed with the mattock
+and spade&mdash;he often shook his head, and said I should never make a sexton.
+He was mistaken. He was a shrewd old man, and I got many a valuable hint
+from him. &#8220;Abner,&#8221; said he to me one day, when he saw me bowing, very
+obsequiously, to a very old lady, &#8220;don&#8217;t do so, Abner; old folks are never
+pleased with such attentions, from people of your profession. They
+consider all personal approaches, from one of your fraternity, as wholly
+premature. It brings up unpleasant anticipations.&#8221; Father was right; and,
+when I meet a very old, or feeble, or nervous gentleman, or lady, I always
+walk fast, and look the other way.</p>
+
+<p>Sextons have greatly improved within the last half century. In old times,
+they kept up too close an intimacy with young surgeons; and, to keep up
+their spirits, in cold vaults, they formed too close an alliance with
+certain evil spirits, such as gin, rum, and brandy. We have greatly
+improved, as a class, and are destined, I trust, to still greater
+elevation. A few of us are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> thinking of getting incorporated. I have
+read&mdash;I read a great deal&mdash;I have carried a book, of some sort, in my
+pocket for fifty years&mdash;no profession loses so much time, in mere waiting,
+as ours&mdash;I have read, that the barbers and surgeons of London were
+incorporated, as one company, in the time of Henry VIII. There is
+certainly a much closer relation, between the surgeons and sextons, than
+between the barbers and surgeons, since we put the finishing hand to their
+work. And as every body is getting incorporated now-a-days, I see no good
+reason against our being incorporated, as a society of sextons and
+surgeons. And then our toils and vexations would, in some measure, be
+solaced, by pleasant meetings and convivial suppers, at which the surgeons
+would cut up roast turkeys, and the sextons might bury their sorrows. When
+sextons have no particular digging to do, out of doors, it seems well
+enough for them to dig in their closets. There is a great amount of
+information to be gained from books, particularly adapted to their
+profession, some of which is practical, and some of which, though not of
+that description, is of a much more profitable character than police
+reports of rapes and murders, or the histories of family quarrels, or
+interminable rumors of battles and bloodshed. There is a learned
+blacksmith; who knows but there may spring up a learned sexton, some of
+these days.</p>
+
+<p>The dealings with the dead, since the world began, furnish matter for
+curious speculation. What has seemed meet and right, in one age or nation,
+has appeared absurd and even monstrous in another. It is also interesting
+to contemplate the many strange dispositions, which certain individuals
+have directed to be made, in regard to their poor remains. Men, who seem
+not to have paid much attention to their souls, have provided, in the most
+careful and curious manner, for the preservation of their miserable
+carcasses. It may also furnish matter for legitimate inquiry, how far it
+may be wise, and prudent, and in good taste, to carry our love of finery
+into the place, appropriated for all living. Aristocracy among the dead!
+What a thought. Sumptuary considerations are here involved. The rivalry of
+the tomb! The pride&mdash;not of life&mdash;but of death! How frequently have I
+seen, especially among the Irish, the practice of a species of pious fraud
+upon the baker and the milk man, whose bills were never to be paid, while
+all the scrapings of the defunct were bestowed upon the &#8220;birril!&#8221; The
+principle is one and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> the same, when men, in higher walks, put costly
+monuments over the ashes of their dead, and their effects into the hands
+of assignees. And then the pageantry and grandiloquence of the epitaph! In
+the course of fifty years, what outrageous lies I have seen, done in
+marble! Perhaps I may say something of these matters&mdash;perhaps not.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. II.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Closing the eyes of the dead and composing the mouth were deemed of so
+much importance, of old, that Agamemnon&#8217;s ghost made a terrible fuss,
+because his wife, Clytemnestra, had neglected these matters, as you will
+see, in your Odyssey, L. V. v. 419. It was usual for the last offices to
+be performed by the nearest relatives. After washing and anointing the
+body, the guests covered it with the <i>pallium</i>, or common cloak&mdash;the
+Romans used the <i>toga</i>&mdash;the Hebrews wrapped the body in linen. Virgil
+tells us, that Misenus was buried, in the clothes he commonly wore.</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span style="margin-left: 5em;">Membra toro deffeta reponunt,</span><br />
+Purpureasque super vestes velamina nota<br />
+Conjiciunt.</p>
+
+<p>This would seem very strange with us; yet it is usual in some other
+countries, at this day. I have often seen the dead, thus laid out, in
+Santa Cruz&mdash;coat, neckcloth, waistcoat, pantaloons, boots, and gloves. I
+was never a sexton there, but noted these matters as an amateur. Chaplets
+and flowers were cast upon the dead, by the Greeks and Romans. The body
+was exhibited, or laid in state, near the entrance of the house, that all
+might see there had been no foul play. While thus lying, it was carefully
+watched. The body of every man, who died in debt, at Athens, was liable to
+be seized by creditors. Miltiades died in jail. His son, Cimon, could not
+pay his father&#8217;s debts; he therefore assumed his debts and fetters, that
+his father might have funeral rites. Some time before interment, a piece
+of money, an <i>obolus</i>, was put in the mouth of the corpse, as Charon&#8217;s
+fee. In the mouth was also placed a cake, made of flour and honey, to
+appease Cerberus. Instead of crape upon the knocker, some of the hair of
+the deceased was placed upon the door, to indicate a house of mourning. A
+vessel of water was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> placed before the door, until the corpse was removed,
+that all who touched the dead might wash therein. This is in accordance
+with the Jewish usage. Achilles was burnt on the eighteenth day after his
+death. The upper ten thousand were generally burnt on the eighth, and
+buried on the ninth. Common folks were dealt with more summarily. When
+ready for the pile, the body was borne forth on a bier. The Lacedemonians
+bore it on shields. The Athenians celebrated their obsequies before
+sunrise. Funerals, in some of our cities, are celebrated in the morning.
+The Greeks and Romans were very extravagant, like the Irish. If baked
+meats and Chian and Falernian cost less than in more modern times&mdash;still
+sumptuary laws were found necessary. Pittacus made such, at Mytelene. The
+women crowded so abominably, at the funerals in Athens, that Solon
+excluded all women, under threescore years, from gadding after such
+ceremonies. Robes of mourning were sometimes worn; not always. Thousands
+followed the bodies of Timoleon and Aratus, in white garments, bedecked
+with garlands, with songs of triumph and dances, rejoicing, that they were
+received into Elysium.</p>
+
+<p>After the funeral, they abstained from banquets and entertainments.
+Admetus says they avoided whatever bore an air of mirth or pleasure, for
+some time. They sequestered themselves from company. It is particularly
+stated, by Archbishop Potter, that &#8220;<i>wine was too great a friend of
+cheerfulness to gain admission into so melancholy a society</i>.&#8221; If Old
+Hundred had been known to the Jews, it would, I dare say, have been
+considered highly appropriate&mdash;but their good taste was such, that I much
+doubt, if, in the short space of eight and forty hours, they would have
+mingled <i>sacra profanis</i>, so very comically, as to bring champagne and Old
+Hundred together. The Greek mourners often cut off their hair, and cast it
+upon the funeral pile. This custom was also followed by the Romans. They
+sometimes threw themselves upon the ground, to express their sorrow. Like
+some of the Eastern nations, they put ashes upon their heads. They beat
+their breasts, tore their flesh, and scratched their faces, with their
+nails. For this, Dionysius says, the women were more remarkable, than the
+men.</p>
+
+<p>Burning and embalming, the latter of which was a costly business, were
+practised among the Greeks and Romans; the latter much more frequently,
+among the Eastern nations. We<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> talk of getting these matters thoroughly
+discussed, ere long, before the Sextons&#8217; board, to see if it may not be
+well, to bring them into use again. I will send you the result.</p>
+
+<p>In regard to the use of wine and other intoxicating drinks, at funerals,
+we much more closely resemble the Lacedemonians now, than we did some
+thirty years ago. When I was a boy, and was at an academy in the country,
+everybody went to everybody&#8217;s funeral, in the village. The population was
+small&mdash;funerals rare&mdash;the preceptor&#8217;s absence would have excited remark,
+and the boys were dismissed, for the funeral. A table with liquors was
+always provided. Every one, as he entered, took off his hat, with his left
+hand, smoothed down his hair, with his right, walked up to the coffin,
+gazed upon the corpse, made a crooked face, passed on to the table, took a
+glass of his favorite liquor, went forth upon the plat, before the house,
+and talked politics, or of the new road, or compared crops, or swapped
+heifers or horses, until it was time to lift. Twelve years ago, a
+clergyman of Newburyport told me, that, when settled in Concord, N. H.,
+some years before, he officiated at the funeral of a little boy. The body
+was borne, as is quite common, in a chaise, and six little nominal
+pall-bearers, the oldest not thirteen, walked by the side of the vehicle.
+Before they left the house, a sort of master of ceremonies took them to
+the table, and mixed a tumbler of gin, water and sugar, for each.</p>
+
+<p>There is in this city a worthy man&mdash;I shall not name him&mdash;the doctor&#8217;s and
+the lawyer&#8217;s callings are not more confidential than ours. He used to
+attend every funeral, as an amateur. He took his glass invariably, and
+always had some good thing to say of the defunct. &#8220;A great loss,&#8221; he would
+say, with a sad shake of his head, as he turned off the heel-tap. I have
+not seen him at a funeral, for several years. We met about five months
+ago. &#8220;Ah, Mr. Abner,&#8221; said he, &#8220;temperance has done for funerals.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. III.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The board of sextons have met, and we have concluded not to recommend a
+revival of the ancient custom of burning the dead. It would be very
+troublesome to do it, out of town, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> inconvenient in the city. I have
+always thought it wrong to bury in the city; and it would be much worse to
+burn there. The first law of the tenth table of the Romans is in these
+words&mdash;&#8220;Let no dead body be interred or burnt within the city.&#8221; Something
+may be got to help pay for a church, by selling tombs below. When a church
+was built here, some years ago, an eminent physician, one of the
+proprietors, was consulted and gave his sanction. Yet more than one of our
+board is very sure, that, on a warm, close Sunday, in the spring, he has
+snuffed up something that wasn&#8217;t particularly orthodox, in that church.
+The old Romans were very careful of the rights of their fellows, in this
+respect: the twelfth law of the tenth table runs thus&mdash;&#8220;Let no sepulchre
+be built, or funeral pile raised within sixty feet of any house, without
+the consent of the owner of that house.&#8221; They certainly conducted matters
+with great propriety, avoiding extravagance and intemperance, as appears
+by the seventh law of the same table&mdash;&#8220;Let no slaves be embalmed; let
+there be no drinking round a dead body; nor any perfumed liquors be poured
+upon it.&#8221; So also the second law&mdash;&#8220;Let all costliness and excessive
+waitings be banished from funerals.&#8221; The women were so very troublesome
+upon these occasions, that a special law, the fifth, was made for their
+government&mdash;&#8220;Let not the women tear their faces, or disfigure themselves,
+or make hideous outcries.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It was not unusual for one person to have several funerals: to prevent
+this, however agreeable to the Roman undertakers, the tenth law of the
+tenth table was made&mdash;&#8220;Let no man have more than one funeral, or more than
+one bed put under him.&#8221; There was also a very strange practice during the
+first Decemvirate; the friends often abstracted a finger of the deceased,
+or some part of the body, and performed fresh obsequies, in some other
+place; erecting there a <i>cenotaph</i> or <i>empty</i> sepulchre, in which they
+fancied the ghost of the departed took occasional refuge, when wandering
+about&mdash;in case of a sudden shower, perhaps; or being caught out too near
+daylight.</p>
+
+<p>For the correction of this folly, the Decemvirs passed the sixth law of
+the tenth table&mdash;&#8220;Let not any part of a dead body be carried away, in
+order to perform other obsequies for the deceased, unless he died in war,
+or out of his own country.&#8221; It was upon such occasions as these, in which
+an empty form was observed, and no actual inhumation took place, that the
+practice<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> of throwing three handsful of earth originated. This usage was
+practised also by the Jews, and has come down to modern times. Baron
+Rothschild (Nathan Meyer) who died in Frankfort, July 28, 1836, was buried
+in the ground of the Synagogue, in Duke&#8217;s Place, London. His sons, Lionel,
+Anthony, Nathaniel, and Meyer, his brother-in-law, Mr. Montefiore, and his
+ancient friend, Mr. Samuels, at the age of ninety-six, commenced the
+service of filling up the grave,&mdash;by casting in, each one of them, three
+handsful of earth. Not satisfied with carrying a bottle of sal volatile to
+funerals, the women, and even the men, were in the habit of carrying pots
+of essences, which occasioned the enactment of the eighth law&mdash;&#8220;Let no
+crowns, festoons, perfuming pots, or any kind of perfume be carried to
+funerals.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Burning or interring was adopted, by the ancients, at the will of the
+relatives. This is manifest from the eleventh law, which prohibits the use
+of gold in all obsequies, with a single exception&mdash;&#8220;Let no gold be used in
+any obsequies, unless the jaw of the deceased has been tied up with a gold
+thread. In that case the corpse may be <i>interred</i> or <i>burnt</i>, with the
+gold thread.&#8221; A large quantity of silver is annually buried with the dead.
+It finds its way up again, however, in the course of time.</p>
+
+<p>Common as burning was, among the ancients, it was looked upon, by some,
+with great abhorrence. The body to be burned was placed upon a pile&mdash;if
+the body of a person of quality, one or more slaves or captives were
+burned with it. When not forbidden, all sorts of precious ointments and
+perfumes were poured upon the corpse. The favorite dogs and horses of the
+defunct were cast upon the pile. Homer tells us, that four horses, two
+dogs, and twelve Trojan captives were burnt upon the pile, with the dead
+body of Patroclus. The corpses, that they might consume the sooner, were
+covered with the fat of beasts. Some near relative lighted the pile,
+uttering prayers to Boreas and Zephyrus to increase the flame. The
+relatives stood around, calling on the deceased, and pouring on libations
+of wine, with which they finally extinguished the flames, when the pile
+was well burnt down. They then collected the bones and ashes. How they
+were ever able to discriminate between men, dogs, and horses, it is hard
+to say. Probably the whole was sanctified, in their opinion, by
+juxtaposition. The bones might be distinguished, but not the dust. Such
+bones as could be identified, were washed and anointed <i>by the nearest
+relatives</i>. What an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> office! How custom changes the complexion of such
+matters! These relics were then placed in urns of wood, stone, earth,
+silver, or gold, according to the quality of the parties. Where are these
+memorials now! these myriads of urns! They were deposited in tombs&mdash;of
+which a very perfect account may be found in the description of the street
+of tombs, at Pompeii.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. IV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The Greeks, when interment was preferred to burning, placed the body in
+the coffin, as is done at present, deeming it safer for the defunct to
+look upwards. To ridicule this superstition, Diogenes requested, that his
+body might be placed face downward, &#8220;for the world, erelong,&#8221; said he,
+&#8220;will be turned upside down, and then I shall come right.&#8221; The feet were
+placed towards the East. Those, who were closely allied, were buried
+together. The epitaph of Agathias, on the twin brothers, is still
+preserved&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;Two brothers lie interred within this urn,<br />
+They died together, as together born.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They were lovely and pleasant in their lives,&#8221; said David, of Saul and
+Jonathan, &#8220;and, in death, they were not divided.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Plato says, that the early Greeks buried their dead, in their own houses.
+There was a law in Thebes, that no person should build a house, without
+providing a repository for the dead therein. An inconvenient fashion this.
+In after-times they buried out of the city, and generally by the way-side.
+Hence, doubtless, arose the very common appeal, on their tablets&mdash;<i>Siste
+Viator!</i> On the road from Cape Ann Harbor to Sandy Bay, now Rockport, are
+a solitary grave and a monument&mdash;the grave of one, who chanced there to
+die. Our graveyards are usually on the roadside. Sometimes a common
+<i>cart-path</i> is laid out, through an ancient burying-ground. Such is the
+case in Uxbridge, in this Commonwealth. This is Vandalism. Sextons, who
+have had long experience, are of opinion, that the rights of the living
+and the decencies of life are less apt to be maintained, wherever the
+ashes of the dead are treated with disrespect. Burying, by the road-side,
+has been said to have been adopted, for the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>purpose of inspiring
+travellers with thoughts of mortality&mdash;travellers in railway cars,
+perhaps! The first time I visited St. Peter&#8217;s, in Philadelphia, I was much
+impressed with the tablets and their inscriptions, lying level with the
+floor of the church, and vertical, I supposed, to the relics below&mdash;but I
+soon became familiar, and forgetful.</p>
+
+<p>Every family, among the Greeks, who could afford it, had its own proper
+burying-ground&mdash;as is the case, at the present day, in our own country,
+among the planters and others, living far apart from any common point.
+This might be well enough, where the feudal system prevailed, and estates,
+by the law of descent, continued long in families. If the old usage were
+now in vogue, in New York, for instance, what a carting about of family
+urns there would be, on May day! Estates will pass from man to man, and
+strangers become the custodiers of the dead friends and relatives of the
+alienors. It is not unusual to find, on such occasions, a special clause,
+in the conveyance, for their protection, and for the perpetual <i>tabooing</i>
+of the place of sepulture. The first graves of the Greeks were mere
+caverns or holes; but, in later times, they were capacious rooms, vaulted
+and paved&mdash;so large, indeed, that in some instances, the mourners
+assembled and remained in them, for days and nights together. Monuments of
+some sort were of very early date; so were inscriptions, containing the
+names, ages, virtues, and actions of the deceased, and the emblems of
+their calling. Diogenes had the figure of a snarling cur engraved upon his
+tablet. Lycurgus put an end to what he called &#8220;talkative gravestones.&#8221; He
+even forbade the inscription of the names, unless of men who died in
+battle, or women in childbed.</p>
+
+<p>Extravagance was, at one time, so notorious, in these matters, that Leon
+forbade the erection of any mausoleum, which could not be erected by ten
+men, in three days.</p>
+
+<p>In Greece and Rome, panegyrics were often pronounced at the grave. Games
+were sometimes instituted in honor of the eminent dead. Homer tells us
+that Agamemnon&#8217;s ghost and the ghost of Achilles had a long talk upon this
+subject, telling over the number they had attended. After the funeral was
+over, the company met at the house of some near relative, to divert their
+sorrow; and, notwithstanding the abstemiousness of the Lacedemonians, they
+had, I am compelled to believe, what is commonly called a good time. The
+word, used to designate this kind of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> gathering, <i>perideipnon</i>, indicates
+a very social meeting&mdash;Cicero translates this word <i>circumpotatio</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Embalming was most in use with the Egyptians, and the process is described
+by Herodotus and Diodorus. The brain was drawn through the nostrils with
+an iron scoop, and the void filled with spices. The entrails were removed,
+and the abdomen filled with myrrh and cassia. The body was next pickled in
+nitre, for seventy days, and then enveloped in bandages of fine linen and
+gums. Among the repositories of the curious, are bodies embalmed some
+thousands of years ago. According to Herodotus, the place for the first
+incision having been indicated, by the priest, the operator was looked
+upon, with as much disgust, as we exhibit towards the common
+hangman,&mdash;for, no sooner had he hastily made the incision, than he fled
+from the house, and was immediately attacked with stones, by the
+bystanders, as one, who had violated the dead. Rather an undesirable
+office. After being embalmed, the body was placed in a box of sycamore
+wood, carved to resemble the human form.</p>
+
+<p>The story of Diogenes, who desired to be buried face downward, reminds me
+of one, related by old Grossman, as we were coming, many years ago, from
+the funeral of an old lady, who had been a terrible termagant. She
+resembled, old Grossman said, a perfect fury of a woman, whose husband
+insisted upon burying her, face downward; and, being asked the reason, for
+this strange procedure, replied&mdash;&#8220;the more she scratches the deeper she
+goes.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. V.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Nil de mortuis nisi bonum. You will wonder where I got my Latin. If my
+profession consisted of nothing but digging and filling up&mdash;dust to dust,
+and ashes to ashes&mdash;I would not give a fig for it. To a sexton of any
+sentiment it is a very different affair. I have sometimes doubted, if it
+might not be ranked among the fine arts. To be sure, it is rather a
+melancholy craft; and for this very reason I have tried to solace myself,
+with the literary part of it. There is a great amount, of curious and
+interesting reading upon these marble pages, which the finger of time is
+ever turning over. I soon found, that a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> large part of it was in the Latin
+tongue, and I resolved to master so much of it, as impeded my progress. I
+have found, that many superb things are said of the defunct, in Latin,
+which no person, however partial, would venture to say, in plain English.</p>
+
+<p>The Latin proverb, at the head of this article, I saw, on the gravestone
+of a poor fellow, who was killed, by a sort of devil incarnate, in the
+shape of a rumseller, though some persons thought he was worried to death,
+by moral suasion. <i>Nothing of the dead but what is good</i>: Well, I very
+much doubt the wisdom of this rule. The Egyptians doubted it; and their
+kings were kept in order, through a fear of the sentence to be passed upon
+their character and conduct, by an assembly of notables, summoned
+immediately after their decease. Montaigne says it is an excellent custom,
+and to be desired by all good princes, who have reason to be offended,
+that the memories of the wicked should be treated with the same respect,
+as their own.</p>
+
+<p>In England and our own Commonwealth, we have, legislatively, repudiated
+this rule, in one instance, at least, until within a few years. I refer to
+the case of suicide. Instead of considering the account balanced by death,
+and treating the defunct with particular tenderness, because he was dead,
+the sheriff was ordered to bury the body of every person, <i>felo de se</i>, at
+the central point where four roads met, and to run a stake through his
+body. This, to say nothing of its cheating our brotherhood out of burial
+fees, seems a very awkward proceeding.</p>
+
+<p>There is a pleasant tale, related of Sheriff Bradford, which I may repeat,
+without marring the course of these remarks. Mr. Bradford was the politest
+sheriff, that we ever had in Suffolk, not excepting Sheriff Sumner.
+Sheriff Bradford was a real gentleman, dyed in the wool. It did one&#8217;s
+heart good to see him serve an attachment, or levy an execution. Instead
+of knocking one down, and arresting him afterwards, Mr. Bradford made a
+pleasant affair of it. It actually seemed, as if he employed a sort of
+official ether, which took away the pain&mdash;he used, while placing his
+bailiff in a lady&#8217;s drawing-room, to bow and smile, so respectfully and
+sympathizingly; and, in a sotto voice, to talk so very clerically, of the
+instability of human affairs.</p>
+
+<p>An individual, within the sheriff&#8217;s precinct, cut his own throat. An
+officious neighbor, who was rather curious to see the stake part
+performed, brought tidings to Mr. Bradford, while at <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>breakfast. The
+informant ventured to inquire, at what time the performances would
+commence. At five o&#8217;clock precisely, this afternoon, the sheriff replied.
+He instantly dispatched a deputy to the son of the defunct, with a note,
+full of the most respectful expressions of condolence, and informing him,
+that the law required the sheriff to run a stake through his father&#8217;s
+body, <i>if to be found within his precinct</i>, and adding that he should call
+with the stake, at 5 P. M. The body was, of course, speedily removed, and
+<i>non est inventus</i> was the end of the whole matter. Civilization
+advanced&mdash;several of the upper ten thousand cut their throats, or blew
+their brains out; and it would have been troublesome to carry out the
+provisions of the law, and cost something for stakes. The law was
+repealed.</p>
+
+<p>Some sort of ignominious sepulture, for self-murderers, was in vogue, long
+ago. Plato speaks of it, de legibus lib. ix., p. 660. The attempt to
+shelter mankind from deserved reproach, by putting complimentary epitaphs
+upon their gravestones, is very foolish. It commonly produces an opposite
+effect. One would think these names were intended as a hint, for the
+Devil, when he comes for his own&mdash;a sort of <i>passover</i>.</p>
+
+<p>I am inclined to think, if a grand inquest of any county were employed, to
+discover the last resting places of their neighbors and fellow-citizens,
+having no other guide, but their respective epitaphs, the names and dates
+having been previously removed or covered up, that inquest would be very
+much at a loss, in the midst of such exalted virtues, and supereminent
+talents, and extraordinary charities, and unbroken friendships, and great
+public services.</p>
+
+<p>Some inscriptions are, perhaps, too simple. In the burying-ground at the
+corner of Arch and Sixth streets, Philadelphia, and very near that corner,
+lies a large flat slab, with these words:</p>
+
+<p class="center">&#8220;Benjamin and Deborah Franklin,<br />
+1790.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In Exeter, N. H., I once read an epitaph in the graveyard, near the
+Railroad Depot, in these words:</p>
+
+<p class="center">&#8220;Henry&#8217;s grave.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Pope&#8217;s epitaph, in the garden of Lord Cobham, at Stow, on his Lordship&#8217;s
+Italian friend, was, doubtless, well-deserved, though savoring of
+panegyric:</p>
+
+<p class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>
+To the memory<br />
+of<br />
+SIGNOR FIDO,<br />
+an Italian of good extraction,<br />
+who came into England<br />
+not to bite us, like most of his countrymen,<br />
+but to gain an honest livelihood.<br />
+He hunted not after fame,<br />
+yet acquired it.<br />
+Regardless of the praise of his friends,<br />
+But most sensible of their love,<br />
+Though he lived among the great,<br />
+He neither learned nor flattered any vice.<br />
+He was no bigot,<br />
+Though he doubted not the 39 articles.<br />
+And, if to follow nature,<br />
+And to respect the laws of society<br />
+Be philosophy,<br />
+He was a perfect philosopher,<br />
+A faithful friend,<br />
+An agreeable companion,<br />
+A loving husband,<br />
+Distinguished by a numerous offspring,<br />
+All which he lived to see take good courses.<br />
+In his old age he retired<br />
+To the house of a clergyman, in the country,<br />
+Where he finished his earthly race,<br />
+And died an honor and an example to the whole species.<br />
+Reader<br />
+This stone is guiltless of flattery;<br />
+For he, to whom it is inscribed,<br />
+Was not a man<br />
+but a<br />
+<span class="smcap">Greyhound</span>.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. VI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>It could not have been particularly desirable to be the cook, or the
+concubine, or the cup-bearer, or the master of the horse, or the
+chamberlain, or the gentleman usher of a Scythian king, for Herodotus
+tells us, book 4, page 280, that every one of these functionaries was
+strangled, upon the body of the dead monarch.</p>
+
+<p>Castellan, in his account of the Turkish Empire, says, that a dying Turk
+is laid on his back, with his right side towards Mecca, and is thus
+interred. A chafing-dish is placed in the chamber of death, and perfumes
+burnt thereon. The Imam reads the thirty-sixth chapter of the Koran. When
+death has closed the scene, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> sabre is laid upon the abdomen, and the
+next of kin ties up the jaw. The corpse is washed with camphor, wrapped in
+a white sheet, and laid upon a bier.</p>
+
+<p>The burial is brief and rapid. The body is never carried to the mosque.
+Unlike the solemn pace of our own age and nation, four bearers, who are
+frequently relieved, carry the defunct, almost on a run, to the place of
+interment. Over the bier is thrown a pall; and, at the head, the turban of
+the deceased. Women never attend. Mourning, as it is called, is never
+worn. Christians are not permitted to be present, at the funeral of a
+Mussulman.</p>
+
+<p>It is not lawful to walk over, or sit upon, a grave. A post mortem
+examination is never allowed, unless the deceased is so near confinement,
+that there may be danger of burying the living with the dead. The corpse
+is laid naked in the ground. The Imam kneels in prayer, and calls the name
+of the deceased, and the name of his mother, thrice. The cemeteries of the
+Turks are without the city, and thickly planted with trees, chiefly
+cypress and evergreens. Near Constantinople there are several
+cemeteries&mdash;the most extensive are at Scutari, on the Asiatic side of the
+Bosphorus. There, as here, marble columns designate the graves of the
+eminent and wealthy, but are surmounted with sculptured turbans. The
+inscriptions are brief and simple. This is quite common: &#8220;<i>This world is
+transient and perishable&mdash;today mine&mdash;tomorrow thine</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The funeral ceremonies of the Hindoos are minute, trivial, and ridiculous,
+in the extreme. A curious account may be found, in the Asiatic Researches,
+vol. 7, page 264. Formal, or nominal obsequies are performed, says Mr.
+Colebrooke, not less than ninety-six times, in every year, among the
+Hindoos.</p>
+
+<p>We do, for the dead, that, which we would have done for ourselves. The
+desire of making a respectable corpse is quite universal. It has been so,
+from the days of Greece and Rome, to the present. Such was the sentiment,
+which caused the Romans to veil those, whose features were distorted in
+death, as in the case of Scipio Africanus: such obsequies were called
+<i>larvata funera</i>. Such has ever been the feeling, among the civilized and
+the savage. Such was the opinion of Pope&#8217;s Narcissa, when she exclaimed&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">One need not sure be ugly, though one&#8217;s dead;<br />
+And Betty, give this cheek a little red.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>The Roman female corpses were painted. So are the corpses of the
+inhabitants of the Polynesian Islands, and of New Zealand. When a New
+Zealand chieftain dies, says Mr. Polack, the relatives and friends cut
+themselves with muscle shells, and let blood profusely, because they
+believe that ghosts, and especially royal ghosts, are exceedingly partial
+to this beverage. The body is laid out by the priests. The head is adorned
+with the most valued feathers of the albatross. The hair is anointed with
+shark oil, and tied, at the crown, with a riband of <i>tapa</i>. The lobes of
+the ears are ornamented with bunches of white, down, from the sea-fowl&#8217;s
+breast, and the cheeks are embellished with red ochre. The brow is
+encircled with a garland of pink and white flowers of the <i>kaikatoa</i>.
+Mats, wove of the silken flax, are thrown around the body, which is placed
+upright. Skulls of enemies, slain in battle, are ranged at its feet. The
+relics of ancestors, dug up for the occasion, are placed on platforms at
+its head. A number of slaves are slaughtered, to keep the chieftain
+company. His wives and concubines hang and drown themselves, that they
+also may be of the party. The body lies in state, three or four days. The
+priests flourish round it, with wisps of flax, to keep off the devil and
+all his angels. The <i>pihe</i>, or funeral song, is then chanted, which I take
+to be the Old Hundred of the New Zealanders, very much resembling the
+<i>n&oelig;nia</i>, or funereal songs of the Romans. At last, the body is buried,
+with the favorite mats, muskets, trinkets, &amp;c., of the deceased.</p>
+
+<p>The Mandans, of the Upper Missouri, never inhume or bury their dead, but
+place their bodies, according to Mr. Catlin, on light scaffolds, out of
+the reach of the wolves and foxes. There they decay. This place of deposit
+is without the village. When a Mandan dies, he is painted, oiled, feasted,
+supplied with bow, arrows, shield, pipe and tobacco, knife, flint, steel,
+and food, for a few days, and wrapped tightly, in a raw buffalo hide. The
+corpse is then placed upon the scaffold, with its feet to the rising sun.
+An additional piece of scarlet cloth is thrown over the remains of a chief
+or medicine man. This cemetery is called, by the Mandans, the village of
+the dead. Here the Mandans, especially the women, give daily evidence of
+their parental, filial, and conjugal devotion. When the scaffold falls,
+and the bones have generally decayed, the skulls are placed in circles,
+facing inwards. The women, says Mr. Catlin, are able<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> to recognize the
+skulls of their respective husbands, by some particular mark; and daily
+visit them with the best cooked dishes from their wigwams. What a lesson
+of constancy is here! It is a pity, that so much good victuals should be
+wasted; but what an example is this, for the imitation of Christian
+widows, too many of whom, it is feared, resemble Goldsmith&#8217;s widow with
+the great fan, who, by the laws of her country, was forbidden to marry
+again, till the grave of her husband was thoroughly dry; and who was
+engaged, day and night, in fanning the clods. Some thirty years ago, my
+business led me frequently to pass a stonecutter&#8217;s door, a few miles from
+the city; and, in a very conspicuous position, I noticed a gravestone,
+sacred to the memory of the most affectionate husband, erected by his
+devoted and inconsolable widow. It continued thus, before the
+stonecutter&#8217;s shop, for several years. I asked the reason. &#8220;Why,&#8221; said the
+stonecutter, &#8220;the inconsolable got married, in four months after, and I
+have never got my pay. They pass this way, now and then, the inconsolable
+and her new husband, and, when I see them, I always run out, and brush the
+dust off.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. VII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I told that anecdote of the inconsolable widow, related in my last, to old
+Grossman. He and Smith were helping me at a grave, in the Granary ground.
+Bless my heart, how things have changed! We were digging near the Park
+Street side&mdash;the old Almshouse fronted on Park Street then&mdash;and the
+Granary stood where Park Street Church now stands, until 1809, and the
+long building, called the Massachusetts Bank, covered a part of Hamilton
+Place, and the house, once occupied by Sir Francis Barnard and afterwards
+by Mr. Andrews, with its fine garden, stood at the corner of Winter
+Street, on the site of the present granite block; and&mdash;but I am burying
+myself, sexton like, in the grave of my own recollections&mdash;I say, I told
+Grossman that story&mdash;the old man, when not translated by liquor, was
+delightful company, in a graveyard&mdash;we were digging the grave of a young
+widow&#8217;s third husband. Grossman said she poisoned them. Smith was quite
+shocked, and told him Mr. Deblois was looking over the Almshouse wall.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span>Grossman said he didn&#8217;t mean, that she really gave all three of them
+ratsbane; but it was clear enough, she was the end of them all; and he had
+no doubt the widow would be a good customer, and give us two or three jobs
+yet, before she left off. This led me to tell that story. Smith said there
+was nothing half so restless, as an Irish widow. He said, that a young
+Tipperary widow, Nelly McPhee, I think he called her, was courted, and
+actually had an offer from Tooley O&#8217;Shane, on the way to her husband&#8217;s
+funeral. &#8220;She accepted, of course,&#8221; said Grossman. &#8220;No, she didn&#8217;t,&#8221; said
+Smith&mdash;&#8220;Tooley, dear,&#8221; said she, &#8220;y&#8217;are too late: foor waaks ago it was, I
+shook hands wi Patty Sweeney upon it, that I would have him, in a dacent
+time, arter poor McPhee went anunderbood.&#8221; &#8220;Well,&#8221; said Grossman, &#8220;widows
+of all nations are much alike. There was a Dutch woman, whose husband,
+Diedrick Van Pronk, kicked the bucket, and left her inconsolable. He was
+buried on Copp&#8217;s Hill. Folks said grief would kill that widow. She had a
+figure of wood carved, that looked very like her late husband, and placed
+it in her bed, and constantly kept it there, for several months.</p>
+
+<p>In about half a year, she became interested in a young shoemaker, who got
+the length of her foot, and finally married her. He had visited the widow,
+not more than a fortnight, when the servants told her they were out of
+kindling stuff, and asked what should be done. After a pause, the widow
+replied, in a very quiet way&mdash;&#8220;Maype it ish vell enough now, to sphlit up
+old Van Pronk, vat ish up shtair.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Some persons have busied themselves, in a singular way, about their own
+obsequies, and have left strange provisions, touching their remains.
+Charles V., according to Robertson and other writers, ordered a rehearsal
+of his own obsequies&mdash;his domestics marched with black tapers&mdash;Charles
+followed in his shroud&mdash;he was laid in his coffin&mdash;the service for the
+dead was chanted. This farce was, in a few days, followed by the real
+tragedy; for the fatigue or exposure brought on fever, which terminated
+fatally. Yet this story, which has long been believed, is distinctly
+denied, by Mr. Richard Ford, in his admirable handbook for Spain; and this
+denial is repeated, in No. 151 of the London Quarterly Review.</p>
+
+<p>Several gentlemen, of the fancy, of the present age, and in this vicinity,
+have provided their coffins, in their life time. The late Timothy Dexter,
+commonly called Lord Dexter, of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>Newburyport; there was also an eminent
+merchant, of this city. This is truly a Blue Beard business; and, beyond
+its influence, in frightening children and domestics, it is difficult to
+imagine the utility of such an arrangement. After a few visitations, these
+coffins would probably excite just about as much of the <i>memento mori</i>
+sensation, as the same number of meal chests.</p>
+
+<p>Burton, in his Anatomy of Melancholy, states that John Zisca, the general
+of the Hussites, ordered a drum to be made of his skin, after he was dead,
+persuaded, that the sound of it would terrify his foes.</p>
+
+<p>When Edward I., of England, was dying, he bound his son, by an oath, to
+boil his body, and, separating the bones, to carry them always before him
+in battle, against the Scots; as though he believed victory to be chained
+to his joints.</p>
+
+<p>The bodies of persons, executed for crime, have, in different ages, and
+among different nations, been delivered to surgeons, for dissection. It
+seems meet and right, that those, who have been worse than useless, in
+their lives, should contribute, in some small degree, to the common weal,
+by such an appropriation of their carcasses. In some cases, these
+miserable creatures have been permitted to make their own bargains, with
+particular surgeons, beforehand; who have, occasionally, been taken in, by
+paying a guinea to an unscrupulous fellow, who knew, though the surgeons
+did not, that he was sentenced to be hung in chains, or, as it is commonly
+called, gibbeted. The difficulty of obtaining subjects, for anatomical
+purposes, has led to outrages upon the dead. Various remedies have been
+proposed&mdash;none effectual. Surgical students, will not be deterred, by the
+&#8220;Requiescat in pace,&#8221; and the judges, between the demands of science and
+of sympathy, have been in the predicament of asses, between two bundles of
+straw. A poor vagabond, <i>nullius filius vel ignoti</i>, was snatched, by some
+of these young medical dogs, some years ago, and Judge Parsons, who tried
+the indictment, with a leaning to science, imposed a fine of five dollars.
+Not many years after, a worthy judge, a reverencer of Parsons, and a
+devotee to precedent, imposed a fine of five dollars, upon a young sloven,
+who but half completed his job, and left a respectable citizen of Maine,
+half drawn out from his grave, with a rope about his neck.</p>
+
+<p>It seems scarcely conceivable, that a pittance should tempt a man to take
+his fellow&#8217;s life, that he might sell the body to a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> surgeon. In 1809,
+Burke was executed in Edinburgh, for this species of murder. It was his
+trade. Victims were lured, by this vampyre, to &#8220;the chambers of death,&#8221;
+strangled or suffocated, without any visible mark of murder, and then sold
+to the surgeons.</p>
+
+<p>This trade has been attempted in London, at a much later day. Dec. 5,
+1831, a wretch, named Bishop, and his accomplice, Williams, were hung, for
+the murder of an Italian boy, Carlo Ferrari, poor and friendless, whose
+body they sold to the surgeons. They confessed the murder of Ferrari and
+several others, whose bodies were disposed of, in a similar manner.</p>
+
+<p>From a desire to promote the cause of science, individuals have, now and
+then, bequeathed their bodies to particular surgeons. These bequests have
+been rarely insisted upon, by the legatees, and the intentions of the
+testator have seldom been carried out, by the executors; a remarkable
+exception, however, occurred, in the case of the celebrated Jeremy
+Bentham, an account of which I must defer for the present, for funerals
+are not the only things, which may be of unreasonable length.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. VIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>That eminent friend of science and of man, Jeremy Bentham, held the
+prejudice against dissection, in profound contempt, and bequeathed his
+body, for that object, to Dr. Fordyce, in 1769. Dr. Fordyce died, in 1792,
+and Mr. Bentham, who survived him, and seems to have set his heart upon
+being dissected, aware of the difficulties, that might obstruct his
+purpose, chose three friends, from whom he exacted a solemn promise, to
+fulfil his wishes. Accordingly, Mr. Bentham&#8217;s body was carried to the Webb
+Street School of Anatomy and Surgery, and publicly dissected, June 9,
+1832, by Dr. Southwood Smith, who delivered an admirable lecture, upon
+that occasion. I wholly object to such a practice, not, upon my honor,
+from selfish motives, though it would spoil our business; but because the
+moral injury, which would result, from such a disposition of mortal
+remains, would be so much greater, than the surgical good. Mr. Bentham&#8217;s
+example is not likely to be commonly adopted.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>A great amount of needless care is sometimes taken, by the living, in
+regard to their relics, and their obsequies, which care belongs,
+manifestly, to survivors. Akin to the preparation of one&#8217;s coffin, and
+storing it in one&#8217;s domicil, for years perhaps, is the preparation of
+one&#8217;s shroud, and death cap, and all the et c&aelig;tera of laying out. In
+ninety and nine cases, in every one hundred, these things are done, for
+the gratification of personal vanity, to attract attention, and to procure
+a small sample of that lamentation, which the desolate widower and orphans
+will pour forth, <i>one of these days</i>. It is observed, by one of the
+daughters, that the mother is engaged in some mysterious piece of needle
+work. &#8220;What is it, dear mother?&#8221; &#8220;Ah, my child, you should not inquire. We
+all must die&mdash;it is your poor mother&#8217;s winding sheet.&#8221; The daughter is
+convulsed, and pours forth a profluvium of tears. The judicious parent
+soothes, and moralizes, and is delighted. The daughter flies to her
+sisters; and, gathering in some private chamber, their tears are poured
+forth, as the fact is announced. The husband returns&mdash;the eyes of his
+household are like beet roots. They gather round their miserable meal. The
+husband has been informed. The sweet-breads go down, untasted. How
+grateful these evidences of sympathy to the wife and mother! A case
+occurred in my practice, of this very description, where the lady
+survived, married again, and the shroud, sallowed by thirty years&#8217; <i>non
+user</i>, was given, in an hour of need, to a poor family.</p>
+
+<p>Montaigne, vol. 1, page 17, Lond., 1811, says, &#8220;I was by no means pleased
+with a story, told me of a relation of mine, that, being arrived at a very
+old age and tormented with the stone, he spent the last hours of his life
+in an extraordinary solicitude, about ordering the pomp and ceremony of
+his funeral, pressing all the men of condition, who came to see him, to
+promise their attendance at his grave.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Sophia Charlotte, the sister of George I., of England, a woman of
+excellent understanding, was the wife of Frederic I. of Prussia. When
+dying, one of her attendants observed how sadly the king would be
+afflicted by her death. &#8220;With respect to him,&#8221; she replied, &#8220;I am
+perfectly at ease. His mind will be completely occupied in arranging the
+ceremonial of my funeral; and, if nothing goes wrong in the procession, he
+will be quite consoled for my loss.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Man goeth to his long home, as of yore, but the mourners do<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> not go about
+the streets, as they did, when I was young. The afternoons were given to
+the tolling of bells, and funeral processions. This was about the period,
+when the citizens began to feel their privations, as cow-yards grew
+scarce; and, when our old friend, Ben Russell, told the public, in his
+Centinel, that it was no wonder they were abominably crowded, and pinched
+for gardens, for Boston actually contained seventeen thousand inhabitants.
+I have seen a funeral procession, of great length, going south, by the Old
+South Church, passing another, of equal length, going north, and delaying
+the progress of a third, coming down School Street. The dead were not left
+to bury the dead, in those days. Invitations to funerals were sent round,
+as they are at present, to balls and parties. Othello Pollard and Domingo
+Williams had full employment then. I have heard it stated of Othello,
+that, having in hand two bundles of invitations, one for a fandango, of
+some sort, and the other for a funeral, and being in an evil condition, he
+made sad work in the delivery. Printed invitations are quite common, in
+some countries.</p>
+
+<p>I have seen one, in handbill form, for the funeral of a Madame Barbut, an
+old widow, in Martinique, closing with these words, &#8220;<i>un de profundis, si
+vous</i>,&#8221; etc. Roman funerals were distinguished as <i>indictiva</i> and
+<i>tacita</i>: to the former, persons were invited, by a crier; the others were
+private. The calling out, according to a prearranged list, which always
+gave offence to somebody, was of old the common practice here. Such was
+the usage in Rome, where the director was styled <i>dominus funeris</i> or
+<i>designator</i>. I doubt, if martinets are more tenacious of their rank, in
+the army, than mourners, at a funeral.</p>
+
+<p>There was a practice, in Rome, which would appear very grotesque, at the
+present time. Pipers, <i>tibicines</i>, preceded the corpse, with players and
+buffoons, who danced and sang, some of whom imitated the voice, manner and
+gestures of the defunct. Of these, Suetonius gives some account, in his
+lives of Tiberius, Vespasian, and C&aelig;sar.</p>
+
+<p>The practice of watching a corpse, until the time of burying or burning,
+was very ancient, and in use with the Greeks and Romans. The bodies of
+eminent men were borne to the grave, by the most distinguished citizens,
+not acting merely as pall bearers, but sustaining the body on their
+shoulders. Suetonius states, that Julius C&aelig;sar was borne by the
+magistrates; Augustus by the senators. Tacitus, Ann. iii. 2, informs us,
+that Germanicus<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> was supported, on the shoulders of the tribunes and
+centurions. Children, who died, before they were weaned, were carried to
+the pile by their mothers. This must have been a painful office.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. IX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>When I first undertook, there was scarcely any variety, either in the
+inscriptions, or devices, upon gravestones: death&#8217;s heads and crossbones;
+scythes and hour glasses; angels, with rather a diabolical expression;
+all-seeing eyes, with an ominous squint; squares and compasses; such were
+the common devices; and every third or fourth tablet was inscribed:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Thou traveller that passest by,<br />
+As thou art now, so once was I;<br />
+As I am now, thou soon shalt be,<br />
+Prepare for death and follow me.</p>
+
+<p>No wonder people were wearied to death, or within an inch of it, by
+reading this lugubrious quatrain, for the hundredth time. We had not then
+learned, from that vivacious people, who have neither taste nor talent for
+being sad, to convert our graveyards into pleasure grounds.</p>
+
+<p>To be sure, even in my early days, and long before, an audacious spirit,
+now and then, would burst the bonds of this mortuary sameness, and take a
+bolder flight. We have an example of this, on the tablet of the Rev.
+Joseph Moody, in the graveyard at York, Maine.</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Although this stone may moulder into dust,<br />
+Yet Joseph Moody&#8217;s name continue must.</p>
+
+<p>And another in Dorchester:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Here lies our Captain and Mayor of Suffolk,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 5em;">Was withall,</span><br />
+A godly magistrate was he, and major general.<br />
+Two troops of hors with him here came, such<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 5em;">Worth his love did crave.</span><br />
+Ten companyes also mourning marcht<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 5em;">To his grave.</span><br />
+Let all that read be sure to keep the faith as<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 5em;">He has don;</span><br />
+With Christ he lives now crowned, his name<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Was <span class="smcap">Humphrey Atherton</span>,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;">He dyed the 16 of September, 1661.</span></p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>The following, also, in the graveyard at Attleborough, upon the tablet of
+the Rev. Peter Thacher, who died in 1785, is no common effort, and in the
+style of Tate and Brady:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Whom Papists not<br />
+With superstitious fire,<br />
+Would dare to adore,<br />
+We justly may admire.</p>
+
+<p>And another, in the same graveyard, upon the slave, C&aelig;sar, is very clever.
+The two last lines seem by another hand:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Here lies the best of slaves,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Now turning into dust,</span><br />
+C&aelig;sar, the Ethiopian, craves<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">A place, among the just.</span><br />
+His faithful soul is fled<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">To realms of Heavenly light,</span><br />
+And by the blood that Jesus shed,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Is changed from black to white.</span><br />
+January 15, he quitted the stage,<br />
+In the 77 year of his age.</p>
+
+<p>An erratum, ever to be regretted, is certainly quite unexpected, on a
+gravestone. In the graveyard at Norfolk, Va., there is a handsome marble
+monument, sacred to the memory of Mrs. Margaret, &amp;c., wife of, &amp;c., who
+died, &amp;c.: &#8220;<i>Erratum, for Margaret read Martha</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In olden time, there was a provost of bonny Dundee, and his name was
+Dickson. He was a right jolly provost, and seemed resolved to have one
+good joke beyond the grave. He bequeathed ten pounds, apiece, to three
+men, remarkable above their fellows, for avarice, and dulness, on
+condition, that they should join in the composition of his epitaph, in
+rhyme and metre. They met&mdash;the task was terrible&mdash;but, Dr. Johnson would
+have said, what will not a Scotchman undertake, for ten pounds! It need
+not be long, said one&mdash;a line apiece, said the second&mdash;shall I begin? said
+the third. This was objected to, of course; for whoever commenced was
+relieved from the onus of the rhyme. They drew lots for this vantage
+ground, and he, who won, after a copious perspiration, produced the
+following line&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Here lies Dickson, Provost of Dundee.</p>
+
+<p>This was very much admired&mdash;brief and sententious&mdash;his name, his official
+station, his death, and the place of his burial<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> were happily compressed
+in a single line. After severe exertion, the second line was produced:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Here lies Dickson, here lies he.</p>
+
+<p>It was objected, that this was tautological; and that it did not even go
+so far as the first, which set forth the official character of the
+deceased. It was said, in reply, by one of the executors, who happened to
+be present, and who acted as <i>amicus poet&aelig;</i>, that the second line would
+have been tautological, if it <i>had</i> set forth the official station, which
+it did not; and that as there had once been a female provost, the last
+word effectually established the sex of Dickson, which was very important.
+The third legatee, though he had leave of absence for an hour, and
+refreshed his spirit, by a ramble on the Frith of Tay, was utterly unable
+to complete the epitaph. At an adjourned meeting, however, he produced the
+following line,</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Hallelujah! Hallelujee!</p>
+
+<p>There are some beautiful epitaphs in our language&mdash;there are half a dozen,
+perhaps, which are exquisitely so, and I believe there are not many more.
+I dare not present them here, in juxtaposition with such light matter.
+Swift&#8217;s clever epitaph, on a miser, may more appropriately close this article:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Beneath this verdant hillock lies<br />
+Demer, the wealthy and the wise.<br />
+His heirs, that he might safely rest,<br />
+Have put his carcass in a chest&mdash;<br />
+The very chest, in which, they say,<br />
+His other self, his money, lay.<br />
+And if his heirs continue kind<br />
+To that dear self he left behind,<br />
+I dare believe that four in five<br />
+Will think his better half alive.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. X.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Catacombs, hollows or cavities, according to the etymological import of
+the word, are, as every one knows, receptacles for the dead. They are
+found in many countries; the most ancient are those of Egypt and Thebes,
+which were visited in 1813 and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> 1818, by Belzoni. Psamatticus was a famous
+fellow, in his time: he was the founder of the kingdom of Egypt; and,
+after a siege of nearly three times the length of that at Troy, he
+captured the city of Azotus. The flight of the house of our lady of
+Loretto from Jerusalem, in a single night, would have seemed less
+miraculous to the Egyptians, than the transportation of the sarcophagus of
+Psamatticus, by a travelling gentleman, from Egypt to London. So it fell
+out, nevertheless. Belzoni penetrated into one of the pyramids of Ghizeh;
+he obtained free access to the tombs of the Egyptian kings, at
+Beban-el-Malook; and brought to England the sarcophagus of Psamatticus,
+exquisitely wrought of the finest Oriental alabaster. Verily kings have a
+slender chance, between the worms and the lovers of <i>vertu</i>. &#8220;Here lie the
+remains of G. Belzoni&#8221;&mdash;these brief words mark the grave of Belzoni
+himself, at Gato, near Benin in Africa, where he died, in December, 1823,
+safer in his traveller&#8217;s robes, than if surrounded with aught to tempt the
+hand of avarice or curiosity. The best account of the Egyptian catacombs
+may be found in Belzoni&#8217;s narrative, published in 1820.</p>
+
+<p>The catacombs of Italy are vast caverns, in the via Appia, about three
+miles from Rome. They were supposed to be the sepulchres of martyrs, and
+have furnished more capital to priestcraft, for the traffic in relics,
+than would have accrued, for the purposes of agriculture, to the fortunate
+discoverer of a whole island of guano. The common opinion is, that they
+were heathen sepulchres&mdash;the <i>puticuli</i> of the ancients. The catacombs of
+Naples, according to Bishop Burnet, are more magnificent than those of
+Rome. Catacombs have been found in Syracuse and Catanea, in Sicily, and in
+Malta.</p>
+
+<p>Jahn, in his Arch&aelig;ologia, sec. 206, speaks of extensive sepulchres, among
+the Hebrews, otherwise called the <i>everlasting houses</i>; a term of peculiar
+inapplicability, if we may judge from Maundrell&#8217;s account of the shattered
+and untenantable state, in which they are found. They are all located
+beyond the cities and villages, to which they belong, that is, beyond
+their more inhabited parts. The sepulchres of the Hebrew kings were upon
+Mount Zion. Extensive caverns, natural or artificial, were the common
+burying-places or catacombs. Gardens and the shade of spreading trees were
+preferred, by some; these are objectionable, on the ground, suggested in a
+former number: to alienate the estate and leave the dead, without the
+right of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>removal, reserved, is, virtually, a transfer of one&#8217;s
+ancestors&mdash;and to remove them may be unpleasant. For this contingency the
+Greeks and Romans provided, by reducing them to such a portable compass,
+that a man might carry his grandfather in a quart bottle, and ten
+generations, in the right line, in a wheelbarrow. Numerous catacombs are
+to be found in Syria and Palestine. The most beautiful are on the north
+part of Jerusalem. The entrance into these was down many steps. Some of
+them consisted of seven apartments, with niches in the walls, for the
+reception of the dead.</p>
+
+<p>Maundrell, in his travels, page 76, writing of the &#8220;grots,&#8221; as they were
+styled, which have been considered the sepulchres of kings, denies that
+any of the kings of Israel or Judah were buried there. He describes these
+catacombs, as having necessarily cost an immense amount of money and
+labor. The approach is through the solid rock, into an area forty paces
+wide, cut down square, with exquisite precision, out of the solid mass. On
+the south is a portico, nine paces long, and four broad, also cut from the
+solid rock. This has an architrave, sculptured in the stone, of fruits and
+flowers, running along its front. At the end of the portico, on the left,
+you descend into the passage to the sepulchres. After creeping through
+stones and rubbish, Maundrell arrived at a large room, seven or eight
+yards square, cut also from the natural rock. His words are these:&mdash;&#8220;Its
+sides and ceiling are so exactly square, and its angles so just, that no
+architect, with levels and plummets, could build a room more regular.&#8221;
+From this room you pass into six more, of the same fabric; the two
+innermost being deepest. All these apartments, excepting the first, are
+filled around with stone coffins. They had been covered with handsome
+lids, and carved with garlands; but, at the period of this visit, the
+covers were mostly broken to pieces, by sacrilegious hands. Here is a
+specimen of the &#8220;everlasting houses,&#8221; and a solemn satire upon the best of
+all human efforts&mdash;impotent and vain&mdash;to perpetuate that, which God
+Almighty has destined to perish. But of this I shall have more to say,
+when I come to sum up; and endeavor, from these dry bones, to extract such
+wisdom as I can, touching the best mode, in which the living may dispose
+of the dead, whose <i>memories</i> they are bound to embalm, and whose <i>bodies</i>
+are entitled to a decent burial.</p>
+
+<p>The catacombs of the Hottentots are the wildest clefts and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> caverns of
+their mountains. The Greenlanders, after wrapping the dead, in the skins
+of wild animals, bear them to some far distant Golgotha. In Siberia and
+Kamtschatka, they are deposited in remote caverns, with mantles of snow,
+for their winding sheets. It is the valued privilege of the civilized and
+refined to snuff up corruption, and swear it is a rose&mdash;to bury their
+dead, in the very midst of the living&mdash;in the very tenements, in which
+they breathe, the larger part of every seventh day&mdash;in the vaults of
+churches, into which the mourners are expected to descend, and poke their
+noses into the tombs, to prove the full measure of their respect for the
+defunct. But the tombs are faithfully sealed; and, when again opened,
+after several months, perhaps, the olfactory nerves are not absolutely
+staggered&mdash;possibly a dull smeller may honestly aver, that he perceives
+nothing&mdash;what then? The work of corruption has gone forward&mdash;the gases
+have escaped&mdash;how and whither? Subtle as the lightning, they have
+percolated, through the meshes of brick and mortar; and the passages or
+gashes, purposely left open in the walls, have given them free egress to
+the outward air.</p>
+
+<p>Very probably neither the eye nor the nose gave notice of their escape.
+Doubtless, it was gradual. The yellow fever, I believe, has never been
+seen nor smelt, during its most terrible ravages. I do remember&mdash;not an
+apothecary&mdash;but a greenhorn, who, in 1795, heard old Dr. Lloyd say the
+yellow fever was in the air, and who went upon the house top, next morning
+early, to look for it&mdash;but he saw it not; and, ever after, said he did not
+think much of Dr. Lloyd. I have something more to say of burials under
+churches, and in the midst of a dense population.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>A few more words on the subject of burying the dead under churches, and in
+the midst of a dense population. If men would adopt the language of the
+prologue to Addison&#8217;s Cato&mdash;&#8220;<i>dare to have sense yourselves</i>&#8221;&mdash;the folly
+and madness of this practice would be sufficiently apparent. Upon some
+simple subjects, one grain of common sense is better, than any quantity of
+the uncommon kind. But it is hard to make men think so.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> They prefer
+walking by faith&mdash;they must consult the savans&mdash;the doctors. Now I think
+very well of a good, old-fashioned doctor&mdash;one doctor I mean&mdash;but, when
+they get to be gregarious, my observation tells me, no good can possibly
+come of it. At post mortems, and upon other occasions, I have, in my
+vocation, seen them assembled, by half dozens and dozens, and I have come
+to the conclusion, that no body of men ever look half so wise, or feel
+half so foolish.</p>
+
+<p>Some of the faculty were consulted, in this city, about thirty years ago,
+upon the question of burying under churches; and, on the strength of the
+opinion given, a large church, not then finished, was provided with tombs,
+and the dead have been buried therein, ever since. Now I think the public
+good would have been advanced, had those doctors set their faces against
+the selfish proposition. That it is a nuisance, I entertain not the
+slightest doubt. The practice of burying in their own houses, among the
+ancients, gave place to burying without the city, or to cremation. The
+unhealthiness, consequent upon such congregations of the dead, was
+experienced at Rome. The inconvenience was so severely felt, in a certain
+quarter, that Augustus gave a large part of one of the cemeteries to
+M&aelig;cenas, who so completely purified it, and changed its character, that it
+became one of the healthiest sites in Rome, and there he built a splendid
+villa, to which Augustus frequently resorted, for fresh air and repose.
+Horace alludes to this transformation, Sat. 8, lib. 1, v. 10, and the
+passage reminds one of the change, which occurred in Philadelphia, when
+the Potter&#8217;s field was beautifully planted, and transformed into
+Washington Square.</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Hoc miser&aelig; plebi stabat commune sepulchrum,<br />
+Pantolabo scurr&aelig;; Nomentanoque nepoti.<br />
+Mille pedes in fronte, trecentos cippus in agrum<br />
+Hic dabat, heredes monumentum ne sequeretur.<br />
+Nunc licet Esquiliis habitare salubribus, atque<br />
+Aggere in apprico spatiari, qu&acirc; modo tristes<br />
+Albis informem spectabant ossibus agrum.</p>
+
+<p>Millingen, in his work on Medical jurisprudence, page 54, remarks&mdash;&#8220;From
+time immemorial medical men have pointed out to municipal authorities the
+dangers, that arise from burying the dead, within the precincts of cities,
+or populous towns.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The early Christians buried their martyrs, and afterwards eminent
+citizens, in their temples. Theodosius, in his celebrated code, forbade
+the practice, because of the infectious diseases.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>Theodolphus, the Bishop of Orleans, complained to Charlemagne, that vanity
+and the love of lucre had turned churches into charnel houses, disgraceful
+to the church, and dangerous to man.</p>
+
+<p>Cuthbert, Archbishop of Canterbury, first sanctioned the use of churches,
+for charnel houses, in 758&mdash;though Augustine had previously forbidden the
+practice. As Sterne said, in another connection, &#8220;they manage these
+matters much better, in France;&#8221; there Maret, in 1773, and Vicq d&#8217;Azyr, in
+1778, pointed out the terrible consequences, so effectually, that none,
+but dignitaries, were suffered to be buried in churches. In 1804,
+inhumation, in the cities of France, was wholly forbidden, without any
+exception. The arguments produced, at that time, are not uninteresting, at
+this, or any other. In Saulien, about 140 miles from Paris, in the year
+1773, the corpse of a corpulent person was buried, March 3, under the
+church of St Saturnin. April 20, following, a woman was buried near it.
+Both had died of a prevailing fever, which had nearly passed away. At the
+last interment a foul odor filled the church, and out of 170 persons
+present, 149 were attacked with the disease. In 1774 at Nantes, several
+coffins were removed, to make room for a person of note; and fifteen of
+the bystanders died of the emanation, shortly after. In the same year, one
+third of the inhabitants of Lectouse died of malignant fever, which
+appeared, immediately after the removal of the dead from a burial-ground,
+to give place to a public structure.</p>
+
+<p>The public mind is getting to be deeply impressed, upon this subject.
+Cities, and the larger towns are, in many instances, building homes for
+the dead, beyond the busy haunts of the living. The city of London has,
+until within a few years, been backward, in this sanatory movement. At
+present, however, there are six public cemeteries, in the suburbs of that
+city, of no inconsiderable area: the Kensall Green Cemetery, established
+by act 2 and 3 of William IV., in 1832, containing 53 acres&mdash;the South
+Metropolitan, by act 6 and 7 William IV., 1836, containing 40 acres&mdash;the
+Highgate and Kentish Town, by act 7 and 8 William IV., containing 22
+acres&mdash;the Abney Park, at Stoke Newington, containing 30 acres, 1840&mdash;the
+Westminster, at Earlscourt, Kensington road, 1840&mdash;and the Nunhead,
+containing 40 acres, 1840. Paris has its beautiful P&egrave;re La Chaise,
+covering the site of the house and extensive grounds, once belonging to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span>
+the Jesuit of that name, the confessor of Louis XIV., who died in 1709.
+New York has its Greenwood; Philadelphia its Laurel Hill; Albany its Rural
+Cemetery; Baltimore its Green Mount; Rochester its Mount Hope; we our
+Mount Auburn; and our neighboring city of Roxbury has already
+selected&mdash;and well selected&mdash;a local habitation for the dead, and wants
+nothing but a name, which will not long be wanting, nor a graceful
+arrangement of the grounds, from the hands of one, to whom Mount Auburn is
+indebted, for so much of all that is admirable there. I shall rejoice, if
+the governors of this cemetery should decree, that no <i>tomb</i> should ever
+be erected therein&mdash;but that the dead should be laid in their <i>graves</i>.</p>
+
+<p>My experience has supplied me with good and sufficient reasons&mdash;one
+thousand and one&mdash;against the employment of tombs, some of which reasons I
+may hereafter produce, though the honor of our craft may constrain me to
+keep silence, in regard to others. Some very bitter family squabbles have
+arisen, about tombs. Two deacons, who were half brothers, had a serious
+and lasting dispute, respecting a family tomb. They became almost furious;
+one of them solemnly protesting, that he would never consent to be buried
+there, while he had his reason, and the other declaring, that he would
+never be put into that tomb, while God spared his life. This, however, is
+not one of those one thousand and one reasons, against tombs.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The origin of the catacombs of Paris is very interesting, and not known to
+many. The stone, of which the ancient buildings of Paris were constructed,
+was procured from quarries, on the banks of the river Bi&egrave;ore. No system
+had been adopted in the excavation; and, for hundreds of years, the
+material had been withdrawn, until the danger became manifest. There was a
+vague impression, that these quarries extended under a large part of the
+city. In 1774 the notice of the authorities was called to some accidents,
+connected with the subject. The quarries were then carefully examined, by
+skilful engineers; and the startling fact clearly established, that the
+southern parts of Paris<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> were actually undermined, and in danger of
+destruction. In 1777 a special commission was appointed, to direct such
+works, as might be necessary. On the very day of its appointment, the
+necessity became manifest&mdash;a house, in the Rue d&#8217;Enfer, sunk ninety-two
+feet. The alarm&mdash;the fear of a sudden engulphment&mdash;was terrible.
+Operatives were set at work, to prop the streets, roads, palaces, and
+churches. The supports, left by the quarriers, without any method or
+judgment, were insufficient&mdash;in some instances, they had given way, and
+the roof had settled. Great fear was felt for the aqueduct of Arcueil,
+which supplied the fountains of Paris, and which passed over this ground,
+for it had already suffered some severe shocks; and it was apprehended,
+not simply that the fountains would be cut off, but that the torrent would
+pour itself into these immense caverns. And now the reader will inquire,
+what relation has this statement to the catacombs? Let us reply.</p>
+
+<p>For hundreds of years, Paris had but one place of interment, the Cemetery
+des Innocens. This was once a part of the royal domains; it lay without
+the walls of Paris; and was given, by one of the earlier kings, to the
+citizens, for a burying-place. It is well known, that this gift to the
+people was intended to prevent the continuance of the practice, then
+common in Paris, of burying the dead, in cellars, courts, gardens,
+streets, and public fields, within the city proper. In 1186 this cemetery
+was surrounded with a high wall, by Philip Augustus, the forty second king
+of France. It was soon found insufficient for its purpose; and, in 1218,
+it was enlarged, by Pierre de Nemours, Bishop of Paris. Generation after
+generation was deposited there, stratum super stratum, until the
+surrounding parishes, in the fifteenth century, began to complain of the
+evil, as an insufferable nuisance. Such a colossal mass of putrescence
+produced discomfort and disease. Hichnesse speaks of several holes about
+Paris, of great size and depth, in which dead bodies were deposited, and
+left uncovered, till one tier was filled, and then covered with a layer of
+earth, and so on, to the top. He says these holes were cleared, once in
+thirty or forty years, and the bones deposited, in what was called &#8220;<i>le
+grand charnier des Innocens</i>;&#8221; this was an arched gallery, surrounding the
+great cemetery.</p>
+
+<p>With what affectionate respect we cherish the venerated name of Fran&ccedil;ois
+Pontraci! <i>Magnum et venerabile nomen!</i> He was the last&mdash;the last of the
+grave-diggers of <i>le grand charnier des<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> Innocens</i>! In the days of my
+novitiate, I believed in the mathematical dictum, which teaches, that two
+things cannot occupy the same place, at the same time. But that dictum
+appears incredible, while contemplating the operations of Pontraci. He was
+a most accomplished stevedore in his department&mdash;the Napoleon of the
+charnel house, the very king of spades. All difficulties vanished, before
+his magic power. Nothing roused his indignation so much, as the
+suggestion, that a cemetery was <i>full</i>&mdash;<i>c&#8217;est impossible!</i> was his
+eternal reply. To use the terms of another of the fine arts, the touch of
+Pontraci was irresistible&mdash;his <i>handling</i> masterly&mdash;his <i>grouping</i>
+unsurpassed&mdash;and his <i>fore-shortening</i> altogether his own. <i>Condense!</i>
+that word alone explained the mystery of his great success. Knapsacks are
+often thrown aside, <i>en route</i>, in the execution of rapid movements. In
+the grand march of death, Pontraci considered coffins an encumbrance.
+Those wooden surtouts he thought well enough for parade, but worse than
+useless, on a march. He had a poor opinion of an artist, who could not
+find room, for twenty citizens, heads and heels, in one common grave.
+Madame Pontraci now and then complained, that the fuel communicated a
+problematical flavor to the meat, while roasting&mdash;&#8220;<i>c&#8217;est odeur, qui a
+rapport &agrave; une profession particuli&egrave;re, madame</i>,&#8221; was the reply of
+Pontraci. The register, kept by this eminent man, shows, that, in thirty
+years, he had deposited, in this cemetery, ninety thousand bodies. It was
+calculated, that twelve hundred thousand had been buried there, since the
+time of Philip Augustus. In 1805, the Archbishop of Paris, under a resolve
+of the Council of State, issued a decree, that the great cemetery should
+be suppressed and evacuated. It was resolved to convert it into a market
+place. The happy thought of converting the quarries into catacombs
+fortunately occurred, at that period, to M. Lenoie, lieutenant general of
+police. Thus a receptacle was, at once, provided for the immense mass of
+human remains, to be removed from the Cemetery des Innocens. A portion of
+the quarries, lying under the <i>Plaine de Mont Souris</i>, was assigned, for
+this purpose. A house was purchased with the ground adjoining, on the old
+road to Orleans. It had, at one time, belonged to Isouard, a robber, who
+had infested that neighborhood. A flight of seventy-seven steps was made,
+from the house down into the quarries; and a well sunk to the bottom, down
+which the bones were to be thrown. Workmen were employed, in constructing
+pillars to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> sustain the roof, and in walling round the part, designed for
+<i>le charnier</i>. The catacombs were then consecrated, with all imaginable
+pomp.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, the vast work of removing the remains went forward, night
+and day, suspended, only, when the hot weather rendered it unsafe to
+proceed. The nocturnal scenes were very impressive. A strange
+resurrection, to be sure! Bonfires burnt brightly amid the gloom. Torches
+threw an unearthly glare around, and illuminated these dealings with the
+dead. The operatives, moving about in silence, bearing broken crosses, and
+coffins, and the bones of the long buried, resembled the agents of an
+infernal master. All concerned had been publicly admonished, to reclaim
+the crosses, tombstones, and monuments of their respective dead. Such, as
+were not reclaimed, were placed in the field, belonging to the house of
+Isouard. Many leaden coffins were buried there, one containing the remains
+of Madame de Pompadour. During <i>the</i> revolution, the house and grounds of
+Isouard were sold as national domain, the coffins melted, and the
+monuments destroyed. The catacombs received the dead from other
+cemeteries; and those, who fell, in periods of commotion, were cast there.
+When convents were suppressed, the dead, found therein, were transferred
+to this vast omnibus.</p>
+
+<p>During the revolution, the works were neglected&mdash;the soil fell in; water
+found its way to the interior; the roof began to crumble; and the bones
+lay, in immense heaps, mixed with the rubbish, and impeding the way. And
+there, for the present, we shall leave them, intending to resume this
+account of the catacombs of Paris, in a future number.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>In 1810, the disgusting confusion, in the catacombs of Paris, was so much
+a subject of indignant remark, that orders were issued to put things in
+better condition. A plan was adopted, for piling up the bones. In some
+places, these bones were thirty yards in thickness; and it became
+necessary to cut galleries through the masses, to effect the object
+proposed.</p>
+
+<p>There were two entrances to the catacombs&mdash;one near the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> barrier d&#8217;Enfer,
+for visitors&mdash;the other, near the old road to Orleans, for the workmen.
+The staircase consisted of ninety steps, which, after several windings,
+conducted to the western gallery, from which others branched off, in
+different directions. A long gallery, extending beneath the aqueduct of
+Arcueil, leads to the gallery of Port Mahon, as it is called. About a
+hundred yards from this gallery, the visitor comes again to the passage to
+the catacombs; and, after walking one hundred yards further, he arrives at
+the vestibule, which is of an octagonal form. This vestibule opens into a
+long gallery, lined with bones, from top to bottom. The arm, leg, and
+thigh bones are in front, compactly and regularly piled together. The
+monotony of all this is tastefully relieved, by three rows of skulls, at
+equal distances, and the smaller bones are stowed behind. How very French!
+This gallery leads to other apartments, lined with bones, variously and
+fancifully arranged. In these rooms are imitation vases and altars,
+constructed of bones, and surmounted with skulls, fantastically arranged.
+This really seems to be the work of some hybrid animal&mdash;a cross, perhaps,
+between the Frenchman and the monkey.</p>
+
+<p>These crypts, as they are called, are designated by names, strangely
+dissimilar. There is the Crypte de Job, and the Crypte d&#8217;Anacreon&mdash;the
+Crypte de La Fontaine, and the Crypte d&#8217;Ezekiel&mdash;the Crypte d&#8217;Hervey, and
+the Crypte de Rousseau. An album, kept here, is filled with mawkish
+sentimentality, impertinent witticism, religious fervor, and infidel
+bravado.</p>
+
+<p>The calculations vary, as to the number of bodies, whose bones are
+collected here. At the lowest estimate, the catacombs are admitted to
+contain the remains of three millions of human beings.</p>
+
+<p>While contemplating the fantastical disposition of these human relics, one
+recalls the words of Sir Thomas Browne, in his Hydriotaphia&mdash;&#8220;Antiquity
+held too light thoughts from objects of mortality, while some drew
+provocatives of mirth from anatomies, and jugglers showed tricks with
+skeletons.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Here then, like &#8220;<i>broken tea-cups, wisely kept for show</i>,&#8221; are the broken
+skeletons of more than three millions of human beings, paraded for public
+exhibition! Most of them, doubtless, received Christian burial, and were
+followed to their graves, and interred, with more or less of the forms and
+ceremonies of the Catholic church, and deposited in the earth, there to
+repose in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> peace, till the resurrection! How applicable here the language
+of the learned man, whom we just quoted&mdash;&#8220;When the funeral pyre was out,
+and the last valediction over, men took a lasting adieu of their interred
+friends, little expecting the curiosity of future ages should comment upon
+their ashes; and having no old experience of the duration of their relics,
+held no opinion of such after-considerations. But who knows the fate of
+his bones, or how often he is to be buried! Who hath the oracle of his
+ashes, or whither they are to be scattered?&#8221; How little did the gay and
+guilty Jeane Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, imagine this rude
+handling of her mortal remains! She was buried in the Cemetery des
+Innocens, in 1764&mdash;and shared the common exhumation and removal in 1805.</p>
+
+<p>It seems to have been the desire of mankind, in every age and nation, to
+repose in peace, after death. In conformity with this desire, the
+cemeteries of civilized nations, the morais of the Polynesian isles, and
+the cities of the dead, throughout the world, have been, from time
+immemorial, consecrated and tabooed. So deep and profound has been the
+sentiment of respect, for the feelings of individuals, upon this subject,
+that great public improvements have been abandoned, rather than give
+offence to a single citizen.</p>
+
+<p>Near forty years ago, a meeting was held in Faneuil Hall, to consider a
+proposition for some change, in the Granary burying-ground, which
+proposition, was rejected, by acclamation. During the Mayoralty, of the
+elder Mr. Quincy, it was the wish of very many to continue the mall,
+through the burial-ground, in the Common. The consent of all, but two or
+three, was obtained. They were offered new tombs, and the removal of their
+deceased relatives, under their own supervision, at the charge of the
+city. These two or three still objected, and this great public improvement
+was abandoned; and with manifest propriety. The basis of this sentiment is
+a deep laid and tender respect for the ashes of the dead, and an earnest
+desire, that they may rest, undisturbed, till the resurrection; and this
+is the very last thing, which is likely to befall the tenant of a <span class="smcaplc">TOMB</span>;
+for the owner&mdash;and tombs, like other tenements, will change owners&mdash;in the
+common phraseology of leases, has a right to enter, &#8220;to view, and expel
+the lessee&#8221;&mdash;if no survivor is at hand to prevent, and the new proprietor
+has other tenants, whom he prefers for the dark and gloomy mansion. And
+they, in process of time, shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> be served, in a similar manner, by
+another generation. This is no exception; it is the general rule, the
+common course of dealing with the dead. A tomb, containing the remains of
+several generations, may become, by marriage, the property of a stranger.
+His wife dies. He marries anew. New connections beget new interests. The
+tomb is <i>useless</i>, to him, because it is <i>full</i>. A general clearance is
+decreed. A hole is dug in the bottom of the tomb; the coffins, with an
+honorable exception, in respect to his late beloved, are broken to pieces;
+and the remains cast into the pit, and covered up. The tablet, overhead,
+perpetuates the lie&mdash;&#8220;Sacred to the memory,&#8221; &amp;c. However, the tomb is
+white-washed, and swept out, and a nice place he has made of it! All this,
+have I seen, again and again.</p>
+
+<p>When a tomb is opened, for a new interment, dilapidated coffins are often
+found lying about, and bones, mud, and water, on the bottom. We always
+make the best of it, and stow matters away, as decently as we can. We are
+often blamed for time&#8217;s slovenly work. Grossman said, that a young
+spendthrift, who really cared for nothing but his pleasures, was, upon
+such an occasion, seized with a sudden fit of reverence for his great
+grandfather, and threatened to shoot Grossman, unless he produced him,
+immediately. He was finally pacified by a plain statement, and an
+exhibition of the old gentleman&#8217;s bones behind the other coffins. We could
+not be looked upon, more suspiciously, by certain inconsiderate persons,
+if we were the very worms that did the mischief. As a class, we are as
+honorable as any other. There are bad men, in every calling. There is no
+crime, in the decalogue, or out of it, which has not been committed, by
+some apostle, in holy orders. Doctors and even apothecaries are,
+occasionally, scoundrels. And, in a very old book, now entirely out of
+print, I have read, that there was, in the olden time, a lawyer, <i>rara
+avis</i>, who was suspected of not adhering, upon all occasions, to the
+precise truth. Tombs are nuisances. I will tell you why.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XIV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Tombs are obviously more liable to invasion, with and without assistance,
+from the undertaker and his subalterns, than graves. There may be a few
+exceptions, where the sexton does not cooperate. If a grave be dug, in a
+suitable soil, of a proper depth, which is some feet lower than the usual
+measure, the body will, in all probability, remain undisturbed, for ages,
+and until corruption and the worm shall have done their work, upon flesh
+and blood, and decomposition is complete. An intelligent sexton, who keeps
+an accurate chart of his diggings, will eschew that spot. On the other
+hand, every coffin is exposed to view, when a tomb is opened for a new
+comer. On such occasions, we have, sometimes, full employment, in driving
+away idlers, who gather to the spot, to gratify a sickly curiosity, or to
+steal whatever may be available, however &#8220;sacred to the memory,&#8221; &amp;c. The
+tomb is left open, for many hours, and, not unfrequently, over night, the
+mouth perhaps slightly closed, but not secured against intruders. During
+such intervals, the dead are far less protected from insult, and the
+espionage of idle curiosity, than the contents of an ordinary toy-shop, by
+day or night. Fifty years ago, curiosity led me to walk down into a vault,
+thus left exposed. No person was near. I lifted the lid of a coffin&mdash;the
+bones had nearly all crumbled to pieces&mdash;the skull remained entire&mdash;I took
+it out, and, covering it with my handkerchief, carried it home. I have, at
+this moment, a clear recollection of the horror, produced in the mind of
+our old family nurse, by the exhibition of the skull, and my account of
+the manner, in which I obtained it. &#8220;What an awful thing it would be,&#8221; the
+dear, good soul exclaimed, &#8220;if the resurrection should come this very
+night, and the poor man should find his skull gone!&#8221; My mother was
+informed; and I was ordered to take it back immediately: it was then dark;
+and when I arrived at the tomb, in company with our old negro, Hannibal,
+to whom the office was in no wise agreeable, the vault was closed. I
+deposited the skull on the tomb, and walked home in double quick time,
+with my head over my shoulder, the whole way. I relate this occurrence, to
+show how motiveless such trespasses may be.</p>
+
+<p>There is a morbid desire, especially in women, which is rather difficult
+of analysis, to descend into the damp and dreary<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> tomb&mdash;to lift the coffin
+lid&mdash;and look upon the changing, softening, corrupting features of a
+parent or child&mdash;to gaze upon the mouldering bones; and thus to gather
+materials, for fearful thoughts, and painful conversations, and frightful
+dreams!</p>
+
+<p>A lady lost her child. It died of a disease, not perfectly intelligible to
+the doctor, who desired a post mortem examination, which the mother
+declined. He urged. She peremptorily refused. The child was buried in the
+Granary ground. A few months after, another member of the same family was
+buried in the same vault. The mother, notwithstanding the remonstrances of
+her husband, descended, to look upon the remains of her only daughter;
+and, after a careful search, returned, in the condition of Rachel, who
+would not be comforted, because it was not. In a twofold sense, it was
+<i>not</i>. The coffin and its contents had been removed. The inference was
+irresistible. The distress was very great, and fresh, upon the slightest
+allusion, to the end of life. Cases of premature sepulture are, doubtless,
+extremely rare. That such, however, have sometimes occurred, no doubt has
+been left upon the mind, upon the opening of tombs. These are a few only
+of many matters, which are destined, from time to time, to be brought to
+light, upon the opening of <i>tombs</i>, and which are not likely to disturb
+the feelings of those whose deceased relatives and friends are committed
+to well-made <i>graves</i>. On all these occasions, ignorance is bliss.</p>
+
+<p>Tombs, not only such as are constructed under churches, but in common
+cemeteries, are frequently highly offensive, on the score of emanation.
+They are liable to be opened, for the admission of the dead, at all times;
+and, of course, when the worms are riotous, and corruption is rankest, and
+the pungent gases are eminently dangerous, and disgusting. Even when
+closed, the intelligible odor, arising from the dissolving processes,
+which are going on within, is more than living flesh and blood can well
+endure. Again and again, visitors at Mount Auburn have been annoyed, by
+this effluvium from the tombs. By the universal adoption of well-made
+graves, this also may be entirely avoided.</p>
+
+<p>When a family becomes, or is supposed to be, extinct, or has quitted the
+country, their dead kindred are usually permitted to lie in peace, in
+their <i>graves</i>. It is not always thus, if they have had the misfortune to
+be buried in <i>tombs</i>. To cast forth a dead tenant, from a solitary
+<i>grave</i>, that room might be found for a new<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> comer, would scarcely be
+thought of; but the temptation to seize five or six <i>tombs</i>, at once, for
+town&#8217;s account, on the pretext, that they were the tombs of extinct
+families, has, once, at least, proved irresistible, and led to an outrage,
+so gross and revolting, in this Commonwealth, that the whole history of
+cemeteries in our country cannot produce a parallel. In April, 1835, the
+board of health, in a town of this Commonwealth, gave notice, in a
+<i>single</i> paper, that certain tombs were dilapidated; that no
+representative of former owners could be found; and that, if not claimed
+and repaired, within sixty days, those tombs would be sold, to pay
+expenses, &amp;c. In fulfilment of this notice, in September following, the
+entire contents of five tombs were broken to pieces, and shovelled out. In
+one of these tombs there were thirty coffins, the greater part of which
+were so sound, as to be split with an axe. A portion of the silver plate,
+stolen by the operatives employed by the board of health, was afterwards
+recovered, bearing date, as recently as 1819. The board of health then
+advertised these tombs for sale, in <i>two</i> newspapers. Nothing of these
+brutal proceedings was known to the relatives, until the deed of barbarity
+was done. Now it can scarcely be credited, that, in that very town, a few
+miles from it, and in this city, there were then living numerous
+descendants, and relatives of those, whose tombs had thus been violated.
+Some of the dead, thus insulted, had been the greatest benefactors of that
+town, so much so, that a narrative of their donations has been published,
+in pamphlet form. Among the direct descendants were some of the oldest and
+most distinguished families of this city, whose feelings were severely
+tried by this outrage. The ashes of the dead are common property. The
+whole community bestirs itself in their defence. The public indignation
+brought those stupid and ignorant officials to confession and atonement,
+if not to repentance. They passed votes of regret; replaced the ashes in
+proper receptacles within the tombs; and put them in order, at the public
+charge. A meagre and miserable atonement, for an injury of this peculiar
+nature; and, though gracelessly accorded,&mdash;extorted by the stringency of
+public sentiment, and the fear of legal process,&mdash;yet, on the whole, the
+only satisfaction, for a wrong of this revolting and peculiar character.
+The insecurity of tombs is sufficiently apparent. An empty tomb may be
+attached by creditors; but, by statute of Mass., 1822, chap. 93, sec. 8,
+it cannot be, while in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> use, as a cemetery. But no law, of man or nature,
+can prevent the disgusting effects, and mortifying casualties, and
+misconstructions of power, which have arisen, and will forever continue to
+arise, from the miserable practice of burying the dead, in <i>tombs</i>.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>There is, doubtless, something not altogether agreeable, in the thought of
+being buried alive. Testamentary injunctions are not uncommon, for the
+prevention of such a calamity. As far, as my long experience goes, the
+percentage is exceedingly small. About twenty-five years ago, some old
+woman was certain, that a person, lately buried, was not exactly dead. She
+gave utterance to this certainty&mdash;there was no <i>evidence</i>, and ample room
+therefore for <i>faith</i>. The defunct had a little property&mdash;it was a clear
+case, of course&mdash;his relatives had buried him alive, to get possession! A
+mob gathered, in King&#8217;s Chapel yard; and, to appease their righteous
+indignation, the grave was opened, the body exposed, doctors examined, and
+the mob was respectfully assured, that the man was dead&mdash;dead as a door
+nail. A proposition to bury the old woman, in revenge, was rejected
+immediately. But she did not give up the point&mdash;they never do. She
+admitted, that the party was dead, but persisted, that his death was
+caused, by being buried alive.</p>
+
+<p>Some are, doubtless, still living, who remember the affair in the Granary
+yard. Groans had been heard there, at night. Some person had been buried
+alive, beyond all doubt. A committee was appointed to visit the spot. Upon
+drawing near, subdued laughter and the sounds of vulgar merriment arose,
+from one of the tombs&mdash;a light was seen glimmering from below&mdash;the strong
+odor, not of corruption, but of mutton chops, filled the air. Some
+vagabonds had cleared the tomb, and taken possession, and, with broken
+coffins for fuel, had found an appetite, among the dead. The occupation of
+tombs, by the outcasts of society, was common, long before the Christian
+era.</p>
+
+<p>That the living have been buried, unintentionally, now and then, is
+undoubtedly true. Such has probably been the case, sometimes, under
+catalepsy or trance, the common duration of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> which is from a few hours, to
+two or three days; but of which Bonet, <i>Medic., Septentrion, lib. 1,
+sec. 16, chap. 6</i>, gives an example, which lasted twenty days. Bodies have
+been found, says Millingen, in his Curiosities of Medical Experience, page
+63, where the miserable victims have devoured the flesh of their arms; and
+he cites John Scott and the Emperor Zeno, as examples. Plato recites the
+case of a warrior, who was left ten days, as dead, upon the field of
+battle, and came to life, on his way to the sepulchre. In Chalmers&#8217; Memoir
+of the Abbe Prev&ocirc;t, it is related, that he was found, by a peasant, having
+fallen in an apoplectic fit. The body was cold, and carried to a surgeon,
+who proceeded to open it. During the process, the Abbe revived, only,
+however, to die of the wound, inflicted by the operator.</p>
+
+<p>The danger of burying alive has been noticed by Pineau, <i>Sur le danger des
+Inhumations precipit&eacute;es, Paris, 1776</i>. Dr. John Mason Good, vol. 4, page
+613, remarks, that catalepsy has been mistaken for real death; and, in
+countries where burial takes place speedily, it is much to be feared,
+that, in a few instances, the patient has been buried alive. A case of
+asphyxy, of a singular kind, is stated, by Mr. Pew, and recited by Dr.
+Good, of a female, whose interment was postponed, for a post mortem
+examination&mdash;most fortunately&mdash;for the first touch of the scalpel brought
+her to life. Diemerbroeck, <i>Tractat de Peste</i>, <i>Lib. 4, Hist. 8</i>, relates
+the case of a rustic, who was laid out for interment. Three days passed
+before the funeral. He was supposed to have died of the plague. When in
+the act of being buried, he showed signs of life, recovered, and lived
+many years. Dr. Good observes, that a critical examination of the region
+of the heart, and a clear mirror, applied to the mouth and nostrils, will
+commonly settle the question of life or death; but that even these signs
+will sometimes fail. What then shall be done? Matth&aelig;us Hildanus and
+others, who give many stories of this kind, say&mdash;wait for the infallible
+signs of putrefaction. It may be absurd to wait too long; it is indecorous
+to inhume too soon.</p>
+
+<p>The case, recited by Mr. Pew, reminds me of Pliny&#8217;s account of persons who
+came to life, on the funeral pile. &#8220;Aviola in rogo revixit: et, quoniam
+subveniri non potuerat, pr&aelig;valente flamma, vivus crematus est. Similis
+causa in L. Lamia, pr&aelig;torio viro, traditur.&#8221;&mdash;Lib. 7, sec. 53.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span>Old Grossman&#8217;s stories, in this connection, were curious enough. He gave a
+remarkable account of a good old deacon, who had a scolding wife. She fell
+sick and died, as was supposed, and was put in her coffin, and screwed
+down, and lifted. Everything, as Grossman said, went on very pleasantly,
+till they began to descend into the tomb, when the sexton, at the foot,
+slipped, and the coffin went by the run, and struck violently against the
+wall of the tomb. One instant of awful silence was followed, by a shrill
+shriek from the corpse&mdash;&#8220;<i>Let me out&mdash;let me out!</i>&#8221; The poor old deacon
+wrung his hands, and looked, as Grossman expressed it, &#8220;real melancholy.&#8221;
+The lid was unscrewed, as soon as possible, and the lady, less in sorrow,
+than in anger, insisted on immediate emancipation. All attempts to
+persuade her to be still, and go home as she came, for the decency of the
+thing, were unavailing. The top of the coffin was removed. The deacon
+offered to help her out. She refused his proffered hand; and, doubling her
+fist in his face, told him he was a monster, and should pay for it, and
+insisted on walking back, in her death clothes. About six months after,
+she died, in good earnest. &#8220;The poor deacon,&#8221; said Grossman, &#8220;called us
+into a private room, and reminding us of the sad turn things took, last
+time, begged us to be careful; and told us, if all things went right, he
+would treat us at his store, the next day. He retailed spirit, as all the
+deacons did, being the very persons, pointed at, by the finger of the law,
+as men of sober lives and conversations.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Grossman told another story. We could scarcely credit it. He offered to
+swear to it; but we begged he wouldn&#8217;t. It was of a woman, who was a cider
+sot. Her husband had tried all sorts of preventive experiments, in vain.
+His patience was exhausted. He tapped a barrel, and let her drink her
+fill. She and the barrel gave out together. She was buried. The coldness
+of the tomb brought her to life. She felt around the narrow domicil, in
+which she lay. Her consciousness, that she was in her coffin, and that she
+had been buried, was clear enough; but her other impressions were rather
+cloudy. It never occurred to her, that she had been buried alive. She
+imagined herself, in another world, and, knocking, as hard as possible,
+against the lid and sides of her coffin, she exclaimed, &#8220;Good people of
+the upper world, if ye have got any good cider, do let us have a mug of
+it.&#8221; Luckily, the mouth of the tomb had not been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> closed, and, when the
+sexton came to close it, he was scandalized, of course, to hear a thirsty
+corpse, crying for cider; but the woman was soon relieved from her
+predicament. The Mandans, whose custom of never burying their dead, I have
+alluded to, may possibly be influenced, by a consideration of this very
+contingency. In some places, bodies have been placed in a lighted room,
+near the charnel house, there to remain, till the signs of corruption
+could no longer be mistaken. The tops of the coffins being loose; and a
+bell so connected with the body, as to ring on the slightest movement.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XVI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>My profession is very dear to me; and nothing would gratify me more, than
+to see my brother artists restored to their original dignity. It is quite
+common to look upon a sexton, as a mere grave-digger, and upon his
+calling, as a cold, underground employment, divested of everything like
+sentiment or solemnity.</p>
+
+<p>In the olden time, the sexton bore the title of sacristan. He had charge
+of the sacristy, or vestry, and all the sacred vessels and vestments of
+the church. At funerals, his office corresponded with that of the Roman
+<i>dominus funeris</i> or <i>designator</i>, referred to by Horace, Ep. i., 7,
+6&mdash;and by Cicero to Atticus, iv., 2. He was, in point of law, considered
+as having a freehold, in his office, and therefore he could not be
+deprived, by ecclesiastical censure. It was his duty to attend upon the
+rector, and to take no unimportant part, in all those inestimable forms,
+and ceremonies, and circumgyrations, and genuflections, which render the
+worship of the high church so exceedingly picturesque. The sexton of the
+Pope&#8217;s chapel was selected, from the order of the hermits of St.
+Augustine, and was commonly a bishop. His title was <i>prefect of the Pope&#8217;s
+sacristy</i>. When the Pope said mass, the sexton always tasted the bread and
+wine first. And, when the Pope was desperately sick, the sexton gave him
+extreme unction. I recite these facts, that the original dignity of our
+office may be understood.</p>
+
+<p>The employment of sextons has been rather singular, in some countries. M.
+Outhier states, that, when he visited the church of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> St. Clara, at
+Stockholm, he observed the sexton, during the sermon, with a long rod,
+waking those, who had fallen asleep.</p>
+
+<p>I fully believe, that the sextons of this city are all honorable men; and
+yet it cannot be denied, that the solemn occasion, upon which their
+services are required, is one, upon which, pride and sensibility forbid
+all higgling, on the part of the customer. However oppressively the charge
+of consigning a relative to the ground may bear, upon one of slender
+means, the tongue of complaint is effectually tied. The consciousness of
+this furnishes a strong temptation to imposition. The same desire to
+promote the public good, which induced Mr. Bentham to give his body for
+dissection, has led distinguished individuals, now and then, to prescribe
+simple and inexpensive obsequies, for themselves.</p>
+
+<p>Livy says, book 48, sec. 10, that Marcus Emilius Lepidus directed his sons
+to bury him without parade, and at a very small charge. As he was the
+Pontifex Maximus, possessed of wealth, and of a generous spirit, the
+promotion of the public good was the only motive. Cheating at funerals was
+as common at Athens, as at Rome. Demades, as Seneca relates, book 6, ch.
+33, <i>de beneficiis</i>, condemned an unprincipled Athenian sexton, for
+extortion, in furnishing out funerals. The friends and relatives are so
+busy with their sorrow, that they have neither time nor taste, for the
+examination of accounts, and, least of all, such as concern the obsequies
+of near friends. I was never more forcibly impressed with the truth, that,
+where the carcass is, there the vultures will be gathered together, than
+in the little island of St. Croix, during the winter of 1840. I was there
+with a friend, a clergyman, who visited that island, for the restoration
+of his wife&#8217;s health. She died. Her remains were never buried there, but
+brought to this city, and here interred. In that island there is a
+tribunal, called the <i>Dealing Court</i>, analogous to the court of probate,
+or orphan&#8217;s court, in this country. In less than forty-eight hours, a bill
+was presented, from this court, for &#8220;<i>dealing</i>&#8221; with the estate of the
+deceased. She had no estate; no act had been done. &#8220;True, but such is the
+custom of our island&mdash;such is the law of Denmark.&#8221; After taking counsel,
+the bill was paid. The Danish Lutheran is the established religion of the
+island. The Episcopal lives, by sufferance. A few days after this lady&#8217;s
+decease, a bill was presented, from the officers of the <i>Danish Lutheran</i>
+church, for granting permission to dig her grave, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> the <i>Episcopal</i>
+ground. It was objected, that no permission had been asked, that no burial
+had been intended, that the body had been placed in spirits, for its
+removal to the United States. It was replied, &#8220;Such is the usage of the
+island; the permission is granted, and may be used or not; such is the law
+of Denmark.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Shortly after this, a bill was presented, for digging the grave. It was in
+vain to protest, as before, and to assert, that no grave had been dug. The
+answer was the same; &#8220;the grave must be paid for; it will be dug or not,
+as you wish; such is the usage of the island; such is the law of Denmark.&#8221;
+In due time, another demand was made, for carrying round invitations, and
+attendance upon the funeral. It was useless to say, that no invitations
+were sent&mdash;no funeral was had. &#8220;Such is the custom of the island; such is
+the law of Denmark.&#8221; The reader, by this time, will be satisfied, that
+something is rotten in Denmark; this narrative appears so very improbable,
+that I deem it right to assure the reader the circumstances are stated
+faithfully, and that the clergyman referred to, is still living.</p>
+
+<p>In commending a respectable frugality, in our dealings with the dead, not
+only with regard to their obsequies, but in relation to sepulchral and
+monumental expenditure, I oppose the interest of our profession, and
+cannot be accused of any selfish motive. A chaste simplicity is due to the
+occasion; for surely no more illy chosen hour can be given to the
+gratification of pride, than that, in which the very pride of man is
+humbled in the dust. How often have my thoughts descended from the costly,
+sculptured obelisk, to the carnival of worms below!</p>
+
+<p>A well-set example of comely modesty, in these matters, would be
+productive of much advantage to the community. The man of common means, if
+he happen to be also a man of common sense, will not imitate the man of
+opulence, in the splendor of his equipage or furniture. But he will too
+readily enter into what he deems a righteous rivalry of funereal parade,
+and leave his debts unpaid, rather than abate one cubit, in the height of
+his monument, or obelisk. It is not now the custom to bury with the dead,
+or deposit with their ashes, as in urn burial, articles of use and value
+to the living. We have been taught, that those graves are the least likely
+to be violated, in which are deposited little else than mortal remains.
+But, in a certain sense, the dead can no longer be said to carry nothing
+with them. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> silver and its workmanship alone, which are annually
+buried, furnish no inconsiderable item.</p>
+
+<p>The outer coffin of Nathan Meyer Rothschild &#8220;was of fine oak, and so
+handsomely carved and decorated with massive silver handles, at both sides
+and ends, that it appeared more like a cabinet, or splendid piece of
+furniture, than a receptacle of the dead. A raised tablet of oak, on the
+breast, was carved with the arms of the deceased.&#8221; The arms of the
+deceased! Very edifying to the worms, those cunning operatives, who work
+so skilfully, in silence and darkness! The arms of the deceased! Matthew
+Prior had some shrewd notions of heraldry. He wrote his own epitaph&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Heralds and nobles, by your leave,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Here lie the bones of Matthew Prior;</span><br />
+The son of Adam and of Eve;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Let Bourbon and Nassau go higher.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XVII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>My attention has been called, by a young disciple of the great Pontraci,
+&#8220;a sexton of the new school,&#8221; to an interesting anecdote, which I have
+heard related, in days by-gone, and which has, more than once, appeared in
+print. It is, by many, believed, that the remains of Major Pitcairn, which
+were supposed to have been sent home to England, are still in this
+country, and that those of Lieutenant Shea were transmitted, by mistake.
+Whether <i>he</i> or <i>Shea</i> will ever remain doubtful. Major Pitcairn was
+killed, as is well known, at the battle of Bunker&#8217;s Hill. Shea died of
+inflammation on the brain. They were alike in size. On the top of the head
+of the body, selected by the sexton of Christ Church, as the remains of
+Major Pitcairn, it is stated, there was a blistering plaster; and, from
+this circumstance, the impression has arisen, that the monument in
+Westminster Abbey, however sacred to the memory of Pitcairn, stands over
+the remains of Lieutenant Shea. There is not more uncertainty, in relation
+to the remains of Major Pitcairn, than has existed, in regard to the
+individual, by whose hands he fell; though it is now agreed, that he was
+shot by a black soldier, named Salem. Fifty men, at the lowest estimate,
+have died in the faith, that they killed <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>Pitcairn. He was a man of large
+stature, fearless, and ever in the van, as he is represented by Marshall,
+at the battle of Lexington.</p>
+
+<p>He was a palpable mark, for the muskets and rifles of the sharp-shooters.
+It is not improbable, that fifty barrels were levelled at his person, when
+he fell; and hence fifty claimants, for the merit of Pitcairn&#8217;s
+destruction. Upon precisely similar grounds, rest the claims of Col.
+Johnson, for the killing of Tecumseh.</p>
+
+<p>When the flesh has gone and nothing but the bones remain, it is almost
+impossible, to recognize the remains of any particular individual, buried
+hastily, as the fallen commonly are, after a battle, in one common grave;
+unless we are directed, by certain external indicia. In April, 1815, I
+officiated at the funeral of Dr. John Warren, brother of the patriot and
+soldier, who fell so gloriously, at Bunker&#8217;s Hill, and whose death was
+said, by the British General, Howe, to be an offset, for five hundred men.
+Dr. James Jackson delivered the eulogy, on Dr. John Warren, in King&#8217;s
+Chapel. General Warren was buried in the trenches, where he so bravely
+fell; and, when disinterred, in 1776, for removal to Boston, the remains
+were identified, by an inspection of the teeth, upon which an operation
+had been performed, the evidence of which remained. This testimony was
+doubtless corroborated, by the mark of the bullet on his forehead; for he
+was not a man to be wounded in the back. &#8220;The bullet which terminated his
+life,&#8221; says Mr. A. H. Everett in his memoir, &#8220;was taken from the body, by
+Mr. Savage, an officer in the Custom House, and was carried by him to
+England. Several years afterwards, it was given by him at London, to the
+Rev. Mr. Montague of Dedham, Massachusetts, and is now in possession of
+his family.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>These translations of the dead, from place to place, are full of
+uncertainty; and hence has arisen a marvellous and successful system of
+jugglery and priestcraft. The first translation of this kind, stated by
+Brady, in his Clavis, is that of Edward, king of the West Saxons. He was
+removed with great pomp from Wareham to the minster of Salisbury. Three
+years only had passed since his burial, and no error is imputed, in the
+relation. In the year 359, the Emperor Constantius was moved, by the
+spirit, to do something in this line; and he caused the remains of St.
+Andrew and St. Luke to be translated, from their original resting-places,
+to the temple of the twelve apostles, at <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span>Constantinople. Some little
+doubt might be supposed to hang over the question of identity, after such
+a lapse of years, in this latter case. From this eminent example, arose
+that eager search for the remains of saints, martyrs, and relics of
+various descriptions, which, for many centuries, filled the pockets of
+imposters, with gold, and the world, with idolatry. So great was the
+success of those, engaged in this lucrative employment, that John the
+Baptist became a perfect hydra. Heads of this great pioneer were
+discovered, in every direction. Some of the apostles were found, upon
+careful search, to be centipedes; and others to have had as many hands as
+Briareus. These monstrosities were too vast to be swallowed, without a
+miracle. Father John Freand, of Anecy, assured the faithful, that God was
+pleased to multiply these remains for their devotion. Consecration has
+been refused to churches, unprovided with relics. Their production
+therefore became indispensable. All the wines, produced in <i>Oporto</i> and
+<i>Zeres de la Frontera</i>, furnish not a fourth part of the liquor, drunken,
+in London alone, under the names of Port and Sherry; and the bones of all
+the martyrs, were it possible to collect them, would not supply the
+occasions of the numerous churches, in Catholic countries. Misson says
+eleven holy lances are shown, in different places, for the true lance,
+that pierced the side of Christ.</p>
+
+<p>Many egregious sinners have undoubtedly been dug up, and their bones
+worshipped, as the relics of genuine saints. Though not precisely to our
+purpose, it may not be uninteresting to the reader, to contemplate a
+catalogue of some few of the relics, exhibited to the faithful, as they
+are enumerated, by Bayle, Butler, Misson, Brady and others;&mdash;the lance&mdash;a
+piece of the cross&mdash;one of Christ&#8217;s nails&mdash;five thorns of the crown&mdash;St.
+Peter&#8217;s chain&mdash;a piece of the manger&mdash;a tooth of John the Baptist&mdash;one of
+St. Anne&#8217;s arms&mdash;the towel, with which Christ wiped the feet of the
+apostles&mdash;one of his teeth&mdash;his seamless coat&mdash;the hem of his garment,
+which cured the diseased woman&mdash;a tear, which he shed over Lazarus,
+preserved by an angel, who gave it, in a vial, to Mary Magdalene&mdash;a piece
+of St. John the Evangelist&#8217;s gown&mdash;a piece of the table cloth, used at the
+last supper&mdash;a finger of St. Andrew&mdash;a finger of John the Baptist&mdash;a rib
+of our Lord&mdash;the thumb of St. Thomas&mdash;a lock of Mary Magdalene&#8217;s hair&mdash;two
+handkerchiefs, bearing impressions of Christ&#8217;s face; one sent by our Lord,
+as a present to Aquarus,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> prince of Edessa; and the other given by him, at
+the foot of the cross, to a holy woman, named Veronica&mdash;the hem of
+Joseph&#8217;s garment&mdash;a feather of the Holy Ghost&mdash;a finger of the Holy
+Ghost&mdash;a feather of the angel Gabriel&mdash;the waterpots, used at the marriage
+in Galilee&mdash;Enoch&#8217;s slippers&mdash;a vial of the sweat of St. Michael, at the
+time of his set-to with the Devil. This short list furnishes a meagre
+show-box of that immense mass of merchandise, which formed the staple of
+priestcraft. These pretended relics were not only procured, at vast
+expense, but were occasionally given, and received, as collateral security
+for debts. Baldwin II. sent the point of the holy lance to Venice, as a
+pledge for a loan. It was redeemed by St. Lewis, King of France, who
+caused it to be placed in the holy chapel at Paris. The importation of
+this species of trumpery, into England, was forbidden, by many statutes;
+and, by 3. Jac. i., cap. 26, justices were empowered to search houses for
+such things, and to burn them.</p>
+
+<p>It is pleasant to turn from these shadowy records to matters of reality
+and truth. There was an exhumation, some years ago, of the remains of a
+highly honorable and truly gallant man, for the purpose of returning them
+to his native land. Suspicions of a painful nature arose, in connection
+with that exhumation. Those suspicions were cleared away, most happily, by
+a venerable friend of mine, with whom I have conversed upon that
+interesting topic. I will give some account of the removal of Major
+Andr&eacute;&#8217;s remains, in my next.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XVIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Major John Andr&eacute;, aid-de-camp to General Clinton, and adjutant general of
+the British army, was, as every well-read school-boy knows, hanged as a
+spy, October 2, 1780, at Tappan, a town of New York, about five miles from
+the north bank of the Hudson.</p>
+
+<p>In June, 1818, by a vote of the Legislature of New York, the remains of
+that gallant Irishman, Major General Richard Montgomery, were removed from
+Quebec. Col. L. Livingston, his nephew, superintended the exhumation and
+removal. An old<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> soldier, who had attended the funeral, forty-two years
+before, pointed out the grave. These relics were committed to the ground,
+once more, in St. Paul&#8217;s church-yard in New York; and, by direction of the
+Congress of the United States, a costly marble monument was erected there,
+executed by M. Cassieres, at Paris. Nothing was omitted of pomp and
+pageantry, in honor of the gallant dead.</p>
+
+<p>Still the remains of Andr&eacute;, whose fate was deeply deplored, however just
+the punishment&mdash;still they continued, in that resting place, humble and
+obscure, to which they had been consigned, when taken from the gallows.
+The lofty honors, bestowed upon Montgomery, operated as a stimulus and a
+rebuke. Mr. James Buchanan, the British consul, admits their influence, in
+his memorable letter. He addressed a communication to the Duke of York,
+then commander-in-chief of the British army, suggesting the propriety of
+exhumating the remains of Andr&eacute;, and returning them to England. The
+necessary orders were promptly issued, and Mr. Buchanan made his
+arrangements for the exhumation.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Demarat, a Baptist clergyman, at Tappan, was the proprietor of the
+little field, where the remains of Andr&eacute; had been buried, and where they
+had reposed, for forty-one years, when, in the autumn of 1821, Mr.
+Buchanan requested permission to remove them. His intentions had become
+known&mdash;some human brute&mdash;some Christian dog, had sought to purchase, or to
+rent, the field of Mr. Demarat, for the purpose of extorting money, for
+permission to remove these relics. But the good man and true rejected the
+base proposal, and afforded every facility in his power.</p>
+
+<p>A narrow pathway led to the eminence, where Andr&eacute; had suffered&mdash;the grave
+was there, covered with a few loose stones and briars. There was nothing
+beside, to mark the spot&mdash;I am wrong&mdash;woman, who was last at the cross,
+and first at the tomb, had been there&mdash;there was a peach tree, which a
+lady had planted at the head, and whose roots had penetrated to the very
+bottom of the shallow grave, and entered the frail shell, and enveloped
+the skull with its fibres. Dr. Thacher, in a note to page 225 of his
+military journal, says, that the roots of two cedar trees &#8220;had wrapped
+themselves round the skull bone, like a fine netting.&#8221; This is an error.
+Two cedars grew near the grave, which were sent to England, with the
+remains.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span>The point, where these relics lay, commanded a view of the surrounding
+country, and of the head-quarters of Washington, about a mile and a half
+distant. The field, which contained about ten acres, was cultivated&mdash;a
+small part only, around the consecrated spot, remained untilled. Upon the
+day of the exhumation, a multitude had gathered to the spot. After digging
+three feet from the surface, the operative paused, and announced, that his
+spade had touched the top of the coffin. The excitement was so great, at
+this moment, that it became necessary to form a cordon, around the grave.
+Mr. Buchanan proceeded carefully to remove the remaining earth, with his
+hands&mdash;a portion of the cover had been decomposed. When, at last, the
+entire top had been removed, the remains of this brave and unfortunate
+young man were exposed to view. The skeleton was in perfect order.
+&#8220;There,&#8221; says Mr. Buchanan, &#8220;for the first time, I discovered that he had
+been a small man.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>One by one, the assembled crowd passed round, and gazed upon the remains
+of Andr&eacute;, whose fate had excited such intense and universal sensibility.
+These relics were then carefully transferred to a sarcophagus, prepared
+for their reception, and conveyed to England. They now repose beneath the
+sixth window, in the south aisle of Westminster Abbey. The monument near
+which they lie, was designed by Robert Adam, and executed by Van Gelder.
+Britannia reclines on a sarcophagus, and upon the pedestal is
+inscribed&mdash;&#8220;Sacred to the memory of Major Andr&eacute;, who, raised by his merit,
+at an early period of life, to the rank of Adjutant General of the British
+forces in America, and, employed in an important but hazardous enterprise,
+fell a sacrifice to his zeal for his king and country, on 2d of October,
+1780, aged twenty-nine, universally beloved and esteemed by the army, in
+which he served, and lamented even by his foes. His generous sovereign,
+King George III., has caused this monument to be erected.&#8221; Nothing could
+have been prepared, in better taste. Here is not the slightest allusion to
+that great question, which posterity, having attained full age, has
+already, definitively, settled&mdash;the justice of his fate. A box, wrought
+from one of the cedar trees, and lined with gold, was transmitted to Mr.
+Demarat, by the Duke of York; and a silver inkstand was presented to Mr.
+James Buchanan, by the surviving sisters of Major Andr&eacute;.</p>
+
+<p>Thus far, all things were in admirable keeping. It was,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> therefore, a
+matter of deep regret, that Mr. James Buchanan should have thought proper
+to disturb their harmony, by suggestions, painfully offensive to every
+American heart. Those suggestions, it is true, have been acknowledged to
+be entirely groundless. But that gentleman&#8217;s original letter, extensively
+circulated here, and transmitted to England, has, undoubtedly, conveyed
+these offensive insinuations, where the subsequent admission of his error
+is not likely to follow. Mr. Buchanan, on the strength of some loose
+suggestions, at Tappan, and elsewhere, corroborated by an examination of
+the contents of the coffin, had assumed it to be true, or highly probable,
+that the body of Andr&eacute; had been stripped, after the execution, from
+mercenary, or other equally unworthy, motives. This impression he hastily
+conveyed to the world. I will endeavor to present this matter, in its true
+light, in my next communication.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XIX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>After having removed the entire cover of Andr&eacute;&#8217;s coffin, &#8220;I descended,&#8221;
+says Mr. Buchanan, &#8220;and, with my own hands, raked the dust together, to
+ascertain whether he had been buried in his regimentals, or not, as it was
+rumored, among the assemblage, that he was stripped: for, if buried in his
+regimentals, I expected to find the buttons of his clothes, which would
+have disproved the rumor; but I did not find a single button, nor any
+article, save a string of leather, that had tied his hair.&#8221; Mr. Buchanan
+had evidently arrived at the conclusion, that Andr&eacute; had been stripped. In
+this conclusion he was perfectly right. He had also inferred, that this
+act had been done, with base motives. In this inference, he was perfectly
+wrong. &#8220;Those,&#8221; continues he, &#8220;who permitted the outrage, or who knew of
+it, had no idea, that the unfeeling act they then performed would be
+blazoned to the world, near half a century, after the event.&#8221; All this is
+entirely gratuitous and something worse. General Washington&#8217;s
+head-quarters were near at hand. Every circumstance was sure to be
+reported, for the excitement was intense; and the knowledge of such an
+act, committed for any unworthy purpose, would have been instantly
+conveyed to Sir Henry <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span>Clinton, and blazoned to the world, some forty
+years before the period of Mr. Buchanan&#8217;s discovery.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. James Thacher, in his military journal, states, that Andr&eacute; was
+executed &#8220;in his royal regimentals, and buried in the same.&#8221; Dr. Thacher
+was mistaken, and when he saw the letter of Mr. Buchanan, and the
+offensive imputation it contained, he investigated the subject anew, and
+addressed a letter to that gentleman, which was received by him, in a
+becoming spirit, and which entirely dissipated his former impressions. In
+that letter, Dr. Thacher stated, that he was within a few yards of Andr&eacute;,
+at the time of his execution, and that he suffered in his regimentals.
+Supposing, as a matter of course, that Andr&eacute; would be buried in them, Dr.
+Thacher had stated that, also, as a fact, though he did not remain, to
+witness the interment. He then refers to a letter, which he has discovered
+in the Continental Journal and Weekly Advertiser, of October 26, 1780,
+printed in Boston, by John Gill. This letter bears date, Tappan, October
+2, the day of the execution, and details all the particulars, and in it
+are these words&mdash;&#8220;<i>He was dressed in full uniform; and, after the
+execution, his servant demanded the uniform, which he received. His body
+was buried near the gallows</i>.&#8221; &#8220;This,&#8221; says Dr. Thacher, &#8220;confirms the
+correctness of my assertion, that he suffered in his regimentals, but not
+that they were buried with the body. I had retired from the scene, before
+the body was placed in the coffin; but I have a perfect recollection of
+seeing him hand his hat to the weeping servant, while standing in the
+cart.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Buchanan observes, that an aged widow, who kept the toll-gate, on
+hearing the object stated, was so much gratified, that she suffered all
+carriages to pass free. &#8220;It marks strongly,&#8221; he continues, &#8220;the sentiments
+of the American people at large, as to a transaction, which a great part
+of the British public have forgotten.&#8221; This passage is susceptible of a
+twofold construction. It may mean, that this aged widow and the American
+people at large were unanimous, in lamenting the fate of Major Andr&eacute;&mdash;that
+they most truly believed him to have been brave and unfortunate. It may
+also mean, that they considered the fate of Andr&eacute; to have been
+unwarranted. Posterity has adjusted this matter very differently. Nearly
+sixty-eight years have passed. All excitement has long been buried, in a
+deeper grave than Andr&eacute;&#8217;s. A silent admission has gone forth, far and
+wide, of the perfect justice of Andr&eacute;&#8217;s execution. A board of general<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>
+officers was appointed, to prepare a statement of his case. Greene,
+Steuben, and Lafayette were of that board. They were perfectly unanimous
+in their opinion. Prodigious efforts were made on his behalf. He himself
+addressed several letters to Washington, and one, the day before his
+death, in which he says: &#8220;Sympathy towards a soldier will surely induce
+your excellency and a military tribunal to adapt the mode of my death to
+the feelings of a man of honor.&#8221; The board of officers, as Gordon states,
+were induced to gratify this wish, with the exception of Greene. He
+contended, that the laws of war required, that a spy should be hung; the
+adoption of any less rigorous mode of punishment would excite the belief,
+that palliatory circumstances existed in the case of Andr&eacute;, and that the
+decision might thereby be brought into question. His arguments were sound,
+and they prevailed.</p>
+
+<p>Major Andr&eacute; received every attention, which his condition permitted. He
+wrote to Sir Henry Clinton, Sept. 29, 1780, three days before his
+execution&mdash;&#8220;I receive the greatest attention from his excellency, General
+Washington, and from every person, under whose charge I happen to be
+placed.&#8221; Captain Hale, like Major Andr&eacute;, was young, brave, amiable, and
+accomplished. He entered upon the same perilous service, that conducted
+Andr&eacute; to his melancholy fate. Hale was hanged, as a spy, at Long Island.
+Thank God, the brutal treatment he received was not retaliated upon Andr&eacute;.
+&#8220;The provost martial,&#8221; says Mr. Sparks, &#8220;was a refugee, to whose charge he
+was consigned, and treated him, in the most unfeeling manner, refusing the
+attendance of a clergyman, and the use of a bible; and destroying the
+letters he had written, to his mother and friends.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The execution of Major Andr&eacute; was in perfect conformity with the laws of
+war. Had Sir Henry Clinton considered his fate unwarranted, under any just
+construction of those laws, he would undoubtedly have expressed that
+opinion, in the general orders, to the British army, announcing Major
+Andr&eacute;&#8217;s death. These orders, bearing date Oct. 8, 1780, refer only to his
+<i>unfortunate fate</i>. They contain not the slightest allusion to any
+supposed injustice, or unaccustomed severity, in the execution, or the
+manner of it.</p>
+
+<p>The fate of Andr&eacute; might have been averted, in two ways&mdash;by a steady
+resistance of Arnold&#8217;s senseless importunity, to bring him within the
+American lines&mdash;and by a frank and immediate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> presentation of Arnold&#8217;s
+pass, when stopped by Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart. His loss of
+self-possession, at that critical moment, is remarkable, for, as
+Americans, they would, in all human probability, have suffered him to
+pass, without further examination; and, had they been of the opposite
+party, they would certainly have conducted him to some British post&mdash;the
+very haven where he would be.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>How shall <i>we</i> deal with the dead? We have considered the usages of many
+nations, in different ages of the world. Some of these usages appear
+sufficiently revolting; especially such as relate to secondary burial, or
+the transfer of the dead, from their primary resting-places, to vast,
+miscellaneous receptacles. The desire is almost universal, that, when
+summoned to lie down in the grave, the dead may never be disturbed, by the
+hand of man&mdash;that our remains may return quietly to dust&mdash;unobserved by
+mortal eye. There is no part of this humiliating process, that is not
+painful and revolting to the beholder. Of this the ancients had the same
+impression. Cremation and embalming set corruption and the worm at
+defiance. Other motives, I am aware, have been assigned for the former.
+The execution of popular vengeance upon the poor remains of those, whose
+memory has become odious, during a revolution, is not uncommon. A
+ludicrous example of this occurred, when Santa Anna became unpopular, and
+the furious mob seized his leg, which had been amputated, embalmed, and
+deposited among the public treasures, and cooled their savage anger, by
+kicking the miserable member all over the city of Montezuma.</p>
+
+<p>In the time of Sylla, cremation was not so common as interment; but Sylla,
+remembering the indignity he had offered to the body of Marius, enjoined,
+that his own body should be burnt. There was, doubtless, another motive
+for this practice among the ancients. The custom prevailed extensively, at
+one time, of burying the dead, in the cellars of houses. I have already
+referred to the Theban law, which required the construction of a suitable
+receptacle for the dead, in every house. Interment<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> certainly preceded
+cremation. Cicero De Legibus, lib. 2, asserts, that interment prevailed
+among the Athenians, in the time of Cecrops, their first king. In the
+earlier days of Rome, both were employed. Numa was <i>buried</i> in conformity
+with a special clause in his will. Remus, as Ovid, Fast. iv. 356, asserts,
+was <i>burnt</i>. The accumulation of dead bodies in cellars, or subcellars,
+must have become intolerable. This practice undoubtedly gave rise to the
+whole system of household gods, Lares, Lemures, Larv&aelig;, and Manes. Such an
+accumulation of ancestors, it may well be supposed, left precious little
+room for the amphor&aelig; of Chian, Lesbian, and Falernian.</p>
+
+<p>Young aspirants sometimes inwardly opine, that their living ancestors take
+up too much room. Such was very naturally the opinion of the ancients, in
+relation to the dead. Like Fran&ccedil;ois Pontraci, they began to feel the
+necessity of condensation; and cremation came to be more commonly adopted.
+The bones of a human being, reduced to ashes, require but little room; and
+not much more, though the decomposition by fire be not quite perfect. Let
+me say to those, who think I prefer cremation, as a substitute for
+interment, that I do not. It has found little favor for many centuries. It
+seems to have been employed, in the case of Shelley, the poet. However
+desirable, when the remains of the dead were to be deposited in the
+dwelling-houses of the living, cremation and urn burial are quite
+unnecessary, wherever there is no want of ground for cemeteries, in proper
+locations. The funereal urns of the ancients were of different sizes and
+forms, and of materials, more or less costly, according to the ability and
+taste of the surviving friends. Ammianus Marcellinus relates, that
+Gumbrates, king of Chionia, near Persia, burnt the body of his son, and
+placed the ashes in a <i>silver</i> urn.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Wedgewood had the celebrated Portland vase in his possession, for a
+year, and made casts of it. This was the vase, which had been in
+possession of the Barberini family, for nearly two centuries, and for
+which the Duke of Portland gave Mr. Hamilton one thousand guineas. In the
+minds of very many, the idea of considerable size has been associated with
+this vase. Yet, in fact, it is about ten inches high, and six broad. The
+Wedgewood casts may be seen, in many of our glass and china shops. This
+vase was discovered, about the middle of the sixteenth century, two and a
+half miles from Rome, on the Frescati<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> road, in a marble sarcophagus,
+within a sepulchral chamber. This, doubtless, was a funereal urn. The
+urns, dug up, in Old Walsingham, in 1658, were quite similar, in form, to
+the Portland vase, excepting that they were without ears. Some fifty were
+found in a sandy soil, about three feet deep, a short distance from an old
+Roman garrison, and only five miles from Brancaster, the ancient
+Branodunum. Four of these vases are figured, in Browne&#8217;s Hydriotaphia;
+some of them contained about two pounds of bones; several were of the
+capacity of a gallon, and some of half that size. It may seem surprising,
+that a human body can be reduced to such a compass. &#8220;How the bulk of a man
+should sink into so few pounds of bones and ashes may seem strange unto
+any, who consider not its constitution, and how slender a mass will remain
+upon an open and urging fire, of the carnal composition. Even bones
+themselves, reduced into ashes, do abate a notable proportion.&#8221; Such are
+the words of good old Sir Thomas.</p>
+
+<p>It was an adage of old, &#8220;He that lies in a golden urn, will find no quiet
+for his bones.&#8221; If the costliness of the material offered no temptation to
+the avarice of man, still, after centuries have given them the stamp of
+antiquity, these urns and their contents become precious, in the eyes of
+the lovers of <i>vertu</i>. There is no security from impertinent meddling with
+our remains, so certain, as a speedy conversion into undistinguishable
+dust. Sir Thomas Browne manifestly inclined to cremation. &#8220;To be gnawed,&#8221;
+says he, &#8220;out of our graves, to have our skulls made drinking bowls, and
+our bones turned into pipes, to delight and sport our enemies, are
+tragical abominations, escaped in burning burials.&#8221; Such anticipations are
+certainly unpleasant. An ingenious device was adopted by Alaricus&mdash;he
+appointed the spot for his grave, and directed, that the course of a river
+should be so changed, as to flow over it.</p>
+
+<p>It has been said, that certain soils possess a preserving quality. I am
+inclined to think the secret commonly lies, in some peculiar,
+constitutional quality, in the dead subject; for, wherever cases of
+remarkable preservation have occurred, corruption has been found generally
+to have done its full day&#8217;s work, on all around. If such quality really
+exist in the soil, it is certainly undesirable. Those who were opposed to
+the evacuation of the Cemetery des Innocens, in the sixteenth century,
+attempted to set up in its favor the improbable pretension, that it
+consumed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> bodies in nine days. Burton, in his description of
+Leicestershire, states, that the body of Thomas, Marquis of Dorset, &#8220;was
+found perfect, and nothing corrupted, the flesh not hardened, but in
+color, proportion and softness, like an ordinary corpse, newly to be
+interred,&#8221; after seventy-eight years&#8217; burial.</p>
+
+<p>A remarkable case of posthumous preservation occurred, in a village near
+Boston. The very exalted character of the professional gentleman, who
+examined the corpse, after it had been entombed, for forty years, gives
+the interest of authenticity to the statement. Justice Fuller, the
+father-in-law of that political victim, General William Hull, <i>who was
+neither a coward nor a traitor</i>, was buried in a family tomb, in Newton
+Centre. It was ascertained, and, from time to time, reported, that the
+body remained uncorrupted and entire. Mr. Fuller was about 80, when he
+died, and very corpulent. About forty years after his burial, Dr. John C.
+Warren, by permission of the family, with the physician of the village,
+and other gentlemen, examined the body of Mr. Fuller. The coffin was
+somewhat decomposed. So were the burial clothes. The body presented,
+everywhere, a natural skin, excepting on one leg, on which there had been
+an ulcer. There decomposition had taken place. The skin was generally of a
+dark brown color, and hard like dried leather; and so well preserved,
+about the face, that persons, present with Dr. Warren, said they should
+have recognized the features of Justice Fuller. My business lies not with
+the physiology, however curious the speculation may be. Were it possible,
+by any means, to perpetuate the dead, in a similar manner, it would be
+wholly undesirable. Dust we are, and unto dust must we return. The
+question is still before us,&mdash;How shall <i>we</i> deal with the dead?</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>It is commonly supposed, that the burial of articles of value with the
+dead, is a practice confined to the Indian tribes, and the inhabitants of
+unenlightened regions; who fancied, that the defunct were gone upon some
+far journey, during which such accompaniments would be useful. Such is not
+the fact. Chilperic, the fourth king of France, came to the throne A. D.
+456.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> In 1655 the tomb of Chilperic was accidentally discovered, in
+Tournay, &#8220;restoring unto the world,&#8221; saith Sir Thomas Browne, vol. 3, p.
+466, &#8220;much gold adorning his sword, two hundred rubies, many hundred
+imperial coins, three hundred golden bees, the bones and horse-shoes of
+his horse, interred with him, according to the barbarous magnificence of
+those days, in their sepulchral obsequies.&#8221; Stow relates, in his survey of
+London, that, in many of the funeral urns, found in Spitalfields, there
+were, mingled with the relics, coins of Claudius, Vespasian, Commodus, and
+Antoninus, with lachrymatories, lamps, bottles of liquor, &amp;c.</p>
+
+<p>As an old sexton, I have a right to give my advice; and the public have a
+right to reject it. If I were the owner of a lot, in some well-governed
+cemetery, I would place around it a neat, substantial, iron fence, and
+paint it black. In the centre I would have a simple monument, of white
+marble, and of liberal dimensions; not pyramidal, but with four
+rectangular faces, to receive a goodly number of memoranda, not one of
+which should exceed a single line. I would have no other monument, slab,
+or tablet, to indicate particular graves. I would have a plan of this lot,
+and preserve it, as carefully, as I preserved my title papers. Probably I
+should keep a duplicate, in some safe place. When a body came to be
+buried, in that lot, I would indicate the precise location, on my plan,
+and engrave the name and the date of birth, and death, and nothing more,
+upon the monument. If the dryness and elevation of the soil allowed, I
+would dig the graves so deep, that the remains of three persons could
+repose in one grave, the uppermost, five or six feet below the surface.
+After the burial of the first, the grave would be filled up, and an even,
+sodded surface presented, as before, until re-opened. Thus, of course,
+those, who had been lovely and pleasant, in their lives, like Jonathan and
+Saul, would, in death, be not divided. This, so far from being
+objectionable, is a delightful idea, embalmed in the classical precedents
+of antiquity. It is a well-known fact, that urns of a very large size
+were, occasionally, in use, in Greece and Rome, for the reception and
+commingling of the ashes of whole families. The ashes of Achilles were
+mingled with those of his friend, Patroclus. The ashes of Domitian, the
+last, and almost the worst, of the twelve C&aelig;sars, were inurned, as
+Suetonius reports, ch. 17, with those of Julia.</p>
+
+<p>With the Chinese, it is very common to bury a comb, a pair<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> of scissors to
+pare the nails, and four little purses, containing the nail parings of the
+defunct. Jewels and coins of gold are sometimes inserted in the mouths of
+the wealthy. This resembles the practice of the Greeks and Romans, of
+placing an obolus, Charon&#8217;s fee, in the mouth of the deceased. This
+arrangement, in regard to the nail parings, seems well enough, as they are
+clearly part and parcel, of the defunct. Rings, coins, and costly chalices
+have been found, with the ashes of the dead.</p>
+
+<p>Avarice, curiosity, and revenge, personal or political, have prompted
+mankind, in every age, to desecrate the receptacles of the dead. The
+latter motive has operated more fiercely, upon the people of France, than
+upon almost any other. No nation has ever surpassed them, in that intense
+ardor, nor in the parade and magnificence, with which they <i>canonize</i>&mdash;no
+people upon earth can rival the bitterness and fury, with which they
+<i>curse</i>. Lamartine, in his history of the Girondists, states, that
+&#8220;dragoons of the Republic spread themselves over the public places,
+brandishing their swords, and singing national airs. Thence they went to
+the church of Val de Grace, where, enclosed in silver urns, were the
+hearts of several kings and queens of France. These funeral vases they
+broke, trampling under foot those relics of royalty, and then flung them
+into the common sewer.&#8221; And how shall <i>we</i> deal with the dead?</p>
+
+<p>With a reasonable economy of space, a lot of the common area, at Mount
+Auburn, or Forest Hills, will suffice, for the occasion of a family of
+ordinary size, for several generations. In re-opening one of these graves,
+for a second or third interment, the operative should never approach
+nearer than one foot to the coffin beneath. The careless manner, in which
+bones are sometimes spaded up, by grave-diggers, results from their want
+of precise knowledge of previous inhumations. Common sense indicates the
+propriety of keeping a regular, topographical account of every interment.</p>
+
+<p>But it is quite time to bring these lucubrations to a close. To some they
+may have proved interesting, and, doubtless, wearisome to others. The
+account is therefore balanced. Most heartily do I wish for every one of my
+readers a decent funeral, and a peaceful grave. I have tolled my last
+knell, turned down my last sod, and am no longer a Sexton of the Old
+School.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XXII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Some commendatory passages, in your own and other journals, my dear Mr.
+Transcript, seem very much to me like a theatrical <i>encore</i>&mdash;they half
+persuade me to reappear. There are other considerations, which I cannot
+resist. Twenty devils, saith the Spanish proverb, employ that man, who
+employeth not himself. I am quite sensible of my error, in quitting an old
+vocation prematurely. You have no conception of the severe depression of
+spirits, produced in the mind of an old sexton, who, in an evil hour, has
+cast his spade aside, and set up for a man of leisure. It may answer for a
+short time&mdash;a very short time. I can honestly declare, that I have led a
+wearisome life, since I gave up undertaking. Many have been the expedients
+I have adopted, to relieve the oppressive tedium of my miserable days. The
+funeral bell has aroused me, as the trumpet rouses an old war horse. How
+many processions I have followed, as an amateur! One or two young men of
+the craft have been exceedingly kind to me, and have given me notice,
+whenever they have been employed upon a new grave, and have permitted me
+to amuse myself, by performing a portion of the work.</p>
+
+<p>My own condition, since I left off business, and tried the terrible
+experiment of living on my income, and doing nothing, has frequently and
+forcibly reminded me of a similar passage, in the history of my excellent
+old friend, Simon Allwick, the tallow-chandler, with whom I had the
+happiness of living, in the closest intimacy, and whom I had the pleasure
+of burying, about twenty years ago.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Allwick was a thrifty man; and, having acquired a handsome property,
+his ambitious partner persuaded him to abandon his greasy occupation, and
+set up for a gentleman. This was by no means, the work of a day. Mr.
+Allwick loved his wife&mdash;she was an affectionate creature; and, next to the
+small matter of having her own way in everything, she certainly loved
+Allwick, as her prime minister, in bringing that matter about. She was
+what is commonly called a devoted wife. Man is, marvellously, the creature
+of habit. So completely had Allwick become that creature, that, when his
+partner, upon the occasion of an excursion, as far as Jamaica Pond, for
+which Allwick literally tore himself away from the chandlery, could not
+restrain her <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span>admiration of that pretty, pet lake, he candidly confessed,
+that he felt nothing of the sort. And, when Mrs. Allwick exclaimed, with
+uplifted hands and tears in her eyes, that, in a cottage, on the borders
+of such a lake, she should be the happiest of the happy&mdash;&#8220;So should I, my
+dear,&#8221; said her husband, with a sigh, so heavily drawn, that it seemed
+four to the pound&mdash;&#8220;so should I, my dear, if the lake were a vat of clear
+melted tallow, and I had a plenty of sticks and wicks.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Suffice it to say, Mrs. Allwick had set her heart upon the measure. She
+had a confidential friend or two, to whom she had communicated the
+<i>proj&eacute;t</i>: her pride had therefore become enlisted; for she had given them
+to understand, that she meant to have her own way. She commenced an
+uncompromising crusade, against grease, in every form. She complained,
+that grease spots were upon everything. She engaged the services of a
+young physician, who gave it, as his deliberate opinion, that Mr.
+Allwick&#8217;s headaches arose from the deleterious influence of the fumes of
+hot grease, acting through the olfactory nerves, upon the pineal gland.</p>
+
+<p>He even expressed a fear, that insanity might supervene, and he furnished
+an account of an eminent tallow-chandler in London, who went raving mad,
+and leaping into his own vat of boiling grease, was drawn out, no better
+than a great candle. It was a perfect <i>coup de grace</i>, when Mrs. Allwick
+drove candles from her dwelling, and substituted oil. The chandlery
+adjoined their residence, in Scrap Court; and it must be admitted, that,
+with the wind at south, the odor was not particularly savory. Mrs. Allwick
+was what the world would style a smart woman, and she was in the habit of
+calling her husband a very <i>wicked</i> man and their mansion the most
+unclassical villa, though in the very midst of <i>grease</i>!</p>
+
+<p>It is quite superfluous to say, the point was finally carried&mdash;the
+chandlery was sold&mdash;a country house was purchased, not on the lake, but in
+a sweet spot. There was some little embarrassment about the name, but two
+wild gooseberry bushes having been discovered, within half a mile, it was
+resolved, in council, to call it Mount Gooseberry. Since the going forth
+of Adam from Eden, in misery and shame, never was there such an exodus, as
+that of poor Allwick from the chandlery. I have not time to describe it. I
+am glad I have not. It was too much. Even Mrs. Allwick began to doubt the
+perfect wisdom of her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> plan. But the die was cast. On they went to their
+El Dorado. It was a pleasant spot. It was &#8220;a bonnie day in June.&#8221; The
+birds were in ecstacies&mdash;so was Mrs. Allwick&mdash;so were the children&mdash;the
+sun shone&mdash;the stream ran beautifully by&mdash;the leaves still glistened in
+the morning dew&mdash;there was a sprinkling of lambs on the hills&mdash;old Cato
+was at the door, to welcome them, and Carlo most affectionately covered
+the white frocks of the children with mud. &#8220;Was there ever anything like
+this?&#8221; exclaimed the delighted wife. &#8220;Isn&#8217;t it a perfect pink, papa?&#8221;
+cried the children. In answer to all this, the <i>jecur ulcerosum</i> of poor
+Allwick sent forth a deep groan, that shook the very walls of his
+tabernacle.</p>
+
+<p>The mind of man is a mill, and will grind chaff if nothing more
+substantial be supplied; and, peradventure, the upper will grind the
+nether millstone to destruction. For a brief space, Mr. Allwick found
+employment. Fences were to be completed&mdash;trees and bushes were to be set
+out&mdash;the furniture was to be arranged&mdash;but all this was soon over, and
+there was my good old friend, Simon Allwick, the busiest man alive, with
+nothing to do! Never was there a heart, in the bosom of a tallow-chandler,
+so perfectly &#8220;untravelled.&#8221; Poor fellow, he went &#8220;up stairs and down
+stairs, and in my lady&#8217;s chamber,&#8221; but all to no other purpose, than to
+confirm him, in a sentiment of profound respect, for that homely proverb,
+<i>it is hard for an old dog to learn new tricks</i>.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Where is your father?&#8221; said Mrs. Allwick to the children, after
+breakfast, one awful hot morning, near the end of June. The children went
+in pursuit&mdash;there he was&mdash;he had sought to occupy his thoughts, by
+watching the gambols of some half a dozen Byfield cokies&mdash;there he was&mdash;he
+had rested his arms upon the rail of the fence, and had been looking into
+the sty&mdash;his chin had dropped upon his hands&mdash;he had fallen asleep! He was
+mortified and nettled, at being found thus, and continued in a moody
+condition, through the day. On the following morning, he went to the city,
+and remained till night. His spirits were greatly improved, on his return;
+and to some felicitations from his wife and family, he replied&mdash;&#8220;My dear,
+I feel better, certainly; and I have made an arrangement, which, I think,
+will enable me to get along pretty comfortably&mdash;I have seen Mr. Smith, to
+whom I sold the chandlery, and have extended the term of payment. He still
+dips on Mondays, Wednesdays, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> Fridays, and has agreed to set a kettle
+of fat and some sticks for me, in the little closet, near the back door,
+that I may slip in, and amuse myself, on dipping days.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>I ought to have been warned, by this example; but I had quite forgotten
+it. It is very agreeable to be thus welcomed back to the performance of my
+former duties. No one, but he, who is deprived of some long-cherished
+occupation, can truly comprehend the pleasure of occasionally handling a
+corpse.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Few things can be imagined, more thoroughly revolting and absurd, than the
+vengeance of the living, rioting among the ashes of the dead&mdash;rudely
+rolling the stone away from the door of the sepulchre&mdash;entering the narrow
+houses of the unresisting, <i>vi et armis</i>, with the pickaxe and the
+crowbar&mdash;and scattering to the winds the poor senseless remains of those,
+who were consigned to their resting-places, with all the honors of a
+former age. This, were it not awful, would be eminently ridiculous. For
+the execution of such posthumous revenge the French nation has the
+precedence of every other, civilized and savage. Frenchmen, if not,
+through all time, from the days of Pharamond to the present, remarkably
+zealous of good works, are clearly a peculiar people.</p>
+
+<p>The history of the world furnishes no parallel to that preposterous
+crusade, carried on by that people, in 1794, against the dead bodies of
+kings and princes, saints and martyrs. This war, upon dead men&#8217;s bones,
+was not projected and executed, by the rabble, on the impulse of the
+moment. A formal, deliberate decree of the Convention commanded, that the
+tombs should be destroyed, and they were destroyed, and their contents
+scattered to the winds, accordingly. Talk not of all that is furious and
+fantastical, in the conduct of monkeys and maniacs&mdash;a nation of
+chimpanzees would have acted with more dignity and discretion. A colony of
+grinning baboons, as Shakspeare calls them, bent upon liberty, equality,
+and fraternity, might have dethroned some tyrannical ourang outang, who
+had carried matters with too high a hand, and extorted too many cocoa
+nuts, for the support<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> of his civil list; but, after having cut off his
+head, it is not to be believed, that they would have gone about,
+scratching up the ashes of his ancestors, and wreaking their vengeance
+upon those unoffending relics.</p>
+
+<p>This miserable onslaught upon the dead began, immediately after December
+20, 1794. The new worship commenced on that day, and the goddess of reason
+then, for the first time, presented herself to the people, in the person
+of the celebrated actress, Mademoiselle Maillard. St. Genevieve, the
+patroness of the city of Paris, died in 512, and her remains were
+subsequently transferred to the church, which bears her name, and which
+was erected, by Clovis, in 517. The executive agents of the National
+Convention commenced their legalized fooleries, upon the ashes of this
+poor old saint. These French gentlemen&mdash;the politest nation upon
+earth&mdash;without the slightest regard for decency, or sanctification, or
+common sense, dug up Madame Genevieve&#8217;s coffin, and, to aggravate the
+indignity, dragged the old lady&#8217;s remains to the place of public
+execution, the <i>Place de Gr&egrave;ve</i>; and, having burnt them there, scattered
+the ashes to the winds. The gates of bronze, presented by Charlemagne to
+the church of St. Denis, were broken to pieces. Pepin, the sire of
+Charlemagne and son of Charles Martel, was buried there, in 768. Nothing
+remained of Pepin but a handful of dust, which was served in a similar
+manner. It is stated by Lamartine, that the heads of Marshal Turenne,
+Duguesclin, Louis XII., and Francis I., were rolled about the pavement;
+sceptres, crowns, and crosiers were trampled under foot; and the shouts of
+the operatives were heard, when the blows of the axe broke through some
+regal coffin, and the royal bones were thrown out, to be treated with
+senseless insult.</p>
+
+<p>Hugh Capet, Philip the bold, and Philip, the handsome, were buried beneath
+the choir. The ruthless hands of these modern vandals tore from the
+corpses those garments of the grave, in which they had reposed for
+centuries, and threw the relics upon beds of quicklime.</p>
+
+<p>Henry IV. fell by the hands of Ravaillac, the assassin, May 14, 1610. His
+body, was carefully embalmed, by Italians. When taken from the coffin, the
+lineaments of the face fully corresponded with the numerous
+representations, transmitted by the hands of painters and statuaries. That
+cherished and perfumed beard expanded, as if it had just then received the
+last<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> manipulation of the friseur. The marks were perfectly visible, upon
+the breast, indicating the first and second thrust of Ravaillac&#8217;s
+stilletto. The popularity of this monarch protected his remains, though
+for a brief space. He was frank, brave, and humane. For two days, all that
+remained of this idol of the people&mdash;was exhibited to public view.</p>
+
+<p>The exhumed king was placed at the foot of the altar, and a countless
+multitude passed, in mute procession, around these favored relics. This
+gave umbrage to Javogues, a member of the Convention. He denounced this
+partiality, and railed against the memory of Henri le Grand. The
+multitude, impressible by the slightest impulse, hurled the dead monarch
+into the common fosse of quicklime and corruption; execrating, under the
+influence of a few feverish words, from the lips of a republican savage,
+the memory and the remains of one, cherished by their predecessors, for
+nearly three hundred years. A similar fate awaited his son and grandson,
+Louis XIII. and XIV. The vault of the Bourbons was thoroughly ransacked,
+in the same spirit of desolation. Queens, dauphinesses, and princesses,
+says the historian of the Girondists, were carried away, in armsful, by
+the laborers, to be cast into the trench, and consumed by quicklime. In
+the vault of Charles V., surnamed the wise, besides the corpse were found,
+a hand of justice and a golden crown. In the coffin of his wife, Jeanne of
+Bourbon, were her spindles and marriage rings. These relics were thrown
+into the ditch&mdash;the corpses&mdash;not the articles of gold, however debased by
+their juxtaposition. Of the French gentlemen it may be affirmed, as of
+Madame Gilpin&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;Though on pleasure she was bent,<br />
+She had a frugal mind.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>An economy, perfectly grotesque, mingled with an unmanly desecration. Even
+the lead was scraped together from these coffins, and converted into
+balls. In the vault of the Valois no bodies were discovered. The people
+were very desirous of showing some tokens of their wrath, upon the poor
+carcass of Louis XI., but it could not be found. Abb&eacute;s, heroes, ministers
+of state were indiscriminately cast into the fosse. Upon the exhumation of
+Dagobert I., and his queen, Matilde, who had been buried twelve hundred
+years, her skeleton was found without a head. Such is said to have been
+the case with several other skeletons of the queens of France.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span>In one of the upper lofts of the cabinet of Natural History of the Jardin
+des Plantes, among stuffed beasts and birds, surrounded by mixed and
+manifold rubbish, and covered with dust, there lay a case or package,
+unexamined and unnoticed, for nine long years. This envelope contained the
+mortal remains of a Marechal of France, the hero of an hundred
+battles,&mdash;of no other than Henry de la Tour, Viscount de Turenne. He was
+killed by a cannon ball, July 27, 1675, at the age of 64. All France
+lamented the death of this great man. The admiration of all Europe
+followed him to the grave. Courage, modesty, generosity, science have
+embalmed his memory. The king, Louis le Grand, ordered a solemn service to
+be performed, for the Marechal de Turenne, in the Cathedral church at
+Paris, as for the first prince of the blood, and that his remains should
+be interred in the abbey of St. Denis, the burial-place of the royal
+personages of France, where the cardinal, his nephew, raised a splendid
+mausoleum to his memory. So much for glory&mdash;and what then? In 1794, the
+remains of this great man were upon the point of being cast into the
+common fosse, by the agents of the Convention, when some, less rabid than
+the rest, smuggled them away; and, for security, conveyed them to the
+lumber room of the cabinet of Natural History of the Jardin des Plantes.
+Having reposed, nine years in state, peradventure between a dilapidated
+kangaroo and a cast-off opossum&mdash;these remains of the great Turenne were,
+at length, committed, in a quiet way, to the military tomb of the
+Invalids.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXIV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Burning dead saints, is a more pardonable matter, than burning living
+martyrs&mdash;the combustion of St. Genevieve&#8217;s dry bones, than the fiery trial
+of Latimer and Ridley&mdash;the fantastical decree of the French Convention,
+than the cruel discipline of bloody Mary. Dark days were they, and full of
+evil, those years of bitterness and blood, from 1553 to Nov. 17, 1558,
+when, by a strange coincidence, this hybrid queen, whose sire was a
+British tyrant, and whose dam a Spanish bigot, expired on the same day
+with the Cardinal, Reginald Pole. From the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> remarkable proximity of the
+events arose a suspicion of poison, of which the public mind has long
+since been disabused.</p>
+
+<p>In this age of greater intelligence and religious freedom, the outrages,
+perpetrated, in the very city of London, within five brief years, are
+credible, only on the strength of well authenticated history. According to
+Bishop Burnet, two hundred and eighty-four persons were burnt at the
+stake, during four years of this merciless and miserable reign. Lord
+Burleigh makes the number of those, who died, in that reign, by
+imprisonment, torments, famine, and fire, to be near four hundred. Weever,
+in his Funeral Monuments, page 116, quotes the historian Speed, as saying,
+&#8220;In the heat of those flames, were burnt to ashes five bishops,
+one-and-twenty divines, eight gentlemen, eighty-four artificers, an
+hundred husbandmen, servants, and laborers, twenty-six wives, twenty
+widows, nine virgins, two boys, and two infants; one of them whipped to
+death by Bonner, and the other, springing out of the mother&#8217;s womb from
+the stake, as she burned, thrown again into the fire.&#8221; Here, in passing,
+suffer me to express my deep reverence for John Weever. I know of no book,
+so interesting to the craft, as his Funeral Monuments, a work of infinite
+labor and research. Weever died in 1632, and lies in St. James,
+Clerkenwell. His epitaph may be found in Strype&#8217;s Survey:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Lancashire gave me birth,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And Cambridge education;</span><br />
+Middlesex gave me death,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And this church my humation;</span><br />
+And Christ to me hath given<br />
+A place with him in heaven.</p>
+
+<p>The structure of these lines will remind the classical reader of Virgil&#8217;s
+epitaph:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Mantua me genuit: Calabri rapuere; tenet nunc<br />
+Parthenope; cecini pascua, rura, duces.</p>
+
+<p>The short and sharp reign of Mary Tudor was remarkable for burning
+Protestant Christians and wax candles. That fountain of fun, pure and
+undefiled, that prince of wags, Theodore Hook, was offered, very young,
+for admission at the University; and, when the chancellor opened the book,
+and gravely inquired if he was ready to sign the thirty-nine articles,
+&#8220;Yes, sir,&#8221; replied the young puppy, &#8220;forty, if you please.&#8221; Now, in
+contemplation of the enormous consumption of wax, especially<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> upon the
+occasion of funeral obsequies, during Mary&#8217;s reign, it would seem that a
+belief, in its vital importance, might have formed an additional article,
+in the Romish creed.</p>
+
+<p>I have never thought well of grafting religion upon the selfishness of
+man&#8217;s nature. Nominal converts, it is true, are readily made, in that way.
+In Catholic countries, wax chandlers are Romanists, to a man. I always
+considered the attempt, a few years since, to convert the inhabitants of
+Nantucket to Puseyism, by a practical appeal to their self interest,
+however ingeniously contrived, a very wicked thing. And I greatly lauded
+the good old bishop of this diocese, for rebuking those very silly
+priests, who promoted a senseless and extravagant consumption of one of
+the great staples of that island, by burning candles in the day time. He
+made good use of his mitre as an extinguisher.</p>
+
+<p>On a somewhat similar principle, I have always objected to every attempt
+to augment the revenues of a state by taxing corpses&mdash;not upon the
+acknowledged principle, that taxation without representation is
+inadmissible&mdash;but because the whole system is a most miserable mingling of
+<i>sacra profanis</i>. I may not be understood by all, in this remark: I refer
+to those acts of Parliament, which, for the purposes of levying a tax, or
+promoting some particular branch of industry, have attempted to regulate a
+man&#8217;s apparel, and the fitting up of his narrow house, after he is dead.
+The compulsory employment of flannel, by British statute, is an example of
+this legislative interference.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing is more common, in Strype&#8217;s Ecclesiastical Memorials, than
+entries, such as these: &#8220;1557, May 3. The Lord Shandois was buried with
+heralds, an herse of wax, four banners of images, and other appendages of
+funeral honor.&#8221; &#8220;On the 5th, the Lady Chamberlain was buried with a fair
+herse of wax.&#8221; &#8220;May 28, in the forenoon, was buried Mrs. Gates, widow,
+late wife, as it seems, to Sir John Gates, executed the first year of this
+queen&#8217;s reign. She gave seventeen fine black gowns, and fourteen of broad
+russet for poor men. There were carried two white branches, ten staff
+torches, and four great tapers.&#8221; &#8220;July 10th the Lady Tresham was buried at
+Peterborough, with four banners, and an herse of wax, and torches.&#8221; &#8220;1558,
+September 14th, was buried Sir Andrew Judd, skinner, merchant of Muscovy,
+and late Mayor of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>London, with ten dozen of escutcheons, garnished with
+angels, and an herse of wax.&#8221; What is an herse of wax? This will be quite
+unintelligible to those, who have supposed that word to import nothing
+else than the vehicle, in which the dead are carried to the grave. Herse
+also signifies a temporary monument, erected upon, or near, the place of
+sepulture, and on which the corpse was laid, for a time, in state; and a
+herse of wax was a structure of this kind, surrounded with wax tapers.
+This will be made manifest, by some additional extracts from the same
+author: &#8220;1557. The 16th day of July, died the lady Anne, of Cleves, at
+Chelsey, sometime wife and queen unto King Henry VIII., but never crowned.
+Her corpse was cered the night following.&#8221; &#8220;On the 29th began the herse at
+Westminster, for the Lady Anne of Cleves, consisting of carpenters&#8217; work
+of seven principals, being as goodly an herse as had been seen.&#8221; &#8220;On the
+3d of August the body of the Lady Anne of Cleves was brought from Chelsey,
+where her house was, unto Westminster, to be buried&mdash;men bore her, under a
+canopy of black velvet, with four black staves, and so brought her into
+the herse, and there tarried <i>Dirge</i>, remaining there all night, with
+lights burning.&#8221; &#8220;On the 16th day of August the herse of the King of
+Denmark was begun to be set up, in a four-square house. August 18, was the
+King of Denmark&#8217;s herse in St. Paul&#8217;s finished with wax, the like to which
+was never seen in England, in regard to the fashion of square tapers.&#8221; And
+on the 23d, also was the King of Denmark&#8217;s herse, at St. Paul&#8217;s, &#8220;taken
+down by the wax chandlers and carpenters, to whom this work pertained, by
+order of Mr. Garter, and certain of the Lord Treasurer&#8217;s servants.&#8221; These
+herses were, doubtless, very attractive in their way. &#8220;Aug. 31, 1557. The
+young Dutchess of Norfolk being lately deceased, her herse began to be set
+up on the 28th, in St. Clements, without Temple bar, and was this day
+finished with banners, pensils, wax, and escutcheons.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The office of an undertaker, in those days, was no sinecure. He was an
+<i>arbiter elegantiarum</i>. A funeral was a festival then. Eat, drink, and be
+merry, for tomorrow you die, was the common phylactery.</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span style="margin-left: 4.5em;">&#8220;The funeral baked meats</span><br />
+Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Baked meats shall be the subject of my next.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XXV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Pliny, xviii. 30, refers to a practice among the Romans, very similar to
+that, in use among certain unenlightened nations, of depositing articles
+of diet upon tombs and graves, such as beans, lettuces, eggs, bread, and
+the like, for the use of ghosts. The stomachs of Roman ghosts were not
+supposed to be strong enough for flesh meat. Hence the lines of Juvenal,
+v. 85:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Sed tibi dimidio constrictus cammarus ovo<br />
+Ponitur, exigua feralis c&aelig;na patella.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>silicernium</i> or <i>c&aelig;na funebris</i> was a very different, and more solid
+affair. At first blush&mdash;to use a common and sensible expression&mdash;there
+seems no respectable keeping, between the art of burying the dead, and
+that of feasting the living. Depositing those, whom we love, in their
+graves, is certainly the very last relish for an appetite. Something of
+this was undoubtedly done, of old, under the promptings of Epicurean
+philosophy&mdash;upon the <i>dum vivimus vivamus</i> principle&mdash;and, in that spirit
+which teaches the soldier, when he turns from the grave, to change the
+mournful, for the merry strain. The desire of equalling or excelling
+others, in the magnificence of funereal parade, has ever been a powerful
+motive. The eyes of others destroy us, said Franklin, and not our own.
+Grief for the departed, and sympathy with the bereaved, were not deemed
+sufficient, to insure an imposing parade. Games and festivals were
+therefore provided, for the people. Among other attractions, masses of
+uncooked meat were bestowed upon all comers. This was the <i>visceratio</i> of
+the Romans. This word seems to have a different import; <i>viscera</i>,
+however, signifies all beneath the skin, as may be seen by consulting
+Serv. in Virg., &AElig;n. i., 211. Suetonius C&aelig;s. 39, and Cicero de Officiis ii.
+16, refer to this practice. It was by no means very common, but frequently
+adopted by those, who could afford the expense, and were desirous of the
+display.</p>
+
+<p>Marcus Flavius had committed an infamous crime. He was popular, and the
+&aelig;diles of the people had fixed a day for his absolution. Under pretence of
+celebrating his mother&#8217;s funeral, he gave a <i>visceratio</i> to the people:
+Populo visceratio data, a M. Flavio, in funere matris. Erant, qui, per
+speciem honorand&aelig; parentis, meritam mercedem populo solutam
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span>interpretarentur; quod eum, die dicta ab &aelig;dilibus, crimine stuprat&aelig;
+matris famil&aelig; absolvisset. Liv. viii. 22. A note upon this passage, in
+Lemaire&#8217;s edition, fully explains the nature of this practice.</p>
+
+<p>This was a very different affair from the <i>silicernium</i>, or feast for the
+friends, after the funeral. Upon such occasions, the Falernian flowed, and
+boars were roasted whole. The reader, by opening his Livy, xxxix. 46, will
+find an account of the funeral of P. Licinius: a <i>visceratio</i> was given to
+the people; one hundred and twenty gladiators fought in the arena; the
+funeral games lasted three days; and then followed a splendid
+entertainment. On that occasion, a tempest drove the company into the
+forum; this occurred, in the year U. C. 569. Through all time, the
+practice has prevailed, more or less, of providing entertainments, for
+those, who gather on such occasions. In villages, especially, and within
+my own recollection, the funeral has been delayed, to enable distant
+friends to arrive in season; and the interval has been employed, in the
+preparation of creature comforts, not only for such as attended, and
+observed the ceremonial of an hour, but for such, as came to the bereaved,
+like the comforters of the man of Uz, &#8220;every one from his place, and sat
+down with him, seven days and seven nights.&#8221; Animal provision must surely
+be required, to sustain such protracted lamentation.</p>
+
+<p>In the age, when Shakspeare wrote, and for several ages before and after,
+&#8220;baked meats,&#8221; at funerals, were very common. So far, from contenting
+themselves with the preparation of some simple aliment, for such as were
+an hungered, the appetites of all were solicited, by a parade of the
+rarest liquors and the choicest viands. Tables were spread, in the most
+ample manner, and the transition was immediate from the tomb to the festal
+board. The <i>requiescat in pace</i> was scarcely uttered, before the blessing
+was craved, on the baked meats. It matters little, from what period of
+history we select our illustrations of this truth. Suppose we take our
+examples from the reign, preceding that, in which Shakspeare was born;
+comprehend some other incidents in our collection; and rely, for our
+authority, on good old John Strype, who was himself born in 1643. There is
+no higher authority. I will present a few specimens from his
+Ecclesiastical Memorials: &#8220;1557, May 5. Was the Lady Chamberlain buried.
+At the mass preached Dr. Chadsey. A great dole of money given at the
+church, and after, a great <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>dinner. May 29, was buried Mrs. Gates; after
+mass a great dinner. June 7, began a stage play at the Grey Friars of the
+passion of Christ. June 10.&mdash;This day Sir John, a chantry priest, hung
+himself with his own girdle. The same day was the storehouse in Portsmouth
+burnt, much beer and victual destroyed. A judgment, perhaps, for burning
+so many innocent persons. June 29.&mdash;This same day was the second year&#8217;s
+mind (i. e. yearly <i>obit</i>) of good master Lewyn, ironmonger; at his dirge
+were all the livery. After, they retired to the widow&#8217;s place, where they
+had a cake and wine; and besides the parish, all comers treated.&#8221; Aug.
+3.&mdash;After giving a long account of the funeral of Ann of Cleves, Strype
+adds, &#8220;and so they went in order to dinner.&#8221; After reciting the
+particulars of the King of Denmark&#8217;s funeral, in London, Aug. 18, 1557, he
+adds: &#8220;After the dirge, all the heralds and all the Lords went into the
+Bishop of London&#8217;s place, and drank. The next day was the morrow-mass, and
+a goodly sermon preached, and after, to my Lord of London&#8217;s to dinner.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The account of the funeral of Thomas Halley is entitled to be presented
+entire: &#8220;On the 24th of this month, August, Mr. Thomas Halley,
+clarentieux, king-at-arms, was buried, in St. Giles&#8217;s parish, without
+Cripplegate, with coat, armor, and pennon of arms, and scutcheons of his
+arms, and two white branches, twelve staff torches, and four great tapers,
+and a crown. And, after dirge, the heralds repaired unto Greenhill, the
+waxchandler, a man of note (being waxchandler to Cardinal Pole) living
+hard by; where they had spice-bread and cheese, and wine, great plenty.
+The morrow-mass was also celebrated, and sermon preached; and after
+followed a great dinner, whereat were all the heralds, together with the
+parishioners. There was a supper also, as well as a dinner.&#8221; After a long
+account of the funeral of the Countess of Arundel, Oct. 5, 1557, follow
+the customary words&mdash;&#8220;and, after, all departed to my Lord&#8217;s place to
+dinner.&#8221; &#8220;Nov. 12, Mr. Maynard, merchant, was buried; and after, the
+company departed to his house, at Poplar, to a great dinner.&#8221; &#8220;Oct. 19,
+died the Lord Bray; and so he went by water to Chelsea to be buried, &amp;c.
+&amp;c. Many priests and clerks attended. They all came back to this Lord&#8217;s
+place, at Blackfriars, to dinner.&#8221; At the funeral of Richard Capet, Feb.
+1, &#8220;All return to dinner.&#8221; &#8220;On the 16th, Mr. Pynohe, fishmonger, and a
+brother of Jesus, was buried. All being performed at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> church, the
+company retired to his house to drink.&#8221; On the 24th, &#8220;a great dinner,&#8221;
+after the funeral of Sir George Bowers. This testimony is inexhaustible.
+After the funeral of Lady White, March 2, Strype says &#8220;there was as great
+a dinner as had been seen.&#8221; I will close with two examples. &#8220;Aug. 3, 1588.
+The Lady Rowlet was buried; and after mass, the company retreated to the
+place to dinner, which was plentifully furnished with venison, fresh
+salmon, fresh sturgeon, and many other fine dishes. On the 12th, died Mr.
+Machyl, alderman and clothesworker.&#8221; After a sermon by a grey friar, &#8220;the
+Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and all the mourners and ladies went to dinner,
+which was very splendid, lacking no good meat, both flesh and fish, and an
+hundred marchpanes.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It is certain, that all this appears to us now to have been in very bad
+taste; and it is not easy to comprehend the principle, which conducted to
+the perpetration of such sensual absurdities; unless we suppose it to have
+been the design of all concerned, to felicitate the heir, upon his coming
+to possession; the widow, upon the fruition of an ample dower and abundant
+leisure; or the widower, upon the recovery of his liberty. This is not the
+only occasion, upon which man&#8217;s features are required, from the extreme
+suddenness of the change, to undergo a process of moral distortion,
+amounting to grimace. Thus, grief, for the death of one monarch, is rudely
+expressed, by turbulent joy at the succession of another. Suffer me to
+conclude, in the words of father Strype&mdash;&#8220;The same day queen Mary
+deceased, in the morning between 11 and 12, the Lady Elizabeth was
+proclaimed queen: in the afternoon all the churches in London rang their
+bells; and at night were bonfires made, and tables set in the streets, and
+the people did eat, and drink, and make merry.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXVI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Among the dead&mdash;the mighty dead&mdash;there is one, in regard to whom, our
+national dealings may be fairly set forth, in the words of Desdemona&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">In faith, &#8217;twas strange, &#8217;twas passing strange;<br />
+&#8217;Twas pitiful, &#8217;twas wondrous pitiful:<br />
+She wish&#8217;d she had not heard it.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span>Forty-nine years have passed, since the interment of George Washington.
+Forty-nine years ago, &#8220;the joint committee,&#8221; says Chief Justice Marshall,
+&#8220;which had been appointed to devise the mode, by which the nation should
+express its feelings, on this melancholy occasion, reported&#8221; a series of
+resolutions, among which was the following: &#8220;That a marble monument be
+erected, by the United States, at the city of Washington, and that the
+family of General Washington be requested to permit his body to be
+deposited under it; and that the monument be so designed, as to
+commemorate the great events of his military and political life.&#8221; To the
+letter, transmitting the resolutions to Mrs. Washington, she replied, as
+follows: &#8220;Taught by the great example, which I have so long had before me,
+never to oppose my private wishes to the public will, I must consent to
+the request made by Congress, which you have had the goodness to transmit
+to me; and, in doing this, I need not, I cannot, say what a sacrifice of
+individual feeling I make, to a sense of public duty.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>All this is very fine. The nation requested permission to remove the
+remains&mdash;Mrs. Washington consented&mdash;but that monument! The remains have
+slumbered quietly, where they first were interred, for nine and forty
+years&mdash;and the monument is like Rachel&#8217;s first born&mdash;it is not! There is
+something better in prospect. Such, however, is the record thus far. It is
+very true he needs no monument. No immortal can say more justly, from his
+elevated sphere, to every inhabitant of this vast empire, <i>si monumentum
+qu&aelig;ris, circumspice</i>!</p>
+
+<p>This fact, however, so far from taking the tithe of a hair from the
+balance of this account, illustrates the national delinquency. It may be
+matter of amusing speculation, to contrast the zeal, which prevails,
+especially in England, in relation to the most trifling memorials of
+Shakspeare, and the popular indifference, in regard to certain relics,
+known to have been the property of Washington, and to have been personally
+used by him.</p>
+
+<p>All are familiar with the recent excitement, on the subject of
+Shakspeare&#8217;s house&mdash;that mulberry tree&mdash;a hair of him, for memory.</p>
+
+<p>Washington&#8217;s library has lately been sold, for just about the price of
+four shares in one of the cotton mills at Lowell. A few years since, the
+cabinet of medals, struck at different times, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> honor of the Father of
+his country, and which had become the property of one of his
+representatives, was sold by him, for five hundred dollars, and purchased
+by an individual citizen of Massachusetts. There are some things,
+seemingly so vast&mdash;so very&mdash;very national&mdash;that one can scarcely believe
+it possible for any private cabinet to contain them gracefully.</p>
+
+<p>Soon after the destruction of the Bastile, July 14, 1789, La Fayette sent
+its massive key to Washington&mdash;his political father&mdash;as the first fruits
+of those principles of liberty, which were then supposed to be bourgeoning
+forth, in a <i>free</i> French soil. This colossal key was suspended, in the
+front entry, at Mount Vernon. A short time ago, an aged friend, residing
+in a neighboring town, and once intimate in the family of Washington, told
+me he had often seen that famous key, in its well known position. This
+also became the property of Washington&#8217;s representatives. A few years
+since, I saw it stated, in the public journals, that, among other effects,
+this key of the Bastile was sold at auction, and purchased for
+seventy-five cents, by a gentleman, who had the good taste to return it to
+some member of the family.</p>
+
+<p>Eminent men, as they arise, are occasionally compared to Washington.
+Points of resemblance, now and then, may assuredly be found; but there
+never breathed a man, whose mental and moral properties combined, could
+endure a rigid comparison with his. Whoever attempts to run this parallel,
+between him and any other, will readily acknowledge the truth of the
+proverb, <i>nullum simile quatuor pedibus currit</i>. Select the example from
+the present, or the past, from our own or from other lands, and inquire,
+to which of them all would Erskine, so chary of his praise, so slow of
+faith in his fellow, have applied those memorable words, inscribed, in the
+presentation copy of his work, transmitted to Washington&mdash;<i>You, sir, are
+the only individual, for whom I ever felt an awful reverence</i>. Of whom
+else would Lord Brougham have pronounced this remarkable passage&mdash;&#8220;It will
+be the duty of the historian and the sage, in all ages, to omit no
+occasion of commemorating this illustrious man; and, until time shall be
+no more, will a test of the progress, which our race has made in wisdom
+and virtue, be derived, from the veneration paid to the immortal name of
+Washington.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>I have not yet met with any gentleman of our calling, who is not decidedly
+in favor of the election of General Taylor, or who would not gratuitously
+attend, in a professional way, upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> Messieurs Cass and Van Buren. We
+perceive a resemblance between the first president and the present
+candidate, in their willingness to draw long bills on posterity for fame,
+in preference to numerous drafts, at sight, without grace, for daily
+applause. But we behold, in Washington, the image and superscription, not
+of C&aelig;sar, but of a peerless mortal&mdash;of one, created, verily, a little
+lower than the angels&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;A combination, and a form, indeed,<br />
+Where every god did seem to set his seal,<br />
+To give the world assurance of a man.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>No men have done more to bedim the reputation of Washington, than
+Jefferson and Randolph. Verily they have their reward. In no portion of
+our country has the memory of that great man been more universally
+cherished and beloved, than in New England. A sentiment, not only of
+reverence for his character, but of affection for his person, was very
+general, in this quarter; and manifested itself, in a remarkable manner,
+upon the occasion of his death. Nothing could have been more unexpected,
+than the announcement of that event, in Boston. I will close this article,
+with a simple illustration of the popular feeling, when the sad tidings
+arrived. At the close of that year, 1799&mdash;I was a small boy then&mdash;I was
+returning from a ride on horseback, to Dorchester Point&mdash;there was no
+bridge, and it was quite a journey. As I approached the town, I was very
+much surprised, at the tolling of the bells. Upon reaching home, I saw my
+old father, at an unusual hour for him, the busiest man alive, to be at
+home, sitting alone in our parlor, with his bandanna before his eyes. I
+ran towards him, with the thoughtless gayety of youth, and asked what the
+bells were tolling for. He withdrew the handkerchief from his face&mdash;the
+tears were rolling down his fine old features&mdash;&#8220;Go away child,&#8221; said he,
+&#8220;don&#8217;t disturb me; do you not know, that Washington is dead?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The reader has surmised, that the worthy old man had sipped at the
+fountain of executive patronage. Not at all. He had never seen Washington,
+and never held an office civil or military, saving under Hancock&#8217;s
+commission, as justice of the peace, which was accounted a very pretty
+compliment, in those days. No. He was nothing but an American, and he shed
+those American tears, upon the death of one, whose character and conduct
+had filled his heart with sentiments of pride, and love, and &#8220;awful
+reverence.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XXVII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I am rather inclined to suspect, that man is a selfish animal. A few days
+ago, I administered a merited rebuke to a group of young sextons, who had
+gathered together, after a funeral, and were seated upon a barrow bier,
+before an unclosed tomb. They had been discussing the subject of capital
+punishment, and were opposed to it unanimously. They frankly admitted,
+that they were not influenced, by any consideration of humanity, but
+looked simply to the fact, that, as the bodies of executed criminals went,
+commonly, to the surgeons, every execution deprived us of a job. One
+observed, that Boston was dreadfully healthy&mdash;another remarked, that
+hom&oelig;opathy had proved a considerable help to us. Several compliments
+were paid to Thompson, Brandreth, and Mrs. Kidder. But they appeared to
+anticipate emolument from no source, so certainly, as from the approaching
+cholera.</p>
+
+<p>I was greatly shocked, and expressed my opinion very freely. I reminded
+them of the primitive dignity of the sacristan&#8217;s office. I should deeply
+regret, to see our calling reduced to the level of a mere trade, with its
+tariff&mdash;shrouds all rising&mdash;coffins looking up! We have a fair share of
+funerals, and the members of our profession have no just cause for
+complaint. Steam has helped us prodigiously. It has been said, that,
+comparing the amount of steam travel with the amount of ante-steam travel,
+i. e., the present with the past, the relative amount of deaths, from
+accident, is about the same. Suppose it to be so; the cheapness and
+facility of locomotion, at present, stimulate a much larger number to
+move&mdash;there is a vast increase of frivolous and pleasure travel&mdash;cars are
+filled with women, crates with bandboxes, and death is to be averaged over
+the integer&mdash;I therefore repeat, that steam has helped our profession. If
+steam had been known, in ancient Rome, it would have been reckoned a
+deity, whose diet, like the sacrifice of Juggernaut, would have been flesh
+and blood.</p>
+
+<p>There is a very natural sensibility, on the part of steamboat and railroad
+proprietors, to the announcement of disasters, by steam. There is a
+wonderful eagerness to persuade the public to contemplate these
+catastrophes, with the larger end of the telescope toward the eye. This
+also is a great help to our profession. There is really no lack of
+business, and it is quite<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> abominable, for thoughtless young sextons to
+pray for the advent of the cholera.</p>
+
+<p>We dwell in a region of the earth, seldom touched by this besom of
+destruction. Pestilence and famine have rarely come nigh unto us. It would
+be impious to envy the denizens of milder climes.</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;With gold and gems if Chilian mountains glow,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">If bleak and barren Scotia&#8217;s hills arise;</span><br />
+There plague and poison, lust and rapine grow,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Here peaceful are the vales and pure the skies.&#8221;</span></p>
+
+<p>I thank heaven, I was not an undertaker, in London, in 1665, when there
+were scarcely enough of the living to bury the dead. When I used to wrap
+myself up, in the pages of Robinson Crusoe, how little I suspected, that
+Daniel Defoe was the writer of some twenty volumes beside. His inimitable
+history of the plague, of 1665, is admirable reading, for the members of
+our craft.</p>
+
+<p>At irregular periods, plague, yellow fever, sweating sickness, and cholera
+have visited the earth, with terrible effect. Let us take a cursory view
+of these awful visitations. A. D. 78, 10,000 perished daily at Rome. The
+plague returned there A. D. 167. Terrible plague in Britain A. D. 430. A
+dreadful plague spread over Europe, Asia and Africa, A. D. 558, and
+continued, for several years. 200,000 died of the plague in
+Constantinople, A. D. 746. This plague raged for three years, and extended
+to Calabria, Sicily and Greece. William of Malmsbury states, that A. D.
+772, an epidemic disease carried off 34,000 in Chichester, England. 40,000
+died of pestilence in Scotland, A. D. 954. Hollingshed gives an account of
+a terrible plague among cattle, A. D. 1111, and in Ireland A. D. 1204. In
+this year a general plague raged in Europe. In London 200 persons were
+buried daily, in the Charterhouse yard. A dreadful mortality prevailed in
+London and Paris, A. D. 1362 and &#8217;7. Great pestilence in Ireland A. D.
+1383. Endemic destroyed 30,000 in London A. D. 1407. Great numbers died of
+plague in Ireland, following famine, A. D. 1466. Dublin was severely
+visited with plague A. D. 1470. Rapin and Salmon give an account of the
+plague at Oxford, A. D. 1471, and throughout England A. D. 1478.</p>
+
+<p>The sweating sickness, <i>sudor Anglicus</i>, first appeared, in England, in
+1483, in the army of Henry VII., on his landing at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> Milfordhaven. A year
+or two after, it travelled to London, and remained there, with
+intermissions, for forty years. It then passed over to the continent, and
+overran Holland, Germany, Flanders, France, Denmark, and Norway. It
+continued in those countries, from 1525 to 1530; it then returned to
+England; and was last known there, in 1551. It was a malignant fever,
+accompanied with very great thirst, delirium, and excessive sweat. Dr.
+Caius called it &#8220;a contagious, pestilential fever of one day, prevailing
+with a mighty slaughter, as tremendous as the plague of Athens.&#8221; Dr.
+Willis says, &#8220;Its malignity was so extreme, that as soon as it entered a
+city, it made a daily attack, on five or six hundred persons, of whom
+scarcely one in a hundred recovered.&#8221; Strype says, &#8220;The plague of sweat
+this summer, 1551, was very severe, and carried away multitudes of people,
+rich and poor, especially in London, where, in one day, July 10th, died an
+hundred people, and the next, one hundred and twenty. From the 8th of this
+month to the 19th, there died in London, of this sweat, 872.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Stowe says that, in the 9th year of Henry VII., 1517, half the population,
+in the capital towns of England, died of the sweating sickness: and that
+it proved fatal, in three hours. In the year 1500, Stowe also says, that
+the plague was so terrible in London, that Henry VII. and his court went
+over to Calais. The plague prevailed in England and Ireland, in 1603, and
+in London 30,000 persons died. In 1611, 200,000 died of pestilence, in
+Constantinople; 35,000 persons died of an epidemic in London, in 1625. In
+1632 a general mortality prevailed in France; 60,000 died in Lyons. The
+plague was brought from Sardinia to Naples, in 1656, and 400,000 of the
+Neapolitans died, in six months. In the great plague of London, of 1665,
+described by De Foe, 68,596 persons died. In 1720, 60,000 perished of the
+plague at Marseilles.</p>
+
+<p>An account is given, by the Abbe Mariti, of one of the most awful plagues
+ever known, which prevailed in Syria, in 1760. In Persia, 80,000
+inhabitants of Bassorah, died of the plague, in 1773. In 1792, the plague
+destroyed 800,000 persons in Egypt. In 1799, 247,000 died of the plague at
+Fez; and in Barbary, 3000 daily, for several days. In 1804 and &#8217;5, an
+immense number were destroyed, by the plague, in Gibraltar. At the same
+place, in 1828, many were swept away, by an epidemic fever, scarce
+distinguishable from the plague. Verily the vocation of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> an undertaker is
+anything but a sinecure! But, in such terrible emergencies, as were hourly
+occurring, during the prevalence of the great plague of London, such an
+operator as Pontraci would have cast aside all thoughts of shrouds and
+coffins. In one single night 4000 died. The hearses were common dead
+carts; and the continued cry, <i>bring out your dead</i>, rang through every
+heart. Defoe rates the victims of the plague of 1665, at 100,000.</p>
+
+<p>At present, we have a deeper interest in the pestilence of modern times,
+though by some accounted of great antiquity. The Indian or Asiatic cholera
+traversed the north, east and south of Europe, and the countries of Asia,
+and, in two years, prostrated 900,000 victims. It subsequently appeared in
+England, at Sunderland, Oct. 26, 1831; in Scotland, at Edinburgh, Feb. 6,
+1832; in Ireland, at Dublin, March 3, 1832. The mortality was great, but
+much less than upon the continent. Between March and August, 1832, 18,000
+died of cholera, in Paris. In July and August, 1837, it reappeared in
+Rome, the Two Sicilies, Genoa, Berlin, and some other cities. Its ravages,
+in this country, were far less notable, than in many others. It is very
+wise to cast about us, and determine what we will do, if it should come
+again, and it is very likely to take us in its progress. But let us not
+forget, that it will most easily approach us, through our fears; and
+probably, in no disease, are fear and grief more fatal <i>avant couriers</i>,
+than in affections of the abdominal viscera.</p>
+
+<p>I am half inclined to the opinion of a charming old lady of my
+acquaintance, who, after listening to a learned discussion, as to the seat
+of the soul&mdash;the fountain of sensibility,&mdash;and whether or not it was
+seated in the conarion&mdash;the pineal gland&mdash;gave her decided opinion, that
+it was seated in the bowels.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXVIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The dead speak from their coffins&mdash;from their very graves&mdash;and verily the
+heart of the true mourner hath ears to hear. Gloves and rings are the
+valedictories of the dead&mdash;their <i>vales</i>, or parting tokens, received by
+the mourners, at the hand of some surviving friend. This appropriated
+word, <i>vale</i>, as almost every<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> one knows, is the leave-taking expression
+of the mourners; and, when anglicised, and used in the plural number, as
+one syllable, signifies those <i>vales</i> or vails, tokens, in various forms,
+from shillings to crown pieces, bestowed by parting visitors, on
+domestics, from the head waiter to the scullion. They are intended as
+leave tokens. Every servant, in the families of the nobility, from the
+highest to the lowest, expects a <i>vale</i>, not in the classical sense of
+Menalcas&mdash;<i>Longum, formose, vale, vale</i>, but in lawful money, intelligible
+coin. This practice had become so oppressive to visitors, in the early
+part of the reign of George III., that Sir Jonas Hanway, remarkable, among
+other things, for his controversy with Dr. Johnson, on the subject of tea
+drinking, wrote and published eight letters to the Duke of Newcastle,
+against the custom of giving vails, in which he relates some very amusing
+anecdotes. Mr. Hanway, being quietly reproached, by a friend, in high
+station, for not accepting his invitations to dinner, more frequently,
+frankly replied, &#8220;Indeed, my Lord, I cannot afford it.&#8221; He recites the
+manner of leaving a gentleman&#8217;s house, where he had dined; the servants,
+as usual, flocked around him&mdash;&#8220;your great coat, Sir Jonas&#8221;&mdash;a
+shilling&mdash;&#8220;your hat, sir:&#8221; a shilling&mdash;&#8220;stick, sir:&#8221; a
+shilling&mdash;&#8220;umbrella, sir:&#8221; a shilling&mdash;&#8220;sir, your gloves&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;well, keep the
+gloves, they are not worth the shilling.&#8221; A remarkable example of the
+insolence of a pampered menial was related to Mr. Hanway, by Sir Timothy
+Waldo. He had dined with the Duke of Newcastle: as he was departing, and
+handing over his coin to the train of servants, that lined the hall, he
+put a crown into the hand of the chief cook, who returned it, saying, &#8220;I
+never take silver, sir.&#8221; &#8220;Indeed&#8221;&mdash;Sir Timothy replied, returning the
+piece to his pocket, &#8220;I never give gold.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Sir Jonas was an excellent man; and, whatever objections he may have had
+to the practice of giving extravagant vails to servants, I think he would
+have little or nothing to say, against the practice of giving such vails,
+as the dead may be supposed, vicariously, to bestow upon the living, in
+the form of rings and gloves. The dead, it must be conceded, seem not so
+much disposed to give vails, at present, as they were, one hundred years
+ago. In such dispensations, in the olden time, the good man, the
+clergyman, was seldom forgotten. Gloves and rings were showered down, upon
+the Lord&#8217;s anointed, at weddings, christenings, and funerals. When a
+child, I was very much puzzled,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> upon two points; first, what became of
+all the old moons, and, secondly, what the minister did with his gloves
+and rings. If he had had the hands of Briareus, he could not have worn
+them all.</p>
+
+<p>An interesting little volume is now lying upon my table, which explains
+the mystery, not at all, in relation to the moons, but most happily, in
+respect to rings and gloves. It is the Astronomical Diary or Almanac of
+Nathaniel Ames, Boston, New England, printed by J. Draper, for the
+booksellers, 1748. This little book is interleaved; and the blank leaves
+are written over, in the hand-writing of good old Andrew Eliot, who, April
+14, 1742, was ordained pastor of the new North Church, in Boston, as
+colleague with Mr. Webb, where, possessing very little of the locomotive
+or migratory spirit of the moderns, this excellent man remained, till his
+death, Sept. 13, 1778. If gall and wormwood are essential to the
+perfection of Christian theology, Dr. Eliot was singularly deficient, as a
+teacher of religion. His sermons were very full of practical godliness,
+and singularly free from brimstone and fire. He was elected President of
+Harvard University, but his attachment to his people caused him to decline
+the appointment. After this passing tribute, let us return to the little
+Almanac of 1748. On the inside of the marble cover the first entry
+commences thus: &#8220;Gloves, 1748, January.&#8221; The gloves, received by Dr.
+Eliot, are set against particular names, and under every month, in the
+year. Certain names are marked with asterisks, doubtless denoting, that
+the parties were dead, or <i>stelligeri</i>, after the fashion of the College
+catalogue; and thus the good doctor discriminated, between funerals, and
+weddings and christenings. Although a goodly number of rings are enrolled,
+together with the gloves, yet a page is devoted to rings, exclusively, in
+the middle of the book. This is not arranged, under months, but years; and
+commences, in 1741, the year before he was ordained, as colleague with Mr.
+Webb. At the bottom of the record, the good man states how many pairs were
+kid; how many were lambswool; and how many were long or women&#8217;s gloves,
+intended, of course, for the parson&#8217;s lady.</p>
+
+<p>These rings and gloves were sold, by the worthy doctor, with the exception
+of such, as were distributed, in his own household, not a small one, for
+he left eleven children. A prejudice might have prevailed, an hundred
+years ago, against dead men&#8217;s gloves, similar to that, recorded in the
+proverb, against dead men&#8217;s shoes; certain it is, these gloves did not
+meet with a very ready market.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> It appears by the record, in the doctor&#8217;s
+own hand, that Mrs. Avis was entrusted with fifteen pairs of women&#8217;s and
+three dozen of men&#8217;s; and returned, unsold, eight pairs of women&#8217;s, and
+one dozen and ten pairs of men&#8217;s. A dozen pairs of men&#8217;s were committed to
+Mrs. Langstaff; half a dozen women&#8217;s to Mr. Langdon, and seventeen pairs
+to Captain Millens. What a glove and ring market the dear Doctor&#8217;s study
+must have been. In thirty-two years, he appears to have received two
+thousand nine hundred and forty pairs of gloves, at funerals, weddings,
+and baptisms. Of these he sold to the amount of fourteen hundred and forty
+one pounds, eighteen shillings, and one penny, old tenor, equal to about
+six hundred and forty dollars. He also sold a goodly number of his rings.
+From all this, the conclusion is irresistible, that this truly good man
+and faithful minister must have been, if I may use the common expression,
+hand and glove with his parishioners. The little volume before me contains
+the record of other matters, highly interesting, doubtless, in their day
+but of precious little moment, at the present hour. Of what importance can
+it be, I beg leave to inquire, for any one to know, on what precise day,
+one hundred years ago, the worthy pastor borrowed a box of candles of
+Deacon Langdon, or a loaf of sugar of his own father, or ten shillings,
+old tenor, of Deacon Grant! Who, of the present generation, cares, on what
+day, one hundred years ago, he repaid those three pounds to Deacon
+Barrett! Of what consequence to any living mortal can it be, that, on the
+thirteenth day of April, one hundred years ago, Betty Bouv&egrave; came to live
+at the manse, as a maid! It is past. The last of that box of candles has
+burnt down into the socket, long ago. That sugar has dissolved, and lost
+its sweetness. And Betty Bouv&egrave;! The places that knew her know her no more.
+Her sweeping days are over; for time, with its irresistible broom, hath
+swept her from the face of the earth, and given her the grave for a
+dustpan.</p>
+
+<p>The good old man himself has been called to the account of his
+stewardship. &#8220;It was a pleasant day,&#8221; saith Father Gannett, on the
+fly-leaf of his almanac, &#8220;Sept. 15, 1778, when near four hundred couples
+and thirty-two carriages followed the remains of Dr. Andrew Eliot from his
+house, before the south side of his meeting-house, into Fore Street, up
+Cross Street, through Black Horse Lane, to Corpse Hill.&#8221; I adopt Mr.
+Gannett&#8217;s orthography, though rather less accurate than applicable.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XXIX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The true value of an enlightened conscience may be duly estimated by him,
+who has enjoyed the luxury of travelling in the dark, with the assistance
+of a lantern, without a candle. A man, who has a very strong sense of
+duty, and very little common sense, is apt to be a very troublesome
+fellow; for he is likely to unite the stupidity of an ass with the
+obstinacy of a mule. Yet such there are; and, however inconvenient,
+individually, the evil is immeasurably increased, when they become
+gregarious, and form a party, for any purpose whatever. Such conscience
+parties have existed, in every age and nation. A few individuals, of
+higher intelligence, dissatisfied with their civil, political, military,
+religious, or literary importance, and fatally bent upon distinction, are
+necessary to elevate some enormous green cheese high in the firmament, and
+persuade their followers, that it is neither more nor less than the moon,
+at full. Herod was the great director of that conscience party, that
+believed it to be their bounden duty, to murder all the little children in
+Judea, under a certain age. The terrible sacrifice, on St. Bartholomew&#8217;s
+eve, was conducted by a conscience party. The burnings and starvings, in
+bloody Mary&#8217;s reign, were planned and executed, by a conscience party. In
+no country has conscience been so very rampant, as in Ireland, from the
+days of Heremon and King Olam Fodla, to the present hour. Almost every
+reader is aware how conscientiously Archbishop Sharp was murdered, in
+presence of his daughter, in Scotland.</p>
+
+<p>The widows of Hindostan, when they attempt to escape from the funeral
+pile, on which their late husbands are burning, are driven back into the
+flames, by a conscience party. It is well known, that certain inhabitants
+of India deposit their aged and decrepit parents, upon the very margin of
+the river, that the rising waters may bear them away. This is not the act
+of a few individuals; but the common practice, clearly indicating the
+existence of a conscience party, who undoubtedly believe they are acting,
+in a most filial and dutiful manner, and doing the very best thing in the
+world, for all parties. Infanticide is tolerated in China. Very little
+account is made of female babies there. This has been doubted and denied.
+Doubt and denial are of no use. There is a conscience party there, who
+believe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> it to be their duty to their male babies, to drown the females,
+unless they are pretty, and then they have a chance for life, in being
+sold for concubines. Among the numerous and best modern authorities, on
+this point, is Gutzlaff, whose voyages, along the coast of China, were
+published, in London, 1834. &#8220;At the beach of Amoy,&#8221; says he, &#8220;we were
+shocked, at the spectacle of a pretty, new-born babe, which, shortly
+before, had been killed. We asked some of the bystanders what this meant;
+they answered with indifference, &#8216;it is only a girl.&#8217;&#8221; On page 174,
+Gutzlaff remarks, &#8220;It is a general custom among them to drown a large
+proportion of their new-born female children. This unnatural crime is so
+common, that it is perpetrated, without any feeling, and even in a
+laughing mood; and, to ask a man of distinction, whether he has daughters,
+is a mark of great rudeness.&#8221; Earle, in his narrative of New Zealand,
+London, 1832, states that the practice existed there.</p>
+
+<p>The insurrection of Shays, in this Commonwealth, in 1787, was a matter of
+conscience, beyond all doubt. He and many of his associates believed
+themselves a conscience party. After General Lincoln had suppressed the
+rebellion, great lenity was shown to the prisoners&mdash;not an individual was
+executed&mdash;and Shays, who died in 1825, at the age of 85, was even
+pensioned, in his old age, for his prior services in the revolution.</p>
+
+<p>The revolt of the Pennsylvania line, in 1781, was, I admit, less an affair
+of the conscience, than of the stomach and bowels; for the poor fellows
+were nearly starved to death. The insurrection under Fries, commonly
+called the whiskey rebellion, in Western Pennsylvania, in 1792, was a
+different affair. A conscience party resolved to drink nothing but untaxed
+whiskey&mdash;they conscientiously believed the flavor to be utterly ruined, by
+the excise. It is certain, that, when General Washington moved against the
+rebels, there was conscience enough, among them, to make cowards of them
+all, for they scattered, in all directions.</p>
+
+<p>A conscience party existed, in the early settlement of our country, when
+our pious ancestors, having fled to the howling wilderness, that they
+might enjoy liberty of thought, on religious subjects, began to hang the
+poor Quakers, for the glory of God.</p>
+
+<p>Never before had there been such a conscience party in Massachusetts, as
+from 1689 to 1693. It was then Cotton Mather exclaimed from the pulpit,
+that witchcraft was the &#8220;most nefandous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> high treason against the Majesty
+on high.&#8221; It was then, that he satisfied himself, by repeated trials, that
+devils were skilled in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. It was then, that they
+hanged old women, for riding on broomsticks through the air; a mode of
+conveyance, which Lord Mansfield declared, long after, to be perfectly
+lawful, for all who preferred that mode of equitation.</p>
+
+<p>A conscience party has recently appeared, in this country, which it is not
+easy to describe. Every other party seems to have contributed to its
+formation. It is a sort of political mosaic, made up of tag, rag, and
+bobtail. Some of the prominent members of this party were whigs, but
+yesterday; and yet they have put forth all their energies, to elect, as
+president, a man, whom they and all other whigs have hitherto opposed, and
+denounced, and who, it was manifest, from the beginning, could not
+possibly be elected. This man has been accounted, by the whigs, a
+political charlatan; and all that he has done, to obtain the support of
+this conscience party, such of them at least, as were once whigs, is to
+avow certain sentiments, on the subject of slavery, the very contrary of
+those, which he has hitherto maintained, most openly and zealously. No
+grave and reflecting whig puts any more confidence, in the promises of
+this political spin-button, than he would put, in the words of Nicholas
+Machiavelli. Nor could this candidate do more to check the progress of
+slavery, than every honest whig believes will be done, by the candidate of
+their party, who certainly resembles Washington, in three particulars; he
+is himself a slaveholder&mdash;he is an honest man&mdash;and he wears the same
+political phylactery, &#8220;<i>I will be the president of the people, not of a
+party</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In consideration of the limit of power, neither of these candidates can do
+more than the other, for the object in view, if they were equally honest,
+which nobody dreams of, unless he dreams in Sleepy Hollow. If there had
+been an anti-cholera party, Van Buren might have commanded suffrages, as
+sensibly, by pledging himself to do all in his power, to prevent its
+extension. The remaining candidate, it is agreed, would, if elected, have
+turned the hopes, one and all, of both whig and conscience parties
+topsy-turvy. His election, it is clear, was made more probable, by every
+vote, given by a whig to that candidate, whose election was clearly
+impossible. These irregular whigs, have, therefore, spent their
+ammunition, as profitably, as the old covenanter spent his, who fired a
+horse pistol against the walls of Sterling Castle. Such is the conscience
+party.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>When I refer to the universal consent of the whigs, during the former
+canvass for Martin Van Buren, that he was, politically, the very devil
+incarnate; and, in making a selection of those, who were the loudest, and
+longest, and the most vehement of his antagonists, find them to be the
+very leaders of the present movement, in his favor; I am reminded of Peter
+Pindar&#8217;s pleasant story of the chambermaid and the spider; and, not having
+my copy of Peter at hand, I will endeavor to relate the tale in prose, as
+well as I am able.</p>
+
+<p>A chambermaid, in going her rounds, observed an enormous spider, black and
+bloated, so far from his hole of refuge, that, lifting her broom, she
+exclaimed, &#8220;Now, you ugly brute, I have you! You are such a sly, cunning
+knave, and have such a happy non-committal way with you, that I never have
+been able to catch you before; for, the moment I raised my broom, you were
+out of sight, forsooth, and perfectly safe, in that Kinderhook of a hole
+of yours&mdash;but, now prepare yourself, for your hour has come.&#8221; The spider
+turned every one of his eight eyes down upon the chambermaid, and,
+extending his two forelegs in a beseeching manner, calmly replied,
+&#8220;Strike, peerless maid, but hear me! I have given you infinite trouble,
+and have been a very bad fellow, I admit. Crafty and cruel, I have been an
+unmitigated oppressor of flies, and all inferior insects. I have sucked
+their blood, and lived upon their marrow. But now my conscience has
+awakened, and I am in favor of letting flies go free. It is not in quest
+of flies, that I am here, sweet maid; (and then he seemed perfectly
+convulsed;) I am changed at heart, and become a new spider. Pardon me for
+speaking the truth; my only object, in being here, is, from this elevated
+spot, to survey your incomparable charms.&#8221; The chambermaid lowered her
+broom; and gently said, as she walked away, &#8220;Well, a spider is not such a
+horrid creature, after all.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>I may be thought, in these remarks, to have offended against the
+dictum&mdash;<i>ne sutor ultra crepidam</i>. Surely I am not guilty&mdash;my dealings are
+with <i>the dead</i>. Perhaps I am mistaken. The conscience party may not be
+dead, but cataleptic&mdash;destined to rise again&mdash;to fall more feebly than
+before.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XXX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Funerals, in the earlier days of Rome, must have been very showy affairs.
+They were torch-light processions, by night. You will gather some
+information, on this subject, by consulting a note of Servius, on Virg.
+&AElig;n. xi. 143. Cicero, de legibus, ii. 26, says, that Demetrius ordered
+nocturnal funerals, to check the taste for extravagance, in these matters:
+&#8220;Iste igitur sumptum minuit, non solum p&oelig;na, sed etiam tempore; ante
+lucem enim jussit efferri.&#8221; A more ancient law, of similar import, will be
+found recited, in the oration of Demosthenes, against Macartatus, viii.,
+82, Dove&#8217;s London ed. Orat. Attici. <i>Funes</i> or <i>funiculi</i> were small ropes
+or cords, covered with wax or tallow; such were the torches, used on such
+occasions; hence the word <i>funus</i> or funeral. A confirmation of this may
+be found in the note of Servius, &AElig;n. i. 727. In a later age, funerals were
+celebrated in the forenoon.</p>
+
+<p>There were some things done, at ancient funerals, which would be accounted
+very extraordinary at the present day. What should we say to a stuffed
+effigy of the defunct, composed entirely of cinnamon, and paraded in the
+procession! Plutarch says; &#8220;Such was the quantity of spices brought in by
+the women, at Sylla&#8217;s funeral, that, exclusive of those carried in two
+hundred and ten great baskets, a figure of Sylla at full length, and of a
+lictor besides, was made entirely of cinnamon, and the choicest
+frankincense.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>At the head of Roman funerals, came the <i>tibicines</i>, pipers, and
+trumpeters, immediately following the <i>designator</i>, or undertaker, and the
+lictors, dressed in black. Next came the &#8220;pr&aelig;fic&aelig;, qu&aelig; dabant c&aelig;teris
+modum plangendi.&#8221; These were women hired to mourn, and sing the funeral
+song, who are popularly termed <i>howlers</i>. To this practice Horace alludes,
+in his Art of Poetry:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Ut, qui conducti plorant in funere, dicunt,<br />
+Et faciunt prope plura dolentibus ex animo&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>which Francis well translates:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">As hirelings, paid for the funereal tear,<br />
+Outweep the sorrows of a friend sincere.</p>
+
+<p>I once witnessed an exhibition of this kind, in one of the West India
+Islands. A planter&#8217;s funeral occurred, at Christianstadt,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> the west end of
+Santa Cruz. After the corpse had been lowered into the grave, a wild
+ululation arose, from the mouths of some hundred slaves, who had followed
+from the plantation&mdash;&#8220;Oh, what good massa he was&mdash;good, dear, old massa
+gone&mdash;no poor slave eber hab such kind massa&mdash;no more any such good, kind
+massa come agin.&#8221; I noticed one hard-favored fellow, who made a terrible
+noise, and upon whose features, as he turned the whites of his big eyes up
+toward heaven, there was a sinister, and, now and then, rather a comical
+expression, and who, when called to assist in filling up, appeared to
+throw on the earth, as if he did it from the heart.</p>
+
+<p>After the work was done, I called him aside. &#8220;You have lost an excellent
+master,&#8221; said I. The fellow looked warily round, and, perceiving that he
+was not overheard, replied, in an undertone&mdash;&#8220;No massa, he bad mule&mdash;big
+old villain&mdash;me glad the debble got him.&#8221; Having thus relieved himself of
+his feelings, he hastened to join the gang, and I soon saw him, as they
+filed off, on their way back to the plantation, throwing his brawny arms
+aloft, and joining in the cry&mdash;&#8220;Oh, what kind, good massa he was!&#8221; Upon
+inquiry, I learned, that this planter was a very bad mule indeed, a
+merciless old taskmaster.</p>
+
+<p>Not more than ten flute players were allowed, at a funeral, by the Twelve
+Tables. The flutes and trumpets were large and of lugubrious tones; thus
+Ovid, Fast. vi. 660: Cantabat m&oelig;stis tibia funeribus; and Am. ii. 66:
+Pro longa resonent carmina vestra tuba.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing appears more incomprehensible, in connection with this subject,
+than the employment of players and buffoons, by the ancients, at their
+funerals. This practice is referred to, by Suetonius, in his Life of
+Tiberius, sec. 57. We are told by Dyonisius, vii. 72, that these Ludii,
+Histriones, and Scurr&aelig; danced and sang. One of this class of performers
+was a professed mimic, and was styled <i>Archimimus</i>. Strange as such a
+proceeding may appear to us, it was his business, to imitate the voice,
+manner, and gestures of the defunct; he supported the dead man&#8217;s
+character, and repeated his words and sayings. In the Life of Vespasian,
+sec. 19, Suetonius thus describes the proceeding: In funere, Favor,
+archimimus, personam ejus ferens, imitansque, ut est mos, facta ac dicta
+vivi, etc. This Favor must have been a comical fellow, and is as free with
+the dead, as Killigrew,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> Charles the Second&#8217;s jester, was, with the
+living; as the reader will perceive, if he will refer to the passage in
+Suetonius: for the fellow openly cracks his jokes, on the absurd expense
+of the funeral. This, we should suppose, was no subject for joking, if we
+may believe the statement of Pliny, xxxiii. 47, that one C. C&aelig;cillius
+Claudius, a private citizen, left rather more than nine thousand pounds
+sterling, by his will, for his funeral expenses.</p>
+
+<p>After the archimimus, came the freemen of the deceased, <i>pileati</i>; that
+is, wearing their caps of liberty. Men, not unfrequently, as a last act,
+to swell their funeral train, freed their slaves. Before the corpse, were
+carried the images of the defunct and of his ancestors, but not of such,
+as had been found guilty of any heinous crime. Thus Tacitus, ii. 32,
+relates, that the image of Libo was not permitted to accompany the
+obsequies of any of his posterity.</p>
+
+<p>The origin of the common practice of marching at military funerals, with
+arms reversed, is of high antiquity. Thus Virgil xi. 93, at the funeral of
+Pallas&mdash;<i>versis Arcades armis</i>: and upon another occasion, <i>versi fasces</i>
+occur in Tacitus iii. 2, referring to the lictors.</p>
+
+<p>In our cities and large towns, the corpse is commonly borne to the grave,
+in a hearse, or on the shoulders of paid bearers. Originally it was
+otherwise. The office of supporting the body to the grave was supposed to
+belong, of right, and duty, to relatives and friends; or, in the case of
+eminent persons, to public functionaries. Thus, in Tacitus, iii. 2, we
+find the expression, <i>tribunorum centurionumque humeris cineres
+portabantur</i>: and, upon the death of Augustus, Tac. i. 8, it was carried
+by acclamation, as we moderns say, <i>corpus ad rogum humeris senatorum
+ferendum</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The conduct of both sexes, at funerals, was, in some respects, rather
+ridiculous, in those days. Virgil says of King Latinus, when he lost his
+wife,</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span style="margin-left: 1em;">&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;it, scissa veste, Latinus,</span><br />
+Canitiem immundo perfusam pulvere turpans;</p>
+
+<p>which means, in plain English, that the old monarch went about, with his
+coat torn, defiling his white hair with filthy dust.</p>
+
+<p>Cicero, in his Tusculan Questions, iii. 26, is entirely of this opinion:
+detestabilia genera lugendi, p&aelig;dores, muliebres lacerationes genarum,
+pectoris, feminum, capitis percussiones&mdash;detestable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> kinds of mourning,
+covering the body with filth, women tearing their cheeks, bosoms, and
+limbs, and knocking their heads. Tibullus, in the concluding lines of his
+charming elegy to Delia, the first of his first book, though he evidently
+derives much happiness, from the conviction, that she will mourn for him,
+and weep over his funeral pile, implores her to spare her lovely cheeks
+and flowing hair. No classical reader will censure me, for transcribing
+this very fine passage:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Te spectem, suprema mihi quum venerit hora,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Te teneam moriens, deficiente manu.</span><br />
+Flebis et arsuro positum me, Delia, lecto.<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tristibus et lacrymis oscula mixta dabis.</span><br />
+Flebis; non tua sunt duro pr&aelig;cordia ferro,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Vincta, nec in tenero stat tibi corde silex.</span><br />
+Illo non juvenis poterit de funere quisquam<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lumina, non virgo, sicca referre domum.</span><br />
+Tu manes ne l&aelig;de meos: sed parce solutis<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Crinibus, et teneris, Delia, parce genis.</span></p>
+
+<p>The <i>suttee</i>, or sacrifice of the widows of Hindostan, on the funeral pile
+of their husbands, was not more a matter of course, than the laceration of
+the hair and cheeks, among Roman women. It was undoubtedly accounted
+disreputable, for a widow to appear in public, after the recent funeral of
+her husband, with locks unpulled and cheeks unscratched. To such extremity
+had this absurd practice proceeded, that the fifth law of the tenth of the
+Twelve Tables, to which reference has been made, in a former number, was
+enacted to prevent it&mdash;<i>mulieres genas ne radunto</i>.</p>
+
+<p>No discreet matron perpetrates any such absurdity, in modern times. The
+hair and cheeks of the departed have, occasionally, given evidence of
+considerable laceration, from some cause unknown; but neither the law of
+the Tables, nor the pathos of a Tibullus is commonly required, to prevent
+a Christian widow, from laying violent hands, upon her cheeks or her hair.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXXI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The cholera seems to be forgotten&mdash;but without reason&mdash;for the yellowest
+and most malignant of all yellow fevers is down upon us, proving fatal to
+the peace of many families, and sweeping<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> away our citizens, by hundreds.
+The distemper appears to have originated in California, and to have been
+brought hither, in letters from Governor Mason and others. It is deeply to
+be deplored, that these letters, which are producing all this mischief,
+had not been subjected to the process of smoking and sprinkling with
+vinegar; for the disease is highly contagious. This fever differs entirely
+from the <i>febris flava</i>&mdash;the <i>typhus icteroides</i> of <i>Sauvages</i>. The
+symptoms are somewhat peculiar. The pulse is quick and fluttering&mdash;the
+head hot&mdash;the patient neglects his business, bolts his food, and wanders
+about&mdash;sometimes apparently delirious, and, during the paroxysms, calls
+furiously for a pickaxe and a tin pan. But the most certain indication,
+that the disease has entered into the system, is, not that the patient
+himself becomes yellow, but that everything, upon which he turns his eyes,
+assumes the yellow appearance of gold. The nature of this distemper will,
+however, be much better understood, by the presentation of a few cases of
+actual occurrence.</p>
+
+<p>I. Jeduthan Smink&mdash;a carpenter, having a wife and two children, residing
+at No. 9 Loafer&#8217;s Lane. This is a strongly marked case. Mr. Smink, who is
+about five and twenty years of age, has always entertained the opinion,
+that work did him harm, and that drink did him good&mdash;labors&mdash;the only way
+in which he will labor&mdash;under the delusion, that all is gold that
+glistens&mdash;packed up his warming pan and brass kettle, to send them to the
+mint.</p>
+
+<p>II. Laban Larkin, a farmer&mdash;caught the fever of a barber, while being
+shaved&mdash;persuaded that the unusual yellowness of his squashes and carrots
+can only be accounted for, by the presence of gold dust&mdash;turned a field of
+winter rye topsy turvy, in search of it&mdash;believes finally, in the sliding
+qualities of subterraneous treasure&mdash;thinks his gold has slipped over into
+his neighbor&#8217;s field of winter rye&mdash;offers to dig it all up, at the
+halves&mdash;excited and abusive, because his neighbor declines the offer&mdash;told
+him he was a superannuated ass, and behind the times.</p>
+
+<p>III. Molly Murphy resides, when at home, which is seldom, in Shelaly
+Court, near the corner, easily found by any one, who will follow his nose;
+has a husband and one child, a dutiful boy, who vends matches and penny
+papers, on week days, and steals, on Sundays, for the support of the
+family. Molly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> can read; has read what Gov. Mason writes about pigs
+rooting up gold, by mistake, for groundnuts&mdash;her brain much disturbed&mdash;has
+an impression, that gold may be found almost anywhere&mdash;with a tin pan, and
+no other assistance but her son, Tooley Murphy, she has actually dug over
+and washed a pile of filth, in front of her dwelling, which the city
+scavengers have never been able materially to diminish&mdash;urges her husband
+to be &#8220;aff wid the family for Killyfarny, where the very wheelbarries is
+made out of goold.&#8221; Dreams of nothing but gold dust, and firmly believes
+it to be the very dust we shall all return to&mdash;while asleep, seized her
+husband by the ears, and could scarcely be sufficiently awakened, to
+comprehend that she had not captured the golden calf.</p>
+
+<p>Let us be grave. I shall not inquire, if Bishop Archelaus was right in the
+opinion, that the original golden calf was made, not by the Israelites,
+but by Egyptians, who were the companions of their flight; nor if the
+modern idol be a descendant in the right line. It is somewhat likely, that
+the golden calf of 1848, will grow up to be a terrible bull, for some of
+the adventurers.</p>
+
+<p>That there is gold in California, no one doubts. Governor Mason&#8217;s standard
+of quantity is rather alarming&mdash;there is gold enough, says he, in the
+country, drained by the Sacramento and Joaquin rivers, and more than
+enough, &#8220;<i>to pay the cost of the present war with Mexico, a hundred times
+over</i>.&#8221; This is encouraging, and may lead us to look upon the prospect of
+another, with more complacency; though the whole of this treasure will not
+buy back a single slaughtered victim&mdash;not one husband to the widow&mdash;nor
+one parent to an orphan child&mdash;nor one stay and staff, the joy and the
+pride of her life, to the lone mother. <i>N&#8217;importe</i>&mdash;we have gold and
+glory! &#8220;The people,&#8221; says Mr. Mason, &#8220;before engaged in cultivating their
+small patches of ground, and guarding their herds of cattle and horses,
+have all gone to the mines. Laborers of every trade have left their work
+benches, and tradesmen their shops. Sailors desert their ships, as fast as
+they arrive on the coast.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>There is a marvellous fascination in all this, no doubt; and as fast and
+as far as the knowledge radiates, thousands upon thousands will be rushing
+to the spot. The shilling here, however, which procures a given amount of
+meat, fire and clothes, is equal to the sum, whatever it may be, which,
+there procures<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> the same amount and quality. Loafers and the lovers of
+ease and indolence, who are tobacco chewers, to a man, are desirous of
+flying to this El Dorado. Let them have a care: an ounce of gold dust,
+valued at $12 there, though worth $18 here, is said to have been paid, for
+a plug of tobacco. A traveller in Caffraria, having paid five cowries,
+(shells, the money of the country) for some article, complained, that
+forty were demanded, for a like article, in a village, not far off; and
+inquired if the article was scarce; &#8220;no,&#8221; was the reply, &#8220;but cowries are
+very plenty.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Our adventurers intend to remain, perhaps, only till they obtain a
+competency. Even that is not the work of a day; and will be longer, or
+shorter, in the ratio of the consumption of means, for daily support,
+during the operation. There will, doubtless, be some difference also, as
+to the meaning of the word competency. An intelligent merchant, of this
+city, once defined it to mean a little more, in every individual&#8217;s
+opinion, than he hath. Like the lock of hay, which Miss Edgeworth says is
+attached to the extremity of the pole, and which is ever just so far in
+advance of the hungry horses, in an Irish jaunting car, so competency
+seems to be forever leading us onward, yet is never fairly within our
+grasp.</p>
+
+<p>John Graunt, of whom a good account may be found in Bayle, says, that, if
+the art of making gold were known, and put extensively in practice, it
+would raise the value of silver. Of course it would, and of everything
+else, so far as the quantity of gold, given in exchange for any article,
+is the representative of value. As gold becomes plenty, it will be
+employed for other uses, sauce-pans perhaps, as well as for the increase
+of the circulating medium. The amount of gold, which has passed through
+the British mint, from the accession of Elizabeth, 1558, to 1840, is,
+according to Professor Farraday, 3,353,561 pounds weight troy; and nearly
+one half of this was coined during the reign of George III.</p>
+
+<p>Gold is a good thing, in charitable fingers; but it too frequently
+constructs for itself a chancel in our hearts. It then becomes the golden
+calf, and man an idolater. How dearly we get to love the chink and the
+glitter of our gold! How much like death it does seem, to go off &#8217;change,
+before the last watch!</p>
+
+<p>Three score years and ten, devoted to the turning of pennies! How many of
+us, after we have had our three warnings, still hobble up and down, day
+after day, infinitely more anxious about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> pennies, than we were, fifty
+years ago, about pounds! An angel, the spirit, for example, of Michael de
+Montaigne, perched upon the City Hall&mdash;the eastern end of the ridge
+pole&mdash;must be tempted to laugh heartily. Without any angelic pretensions,
+I have done so myself, when, upon certain emergencies, the kegs, boxes,
+and bags of gold and silver, hand-carted and hand borne, have gone from
+bank to bank, backward and forward, often, in a morning, like the slipper,
+in the <i>jeu de pantoufle</i>! What an interest is upon the faces of the
+
+crowd, who gaze upon the very kegs and boxes; feasting upon the bald
+idea&mdash;the unprofitable consciousness&mdash;that gold and silver are within; and
+reminding one of old George Herbert&#8217;s lines,&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;Wise men with pity do behold<br />
+Fools worship mules, that carry gold.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Verily,&#8221; saith an ancient writer, &#8220;traffickers and the getters of gain,
+upon the mart, are like unto pismires, each struggling to bear off the
+largest mouthful.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>I am glad to see that the moderns are collecting the remains of good old
+George Herbert, and giving them an elegant <i>surtout</i>. His address to money
+is a jewel, and none the worse for its antique setting:</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span style="margin-left: 1em;">&#8220;Money! Thou bane of bliss, and source of wo!</span><br />
+Whence com&#8217;st thou, that thou art so fresh and fine?<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">I know thy parentage is base and low;</span><br />
+Man found thee, poor and dirty, in a mine.<br />
+<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">&#8220;Surely thou didst so little contribute</span><br />
+To this great kingdom, which thou now hast got,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That he was fain, when thou wert destitute,</span><br />
+To dig thee out of thy dark cave and grot.<br />
+<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">&#8220;Then, forcing thee by fire, he made thee bright;</span><br />
+Nay, thou hast got the face of man, for we<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Have, with our stamp and seal, transferred our right;</span><br />
+Thou art the man, and we but dross to thee!<br />
+<br />
+&#8220;Man calleth thee his wealth, who made thee rich,<br />
+And, while he digs out thee, falls in the ditch.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The mere selfish getters of gain, who dispense it not, are, <i>civiliter et
+humaniter mortui</i>&mdash;dead as a door nail&mdash;dead dogs in the manger! I come
+not to bury them, at present; but, if possible, to awaken some of them
+with my penny trumpet; otherwise they may die in good earnest in their
+sins; their last breath giving evidence of their ruling passion&mdash;muttering
+not the <i>t&ecirc;te<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> d&#8217;arm&eacute;e</i> of Napoleon, but the last words of that
+accomplished Israelite, who caused his gold to be counted out, before his
+failing eyes&mdash;<i>per shent</i>.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXXII.</h2>
+
+
+<p><i>Making mourning</i>, as an abstract phrase, is about as intelligible, as
+<i>making fish</i>. These arbitrary modes of expression have ever been well
+enough understood, nevertheless, by those employed in the respective
+operations. <i>Making mourning</i>, in ancient times, was assigned to that
+class of hired women, termed <i>pr&aelig;fic&aelig;</i>, to whom I have had occasion to
+refer. They are thus described, by Stephans&mdash;adhiberi solebant funeri,
+mercede conduct&aelig;, ut flerent, et fortia facta laudarent&mdash;they were called
+to funerals, and paid, to shed tears, and relate the famous actions of the
+defunct. Doubtless, by practice, and continual exercise of the will over
+the lachrymary organs, they acquired the power of forcing mechanical
+tears. We have a specimen of this power, in the case of Miss Sophy
+Streatfield, so often referred to, by Madame D&#8217;Arblay, in her account of
+those happy days at Mrs. Thrale&#8217;s. <i>Making mourning</i>, in modern times, is,
+with a few touching exceptions, confined to that important class, the
+dress-makers.</p>
+
+<p>The time allowed, for mourning, was determined, by the laws of Numa.
+Plutarch informs us, that no mourning was allowed, for a child, that died
+under three years, and for all others, a month, for every year it had
+lived, but never to exceed ten, which was the longest term, allowed for
+any mourning. We often meet with the term, <i>luctus annus</i>, the year of
+mourning; but the year of Romulus contained but ten months; and, though
+Numa added two, to the calendar, the term of mourning remained unchanged.
+The howlers, or wailing women, were employed also in Greece, and in Judea.
+Thus in Jeremiah ix. 17, <i>call for the mourning women, &amp;c., and let them
+make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with
+tears, &amp;c.</i></p>
+
+<p>By the laws of Numa, widows were required to mourn ten months or during
+the year of Romulus. Thus Ovid, Fast. i. 35:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Per totidem menses a funere conjugis uxor<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sustinet in vidua tristia signa domo.</span></p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span>Numa was rather severe upon widows. The <i>tristia signa</i>, spoken of by
+Ovid, were sufficiently mournful. According to Kirchmaun de Fun. iv. 11,
+they were not to stir abroad in public&mdash;to abstain entirely from all
+entertainments&mdash;to lay aside every kind of ornament&mdash;to dress in
+black&mdash;and not even to kindle a fire, in their houses. Not content with
+stinting and freezing these poor, lone creatures, to death, Numa forbade
+them to repeat the matrimonial experiment, for ten months. Indeed, it was
+accounted infamous, for a widow to marry, within that period. As though he
+were resolved to add insult to injury, he, according to Plutarch,
+permitted those to violate this law, who would make up their minds, to
+sacrifice a cow with calf. This unnatural sacrifice was intended, by Numa,
+to frighten the widows. Doubtless, in many instances, the legislative
+bugbear was effectual; but it is quite probable there were some courageous
+women, in those days, as there are, at present, who would have slaughtered
+a whole drove, rather than yield the tender point.</p>
+
+<p>The Jews expressed their grief, for the death of their near friends, by
+weeping, and crying aloud, beating their breasts, rending their clothes,
+tearing their flesh, pulling their hair, and starving themselves. They
+neither dressed, nor made their beds, nor washed, nor saw visitors, nor
+shaved, nor cut their nails, and made their toilets with sackcloth and
+ashes. The mourning of the Jews lasted commonly seven days, and never more
+than thirty&mdash;quite long enough, we should think, for such an exhibition of
+filth and folly. The Greeks also did much of all this&mdash;they covered
+themselves with dust and dirt, and rolled in the mire, and beat their
+breasts, and tore their faces.</p>
+
+<p>The color of the mourning garb, among the Romans, was originally
+black&mdash;from the time of Domitian, white. At present, the color of the
+mourning dress, in Europe is black&mdash;in China white&mdash;in Turkey blue or
+violet&mdash;in Egypt yellow&mdash;in Ethiopia brown. There have come down to us two
+admirable letters from Seneca, 63, and 99, on the subject of lamentation
+for the dead; the first to Lucilius, after the death of his friend,
+Flaccus&mdash;the second to Lucilius, communicating the letter Seneca had
+written to Murullus, on the death of his son. These letters must be read,
+<i>cum grano salis</i>, on account of the stoical philosophy of the writer. He
+admits the propriety of decent sorrow, but is opposed to violent and
+unmeasured lamentations&mdash;<i>nec sicci sint occuli, amisso amico, nec
+fluant</i>&mdash;shed tears, if you have lost your friend, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> do not cry your
+eyes out&mdash;<i>lacrimandum est, non plorandum</i>&mdash;let there be weeping, but not
+wailing. He cites, for the advantage of Lucilius, the counsel of Ulysses
+to Achilles, whose grief, for the death of Patroclus, had become
+inordinate, to give one whole day to his sorrow, and have done with it. He
+considers it not honorable, for men, to exhibit their grief, beyond the
+term of two or three days. Such, upon the authority of Tacitus De Mor.
+Germ. 27, was the practice of the ancient Germans. Funerum nulla ambitio:
+... struem rogi nec vestibus, nec odoribus, cumulant: ... lamenta ac
+lacrimas cito, dolorem et tristitiam tarde, ponunt; feminis lugere
+honestum est; viris meminisse: there was no pride of funereal parade; they
+heaped no garments, no odors, upon the pile; they speedily laid aside
+their tears and laments; not so their grief and sorrow. It was becoming,
+for <i>women</i> to mourn; for <i>men</i> to cherish in their memories.</p>
+
+<p>In his letter to Lucilius, Seneca enters upon an investigation, as to the
+real origin of all this apparent sorrow, so freely and generally
+manifested, for the dead; and his sober conviction breaks forth, in the
+words&mdash;Nemo tristis sibi est. O infelicem stultitiam! est aliqua et
+doloris ambitio! No one mourns for himself alone. Oh miserable folly!
+There is ambition, even in our sorrow! This passage recalls Martial&#8217;s
+epigram, 34, De Gellia:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Amissum non flet, quum sola est Gellia, patrem;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Si quis adest, juss&aelig; prosiliunt lacrym&aelig;.</span><br />
+Non dolet hic, quisquis landari, Gellia, qu&aelig;rit;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ille dolet vere, qui sine teste dolet.</span></p>
+
+<p>Arthur Murphy, in his edition of Dr. Johnson&#8217;s works, ascribes to that
+great man the following extraordinary lines:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">If the man, who turnips cries,<br />
+Cry not, when his father dies,<br />
+&#8217;Tis a proof, that he had rather<br />
+Have a turnip than his father.</p>
+
+<p>Under the doctor&#8217;s sanction, for a bagatelle, I may offer a translation of
+Martial&#8217;s epigram:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">When no living soul is nigh,<br />
+Gellia&#8217;s filial grief is dry;<br />
+Call, some morning, and I&#8217;ll warrant<br />
+Gellia&#8217;l shed a perfect torrent.<br />
+Tears unforc&#8217;d true sorrow draws:<br />
+Gellia weeps for mere applause.</p>
+
+<p>It is our fortune to witness not a little of this, in our line. We<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> are
+compelled to drop in, at odd, disjointed moments, when the not altogether
+disagreeable occupations of the survivors contrast, rather oddly, to be
+sure, with the graver duties to the dead. A rich widow, like Dr. Johnson&#8217;s
+<i>prot&egrave;g&egrave;</i>, in his letter to Chesterfield, is commonly overburdened with
+help. It is quite surprising, to observe the solicitude about her health,
+and how very fervent the hope of her neighbors becomes, that she may not
+have taken cold. The most prominent personages, after the widow and the
+next of kin, are the coffin-maker and the dress-maker&mdash;both are solicitous
+of making an excellent fit. Those, who, like myself, have had long
+practice in families, are often admitted to familiar interviews with the
+chief mourners, which are likely to take place, in the midst of
+dress-makers and artists of all sorts. How many acres of black crape I
+have witnessed, in half a century! &#8220;Mr. Abner&mdash;good Mr. Abner,&#8221; said Mrs.
+&mdash;&mdash;, &#8220;dear Mr. Abner,&#8221; said she, &#8220;I shall not forget your kindness&mdash;how
+pleasant it is, on these occasions, to see a face one knows. You buried my
+first husband&mdash;I thought there was nothing like that: and you buried my
+second husband&mdash;and, oh dear me, I thought there was nothing like
+that&mdash;and now, oh dear, dear me, you are going to bury my third! How I am
+supported, it is hard to tell&mdash;but the widow&#8217;s God will carry me through
+this, and other trials, for aught I know&mdash;Miss Buddikin, don&#8217;t you think
+that dress should be fuller behind?&#8221; &#8220;Oh dear ma&#8217;am, your fine shape, you
+know,&#8221; said Miss Buddikin. &#8220;There now, Miss Buddikin, at any other time I
+dare say I should be pleased with your flattery, but grief has brought
+down my flesh and spirits terribly. Good morning, dear Mr. Abner&mdash;remember
+there will be no postponement, on account of the weather.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXXIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I am sad. It is my duty to record an event of deep and universal interest.
+On Sunday night, precisely as the clock of the Old South Church struck the
+very first stroke of twelve, departed this life, of no particular malady,
+but from a sort of constitutional decay, to which the family has ever been
+periodically liable, and at the same age, at which his ancestors have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span>
+died, for many generations, A. Millesimus Octingentesimus Quadragesimus
+Octavus.</p>
+
+<p>It has been a custom in France, and in other countries, to send printed
+invitations to friends and relatives, inviting them to funerals. I have
+heard of a thriving widow&mdash;<i>la veuve Berthier</i>&mdash;who added a short
+postscript&mdash;<i>Madame Berthier will be happy to furnish soap and candles, at
+the old stand, as heretofore</i>. I trust I shall not be deemed guilty of a
+like indiscretion, if I add, for general information, that the business
+will be conducted hereafter, in the name of A. M. O. Q. Nonus.</p>
+
+<p>I did intend to be facetious, but, for the soul of me, I cannot. It is
+enough for me to know that the old year is dead and gone, and that the
+hopes and fears of millions are now lying in its capacious grave. Between
+the old year and the new, the space is so incalculably narrow, that, if
+those ancient philosophers were in the right, who contended, that an angel
+could not live in a vacuum, no angel, in the flesh, or out of it, could
+possibly get between the two: the partition is thin as tissue paper&mdash;thin
+as that between wit and madness, which is so exceedingly thin, as to be
+often undistinguishable, leaving us in doubt, on which side our neighbors
+may be found,&mdash;when at home.</p>
+
+<p>I see, clearly, in the close of another year, another milestone, upon
+Time&#8217;s highway, from chaos to eternity. Is it not wise, and natural, and
+profitable, for the pilgrim to pause, and mark his lessening way? He
+cannot possibly know the precise number of milestones, that lie between
+the present and his journey&#8217;s end; but he may sometimes shrewdly guess
+from the number he has passed already. There is precious little certainty,
+however, in the very best of man&#8217;s arithmetic, on a subject like this:
+for, at every milestone, from the very first, and at countless
+intermediate points, he will observe innumerable tablets, recording the
+fact, that myriads of travellers have stopped here and there, not for the
+want of willingness to go forward, but for the want of breath&mdash;not for the
+night, to be awakened at the morning watch, by the attentive host, or the
+railway whistle,&mdash;but for a long, long while, to be summoned, at last, by
+the piercing notes of a clarion, loud and clear, which, as the bow of
+Ulysses could be bent only by the master&#8217;s hand, can be raised, only by
+the lips and the lungs of an archangel.</p>
+
+<p>Well, Quadragesimus Octavus hath gone to his long home, and the mourners
+go about the streets&mdash;a motley group it is, that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> band of melancholy
+followers! Upon this, as upon all other occasions of the same sort, true
+tears, from the very well-spring of the heart, fall, together with showers
+of hypocritical salt water. Little children, who must ever refer their
+orphanage to the year that is past, are in the van; and with them, a few
+widowers and widows, who have not been married quite long enough, to be
+reconciled to their bereavement. There are others, who also have been
+divorced from their partners by death, and who submit, with admirable
+grace; and wear their weeds&mdash;of the very best make and fashion, by the
+way&mdash;with infinite propriety.</p>
+
+<p>It is quite amazing to see the great number of mourners, who, though,
+doubtless, natives, have a very Israelitish expression, and wear
+phylacteries, upon which are written three or four words whose import is
+intelligible, only to the initiated, but which, being interpreted,
+signify&mdash;<i>three per cent. a month</i>. None seem to wear an expression of
+more heartfelt sorrow, for the departure of Quadragesimus Octavus, during
+whose existence, being less greedy of honors than of gain, they were
+singularly favored, converting the necessities of other men into an
+
+abundance of bread and butter, for themselves.</p>
+
+<p>In the melancholy train, we behold a goodly number of maiden ladies,
+dressed in yellow, which is the mourning color of the Egyptians, and some
+of these disconsolate damsels are really beginning to acquire the mummy
+complexion: it happened that, as the old year expired, they were just
+turned of thirty.</p>
+
+<p>There are others, who have sufficient reason to mourn, and whose numerous
+writings have brought them into serious trouble. Their works, commencing
+with a favorite expression&mdash;<i>for value received I promise to pay</i>, owing
+to something rather pointed in the phraseology, were liable to be severely
+criticised, so soon as the old year expired.</p>
+
+<p>The lovers of parade, and show, and water celebrations, and torch-light
+processions, trumpeting and piping merrymakings, and huzzaings, the
+brayings of stump orators, and the intolerable noise and farrago of
+electioneering; the laudings and vituperatings of Taylor, Cass, and Van
+Buren; the ferocious lyings and vilifyings of partisans, politically drunk
+or crazy&mdash;the lovers of all or any of these things are one and all,
+attendants at the funeral of Quadragesimus Octavus.</p>
+
+<p>The good old year is gone&mdash;and, in the words of a celebrated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> clergyman,
+to a bereaved mother, who would not be comforted, but wailed the louder,
+the more he pressed upon her the duty of submission&mdash;&#8220;<i>what do you propose
+to do about it?</i>&#8221; I cannot answer for you, my gentle reader, but I am
+ready to answer for myself. As an old sexton, I believe it to be my duty
+to pay immediate attention to the very significant command&mdash;whatsoever thy
+hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor
+device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest. If
+good old Samuel had been an undertaker, he could not have said, more
+confidently than I do, at this moment, whose corpse have I taken, or whose
+shroud have I taken, or whom have I defrauded, or whom have I buried east
+for west, or wrong end foremost? Of what surgeon have I received a fee,
+for a skeleton, to blind mine eyes withal? I have neither the head nor the
+heart for mystical theology. I believe in the doctrine of election, as
+established by the constitution and laws of the United States, and of the
+States respectively, so far as regards the President, Vice President, and
+all town, county and state officers: and I respect the Egyptians, for one
+trait, recorded of them, by an eminent historian, who states, that those,
+who worship an ape, never quarrel with those, who worship an ox. A very
+fine verse, the thirteenth of the last chapter of Ecclesiastes&mdash;&#8220;Let us
+hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep his
+commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Let us try, during the year, upon whose threshold we are now standing, to
+do as much good, and as little harm, as possible. I respectfully recommend
+to all old men and women, who are as grey and grizzly as I am, to make
+themselves as agreeable as they can; and remember, that old age is
+proverbially peevish and exacting. In the presence of children, do not
+forget the wise sayings of Parson Primrose, who candidly confessed, when
+solicited to join in some childish pastime, that he complied, for he was
+tired of being always wise. Pray allow all you can for the vivacity and
+waywardness of youth. Nine young ladies, in ten, may find a clever fit,
+in Pope&#8217;s shrewd line&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;Brisk as a flea, and ignorant as dirt.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>All, that can be said about it, lies in a filbert shell, <i>ita lex scripta
+est, ita rerum natura</i>. You will not mend the matter, by scowling and
+growling, from morning to night. Can you not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> remember, that you yourself,
+when a boy, were saluted now and then, with the title of &#8220;proper
+plague&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;devil&#8217;s bird&#8221;&mdash;or &#8220;little Pickle?&#8221; I can. Some years ago, my
+very worthy friend, the Rev. John S. C. Abbott, did me the kindness to
+give me one of his excellent works, the Path of Peace. The preface
+contains a very short and clever incident, of whose applicability, you can
+judge for yourself.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Mother,&#8221; said a little boy, &#8220;I do not wish to go to Heaven.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;And why not, my son?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Why, grandfather will be there, will he not?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes, my son, I hope he will.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, as soon as he sees us, he will come, scolding along, and say,
+&#8216;Whew, whew, whew! what are these boys here for?&#8217; I am sure I do not wish
+to go to Heaven, if grandfather is to be there.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This is a short tale of a grandfather, but it is a very significant story,
+for its length; and calculated, I fear, for many meridians.</p>
+
+<p>Well, here we are, in the very midst of bells and bonfires, screaming for
+joy, in honor of the new year, with our spandy new weepers on, for the old
+one.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXXIV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Viewed in every possible relation, the most melancholy and distressing
+funerals, of which I have any knowledge, were a series of interments,
+which occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, not very many years ago, and
+of which, in 1840, I received, while sojourning there, a particular
+account, from an inhabitant of that hospitable city. These funerals were
+among the blacks; and, as there was no epidemic at the time, their
+frequency, at length, attracted observation. Every day or two, the colored
+population were seen, bearing, apparently, one of their number to the
+place, appointed for all living. Suspicion was, at last, awakened&mdash;a post
+mortem examination was resolved on&mdash;the graves, which proved to be
+uncommonly shallow, were opened&mdash;the coffins lifted out, and examined&mdash;and
+found to be filled, not with corpses, but with muskets, swords, pistols,
+pikes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> knives, hatchets, and such other weapons, as might be necessary,
+for the perfection of a deadly work, which had been long projected, and
+was then not far from its consummation.</p>
+
+<p>These, I say, were the most melancholy funerals, of which I have any
+knowledge. This was burying the hatchet, in a novel sense. In 1840, the
+tumult of mind, resulting from immediate apprehension, had, in a great
+degree, subsided; yet a rigorous system of espionage continued, in full
+operation&mdash;the spirit of vigilance was still on tiptoe&mdash;the arsenal was in
+excellent working order, and capable, at any moment, of turning its iron
+shower, in every direction&mdash;the separate gathering of the blacks, for
+religious worship, had been, and still was, prohibited; for it was
+believed, that the little tabernacle, in which, before this alarming
+discovery, the colored people were in the habit of assembling, had been
+used, in some sort, for the purpose of holding insurrectionary conclaves;
+perhaps for the purpose also of muttering prayers, between their teeth, to
+the bondman&#8217;s God, to give him strength to break his fetters.</p>
+
+<p>At the time, to which I refer, the slaves, who attended religious
+services, on the Sabbath, entered the same temples with their masters, who
+paid their vows, on cushions, while many of the slaves worshipped,
+squatting in the aisles. At this time, slaves, <i>ex cautela</i>, were
+forbidden, under penalty of imprisonment and the lash, from being present
+at any conflagration. Under a like penalty, they were commanded to retire
+instantly, upon the very first stroke of the curfew bell, to their homes
+and cabins. At every quarter of an hour, through the whole night, the cry
+of <i>all&#8217;s well</i> was sent forth by the armed sentinel, from the top of St.
+Michael&#8217;s tower. Such was the state of things, in 1840, in the city of
+Charleston.</p>
+
+<p>Melancholy as were these funerals, the undertakers were quite as
+ingenious, as those cunning Greeks, who contrived the Trojan horse,
+<i>divin&acirc; Palladis arte</i>. Melancholy and ominous funerals were they&mdash;for
+they were incidents of slavery, the <span class="smcaplc">CURSE COLOSSAL</span>&mdash;that huge, unsightly
+cicatrice, upon the very face of our heritage. Well may we say to the most
+favored nation of the earth, in Paul&#8217;s proud words,&mdash;<i>would to God ye were
+not only almost, but altogether such as we are, saving these bonds</i>.</p>
+
+<p>After taking a mental and moral <i>coup d&#8217;&oelig;il</i> of these matters, I
+remember that I lay long, upon my pillow, not consigning<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> my Southern
+friends and brethren, votively, to the devil; but thanking God, for that
+blessed suggestion, which led good, old Massachusetts, and the other
+states of the North, to abolish slavery, within their own domains.</p>
+
+<p>Slavery is a curse, not only to the long-suffering slave, but to the
+mortified master. This chivalry of the South&mdash;what is it? Every man of the
+South, or the North, who comes to the blessed conclusion, that, while
+others own <i>jackasses</i>, <i>horses</i>, <i>and horned cattle</i>, he actually <i>owns
+men</i>&mdash;what a thought!&mdash;will soon become filled with this very chivalry. It
+is the lordly consciousness of dominion over one&#8217;s fellow-man&mdash;a sort of
+Satrap-like feeling of power&mdash;a sentiment extremely oriental, which begets
+that important and consequential air of superiority, that marks the
+Southern man and the Southern boy,&mdash;Mr. Calhoun, diving, like one of
+Pope&#8217;s heroes, after first principles, and fetching up, for a fact, the
+pleasant fancy, that <i>man is not born of a woman</i>&mdash;or the young,
+travelling gentleman, full of &#8220;Suth Cralina,&#8221; who comes hither, to sojourn
+awhile, and carries in every look, that almost incomprehensible mixture of
+pride and sensitiveness, which is equally repulsive and ridiculous.</p>
+
+<p>The bitterness of sectional feeling is a necessary incident of slavery.
+Civil and servile wars are among its terrible contingencies. Slavery
+cannot endure in our land, though the end be not yet. I had rather the
+cholera should spread, than this moral scourge, over our new domains&mdash;not,
+upon my honor, because the former would be a help to our profession, but
+because a dead is more bearable, than a living curse.</p>
+
+<p>Of all the sciolists, who have offered their services, to remedy this
+evil, the conscience party is the most remarkable. A self-consecrated
+party, with their phlogistic system, would deal with the whole South,
+which, on this topic, is a perfect hornet&#8217;s nest already, precisely as an
+intelligent farmer, in Vermont, dealt with a hornet&#8217;s nest, under the
+eaves of his dwelling&mdash;he applied the actual cautery; his practice was
+successful&mdash;he destroyed the nest, and with it his entire mansion. There
+are men, of this party, to whom the constitution and laws of the Union are
+objects of infinite contempt; who despise the Bible; who would overthrow
+the civil magistrate; and unfrock the clergy. But there are many others,
+who abjure such doctrines&mdash;a species of conscience comeouters&mdash;who intend,
+after they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> have unkennelled the whirlwind, to appoint a committee of
+three, from every county, to hold it by the tail, <i>ne quid detrimenti
+respublica caperet</i>. These are to be selected from the most careful and
+judicious, who, when the firebrand is thrown into the barrel of gunpowder,
+will have a care, that not more than a moderate quantity shall be ignited.</p>
+
+<p>The constitution is a contract, made by our fathers, and binding on their
+children. Who shall presume to say that contract is void, for want of
+consideration, or because the subject is <i>malum in se</i>? Who shall decide
+the question of <i>nudum pactum</i> or not? Not one of the parties, nor two,
+nor any number, short of the whole, can annul this solemn contract; nor
+can a decision of the question of constitutionality come from any other
+tribunal, than the Supreme Judicial Court of the United States.</p>
+
+<p>Lord Mansfield&#8217;s celebrated dictum&mdash;<i>fiat justitia, ruat C&aelig;lum</i>, has been
+often absurdly applied, and in connection with this very question of
+slavery and its removal. <i>Justitia</i> is a broad word, and refers not solely
+to the rights of the slave, but to those of the freeman. The proposition
+of the full-bottomed abolitionist&mdash;immediate emancipation, or dissolution
+of the Union, and civil and servile war to boot, if it must be so&mdash;is fit
+to be taught, only to the tenants of a madhouse. But there is a spirit
+abroad, whose tendency cannot be mistaken. Slavery is becoming daily more
+and more odious, in the east, in the west, in the north, ay, and in the
+south. Individually, many slaveholders are becoming less attached to their
+<i>property</i>. There may be too much even of <i>this good thing</i>. Slavery would
+continue longer, in the present slave states, if it were extended to the
+new territories; for it would be rendered more bearable in the former, by
+the power of sloughing off the redundancy, on profitable terms. The spirit
+of emancipation is striding over the main land, walking upon the waters,
+and planting its foot, upon one dark island after another. <i>Let us
+hope</i>&mdash;better to do that, than mischief. Let us rejoice, that, as the
+Scotch say, <i>there is a God aboon a&#8217;</i>&mdash;better to do that, than spit upon
+our Bibles, and scoff at law and order. It is always better to stand
+still, than move rudely and rashly, in the dark. Such was the decided
+opinion of my old friend and fellow-sexton, Grossman, when he fell, head
+first, into an unclosed tomb, and broke his enormous nose.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XXXV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>In looking up a topic, for my dealings with the dead, this afternoon, I
+can think of nothing more interesting, at the present time, than <i>Lot&#8217;s
+wife and the Dead Sea</i>. I consider Lieutenant Lynch the most fortunate of
+modern discoverers. He has discovered the long lost lady of Lot&mdash;the
+veritable pillar of salt! There are some incredulous persons, I am aware,
+who are of opinion, that the account of this discovery should be received,
+<i>cum grano salis</i>; but my own mind is entirely made up. I should have been
+better pleased, I admit, if he had verified the suggestion, which led to
+the discovery, by bringing home a leg, or an arm. Possibly, it may be
+thought proper to send a Government vessel, for the entire pillar, to
+ornament the Rotunda at Washington. The identification of Lot&#8217;s wife is
+rendered exceedingly simple, by the fact, that seventeen of her fingers,
+and not less than fourteen of her toes, broken off from time to time, by
+the faithful, as relics, are exhibited in various churches and
+monasteries.</p>
+
+<p>Models of these, in plaster, could readily be obtained, I presume; and an
+application of their fractured parts to the salt corpse, discovered by
+Lieutenant Lynch, would settle the question, in the manner, employed to
+test the authenticity of ancient indentures. Besides, every one knows,
+that salt is a self preserver, and lasting in its character, especially
+the Attic. The very elements of preservation abound in the Dead Sea, and
+the region round about. Its very name establishes the
+fact&mdash;<i>Asphaltites</i>&mdash;so called from the immense quantity of <i>asphaltum</i> or
+bitumen, with which it abounds. This is called <i>Jews&#8217; Pitch</i>, and was used
+of old, for embalming; and the corpse of Mrs. Lot, after the salt had
+thoroughly penetrated, rolled up, as it probably was found by Lieutenant
+Lynch, in a winding sheet of bitumen, which readily envelopes everything
+it touches, would last forever. This pitch is often sold by the druggists,
+under the name of mummy.</p>
+
+<p>In Judea, with the territory of Moab, on the East, and the wilderness of
+Judah, on the West, and having the lands of Reuben and Edom, or Idumea, on
+the North and South, lies that sheet of mysterious and unfrequented water,
+which has been called the East Sea&mdash;the Salt Sea&mdash;the Sea of the
+Desert&mdash;the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> Sea of the Plain&mdash;the Sea of Sodom&mdash;and, more commonly, the
+Dead Sea. To this I beg leave to add another title, the Legendary lake, or
+Humbug water. More marvel has been marked, learned, and inwardly digested,
+by Christians, on the subject of this sheet of water, than the broad ocean
+has ever supplied, to stir the landman&#8217;s heart. Its dimensions, in the
+first place, have been set down, with remarkable discrepancy. Pliny, lib.
+v. 15, says, Longitudine excedit centum M. passuum, latitudine maxima
+xxv., implet, minima sex, making the length one hundred miles, and the
+breadth, from twenty-five miles, to six. Josephus estimates its length at
+five hundred and eighty furlongs, from the mouth of the Jordan, to the
+town of Segor, at the opposite end; and its greatest breadth one hundred
+and fifty furlongs. The Rev. Dr. William Jenks, of whose learning and
+labors a sexton of the old school may be permitted to speak, with great
+respect, sets down the length, in his New Gazetteer of the Bible, appended
+to his Explanatory Bible Atlas, of 1847, at thirty-nine miles, and its
+greatest breadth at nine. Carne, in his Letters from the East, says the
+length is sixty miles, and the breadth from eight to ten. Stephens states
+the length to be thirty miles, in his Incidents of Travel.</p>
+
+<p>The origin of this lake was ascribed to the submersion of the valley of
+Siddim, where the cities stood, which were destroyed, in the conflagration
+of Sodom and Gomorrah. This tremendous gallimaufry or hotch potch,
+produced, as some suppose, an intolerable stench, and impregnated the
+waters with salt, sulphur, and bitumen.</p>
+
+<p>Pliny, in the passage quoted above,&mdash;observes&mdash;Nullum corpus animalium
+recipit&mdash;no animal can live in it. Speaking of these waters, Dr. Jenks
+remarks&mdash;&#8220;no animals exist in them.&#8221; On the other hand, Dr. Pococke, on
+the authority of a monk, tells us, that fish have been caught in the Dead
+Sea. <i>Per contra</i> again, Mr. Volney affirms, that it contains neither
+animal nor vegetable life. M. Chateaubriand, on the other hand, who
+visited the Dead Sea, in 1807, remarks&mdash;&#8220;About midnight, I heard a noise
+upon the lake, and was told by the Bethlehemites, who accompanied me, that
+it proceeded from legions of small fish, which come out, and leap upon the
+shore.&#8221; The monks of St. Saba assured Dr. Shaw, as he states in his
+travels, that they had seen fish caught there.</p>
+
+<p>In the passage quoted from Pliny, he says&mdash;Tauri camelique<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> fluitant. Inde
+fama nihil in eo mergi&mdash;bulls and camels float upon this lake: hence the
+notion, that nothing will sink in it. It is true, that the water of the
+Dead Sea is specifically heavier than any other, owing to the great
+quantity of salt, sulphur, and bitumen; but Dr. Pococke found not the
+slightest difficulty, in swimming and diving in the lake. Sir Thomas
+Browne, treating of this, in his Pseudodoxia, vol. iii., p. 341, London,
+1835, observes&mdash;&#8220;As for the story, men deliver it variously. Some, I fear
+too largely, as Pliny, who affirmeth that bricks will swim therein.
+Mandevil goeth further, that iron swimmeth and feathers sink.&#8221; &#8220;But,&#8221;
+continueth Sir Thomas, &#8220;Andrew Thevet, in his Cosmography, doth ocularly
+overthrow it, for he affirmeth he saw an ass with his saddle cast therein
+and drowned.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Another legend is equally absurd, that birds, attempting to fly over the
+lake, fall, stifled by its horrible vapors. &#8220;It is very common,&#8221; says
+Volney, &#8220;to see swallows skimming its surface, and dipping for the water,
+necessary to build their nests.&#8221; Mr. Stephens, in his Incidents of Travel,
+vol. ii. chap. 15, gives an interesting account of the Dead Sea, and
+says&mdash;&#8220;I saw a flock of gulls floating quietly on its bosom.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It has been roundly asserted, that, in very clear weather, the ruins of
+the cities, destroyed by the conflagration, are visible beneath the
+waters. Josephus soberly avers, that a smoke constantly arose from the
+lake, whose waters changed their color three times daily.</p>
+
+<p>The waters of Jordan and of the brooks Kishon, Jabbok, and Arnon, flow
+into the Dead Sea, yet produce no perceptible rise of its surface. The
+influx from these mountain streams is considerable. Hence another legend,
+to account for this mystery&mdash;a subterraneous communication with the
+Mediterranean&mdash;which would surely make the matter worse, for Dr. Jenks and
+other writers state, that &#8220;the waters lie in a deep caldron, many hundred
+feet <i>below</i> the Mediterranean.&#8221; Evaporation, which is said to be very
+great, explains the mystery entirely. At the rising of the sun, dense fogs
+cover the lake.</p>
+
+<p>Chateaubriand says&mdash;&#8220;The first thing I did, on alighting, was to walk into
+the lake, up to my knees, and taste the water. I found it impossible to
+keep it in my mouth. It far exceeds that of the sea, in saltness, and
+produces, upon the lips, the effect of a strong solution of alum. Before
+my boots were completely dry, they were covered with salt; our clothes,
+our hats, our hands<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> were, in less than three hours, impregnated with this
+mineral.&#8221; &#8220;The origin of this mineral,&#8221; says Volney, &#8220;is easy to be
+discovered, for, on the southwest shore, are mines of fossil salt. They
+are situated, in the sides of the mountains, which extend along the
+border; and, for time immemorial, have supplied the neighboring Arabs, and
+even the city of Jerusalem.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Whoever,&#8221; says Mr. Carne, in his Letters from the East, &#8220;has seen the
+Dead Sea, will have its aspect impressed upon his memory. It is, in truth,
+a gloomy and fearful spectacle. The precipices, in general, descend
+abruptly to the lake, and, on account of their height, it is seldom
+agitated by the winds. Its shores are not visited, by any footstep, save
+that of the wild Arab, and he holds it in superstitious dread. On some
+parts of the rocks, there is a thick, sulphureous incrustation, and, in
+their steep descents, there are several deep caverns, where the benighted
+Bedouin sometimes finds a home. The sadness of the grave was on it and
+around it, and the silence also. However vivid the feelings are, on
+arriving on its shores, they subside, after a time, into languor and
+uneasiness; and you long, if it were possible, to see a tempest wake on
+its bosom, to give sound and life to the scene.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If we adopt,&#8221; says Chateaubriand, &#8220;the idea of Professor Michaelis, and
+the learned Busching, in his memoir on the Dead Sea, physics may be
+admitted, to explain the catastrophe of the guilty cities, without offence
+to religion. Sodom was built upon a mine of bitumen, as we know from the
+testimony of Moses and Josephus, who speak concerning wells of bitumen, in
+the valley of Siddim. Lightning kindled the combustible mass, and the
+cities sank in the subterranean conflagration.&#8221; In Calmet&#8217;s Dictionary of
+the Bible, vol. iii., article Lot, it is stated, that the Mahometans have
+added many circumstances to his history. They assert, that the angel
+Gabriel pried up the devoted cities so near to Heaven, that the angels
+actually heard the sound of the trumpets and horns, and even the yelping
+of puppies, in Sodom and Gomorrah: and that Gabriel then let the whole
+concern go with a terrible crash. Upon this, Calmet remarks,&mdash;&#8220;Romantic as
+this account appears, it preserves traces of an earthquake and a volcano,
+which were, in all probability, the <i>natural secondary cause</i> of the
+overthrow of Sodom, and of the formation of the Dead Sea.&#8221; Lot&#8217;s wife in
+my next.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XXXVI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The conversion of Lot&#8217;s wife into a pillar of salt has given rise to as
+much learned discussion, as the question, so zealously agitated, between
+Barcephas and others, whether the forbidden fruit were an <i>apple</i> or a
+<i>fig</i>. <i>But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar
+of salt.</i> Gen. xix. 26. Very little account seems to have been made of
+this matter, at the time. The whole story, and without note or comment, is
+told in these fifteen words. It would have seemed friendly, and natural,
+and proper, for Abraham to have said a few words of comfort to Lot, on
+this sudden and singular bereavement; but, instead of this, we are told,
+in the following verse, that Abraham got up, next morning, and looked,
+very philosophically, at the smoke, which went up from the cities of the
+plain, like the smoke of a furnace. This neglect of Lot&#8217;s wife is, too
+frequently, a wife&#8217;s lot. Some of the learned have been sorely perplexed,
+to understand, why this unfortunate lady has not long since melted away,
+under the influence of the rains; for a considerable quantity of water has
+fallen, since the destruction of Sodom. But they seem to forget, that
+there is no measure of limitation, for a miracle; and that the salt might
+have been purposely designed, like <i>caoutchouc</i>, to resist the action of
+water. The departure from Sodom was sudden, to be sure; but the lady was
+clothed, in some sort, doubtless; yet nothing has been said, by
+travellers, about her drapery, and whether that also was converted into
+salt, or cast off, by the mere energy of the miracle, is unknown.</p>
+
+<p>This pillar of salt Josephus says he has seen; and, though he does not
+name the time, it is of little consequence, as, in such a matter, we can
+well afford to throw in a century or two; but it must have been between A.
+D. 37, and a point, not long after the 13th year of Domitian. Such being
+the term of the existence of Josephus, as nearly as can be ascertained.
+The cities of the plain were destroyed, according to Calmet&#8217;s reckoning,
+1893 years before Christ; therefore, <i>the pillar</i>, which Josephus saw,
+must have then been standing more than nineteen centuries. These are the
+words of Josephus: &#8220;<i>But Lot&#8217;s wife, continually turning back, to view the
+city, as she went from it, and being too nicely inquisitive what would
+become<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> of it, although God had forbidden her so to do, was changed into a
+pillar of salt, for I have seen it, and it remains at this day</i>.&#8221; Antiq.,
+vol. i. p. 32, Whiston&#8217;s translation, Lond. 1825. The editor, in a note
+states, that Clement of Rome, a cotemporary of Josephus, also saw it, and
+that Iren&aelig;us saw it, in the next century. Mr. Whiston prudently declines
+being responsible for the statements of modern travellers, who say they
+have seen it. And what did they see?&mdash;a pillar of salt. This is quite
+probable. Volney remarks, &#8220;At intervals we met with misshapen blocks,
+which prejudiced eyes mistake for mutilated statues, and which pass, with
+ignorant and superstitious pilgrims, for monuments of the adventure of
+Lot&#8217;s wife; though it is nowhere said that she was metamorphosed into
+stone, like Niobe, but into salt, which must have melted the ensuing
+winter.&#8221; Volney forgets, that the salt itself was miraculous, and,
+doubtless, water proof.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Stephens, in his Incidents of Travel, though he gives a description of
+the Dead Sea, in whose waters he bathed, says not a syllable of Lot&#8217;s
+wife, or the pillar of salt.</p>
+
+<p>Some of the learned have opined, that Lot&#8217;s wife, like Pliny, during the
+eruption of Vesuvius, was overwhelmed, by the burning and flying masses of
+sulphur and bitumen; this is suggested, under the article, Lot&#8217;s Wife, in
+Calmet. &#8220;Some travellers in Palestine,&#8221; says he, &#8220;relate that Lot&#8217;s wife
+was shown to them, i. e. the rock, into which she was metamorphosed. But
+what renders their testimony very suspicious is, that they do not agree,
+about the place, where it stands; some saying westward, others eastward,
+some northward, others southward of the Dead Sea; others in the midst of
+the waters; others in Zoar; others at a great distance from the city.&#8221; In
+1582, Prince Nicholas Radziville took a vast deal of pains to discover
+this remarkable pillar of salt, but all his inquiries were fruitless. Dr.
+Adam Clarke suggests, that Lot&#8217;s wife, by lingering in the plain, may have
+been struck dead with lightning, and enveloped in the bituminous and
+sulphureous matter, that descended. He refers to a number of stories, that
+have been told, and among them, that this pillar possessed a miraculous,
+reproductive energy, whereby the fingers and toes of the unfortunate lady
+were regenerated, instanter, as fast as they were broken off, by the hands
+of pilgrims. Iren&aelig;us, one of the fathers, asserts, that this pillar of
+salt was <i>actually alive in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> time</i>! Some of those fathers, I am
+grieved to say it, were insufferable story-tellers. This tale is also
+told, by the author of a poem, <i>De Sodoma</i>, appended to the life of
+Tertullian. Some learned men understand the Hebrew to mean simply, that
+&#8220;<i>she became fixed in the salsuginous soil</i>&#8221;&mdash;anglice, <i>stuck in the mud</i>.
+If this be the real meaning of the passage, it must have been some other
+lady, that was seen by Josephus, Clement, Iren&aelig;us, and Lieut. Lynch.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Thomas Browne, credulous though he was, had, probably, no great
+confidence in the <i>literal</i> construction of the passage in Genesis. In
+vol. iii. page 327, of his works, London, 1835, he says&mdash;&#8220;We will not
+question the metamorphosis of Lot&#8217;s wife, or whether she were transformed
+into a real statue of salt; though some conceive that expression
+metaphorical, and no more thereby than a lasting and durable column,
+according to the nature of salt, which admitteth no corruption.&#8221; This is
+evidently the opinion of Dr. Adam Clarke. In other words, God, by her
+destruction, while her husband and daughters were saved, made her a
+<i>pillar or lasting memorial</i> to the disobedient. In this sense a pillar of
+<i>salt</i> means neither more nor less than an <i>everlasting memorial</i>. Salt is
+the symbol of perpetuity; thus Numbers xviii. 19. <i>It is a covenant of
+salt forever</i>: and 2 Chron. xvii. 5, the kingdom is given to David and his
+sons forever, <i>by a covenant of salt</i>. If this be the true construction,
+those four gentlemen, to whom I have referred, have been entirely misled,
+in supposing that any one of those masses of salt, which Volney says may
+be mistaken, for the remains of mutilated statues, has ever, at any period
+of the world, been the object of Lot&#8217;s devotion, or the partner of his
+joys and sorrows.</p>
+
+<p>In vol. ii. page 212, of his Incidents of Travel, New York, 1848, Mr.
+Stephens, referring to an account, received by him, respecting what he
+supposed to be an island in the Dead Sea, writes thus&mdash;&#8220;<i>It comes from one
+who ought to know, from the only man, who ever made the tour of that sea,
+and lived to tell of it</i>.&#8221; If Mr. Stephens will look at Chateaubriand&#8217;s
+Travels, and his fine description of the Dead Sea, he will find there the
+following passage: &#8220;<i>No person has yet made the tour of it but Daniel,
+abbot of St. Saba. Nau has preserved in his travels the narrative of that
+recluse. From his account we learn</i>,&#8221; &amp;c.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The celebrated lake,&#8221; says Chateaubriand, &#8220;which <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span>occupies the site of
+Sodom, is called in Scripture the Dead or Salt Sea.&#8221; Not so: it is no
+where called the Dead Sea, in the sacred writings. By the Turks, it is
+called Ula Deguisi, and by the Arabs, Bahar Loth and Almotanah.</p>
+
+<p>It is quite desirable for travellers to be well apprized of all, that is
+previously known, in regard to the field of their peregrination. Goldsmith
+once projected a plan of visiting the East, for the purpose of bringing to
+England such inventions and models, as might be useful. Johnson laughed at
+the idea, and denounced Goldsmith, as entirely incompetent, from his
+ignorance of what already existed&mdash;&#8220;he will bring home a wheelbarrow,&#8221;
+said Johnson, &#8220;and think he had made a great addition to our stock.&#8221; Mr.
+Stephens has preserved a respectable silence, on the subject of Lot&#8217;s
+wife.</p>
+
+<p>The island, which is above referred to, turned out, like Sancho&#8217;s in
+Barrataria, to be an optical illusion. The Maltese sailor, who said he had
+rowed about the lake with his employer, a Mr. Costigan, who died on its
+shores, was disposed, after fingering his fee, to enlarge and improve his
+former narrative. Mr. Stephens does not give the date of Costigan&#8217;s visit
+to the Dead Sea. He, however, furnishes a linear map of its form. This
+also is drawn by the Maltese sailor, from memory. All that can be said of
+it is, that it corresponds with other plans, in one particular,&mdash;the
+Jordan enters the sea, at its northern extremity. Probably, no very
+accurate plan is to be found, such have been the impediments in the way of
+any deliberate examination&mdash;unless Lieutenant Lynch has succeeded in the
+work. The figure of the Dead Sea, in the Atlas of Lucas, has no
+resemblance to the figure, in the late Bible Atlas by Dr. Jenks.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXXVII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Dr. Johnson said, if an atheist came into his house, he would lock up his
+spoons. I have always distrusted a sexton, who did not cherish a sentiment
+of profound and cordial affection, for his bell. It did my heart good,
+when a boy, to mark the proud satisfaction, with which Lutton, the sexton
+of the Old Brick, used to ring for fire. I have no confidence in a
+fellow,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> who can toll his bell, for a funeral, and listen to its deep, and
+solemn vibrations, without a gentle subduing of the spirit. I never had a
+great affection for Clafflin, the sexton of Berry Street Church; but I
+always respected the deep feeling of indignation he manifested, if anybody
+meddled with his bellrope.</p>
+
+<p>Bells were treated more honorably in the olden time, and ringing was an
+art&mdash;an accomplishment&mdash;then. Holden tells us some fine stories of the
+societies of ringers. In his youth, Sir Matthew Hale was a member of one
+of those societies. In 1687, Nell Gwinne&mdash;and it may be lawful to take the
+devil&#8217;s water, as Dr. Worcester said, to turn the Lord&#8217;s mill&mdash;Nell Gwinne
+left the ringers of the church bells of St. Martin&#8217;s-in-the-Fields, where
+there is a peal of twelve, a sum of money, for a weekly entertainment. I
+never shall get the chime of the North Church bells out of my ears&mdash;I hope
+I never shall&mdash;more than half an hundred years ago, my mother used to open
+the window, of a Christmas eve, that we might hear their music!</p>
+
+<p>In the olden time, bells were baptized&mdash;<i>rantized</i> I presume&mdash;and wore
+<i>posies</i> on their collars. They were first cast in England, in the reign
+of Edmund I., and the first tunable set, or peal, for Croyland Abbey, was
+cast A. D. 960. Weever tells us, in his Funeral Monuments, that, in 1501,
+the bells of the Priory of Little Dunmow, in Essex, were baptized, by the
+names of St. Michael, St. John, Virgin Mary, &amp;c. As late as 1816, the
+great bell of Notre Dame, in Paris, was baptized, by the name of the Duke
+of Angouleme. Bells were supposed to be invested with extraordinary
+powers. They were employed, not only to call the congregation together, to
+give notice of conflagrations, civil commotions, and the approach of an
+enemy, and to ring forth the merry holiday peal&mdash;but to quell tempests,
+pacify the restless dead, and arrest the very lightning. Bells often bore
+inscriptions like these:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Laudo Deum verum, plebem voco, conjugo clerum,<br />
+Defunctos ploro, pestem fugo, festa decoro.<br />
+<br />
+Funera plango; Fulgura frango; Sabbata pango;<br />
+Excito lentos; Dissipo ventos; Paco cruentos.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>passing bell</i> was the bell, which announced to the people, according
+to Mabillon, that a spirit was taking its flight, or <i>passing away</i>, and
+demanding their prayers. Bells were also used to frighten away evil
+spirits, that were supposed to be on the watch, for their customers. The
+learned Durandus affirms,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> that all sorts of devils have a terror of
+bells. This, of course, can only be true of bells, that have been received
+into the flock, that is, baptized. Such was the Popish belief, and that
+the very devil, himself, cared not a fig, for an unbaptized bell. De
+Worde, in his Golden Legend, sayeth &#8220;it is said the evill spirytes that
+ben in the regyon of the ayre doubte moche, when they here the belles
+rongen, and this is the cause why the belles ben rongen, whan it
+thondreth, and when grate tempests and outrages of wether happen, to the
+ende that the feinds and wycked spirytes should be abashed and flee, and
+cease of the movinge of tempests.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Compared with the big bells of the earth&mdash;ours&mdash;the very largest&mdash;are
+cowbells, at best. The great bell of St. Paul&#8217;s weighs 8400 pounds&mdash;a
+small affair; Great Tom of Lincoln, 9894&mdash;Great Tom of Oxford, 17,000.
+This is precisely the weight of the bell of the Palazzo, at Florence;&mdash;St.
+Peter&#8217;s at Rome, 18,607&mdash;the great bell at Erfurth, 28,224&mdash;St. Joan&#8217;s
+bell, at Moscow, 127,836&mdash;the bell of the Kremlin, 443,772. The last is
+the marvel of travellers, and its metal, at a low estimate, is valued at
+&pound;66,565. During the fusion of this bell, considerable quantities of gold
+and silver were cast in, the pious contribution of the people. This
+enormous mass has never been suspended.</p>
+
+<p>There was a bell&mdash;<i>parvis componere magna</i>&mdash;a very little bell
+indeed&mdash;very&mdash;a perfect <i>tintinabulum</i>. It made a most ridiculous noise.
+An account of this bell may be found, in a pamphlet, entitled Historical
+Notices, &amp;c., of the New North Religious Society, in the town of Boston,
+1822. It weighed, says the writer, &#8220;<i>between three and four hundred</i>.&#8221;
+Twelve or thirteen hundred such bells, therefore, would just about
+counterpoise the bell of the Kremlin. &#8220;Its tone,&#8221; says the writer, &#8220;<i>was
+unpleasant</i>.&#8221; The preposterous clatter of this bell was, nevertheless, the
+gathering cry of the worshippers, at the New North Church, for the term of
+eighty-three years, from 1719 to 1802, when it was purchased by the town
+of Charlton, in the county of Worcester; probably to frighten the <i>evyll
+spirytes</i>, in the shape of wolves and foxes, abounding there, that would
+be likely to <i>doubte moche</i>, when this bell was <i>ben rongen</i>. Not to look
+a gift horse in the mouth is a proverb&mdash;not to criticise the tone of a
+gift bell may be another. This bell, which a stout South Down wether might
+almost have carried off, was the gift<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> of <i>Mr. John Frizzell</i>, a merchant
+of Boston, to the New North Church, <i>on the island of North Boston</i>, as
+all that portion of the town was then called, lying North of Mill Creek.
+On the principle which gave the title of Bell the Cat to the famous
+Archibald, Frizzell should have borne the name of Bell the Church. Let it
+pass: Frizzell and his little bell are both translated. The tongue of the
+former is still; that of the latter still waggeth, I believe, in the town
+of Charlton.</p>
+
+<p>The authenticity of the statements in the pamphlet to which I have
+referred, admits not of a doubt. The name of its highly respectable
+author, though not upon the title-page, appears in the certificate of
+copyright; and, in the range of my limited reading, I have met with
+nothing, more curious and grotesque, than his account of the installation
+of the Rev. Peter Thacher, over the New North Church, Jan. 27, 1720. Upon
+no less respectable evidence, would I have believed, that our amiable
+ancestors could have acted so much like <i>evil spirytes</i>, upon such an
+occasion. I have not elbow room for the farce entire&mdash;one or two touches
+must suffice. After agreeing upon a mode of choosing a colleague, for the
+Rev. Mr. Webb, and pitching upon Mr. Thacher, a quarrel arose, among the
+people. The council met, on the day of installation, at the house of the
+Rev. Mr. Webb, at the corner of North Bennet and Salem Streets. The
+aggrieved assembled, at the house of Thomas Lee, in Bennet Street, next to
+the Universal meeting-house. A knowledge of these points is necessary, for
+a correct understanding of the subsequent strategy. If the Council
+attempted to go to the New North Church, through the street, in the usual
+way, they must necessarily pass Lee&#8217;s house. The aggrieved waited on the
+Council, by a committee, requesting them not to proceed with the
+installation of Mr. Thacher; and assuring them, that, if they persisted,
+force would be used, to prevent their occupation of the church.</p>
+
+<p>Instead, therefore, of proceeding through the street, the Rev. Mr. Webb
+led the Council, by his back gate, through Love Lane, and a little alley,
+leading to the meeting-house, and thus got possession of the pulpit. Thus,
+by a knowledge of by-ways, so important in the <i>petite guerre</i>, the worthy
+clergyman outwitted the malcontents. A mob, to whom an installation, in
+such sort, was highly acceptable, had already gathered. The party at Lee&#8217;s
+house, being apprised of the ruse, and perceiving they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> were <i>in danger of
+the council</i>, flew to the rescue. They rushed into the church;
+vociferously forbade the proceedings, and were &#8220;<i>indecent</i>,&#8221; says the
+writer, &#8220;<i>almost beyond credibility</i>.&#8221; &#8220;However incredible,&#8221; continues the
+narrator, &#8220;it is a fact, that some of the most unruly did sprinkle a
+liquor, which shall be nameless, from the galleries, upon the people
+below.&#8221; The wife of Josiah Langdon used to tell, with great asperity, of
+her being a sufferer by it. This good lady retained her resentment to old
+age&mdash;the filthy creatures entirely spoiled a new velvet hood, which she
+had made for the occasion, and she could not wear it again.</p>
+
+<p>In the midst of this uproar, Mr. Thacher was installed. &#8220;The malcontents,&#8221;
+says the writer, &#8220;went off in a bad humor. They proceeded to the gathering
+of another church. In the plenitude of their zeal, they first thought of
+denominating it the <i>Revenge</i> Church of Christ; but they thought better of
+it, and called it the New Brick Church. However, the first name was
+retained, for many years, among the common people. Their zeal was great,
+indeed, and descended to puerility. They placed the figure of a cock, as a
+vane, upon the steeple, out of derision of Mr. Thacher, whose Christian
+name was Peter. Taking advantage of a wind, which turned the head of the
+cock towards the New North Meeting-house, when it was placed upon the
+spindle, a merry fellow straddled over it, and crowed three times, to
+complete the ceremony.&#8221; The solemn, if not the sublime, and the
+ridiculous, seem, not unfrequently, to have met together at ordinations,
+in the olden time. &#8220;I could mention an ordination,&#8221; says the Rev. Leonard
+Woods, of Andover, in a letter, written and published, a few years since,
+&#8220;that took place about twenty years ago, at which I, myself, was ashamed
+and grieved, to see two aged ministers literally drunk; and a third
+indecently excited with strong drink. These disgusting and appalling facts
+I should wish might be concealed. But they were made public, by the guilty
+persons; and I have thought it just and proper to mention them, in order
+to show how much we owe to a compassionate God, for the great deliverance
+he has wrought.&#8221; Legitimate occasion for a Te Deum this, most certainly.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XXXVIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The <i>pr&aelig;fic&aelig;</i>, or mourning women, were not confined to Greece, Rome, and
+Judea. In 1810, Colonel Keatinge published the history of his travels. His
+account of Moorish funerals, is, probably, the best on record. The dead
+are dressed in their best attire. The ears, nostrils, and eyelids are
+filled with costly spices. Virgins are ornamented with bracelets, on their
+wrists and ankles. The body is enfolded in sanctified linen. If a male, a
+turban is placed at the head of the coffin; if a female, a large bouquet.
+Before a virgin is buried, the <i>loo loo loo</i> is sung, by hired women, that
+she may have the benefit of the wedding song. &#8220;When a person,&#8221; says Mr.
+Keatinge, &#8220;is thought to be dying, he is immediately surrounded by his
+friends, who begin to scream, in the most hideous manner, to convince him
+that there is no more hope, and that he is already reckoned among the
+dead.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Premature burial is said to be very common, among the Moors. For this, Mr.
+Keatinge accounts, in this manner: &#8220;As, according to their religion, they
+cannot think the departed happy, till they are under ground, they are
+washed instantly, while yet warm; and the greatest consolation the sick
+man&#8217;s friends can have, is to see him smile, while this operation is
+performing; not supposing such an appearance to be a convulsion,
+occasioned by washing and exposing the unfortunate person to the cold air,
+before life has taken its final departure.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>When a death occurs, the relations immediately set up the <i>wooliah woo</i>;
+or death scream. This cry is caught up, from house to house, and hundreds
+of women are instantly gathered to the spot. They come to scream and mourn
+with the bereaved. This species of condolence is very happily described by
+Colonel Keatinge, page 92. &#8220;They,&#8221; the howlers, &#8220;take her,&#8221; the mother,
+widow or daughter, &#8220;in their arms, lay her head on their shoulders, and
+scream without intermission for several minutes, till the afflicted
+object, stunned with the constant howling and a repetition of her
+misfortune, sinks senseless on the floor. They likewise hire a number of
+women, who make this horrid noise round the bier, over which they scratch
+their faces, to such a degree, that they appear to have been bled with a
+lancet. These women are hired at burials, weddings and feasts.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> Their
+voices are heard at the distance of half a mile. It is the custom of
+those, who can afford it, to give, on the evening of the day the corpse is
+buried, a quantity of hot-dressed victuals to the poor. This, they call
+&#8220;the supper of the grave.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Dr. E. D. Clarke observes, in his Travels in Egypt, Lond., 1817, that he
+recognized, among the Egyptians, the same notes, and the repetition of the
+same syllables, in their funeral cries, that had become familiar to his
+ear, on like occasions, among the Russians and the Irish.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Martin, in his account of the Tonga Islands, in the South Pacific,
+compiled from Mariner&#8217;s papers, in his narrative of the funeral of a
+chief, states, that the women mourned over the corpse, through the whole
+night, sitting as near as possible, singing their dismal death song, and
+beating their breasts and faces.</p>
+
+<p>The desire, to magnify one&#8217;s apostleship, is, doubtless, at the bottom of
+all extravagant demonstrations of sorrow, at funerals, in the form of
+screaming, howling, yelling, personal laceration, and disfigurement. In
+the highly interesting account of the missionary enterprise, upon which
+the Duff was employed, in 1796, it was stated, that, at the funeral of a
+chief of Tongataboo, the people of both sexes continued, during two days,
+to mangle and hack themselves, in a shocking manner;&mdash;some thrust spears,
+through their thighs, arms, and cheeks; others beat their heads, till the
+blood gushed forth in streams; one man, having oiled his hair, set it on
+fire, and ran about the area, with his head in a blaze. This was a burning
+shame, beyond all doubt. I never forget old Tasman&#8217;s bowl, when I think of
+this island. Tasman discovered Tongataboo, in 1643. At parting, he gave
+the chief a wooden bowl. Cook found this bowl, on the island, one hundred
+and thirty years afterwards. It had been used as a divining bowl, to
+ascertain the guilt or innocence of persons, charged with crimes. When the
+chief was absent, at some other of the Friendly Islands, the bowl was
+considered as his representative, and honored accordingly. Captain Cook
+presented the reigning chief with a pewter platter, and the bowl became
+immediately <i>functus officio</i>, the platter taking its place, for the
+purposes of divination.</p>
+
+<p>In 1818, Captain Tuckey published the account of his expedition, to
+explore the Zaire, or Congo river. He describes a funeral, at Embomma, the
+chief mart, on that river. In returning to their vessel, after a visit to
+the chief, Chenoo, the party<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> observed a hut, in which the corpse of a
+female was deposited, dressed as when alive. On the inside were four women
+howling lustily, to whom two men, outside, responded; the concert closely
+resembling the yell, at an Irish funeral. Captain Tuckey should not have
+spoken so thoughtlessly of the <i>keena</i>, the funeral cry of the wild Irish,
+the most unearthly sound, that ever came from the agonized lungs of
+mortal. For the most perfect description of this peculiar scream, this
+inimitable hella-baloo, the reader may turn to Mrs. Hall&#8217;s incomparable
+account of an Irish funeral. In close connection with this incident,
+Captain Tuckey, p. 115, remarks, that, in passing through the burying
+ground, at Embomma, they saw two graves, recently prepared, of monstrous
+size, being not less than nine feet by five.</p>
+
+<p>This he explains as follows:&mdash;&#8220;Simmons (a native, returned from England to
+his native country) requested a piece of cloth to envelop his aunt, who
+had been dead seven years, and was to be buried in two months. The manner
+of preserving corpses, for so long a time, is by enveloping them in the
+cloth of the country, or in European cotton. The wrappers are successively
+multiplied, as they can be procured by the relations of the deceased, or
+according to the rank of the person; in the case of a rich and very great
+man, the bulk being only limited, by the power of conveyance to the
+grave.&#8221; When the Spaniards entered the Province of Popayan, they found a
+similar practice there, with this difference, that the corpse was
+partially roasted, before it was enveloped. When a chief dies, among the
+Caribs of Guyana, his wives, the whole flock of them, watch the corpse for
+thirty days, to keep off the flies,&mdash;a task which becomes daily more
+burdensome, as the attraction becomes greater. At the expiration of thirty
+days, it is buried, and one of the ladies, probably the best beloved, with
+it.</p>
+
+<p>Some of the Orinoco tribes were in the practice of tying a rope to the
+corpse, and sinking it in the river; in twenty-four hours, it was picked
+clean to the bones, by the fishes, and the skeleton became a very
+convenient and tidy memorial. This is decidedly preferable to the mode,
+adopted by the Parsees. Their sacred books enjoin them not to pollute
+<i>earth</i>, <i>water</i>, or <i>fire</i>, with their dead. They therefore feel
+authorized to pollute the air. They bury not; but place the corpses at a
+distance, and leave them to their fate. It was the opinion of Menu, that
+the body<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> was a tenement, scarcely worth inhabiting; &#8220;a mansion,&#8221; says he,
+&#8220;with bones for beams and rafters,&mdash;nerves and tendons for cords; muscles
+and blood for mortar; skin for its outward covering; a mansion, infested
+by age and sorrow, the seat of many maladies, harassed with pains, haunted
+with darkness, and utterly incapable of standing long&mdash;such a mansion let
+the vital soul, its tenant, always quit cheerfully.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This contempt for the tabernacle&mdash;the carcass&mdash;the outer man&mdash;strangely
+contrasts with that deep regard for it, evinced by the Egyptians, and such
+of the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, as were in the practice of embalming.
+When that extraordinary man, Sir Thomas Browne, exclaimed, in his
+Hydriotaphia, &#8220;who knows the fate of his bones or how oft he shall be
+buried? Who hath the oracle of his ashes, or whither they are to be
+scattered?&#8221; he, doubtless, was thinking of Egyptian mummies, transported
+to Europe, forming a part of the materia medica, and being actually
+swallowed as physic. A writer, in the London Quarterly, vol. 21, p. 363,
+states, that, when the old traveller, John Sanderson, returned to England,
+six hundred pounds of mummies were brought home, for the Turkey Company. I
+am aware, that it has been denied, by some, that the Egyptian mummies were
+broken up, and sent to Europe, for medicinal uses. By them it is asserted,
+that what the druggists have been supplied with is the flesh of executed
+criminals, or such others, as the Jews can obtain, filled with bitumen,
+aloes and other things, and baked, till the juices are exhaled, and the
+embalming matter has fitted the body for transportation. The Lord deliver
+us from such &#8220;<i>doctors&#8217; stuff</i>&#8221; as this.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XXXIX.</h2>
+
+
+<p><i>Non sumito, nisi vocatus</i>: let no man presume to be an undertaker, unless
+he have a <i>vocation</i>&mdash;unless he be <i>called</i>. If these are not the words of
+Puddifant, to whom I shall presently refer, I have no other conjecture to
+offer. Though, when a boy, I had a sort of hankering after dead men&#8217;s
+bones, as I have already related, I never felt myself truly called to be a
+sexton, until June, 1799. It was in that month and year, that Governor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span>
+Sumner was buried. The parade was very great, not only because he had been
+a Governor, but because he had been a very good man. All the sextons were
+on duty, but Lutton, as we called him&mdash;his real name was Lemuel Ludden. He
+was the sexton of the Old Brick, where my parents had worshipped, under
+dear parson Clarke, who died, the year before. He had the cleverest way,
+that man ever had, of winning little boys&#8217; hearts&mdash;he really seemed to
+have the key to their little souls. Lutton was sick&mdash;he was not able to
+officiate, on that memorable day; and no recently appointed ensign ever
+felt such a privation more keenly, on the very day of battle. He was a
+whole-souled sexton, that Lutton. He, most obligingly, took me into the
+Old Brick Church, where Joy&#8217;s buildings now stand, to see the show. There
+was a half-crazy simpleton, whom it was difficult to prevent from capering
+before the corpse&mdash;a perfect Davie Gelatly. An awkward boy, whose name was
+Reuben Rankin, came from Salem, with a small cart-load of pies, which his
+mother had baked, and sent to Boston, hoping for a ready sale, upon the
+occasion of such an assemblage there. Like Grouchy, at Waterloo, he lost
+his <i>t&egrave;te</i>; followed the procession, through every street; and returned to
+Salem, with all his wares.</p>
+
+<p>It was, while contemplating the high satisfaction, beaming forth, upon the
+features of the chief undertaker, that I first felt my <i>vocation</i>. I
+ventured, timidly, to ask old Lutton, if he thought I had talents for the
+office. He said, he thought I might succeed, clapped me on the shoulder,
+and gave me a smile of encouragement, which I never shall forget, till my
+poor old arm can wield a spade no more, and the sod, which I have so
+frequently turned upon others, shall be turned upon me.</p>
+
+<p>Old Grossman said, in my hearing, the following morning, that it had been
+the proudest day of his life. It is very pardonable, for an undertaker, on
+such occasions, to imagine himself the observed of all observers. This
+fancy is, by no means, confined to undertakers. Chief mourners of both
+sexes are very liable to the same impression. An over-estimate of one&#8217;s
+own importance is pretty universal, especially in a republic. I never did
+go the length of believing the tale, related, by Peter, in his letter to
+his kinsfolk, who says he knew a Scotch weaver, who sat upon his stoop,
+and read the Edinburgh Review, till he actually thought he wrote it. I see
+nothing to smile at, in any man&#8217;s belief, that he is the object of public
+attention, on occasions of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span>parade and pageantry. It rather indicates the
+deep interest of the individual&mdash;a solemn sense of responsibility. At the
+late water celebration, I noticed many examples of this species of
+personal enthusiasm. The drivers of the Oak Hall and Sarsaparilla
+expresses were no mean illustrations; and when three cheers were given to
+the elephant, near the Museum, in Tremont Street, I was pleased to see
+several of the officials, and one, at least, of the water commissioners,
+touch their hats, and smile most graciously, in return.</p>
+
+<p>Puddifant, to whom I have alluded, officiated as sexton, at the funeral of
+Charles I. What a broad field, for painful contemplation, lies here! It is
+a curious fact, that, while preparations were being made, for depositing
+the body of King Charles in St. George&#8217;s Chapel, at Windsor, a common foot
+soldier is supposed to have stolen a bone from the coffin of Henry VIII.,
+for the purpose of making a knife-handle. This account is so curious, that
+I give it entire from Wood&#8217;s Athen&aelig; Oxonienses, folio edit. vol. ii., p.
+703. &#8220;Those gentlemen, therefore, Herbert and Mildmay, thinking fit to
+submit, and leave the choice of the place of burial to those great
+persons, (the Duke of Richmond, Marquis of Hertford, and Earl of Lindsey)
+they, in like manner, viewed the tomb house and the choir; and one of the
+Lords, beating gently upon the pavement with his staff, perceived a hollow
+sound; and, thereupon ordering the stones to be removed, they discovered a
+descent into a vault, where two coffins were laid, near one another, the
+one very large, of an antique form, and the other little. These they
+supposed to be the bodies of Henry VIII., and his third wife, Queen Jane
+Seymour, as indeed they were. The velvet palls, that covered their
+coffins, seemed fresh, though they had lain there, above one hundred
+years. The Lords agreeing, that the King&#8217;s body should be in the same
+vault interred, being about the middle of the choir, over against the
+eleventh stall, upon the sovereign&#8217;s side, they gave orders to have the
+King&#8217;s name, and year he died, cut in lead; which, whilst the workmen were
+about, the Lords went out, and gave Puddifant, the sexton, order to lock
+the chapel door, and not suffer any to stay therein, till further notice.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The sexton did his best to clear the chapel; nevertheless, Isaac, the
+sexton&#8217;s man, said that a foot soldier had hid himself so as he was not
+discovered; and, being greedy of prey, crept into the vault, and cut so
+much of the velvet pall, that covered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> the great body, as he judged would
+hardly be missed, and wimbled a hole through the said coffin that was
+largest, probably fancying that there was something well worth his
+adventure. The sexton, at his opening the door, espied the sacrilegious
+person; who, being searched, a bone was found about him, with which he
+said he would haft a knife. The girdle or circumscription of capital
+letters of lead put upon the King&#8217;s coffin had only these words&mdash;King
+Charles, 1648.&#8221; This statement perfectly agrees with Sir Henry Halford&#8217;s
+account of the examination, April 1, 1813, in presence of the Prince
+Regent.</p>
+
+<p>Cromwell had a splendid funeral: good old John Evelyn saw it all, and
+describes it in his diary&mdash;the waxen effigy, lying in royal robes, upon a
+velvet bed of state, with crown, sceptre and globe&mdash;in less than two years
+suspended with a rope round the neck, from a window at Whitehall. Evelyn
+says, the &#8220;funeral was the joyfullest ever seen: none cried but the dogs,
+which the soldiers hooted away with a barbarous noise, drinking and taking
+tobacco in the streets as they went.&#8221; Some have said that Cromwell&#8217;s body
+was privately buried, by his own request, in the field of Naseby: others,
+that it was sunk in the Thames, to prevent insult. It was not so. When,
+upon the restoration, it was decided, to reverse the popular sentiment,
+Oliver&#8217;s body was sought, in the middle aisle of Henry VII&#8217;s chapel, and
+there it was found. A thin case of lead lay upon the breast, containing a
+copper plate, finely gilt, and thus inscribed&mdash;Oliverius, Protector
+reipublic&aelig; Angli&aelig;, Scoti&aelig;, et Hiberni&aelig;, natus 25 April, 1599&mdash;inauguratus
+16 Decembris 1653&mdash;mortuus 3 Septembris ann&mdash;1658. Hic situs est. This
+plate, in 1773, was in possession of the Hon George Hobart of Nocton in
+Lincolnshire. By a vote of the House of Commons, Cromwell&#8217;s and Ireton&#8217;s
+bodies were taken up, Jan. 26, 1660&mdash;and, on the Monday night following,
+they were drawn, on two carts, to the Red Lion Inn, Holborn, where they
+remained all night; and, with Bradshaw&#8217;s, which was not exhumed, till the
+day after, conveyed, on sledges, to Tyburn, and hanged on the gallows,
+till sunset. They were then beheaded&mdash;the trunks were buried in a hole,
+near the gallows, and their heads set on poles, on the top of Westminster
+Hall, where Cromwell&#8217;s long remained.</p>
+
+<p>The treatment of Oliver&#8217;s character has been in perfect keeping, with the
+treatment of his carcass. The extremes of censure and of praise have been
+showered upon his name. He has been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> canonized, and cursed. The most
+judicious writers have expressed their views of his character, in
+well-balanced phrases. Cardinal Mazarin styled him <i>a fortunate mad-man</i>;
+and, by Father Orleans, he was called a <i>judicious villain</i>. The opinion
+of impartial men will probably vary very little from that of Clarendon,
+through all time: he says of Cromwell&mdash;&#8220;he was one of those men, <i>quos
+vituperare ne inimici quidem possunt, nisi ut simul laudent</i>;&#8221; and again,
+vol. vii. 301, Oxford ed. 1826: &#8220;In a word, as he was guilty of many
+crimes, against which damnation is denounced, and for which hell-fire is
+prepared, so he had some good qualities, which have caused the memory of
+some men, in all ages, to be celebrated; and he will be looked upon by
+posterity as <i>a brave wicked man</i>.&#8221; Oliver had the nerve to do what most
+men could not: he went to look upon the corpse of the beheaded
+king&mdash;opened the coffin with his own hand&mdash;and put his finger to the neck,
+where it had been severed. <i>He could not then doubt that Charles was
+dead.</i></p>
+
+<p>At the same time, when the authorized absurdities were perpetrated upon
+Oliver&#8217;s body, every effort was ineffectually made to discover that of
+King Charles, for the purpose of paying to it the highest honors. This
+occurred at the time of the restoration, or about ten years after the
+death of Charles I. In 1813, i. e. one hundred and sixty-five years after
+that event, the body was accidentally discovered. To this fact, and to the
+examination by Sir Henry Halford, President of the Royal College of
+Physicians, I shall refer in my next.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XL.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The passage, quoted in my last, from the Athen&aelig; Oxonienses, shows plainly,
+that Charles I. was buried in 1648, in the same vault with the bodies of
+Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour; and this statement is perfectly sustained,
+by the remarkable discovery in 1813, which proves Lord Clarendon to have
+been mistaken in his account, Hist. Reb., Oxford ed., vol. vi. p. 243. The
+Duke of Richmond, the Marquis of Hertford, and the Earls of Southampton
+and Lindsey, who had been of the bed chamber, and had obtained leave, to
+perform the last duty to the decollated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> king, went into the church, at
+Windsor, to seek a place for the interment, and were greatly perplexed, by
+the mutilations and changes there&mdash;&#8220;At last,&#8221; says Clarendon, &#8220;there was a
+fellow of the town, who undertook to tell them the place, where he said
+there was a vault, in which King Harry, the Eighth, and Queen Jane Seymour
+were interred. As near that place, as could conveniently be, they caused
+the grave to be made. There the king&#8217;s body was laid, without any words,
+or other ceremonies, than the tears and sighs of the few beholders. Upon
+the coffin was a plate of silver fixed with these words only: &#8216;King
+Charles, 1648.&#8217; When the coffin was put in, the black velvet pall, that
+had covered it, was thrown over it, and then the earth thrown in.&#8221; <i>Such,
+clearly, could not have been the facts.</i></p>
+
+<p>Lord Clarendon then proceeds to speak of the impossibility of finding the
+body ten years after, when it was the wish of Charles II. to place it,
+with all honor, in the chapel of Henry VII., in Westminster Abbey. For
+this he accounts, by stating, that most of those present, at the
+<i>interment</i>, were dead or dispersed, at the restoration; and the memories
+of the remaining few had become so confused, that they could not designate
+the spot; and, after opening the ground, in several places, without
+success, they gave the matter up. Now there can be no doubt, that the body
+was placed in the vault, where it was found, in 1813, and that no
+<i>interment</i> took place, in the proper sense of that word. Had Richmond,
+Hertford, Southampton, or Lindsey been alive, or at hand, the <i>vault
+itself</i>, and not a spot <i>near the vault</i>, would, doubtless, have been
+indicated, as the resting place of King Charles. Wood, in the Athen&aelig;
+Oxonienses, states, that the royal corpse was &#8220;well coffined, and all
+afterwards wrapped up in lead and covered with a new velvet pall.&#8221; All
+this perfectly agrees with the account, given by Sir Henry Halford, and
+certified by the Prince Regent, in 1813.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Henry Halford states, that George the Fourth had built a mausoleum, at
+Windsor; and, while constructing a passage, under the choir of St.
+George&#8217;s Chapel, an opening was unintentionally made into the vault of
+Henry VIII., through which, the workmen saw, not only those two coffins,
+which were supposed to contain the bodies of Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour,
+but a third, covered with a black pall. Mr. Herbert&#8217;s account, quoted in
+my last number, from the Athen&aelig;, left little doubt, that this was the
+coffin of Charles I.; notwithstanding the statements<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> of Lord Clarendon,
+that the body was interred <i>near</i> the vault. An examination was made,
+April 1, 1813, in the presence of George IV., then Prince Regent, the Duke
+of Cumberland, Count Munster, the Dean of Windsor, Benjamin Charles
+Stevenson, Esq., and Sir Henry Halford; of which the latter published an
+account. London, 1831. This account is exceedingly interesting. &#8220;On
+removing the pall, a plain leaden coffin, with no appearance of ever
+having been enclosed in wood, and bearing an inscription, <span class="smcap">King Charles</span>,
+1648, in large legible characters, on a scroll of lead encircling it,
+immediately presented itself to view.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;A square opening was then made, in the upper part of the lid, of such
+dimensions, as to admit a clear insight into its contents. These were an
+internal wooden coffin, very much decayed, and the body carefully wrapped
+up in cere-cloth, into the folds of which a quantity of unctuous or greasy
+matter, mixed with resin, as it seemed, had been melted, so as to exclude,
+as effectually as possible, the external air. The coffin was completely
+full; and from the tenacity of the cere-cloth, great difficulty was
+experienced, in detaching it successfully from the parts, which it
+enveloped. Wherever the unctuous matter had insinuated itself, the
+separation of the cere-cloth was easy; and when it came off, a correct
+impression of the features, to which it had been applied, was observed in
+the unctuous substance. At length the whole face was disengaged from its
+covering. The complexion of the skin of it was dark and discolored. The
+forehead and temples had lost little or nothing of their muscular
+substance; the cartilage of the nose was gone; but the left eye, in the
+first moment of exposure, was open and full, though it vanished, almost
+immediately; and the pointed beard, so characteristic of the period of the
+reign of King Charles, was perfect. The shape of the face was a long oval;
+many of the teeth remained; and the left ear, in consequence of the
+interposition of the unctuous matter, between it and the cere-cloth, was
+found entire.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was difficult, at this moment, to withhold a declaration, that,
+notwithstanding its disfigurement, the countenance did bear a strong
+resemblance to the coins, the busts, and especially to the pictures of
+King Charles I., by Vandyke, by which it had been made familiar to us. It
+is true, that the minds of the spectators of this interesting sight were
+well prepared to receive this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> impression; but it is also certain, that
+such a facility of belief had been occasioned, by the simplicity and truth
+of Mr. Herbert&#8217;s narrative, every part of which had been confirmed by the
+investigation, so far as it had advanced; and it will not be denied, that
+the shape of the face, the forehead, an eye, and the beard, are the most
+important features, by which resemblance is determined.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;When the head had been entirely disengaged from the attachments, which
+confined it, it was found to be loose, and without any difficulty was
+taken up and held to view. It was quite wet, and gave a greenish and red
+tinge to paper and to linen, which touched it. The back part of the scalp
+was entirely perfect, and had a remarkably fresh appearance; the pores of
+the skin being more distinct, as they usually are, when soaked in
+moisture; and the tendons and ligaments of the neck were of considerable
+substance and firmness. The hair was thick, at the back part of the head,
+and in appearance, nearly black. A portion of it, which has since been
+cleansed and dried, is of a beautiful dark brown color. That of the beard
+was of a redder brown. On the back part of the head it was not more than
+an inch in length, and had probably been cut so short, for the convenience
+of the executioner, or perhaps, by the piety of friends, soon after death,
+in order to furnish memorials of the unhappy king.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On holding up the head to examine the place of separation from the body,
+the muscles of the neck had evidently retracted themselves considerably;
+and the fourth cervical vertebra was found to be cut through its substance
+transversely, leaving the surfaces of the divided portions perfectly
+smooth and even, an appearance, which could have been produced only by a
+heavy blow, inflicted with a very sharp instrument, and which furnished
+the last proof wanting to identify King Charles, the First. After this
+examination of the head, which served every purpose in view, and without
+examining the body below the neck, it was immediately restored to its
+situation, the coffin was soldered up again, and the vault closed.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Neither of the other coffins had any inscription upon them. The larger
+one, supposed, on good grounds, to contain the remains of Henry VIII.,
+measured six feet ten inches in length, and had been enclosed in an elm
+one, of two inches in thickness; but this was decayed, and lay in small
+fragments. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> leaden coffin appeared to have been beaten in by violence
+about the middle, and a considerable opening in that part of it, exposed a
+mere skeleton of the king. Some beard remained upon the chin, but there
+was nothing to discriminate the personage contained in it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This is, certainly, a very interesting account. Some beard still remained
+upon the chin of Henry VIII., says Sir Henry Halford. Henry VIII. died
+Jan. 28, 1547. He had been dead, therefore, April 1, 1813, the day of the
+examination, two hundred and sixty-six years. The larger coffin measured
+six feet ten inches. Sir Henry means top measure. We always allow seven
+feet lid, or thereabouts, for a six feet corpse. Henry, in his History,
+vol. xi. p. 369, Lond. 1814, says that King Henry VIII. was tall. Strype,
+in Appendix A., vol. vi. p. 267, Ecc. Mem., London, 1816, devotes
+twenty-four octavo pages to an account of the funeral of Henry VIII., with
+all its singular details; and, at the last, he says&mdash;&#8220;Then was the vault
+uncovered, under the said corpse; and the corpse let down therein by the
+vice, with help of sixteen tal yeomen of the guard, appointed to the
+same.&#8221; &#8220;Then, when the mold was brought in, at the word, pulverem pulveri
+et cinerem cineri, first the Lord Great Master, and after the Lord
+Chamberlain and al others in order, with heavy and dolorous lamentation
+brake their staves in shivers upon their heads and cast them after the
+corps into the pit. And then the gentlemen ushers, in like manner brake
+their rods, and threw them into the vault with exceeding sorrow and
+heaviness, not without grievous sighs and tears, not only of them, but of
+many others, as well of the meaner sort, as of the nobility, very piteous
+and sorrowful to behold.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XLI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>My attention was arrested, a day or two since, by a memorial, referred to,
+in the Atlas, from the owner of the land, famous, in revolutionary
+history, as the birth-place of <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>; and, especially, by a
+suggestion, which quadrates entirely with my notions of the fitness of
+things. If I were a demi-millionaire, I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> should delight to raise a
+monument, upon that consecrated spot&mdash;it should be a simple colossal
+shaft, of Massachusetts granite, surmounted with the cap of liberty. I
+would not inscribe one syllable upon it&mdash;but, if any grey-headed <i>Boston
+boy</i>&mdash;born here, within the limits of the old peninsula&mdash;should be moved,
+by the spirit, to write below&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">H&aelig;c olim meminisse juvabit&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>I should not deem that act any interference with my original purpose.</p>
+
+<p>What days and nights those were! 1765! then, the man, who has now passed
+on to ninety-four, was the boy of ten! How perfectly the tablet of memory
+retains those impressions, made, by the pressure of great events, when the
+wax was soft and warm!</p>
+
+<p>It is quite common, with the present generation, at least, to connect the
+origin of <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span> with 1775-6. This is an error. It became
+celebrated, ten years earlier, during the disturbances in Boston, on
+account of the Stamp Act, which passed March 22, 1765, and was to be in
+force, on the first of November following. Intelligence arrived, that
+Andrew Oliver, Secretary of the Province, was to be distributor of stamps.</p>
+
+<p>There was a cluster or grove of beautiful elms, in <span class="smcap">Hanover Square</span>&mdash;such
+was the name, then given to the corner of Orange, now part of Washington
+Street, and Auchmuty&#8217;s Lane, now Essex Street. Opposite the southwesterly
+corner of Frog Lane, now Boylston Street, where the market-house now
+stands, there was an old house, with manifold gables, and two massive
+chimneys, and, in the yard, in front of it, there stood a large, spreading
+elm. This was <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>. Its first designation was on this wise. During
+the night of August 13, 1765, some of the <span class="smcap">Sons of Liberty</span>, as they styled
+themselves, assuming the appellation bestowed on them in the House of
+Commons, by Col. Barre, in a moment of splendid but unpremeditated
+eloquence, hung, upon that tree, an effigy of Mr. Oliver, and a boot, with
+a figure of the devil peeping out, and holding the stamp act in his hand;
+this boot was intended as a practical pun&mdash;wretched enough&mdash;upon the name
+of Lord Bute. In the morning of the 14th, a great crowd collected to the
+spot. Some of the neighbors attempted to take the effigy down. The <i>Sons
+of Liberty</i> gave them a forcible hint, and they desisted. The Lieutenant
+Governor, as Chief Justice, directed the sheriff to take it down: he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span>
+reconnoitred the ground, and reported that it could not be done, without
+peril of life.</p>
+
+<p>Business was suspended, about town. After dark, the effigy was borne, by
+the mob, to a building, which was supposed to have been erected, as a
+stamp-office. This they destroyed, and, bearing the fragments to Fort
+Hill, where Mr. Oliver lived, they made a bonfire, and burnt the effigy
+before his door. They next drove him and his family from his house, broke
+the windows and fences, and stoned the Lieutenant Governor and Sheriff,
+when they came to parley&mdash;all this, upon the night of August 14, 1765. On
+the 26th, they destroyed the house of Mr. Story, register-deputy of the
+Admiralty, and burnt the books and records of the court. They then served
+the house of Mr. Hollowell, Contractor of the Customs, in a similar
+manner, plundering and carrying away money and chattels. They next
+proceeded to the residence of the Lieutenant Governor, and destroyed every
+article not easily transported, doing irreparable mischief, by the
+destruction of many valuable manuscripts. The next day, a town meeting was
+held, and the citizens expressed their <i>detestation of the riots</i>&mdash;and,
+afterwards manifested their silent sympathy with the mob, by punishing
+nobody.</p>
+
+<p>Nov. 1, 1765, the day, when the stamp act came into force, the bells were
+muffled and tolled; the shipping displayed their colors, at half mast; the
+stamp act was printed, with a death&#8217;s head, in the place of the stamp, and
+cried about the streets, under the name of the <span class="smcap">Folly of England, and the
+Ruin of America</span>. A new political journal appeared, having for its emblem,
+or political phylactery, a serpent, cut into pieces, each piece bearing
+the initials of a colony, with the ominous motto&mdash;<span class="smcaplc">JOIN OR DIE</span>. More
+effigies were hung, upon &#8220;<i>the large old elm</i>,&#8221; as Gordon terms
+it&mdash;<span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>. They were then cut down, and escorted over town. They
+were brought back, and hung up again; taken down again; escorted to the
+Neck, by an immense concourse; hanged upon the gallows tree; taken down
+once more; and torn into innumerable fragments. Three cheers were then
+given, and, upon a request to that effect, every man went quietly home;
+and a night of unusual stillness ensued.</p>
+
+<p>Hearing that Mr. Oliver intended to resume his office, he was required,
+through the newspaper, by an anonymous writer, to acknowledge, or deny,
+the truth of that report. His answer proving unsatisfactory, he received a
+requisition, Nov. 16th, to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> appear &#8220;<i>tomorrow, under</i>
+<span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>, <i>to make a public resignation</i>.&#8221; Two thousand persons gathered then, beneath
+that <span class="smcap">Tree</span>&mdash;not the rabble, but the selectmen, the merchants, and chief
+inhabitants. Mr. Oliver requested, that the meeting might be held, in the
+town house; but the <span class="smcaplc">SONS OF LIBERTY</span> seemed resolved, that he should be
+<i>treed</i>&mdash;no place, under the canopy of Heaven, would answer, but <span class="smcap">Liberty
+Tree</span>. Mr. Oliver came; subscribed an ample declaration; and made oath to
+it, before Richard Dana, J. P. This exactitude and circumspection, on the
+part of the people, was not a work of supererogation: Andrew Oliver was a
+most amiable man, in private, but a most lubricious hypocrite, in public
+life; as appears by his famous letters, sent home by Dr. Franklin, in
+1772. After his declaration under the <span class="smcaplc">TREE</span>, he made a short speech,
+expressive of his &#8220;<i>utter detestation of the stamp act</i>.&#8221; What a spectacle
+was there and then! The best and the boldest were there. Samuel Adams and
+John&mdash;Jerry Gridley, Samuel Sewall, and John Hancock, <i>et id genus omne</i>
+were in Boston then, and the busiest men alive: their absence would have
+been marked&mdash;they must have been there. What an act of daring, thus to
+defy the monarch and his vicegerents! I paused, this very day, and gazed
+upon the spot, and put the steam upon my imagination, to conjure, into
+life and action, that little band of sterling patriots, gathered around;
+and that noble elm in their midst:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;In medio ramos annosaque brachia pandit<br />
+Ulmus opaca, ingens.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Thenceforward, the <span class="smcap">Sons of Liberty</span> seem to have taken the <span class="smcaplc">TREE</span>, under
+their special protection. On Valentine&#8217;s day, 1776, they assembled, and
+passed a vote, that <i>it should be pruned after the best manner</i>. It is
+well, certainly, now and then, to lop off some rank, disorderly shoots of
+licentiousness, that will sometimes appear, upon <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>. It was
+pruned, accordingly, by a party of volunteer carpenters, under the
+direction of a gentleman of skill and judgment, in such matters.</p>
+
+<p>News of the repeal of the stamp act arrived in Boston, May 16, 1766. The
+bells rang merrily&mdash;and the cannon were unlimbered, around <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>,
+and bellowed for joy. The <span class="smcaplc">TREE</span>, so skilfully pruned, in February, must
+have presented a beautiful appearance, bourgeoning forth, in the middle of
+May!<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> The nineteenth of May was appointed, for a merrymaking. At one, in
+the morning, the bell of the Hollis Street Church, says a zealous writer
+of that day, &#8220;<i>began to ring</i>&#8221;&mdash;<i>sua sponte</i>, no doubt. The slumbers of
+the pastor, Dr. Byles, were disturbed, of course, for he was a tory,
+though a very pleasant tory, after all. Christ Church replied, with its
+royal peal, from the North, and <i>God save the king</i>, rang pleasantly
+again, in colonial ears. The universal joy was expressed, in all those
+unphilosophical ways, enumerated by Pope,</p>
+
+<p class="poem">With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbuss and thunder.</p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span> was hung with various colors. Fireworks and illuminations
+succeeded. Gov. Hancock treated the people with &#8220;<i>a pipe of Madeira</i>;&#8221; and
+the <span class="smcap">Sons of Liberty</span> raised a pyramid, upon the Common, with two hundred
+and eighty lamps. At twelve o&#8217;clock&mdash;midnight&mdash;a drum, upon the Common,
+beat the <i>tattoo</i>; and men, women, and children retired to their homes, in
+the most perfect order: verily, a soberness had come over the spirit of
+their dreams, and method into their madness. On the evening of the
+twentieth of May, it was resolved to have a festival of lanterns.</p>
+
+<p>The inhabitants vied with each other; and, about dusk, they were seen
+streaming, from all quarters, to <span class="smcap">Hanover Square</span>, every man and boy with
+his lamp or lantern. In a brief space, <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span> was converted into a
+brilliant constellation. Like the sparkling waters, during the burning of
+Ucalegon&#8217;s palace, described by Homer, the boughs, the branches, the
+veriest twigs of this popular idol</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span style="margin-left: 10em;">&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&#8220;were bright,</span><br />
+With splendors not their own, and shone with sparkling light.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It appears, by the journals of that day, from which most of these
+particulars are gathered, that our fathers&mdash;what inimitable, top-gallant
+fellows they were!&mdash;took a pleasant fancy into their heads, that these
+lamps would shed a brighter lustre, if the poor debtors, in jail, could
+join in the general joy, under <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>. Accordingly they made up a
+purse and paid the debts of them all! There was a general jail delivery of
+the poor debtors, for very joy. Well: a Boston boy, of the old school, was
+a noble animal&mdash;how easily held by the heart-strings!&mdash;with how much
+difficulty, by the head or the tail!</p>
+
+<p>An antiquarian friend, to whom I am already under sundry<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> obligations, has
+obligingly loaned me an interesting document, in connection with the
+subject of <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>; under whose shade I propose to linger a little
+longer.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XLII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>March 22, 1765. George III. and his ministers took it into their heads to
+sow the wind; and, in an almost inconceivably short time, they reaped the
+whirlwind. They scattered dragons&#8217; teeth, and there came up armed men.
+They planted the stamp act, in the Colonial soil, and there sprang into
+life, mature and full of vigor, the <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>, like Minerva, fully
+developed, and in perfect armor, from the brain of Jupiter. Whoever would
+find a clear, succinct, and impartial account of the effect of the stamp
+act, upon the people of New England, may resort to Dodsley&#8217;s Annual
+Register, page 49, of that memorable year. &#8220;The sun of liberty has set,&#8221;
+wrote Franklin home, &#8220;but you must light up the candles of industry and
+economy.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The life of that act of oppression was short and stormy. March 18, 1766,
+its miserable requiem was sung in Parliament&mdash;&#8220;an event,&#8221; says the Annual
+Register, of that year, page 46, &#8220;that caused more universal joy,
+throughout the British dominions, than, perhaps, any other, that can be
+remembered.&#8221; How such a viper ever found its way into the cradle of
+liberty is quite a marvel&mdash;certain it is, the genius of freedom, with the
+power of Hercules, speedily strangled it there.</p>
+
+<p>In America, and, especially, in Boston, the joy, as I have already stated,
+was very great; and some there were, beyond all doubt, who were delighted,
+to find an apology, for going back to monarchical usages. Even liberty may
+be, sometimes, irksome, at first, to him, who has long lived a slave; and
+it is no small grievance, I dare say, to such, to be deprived of the
+luxury of calling some one, Lord and Master, after the flesh. However
+monstrous, and even ridiculous, the idea of a king may seem to us,
+republicans, born in this wonderfully bracing atmosphere&mdash;there are some,
+who have a strong taste for <i>booing</i> and genuflection, and the doffing of
+beavers, and throwing up of &#8220;greasy caps,&#8221; and rending their throats, for
+very ecstacy, when the royal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> coach is coming along, bearing the heir
+apparent, in diapers. This taste, I suppose, like that for olives, must be
+acquired; it cannot be natural.</p>
+
+<p>May 19, and 20, 1766, the face of the town of Boston was dressed in
+smiles&mdash;a broad grin rather, from ear to ear, from Winnisimmet to Roxbury.
+Nothing was talked of but &#8220;<i>a grateful people</i>,&#8221; and &#8220;<i>the darling
+monarch</i>&#8221;&mdash;which amounts to this&mdash;the &#8220;<i>darling monarch</i>&#8221; had graciously
+desisted, from grinding their faces any longer, simply because he was
+convinced, that the &#8220;<i>grateful people</i>&#8221; would kick the grindstone over,
+and peradventure the grinder, should the &#8220;<i>darling</i>&#8221; attempt to give it
+another turn.</p>
+
+<p>Under <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>, there was erected, during the rejoicings, an obelisk
+with four sides. An engraving of those four sides was made at the time,
+and is now, doubtless, very rare. A copy, loaned me by the friend, to whom
+I referred, in my last number, is lying before me. I present it,
+<i>verbatim, literatim, et punctuatim</i>.</p>
+
+<p>It is thirteen and an half inches long, and nine and an half wide. On top
+are these words&mdash;&#8220;<span class="smcap">A view</span> of the <span class="smcaplc">OBELISK</span> erected under <span class="smcaplc">LIBERTY TREE</span> in
+<span class="smcap">Boston</span> on the Rejoicings for the Repeal of the &mdash;&mdash; Stamp Act 1766.&#8221; At the
+bottom&mdash;&#8220;To every Lover of <span class="smcap">Liberty</span> this Plate is humbly dedicated by her
+true born <span class="smcap">Sons</span> in <span class="smcap">Boston</span>, New England.&#8221; The plate presents, apparently,
+four obelisks, which are, in reality, the four sides of one. Every side,
+above the base, is divided horizontally, and nearly equally, into three
+parts. The superior division of each contains four heads, many of which
+may be readily recognized, and all of which have indicating letters. The
+middle division of each contains ten decasyllabic lines. The inferior
+division of each contains a sketch, of rude execution, and rather more
+patriotic, than tasteful, in the design. The principal portraits are of
+George III.; Queen Charlotte; Marquis of Rockingham; Duke of York; Gen.
+Conway; Lord Townshend; Colonel Barr&eacute;; W. Pitt; Lord Dartmouth; Charles
+Townshend; Lord George Sackville; John Wilkes; Alderman Beckford; Lord
+Camden; &amp;c. The first side is subscribed thus: &#8220;<i>America in distress,
+apprehending the total loss of</i> <span class="smcap">Liberty</span>;&#8221; and is inscribed thus:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Oh thou, whom next to Heaven we most revere<br />
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span>Fair <span class="smcap">Liberty</span>! thou lovely Goddess hear!<br />
+Have we not woo&#8217;d thee, won thee, held thee long,<br />
+Lain in thy Lap and melted on thy tongue.<br />
+Thro&#8217; Deaths and Dangers rugged paths pursu&#8217;d<br />
+And led thee smiling to this <span class="smcap">Solitude</span>,<br />
+Hid thee within our hearts&#8217; most golden cell<br />
+And brav&#8217;d the Powers of Earth and Powers of Hell,<br />
+<span class="smcap">Goddess!</span> we cannot part, thou must not fly,<br />
+Be <span class="smcap">Slaves</span>! we dare to scorn it, dare to die.</p>
+
+<p>Beneath is the sketch&mdash;America recumbent and dejected, in the form of an
+Indian chief, under a pine tree, the angel of Liberty hovering over; the
+Prime minister advancing with a chain, followed by one of the bishops, and
+others, Bute clearly designated by his Scotch plaid, and gaiters; over
+head, flying towards the Indian, with the stamp act in his right claw, is
+the Devil; of whom it is manifest our patriotic sires had a very clever
+conception.</p>
+
+<p>The second side is subscribed thus: &#8220;<i>She implores the aid of her
+patrons</i>;&#8221; and is inscribed thus:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">While clanking chains and curses shall salute<br />
+Thine Ears remorseless G&mdash;&mdash;le, and thine O B&mdash;&mdash;e,<br />
+To you blest <span class="smcap">Patriots</span>, we our cause submit,<br />
+Illustrious <span class="smcap">Campden</span>, Britain&#8217;s Guardian, <span class="smcap">Pitt</span>.<br />
+Recede not, frown not, rather let us be<br />
+Deprived of being than of <span class="smcap">Liberty</span>,<br />
+Let fraud or malice blacken all our crimes,<br />
+No disaffection stains these peaceful climes.<br />
+Oh save us, shield us from impending woes,<br />
+The foes of Britain only are our foes.</p>
+
+<p>Beneath is the sketch&mdash;America, on one knee, pointing over her shoulder
+towards a retreating group, composed, as the chain and the plaid inform
+us, of the Prime Minister Bute, and company, upon whose heads a thunder
+cloud is bursting. At the same time America&mdash;the Indian, as
+before&mdash;supplicates the aid of others, whose leader is being crowned, by
+Fame, with a laurel wreath. The enormous nose&mdash;a great help to
+identification&mdash;marks the Earl of Chatham; Camden may be known by his wig;
+and Barr&eacute; by his military air.</p>
+
+<p>The third side is subscribed thus: &#8220;<i>She endures the Conflict, for a short
+Season</i>&#8221; and is inscribed thus:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Boast foul Oppression, boast thy transient Reign,<br />
+While honest <span class="smcap">Freedom</span> struggles with her Chain,<br />
+But know the Sons of Virtue, hardy, brave,<br />
+Disclaim to lose thro&#8217; mean Dispair to save;<br />
+Arrowed in Thunder awfull they appear,<br />
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span>With proud Deliverance stalking in their Rear,<br />
+While Tyrant Foes their pallid Fears betray,<br />
+Shrink from their Arms, and give their Vengeance way.<br />
+See in the unequal War <span class="smcap">Oppressors</span> fall,<br />
+The hate, contempt, and endless Curse of all.</p>
+
+<p>Beneath is the sketch&mdash;<span class="smcap">The Tree of Liberty</span>, with an eagle feeding its
+young, in the topmost branches, and an angel advancing with an &aelig;gis.</p>
+
+<p>The fourth side is subscribed thus: &#8220;<i>And has her</i> <span class="smcap">Liberty</span> <i>restored by
+the Royal hand of</i> <span class="smcap">George</span> <i>the Third</i>;&#8221; and is inscribed thus:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Our <span class="smcap">Faith</span> approv&#8217;d, our <span class="smcap">Liberty</span> restor&#8217;d,<br />
+Our Hearts bend grateful to our sov&#8217;reign Lord;<br />
+Hail darling Monarch! by this act endear&#8217;d,<br />
+Our firm affections are thy best reward&mdash;<br />
+Sh&#8217;d Britain&#8217;s self against herself divide,<br />
+And hostile Armies frown on either side;<br />
+Sh&#8217;d hosts rebellious shake our Brunswick&#8217;s Throne,<br />
+And as they dar&#8217;d thy Parent dare the Son.<br />
+To this Asylum stretch thine happy Wing,<br />
+And we&#8217;ll contend who best shall love our <span class="smcap">King</span>.</p>
+
+<p>Beneath is the sketch&mdash;George the Third, in armor, resembling a Dutch
+widow, in a long-short, introducing America to the goddess of liberty, who
+are, apparently, just commencing the Polka&mdash;at the bottom of the engraving
+are the words&mdash;<i>Paul Revere Sculp.</i> Our ancestors dealt rather in fact
+than fiction&mdash;they were no poets.</p>
+
+<p>Gordon refers to <span class="smcaplc">LIBERTY TREE</span>, i. 175.</p>
+
+<p>The fame of <span class="smcaplc">LIBERTY TREE</span> spread far beyond its branches. Not long before
+it was cut down, by the British soldiers, during the winter of 1775-6, an
+English gentleman, Philip Billes, residing at Backway, near Cambridge,
+England, died, seized of a considerable fortune, which he bequeathed to
+two gentlemen, not relatives, on condition, that they would faithfully
+execute a provision, set forth in his will, namely, that his body should
+be buried, under the shadow of <span class="smcaplc">LIBERTY TREE</span>, in Boston, New England. This
+curious statement was published in England, June 3, 1774, and may be found
+in the Boston Evening Gazette, first page, Aug. 22, 1774, printed by
+Thomas &amp; John Fleet, sign of the Heart and Crown, Cornhill.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XLIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Josiah Carter died, at the close of December, 1774. Never was there a
+happier occasion, for citing the <i>Quis desiderio</i>, &amp;c., and I would cite
+that fine ode, were it not worn threadbare, like an old coverlet, by
+having been, immemorially, thrown over all manner of corpses, from the
+cobbler&#8217;s to the king&#8217;s.</p>
+
+<p>If good old Dr. Charles Chauncy were within hearing, I would, indeed,
+apply to him a portion of its noble passages:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit,<br />
+Nulli flebilior quam tibi&mdash;&mdash;.<br />
+<br />
+For good Josiah many wept, I fancy;<br />
+But none more fluently than Dr. Chauncy.</p>
+
+<p>Josiah Carter was sexton of the Old Brick. He died, in the prime of
+life&mdash;fifty only&mdash;a martyr to his profession&mdash;conscientious to a
+fault&mdash;standing all alone in the cold vault, after the last mourner had
+retired, and knocking gently upon the coffin lid, seeking for some little
+sign of animation, and begging the corpse, for Heaven&#8217;s sake, if it were
+alive, to say so, in good English.</p>
+
+<p>Carter was one of your real <i>integer vit&aelig;</i> men. It is said of him, that he
+never actually lost his self-government, but once, in his life.</p>
+
+<p>He was finishing a grave, in the Granary yard, and had come out of the
+pit, and was looking at his work, when a young, surgical sprig came up,
+and, with something of a mysterious air, shadowed forth a proposition, the
+substance of which was, that Carter should sell him the corpse&mdash;cover it
+lightly&mdash;and aid in removing it, by night. In an instant, Carter jerked
+the little chirurgeon into the grave&mdash;it was a deep one&mdash;and began to fill
+up, with all his might. The screams of the little fellow drew quite a
+number to the spot, and he was speedily rescued. When interrogated, years
+afterwards, as to his real intentions, at the time, Carter always became
+solemnized; and said he considered the preservation of that young
+doctor&mdash;a particular Providence.</p>
+
+<p>Carter had a strong aversion to unburying&mdash;so have I&mdash;especially a
+hatchet. I have a rooted hatred of slavery; and I hope our friends, on the
+sunny side of Mason&#8217;s and Dixon&#8217;s line, will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> not censure me, for digging
+up the graves of the past, and exposing unsightly relics, while I solicit
+the world&#8217;s attention to the following literary <i>bijoux</i>.</p>
+
+<p>To be sold, a young negro fellow, fit for country or other business.&mdash;Will
+be sold to the highest bidder, a very good gold watch, a negro boy,
+&amp;c.&mdash;Cheap, for cash, a negro man, and woman, and two children.&mdash;A very
+likely negro wench, about 16 years of age.&mdash;A likely negro woman, about
+30, cheap for cash.&mdash;A likely negro boy, about 13.&mdash;Sold only for want of
+employ, a healthy, tractable negro girl, about 18 years of age.&mdash;To be
+sold, for want of employ, a strong, hearty negro fellow, about 25 years of
+age.&mdash;Ran away, a negro, named Dick, a well-looking, well-shaped fellow,
+right negro, little on the yellow, &amp;c.&mdash;A likely negro woman, about 33
+years old, remarkable for honesty and good temper.&mdash;Grant Webster has for
+sale new and second hand chaises, rum, wines, and male and female
+negroes.&mdash;At auction, a negro woman that is used to most sorts of house
+business.&mdash;A likely, healthy negro man, a good cook, and can drive a
+carriage.&mdash;Ran away, a negro man, named Prince, a tall, straight fellow;
+he is about 33 years old, talks pretty good English; his design was to get
+off in some vessel, so as to go to England, under the notion, if he could
+get there, he should be free, &amp;c.&mdash;Ten dollars reward: ran away, negro
+Primus, five feet ten inches high, long limbs, very long finger nails,
+&amp;c.&mdash;To be sold, for no fault, a negro man, of good temper.&mdash;A valuable
+negro man.&mdash;Ran away, my negro, Cromarte, commonly called Crum, &amp;c., &amp;c.;
+whoever will return said runaway to me, or secure him in some public jail,
+&amp;c.&mdash;The cash will be given for a negro boy of good temper.&mdash;A fine negro
+male child, to be given away.&mdash;To be sold, a Spanish Indian woman, about
+21 years old, also a negro child, about two years old. To be sold, a
+strong, hearty negro girl, and her son, about a week old.&mdash;Ran away, my
+negro man, Samson; when he speaks has a leering look under his eyes;
+whoever will return him, or secure him in any of the jails, shall receive
+ten dollars reward. For sale, a likely negro man; has had the smallpox.&mdash;A
+likely negro boy, large for his age, about 13.&mdash;To be sold, very
+reasonably, a likely negro woman, about 33 or &#8217;4 years of age.&mdash;To be sold
+or hired, for a number of years, a strong, healthy, honest, negro girl,
+about 16 years of age.</p>
+
+<p>Ah, my dear, indignant reader, I marvel not, that you are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> grieved and
+shocked, that man should dare, directly under the eye of God, to offer his
+fellow for sale, as he would offer a side of mutton, or a slaughtered
+hog&mdash;that he should offer to sell him, from head to heel, liver and
+lights, and lungs, and heart, and bone, and muscle, and presume to convey
+over, to the buyer, the very will of the poor black man, for years, and
+for aye; so that the miserable creature should never draw in one single
+breath of freedom, but breathe the breath of a slave forever and ever.
+This is very damnable indeed&mdash;very. You read the advertisements, which I
+have paraded before you, with a sentiment of disgust towards the men of
+the South&mdash;<i>nimium ne crede colori</i>. These are northern negroes! these are
+northern advertisements!</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;Mutato nomine, de te<br />
+Fabula narratur&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;.</p>
+
+<p>Every one of these slaves was owned in Boston: every one of these
+advertisements was published in the Boston Gazette, and the two last on
+December 10, 1781. They are taken from one only of the public journals,
+and are a very Flemish sample of the whole cloth, which may be examined by
+him, who has leisure to turn over the several papers, then published here.</p>
+
+<p>There is one, however, so awfully ridiculous, when we consider the
+profession of the deceased owner, and the place of sale, and which, in
+these connections, presents such an example of <i>sacra, commixta profanis</i>,
+that I must give the advertisement without defalcation. John Moorhead, the
+first minister of Bury, afterwards Berry Street Church, died Dec. 2, 1773.
+About a year after, his effects were sold, and the following advertisement
+appears, in the Boston Gazette, Jan. 2, 1775: &#8220;To be sold by Public
+Auction, on Thursday next, at ten o&#8217;clock in the Forenoon, all the
+Household Furniture, belonging to the Estate of the Rev. Mr. John
+Moorhead, deceased, consisting of Tables, Chairs, Looking Glasses, Feather
+Beds, Bedsteads and Bedding, Pewter, Brass, sundry Pieces of Plate, &amp;c.,
+&amp;c. A valuable collection of Books&mdash;Also a likely Negro Lad&mdash;The sale to
+be at the House in Auchmuty&#8217;s Lane, South End, not far from Liberty
+Tree.&#8221;&mdash;Moses and the Prophets! <i>A human being to be sold as a</i> <span class="smcaplc">SLAVE</span>,
+<i>not far from</i> <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>, in 1775!</p>
+
+<p>Let me be clearly comprehended. Two wrongs cannot, like<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> two negatives,
+neutralize each other. It is true, there was slavery in Massachusetts, and
+probably more of it, than is supposed to have existed, by many of the
+present generation. Free negroes were not numerous, in Boston, in those
+years. In the Boston Gazette of Jan. 2, 1775, it is stated, that 547
+whites and 52 blacks were buried in the town in 1774; and 533 whites and
+62 blacks in 1773. Such was the proportion then.</p>
+
+<p>The energy of our northern constitution has exorcised the evil spirit of
+slavery. Common sense and the grace of God put it into the minds and
+hearts of our fathers, when the accursed <i>Bohun Upas</i> was a sapling, to
+pull it up, by the roots. It follows not, therefore, that the people of
+the South are entitled to be treated by us, their brethren, like <i>outside
+barbarians</i>, because they do not cast it out from their midst, as
+promptly, and as easily, now that it has stricken down its roots into the
+bowels of the earth, and become a colossus, and overshadowed the land.
+Slavery, being the abomination that it is, in the abstract, and in the
+relative, we may well regret, that it ever defiled our peninsula;
+especially that a slave market, for the sale of one slave only, ever
+existed, &#8220;<i>not far from Liberty Tree</i>.&#8221; In sober truth, we are not quite
+justified, for railing at the South, as we have done. The sins of our
+dear, old fathers are still so comparatively recent, in regard to slavery,
+that I am absolutely afraid to fire canister and grape, among the group of
+offenders, lest I should disturb the ashes of my ancestors. Neither may we
+forget, that we, of the North, consented, aided and abetted,
+constitutionally, in the confirmation of slavery. Some of the most furious
+of the abolitionists, in this fair city, are <i>descendants in the right
+line, from Boston slaveholders</i>&mdash;their fathers did not recognize the
+sinfulness of holding slaves!</p>
+
+<p>The people of the South are entitled to civility, from the people of the
+North, because they are citizens of one common country; and, if there is
+one village, town, or city of these United States, that, more than any and
+all others, is under solemn obligations to cherish a sentiment of grateful
+and affectionate respect for the South, it is the city of Boston. I
+propose to refresh the reader&#8217;s recollection, in my next.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XLIV.</h2>
+
+
+<p><i>Delenda est Carthago&mdash;abolendum est servitium.</i>&mdash;No doubt of it; slavery
+must be buried&mdash;decently, however. I cannot endure rudeness and violence,
+at a funeral. John Cades, in Charter Street, lost his place, in 1789, for
+letting old Goody Smith go by the run. The <i>naufragium</i> of Erasmus, was
+nothing at all, compared with that of the old lady&#8217;s coffin. Our Southern
+confederates are entitled to <i>civility</i>, because they are men and
+brethren; and they are entitled to <i>kindness and courtesy from us, of
+Boston</i>, because we owe them a debt of gratitude, which it would be
+shameful to forget. Since we, of the North, have presumed to be
+<i>undertakers</i> upon this occasion, let us do the thing &#8220;<i>decenter et
+ornate</i>.&#8221; Besides, our friends of the South are notoriously testy and
+hot-headed: they are, geographically, children of the sun. John Smith&#8217;s
+description of the Massachusetts Indians, in 1614, Richmond ed., ii. 194,
+is truly applicable to the Southern people, &#8220;<i>very kind, but, in their
+fury, no less valiant</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>I am no more inclined to uphold the South, in the continued practice of a
+moral wrong, because they gave us bread when we were hungry, as they
+certainly did, than was Sir Matthew Hale, to decide favorably for the
+suitor, who sent him the fat buck. <i>Nullum simile quatuor pedibus
+currit</i>&mdash;the South, when they bestowed their kindness upon us, during the
+operation of the <i>Boston Port Bill</i>, had no possible favor to ask, in
+return.</p>
+
+<p>This famous Port Bill, which operated like <i>guano</i> upon <span class="smcap">Liberty Tree</span>, and
+caused it to send forth a multitude of new and vigorous shoots, was an act
+of revenge and coercion, passed March 31, 1774, by the British Parliament.</p>
+
+<p>No government was ever so <i>penny wise</i> and <i>pound foolish</i>, as that of
+Great Britain, in 1773-&#8217;4. They actually sacrificed thirteen fine,
+flourishing colonies for <i>three pence</i>! In 1773 the East India Company,
+suffering from the bad effects of the smuggling trade, in the colonies,
+all taxation having been withdrawn, by Great Britain, excepting on tea,
+proposed, for the purpose of quieting the strife, to sell their tea, free
+of all duties, in the Colonies, and that sixpence a pound should be
+retained by the Government, on exportation. But the Government insisted
+upon <i>three pence</i> worth of dignity; in other words, for the honor of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> the
+Crown, they resolved, that the colonists <i>should pay three pence</i> a pound,
+import duty. This was a very poor bargain&mdash;a <i>crown</i> for <i>three pence</i>!
+Well; I have no room for detail&mdash;the tea came; some of it went back again;
+and the balance was tossed into the sea. It was not suffered to be landed,
+at Philadelphia and New York. Seventeen chests, brought to New York, on
+private account, says Gordon, vol. i. page 333, were thrown overboard,
+Nov. 18, 1773, and combustibles were prepared to burn the ships, if they
+came up from the Hook. Dec. 16, 1773, three hundred and twenty-four chests
+of tea were broken open, on board the ships, in Boston, and their contents
+thrown into the salt water, by a &#8220;number of persons,&#8221; says Gordon, vol. i.
+page 341, &#8220;chiefly masters of vessels and shipbuilders from the north end
+of the town,&#8221; dressed as Indians.</p>
+
+<p>In consequence of this, the <i>Port Bill</i> was passed. The object of this
+bill was to beggar&mdash;commercially to neutralize or nullify&mdash;the town of
+Boston, by shutting the port, and cutting off all import and export, by
+sea, until full compensation should be made, for the tea destroyed, and to
+the officers of the revenue, and others, who had suffered, by the riots,
+in the years 1773 and 1774. Such was the <i>Port Bill</i>, whose destructive
+operation was directed, upon the port of Boston alone, under a fatal
+misunderstanding of the British government, in relation to the real
+unanimity of the American people.</p>
+
+<p>It is no easy matter, to describe the effect of this act of folly and
+injustice. The whole country seemed to be affected, with a sort of
+political <i>neuralgia</i>; and the attack upon Boston, like a wound upon some
+principal nerve, convulsed the whole fabric. The colonies resembled a band
+of brothers&mdash;&#8220;born for affliction:&#8221; a blow was no sooner aimed at one,
+than the remaining twelve rushed to the rescue, each one interposing an
+&aelig;gis. In no part of the country, were there more dignified, or more
+touching, or more substantial testimonies of sympathy manifested, for the
+people of Boston, than in the Southern States; and especially in Virginia,
+Maryland, and both the Carolinas.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Port Bill</i> came into force, June 1, 1774. The Marylanders of
+Annapolis, on the 25th of May preceding, assembled, and resolved, that
+Boston was &#8220;<i>suffering in the common cause of America</i>.&#8221; On the 30th, the
+magistrates, and other inhabitants of Queen Anne&#8217;s County resolved, in
+full meeting, that they would &#8220;<i>make known, as speedily as possible, their
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span>sentiments to their distressed brethren of Boston, and that they looked
+upon the cause of Boston to be the common cause of America</i>.&#8221; The House of
+Burgesses, in Virginia, appointed the day, when the Boston Port Bill came
+into operation, as a day of fasting and prayer, throughout the ancient
+dominion. A published letter, from Kent County, Maryland, dated June 7,
+1774, says&mdash;&#8220;The people of Boston need not be afraid of being starved into
+compliance; if they will only give a short notice, they may make their
+town the granary of America.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>June 24, 1774.&mdash;Twenty-four days after the Port Bill went into operation,
+a public meeting was held at Charleston, S. C. The moving spirits were the
+Trapiers and the Elliots, the Horries and the Clarksons, the Gadsdens and
+the Pinkneys of that day; and resolutions were passed, full of brotherly
+love and sympathy, for the inhabitants of Boston.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Baltimore, July 16th, 1774.&mdash;A vessel hath sailed from the Eastern Shore
+of this Province, with a cargo of provisions as a free gift to our
+besieged brethren of Boston. The inhabitants of all the counties of
+Virginia and Maryland are subscribing, with great liberality, for the
+relief of the distressed towns of Boston and Charlestown. The inhabitants
+of Alexandria, we hear, in a few hours, subscribed &pound;350, for that noble
+purpose. Subscriptions are opened in this town, for the support and
+animation of Boston, under their present great conflict, for the common
+freedom of us all. A vessel is now loading with provisions, as a testimony
+of the affection of this people towards their persecuted brethren.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Salem, Aug. 23, 1774.&mdash;Yesterday arrived at Marblehead, Capt. Perkins,
+from Baltimore, with 3000 bushels of corn, 20 barrels of rye meal, and 21
+barrels of bread, for the benefit of the poor of Boston, and with 1000
+bushels of corn from Annapolis, for the same benevolent purpose.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;New York, Aug. 15, 1774.&mdash;Saturday last, Capt. Dickerson arrived here,
+and brought 376 barrels of rye from South Carolina, to be sold, and
+proceeds remitted to Boston, a present to the sufferers; a still larger
+cargo is to be shipped for the like benevolent purpose.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Newport, R. I.&mdash;Capt. Bull, from Wilmington, North Carolina, arrived here
+last Tuesday, with a load of provisions for the poor of Boston; to sail
+again for Salem.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>These testimonies of a kind and brotherly spirit, came from all quarters
+of the country. These illustrations might be <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span>multiplied to any extent. I
+pass by the manifestations of the most cordial sympathy from other
+colonies, and the contributions from the towns and villages around us&mdash;my
+business lies, at present with the South&mdash;and my object is to remind some
+of the more rampant and furious of my abolition friends, who are of
+yesterday, that the people of the South, however hasty they may be, living
+under the sun&#8217;s fiercer rays, and however excited, when a Northern man,
+however respectable, comes to take up his quarters in their midst, and
+gather evidence against them, under their very noses&mdash;are not precisely
+<i>outside barbarians</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Let the work of abolition go forward, in a dignified and decent spirit.
+Let us argue; and, so far as we rightfully may, let us legislate. Let us
+bring the whole world&#8217;s sympathy up to the work of emancipation. But, let
+us not revile and vituperate those, who are, to all intents and purposes,
+our brethren, as certainly as if they lived just over the Roxbury line,
+instead of Mason&#8217;s and Dixon&#8217;s. Such harsh and unmitigated scoffing and
+abuse, as we too often witness, are equally ungracious, ungentlemanly, and
+ungrateful.</p>
+
+<p>There is something strangely grotesque, to be sure, in the idea of calling
+a state, in which there are more slaves than freemen, the <i>land of
+liberty</i>. Our Massachusetts ancestors had a very good <i>theoretical</i>
+conception of its inconsistency and absurdity, as early as 1773; when the
+first glimmerings of independence began to come over the spirit of their
+dreams. In that year, the Massachusetts negroes caught the liberty fever,
+and presented a petition to have their fetters knocked off. May 17, 1773,
+the inhabitants of Pembroke addressed a respectfully suggestive letter to
+their representative in the General Court, John Turner; the last paragraph
+of which is well worthy of republication. The entire letter may be found
+in the Boston Gazette of June 14, 1773&mdash;&#8220;We think the negro petition
+reasonable&mdash;agreeable to natural justice and the precepts of the Gospel;
+and therefore advise that, in concurrence with the other worthy members of
+the assembly, you endeavor to find a way, in which they may be freed from
+slavery, without wrong to their present masters, or injury to
+themselves&mdash;and that a total abolition of slavery may in due time take
+place. Then we trust we may with humble confidence, look up to the Great
+Arbiter of Heaven and earth, expecting that he will in his own due time,
+look upon our affliction, and in the way of his Providence, deliver us
+from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> insults, the grievances, and impositions we so justly complain
+of.&#8221; This, as the reader will remember, had reference to slavery in
+Massachusetts.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XLV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>In 1823, and in the month of May, something, in my line, caused me to
+visit the first ex-President Adams, at the old mansion in Quincy. By some
+persons, he was accounted a cold man; and his son, John Quincy, even a
+colder man: yet neither was cold, unless in the sense, in which Mount
+Hecla is cold&mdash;belted in everlasting ice, though liable, occasionally, to
+violent eruptions of a fiery character.</p>
+
+<p>As I was taking my leave, being about to remove into a distant State, my
+daughter, between five and six years old, stepped timidly towards Mr.
+Adams, and placing her little hand upon his, and looking upon his
+venerable features, said to him&mdash;&#8220;<i>Sir, you are so old, and I am going
+away so far, that I do not think I shall ever see you again&mdash;will you let
+me kiss you before I go?</i>&#8221; His brow was suddenly overcast&mdash;the spirit
+became gently solemnized&mdash;&#8220;<i>Certainly, my child</i>&#8221; said he, &#8220;<i>if you desire
+to kiss a very old man, whom it is quite likely you will never see
+again</i>.&#8221;&mdash;He bowed his aged form, and the child, rising on tiptoe,
+impressed a kiss upon his brow. I would give a great deal more than I can
+afford, for a fair sketch of that old man&#8217;s face, as he resumed his
+position&mdash;I see it now, with the eye of a Swedenborgian. His features were
+slightly flushed, but not discomposed at all; tears filled his eyes; and,
+if one word must suffice to express all that I saw, that word is
+<i>benevolence</i>&mdash;that same benevolence, which taught him, on the day of his
+death, July 4, 1826, when asked if he knew what day it was, to
+exclaim&mdash;&#8220;<i>Yes, it is the glorious Fourth of July&mdash;God bless it&mdash;God bless
+you all</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>At the time of the little occurrence, which I have related, Mr. Adams was
+eighty-eight years old. I ventured to say, that I wished we could give him
+the years of Methuselah&mdash;to which he replied, with a faint smile,&mdash;&#8220;<i>My
+friend, you could not wish me a greater curse</i>.&#8221;&mdash;As we wax older and
+grayer, this expression, which, in the common phrase, is <i>Greek</i> to the
+young and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> uninitiated, becomes sufficiently translated into every man&#8217;s
+vernacular. Mr. Adams was born October 19, 1735, and had therefore
+attained his ninety-first year, when he died.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing like the highest ancient standard of longevity is attained, in
+modern times. Nine hundred, sixty, and nine years, is certainly a long
+life-time. When baby Lamech was born, his father was a young fellow of one
+hundred and eighty-seven. Weary work it must have been, waiting so long,
+for one&#8217;s inheritance!</p>
+
+<p>The records of modern longevity will appear, nevertheless, somewhat
+surprising, to those, who have given but little attention to the subject.
+The celebrated Albert De Haller, and there can be no higher authority,
+enumerated eleven hundred and eleven cases of individuals, who had lived
+from 100 to 169. His classification is as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" summary="table">
+<tr><td align="right">1000</td>
+    <td>from</td>
+    <td>100 to 110</td></tr>
+<tr><td align="right">60</td>
+    <td align="center">"</td>
+    <td>110 to 120</td></tr>
+<tr><td align="right">29</td>
+    <td align="center">"</td>
+    <td>120 to 130</td></tr>
+<tr><td align="right">15</td>
+    <td align="center">"</td>
+    <td>130 to 140</td></tr>
+<tr><td align="right">6</td>
+    <td align="center">"</td>
+    <td>140 to 150</td></tr>
+<tr><td align="right">1</td>
+    <td align="center">of</td>
+    <td>169.</td></tr></table>
+
+<p>The oldest was Henry Jenkins, of Yorkshire, who died in 1670. Thomas Parr,
+of Wilmington, in Shropshire, died in 1635, aged 152. He was a poor
+yeoman, and married his first wife, when he was in his 88th year, or, as
+some say, his 80th, and had two children. He was brought to Court, by the
+Earl of Arundel, in the reign of Charles I., and died, as it was supposed,
+in consequence of change of diet. His body was examined by Dr. Harvey, who
+thought he might have lived much longer, had he adhered to his simple
+habits. Being rudely asked, before the King, what more he had done, in his
+long life, than other old men, he replied&mdash;&#8220;<i>At the age of 105, I did
+penance in Alderbury Church, for an illegitimate child</i>.&#8221; When he was 120,
+he married a second wife, by whom he had a child. Sharon Turner, in his
+
+Sacred History of the World, vol. iii. ch. 23, says, in a note, that
+Parr&#8217;s son (by the second wife, the issue by the first died early) lived
+to the age of 113&mdash;his grandson to that of 109&mdash;his great-grandson to that
+of 124; and two other grandsons, who died in 1761 and 1763, to that of
+127.</p>
+
+<p>Parr&#8217;s was a much longer life than Reuben&#8217;s, Judah&#8217;s, Issachar&#8217;s, Abner&#8217;s,
+Simeon&#8217;s, Dan&#8217;s, Zebulon&#8217;s, Levi&#8217;s, or Naphthali&#8217;s. Dr. Harvey&#8217;s account
+of the post mortem examination is extremely interesting. The quaint lines
+of Taylor, the water poet, as he was styled, I cannot omit:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span>
+&#8220;Good wholesome labor was his exercise,<br />
+Down with the lamb, and with the lark would rise;<br />
+In mire and toiling sweat he spent the day,<br />
+And to his team he whistled time away:<br />
+The cock his night-clock, and till day was done,<br />
+His watch and chief sundial was the sun.<br />
+He was of old Pythagoras&#8217; opinion,<br />
+That green cheese was most wholesome with an onion;<br />
+Coarse meslin bread, and for his daily swig,<br />
+Milk, buttermilk, and water, whey and whig.<br />
+Sometimes metheglin, and by fortune happy,<br />
+He sometimes sipp&#8217;d a cup of ale most nappy,<br />
+Cider or perry, when he did repair<br />
+T&#8217;a Whitsun ale, wake, wedding or a fair;<br />
+Or, when in Christmas time he was a guest<br />
+At his good landlord&#8217;s house, among the rest.<br />
+Else he had very little time to waste,<br />
+Or at the alehouse huff-cap ale to taste.<br />
+His physic was good butter, which the soil<br />
+Of Salop yields, more sweet than candy oil.<br />
+And garlic he esteemed, above the rate<br />
+Of Venice treacle or best Mithridate.<br />
+He entertained no gout, no ache he felt,<br />
+The air was good and temperate, where he dwelt;<br />
+While mavises and sweet-tongued nightingales<br />
+Did sing him roundelays and madrigals.<br />
+Thus, living within bounds of nature&#8217;s laws<br />
+Of his long, lasting life may be some cause.<br />
+From head to heel, his body had all over<br />
+A quickset, thickset, nat&#8217;ral, hairy cover.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Isaac lived to the age of 180, or five years longer than his father
+Abraham. I now propose to enter one or more well-known old stagers, of
+modern times, who will beat Isaac, by five lengths. Mr. Easton, of
+Salisbury, England, a respectable bookseller, and quoted, as good
+authority by Turner, prepared a more extensive list than Haller, of
+persons, who had died aged from 100 to 185. His work was entitled <i>Human
+Longevity</i>&mdash;1600 of his cases occurred, within the British Isles, and 1687
+between the years 1706 and 1799. He sets down three between 170 and 185,
+giving their names and other particulars.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Whitehurst&#8217;s tables contain several cases, not in Mr. Easton&#8217;s work,
+from 134 years to 148. Some twenty other cases are stated, by Turner, from
+130 to 150. I refer, historically, to the case of Jonathan Hartop, not
+because of the very great age he attained, but for other reasons of
+interest: &#8220;1791.&mdash;Died, Jonathan Hartop, aged one hundred and
+thirty-eight, of the village of Aldborough, Yorkshire. He could read to
+the last, without spectacles, and play at cribbage, with the most perfect<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>
+recollection. He remembered Charles II., and once travelled to London,
+with the facetious Killegrew. He ate but little; his only beverage was
+milk. He had been married five times. Mr. Hartop lent Milton fifty pounds,
+which the bard returned, with honor, though not without much difficulty.
+Mr. Hartop would have declined receiving it; but the pride of the poet was
+equal to his genius, and he sent the money with an angry letter, which was
+found, among the curious possessions of that venerable old man.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>On the 4th of July, 1846, I visited Dr. Ezra Green, at his residence, in
+Dover, N. H. He showed me a couple of letters, which he had received, a
+short time before, from Daniel Webster and Thomas H. Benton,
+congratulating him, on having completed his one hundredth year, on the
+17th of the preceding June, the anniversary of the battle of Bunker&#8217;s
+Hill, and remarked, that those gentlemen had not regarded the difference,
+between the old style and the new. He told me, that in 1777, he had been a
+surgeon, in the Ranger, with John Paul Jones. Upon my taking out my
+glasses, to read a passage in a pamphlet, to which he called my attention,
+he told me he had never used spectacles, nor felt the need of any such
+assistance, in reading. Dr. Green died, in 1847.</p>
+
+<p>He graduated, at Harvard, in 1765. At the time of his death, every other
+member of his own class, numbering fifty-four, was dead.</p>
+
+<p>Previously to 1765, two thousand and seventy-five individuals are named,
+upon the catalogue. They were all dead at the time of his decease, though
+he died so recently, as 1847. Yet, from the year, when he graduated, to
+1786, a period of twenty years, of seven hundred and seventy-three
+graduates, fifteen only appear, upon the catalogue of 1848, without the
+fatal star. One of the fifteen, Harrison Gray Otis, has recently died,
+leaving three survivors only, in his class of 1783, Asa Andrews, J. S.
+Boies, and Jonathan Ewins. Another of the fifteen has also recently died,
+being the oldest graduate, Judge Timothy Farrar, of the class of 1767. The
+oldest living graduate of Harvard is James Lovell, of the class of 1776.</p>
+
+<p>I send my communication to the press, as speedily as possible, lest he
+also should be off, before I can publish.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. XLVI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>A few days ago, I saw, in the hands of the artist, Mr. Alvan Clarke, a
+sketch, nearly completed, from Stuart&#8217;s painting of John Adams, in his
+very old age. This sketch is to be engraved, as an accompaniment of the
+works of Mr. Adams, about to be published, by Little &amp; Brown. I scarcely
+know what to say of this sketch of Mr. Adams. His fine old face, such as
+it was in the flesh, and at the very last of his long and illustrious
+career, is fixed in my memory&mdash;rivetted there&mdash;as firmly as his name is
+bolted, upon the loftiest column of our national history. Never have I
+seen a more perfect fac simile of man, without the aid of relief&mdash;it is
+the resurrection and the life. If I am at a loss what to say of the
+sketch, I am still farther at fault, what to say of the artist. Like some
+of those heavenly bodies, whose contemplation occupies no little portion
+of his time, it is not always the easiest thing in the world, to know in
+what part of his orbit he may be found; if I desire to obtain a portrait,
+or a miniature, or a sketch, he can scarcely devote his time to it, he is
+so very busy, in contriving some new improvement, for his already
+celebrated rifle; or if it is a patent muzzled rifle that I want, he is
+quite likely to be occupied, in the manufacture of a telescope. Be all
+these matters as they may, I can vouch for it, after years of experience,
+Alvan Clarke is a very clever fellow, <i>Anglice et Americanice</i>; and this
+sketch of Mr. Adams does him honor, as an artist.</p>
+
+<p>It was in the year 1822, I believe, that a young lady sent me her album,
+with a request, that I, of all people in the world, would occupy one of
+its pages. Well, I felt, that after all, it was quite in my line, for I
+had always looked upon a young lady&#8217;s album, as a kind of cemetery, for
+the burial of anybody&#8217;s bantlings, and I began to read the inscriptions,
+upon such as reposed in this place, appointed for the still-born. I was a
+little startled, I confess, at my first glance, upon the autograph of the
+late Bishop Griswold, appended to some very respectable verses. My
+attention was next drawn to some lines, over the name of Daniel Webster,
+<i>manu propria</i>. I forget them now, but I remember, that the American Eagle
+was invoked for the occasion, and flapped its wings, through one or more
+of the stanzas. Next came an article in strong, sensible prose, from John
+Adams,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> written by an amanuensis, but signed with his own hand. Such a
+hand&mdash;the &#8220;<i>manu deficiente</i>&#8221; of Tibullus. The letters, formed by the
+failing, trembling fingers, resembled the forked lightning. A solemnizing
+and impressive autograph it was: and, under the impulse of the moment, I
+had the audacity to spoil three pages of this consecrated album, by
+appending to this venerable name the following lines:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">High over Alps, in Dauphine,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">There lies a lonely spot,</span><br />
+So wild, that ages rolled away,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And man had claimed it not:</span><br />
+For ages there, the tiger&#8217;s yell<br />
+Bay&#8217;d the hoarse torrent as it fell.<br />
+<br />
+Amid the dark, sequestered glade,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">No more the brute shall roam;</span><br />
+For man, unsocial man, hath made<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That wilderness his home:</span><br />
+And convent bell, with notes forlorn,<br />
+Is heard, at midnight, eve, and morn.<br />
+<br />
+For now, amid the Grand Chartreuse,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Carthusian monks reside;</span><br />
+Whose lives are passed, from man recluse,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">In scourging human pride;</span><br />
+In matins, vespers, aves, creeds,<br />
+With crosses, masses, prayers, and beads.<br />
+<br />
+When hither men of curious mood,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Or pilgrims, bend their way,</span><br />
+To view this Alpine solitude,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Or, heav&#8217;nward bent, to pray,</span><br />
+Saint Bruno&#8217;s monks their album bring,<br />
+Inscrib&#8217;d by poet, priest, and king.<br />
+<br />
+Since pilgrim first, with holy tears,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Inscrib&#8217;d the tablet fair,</span><br />
+On time&#8217;s dark flood, some thousand years,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Have pass&#8217;d like billows there.</span><br />
+What countless names its pages blot,<br />
+By country, kindred, long forgot!<br />
+<br />
+Here chaste conceits and thoughts divine<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Unclaim&#8217;d, and nameless, stand;</span><br />
+Which, like the Grecian&#8217;s waving line,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Betray some master&#8217;s hand.</span><br />
+And here Saint Bruno&#8217;s monks display,<br />
+With pride, the classic lines of Gray.<br />
+<br />
+While pilgrim ponders o&#8217;er the name,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">He feels his bosom glow;</span><br />
+And counts it nothing less than fame,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">To write his own below.</span><br />
+So, in this Album, fain would I,<br />
+Beneath a name, that cannot die.<br />
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span><br />
+Thrice happy book! no tablet bears<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">A nobler name than thine;</span><br />
+Still followed by a nation&#8217;s pray&#8217;rs,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Through ling&#8217;ring life&#8217;s decline.</span><br />
+The wav&#8217;ring stylus scarce obey&#8217;d<br />
+The hand, that once an empire sway&#8217;d!<br />
+<br />
+Not thus, among the patriot band,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That name enroll&#8217;d we see&mdash;</span><br />
+No falt&#8217;ring tongue, no trembling hand<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Proclaim&#8217;d an empire free!&mdash;</span><br />
+Lady, retrace those lines, and tell,<br />
+If, in thy heart, no sadness dwell?<br />
+<br />
+And, in those fainting, struggling lines,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oh, see&#8217;st thou naught sublime!</span><br />
+No tott&#8217;ring pile, that half inclines!<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">No mighty wreck of time!</span><br />
+Sighs not thy gentle heart to save<br />
+The sage, the patriot, from the grave!<br />
+<br />
+If thus, oh then recall that sigh,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Unholy &#8217;tis, and vain;</span><br />
+For saints and sages never die,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">But sleep, to rise again.</span><br />
+Life is a lengthened day, at best,<br />
+And in the grave tir&#8217;d trav&#8217;llers rest;<br />
+<br />
+Till, with his trump, to wake the dead,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Th&#8217; appointed angel flies;</span><br />
+Then Heav&#8217;n&#8217;s bright album shall be spread,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And all who sleep, shall rise;</span><br />
+The blest to Zion&#8217;s Hill repair,<br />
+And write their names immortal there.</p>
+
+<p>I had as much pleasure, in composing these lines, as I ever had, in
+composing the limbs or the features of a corpse; and now that they are
+fairly laid out, the reader may bury them in oblivion, as soon as he
+pleases. The lines of Gray, referred to, in the sixth stanza, may be found
+in the collections of his works, and were written in the album of the
+Chartreuse, in 1741.</p>
+
+<p>My recollections of John Adams, are very perfect, and pre&euml;minently
+pleasant. I knew nothing of him personally, of course, in the days of his
+power. I had nothing to ask at his hands, but the permission to sit and
+listen. How vast and how various his learning!&mdash;&#8220;Qui sermo! qu&aelig; pr&aelig;cepta!
+quanta notitia antiquitatis!... Omnia memoria tenebat, non domestica
+solum, sed etiam externa bella: cujus sermone ita tum cupide fruebar,
+quasi jam divinarem id, quod evenit, illo extincto, fore, unde discerem,
+neminem.&#8221; Surpassingly delightful were the outpourings, till some
+thoughtless wight, by an ill-timed allusion,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> opened the fountain of
+bitter waters&mdash;then, history, literature, the arts, all were buried <i>in
+gurgite vasto</i>, giving place to Jefferson&#8217;s injustice, the Mazzei letters,
+and Callender&#8217;s prospect before us&mdash;<i>quantum mutatus ab illo</i>!</p>
+
+<p>How forcibly the dead are quickened, upon the retina of memory, by the
+exhibition of some well known and personally associated article&mdash;the
+little hat of Napoleon&mdash;the mantle of C&aelig;sar&mdash;&#8220;<i>you all do know this
+mantle</i>!&#8221; I have just now drawn, from my treasury, an autograph of John
+Adams, bearing date, Jan. 31, 1824, and a lock of strong hair, cut from
+his venerable brow, the day before. In October of that year, he was
+eighty-nine years of age; and that lock of hair is a dark iron gray. I
+have also taken from its casket a silver pen, and small portable inkstand
+attached, which also were his. The contemplation of these things&mdash;I came
+honestly by them&mdash;seems almost to raise that venerable form before me. I
+can almost hear him repeat those memorable words&mdash;&#8220;<span class="smcap">The Union is our Rock
+of Safety as well as our Pledge of Grandeur.</span>&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XLVII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I am rather surprised, to find how little is known, among the rising
+generation, about slavery, in the Old Bay State. One might delve for a
+twelve month, and not gather together the half of all, that is condensed,
+in Dr. Belknap&#8217;s replies to Judge Tucker&#8217;s inquiries, Mass. H. C., iv.
+191.</p>
+
+<p>I never was a sexton in the Berry Street Church, but I knew Dr. Jeremy
+Belknap well, in 1797, when he lived on the southeasterly side of Lincoln
+Street, near Essex. He died the following year. His garden was overrun
+with spiders. I had a great veneration for the doctor&mdash;he gave me a copy
+of his Foresters&mdash;and, to repay a small part of the debt, I was
+proceeding, one summer morning, with a strong arm, to demolish the
+spiders, when he pleasantly called to me to desist, saying, that he
+preferred them to the flies.</p>
+
+<p>Slavery was here&mdash;negro slavery&mdash;at a very early day. Josselyn speaks of
+three slaves, in the family of Maverick, on Noddle&#8217;s Island, Oct. 2, 1639,
+M. H. C., xxiii. 231. These were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> probably brought directly from Africa.
+In 1645, the General Court of Massachusetts ordered Mr. Williams, at
+Pascataqua, over which Massachusetts exercised jurisdiction, to send the
+negro he had of Captain Smith, to them, that he might be sent home; as
+Smith had confessed, that the negroes he brought were stolen from Guinea.
+Ibid. iv. 195. In the same year, a law was passed, against the traffic in
+slaves, those excepted, who were taken in war, or cast into servitude, for
+crime. Ibid.</p>
+
+<p>The slave trade was carried on, in Massachusetts, to a very small extent.
+&#8220;In 1703,&#8221; says Dr. Belknap, &#8220;a duty of &pound;4 was laid on every negro
+imported.&#8221; He adds&mdash;&#8220;By the inquiries which I have made of our oldest
+merchants, now living, I cannot find that more than three ships in a year,
+belonging to this port, were ever employed in the African trade. The rum
+distilled here, was the mainspring of this traffic. Very few whole cargoes
+ever came to this port. One gentleman says he remembers two or three. I
+remember one, between thirty and forty years ago, which consisted almost
+wholly of children. At Rhode Island the rum distillery and the African
+trade were prosecuted to a greater extent than in Boston; and I believe no
+other seaport, in Massachusetts, had any concern in the slave business.&#8221;
+Ibid. 196. Dr. Belknap drew up his answers to Judge Tucker&#8217;s inquiries,
+April 21, 1795: &#8220;<i>between thirty and forty years ago</i>,&#8221; therefore, was
+between 1755 and 1765. Dr. Belknap remembered the arrival in Boston of a
+&#8220;<i>whole cargo</i>&#8221; of slaves, &#8220;<i>almost wholly children</i>,&#8221; between the years
+1755 and 1765! If we have ever had an accurate and careful narrator of
+matters of fact, in New England, that man was Jeremy Belknap. The last of
+these years, 1765, was the memorable year of the Stamp Act, and <span class="smcap">Liberty
+Tree</span>! Let us hope the arrival was nearer to 1755.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;About the time of the Stamp Act,&#8221; says Dr. Belknap, &#8220;this trade began to
+decline, and, in 1788, it was prohibited by law. This could not have been
+done previous to the Revolution, as the governors sent hither from
+England, it is said, were instructed not to consent to any acts made for
+that purpose.&#8221; Ibid. 197. In 1767, a bill was brought into the House of
+Representatives, &#8220;to prevent the unnatural and unwarrantable custom of
+enslaving mankind, and the importation of slaves into the Province:&#8221; but
+it came to nothing. &#8220;Had it passed both houses in any form whatever,&#8221; says
+Dr. B., ibid. page 202, &#8220;Gov. Bernard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> would not have consented to it.&#8221;
+One scarcely knows which most to admire, the fury against the South, of
+gentlemen, whose ancestors imported cargoes of slaves, or bought and sold
+them, at retail, or the righteous indignation of Great Britain, who
+instructed her colonial governors, to veto every attempt of the
+Massachusetts Legislature, to abolish the traffic in human flesh. A
+disposition existed, at an earlier period, to abolish the brutal traffic.
+In a letter to the Rev. Dr. Freeman from Timothy Pickering, which may
+found in M. H. C., xviii. 183, he refers to the following transcript, from
+the records of the Selectmen of Boston: &#8220;1701, May 26. The Representatives
+are desired to promote the encouraging the bringing of white servants, and
+to put a period to negroes being slaves.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;A few only of our merchants,&#8221; says Dr. B., M. H. C., iv. 197, &#8220;were
+engaged in this traffic. It was never supported by popular opinion. A
+degree of infamy was attached to the characters of those, who were
+employed in it. Several of them, in their last hours, bitterly lamented
+their concern in it.&#8221; Chief Justice Samuel Sewall wrote a pamphlet against
+it. Many, says Dr. B., who were wholly opposed to the traffic, would yet
+buy a slave, when brought here, on the ground that it was better for him
+to be brought up in a Christian land! For this, Abraham and the patriarchs
+were vouched in, of course, as supporters.</p>
+
+<p>Our winters were unfavorable to unacclimated negroes; white laborers were
+therefore preferred to black. &#8220;<i>Negro children</i>,&#8221; says Dr. B., ibid. 200,
+&#8220;<i>were reckoned an incumbrance in a family; and, when weaned, were given
+away like puppies. They have been publicly advertised in the newspapers,
+to be given away</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In answer to the question, how slavery had been abolished in
+Massachusetts? Dr. Belknap answered&mdash;&#8220;<i>by public opinion</i>.&#8221; He considers,
+that slavery came to an end, in our Commonwealth, in 1783. After 1781,
+there were, certainly, very few, who had the brass to offer negroes, for
+sale, openly, in the newspapers of Boston. Public opinion, as Dr. Belknap
+says, was accomplishing this work: and every calm, impartial person may
+opine for himself, how patiently we of the North should have endured, at
+that time, even a modicum of the galling abuse, of which such a
+<i>profluvium</i> is daily administered, to the people of the South. It seems
+to me, that such rough treatment would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> have been more likely to addle,
+than to hatch the ovum of public opinion in 1783.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Belknap&#8217;s account, ibid. 203, is very clear. He says&mdash;&#8220;The present
+constitution of Massachusetts was established in 1780. The first article
+of the declaration of rights asserts that &#8216;<i>all men are born free and
+equal</i>.&#8217; This was inserted, not merely as a moral or political truth, but
+with a particular view to establish the liberation of the negroes, on a
+general principle; and so it was understood, by the people at large; but
+some doubted whether this were sufficient. Many of the blacks, taking
+advantage of the <i>public opinion</i>, and of this general assertion, in the
+bill of rights, asked their freedom and obtained it. Others took it
+without leave. Some of the aged and infirm thought it most prudent to
+continue in the families, where they had been well used, and experience
+has proved that they acted right. In 1781, at the court in Worcester
+County, an indictment was found against a white man for assaulting,
+beating, and imprisoning a black. He was tried at the Supreme Judicial
+Court, in 1783. His defence was that the black was his slave, and that the
+beating, &amp;c., was the necessary restraint and correction of the master.
+This was answered by citing the aforesaid clause in the declaration of
+rights. The Judge and Jury were of opinion that he had no right to beat or
+imprison the negro. He was found guilty and fined forty shillings. This
+decision was a mortal wound to slavery in Massachusetts.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The reader will perceive, that a distinction was maintained, between the
+<i>slave trade</i>, eo nomine, and the <i>holding of slaves</i>, inseparably
+connected as it was, with the incidents of sale and transfer from man to
+man, in towns and villages. He, who was engaged in the <i>trade</i>, so called,
+was supposed <i>per se</i> or <i>per alium</i> to <i>steal</i> the slaves; but, contrary
+to the proverb, the <i>receiver</i> was, in this case, not accounted so bad as
+the <i>thief</i>! The prohibition of the <i>traffic</i>, in 1788, grew out of public
+indignation, produced by the act of one Avery, from Connecticut, who
+decoyed three black men on board his vessel, under pretence of employing
+them; and while they were at work below, proceeded to sea, having
+previously cleared for Martinico. The knowledge of this outrage produced a
+great sensation. Gov. Hancock, and M. L&#8217;Etombe, the French Consul, wrote
+in favor of the kidnapped negroes, to all the West India Islands. A
+petition was presented to the Legislature, from the members of the
+association<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> of the Boston Clergy; another from the blacks; and one, at
+that very time, from the Quakers, was lying on the table, for an act
+against equipping and insuring vessels, engaged in the traffic, and
+against kidnappers. Such an act was passed March 26, 1788.</p>
+
+<p>The poor negroes, carried off by that arch villain, Avery, were offered
+for sale, in the island of St. Bartholomew. They told their story
+publicly&mdash;<i>magna est veritas</i>&mdash;the Governor heard and believed it&mdash;the
+sale was forbidden. An inhabitant of the island&mdash;a Mr. <span class="smcap">Atherton</span>, of
+blessed memory&mdash;became their protector, and gave bonds for their good
+behavior, for six months. Letters, confirming their story, arrived. They
+were sent on their way home rejoicing, and arrived in Boston, on the
+following 29th day of July.</p>
+
+<p>In 1763, according to Dr. Belknap, ibid. 198, there was 1 black to every
+45 whites in Massachusetts; in 1776, 1 to every 65; in 1784, 1 to every
+80. The whole number, in the latter year, 4377 blacks, 354,133 whites.</p>
+
+<p>It appears, by a census, taken by order of Government, in the last month
+of 1754, and the first month of 1755, that there were then in the Province
+of Massachusetts Bay 2717 negro slaves of and over 16 years of age. Of
+these, 989 belonged to Boston. This table may be found in M. H. C., xiii.
+95.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XLVIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Of all sorts of affectation the affectation of happiness is the most
+universal. How many, whose domestic relations are full of trouble, are,
+abroad, apparently, the happiest of mortals. How many, after laying down
+the severest sumptuary laws, for their domestics, on the subject of
+<i>sugar</i> and <i>butter</i>, go forth, in all their personal finery, to inquire
+the prices of articles, which they have no means to purchase, and return,
+comforted by the assurance, that they have the reputation of fashion and
+wealth, with those, at least, who have, so deferentially, displayed their
+diamonds and pearls!</p>
+
+<p>Who would not be thought wealthy, and wise, and witty, if he could!</p>
+
+<p>Happiness is every man&#8217;s <i>cynosure</i>, when he embarks upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> the ocean of
+life. No man would willingly be thought so very unskilful, as that
+ill-starred Palinurus, who made the shores of Norway, on a voyage to the
+coast of Africa. Whether wealth, or fame, or fashion, or pleasure be the
+principal object of pursuit, no one is willing to be accounted a
+disappointed man, after the application of his best energies, for years.
+The man of wealth&mdash;the man of ambition, for example, are desirous of being
+accounted happy. It would certainly be exceedingly annoying to both, to be
+convinced, that they were believed, by mankind, to be otherwise. Their
+condition is rendered tolerable, only by the conviction, that thousands
+suppose them happy, and covet their condition accordingly. There is
+something particularly agreeable, in being envied, of course. Now, it is
+the common law of man&#8217;s nature&mdash;a law, that executes itself&mdash;that
+<i>possession makes him poor</i> as Horace says, Sat. i. 1, 1.</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&#8220;Nemo, quam sibi sortem,<br />
+Seu ratio dederit, seu fors objecerit illi,<br />
+Contentus vivat.&#8221;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>All experience has demonstrated, that happiness is not to be bought, and
+that what there is of it, in this present life, is a home-made article,
+which every one produces for himself, in the workshop of his own bosom. It
+no more consists, in the accumulation of wealth, than in snuffing up the
+east wind. The poor believe the rich to be happy&mdash;they become rich, and
+find they were mistaken. But they keep the secret, and affect to be happy,
+nevertheless.</p>
+
+<p>Seneca looked upon the devotion of time and talent to the acquirement of
+money, beyond the measure of a man&#8217;s reasonable wants, with profound
+contempt. He called such, as gave themselves up to the unvarying pursuit
+of wealth, <i>short lived</i>; meaning that the hours and years, so employed,
+were carved out of the estate of a man&#8217;s life, and utterly thrown away.
+There is a fine passage, in ch. 17, of Seneca&#8217;s book, <i>De Brevitate Vit&aelig;</i>.</p>
+
+
+<p>&#8220;Misserrimam ergo necesse est, non tantum brevissimam, vitam eorum esse,
+qui magno parant labore, quod majore possideant: operose assequuntur qu&aelig;
+volunt, anxii tenent qu&aelig; assecuti sunt. Nulla interim nunquam amplius
+redituri temporis est ratio&#8221;&mdash;It is clear, therefore, that the life must
+be very miserable, and very brief, of those, who get their gains with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span>
+great labor, and hold on to their gettings with greater&mdash;who obtain the
+object of their wishes, with much difficulty, and are everlastingly
+anxious for the safe keeping of their treasures. They seem to have no true
+estimate of those hours, thus wasted, which never can return.</p>
+
+<p>In one of his admirable letters to Lucilius, the eightieth, on the subject
+of poverty, he says&mdash;&#8220;Si vis scire quam nihil in illa mali sit, compara
+inter se pauperum et divitum vultus. S&aelig;pius pauper et fidelius ridet;
+nulla sollicitudo in alto est; etiamsi qua incidit cura, velut nubes levis
+transit Horum, qui felices vocantur, hilaritas ficta est, au gravis et
+suppurata tristitia; eo quidem gravior, quia interdum non licet palam esse
+miseros, sed inter &aelig;rumnas, cor ipsum exedentes, necesse est agere
+felicem&#8221;&mdash;If you wish to know, that there is no evil therein, compare the
+faces of the rich and the poor. The poor man laughs much oftener, and more
+heartily. There is no wearying solicitude pressing upon his inmost soul,
+and when care comes, it passes away, like a thin cloud. But the hilarity
+of these rich men, who are called happy, is affected, or a deep-seated and
+rankling anxiety, the more oppressive, because it never would answer for
+them to appear as miserable, as they are, being constrained to appear
+happy, in the midst of harassing cares, gnawing at their vitals.</p>
+
+<p>If Seneca had been on &#8217;Change, daily, during the last half year, and
+watched the countenances of our wealthy money-lenders, he could not have
+portrayed the picture with a more masterly pencil. The rate of usury has,
+of course, a relation to the hazard encountered, and that hazard is ever
+uppermost in the mind of the usurer: and it is extremely doubtful, if the
+hope, however sanguine, of realizing two per cent. a month, is always
+sufficient, to quiet those fears, which will occasionally arise, of losing
+the principal and interest together.</p>
+
+<p>I never buried an old usurer, without a conviction, as I looked upon his
+hard, corrugated features, that, if he could carry nothing else with him,
+he certainly carried upon his checkered brow the very phylactery of his
+calling. We may talk about money, as an article of commerce, till we are
+tired&mdash;we may weary the legislature, by our importunity, into a repeal of
+the existing laws against usury&mdash;we may cudgel our brains, to stretch the
+mantle of the law over our operations, and make it appear <i>a regular
+business transaction</i>&mdash;it is a case, in which no refinement of the
+culinary art will ever be able to disguise, or neutralize, the odor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> of
+the opossum&mdash;there ever was&mdash;there is&mdash;there ever will be, I am afraid, a
+certain touch of moral <i>nastiness</i> about it, which no casuistical
+chemistry will ever be able entirely to remove.</p>
+
+<p>Doubtless, there are men, who take something more, during a period of
+scarcity, than legal interest, and who are very worthy men withal. There
+are others, who are descendants, in the right line, from the horse-leech
+of biblical history&mdash;who take all they can get. Now, there is but one
+category: <i>they are all usurers</i>; and those, who are respectable, impart
+of their respectability to such, as have little or none; and give a
+confidence to those, who would be treated with contempt, for their
+merciless gripings, were they not banded together, with men of character,
+in the same occupation, as usurers. Those, who take seven or eight per
+cent. per annum, and those who take <i>one per cent. a day</i>, and such things
+have been, are not easily distinguished; but the question, who come within
+the category, as usurers, is a thing more readily comprehended. All are
+such, who exceed the law.</p>
+
+<p><i>Usurer</i>, originally, was not a term of reproach; for <i>interest</i> and
+<i>usury</i> meant one and the same thing. The earlier statutes against usury,
+in England, were directed chiefly against the Jews&mdash;whose lineal
+descendants are still in our midst. Usury was forbidden, by act of
+Parliament, in 1341. The rate then taken by the Jews, was enormous. In
+1545, 37 Henry VIII., the rate established was ten per cent. This statute
+was confirmed by 13 Eliz. 1570. Reduced to eight per cent., 21 James I.
+1623, when the word <i>interest</i> was first employed, instead of <i>usury</i>.
+Again reduced, by Cromwell, 1650, to six per cent. Confirmed by Charles
+II. 1660. Reduced to five per cent., 5 Anne, 1714.</p>
+
+<p>There are not two words about it; extortion and usury harden the heart;
+soil the reputation; and diminish the quantum of happiness, by lowering
+the standard of self-respect. That unconscionable griper, whose god is
+Mammon, and who fattens upon misery, as surely as the vulture upon
+carrion, stalking up and down like a commercial buzzard, tearing away the
+substance of his miserable victim, by piecemeal&mdash;<i>two per cent. a
+month</i>&mdash;can he be happy! However much like a human being he may have
+looked, in his youth, the workings of his mercenary soul have told too
+truly upon his iron features, until that visage would form an appropriate
+figure-head for the portal of &#8217;Change alley, or the Inquisition.</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>
+&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&#8220;Is your name Shylock?<br />
+Shylock is my name.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>To how many, in this age of <i>anxious inquirers</i>, may we hold up this
+picture, and propound this interrogatory!</p>
+
+<p>God is just, though Mahomet be not his prophet. Instead of exclaiming,
+that God&#8217;s ways are past finding out, let us go doggedly to work, and
+study them a little. Some of them, I humbly confess, appear sufficiently
+intelligible, with common sense for an expositor. Does not the All-wise
+contriver say, in language not to be mistaken, to such as worship, at the
+shrines of avarice and sensuality&mdash;you have chosen idols, and your
+punishment shall consist, in part, in the ridicule and contempt, which the
+worship of these idols brings upon your old age. You&mdash;the victim of
+intemperance&mdash;shall continue, with your bloated lips, to worship&mdash;not a
+stone image&mdash;but a stone jug; and grasping your idol with your trembling
+fingers, literally stagger into the grave! And you, though last, not
+least, of all vermicular things, whose whole time and intellectual powers
+are devoted to no higher object than making money&mdash;shall still crawl
+along, heaping up treasure, day after day&mdash;day after day&mdash;to die at last,
+not knowing who shall come after you, a wise man or a fool!</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;Constant at Church and &#8217;Change; his gains were sure,<br />
+His givings rare, save farthings to the poor!<br />
+The Dev&#8217;l was piq&#8217;d such saintship to behold,<br />
+And long&#8217;d to tempt him, like good Job of old;<br />
+But Satan now is wiser than of yore,<br />
+And tempts, by making rich, not making poor.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. XLIX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Self-conceit and vanity are very pardonable offences, till, stimulated by
+flattery, or aggravated by indulgence, they assume the offensive forms of
+arrogance and insolence. If we should drive, from the circle of our
+friends, all, who are occasionally guilty of such petty misdemeanors, we
+should restrict ourselves to the solitude of Selkirk. There are some
+worthy men, with whom this little infirmity is an intermittent,
+alternating, like fever and ague, between self-conceit and self-abasement.
+Like some estimable people, of both sexes, who, at one moment, proclaim<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span>
+themselves the chief of sinners, and the next, are in admirable working
+condition, as the spiritual guides and instructors of all mankind; these
+persons, under the influence of the wind, or the weather, or the world&#8217;s
+smiles, or its frowns, or the state of their digestive organs, indicate,
+by their air and carriage, today, a feeling, far on the sunny side of
+self-complacency, and of deep humility, tomorrow.</p>
+
+<p>William Boodle has been dead, some twenty years. He was my school-fellow.
+I would have undertaken anything, for Boodle, while living, but I could
+not undertake for him, when dead. The idea of burying Billy Boodle, my
+playmate from the cradle&mdash;we were put into breeches, the very same
+day&mdash;with whom I had passed, simultaneously, through all the
+epocha&mdash;rattles&mdash;drums&mdash;go-carts&mdash;kites&mdash;tops&mdash;bats&mdash;skates&mdash;the idea of
+shovelling the cold earth upon him, was too much. I would have buried the
+Governor and Council, with the greatest pleasure, but Billy Boodle&mdash;I
+couldn&#8217;t. So I changed works, that day, with one of our craft, who
+comprehended my feelings perfectly.</p>
+
+<p>I never shall forget my sensations, the first time he called me <i>Mr.
+Wycherly</i>. We had ever been on terms of the greatest intimacy, and had
+never known any other words of designation, than Abner and Bill. I was
+very much amazed; and he seemed a little confused, himself, when I laughed
+in his face, and asked him what the devil he meant by it. But he grew
+daily more formal in his manners, and more particular in his dress. His
+voice became changed&mdash;he began to use longer words&mdash;assumed an unusual
+wave of the hand, and a particular movement of the head, when
+speaking&mdash;and, while talking, on the most common-place topics, he had a
+way, quite new with him, of bringing down the fore-finger of his right
+hand, frequently and forcibly, upon the ball of the uplifted thumb of the
+left. He was a leather-breeches maker; and I caught him, upon two or three
+occasions, spouting in his shop, all by himself, before a small
+looking-glass. He once made a pair of buckskins, for old General
+Heath&mdash;they did not fit&mdash;the General returned them, and Boodle said he
+would have them <i>taken into a new draft</i>&mdash;I thought he was a little
+deranged: &#8220;taken where?&#8221; said the old General. Boodle colored, and
+corrected himself, saying he would have them <i>let out</i>. He had two turns
+of this strange behavior, in one year, during which, he was rather
+neglectful of his business, pompous in his family, and talked to his wife,
+who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> was a plain, notable woman, of nothing but first principles, and
+political economy. In the intervals between these attacks, he was
+perfectly himself again, and it was Abner and Bill, as in former days.</p>
+
+<p>I have often smiled, at my own dullness, in not sooner apprehending the
+solution of this little enigma. Boodle was a member of the Legislature;
+and the fits were upon him, during the sessions. No man, probably, was
+ever more thoroughly confounded, than my old friend, when, it having been
+deemed expedient to compliment the leather-breeches interest, the
+committee requested him to permit his name to be put upon the list of
+candidates, as one of the representatives of the city of Boston, in the
+General Court. He could not think of it&mdash;the committee averred the utter
+impossibility of doing without him&mdash;he was ignorant of the duties&mdash;they
+could be learned in half a day&mdash;he was without education&mdash;the very thing,
+a self-taught man! He consented.</p>
+
+<p>How much more easily we are persuaded to be great men, than to be
+Christians! There is but a step from conscious insignificancy to the
+loftiest pretension. Boodle was elected, and awoke the next morning, less
+surprised by the event, than at the extraordinary fact, that his talents
+had been overlooked, so long. He spoiled three good skins that day, from
+sheer absence of mind.</p>
+
+<p>However disposed we may be to laugh at the airs of men, who so entirely
+misapprehend themselves and their constituents, our laughter should be
+tempered with charity. They are not honestly told, that they are wanted,
+only as makeweights&mdash;to keep in file&mdash;to follow, <i>en suite</i>&mdash;to register
+an edict: and their vanity is pardonable, in the ratio of that ignorance
+of themselves, which leads them to rely, so implicitly, upon the testimony
+of others.</p>
+
+<p>Comparative mensuration is a very popular process, and a very comforting
+process, for all, who have made small progress in self-knowledge; and this
+category comprehends all, but a very small minority. There are a few, I
+doubt not, who think humbly of themselves; but there are very few, indeed,
+who cannot perceive, in themselves, or their possessions, some one or more
+points of imaginary superiority, over their fellows. This is an
+inexpensive mode of enjoying one&#8217;s self, and I cannot see the wisdom, or
+the wit, of disturbing the self-complacency of any one, upon such an
+occasion, unless the delusion is of vital <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span>importance to somebody. What,
+if your neighbor prefers his Dutch domicil, with its overhanging gable, to
+your classic chateau&mdash;or sees more to admire, in his broad-faced squab of
+a wife, than in your faultless Helen&mdash;or vaunts the superiority of his
+short-legged cob, over your famous blood horse! Let him. Such things
+should be passed, with great forbearance, were it only for the innocent
+amusement they afford us. So far, however, is this from the ordinary mode
+of treating them, that I am compelled to believe vanity is often more apt,
+than criminality, to excite our irritable principle, and stimulate the
+spirit of resentment.</p>
+
+<p>I have known some worthy men, generous and humane, whose very gait has
+rendered them exceedingly unpopular. I once heard a pious and reverend
+clergyman say, of one of his very best parishioners, but whose unfortunate
+air of hauteur was rather remarkable, that, with all his excellent
+qualities, &#8220;it would do the flesh good to give him a kick.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>From a thousand illustrations, which are all around us, I will select one
+only. The anecdote, which I am about to relate, may be told without any
+apprehension of giving offence; as the parties have been dead, some thirty
+years. A worthy clergyman, residing in a neighboring state, grew old; and
+the parish, who entertained the most cordial respect and affection, for
+this venerable soldier of the cross, resolved to give him a colleague.
+After due inquiry, and a <i>quantum sufficit</i> of preaching on probation,
+they decided on giving a call to Parson Brocklebank. He was a little, red,
+round man, with a spherical head, a Brougham nose, and a gait, the like of
+which had never been seen, in that parish, before. It had not attracted
+particular notice, until after he was settled. To be sure, an aged single
+lady, of the parish, was heard to say, that she saw something of it, at
+the ordination, when Parson Brocklebank stepped forward, to receive the
+right hand of fellowship. Suffice it to say, for the reader&#8217;s particular
+edification, that it was indescribable. It became the village talk, and is
+thought to have had an injurious influence, in retarding a revival, which
+seemed to be commencing, just before the period of the ordination. However
+lowly in spirit, the new minister may have been, all who ever beheld him
+move, were satisfied, at a glance, that he had a most exalted opinion of
+himself. And yet he was an excellent man.</p>
+
+<p>This unfortunate trick of jerking out the hips, and those rotundities of
+flesh connected therewith, however it might have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> originated in &#8220;curs&#8217;d
+pride, that busy sin,&#8221; had become, with Parson Brocklebank, an
+unchangeable habit. We often see it in a slight degree, but, as it existed
+in his particular case, it was a thing not known among men. I think I have
+seen it among women. Dr. Johnson would have called it a fundamental
+undulation, elaborated by the ostentatious workings of a pompous spirit.
+Whatever it was, it was fatal to the peace and prosperity of that parish.
+Every one talked of it. The young laughed at it; the old mourned over it;
+the middle aged were vexed by it; boys and girls were whipped, for
+imitating it; children were forbidden to look at it, for fear of their
+catching it; the very dogs were said to have barked at it.</p>
+
+<p>The parish began to dissolve, <i>sine die</i>. The deacons waited upon their
+old clergyman, Father Paybody, and the following colloquy ensued:</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re in a bad way, Father Paybody; and, if folks keep going off so, we
+don&#8217;t see how we shall be able to pay the salaries.&mdash;Dismiss me: I am of
+little use now.&mdash;No, no, Father Paybody, while there&#8217;s a potato in this
+parish, we&#8217;ll share it together. We call&#8217;d for advice. Ever since Parson
+Brocklebank was settled, the parish has been going to pieces: what is the
+cause of it?&mdash;The shrewd old man shook his head, and smiled.&mdash;Parson
+Brocklebank is a good man, Father Paybody.&mdash;Excellent.&mdash;Sound
+doctrine.&mdash;Very.&mdash;Amazing ready at short notice.&mdash;Very.&mdash;Great at clearing
+a knotty passage.&mdash;Very.&mdash;We think him a very pious Christian.&mdash;Very.&mdash;In
+the parochial relation he is very acceptable.&mdash;Very.&mdash;I hear he has a
+winning way, and always has candy or gingerbread in his pockets, for the
+children, which helps the word greatly, with the little ones.&mdash;Well,
+nearly half our people are dissatisfied, and have left, or will leave
+soon. What is the cause of it, Father Paybody?&mdash;I will tell you: it&#8217;s
+owing to no other cause under the sun, than that wriggle of Brother
+Brocklebank&#8217;s behind.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. L.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I sincerely hope, that Daniel H. Pearson, now in prison, under suspicion
+of having murdered his wife and twin daughters, at Wilmington, in this
+Commonwealth, in the month of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> April last, may be proved to be an innocent
+man. For, should he be convicted, he will certainly be sentenced to be
+hung; and it is quite probable, that Governor Briggs, and his iron-hearted
+Council may do, as they recently did, in the case of poor Washington
+Goode, a most unfortunate man, who, unhappily, committed a most infernal
+murder, of which, after an impartial trial, he was duly convicted. Will it
+be believed, in this age of improved contrivances, moral and physical,
+that the Governor and Council of our Commonwealth have actually refused,
+to rush between the sentence and the execution, and save this egregious
+scoundrel from the gallows! They have solemnly decided, not to interfere
+with the operation of that ancient law of this Commonwealth, which
+decrees, that he, who kills his fellow man, with malice prepense, shall be
+hanged, by the neck, till he is dead!</p>
+
+<p>It really seems to me, that the time has arrived when Massachusetts should
+be governed, by some compassionate person, who will prove himself, upon
+such unpleasant occasions, the murderer&#8217;s friend. I am not unapprized of
+the fact, that there is a strong opposition to these opinions, among the
+wisest and best men in the community; and that, irrespectively of the
+operation of the <i>lex talionis</i> upon the murderer, his death is accounted
+necessary, <i>in terrorem</i>, for the rest of mankind; as Cicero has
+said&mdash;&#8220;<i>ut p&oelig;na ad paucos, metus ad omnes perveniat</i>&#8221;&mdash;that the
+punishment may reach the few, and fear the many. But Cicero was a heathen.
+There are also some individuals, having very little of that contempt for
+old wives&#8217; tales, which characterizes those profound thinkers, our
+interesting fellow-citizens of the Liberty Party, and who still venture,
+in these enlightened days, to cite the word of God&mdash;<span class="smcaplc">WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN&#8217;S
+BLOOD, BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED</span>. In the present condition of
+society, when there are so very few of us, who do not feel, that we are
+wise above what is written, this precept, delivered by God Almighty, to
+Noah, appears exceedingly preposterous, greatly resembling some of those
+<i>blue laws</i>, which were in operation, in the olden time, in a sister
+state. What was Noah to Jeremy Bentham! Although I am pained to confess
+the shortcomings of Jeremy; for, though he did much to meliorate the
+severity of the British penal code, he went not, by any means, to those
+happy lengths, which we approve, in shielding the unfortunate murderer
+from the halter.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>There was a very amiable, old gentleman in England, who lived, through the
+times of Charles I., both Cromwells, and Charles II. He was reputed so
+wise, and learned, and just, and pious, that his judgment was highly
+prized, by all men. He was esteemed the greatest lawyer and the most
+upright, in all England; so much so, that, in 1671, he was created Lord
+Chief Justice of the realm. I desire to reason impartially, upon this
+subject, and therefore admit, that this great and good man, Sir Matthew
+Hale, believed death to be a very just punishment, for certain crimes,
+inferior to murder. Although Sir Matthew&#8217;s crude notions are rapidly going
+out of fashion, it is but fair, to transcribe his words&mdash;&#8220;When offences
+grow enormous, frequent, and dangerous to a kingdom or state, destructive
+or highly pernicious to civil societies, and to the great insecurity and
+danger of the kingdom or its inhabitants, severe punishment and even death
+itself is necessary to be annexed to laws, in many cases, by the prudence
+of lawgivers.&#8221; In all candor, we must admit, that Sir Matthew Hale was
+notoriously the very reverse of a sanguinary Judge. But Sir Matthew&#8217;s days
+were the days of small things. We cannot sufficiently bless the Great
+Disposer of human affairs, for raising up the foolish, as He has done, in
+these latter days, and in such great numbers withal, to confound the wise.
+It is now no longer necessary, as of old, to pursue a particular course of
+study, to qualify mankind, for the work of legislation, or the practice of
+law, or physic, or the exposition of the more subtle points of religion,
+or ethics, or political economy.</p>
+
+<p>This truly is an age of intuition. He, who learns, or half learns, one
+profession, is, instanter, competent to perform the duties of all. It is a
+heavenly stream of universal light and power, somewhat analogous to the
+miraculous gift of tongues. Nothing, in this connection, is more
+remarkable, than the rapid turgescence of every man&#8217;s confidence, in his
+own abilities, upon the slightest encouragement, from his neighbor. There
+has been scarcely a blacksmith in New England, since the remarkable and
+merited success of Elihu Burritt, who, if you ask his opinion of the
+efficacy of pennyroyal for the stomach-ache, will not, with your
+permission, of course, prescribe for any acute or chronic complaint, with
+which you are afflicted. Tailors, in full measure, nine to a man, will
+readily solve you a point of theology, which would have been fearfully<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span>
+approached, by Tillotston or Horne. And, upon this solemn subject of
+capital punishment, there is scarcely a man-midwife in the land, who is
+not ready, with his instruments, to deliver the community of all their
+scruples at once.</p>
+
+<p>This, certainly, is a blessed condition of things, for which we cannot be
+sufficiently thankful.</p>
+
+<p>That we may do abundant justice to our opponents, I propose to offer, in
+this place, a quotation from the Edinburgh Review, vol. 86, p. 216. The
+article is entitled&mdash;&#8220;<i>What is to be done with our criminals?</i>&#8221; The
+passage runs thus&mdash;&#8220;Another circumstance, which renders legislation on
+this subject peculiarly difficult, is the lamentably perverted
+sentimentality, which is extensively diffusing itself among the people,
+and which may soon render it problematical, whether any penal code, really
+calculated to answer its objects, can be devised; a sentimentality, which
+weeps over the criminal, and has no tears to spare for the miseries he has
+caused&mdash;which transforms the felon into an object of interest and
+sympathy, and forgets the innocent sufferers from his cruelty or perfidy.
+So far as pity for the criminal is consistent with a more comprehensive
+compassion for those he has wronged, and is limited by the necessity of
+obtaining them redress and providing for the safety of society&mdash;so far as
+it prompts to a desire to see the statute-book cleared of every needless
+severity, and that no punishments shall be inflicted for punishment&#8217;s sake
+it is laudable.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But we must, with regret, profess our belief, that it has often far
+transcended these limits; and has exhibited itself in forms and modes,
+which, if permitted to dictate the tone of our criminal legislation, would
+tend to the rapid increase of crime. The people in question belong to a
+class, always numerous, who are led by the imagination, and not by their
+reason&mdash;by emotion rather than reflection. They see the felon in chains,
+and they are dissolved in commiseration; they do not stop to realize all
+the miseries, which have at last made <i>him</i> miserable&mdash;perhaps, in the
+present apathy of his conscience, much less miserable than many of those
+whom he has injured.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This is from an article, ably written, of some fifty-eight pages,
+published in 1847. I give it a place here, lest I should be suspected of
+suppressing all arguments, on the other side.</p>
+
+<p>The idea of hanging a murderer, by form of law, instead of placing him for
+a few years, in some <i>anxious seat</i>, the treadmill<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> or the state prison,
+where he might be converted perhaps&mdash;cutting him off, in the midst of his
+days, without time allowed for repentance, is a terrible thing. I am
+perfectly aware, that it will be replied&mdash;this is the very thing which he
+did for his wretched victim.</p>
+
+<p>We are told, that the highest penalty known to the law is demanded. <i>All
+that a man hath will he give for his life</i>; and we are opposed, in our
+humane endeavors, by the scriptural edict referred to already. It is
+averred to be an all-important object in capital punishment, to operate
+upon the fears of others, <i>ut metus</i>, as we said before, <i>ad omnes
+perveniat</i>, which would be less likely to be the case, if the halter were
+abolished. It is true, that, while there is life, there is hope&mdash;hope of
+pardon; hope even of a natural and less horrible death; a fond, fearful
+hope of cutting the keeper&#8217;s throat, and escaping from thraldom! How truly
+the poor murderer deserves our compassion!</p>
+
+<p>What a revolting spectacle this hanging is! Here, however, I confess, the
+answer is complete&mdash;nobody, but the functionaries, is suffered to see it.
+It is much less of an entertainment, than it was, in the days of George
+Selwyn, who was in the habit of feeing the keeper of Newgate, for due
+notice of every execution, and a reservation of the best seat, nearest the
+gallows. It has been said, that hanging has become more unpopular, since
+it ceased to be a public amusement. It may be so&mdash;I rather doubt it.</p>
+
+<p>In former times, there were very few inexpensive public amusements, in
+Boston, beside the Thursday lectures; and a hanging has always been highly
+attractive, in town and country. I well remember, not very many years ago,
+while riding into the city, in my chaise, having been compelled to halt,
+and remain at rest, for twenty minutes, in Washington, near Pleasant
+Street, while the immense mass of men, women and children rushed by, on
+their way to the execution of an Irishman, which took place at the
+gallows, near the grave-yard, on the Neck. The prisoner was in an open
+barouche, dressed in a blue coat and gilt buttons, white waistcoat, drab
+breeches, and white top boots, and his hair was powdered. He was
+accompanied by Mr. Larrassy, the Catholic priest, and the physician of the
+prison.</p>
+
+<p>During the afternoon of July 30, 1794, on the morning of which day the
+great fire occurred in Boston, three pirates, brought home in irons, on
+board the brig Betsey, Captain <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span>Saunders, belonging to Daniel Sargent,
+were hung on the Common; and three governors, sitting in their chairs,
+would not have drawn half the concourse, then and there assembled.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LI.</h2>
+
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" summary="table">
+<tr><td>&#8220;Thy Clarence he is dead that stabb&#8217;d my Edward;<br />
+And the beholders of this tragic play<br />
+Untimely smothered in their dusky graves.&#8221;</td></tr></table>
+
+<p>There were no humane and gentle spirits, in those days of old, to speak
+soft words of comfort in the ears of murderers and midnight assassins.
+Poor fellows! after they had let out the last drop of blood, in the hearts
+of their innocent victims, and reduced wives to widowhood, and children to
+orphanage&mdash;after the parricide had plunged the dagger in his father&#8217;s
+heart&mdash;after the husband had murdered her, whom he had sworn, under the
+eye of God, to love and to cherish&mdash;after the wife, with the assistance of
+her paramour, had stealthily administered the poisonous draught to her
+confiding husband&mdash;they were respectively indicted&mdash;arraigned&mdash;publicly
+and deliberately tried&mdash;abundantly defended&mdash;and, when duly convicted at
+last, they were hanged, forsooth, by their necks, till they were dead!</p>
+
+<p>Merciful God! where were the Marys and the Marthas! Was there no political
+lawyer, in those days, whom the desire of personal aggrandizement could
+induce to befriend the poor, afflicted cut-throat, by which parade of
+philanthropy he might ride into notice, as the patriot of the
+Anti-capital-punishment party! Was there no tender-hearted doctor, whose
+leisure hours, neither few nor far between, might have been devoted to the
+blessed work of relieving the murderer, from the gallows, and himself,
+from the excruciating misery of nothing to do!</p>
+
+<p>Truly we live in a tragi-comical world. During the late trial of John
+Brown, the other day, for the murder of Miss Coventry, at Tolland, in
+regard to which the jury could not agree, a requisition arrived from the
+Governor of New York, for the prisoner, to answer, for the murder of Mrs.
+Hammond.&mdash;Dr. V. P. Coolidge, who murdered Matthews, at Waterville,
+committed suicide in prison, a few days since.&mdash;A precocious boy, eight
+years old,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> has, this month, chopped off the head of his sleeping father,
+with an axe, in the town of Lisle, N. Y.&mdash;Matthew Wood is to be hung in
+New York, June 22, for the murder of his wife.&mdash;Alexander Jones is to be
+hung, in the same State, on the same day, for arson.&mdash;Goode is to be hung
+here, in a few days.&mdash;On the 27th day of the last month, a man, named
+Newkirk, near Louisville, Kentucky, shot and killed his mother, near one
+hundred years of age.&mdash;On the third day of the present month, Mr. Carroll,
+near Philadelphia, murdered his lady, by choking and pitching her down
+stairs.&mdash;J. M. Riley is to be hung, June 5, for the murder of W. Willis,
+in Independence, Tennessee.&mdash;Vintner is under sentence of death, for
+murdering Mrs. Cooper, in Baltimore.&mdash;Elder Enos G. Dudley is to be hung,
+in New Hampshire, May 23, for the murder of his wife.&mdash;The wife of John
+Freedly, of Philadelphia, is now in jail, for helping her husband, to
+murder his first wife.&mdash;Pearson is now in prison, under charge of
+murdering his wife and twin daughters, at Wilmington, in this
+Commonwealth, in April last.&mdash;Mrs. McAndrew has been convicted of murder,
+for killing her sister-in-law, in Madison, Mississippi.&mdash;Elisha N. Baldwin
+is to be hung, June 5, for the murder of his brother-in-law, Victor
+Matthews, at St. Louis.&mdash;The girl, Blaisdell, is to be hung, in New
+Hampshire, Aug. 30, for poisoning a little boy, two and a half years old.
+She was on trial for this act only. She had previously poisoned the
+child&#8217;s grandmother, her friend and protectress, and subsequently
+attempted to poison both its parents. This &#8220;<i>misguided young lady</i>&#8221; was
+engaged to be married, and wanting cash, for an outfit, had forged the
+note of the child&#8217;s father, for four hundred dollars.</p>
+
+<p>Of Wood&#8217;s case I know little more, than that he murdered his wife. Surely
+he is to be pitied, poor fellow. The case of Elder Enos is deeply
+interesting. This worthy Elder took his partner out, to give her a
+sleigh-ride, in life and health, and brought home her lifeless body. She
+had knocked her head against a tree&mdash;such, indeed, was the opinion,
+expressed by Elder Enos. He was also of opinion that it was not good for
+an Elder to be alone, for one minute; and he exhibited rather too much
+haste, perhaps, in taking to himself another partner. The jury were
+unanimously of opinion, that Elder Enos was mistaken, and that Mrs. Dudley
+came to her death, by the hands of Elder Enos himself. The Elder and the
+jury differed in opinion; and therefore, forsooth, Elder Enos must be
+hanged by the neck till he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> is dead! How much better to change this
+punishment, for perpetual imprisonment&mdash;and that, after a few years of
+good behavior, upon a petition, subscribed by hundreds, who care not the
+value of a sixpence, whether Elder Enos is in the State Prison, or out of
+it, for a pardon. Then the church will again be blessed with his services,
+as a ruling Elder; and the present Mrs. Dudley may herself be favored with
+a sleigh-ride, at some future day.</p>
+
+<p>The case of the &#8220;<i>misguided</i>&#8221; Miss Blaisdell is truly affecting. It is
+quite inconceivable how the people of New Hampshire can have the heart to
+hang such an interesting creature by the neck, till she is dead. I am of
+opinion, that the remarks, with which Judge Eastman prefaced his sentence,
+must have hurt Miss Blaisdell&#8217;s feelings. It seems that she only made use
+of the little innocent, as &aelig;ronauts employ a pet balloon, to try the wind.
+She wished to ascertain, if her poison was first proof, before she tried
+it, upon the parents. Although it had worked to perfection, upon the old
+lady, Miss Blaisdell, who appears to have acted with consummate prudence,
+was not quite satisfied of its efficacy, upon more vigorous constitutions.
+It is quite surprising, that Judge Eastman should have talked so unkindly
+to Miss Blaisdell, in open court&mdash;&#8220;<i>An experiment is to be made; the
+efficiency of your poison is to be tried; and the helpless innocent boy is
+selected. He is left in your care, with all the confidence of a mother. He
+plays at your feet, he prattles at your side. You take him up, and give
+him the fatal morphia; and, when you see him sicken and dizzy, and
+stretching out his little arms to his mother, and trying to walk, your
+heart relents not. May God soften it.</i>&#8221; What sort of a Judge is this, to
+harrow up the delicate feelings of &#8220;<i>a misguided young lady</i>&#8221; after this
+fashion!</p>
+
+<p>It has been proposed, by a medical gentleman, whose philanthropy has
+assumed the appearance of a violent eruption, breaking out in every
+direction, that, if this abominable punishment, this destruction of life,
+which God Almighty has prescribed, in the case of murder, must continue to
+be inflicted, the &#8220;<i>misguided young ladies</i>&#8221; and &#8220;<i>unfortunate men</i>,&#8221; who
+commit that crime, shall be executed under the influence of ether. This
+may be considered the happiest suggestion of the age. A tract may be
+expected from the pen of this gentleman, ere long, entitled &#8220;Crumbs of
+comfort for Cut-throats, or Hanging made easy.&#8221; Jeremy Bentham gave his
+body to be dissected, for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> good of mankind. Oh, that this worthy
+doctor, who has struck out this happy thought of hanging, under the
+influence of ether, would <i>verify the suggestion</i>!</p>
+
+<p>There are some individuals, who had rather be hanged, than talked to, in
+such an unfeeling manner, as Judge Eastman talked to the unfortunate and
+misguided Miss Blaisdell: it has therefore been decided to improve, upon
+the suggestion of hanging murderers, under the influence of ether; and we
+propose to apply for an act, authorizing the sponge to be applied to the
+nostrils of the condemned, by the clerk <i>ex officio</i>, during the time,
+when the judge is pronouncing the sentence. The time of the murderer is
+short, and there are many little comforts, and even delicacies, which
+would greatly tend to soften the rigor of his imprisonment. We have it,
+upon the testimony of more than one experienced keeper of Newgate, that,
+with some few exceptions, the appetite of the misguided, who are about to
+be hanged, is remarkably good.</p>
+
+<p>I fully comprehend the objections, which will be made to the use of ether,
+and granting such other little indulgences, to those, who are about to be
+sentenced, or are already condemned to be hanged. The Ciceronian
+argument,&mdash;<i>ut metus ad omnes perveniat</i>, will be neutralized. How many,
+it will be said, are now upon the earth, without God in this world,
+without the least particle of religious sensibility, disappointed men,
+desperate, degraded, men of utterly broken hopes, broken hearts, and
+broken fortunes, to whom nothing would be more acceptable, than an easy
+transition from this wide-awake world of pain and sadness to that region
+of negative happiness, which they anticipate, in their fancied state of
+endless oblivion beyond. They may be, nevertheless, disturbed, in some
+small degree, <i>in articulo</i>, by that indestructible doubt, which hangs
+over the mind, even the mind of the most sceptical, and deepens and
+darkens as death draws near,&mdash;<span class="smcap">suppose there should be a God!</span>&mdash;what then!
+They are therefore unwilling to cut their own throats, however willing to
+cut the throats of other people. But, if the State will take the
+responsibility, and furnish the ether, there are not a few, who would very
+complacently embrace the opportunity.</p>
+
+<p>That fear, which it is desirable to keep before the eyes of all men, say
+our opponents, is surely not the fear of the easiest of all imaginable
+deaths&mdash;the fear of meeting, not the King of terrors, but the very thing,
+which all men pray for, a placid<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> exit from a world of care&mdash;a welcome
+spirit&mdash;an <i>etherial</i> deliverer. On the contrary, we wish, say they, to
+hold up to the world the fear of a terrible, as well as a shameful death:
+and we desire to give a certainty to this fear, which we cannot do, while
+the frequent exercise of the power of commutation and of pardon teaches
+that portion of our race, which is fatally bent upon mischief, that the
+gibbet is nothing but a bugbear; and that, let them commit as many
+murders, as they will, there is not one chance, in fifty, of their coming
+to the gallows, at last.</p>
+
+<p>It is not easy to answer this argument, upon the spur of the moment; and
+it has been referred to a committee of our society, with instructions to
+prepare a reply, in season for the next execution.</p>
+
+<p>We have the satisfaction of knowing, that no efforts have been spared by
+us, to save Washington Goode, one of the most interesting of murderers,
+from the gallows. We have endeavored to get up an excitement in the
+community, by posting placards, in numerous places&mdash;&#8220;<span class="smcaplc">A MAN TO BE HANGED!</span>&#8221;
+By this we intended to put an execution upon the footing of a puppet-show
+or play, and thereby to excite the public indignation. But, most
+unfortunately, there is too much common sense among the people of Boston,
+and too little enthusiasm altogether, for the successful advancement of
+our philanthropic views. However, importunity, if we faint not, will
+certainly prevail. The right of petition is ours. Let us follow, in the
+steps of Amy Darden and William Vans. The Legislature, at their last
+session, indefinitely postponed the consideration of the subject of the
+abolition of capital punishment. The Legislature is made of flesh and
+blood, and must finally give way, as a matter of course.</p>
+
+<p>It cannot be denied, that gentlemen make use, occasionally, of strange
+arguments, while opposing our efforts, in favor of those <i>misguided</i>
+persons, who <i>unfortunately</i> commit rape, treason, arson, murder, &amp;c. A
+few years since, when a bill was before our House of Representatives, for
+the abolition of capital punishment, in the case of rape, while it was
+proposed to retain it in the case of highway robbery&mdash;&#8220;Let us go home, Mr.
+Speaker,&#8221; exclaimed an audacious orator, &#8220;and tell our wives and our
+daughters, that we set a higher value upon our purses, than upon the
+security of their persons, from brutal violation.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>To my anonymous correspondent who inquires, through the medium of the
+post-office, in what respect my &#8220;dealings with extortioners&#8221; can fairly be
+entitled &#8220;<i>dealings with the dead</i>,&#8221; I reply, because they are <i>alive</i>
+unto sin, and <i>dead</i> unto righteousness.</p>
+
+<p>In Lord Bacon&#8217;s Life of Henry VII., London edition of 1824, vol. v. 51,
+the Lord Chancellor Morton says to the Parliament&mdash;&#8220;His Grace prays you to
+take into consideration matters of trade, as also the manufactures of the
+kingdom, and to repress the bastard and barren employment of moneys to
+usury and unlawful exchanges, that they may be, as their natural use is,
+turned upon commerce, and lawful, and royal trading.&#8221; Henry VIII. came to
+the throne, in 1509, and the rate of interest was fixed, in 1545, the 37th
+of that king&#8217;s reign; and that rate was ten per cent. per annum. Before
+that time, no Christian was allowed to take interest for money; and the
+Jews had the matter of usury, all to themselves. It was shown, before
+Parliament, that, in 1260, two shillings was the rate, demanded and given,
+for the loan of twenty shillings for one week; and Stowe states, that the
+people were so highly excited against the Jews, on account of their
+extortion, as to massacre seven hundred of them, in London, in 1262. In
+1274, a law was passed, compelling every Jew, lending money on interest,
+to wear a plate on his breast, signifying, that he was an usurer, or to
+quit the realm. What an exhibition we should have, in State Street, and
+the alleys, if this edict should be revived, against those, whose
+uncircumcision would avail them nothing, to disprove their Levitical
+propinquity.</p>
+
+<p>In 1277, two hundred and sixty-seven Jews were hung, in London, for
+clipping the coin. Their usurious practices, at last, so highly
+exasperated the nation, that, according to Rapin, Lond., 1757, vol. iii.
+246, 15,000 were banished the realm, in 1290. They had obtained great
+privileges from King Edward; but, says Rapin, &#8220;lost all these advantages,
+by not curbing their insatiable greediness of enriching themselves, by
+unlawful means, as usury, &amp;c.&#8221; I find Sir Edward Coke denies the fact of
+their banishment. His version is this: &#8220;They were not banished, but their
+usury was banished, by the statute,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> enacted in this parliament, and that
+was the cause they banished themselves into foreign countries, where they
+might live by their usury; and because they were odious to the nation,
+that they might pass out of the realm in safety, they made a petition to
+the king, that a certain day might be prefixed for them to depart the
+realm, that they might have the king&#8217;s writ to his sheriffs, for their
+safe conduct.&#8221; 2d Institute, 507. Hume, nevertheless, Oxford ed., ii. 210,
+reaffirms the statement of Rapin.</p>
+
+<p>Hume says, ibid., the practice of usury was afterwards carried on, &#8220;by the
+English themselves upon their fellow-citizens, or by the Lombards and
+other foreigners;&#8221; and he adds&mdash;&#8220;It is very much to be questioned, whether
+the dealings of these new usurers were equally open and unexceptionable
+with the old.&#8221; Perhaps it may be questioned, whether the community would
+not fare better, at the present day, if some of the circumcised could be
+imported hither, from the Jews&#8217; Quarter, in Istampol. The following remark
+of Hume, on the same page, is of importance to the political
+economist:&mdash;&#8220;But as the canon law, seconded by the municipal, permitted no
+Christian to take interest, all transactions of this kind must, after the
+banishment of the Jews, have become more secret and clandestine, and the
+lender, of consequence, be paid both for the use of his money, <i>and for
+the infamy and danger, which he incurred by lending it</i>.&#8221; This is not from
+Aristotle, nor one of the school divines, but from David Hume, whose
+liberality is sufficiently notorious.</p>
+
+<p>The English usurers, in those days, were more excusable, because they were
+not permitted to take <i>any interest whatever</i>, for the loan of money,
+while money lenders here have not the same excuse for being usurers, as
+they may lawfully take six per cent. per annum, or one per cent. above the
+legal rate of Great Britain, as established in 1714, the 13th of Queen
+Anne, and which has remained unaltered, to the present day.</p>
+
+<p>I have heard of a fellow, who, upon being asked, after conviction of
+larceny, if he did not regret his conduct, replied, with an air of great
+sincerity, that he certainly did&mdash;for, instead of stealing a few pieces of
+gold, as he had done, he might easily have stolen enough, to bribe the
+court and jury. The Jews were wiser in their day and generation&mdash;they
+never suffered themselves to be placed in a predicament, which might cause
+them to suffer from any such regret. For many years, there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> subsisted a
+delightful understanding, between them and Edward I. Longshanks.
+Longshanks granted them many and various indulgencies; by his permission,
+they even had a synagogue in London. On their part, they were willing to
+relieve the necessities of Longshanks. In short, Longshanks was,
+vicariously, and upon the principle, that <i>qui facit per alium facit per
+se</i>, the very Apollyon of all usurers. He countenanced the extortion of
+the Jews, and shared the spoils. Sir Edward Coke, in his Second Institute,
+506, states that, in seven years, covering portions of the reigns of Henry
+III. and Edward I., the Crown had four hundred and twenty thousand pounds,
+fifteen shillings, and four pence from the Jews.</p>
+
+<p>After treating of the advantages and disadvantages of taking interest, on
+money loans, and arriving at the sensible conclusion, that it is
+impossible for society to get along without them, Lord Bacon remarks, ii.
+354&mdash;&#8220;Let usury (the term for interest in those days) in general be
+reduced to five in the hundred, and let the rate be proclaimed to be free
+and current: and let the State shut itself out to take any penalty for the
+same. This will preserve borrowing from any stop or dryness. This will
+ease infinite borrowers in the country, &amp;c.&#8221; Lord Bacon was therefore in
+favor of an universal rate of interest, established by law. Of usury, in
+the opprobrious sense of the word, the taking of excessive and unlawful
+interest, this great man speaks in his tract on Riches, ii. 340, in no
+very complimentary terms&mdash;&#8220;Usury is the certainest means of gain, though
+one of the worst, as that whereby a man doth eat his bread, in <i>sudore
+vultus alieni</i>,&#8221; by the sweat of another&#8217;s brow.</p>
+
+<p>I have heard it said of a rural governor of Massachusetts, now sleeping
+with his fathers, that, although addicted to the practice of virtual
+usury, he scrupulously abstained from lending money, at any rate, beyond
+six per cent. It became a by-word, in his district, however, when a farmer
+became straitened for a little money, and was inquiring among his
+neighbors&mdash;<i>that it was quite likely his excellency might have a yoke of
+cattle, that he did not care to winter over</i>! The cattle were sold at a
+high price to the needy man, who sold them forthwith, at auction, or
+otherwise, for a small one, giving the worthy governor his note in
+payment, and a mortgage on his farm, if required. The note was payable in
+six months, or a year, with &#8220;lawful interest.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This moral man&oelig;uvre appears to have been of ancient origin.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> There is
+the draught of a law for the punishment of it, in Lord Bacon&#8217;s works, iv.
+285. The preamble runs thus&mdash;&#8220;Whereas it is an usual practice, to the
+undoing and overthrowing of many young gentlemen and others, that where
+men are in necessity, and desire to borrow money, they are answered, that
+money cannot be had, but that they may have commodities sold unto them,
+upon credit, whereof they may make money, as they can: in which course it
+ever comes to pass, not only that such commodities are bought at extreme
+high rates, and sold again far under foot, at a double loss; but also that
+the party which is to borrow, is wrapt in bonds and counter bonds; so that
+upon a little money, which he receiveth, he is subject to penalties and
+suits of great value.&#8221; Then follows the statute, taking away legal remedy,
+and punishing the broker or procurer with six months&#8217; imprisonment, and
+the pillory.</p>
+
+<p>It has been commonly understood, that, before the act of 37th Henry VIII.,
+though Christians were forbidden to take any interest for money, the Jews
+were not restrained; yet Lord Chief Baron Hale, Hard. 420, says that
+Jewish usury was forbidden, at common law, being forty per cent. and
+upwards, per annum, but no other. Lea, C. J., Palm. 292, says, that the
+usury, condemned at common law, was the &#8220;<i>biting usury</i>&#8221; of the Jews. To
+comprehend this expression, it must be understood, that, among the Jews,
+of old, there were two Hebrew words, signifying <i>usury</i>, <i>terebit</i>, which
+meant simply <i>increase</i>, and <i>Neshec</i>, which meant <i>devouring</i> or <i>biting
+usury</i>. Of this distinction, an account may be found in Calmet, vol. iii.
+Fragment 46.</p>
+
+<p>When the statute of James I. was passed, in 1623, reducing the rate from
+ten to eight per cent., Orde says, in his Law of Usury, p. 5, that the
+Bishops &#8220;would not, at first, agree to it, for the sole reason, that there
+was no clause that disgraced usury, as in former statutes; and then the
+clause at the end of that statute was added, for their satisfaction.&#8221;
+Usury was punished more severely in France, than in England. For the first
+offence, the usurer &#8220;was punished by a public and ignominious
+acknowledgment of his offence, and was banished. His second offence was
+capital, and he was hanged.&#8221; Coke&#8217;s 3d Institute, 152.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Our society, whose object is nothing less than the entire and unqualified
+abolition of capital punishment, have derived the greatest advantage, from
+an ample recognition of the rights of women&mdash;not only by a free
+participation of counsel with the softer sex, after the example of certain
+other societies, the value of whose services can never be understood, by
+the present generation; but by assigning equally to both sexes, all
+offices of honor and trust. We have adhered to this principle, with the
+most perfect impartiality, in the composition of our committees. Thus, our
+committee, for visiting the condemned, consists of the Rev. Mr. Puzzlepot,
+and the five Miss Frizzles&mdash;the committee on public excitement, prior to
+an execution, consists of Dr. Omnibus, Squire Farrago, Mrs. Pickett, and
+her daughters, the Misses Patience and Hopestill Pickett. In like
+proportion, all our committees are constructed.</p>
+
+<p>We think proper, in this public manner, to express our warmest
+acknowledgments to Mrs. Negoose, Madam Moody, and Squire Bodkin, for their
+able report, on the iniquity of presumptive or circumstantial evidence.
+The notes, appended to this report, are invaluable&mdash;their authorship
+cannot be mistaken&mdash;every individual, acquainted with the peculiar style
+of the gifted author, will recognize the powerful hand of the justly
+celebrated Mrs. Folsom.</p>
+
+<p>This committee are of opinion, that, under the show or pretence of
+punishing murder, our legal tribunals are constantly committing it. They
+<i>presume</i>, forsooth, that is, they guess, that the prisoner is guilty, and
+therefore take the awful responsibility of hanging him by the neck, till
+he is dead! This, says Mrs. Negoose, is <i>presumption</i> with a vengeance.</p>
+
+<p>The committee refer to the statement of Sir Matthew Hale, as cited by
+Blackstone, iv. 358-9, that he had known two cases, in which, after the
+accused had been hung for murder, the individuals, supposed to have been
+murdered, had re-appeared, in full life. Upon this, the committee reason,
+with irresistible force and acumen. How many judges, say they, there have
+been, since the world began, we know not. <i>Two cases</i>, in which innocent
+persons were executed, on presumptive or circumstantial evidence, are
+proved to have occurred, within the knowledge of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> <i>one judge</i>. It is
+reasonable, say the committee, to conclude that, at a moderate
+calculation, <i>three cases</i> more, remaining undiscovered, occurred within
+the jurisdiction of that <i>one judge</i>. Now, we have nothing to do, but to
+ascertain the number of judges, who have ever existed, and then multiply
+that number by <i>five</i>; and thus, say the committee, &#8220;by the unerring force
+of figures, which cannot lie, we have the sanguinary result.&#8221; &#8220;Talk not of
+ermine,&#8221; exclaims Mrs. Negoose, the chairwoman of the committee, in a gush
+of scorching eloquence, &#8220;these blood-stained judges, gory with the blood
+of the innocents, let them be stripped of their ermine, and robed with the
+skins of wild cats and hyenas.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It has excited the highest indignation in the society, that Sir Matthew
+Hale, who has ever borne the name of a humane and upright judge, should
+have continued to decide questions, involving life, upon circumstantial
+evidence, after the cases, referred to above, had come to his knowledge,
+and in the very same manner, that he had been accustomed to decide them,
+in earlier times. Mrs. Moody openly expresses her opinion, that he was no
+better than he should be; and Squire Bodkin only wishes, that he could
+have had half an hour&#8217;s conversation with Sir Matthew. The only effect,
+produced upon the mind of Sir Matthew Hale, by these painful discoveries,
+seems to have been to call forth an expression of opinion, that
+circumstantial evidence should be received with caution; and that, in
+trials for murder and manslaughter, no person should ever be convicted,
+till the body of the individual, alleged to have been killed, had been
+discovered.</p>
+
+<p>An opinion, often repeated, as having been expressed by Chief Justice
+Dana, after the conviction of Fairbanks, for the murder of Miss Fales, at
+Dedham, in 1801, has frequently been a topic of conversation, among the
+members of our society, and Mrs. Negoose is satisfied, that if Chief
+Justice Dana expressed any such opinion, he must have been out of his
+head. Fairbanks was convicted and hung, on circumstantial evidence
+entirely. The concatenation, or linking together, of circumstances, in
+that remarkable case, was very extraordinary.</p>
+
+<p>The sympathy for Fairbanks was very great, and began to exhibit itself,
+almost as soon, as the spirit had fled from the body of his victim. After
+his condemnation, his zealous admirers, for such they seemed to be,
+assisted him successfully, to break jail.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> He was retaken, on the borders
+of Lake Champlain; and, as the jail in Boston was of better proof, than
+the jail in Dedham, he was committed to the former. The genealogy of
+Fairbanks was shrouded in a sort of mystery. Ladies, of respectable
+standing, visited him, in his cell, and one, in particular, of some
+literary celebrity, in our days of small things, was supposed to have
+supplied him with a knife, of rather expensive workmanship, for the
+purpose of self-destruction. This knife was found upon his person, after
+her visits. There was no positive proof, to establish the guilt of Jason
+Fairbanks&mdash;not a tittle. Yet a merciless jury found him guilty, by a
+process, which our society considers mere <i>guess work</i>,&mdash;and after the
+execution, Judge Dana is reported to have said, that he believed Fairbanks
+murdered Miss Fales, more certainly, from the circumstantial evidence,
+produced at the trial, than if he had had the testimony of his own
+eyesight, at a short distance, in a dusky day. What sort of a Judge is
+this? cried Mrs. Negoose&mdash;sure enough, exclaimed Madam Moody.</p>
+
+<p>I have no objection to give our opponents all the advantage, which they
+can possibly derive from a full and fair exposition of their arguments.
+When a witness, for example, swears, directly and unhesitatingly, that he
+saw the prisoner inflict a wound, with a deadly weapon, upon another
+person&mdash;that he saw that other person instantly fall, and die shortly
+after, this is <i>positive evidence of something</i>. Yet the act may be
+murder, or it may be manslaughter, or it may be justifiable homicide.
+Murder consists of three parts, the malice prepense, the blow inflicted or
+means employed, and the death ensuing, within a time prescribed by law.
+There can be no <i>murder</i>, if either of these parts be absent. Now, it is
+contended, by such as deem it lawful and right to hang the unfortunate,
+misguided, upon circumstantial evidence, that, however <i>positive</i> the
+evidence may be, upon the two latter points&mdash;the act done and the death
+ensuing&mdash;it is necessary, from the nature of things, in every case to
+depend on <i>circumstantial</i> evidence, to prove the malice prepense.</p>
+
+<p>One or more of the senses enable the witness to swear positively to either
+of the two latter points. But the malice prepense must be <i>inferred</i>, from
+words, deeds, and <i>circumstances</i>. Upon this Dr. Omnibus sensibly
+observes, that this very fact proves the impropriety of hanging upon all
+occasions: and Mrs. Negoose remarks, that she is of the same opinion, on
+the authority of that ancient dictum, the authorship of which seems to be
+equally<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> ascribed to Solomon and Sancho Panza&mdash;that &#8220;<i>circumstances</i> alter
+cases.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It is really surprising, that so grave and sensible a man, as Mr. Simon
+Greenleaf, should have made the remark, which appears on page 74, vol. i.,
+of his Treatise on Evidence,&mdash;&#8220;<i>In both cases</i> (civil and criminal) <i>a
+verdict may well be founded on circumstances alone; and these often lead
+to a conclusion far more satisfactory than direct evidence may produce</i>.&#8221;
+Mr. Greenleaf refers, for illustration of this opinion, to the case of
+Bodine, N. Y. Legal Observer, vol. iv. p. 89, et seq. Lawyer Bodkin&#8217;s work
+on evidence will, doubtless, correct this error.</p>
+
+<p>Let us reason impartially. Compunction, in a dying hour, we cannot deny
+it, has established the fact, that innocent persons have been hung, now
+and then, upon <i>positive</i> evidence, the false witness confessing himself
+the murderer, <i>in articulo mortis</i>. Well, says Madam Moody, here is fresh
+proof of the great sinfulness of hanging.&mdash;To be sure.&mdash;But let our
+opponents have fair play. A. is found dead, evidently stabbed.&mdash;B. is
+seized upon suspicion.&mdash;C. heard B. declare he would have the heart&#8217;s
+blood of A.&mdash;D. saw B. with a knife in his hand, ten minutes before the
+murder.&mdash;E. finds a knife bloody, near the place of the murder.&mdash;F.
+recognizes the knife as his own, and by him lent to B. just before the
+time of the murder.&mdash;G. says the size of the wound is precisely the size
+of the knife.&mdash;H. says, that, when he arrested B. his hand and
+shirt-sleeve were bloody.&mdash;I. says he heard B. say, just after the murder,
+&#8220;I&#8217;ve got my revenge.&#8221; In the case supposed, C. D. E. F. G. H. and I.
+swear <i>positively</i>, each one to a particular fact. Here are seven
+witnesses. Here then is a chain of evidence, whereof each witness
+furnishes a single link. It is the opinion of Peake, Chitty, Starkie,
+Greenleaf, and all other writers, on the law of evidence, that this chain
+is often as strong or stronger, than it would be, were it fabricated by
+one man only. I will not deny, that Dr. Omnibus and Mrs. Negoose think
+differently.</p>
+
+<p>An extraordinary example of circumstantial evidence, in a capital case,
+was related by Lord Eldon. A man was on trial for murder. The evidence
+against him, which was wholly circumstantial, was so very insufficient,
+that the prisoner, confident of acquittal, assumed an air of easy
+nonchalance. The officer, who had arrested the prisoner, and conducted the
+customary search, had exhibited, in court, the articles, found upon his
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span>person, at the time of his capture&mdash;a few articles of little value, and,
+among them, a fragment of a newspaper. The surgeon, who examined the body
+of the victim after death, produced the ball, which he had extracted from
+the wound, precisely as he found it. Enveloped in a wrapper of some sort,
+and with the blood dried upon it, it presented an almost unintelligible
+mass.</p>
+
+<p>A basin of warm water was brought into court&mdash;the mass was softened&mdash;the
+wrapper carefully detached&mdash;it was the fragment of a newspaper, and fitted
+like the counterpart of an indenture to the fragment, taken by the officer
+from the prisoner&#8217;s person. He was hung. Dear me! says Mrs. Negoose, what
+a pity!</p>
+
+<p>I regret to learn from the late London papers, that Mr. Horace Twiss is
+recently dead. No one, I am confident, will fail to join in this feeling
+of regret, who has enjoyed, as I have done, the perusal of his truly
+delightful work, &#8220;The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LIV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>A pleasant anecdote is related by Nichols, of Dean Swift, who, when his
+servant apologized for not cleaning his boots, on a journey, because they
+would soon be dirty again, directed him to get the horses in readiness
+immediately: and, upon the fellow&#8217;s remonstrance, that he had not eaten
+his breakfast, replied, that it was of little consequence, as he would
+soon be hungry again.</p>
+
+<p>The American Irish are, undoubtedly, a very sweet people, when they are
+thoroughly washed; but they rarely think of washing themselves or their
+children&mdash;they are so soon dirty again. Hydrophobia is an Irish epidemic;
+and there are also some of the Native American Party, I fear, who have not
+been into water, since the Declaration of Independence.</p>
+
+<p>When Peter Fagan applied to me, a few days since, to read for him a
+letter, from his cousin, Eyley Murphy, of Ballyconnel, in the county of
+Cavan, he was so insufferably filthy, that I gave him a quarter of a
+dollar, to be spent in sacrificing to the graces, that is, in taking a
+warm bath. While he was absent, I examined the letter; and found it to be
+a very interesting account of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> the execution of Fagan&#8217;s fourth cousin,
+Rory Mullowny, for murder. As I thought its publication might be of
+importance here, at this time, I obtained Mr. Fagan&#8217;s permission to place
+it before the community. I was, at first, disposed to correct the
+spelling, and give it rather more of an English complexion, but have, upon
+the whole, decided to publish it, as it is. Fagan tells me, that Eyley
+Murphy was the daughter of the hedge school-master, at Ballyconnel. The
+letter is written in a fair hand, and directed, &#8220;For Misther Pether Fagan,
+these&mdash;Boston, Capital of Amerriky.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Ballyconnel, Cavan, March 19, 1849.&mdash;Fagan dear, bad news and thrue for ye
+it is; Rory Mullowny, your own blood cousin o&#8217; the forth remove, by the
+mither&#8217;s side, was pit up yestreen for the murther o&#8217; Tooley O&#8217;Shane, and
+there was niver a felly o&#8217; all that&#8217;s been hung in Ballyconnel, with sich
+respictable attindance. The widdy Magee pit the divle into both the poor
+fellies, no more nor a waak arter the birril o&#8217; her forth husband, and so
+she kipt a flarting wid the one and the tither, till she flarted um out o&#8217;
+the warld this away.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Rory&mdash;what a swaat boy he was&mdash;jist sax foot and fore inches in his
+brogans&mdash;och, my God! it&#8217;s myself that wush&#8217;d I&#8217;d bin pit up along wid im.
+But he&#8217;s claan gane now; whin we was childer togither how we used to
+gather the pirriwincles by the brook, and chase the fire-flaughts in the
+pasture o&#8217; a June evening&mdash;och my God&mdash;Pether&mdash;Pether&mdash;but there&#8217;s no use
+waaping anyhow, so I&#8217;ll be telling ye the shtory.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Mullowny was found guilty o&#8217; what they call sircumstanshul ividunce.
+A spaach it was he made whin the cussid sherry was pittin im up, and he
+swore he died more innisent o&#8217; the crime nor the mither o&#8217; God, and he
+called God to witness what he sed. Himself it was that was rather hasty
+onyhow, in makin a confission to father Brian Bogle o&#8217; this very murther,
+and some other small mathers, a rape or too, may be, and sich like.</p>
+
+<p>But the socyety that&#8217;s agin pittin a body up&mdash;God bliss their sowls&mdash;they
+perswaded im to spaak at the gallows, and till the paaple how it was, and
+they rit im a spaach, in wich he toult &#8217;em a body&#8217;s last wull was the only
+wull that was gud in the law, and sure it was a poor body&#8217;s last words and
+dyin spaach that was gud anunder the tree. And whin he had dun, the cursed
+divelsbird o&#8217; a sherry, wid a hart as coult as bog mud, swung im off in a
+minnit. It was himsilf was spaakin; and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> jist pit my apurn to my face to
+wipe aff the saut wather, whin I heerd a shreek and a howl, louder and
+wilder nor ten thousand keenas at a birril, whin I lookd up and saw poor,
+daar Mullowny a swingin in the air. The like o&#8217; that yersilf niver saad,
+Pether Fagan, nor the mither that brot ye into this world o&#8217; care and
+confushon. The wimmin scraamed loud enuff to friten the little childer
+claan away in Ballymahon. The min swung their shillalies owr their heds.
+Father Brian Bogle was crossing himself, and a stone hurld by Jimmy
+Fitzgerald at the infarnal sherry, knocked father Bogle&#8217;s taath down his
+throte. By the same token ye see, they was pit in for im the dee afore at
+considerable cost. Father Brian fell back, head foremost, ye see, on top
+o&#8217; Molly Mahoney&#8217;s little bit table o&#8217; refrishments, and twas the wark o&#8217;
+a minnit.</p>
+
+<p>Molly, who jist afore was wall to do in the warld, was a brukken marchant,
+immadiately, all claan gane; tumblers o&#8217; whiskey, cakes, custards, and
+cookies was all knocked in the shape o&#8217; bit o&#8217;chalk; and all the pennies
+she had took since bick o&#8217;dee&mdash;for more nor ten thousan was on the spot to
+see poor Rory pit up afore dee&mdash;was scattered and clutched up, by hunders
+o&#8217; little childher that was playing prop and chuck farding anunder the
+gallus. A jug o&#8217; buthermilk was capsized ower the widdy Magee&#8217;s bran new
+dress, that was made for the hanging precesely, and ruinated it pretty
+considerably intirely. It was not myself that pittied the hussy&mdash;she to be
+there, as naar to the gallus as she could squaze hersel, and the very
+cause o&#8217; the dith o&#8217; poor Rory, and Tooley O&#8217;Shane into the bargin.</p>
+
+<p>Och, Fagan, niver ye see was the likes o&#8217; it in Ballyconnel afore. Whin
+the sherry was for cuttin the alter and littin the corps o&#8217; poor, daar
+Mullowny down into the shell, that was all riddy below, the Mullownys
+swore they would have the body, for a riglar birrill, and a wake, and a
+keena, ye see&mdash;and the O&#8217;Shanes swore it should go to the risirictioners,
+to be made into a menotomy. Then for it, it was&mdash;sich a cursin and swaring
+and howling&mdash;sich a swingin o&#8217; shillalies, sich a crackin o&#8217; pates, sich
+callin upon Jasus and the blissid mither, sich a scramin o&#8217; wimmin and
+childer, niver was herd afore in county Cavan. The sherry he gat on Molly
+Mahoney&#8217;s little table to read the ryot act, and whin he opunt his mouth
+Phelim Macfarland flung a rottun egg atwaan his taath preceesly, and brot
+im to a spaady conclushon.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span>Poor Rory&#8217;s vinrable oult mither was carried aff and murthered in the side
+o&#8217; the hid, wid a stone mint for the sherry, o&#8217; which she recovered
+diricly. They tried to kaap her quiet in her shanty, but she took on so
+gravous, that they let her attind the pittin up&mdash;poor ould sowl&mdash;she sed
+she had attinded the last moments o&#8217; her good man, and both her childer,
+Patrick and Pether, whin they wur pit up the same way, and it was not the
+like o&#8217; her to hart poor daar Rory&#8217;s faalings onyhow.</p>
+
+<p>Dolly Macabe was saved by a myrrikle, ye see. She took out wid her her
+siven childer, leading little Phelim by the hand, wid her babe at the
+brist, and hersilf in a familiar way into the bargin. She was knocked ower
+and trampled under the faat o&#8217; the fellies as was yellin and fitin, and
+stunted out o&#8217; her raason intirely. Only jist think o&#8217; it, Fagan daar,
+when she kim too, not one o&#8217; the childher was hart in the laast, nor Dolly
+naather; and the first thing she asked wos, whose was the two swaat babes,
+lyin together, and they toult her they war her own. Ye see, Patrick
+O&#8217;Shane and some more trod upon Dolly Macabe and hastened matters a
+leetle, and she was delivered o&#8217; twins, widout knowin anything about it.
+They gied her a glass o&#8217; whiskey, and O&#8217;Flaherty, the baker, pit the swaat
+babes in his brid cart, and Dolly, who priffird walking, wint home as well
+as could be expected. All the Macabes have ixcillint constitushons, and
+make no moor o&#8217; sich thrifles, than nothing at all.</p>
+
+<p>But its for tellin the petiklars I&#8217;m writin. As I toult ye, twas about the
+widdy Magee. Rory toult more nor fifty, for a waak afore, that he&#8217;d have
+Tooley&#8217;s hart&#8217;s blood. When Tooley was found, it was ston ded he was, and
+his hed was bate all to paces, and Rory was o&#8217; tap o&#8217; im houltin im by the
+throte, wid a shillaly nigh by, covered wid blud, and the blood was rinnin
+out o&#8217; his eyes, and nose, and aars. Lawyer McGammon definded Rory, the
+poor unfortunit crathur, and he frankly admitted, that it was onlocky for
+him to be found jist that away, but he toult the jewry, that as he hoped
+for salvashun, Rory was an innysunt man, and he belaaved the foreman as
+guilty nor he. He brot half Ballyconnel to prove that Tooley was liable to
+blaad fraly at the nose, and was apt to have a rush o&#8217; blood to the hed,
+and he compared Rory to the good Summeritan, and sed he was there by the
+marest axidunt in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> warld, and was tryin to stop the flow o&#8217; blud by
+houltin Tooley by the throte.</p>
+
+<p>As to the bloody shillaly, McGammon brot more nor twenty witnesses, and
+ivery one a Mullowny, to sware it was more like Tooley&#8217;s own shillaly nor
+two paas in a pud; and then he had three lunatic doctors, they call&#8217;d em,
+to prove that the O&#8217;Shane&#8217;s were o&#8217; the silf-distructive persuashun. As to
+what Rory had sed about havin Tooley&#8217;s hart&#8217;s blud, lawyer McGammon provd
+that it was a common mode o&#8217; spakin in Ballyconnel and all owr the
+contree, among frinds and neybors, and thin he hinted, in a dillikit wey,
+that all the Mullownys wuld be after sayin that virry same thing o&#8217; the
+jewry, if thay brot Rory to the gallus by thair vardic, and that he was
+guilty o&#8217; nothin but circumstanshul ividunce. But the jewry brot in the
+poor felly guilty o&#8217; murther, and its all owr wid poor Rory.</p>
+
+<p>It&#8217;s no more I can rite&mdash;Your sister Betty Macnamarra has nine fine boys,
+at thraa births it is. From yours ever till the dee,</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;"><span class="smcap">Eyley Murphy</span>.</span></p>
+
+<p>No impartial reader of Miss Eyley Murphy&#8217;s letter will hesitate to
+pronounce Rory Mullowny an unfortunate man, and his case another example
+of the abominable practice of hanging innocent persons, upon
+circumstantial evidence.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Poor Eli&mdash;as the old man was familiarly called by the Boston sextons of
+his time. He was a prime hand, at the shortest notice, in his better days.
+He has been long dead&mdash;died by inches&mdash;his memory first. For a year or
+more before his death, he was troubled with some strange hallucinations,
+of rather a professional character&mdash;among them, an impression, that he had
+committed a terrible sin, in putting so many respectable people under
+ground, who had never done him any harm. He said to me, more than once,
+while attempting to dissipate this film from his mental vision&mdash;&#8220;Abner,
+take my advice, and give up this wicked business, or you&#8217;ll be served so
+yourself, one of these days.&#8221; I was, upon one occasion, going over one of
+our farms, with the old man&mdash;the Granary burying-ground&mdash;and he flew<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> into
+a terrible passion, because no grave had been dug for old Master
+Lovell&mdash;the father. We tried to remind him, that Master Lovell, many years
+before, in 1776, had turned tory, and gone off with the British army; but
+poor old Eli was past conviction. He took his last favorite walk, among
+the graves on Copp&#8217;s Hill, one morning in May&mdash;he there met a very worthy
+man, whom he was so fully persuaded he had buried, twenty years before,
+that he hobbled home, in the greatest trepidation, took to his bed, and
+never left it, but to verify his own suggestion, that we are all to be
+finally buried. During his last, brief illness, his mental wanderings were
+very manifest:&mdash;&#8220;Poor man&mdash;poor man&#8221;&mdash;he would mutter to himself&mdash;&#8220;I&#8217;m
+sure I buried him&mdash;deep grave, very&mdash;estate&#8217;s been settled&mdash;his sons&mdash;very
+fast young men, took possession&mdash;gone long ago&mdash;poor weeping
+widow&mdash;married twice since&mdash;what a time there&#8217;ll be&mdash;oh Lord forgive me,
+I&#8217;ll never bury another.&#8221; He was eighty-two then, and used to say he
+longed to die, and get among his old friends, for all, that he had known,
+were dead and gone.</p>
+
+<p>A feeling, somewhat akin to this, is apt to gather about us, and grow
+stronger, as we march farther forward on our way, the numbers of our
+companions gradually lessening, as we go. Our ranks close up&mdash;those, with
+whom we stood, shoulder to shoulder, are cut down by the great
+leveller&mdash;and their places are filled by others. As we grow older, and the
+friends and companions of our earlier days are removed, we have a desire
+to do the next best thing&mdash;we cannot supply their places&mdash;but there are
+individuals&mdash;worthy people withal&mdash;whose faces have been familiar to our
+eyes, for fifty or sixty years&mdash;we have passed them, daily, or weekly&mdash;we
+chance to meet, no matter where&mdash;the ice is broken, by a mutual agreement,
+that it is very hot, or that it is very cold&mdash;very wet, or very dry&mdash;an
+allusion follows to the great number of years we have known each other, by
+name, and this results, frequently, in a relation, which, if it be not
+entitled to the sacred name of friendship, is not to be despised by those,
+who are deep in the valley:&mdash;out of such materials, an old craft, near the
+termination of its voyage, may rig up a respectable jury-mast, at least,
+and sail on comfortably, to the haven where it would be.</p>
+
+<p>The old standard merchants, who transacted business, on the Long Wharf,
+Boston Pier, when I was a boy&mdash;are dead&mdash;<i>stelligeri</i>&mdash;almost every one of
+them; and, if all, that I have known and heard of them, were fairly told,
+it would make a very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> readable volume, highly honorable to many of their
+number, and calculated to operate, as a stimulus, upon the profession, in
+every age.</p>
+
+<p>One little narrative spreads itself before my memory, at this moment,
+which I received from the only surviving son of the individual, to whom it
+especially refers. A merchant, very extensively engaged in commerce, and
+located upon the Long Wharf, died February 18, 1806, at the age of 75,
+intestate. His eldest son administered upon the estate. This old gentleman
+used pleasantly to say, that, for many years, he had fed a very large
+number of the Catholics, on the shores of the Mediterranean, during Lent,
+referring to his very extensive connection with the fishing business. In
+his day, he was certainly well known; and, to the present time, is well
+remembered, by some of the &#8220;<i>old ones down along shore</i>,&#8221; from the
+Gurnet&#8217;s Nose to Race Point. Among his papers, a package, of very
+considerable size, was found, after his death, carefully tied up, and
+labelled as follows: &#8220;<i>Notes, due-bills, and accounts against sundry
+persons, down along shore. Some of these may be got by suit or severe
+dunning. But the people are poor: most of them have had fishermen&#8217;s luck.
+My children will do as they think best. Perhaps they will think with me,
+that it is best to burn this package entire.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;About a month,&#8221; said my informant, &#8220;after our father died, the sons met
+together, and, after some general remarks, our elder brother, the
+administrator, produced this package, of whose existence we were already
+apprized; read the superscription; and asked what course should be taken,
+in regard to it. Another brother, a few years younger than the eldest, a
+man of strong, impulsive temperament, unable, at the moment, to express
+his feeling, by words, while he brushed the tears from his eyes with one
+hand, by a spasmodic jerk of the other, towards the fireplace, indicated
+his wish to have the package put into the flames. It was suggested, by
+another of our number, that it might be well, first, to make a list of the
+debtors&#8217; names, and of the dates, and amounts, that we might be enabled,
+as the intended discharge was for all, to inform such as might offer
+payment, that their debts were forgiven. On the following day, we again
+assembled&mdash;the list had been prepared&mdash;and all the notes, due-bills, and
+accounts, whose amount, including interest, exceeded thirty-two thousand
+dollars, were committed to the flames.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span>&#8220;It was about four months after our father&#8217;s death,&#8221; continued my
+informant, &#8220;in the month of June, that, as I was sitting in my eldest
+brother&#8217;s counting-room, waiting for an opportunity to speak with him,
+there came in a hard-favored, little, old man, who looked as if time and
+rough weather had been to windward of him, for seventy years. He asked if
+my brother was not the executor. He replied, that he was administrator, as
+our father died intestate. &#8216;Well,&#8217; said the stranger, &#8216;I&#8217;ve come up from
+the Cape, to pay a debt I owed the old gentleman.&#8217; My brother,&#8221; continued
+my informant, &#8220;requested him to take a seat, being, at the moment, engaged
+with other persons, at the desk.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The old man sat down, and, putting on his glasses, drew out a very
+ancient, leather pocket-book, and began to count over his money. When he
+had done&mdash;and there was quite a parcel of bank notes&mdash;as he sat, waiting
+his turn, slowly twisting his thumbs, with his old gray, meditative eyes
+upon the floor, he sighed; and I knew the money, as the phrase runs, <i>came
+hard</i>&mdash;and secretly wished the old man&#8217;s name might be found, upon the
+forgiven list. My brother was soon at leisure, and asked him the common
+questions&mdash;his name, &amp;c. The original debt was four hundred and forty
+dollars&mdash;it had stood a long time, and, with the interest, amounted to a
+sum, between seven and eight hundred. My brother went to his desk, and,
+after examining the forgiven list attentively, a sudden smile lighted up
+his countenance, and told me the truth, at a glance&mdash;the old man&#8217;s name
+was there! My brother quietly took a chair, by his side, and a
+conversation ensued, between them, which I never shall forget.&mdash;&#8216;Your note
+is outlawed,&#8217; said my brother; &#8216;it was dated twelve years ago, payable in
+two years; there is no witness, and no interest has ever been paid; you
+are not bound to pay this note, we cannot recover the amount.&#8217; &#8216;Sir,&#8217; said
+the old man, &#8216;I wish to pay it. It is the only heavy debt I have in the
+world. It may be outlawed here, but I have no child, and my old woman and
+I hope we have made our peace with God, and wish to do so with man. I
+should like to pay it&#8217;&mdash;and he laid his bank notes before my brother,
+requesting him to count them over. &#8216;I cannot take this money,&#8217; said my
+brother. The old man became alarmed. &#8216;I have cast simple interest, for
+twelve years and a little over,&#8217; said the old man. &#8216;I will pay you
+compound interest, if you say so. The debt ought to have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> been paid, long
+ago, but your father, sir, was very indulgent&mdash;he knew I&#8217;d been unlucky,
+and told me not to worry about it.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;My brother then set the whole matter plainly before him, and, taking the
+bank bills, returned them to the pocket book, telling him, that, although
+our father left no formal will, he had recommended to his children, to
+destroy certain notes, due-bills, and other evidences of debt, and release
+those, who might be legally bound to pay them. For a moment the worthy old
+man appeared to be stupefied. After he had collected himself, and wiped a
+few tears from his eyes, he stated, that, from the time he had heard of
+our father&#8217;s death, he had raked, and scraped, and pinched and spared, to
+get the money together, for the payment of this debt.&mdash;&#8216;About ten days
+ago,&#8217; said he, &#8216;I had made up the sum, within twenty dollars. My wife knew
+how much the payment of this debt lay upon my spirits, and advised me to
+sell a cow, and make up the difference, and get the heavy burden off my
+spirits. I did so&mdash;and now, what will my old woman say! I must get back to
+the Cape, and tell her this good news. She&#8217;ll probably say over the very
+words she said, when she put her hand on my shoulder as we parted&mdash;<i>I have
+never yet seen the righteous man forsaken, nor his seed begging bread</i>.&#8217;
+After a hearty shake of the hand, and a blessing upon our old father&#8217;s
+memory, he went upon his way rejoicing.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;After a short silence&mdash;taking his pencil and making a cast&mdash;&#8216;there,&#8217; said
+my brother, &#8216;your part of the amount would be so much&mdash;contrive a plan to
+convey to me your share of the pleasure, derived from this operation, and
+the money is at your service.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Such is the simple tale, which I have told, as it was told to me.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LVI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>&#8220;<i>Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them;
+otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven. Therefore
+when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the
+hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have
+glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou
+doest alms,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. That
+thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret,
+himself shall reward thee openly.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This ancient word&mdash;<i>alms</i>&mdash;according to its derivative import, comprehends
+not only those <i>oboli</i>, which are given to the wandering poor, but all
+bestowments, great and small, in the blessed cause of charity.</p>
+
+<p>In the present age, how limited the number, whose moral courage and
+self-denial enable them to do their alms in secret, and without sounding a
+trumpet, as the hypocrites do! How many, impatient of delay, prefer an
+immediate reward&mdash;<i>to have glory of men</i>&mdash;rather than a long draft, upon
+far futurity, though God himself be the paymaster!</p>
+
+<p>The ability, to plan a magnificent, prospective charity, to provide the
+means for its consummation, to preserve inviolate the secret of this high
+and holy purpose, except from some confidential friend perhaps, until the
+noble and pure-minded benefactor himself is beyond the reach of all human
+praise&mdash;this is indeed a celestial and a rare accomplishment.</p>
+
+<p>My thoughts have been drawn hitherward, by the public announcement of
+certain testamentary donations of the late Theodore Lyman&mdash;ten thousand
+dollars to the Horticultural Society&mdash;ten thousand dollars to the Farm
+School&mdash;and fifty thousand dollars to the Reform School at Westborough.
+The public have been long in doubt, who was the secret patron of that
+excellent establishment, upon which he had previously bestowed two and
+twenty thousand dollars.&mdash;While we readily admit, that, in these
+unostentatious and posthumous benefactions, there is every claim upon the
+grateful respect of the community&mdash;while we delight to cherish a sentiment
+of reverence, for the memory of a good man, who would not suffer the sound
+of his munificence to go forth, till he had descended to that grave, where
+there is no device, nor work, and where his ears must be closed forever to
+the world&#8217;s applause&mdash;still there are some, who, doubtless, will marvel at
+these magnificent, noiseless, and posthumous appropriations. With a very
+small portion of the amounts, bestowed upon these institutions, what glory
+might have been had of men, aye, and in his own life time! By distributing
+the aggregate into comparatively petty sums&mdash;by the exercise of rather
+more than ordinary vigilance and cunning, in the selection of fitting
+opportunities, what a reputation Mr. Lyman might have obtained! He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> would
+not only have been preceded, by the sound of a trumpet, but every penny
+paper would have readily converted itself into a penny trumpet, to spread
+the fame of his showy benefactions. His name would have been in every
+mouth&mdash;aye, and on every omnibus and engine. Add to all this a very small
+amount&mdash;a few hundred dollars, devoted to the procurement of plaster casts
+of himself, to be skilfully distributed, and verily he would have had his
+reward.</p>
+
+<p>The Hon. Theodore Lyman is dead, and, today, my grateful and respectful
+dealings are with his memory. The practical benevolence of this gentleman
+has been well known to me, for years. There are quiet, unobtrusive
+charities, which are not likely to figure, in the daily journals, or to be
+known by any person, but the parties. For such as these I have
+occasionally solicited Mr. Lyman, and never in vain. On the other hand,
+there are individuals, whose names are forever before the public, in
+connection with some work, to be seen of men; but whose gold and silver,
+unless they are likely to glitter, <i>in transitu</i>, before the eye of the
+community, are parted with, reluctantly, if at all.</p>
+
+<p>This great public benefactor, upon the present occasion, seems to have
+said, in the gentle, unobtrusive whisperings of his noble spirit&mdash;&#8220;A
+portion of that, which God has permitted me to gather, I believe it is my
+bounden duty to return, into the treasury of the Lord. This will I do. The
+secret shall remain, while I live, between God, who gives me this willing
+heart, and myself. And, when the world shall, at last, become unavoidably
+apprized of the fact, I shall have taken sanctuary in the grave, where the
+fulsome applause of the multitude can never reach me.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Between such apostolic charity as this, and certain flashy munificence,
+whose authors seem to be forever drawing drafts, at sight, and always
+<i>without grace</i>, upon the public, for fresh laudation&mdash;more votes of
+thanks&mdash;additional resolutions of all sorts of societies&mdash;and a more
+copious supply of vapid editorial adulation&mdash;between these, I say, there
+is all that real difference which exists, between the &#8220;gem of purest ray
+serene,&#8221; and the wretched Bristol imitation&mdash;between the flower that
+blooms and sends abroad its perfume in secret, and that corruption whose
+veritable character can never be concealed; and I may be suffered to say,
+as truly as Jock Jabos of his professional relations,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> that one of my
+calling may be supposed to know something of corruption, by this time.</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span style="margin-left: 5em;">&mdash;&mdash;&#8220;My ear is pained,</span><br />
+My soul is sick with every day&#8217;s report&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>of <i>ad captandum</i> benefactions. Today, that generous benefactor, Mr.
+Pipkin, endows some village Lyceum, which is destined forever to glory in
+the euphonious name of Pipkin. Tomorrow our illustrious fellow-citizen,
+Mr. Snooks, presents a bell to some village church, and, the very next
+week, we are told, that the bell was cracked, while ringing peals in honor
+of the munificent Snooks. Even the Tonsons, whose ubiquity is a proverb,
+and whose inordinate relish for all sorts of notoriety surpasses their
+powers of munificence, are always in, for a pen&#8217;worth of this species of
+titillating snuff, at small cost.</p>
+
+<p>The Hon. Theodore Lyman was born in Boston, in 1792. His father was
+Theodore Lyman, a shrewd, enterprising, and eminently successful merchant
+of this city. His mother&#8217;s maiden name was Lydia Williams. She was a
+sister of Samuel Williams, the celebrated London Banker. The subject of
+this brief notice received his preparatory education, at Phillips Exeter
+Academy, under the charge of the venerable Dr. Abbott. He entered Harvard
+University in 1806, and took his degrees in the usual course.</p>
+
+<p>In 1812, Mr. Lyman went to England, upon a visit to his maternal uncle,
+Mr. Williams, and, during his absence, travelled on the continent, with
+Mr. Edward Everett, visiting Greece, Palestine, &amp;c., and remaining abroad,
+until 1816. He was in Paris, when the allied armies entered that city. Of
+this event he subsequently published an account, in a work, very
+pleasantly written, entitled <i>Three Weeks in Paris</i>.</p>
+
+<p>In 1820, or very near that period, Mr. Lyman married Miss Mary Henderson
+of New York, a lady of rare personal beauty and accomplishments, who died
+in 1836. The issue of this marriage were three daughters and a son, Julia,
+Mary, Cora and Theodore. The two last survive. The elder children, Julia
+and Mary, in language of beautiful significancy, have &#8220;gone before.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Lyman published an octavo volume, on Italy, and compiled two useful
+volumes, on the Diplomacy of the United States with Foreign Nations. In
+1834 and 1835, Mr. Lyman was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> Mayor of the City of Boston. He brought to
+that office the manners of a refined and polished gentleman; the
+independence of a man of spirit and of honor; a true regard for justice
+and the rights of all men; a lofty contempt for all time-serving policy;
+talents of a highly respectable order; a mind well stored and well
+balanced; and a cordial desire, exemplified in his own personal and
+domestic relations, and by his encouraging word and open hand, of
+promoting the best interests of the great temperance reform.</p>
+
+<p>To the duties of this office, in which there is something less of glory
+than of toil, he devoted himself, during those two years, with great
+personal sacrifice and privation to those, whom he loved most. The period
+of his mayoralty was, by no means, a period of calm repose. Those years
+were scored, by the spirit of misrule, with deep, dark lines of infamy.
+Those years are memorable for the Vandal outrage upon the Ursuline
+Convent, and the Garrison riot; in which, a portion of the people of
+Boston demonstrated the terrible truth, that they were not to be outdone
+in fury, even by the most furious abolitionist, who ever converted his
+stylus into a harpoon, and his inkhorn into a vial of wrath.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Lyman, even in comparatively early life, filled the offices of a
+Brigadier and Major General of our Militia; and was in our Legislative
+Councils.</p>
+
+<p>The temperament of Mr. Lyman was peculiar. Frigid, and even formal, before
+the world, he was one of the most warm-hearted men, among the noiseless
+paths of charity, and in the closer relations of life. I have sometimes
+marvelled, where he bestowed his keen sensibility, while going through the
+rough and wearying detail of official duty. In the spring of 1840 we met
+accidentally, at the South&mdash;in the city of Charleston. He was ill. His
+mind was ill at ease. He seemed to me, at that time, a practical
+illustration of the truth, that it is not good for man to be alone. Yet he
+had been long stricken then, in his domestic relation. His chief anxiety
+seemed to be about the health of his little boy. He told me, that he
+lingered there on his account. I never knew a more devoted father.</p>
+
+<p>A gentleman, well-known to the community, by his untiring practical
+benevolence, to whom I applied for information, has sent me a reply, from
+which I must be permitted to extract one passage, for the benefit of the
+world&mdash;&#8220;I have known much of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> his benevolent acts, having been the
+frequent almoner of his bounty, with the injunction, &#8216;<i>Keep it to
+yourself</i>.&#8217; He often called, and spent one or two hours, to converse on
+temperance, and the poor, and would spend a long winter evening in my
+office, to learn of me what my situation enabled me to communicate, and
+always left a check for $50 or $100, to give to the Howard, or some other
+society. In the severe winter weather, I remarked that he would say,
+&#8216;<i>This weather makes one feel for the poor</i>.&#8217; He often sent his man with
+provisions to the houses of the destitute, and had a heart to feel for
+others&#8217; woe.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>He has gone! But the memory of this good man shall never go! It shall be
+embalmed in the grateful tears of the reformed, from age to age.
+Thousands, now unborn, shall be snatched, like brands from the burning,
+through the agency of this heavenly charity; and, as they turn from the
+walls of this noble institution, in a moral sense, regenerate, they shall
+bless the name of their noble benefactor; and thus raise and perpetuate,
+to the memory of <span class="smcap">Theodore Lyman</span>, the <i>monumentum &aelig;re perennius</i>.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LVII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>It is scarcely credible, for what peccadilloes, life was forfeited, by the
+laws of England, within the memory of men, now living. One hundred and
+sixty offences, which may be committed by man, have been declared, by
+different acts of parliament, to be felony, without benefit of clergy;
+that is, punishable with death. It is truly wonderful, that, in the
+eighteenth century, it should have been a capital offence, in England, to
+break down the mound of a fish pond&mdash;to cut down a cherry tree in an
+orchard&mdash;or to be seen, for one month, in the company of those, who called
+themselves Egyptians.</p>
+
+<p>We constantly refer to the laws of Draco, the Archon of Athens, as a code
+of unequalled cruelty; under whose operation, crimes of the highest order,
+and the most trifling offences, were punished, with equal severity. Draco
+punished murder with death, and he punished idleness with death. The laws
+of England punished murder with death, and they punished theft, over the
+value of twelve pence, with death. What is the necessity of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> going back to
+the time of Draco, 624 years before Christ, for examples of inhuman, and
+absurdly inconsistent legislation?</p>
+
+<p>The Marquis of Beccaria, in his treatise, <i>De Delitti e Delle Pene</i>, seems
+to have awakened legislators from a trance, in 1764, by propounding the
+simple inquiry&mdash;<i>Ought not punishments to be proportioned to crimes, and
+how shall that proportion be established?</i> A matter, so apparently simple,
+seems not to have been thought of before.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Samuel Romilly, Sir James Mackintosh, and Sir Robert Peel are entitled
+to great praise, for their efforts to soften and humanize the criminal
+code of Great Britain.</p>
+
+<p>The distinction, between grand and petty larceny, was not abolished, until
+1827, when, by the act 7th and 8th Geo. IV. chap. 29, theft was made
+punishable by transportation, or imprisonment and whipping. By this
+statute, robbery from the person, burglary, stealing in a dwelling-house
+to the value of &pound;5, stealing cattle, and sheep-stealing are made
+punishable with death. So that the punishment was, even then, the same,
+for murdering a man, and stealing a sheep, or &pound;5 from a dwelling-house.
+Death, by this statute, was also the punishment for arson, for setting
+fire to coal mines, and ships; and for riotously demolishing buildings or
+machinery.</p>
+
+<p>In the following year, 1828, by the act 9th Geo. IV. ch. 31, death is made
+the punishment, for murder, maliciously shooting, cutting and maiming,
+administering poison, attempting to drown, suffocate, &amp;c., and for rape
+and sodomy. By this act, more than fifty statutes, relative to offences
+against the person, are repealed.</p>
+
+<p>The act 11th Geo. IV. and 1st Will. IV. ch. 66, passed in 1830, abolishes
+capital punishment, in all cases of forgery, excepting forgery of the
+royal seals, exchequer bills, bank notes, wills, bills of exchange,
+promissory notes, or money orders, transfers of stock, and powers of
+attorney. Death remained the penalty for all these forgeries, in 1830,
+and, for all other forgeries, transportation and imprisonment.</p>
+
+<p>Two years after, in 1832, another step was taken. By 2d Will. IV. ch. 34,
+capital punishment was abolished, and transportation and imprisonment
+substituted, for all offences, relative to the coin. This was a prodigious
+stride.</p>
+
+<p>This gave us a great hope, that misguided murderers might finally be
+suffered to live in security, at least, from the halter:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> for no object
+had been of greater moment with the British nation, than the coin of the
+realm, and the death penalty had often been exacted from those, who had
+dared to clip or counterfeit that sacred representative of majesty. The
+principle is well established, that men, who fly from one extreme, <i>in
+contraria currunt</i>. We trusted, therefore, that extremely lenient
+legislation would supervene, upon its very opposite.</p>
+
+<p>We had great confidence in a system of &#8220;indefatigable teasing,&#8221; as Butler
+calls it. In the same year, 1832, by 2d and 3d Will. IV. ch. 62, capital
+punishment was abolished, in cases of stealing from a dwelling-house to
+the value of &pound;5, and sheep-stealing; and by the same act, ch. 123, capital
+punishment was abolished, in all cases of forgery, excepting in the cases
+of wills, and powers of attorney for stock.</p>
+
+<p>In 1833, by 3d and 4th Will. IV. ch. 44, capital punishment was abolished
+in case of dwelling-house robbery; repealing so much of the larceny act of
+1827.</p>
+
+<p>Our good friends in England next thought it expedient to divest the
+process of hanging, of all its postmortuary terrors. I have heard of
+condemned persons, who expressed a greater horror, at the thought of being
+dissected, than of being hanged. It was deemed proper, therefore, to
+relieve the unfortunates, on this tender point. Accordingly, in 1834, by
+4th Will. IV. ch. 26, dissecting murderers, and hanging them, in chains,
+were abolished.</p>
+
+<p>It had been the law of England, that all persons returning, <i>sua sponte</i>,
+after transportation, should be hanged. But experience has shown how deep
+is the affection, which convicts bear to their former haunts, their native
+land. It is a perfect <i>nostalgia</i>. This law was therefore repealed, in
+1834, by 4th and 5th Will. IV. ch. 67.</p>
+
+<p>In 1835, by 5th and 6th Will. IV. ch. 33, sundry felonies, never before
+deemed bailable offences, were made so, notwithstanding the parties
+confessed themselves guilty.</p>
+
+<p>Sacrilege and letter-stealing had long been capital offences in England.
+In the same year, they were no longer punished with death.</p>
+
+<p>We had great hopes from Victoria. In 1837, 1 Vic. ch. 23, she began, by
+abolishing the pillory entirely;&mdash;and ch. 84, capital punishment is
+abolished, in all cases of forgery;&mdash;ch. 85, capital punishment is
+inflicted, for administering poison, or doing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> bodily injury with intent
+to mutilate; but other acts, with intent to murder, or maim, or disfigure,
+are punished with different degrees of transportation and
+imprisonment.&mdash;Ch. 86 takes away capital punishment, in burglary, unless
+accompanied with violence.&mdash;Ch. 87 takes away capital punishment, in case
+of robbery, unless attended with cutting or wounding. Ch. 88 leaves the
+punishment of death, transportation or imprisonment, to the discretion of
+the court, in case of piracy, where murder is attempted. Ch. 89 varies the
+laws of arson, making arson a capital offence, in regard to a
+dwelling-house, <i>any person being therein</i>.&mdash;Ch. 91 abolishes capital
+punishment in cases of riotous assemblies, seducing from allegiance, and
+certain offences against the revenue laws.</p>
+
+<p>It is rather surprising, that there is such a general prejudice throughout
+the world, in favor of putting murderers to death. The Bible is an awful
+stumbling block, in this respect. We are also reminded that Solon, when he
+abolished the code of Draco, retained the punishment of death, in the case
+of murder. I have never thought much of Solon, since I became acquainted
+with this weak point in his character.</p>
+
+<p>A writer in the Edinburgh Review, vol. 86, p. 217, speaking of death as
+the punishment for murder, observes&mdash;&#8220;The intense desire which now
+actuates a portion of the community, to get rid of capital punishment even
+for murder, may be taken as an indication of this excessive sensibility.
+The propriety of that punishment in the given case, would certainly appear
+to be distinctly sanctioned by that book, to which its opponents
+professedly appeal&mdash;by reason&mdash;and by the all but universal practice of
+nations. It is the only certain guarantee which society can have for the
+security of its members.&#8221; Here we have it again&mdash;&#8220;that book&#8221;&mdash;the Bible.
+It cannot be denied that the Bible, or Solon, or Sir Matthew Hale, or
+somebody else, is everlastingly in the way of this and other modern,
+philanthropic movements. What was Solon, in comparison with David
+Crockett&mdash;we are sure we are right, and why should we not go ahead?</p>
+
+<p>For my own part, I have never been able to perceive the wisdom of
+attempting to conceal any of our prospective movements. Indeed, our future
+course must be sufficiently apparent, at a glance. When we have
+<i>agitated</i>, until capital punishment is abolished, and we have had a
+commemorative celebration, with emblematical banners, and an hundred guns
+on the Common,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> nothing will be further from our thoughts, than a
+dissolution, sine die. One of our chief arguments in favor of abolishing
+capital punishment, is the greater hardship of a life-long imprisonment.
+Availing of this argument, we shall be able to show, that we have placed
+these unfortunates, in a worse condition than before. A petition will be
+presented to the Governor and Council, from five thousand unhappy
+murderers, ravishers, house-burners, burglars and highway robbers&mdash;such we
+think will be the number, in a few years&mdash;representing their miserable
+condition, and respectfully requesting to be hanged, under the influence
+of ether or otherwise, as to the Governor and Council may seem fit. We
+shall then <i>agitate</i> anew, and endeavor, through public meetings and the
+press, to exhibit the barbarity of refusing their humble request.</p>
+
+<p>This, we well enough know, will not be granted; and the only escape from
+the dilemma, will be to suffer them, to go at large, upon their parole of
+honor. It will not, of course, be expected, that this parole will be
+received from any, who cannot produce a certificate, under the hand of the
+warden, that they have committed no murder, rape, arson, burglary, or
+highway robbery, during the period of their confinement in the State
+Prison.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LVIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The late Archbishop of Bordeaux, when Bishop of Boston, Dr. Cheverus, told
+me, that he had very little influence with his people, in regard to their
+extravagance at funerals. It is very hard to persuade them to abate the
+tithe of a hair, in the cost of a <i>birril</i>.</p>
+
+<p>This post-mortuary profligacy, this pride of death, is confined to no age
+or nation of the world. It has prevailed, ever since chaos was licked into
+shape, and throughout all Heathendom and Christendom, begetting a childish
+and preposterous competition, who should bear off the corpses of their
+relations, most showily, and cause them to rot, most expensively.</p>
+
+<p>This amazing folly has often required, and received, the sumptuary curb of
+legislation. I have briefly referred, in a former<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> number, to the
+restraining edicts of the law-givers of Greece, and the laws of the Twelve
+Tables at Rome.</p>
+
+<p>Even here, and among the earlier records of our own country, evidences are
+not wanting, that the attention of our worthy ancestors had been attracted
+to the subject of funereal extravagance. At a meeting, held in Faneuil
+Hall, October 28, 1767, at which the Hon. James Otis was the Moderator,
+the following resolution was passed: &#8220;<i>And we further agree strictly to
+adhere to the late regulations respecting funerals, and will not use any
+gloves but what are manufactured here, nor procure any new garments, upon
+such occasions, but what shall be absolutely necessary</i>.&#8221; This resolution
+was passed, <i>inter alia similia</i>, with reference to the Stamp Act of 1765,
+and as part of the system of non-importation.</p>
+
+<p>There is probably no place like England&mdash;no city like London, for funereal
+parade and extravagance. The Church, to use the fox-hunting phrase, must
+be <i>in at the death</i>; and how truly would a simple funeral, without
+pageantry, in some sort&mdash;a cold, unceremonious burial, without mutes, and
+streamers, and feathers&mdash;without bell, book, or candle&mdash;flout and
+scandalize the gorgeous Church of England! The Church and the State are
+connected, so intimately and indissolubly connected, that he, who dies in
+the arms of Mother Church, must permit that particular old lady, in the
+matter of his funeral, to indulge her ruling passion, for costly forms and
+ceremonies.</p>
+
+<p>It is more than forty years, since, with infinite delight, I first read
+that effusion&mdash;outpouring&mdash;splendid little eruption, if you like&mdash;of
+Walter Scott&#8217;s, called Llewellyn. Apart from all context, a single stanza
+is to my present purpose; I give it from memory, where it has clung, for
+forty years:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">When a prince to the fate of a peasant has yielded,<br />
+The tapestry waves dark, round the dim lighted pall,<br />
+With scutcheons of silver the coffin is shielded,<br />
+And pages stand mute in the canopied hall.<br />
+Through the vault, at deep midnight, the torches are gleaming,<br />
+In the proudly arched chapel the banners are beaming,<br />
+Far adown the long aisle sacred music is streaming,<br />
+Lamenting a chief of the people should fall.</p>
+
+<p>In all this, the nobility ape royalty, the gentry the nobility, the
+commonalty the gentry: and there is no estate so low, as not, in this
+particular, to account the death of a near relative a perfect
+justification of extravagance.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span>There is scarcely one in a thousand, I believe, who has any just idea of
+the amount, annually lavished upon funerals, in Great Britain; or of the
+extraordinary fact, that joint stock burial companies exist there, and
+declare excellent dividends.</p>
+
+<p>In 1843, at the request of her Majesty&#8217;s principal Secretary of State, for
+the Home Department, Edwin Chadwick, Esquire, drew up &#8220;a report on the
+results of a special inquiry into the practice of interment, in towns.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Chadwick states, that, <i>upon a moderate calculation, the sum annually
+expended in funeral expenses, in England and Wales, is five millions of
+pounds sterling</i>, and that four of these millions may be justly set down
+as expended on the mere fopperies of death.</p>
+
+<p>Evelyn says, that his mother requested his father, on her death bed, to
+bestow upon the poor, whatever he had designed, for the expenses of her
+funeral.</p>
+
+<p>Speaking of this abominable misapplication of money, a writer, in the
+London Quarterly Review, vol. 73, p. 466, exclaims&mdash;&#8220;To what does it go?
+To silk scarfs and brass nails&mdash;feathers for the horses&mdash;kid gloves and
+gin for the mutes&mdash;white satin and black cloth for the worms. And whom
+does it benefit? Not those, whose unfeigned sorrow makes them callous, at
+the moment, to its show, and almost to its mockery&mdash;not the cold
+spectator, who sees its dull magnificence give the lie to the preacher&#8217;s
+equality of death&mdash;but the lowest of all hypocrites, the hired mourner,
+&amp;c.&#8221; It is calculated by Mr. Chadwick, that &pound;60 to &pound;100 are necessary to
+bury an upper tradesman&mdash;&pound;250 for a gentleman&mdash;&pound;500 to &pound;1500 for a
+nobleman.</p>
+
+<p>High profits were obtained, by the joint stock burial companies in
+England, in 1843. The sale of graves in one cemetery was at the rate of
+&pound;17,000 per acre, and a calculation, made for another, gave &pound;45,375 per
+acre, not including fees for monuments, &amp;c. One company, says Mr.
+Chadwick, has set forth an estimate, that seven acres, at the rate of ten
+coffins, in one grave, would accommodate 1,335,000&mdash;one million three
+hundred and thirty-five thousand&mdash;paupers. The following interrogatory was
+put, and repeated by members of the Parliamentary Committee, to the
+witnesses: &#8220;<i>Do you think there would be any objection to burying bodies
+with a certain quantity of quick lime, sufficient to destroy the coffin
+and the whole thing in a given time?</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span>In 1843, Mr. J. C. Loudon published, in London, his work on the Managing
+of Cemeteries and the Improvement of Churchyards. The cool, philosophic
+style, in which Mr. Loudon handles this interesting subject, is rather
+remarkable. On page 50, he expatiates, as follows: &#8220;<i>This temporary
+cemetery may be merely a field, rented on a twenty-one years&#8217; lease, of
+such an extent, as to be filled with graves in fourteen years. At the end
+of seven years more it may revert to the landlord, and be cultivated,
+planted, or laid down in grass, or in any manner that may be thought
+proper. Nor does there appear to us any objection to union workhouses
+having a portion of their garden ground used as a cemetery, to be restored
+to cultivation, after a sufficient time had elapsed.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This certainly is doing the utilitarian thing, with a vengeance. Quite a
+novel rotation of crops&mdash;cabbages following corpses. My long experience
+assures me, that the rapidity of decomposition depends, upon certain
+qualities in the subject and in the soil. Skeletons are sometimes found,
+in tolerably perfect condition, after an inhumation of two hundred years.
+Perhaps Mr. Loudon, in his eager festination for a crop, may have
+determined to bury in quicklime. Paupers and quicklime would make a
+capital compost, and scarcely require a top-dressing, of any kind, for
+years. What beets! what carrots, for the cockney market! Notwithstanding
+the quicklime, I should rather fear an occasional envelopment of some
+<i>unlucky</i> relic, in the guise of a <i>lucky</i> bone&mdash;a grinder, perhaps. And,
+when these vegetables shall again have been converted into animals, and
+these animals shall have served their day and generation, they shall again
+be converted into cabbages and carrots, as all their predecessors were.
+Well, this Mr. Loudon is a practical fellow; and his metastasis is
+admirable. Here are thousands of miserable wretches&mdash;<i>nullorum fiilii</i>,
+many of them&mdash;they have contributed scarcely anything to the common weal,
+while living; now let us put them in the way, with the assistance of a
+little quicklime, of doing something for their fellow-beings, after they
+are dead. The pauper squashes and cabbages must have been at a premium, in
+Leadenhall Market. Imagination is clearly worth something. After all my
+reason can accord, in the way of respect, for these utilitarian notions, I
+solemnly protest against marrowfats, cultivated in Mr. Loudon&#8217;s pauper
+hotbeds. No doubt they would be larger, and the flavor richer and more
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span>peculiar&mdash;nevertheless, Mr. Loudon must excuse me&mdash;I say I protest. He
+gives an alternative permission, to lay down his mixture of dead bodies
+and quicklime to grass, or for the pasture of cows. Even then the milk
+would have a suspicious flavor, or <i>post-mortem</i> smell, I apprehend; it
+would be the same thing, by second intention, as the surgeons say.</p>
+
+<p>The explanation of Mr. Loudon&#8217;s monstrous proposition can be found
+nowhere, but in his concentrated interest in agriculture, to which he
+would have the living and the dead alike contribute. When contemplating
+the corpse of a portly pauper, he seems to think of nothing, but the
+readiest mode of converting it into cabbages.</p>
+
+<p>I have heard of a cutaneous fellow, who had an irresistible fancy, for
+skinning animals&mdash;it had become a passion. Nothing came amiss to him. He
+sought with avidity, for every four-footed and creeping thing, that died
+within five miles of his dwelling, for the pleasure of skinning it. The
+insides of his apartments were covered with the expanded skins, not only
+of beasts and the lesser vermin, but of birds, serpents and fishes. His
+house was an exuvial museum. He had a little son, a mere child, who
+assisted his father, on these occasions, in a small way. He had the
+misfortune to lose his grandmother&mdash;a fine old lady&mdash;and the following
+brief colloquy occurred, between the father and the child, the day before
+she was buried: &#8220;I say, father.&#8221; &#8220;What, Peter?&#8221; &#8220;When are you going to
+skin Granny?&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LIX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Last Sabbath morning, I read Cicero&#8217;s <i>Dialogus de Amicitia</i>&mdash;simple
+Latinity, and very short&mdash;27 sections only. It seemed like enjoying the
+company of an old friend. It is now just forty-seven years, since I first
+read it, at Exeter. I marvel at Montaigne, for not thinking highly of
+it&mdash;but find some little motive, in the fact, that he had written a tract
+upon the subject, himself, which may be found, in his first volume, page
+215, London, 1811, and which can no more be compared to the <i>Dialogus</i>,
+than&mdash;to use George Colman&#8217;s expression&mdash;a mummy to Hyperion.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span>The Dialogus de Amicitia, of a Sabbath morning! Aye, my reverend, orthodox
+brother. Not having, in my system, one pulse of sympathy for
+disorganization, and liberty parties, I reverence the holy Sabbath, as
+much as you do yourself; and, to prevent the <i>Dialogus</i> from hurting me, I
+read one sermon before, and another immediately after&mdash;Jeremy Taylor&#8217;s
+<i>Apples of Sodom</i>; and Fl&eacute;chier&#8217;s <i>Sur La Correction Fraternelle</i>&mdash;such
+sermons, as, in the concoction, would, perhaps, be very likely to burst
+your mental boiler, and which would not suit the appetites of many, modern
+congregations, who have ruined their powers of inwardly digesting such
+strong meat, by dieting upon theological <i>fricandises faites avec du
+sucre</i>.</p>
+
+<p>And you was not at meeting then! Right again, my dear brother. I am deaf
+as a haddock; though Sir Thomas Browne has annihilated this favorite
+standard of comparison, by assuring us, that a haddock has as good ears,
+as any other fish in the sea. Mine, however, are quite unscriptural&mdash;ears
+not to hear. My ear is all in my eye.</p>
+
+<p>Roscius boasted of his power to convey his meaning, by mute gesticulation.
+Our modern clergy have so little of this gift, that, with my impracticable
+ears, it is all dumb show for me. Now and then, when the wind is fair, I
+catch a word or two; and no cross-readings were ever more grotesque and
+comical, than my cross-hearings. I am convinced, that I do not always have
+the worst of it. When, in reply to an old lady, who once asked me how I
+liked the preacher, I told her I heard not a syllable&mdash;what a mercy! she
+exclaimed. But consider the example! True, there is something in that. Try
+the experiment&mdash;stop the <i>meatus auditorius</i> with beeswax, and try it, for
+half a dozen Sabbaths, even with the knowledge, that you can remove the
+impediment at will, which I cannot!</p>
+
+<p>After I had finished the <i>Dialogus</i>, I found myself successfully engaged,
+in the process of mental exhumation:&mdash;up they came, one after another, the
+playmates of my childhood, with their tee-totums and merry-andrews&mdash;the
+companions of my boyhood, with their tops, kites, and marbles&mdash;the friends
+and associates of my youth, with their skates, bats, and fowling pieces.
+It is really quite pleasant to gather a party, upon such short notice, and
+with so little effort; and without the trouble of providing wine and
+sweetmeats. Upon the very threshold of manhood, how they scatter and
+disperse! There is a passage of the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span>Dialogus&mdash;the tenth section&mdash;which is
+so true to life, at the present hour, that one can scarcely realize it was
+written, before the birth of Christ:&mdash;&#8220;Ille (Scipio) quidem nihil
+dificilius esse dicebat, quam amicitiam usque ad extremum vit&aelig; permanere.
+Nam vel ut non idem expediret utrique, incidere s&aelig;pe; vel ut de republica
+non idem sentirent; mutari etiam mores hominum s&aelig;pe dicebat, alias
+adversis rebus, alias &aelig;tate ingravescente. Atque earum rerum exemplum ex
+similitudine capiebat incuentis &aelig;tatis, quod summi puerorum amores s&aelig;pe
+una cum pr&aelig;texta ponerentur; sin autem ad adolescentiam perduxissent,
+dirimi tamen interdum contentione, vel uxori&aelig; conditionis, vel commodi
+allicujus, quod idem adipisci uterque non posset. Quod si qui longius in
+amicitia provecti essent, tamen s&aelig;pe labefactari, si in honoris
+contentionem incidissent: pestem esse nullam amicitiis, quam in plerisque
+pecuni&aelig; cupiditatem, in optimis quibusque honoris certamen et glori&aelig;: ex
+quo inimicitias maximas s&aelig;pe inter amicissimos extitisse.&#8221; Lord Rochester
+said, that nothing was ever benefited, by translation, but a bishop. This,
+nevertheless, I believe, is a fair translation of the passage&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>He (Scipio) said, that nothing was more difficult, than for friendship to
+continue to the very end of life: either because its continuance was found
+to be inexpedient for one of the parties, or on account of political
+differences.</p>
+
+<p>He remarked, that men&#8217;s humors were apt to be affected, sometimes, by
+adverse fortune, and at others, by the heavy listlessness of age. He drew
+an example of these things, from a similar condition in youth&mdash;the most
+vehement attachments, among boys, were commonly laid aside with the
+pr&aelig;texta, or at the age of maturity; or, if continued beyond that period,
+they were occasionally interrupted, by some contention about the state or
+condition of the wife, or the possessions or advantages of somebody, which
+the other party was unable to equal. Indeed, if some there were, whose
+friendship was drawn along to a later period, it was very apt to be
+weakened, if they became rivals, in the path of fame. The greatest bane of
+friendship, among the mass, was the love of money, and among some, of the
+better sort, the thirst for glory; by which the bitterest hatred had been
+generated, between those, who had been the greatest friends.</p>
+
+<p>Unless it be orthodoxy, nothing has been so variously defined, as
+<i>friendship</i>. A man who stands by, and sees another <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span>murdered, in a duel,
+is his <i>friend</i>. Mutual endorsers are <i>friends</i>. Partisans are the
+<i>friends</i> of the candidate. Those gentlemen, who give their time and
+talents to eat and drink up some wealthy fool, who would pass for an
+Amphytrion, and laugh at the fellow&#8217;s simplicity, behind his back, are his
+<i>friends</i>. The patrons of players and buffoons, signors and signorinas,
+are their <i>friends</i>. The venders of Havana cigars and Bologna sausages
+inform their <i>friends</i> and patrons, that they have recently received a
+fresh supply. Marat was the <i>friend</i> of the people. Eliphaz, Bildad, and
+Zophar were the <i>friends</i> of Job; and he told them rather uncivilly, I
+think, that they were miserable comforters. Matthew speaks of a <i>friend</i>
+of publicans and sinners.</p>
+
+<p>Monsieur Megret, who, as Voltaire relates, the instant Charles XII. was
+killed, exclaimed&mdash;<i>Voila la piece finie, allons souper</i>&mdash;see, the play is
+over, let us go to supper, was the king&#8217;s <i>friend</i>. William the First,
+like other kings, had many <i>friends</i>, who, the moment he died, ran away,
+and literally left the dead to bury the dead; of which a curious account
+may be found, in the Harleian Miscellany, vol. iii. page 160, London,
+1809. Friendship flourishes, at Christmas and New Year, for every one, we
+are told, in the book of Proverbs, is a <i>friend</i> to him that giveth gifts.
+There seems to be no end to this enumeration of <i>friends</i>. The name is
+legion, to say nothing of the whole society of <i>Friends</i>. What then could
+Aristotle have meant, when he exclaimed, as Diogenes Laertius says he did,
+lib. v. sec. 21, <i>My friends, there is no such thing as a friend</i>?
+Menander is stated by Plutarch, in his tract, on Brotherly Love, cap. 3,
+to have proclaimed that man happy, who had found even <i>the shadow of a
+friend</i>?</p>
+
+<p>It would be hard to describe the friend, whom Aristotle and Menander had
+in mind. Cicero has employed twenty-seven sections, and given us an
+imperfect definition after all. Such a friend comes not, within any one of
+the categories I have named.</p>
+
+<p><i>Friends</i>, in the common acceptation of that word, may be readily lost and
+won. The direction, ascribed to Rochefoucault, seems less revolting, when
+applied to such <i>friends</i> as these&mdash;<i>to treat all one&#8217;s friends, as if,
+one day, they might be foes, and all one&#8217;s foes, as if, one day, they
+might be friend</i>. This cold-blooded axiom is Rochefoucault&#8217;s, only by
+adoption. Aristotle, in his Rhetoric, lib. ii. cap. 13, and Diogenes
+Laertius, in his life of Bias, lib. i. sec. 7, ascribe something like this
+saying<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> to him. Cicero, in the sixteenth section of the <i>Dialogus de
+Amicitia</i>, after referring to the opinion&mdash;&#8220;<i>ita amare oportere, ut si
+aliquando esset ossurus</i>,&#8221; and stating Scipio&#8217;s abhorrence of the
+sentiment, expresses his belief, that it never proceeded from so good and
+wise a man, as Bias. Aulus Gellius, lib. i. cap. 3, imputes to Chilon, one
+of the seven wise men of Greece, substantially, the same sentiment&mdash;&#8220;<i>Love
+him, as if you were one day to hate him, and hate him, as if you were one
+day to love him</i>.&#8221; Poor Rochefoucault, who had sins enough to answer for,
+is as unjustly held to be author of this infernal sentiment, as was Dr.
+Guillotin of the instrument, that bears his ill-fated name.</p>
+
+<p>Boccacio was in the right&mdash;<i>there is a skeleton in every house</i>. We have,
+all of us, our crosses to carry; and should strive to bear them as
+gracefully, as comports with the infirmity of human nature; and among the
+most severe is the loss of an old friend. Aristotle was mistaken&mdash;there is
+such a thing as a friend. Some fifty years ago, I began to have a
+friend&mdash;our professions and pursuits were similar. For some fifty years,
+we have cherished a feeling of mutual affection and respect; and, now that
+we have retired from the active exercise of our craft, we daily meet
+together, and, like a brace of veteran grasshoppers, chirp over days
+bygone. I believe I never asked of my friend an unreasonable or unseemly
+thing. God knows he never did of me. Thus we have obeyed Cicero&#8217;s first
+law of friendship&mdash;<i>H&aelig;c igitur prima lex in amicitia sanciatur, ut neque
+rogemus res turpes, nec faciamus, rogati</i>.</p>
+
+<p>We are most happily adapted to each other. I have always taken pleasure in
+regurgitating, from the fourth stomach of the mind, some tale or anecdote,
+and chewing over the cud of pleasant fancy. No man ever had a friend with
+a more willing ear, or a shorter memory. But for this, which I have always
+accounted a Providence, my stock would have been exhausted, long ago.
+After lying fallow, for two or three months, every tale is as good as new.</p>
+
+<p>God bless my friend, and compensate the shortness of his memory, by giving
+him length of days, and every good thing, in this and a better world.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Much has been said and written, of late, here and elsewhere, on the
+subject of <i>intra mural</i> interment&mdash;burial within the <i>walls</i> or
+<i>confines</i> of cities. This term, though commonly employed by British
+writers, is wholly inapplicable, in all those rural cities, which have
+recently sprung up among us, and in which there are still many broad acres
+of meadow and pasture, plough-land and forest. In these almost nominal
+cities, the question must be, in relation to the propriety of burying the
+dead, not within the confines, but in the more densely peopled
+portions&mdash;in the very midst of the living.</p>
+
+<p>I have an opinion, firmly fixed, and long cherished, upon this important
+subject; and, considering myself, professionally, an expert, in these
+matters, I shall devote the present article to their consideration.</p>
+
+<p>There is no doubt, that a cemetery, from its improper location, or the
+mass of putrefying material, which the madness, or folly, or avarice of
+its proprietors has accumulated there, or from the indecent and almost
+superficial deposition of half-buried corpses, may become, like the burden
+of our sins&mdash;<i>intolerable</i>. It is not less certain, that it may become a
+<i>public nuisance</i>&mdash;not merely in the <i>popular</i> sense&mdash;but <i>legally</i>, and,
+as such, indictable at common law. Neither can there be any doubt, that
+the city authorities, without a resort to the process of indictment, and
+as conservators of the public health, have full power, to prevent all
+future interments in that cemetery. This is true of a cemetery in the
+suburbs&mdash;<i>a fortiori</i>, of a cemetery in the city.</p>
+
+<p>At the present day, it may seem astonishing to many, that any doubt ever
+prevailed, in the minds of respectable members of the medical faculty, as
+to the unhealthy influences of the effluvia, arising from <i>animal</i>
+corruption. Orfila, Parant Duch&acirc;telet, and other Frenchmen, of high
+professional reputation, have maintained, that such effluvia are perfectly
+innocuous. It seems to be almost universally agreed, at the present day,
+to reject such extraordinary doctrines entirely; although it is admitted,
+by the highest authorities, that the exhalations from <i>vegetable</i>
+corruption are the more pernicious of the two.</p>
+
+<p>So far as the decision of this question concerns the remedy, by legal
+process, it is of no absolute importance. The popular<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> impression, that
+exhalations, of any kind, cannot constitute a <i>public nuisance</i>, in the
+technical import of those words, unless those exhalations are injurious to
+health, is erroneous. Lord Mansfield held this not to be necessary; and
+that it was enough, if the air were so affected, as to be breathed by the
+public, with less comfort and pleasure, than before.</p>
+
+<p>Interment, beyond the confines of the city, was enjoined, some eighteen
+hundred years ago. It was decreed in Rome, by the twelve tables&mdash;<i>hominem
+mortuum in urbe ne sepelito</i>.</p>
+
+<p>A writer, in the London Quarterly Review, vol. 73, p. 446, has written,
+very ably, on this interesting topic. He supplies some facts of
+importance, connected with the history of interment. A. D. 381.&mdash;The
+Theodosian code forbade all interment within the walls of the city, and
+even ordered, that all the bodies and monuments, already placed there,
+should be carried out.</p>
+
+<p>A. D. 529.&mdash;The first clause was confirmed by Justinian. A. D. 563.&mdash;The
+Council of Brague decreed, that no dead body should be buried, within the
+circle of the city walls.</p>
+
+<p>A. D. 586.&mdash;The Council of Auxerre decreed, that no one should be buried
+in their temples. A. D. 827.&mdash;Charlemagne decreed, that no person should
+be buried in a church. A. D. 1076.&mdash;The Council of Winchester decreed,
+that no person should be buried in the churches. A. D. 1552.&mdash;Latimer, on
+Saint Luke vii. ii., says, &#8220;the citizens of Nain had their burying places
+without the city; and I do marvel, that London, being so great a city,
+hath not a burial place without,&#8221; &amp;c. A. D. 1565.&mdash;Charles Borromeo, the
+good bishop of Milan, ordered the return to the ancient custom of suburban
+cemeteries.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Matthew Hale used to say, &#8220;churches were made for the living, not for
+the dead.&#8221; The learned Anthony Rivet observed&mdash;&#8220;I wish this custom, which
+covetousness and superstition first brought in, were abolished; and that
+the ancient custom were revived to have burying places, in the free and
+open fields, without the gates of cities.&#8221; In 1832, fifteen Archbishops,
+Bishops, and others, ecclesiastical commissioners, in London, recommended
+the abolition of all burials in churches.</p>
+
+<p>At great expense, the City Government of Roxbury have judiciously selected
+a spot, eminently beautiful, and remote from the peopled portion of the
+city, for the burial of the dead. The great argument&mdash;the manifest
+motive&mdash;was <i>a just regard for the health of their constituents</i>. If the
+present nuisance should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> continue much longer, and grow much greater, may
+not the question be respectfully asked, with some little pertinency, <i>what
+has become of that just regard?</i></p>
+
+<p>Surely there is no lack of power. In 1832, the government of Boston said
+to the town of Roxbury, not in the language of David to Moab&mdash;thou shalt
+be &#8220;<i>my wash pot</i>&#8221;&mdash;but thou shalt be the receptacle of our offal&mdash;of all,
+that is filthy, and corruptible, within our borders. The City Government
+of Boston went extensively then into the carrion and garbage business, and
+furnished the provant for a legion of hogs, the property of an influential
+citizen of Roxbury. This awful hoggery was located on the road, now called
+East Street. The carrion carts of the metropolis of New England, <i>eundo,
+redeundo, et manendo</i>, dropping filth and fatness, as they went, became
+an abominable nuisance; and, as Commodore Trunnion beat up to church, on
+his wedding day, so every citizen, as soon as he discovered one of these
+aromatic vehicles, drawn by six or eight horses, tossing up their heads,
+and snorting sympathetically, was obliged to close-haul his nose, and
+struggle for the weather gage.</p>
+
+<p>Then again, the proprietor of this colossal hog-sty, with his burnery of
+bones, and other fragrant contrivances, created a stench, unknown among
+men, since the bituminous conflagration of the cities of the plain&mdash;Sodom
+and Gomorrah; and which terrible stench, in the language of Sternhold &amp;
+Hopkins, &#8220;<i>came flying all abroad</i>.&#8221; In the keeping of the varying wind,
+this &#8220;<i>arria cattiva</i>,&#8221; like that from a graveyard, surcharged with
+half-buried corpses, visited, from day to day, every dwelling, and
+nauseated every man, woman, and child in the village. Four town meetings
+were held, upon this subject. Roxbury calmly remonstrated,&mdash;Boston
+doggedly persisted; and, at last, patience having had its perfect work,
+the carrion carts, while attempting to enter Roxbury, were met, by the
+yeomanry, on the line, and driven back to Boston. Chief Justice Shaw
+having refused an application for an <i>injunction</i>, the complaint was
+brought before the grand jury of Norfolk. Bills were found, against the
+owner of the hogs, and the city of Boston. My learned and amiable friend,
+the late John Pickering, then the City Solicitor, defended them both, with
+great ability; and the present Judge Merrick, then County Attorney,
+opposed the whole swinish concern, with the spirit of an Israelite, and
+the power of a Rabbi. The owner of the hogs and the city of Boston were
+both duly convicted, and,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> entering into a written obligation to sin no
+more, in this wise, the indictment was held over them, for a reasonable
+period, until they had given satisfactory evidence of their sincerity.</p>
+
+<p>In the testimony of Dr. George Cheyne Shattuck, which was published, at
+the time, after sustaining the prosecutors amply, in their allegation, in
+respect to the deleterious effect of the nuisance, he remarks&mdash;&#8220;<i>The
+Creator has established, in the sense of smelling, a sentinel, to descry
+distant danger of life. The alarm, sounded through this organ, seldom
+passes unheeded, with impunity.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Dr. John C. Warren and sixteen other respectable physicians concurred in
+this opinion.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>How long&mdash;oh Lord&mdash;how long will thy peculiar people disregard the simple,
+unmistakable teachings of common sense, and the admonitions of their own,
+proper noses, and bury the dead, in the very midst of the living!&mdash;Above
+all, how long will they continue to perpetrate that hideous folly of
+burying the dead, in tombs! What a childish effort, to keep the worm at
+bay&mdash;to stave off corruption, yet a little while&mdash;to procrastinate the
+payment of nature&#8217;s debt, at maturity&mdash;<span class="smcaplc">DUST THOU ART AND UNTO DUST THOU
+SHALT RETURN!</span>&mdash;For what? That the poor, senseless tabernacle may have a
+few more months or years, to rot in&mdash;that friends and relatives may, from
+time to time, be enabled, upon every re-opening of the tomb, to gratify
+their morbid curiosity, and see how the worms are getting on&mdash;that,
+whenever the tomb is unbarred, for another and another tenant, as it may
+often happen, at the time, when corruption is doing its utmost&mdash;its
+rankest work&mdash;the foul quintessence&mdash;the reeking, deleterious gases may
+rush back upon the living world; and, blending with ten thousand kindred
+stenches, in a densely peopled city, promote the mighty work of pestilence
+and death.</p>
+
+<p>Who does not sympathize with Cowper!</p>
+
+<p class="poem">Oh for a lodge, in some vast wilderness,<br />
+Some boundless contiguity of shade,<br />
+Where the atrocious smells of docks, and sewers,<br />
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span>Eruptive gas, and rank distillery<br />
+May never reach me more. My lungs are pain&#8217;d,<br />
+My nose is sick, with this eternal stench<br />
+Of corpse and carrion, with which earth is fill&#8217;d.</p>
+
+<p>I am not unmindful, that, in a former number of these Dealings with the
+Dead, I have passed over these burial-grounds, and partially exhibited the
+interior of these tombs already. But there really seems to be a great
+awakening, upon this subject, at the present moment, at home and abroad;
+and I rejoice, that it is so.</p>
+
+<p>I am aware, that, within the bounds of old, peninsular Boston, no
+inhumations&mdash;<i>burials in graves</i>&mdash;are permitted. This is well.&mdash;<i>Burials
+in tombs</i> are still allowed.&mdash;Why? This mode of burial is much more
+offensive. In <i>grave burial</i>, the gases percolate gradually; and a
+considerable portion may be reasonably supposed to be neutralized, <i>in
+transitu</i>. This is unquestionably the case, unless the grave is kept open,
+or opened, six times, or more, on the speculation principle, for the
+reception of new customers. In <i>tomb burial</i>, it is otherwise. The tomb is
+opened for new comers, and sometimes, most inopportunely, and the horrible
+smell fills the atmosphere, and compels the neighboring inhabitants, to
+close their windows and doors.</p>
+
+<p>As, with some persons, this may seem to require authentication, without
+leading the reader to every offensive graveyard in this city, I will take
+a single, and a sufficient example&mdash;I will take the oldest graveyard in
+the Commonwealth, and the most central, in the city of Boston. I refer to
+Isaac Johnson&#8217;s lot, where, in 1630, his bones were laid&mdash;the Chapel
+burying-ground. The Savings Bank building bounds upon that cemetery. The
+rooms of the Massachusetts Historical Society are over the Bank.</p>
+
+<p>The stench, produced, by burials in the tombs, in that yard, during the
+summer of 1849, has compelled the Librarian to close his windows. <i>Tomb
+burial</i>, in this yard, has not been limited to deceased proprietors, and
+their relatives; it has, in some instances, been a matter of traffic. I
+have been struck with the present arrangement of the gravestones, in this
+yard. Some ingenious person has removed them all, from their original
+positions, and actually planted them, &#8220;<i>all of a row</i>,&#8221; like the four and
+twenty fiddlers&mdash;or rather, in four straight rows, near the four sides of
+the graveyard. This is a queerer metamorphosis, than any I ever read of.
+Ovid has nothing to compare with it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> There they are, every one, with its
+&#8220;<i>Here lies</i>,&#8221; &amp;c., compelled to stand forever, a monument of falsehood.</p>
+
+<p>Of all the pranks, ever perpetrated in a graveyard, this, surely, is the
+most amusing. In defiance of the <i>lex loci</i>, which rightfully enjoins
+solemnity of demeanor, in such a place&mdash;and of all my reverence for Isaac
+Johnson, and those illustrious men, who slumber there, I was actually
+seized with a fit of uncontrollable laughter; and came to the conclusion,
+that this sacrilegious transposition must have been the work of Punch, or
+Puck, or some Lord of misrule. As I proceeded to read the inscriptions, my
+merriment increased, for the gravestones seemed to be conferring together,
+upon the subject of these extraordinary changes, which had befallen them;
+and repeating over to one another&mdash;&#8220;<i>As you are now, so once was I</i>.&#8221; As
+it happened, in the case of Major Pitcairn, should any person desire to
+remove the ashes of his ancestor, these misplaced gravestones would surely
+lead to the awakening of the wrong passenger; and some venerable old lady,
+who died in her bed, may be transported to England, and buried under arms,
+for a major of infantry, who died in battle.</p>
+
+<p>Why continue to bury in tombs? <i>Surely the sufferance on the part of the
+City Government, does not arise, from a respect for vested rights!!!</i> If
+the City Government has power to close the offensive cellars in Broad
+Street, and elsewhere, being private property, because they are accounted
+injurious to public health, why may they not close the tombs, being
+private property, for the very same reason? Considerations of public
+health are paramount. When, upon an application from a number of the
+liquor-sellers, wholesale and retail, in this city, Chancellor Kent gave
+his opinion, adverse to their hearts&#8217; desire, that the license laws were
+<i>constitutional</i>, he alluded, analogically, to the power of the
+Commonwealth, to pass sanatory laws. If the municipal power were deemed
+inadequate, legislation would give all the power required. For it would,
+indeed, be monstrous, having settled the fact, that the public health
+suffered, from burial in tombs, to suppose it a remediless evil.</p>
+
+<p>The slaughter-houses and tanneries, which once existed, in Kilby Street
+and Dock Square, would not be tolerated now. Originally, they were not
+nuisances. Population gathered around them&mdash;their precedency availed them
+nothing&mdash;they became nuisances, by the force of circumstances. The tombs,
+in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> churchyard, were not nuisances, when population was sparse&mdash;though
+they are so now. But the fact I have stated will increase the evil, from
+day to day: there can be no more burials, in graves, within the city
+proper&mdash;people will die&mdash;and, as we have not the taste nor courage to
+burn&mdash;they must be buried&mdash;where? In the tombs&mdash;which, as I have stated,
+is the most offensive and mischievous mode of burial. I have already
+alluded to some instances of traffic, connected with certain tombs, in the
+Chapel yard. If some plan be not adopted, a new line of business will
+spring up, in which the members of my profession will figure, to some
+extent: many of the present owners of tombs will sell out, and move their
+dead to Mount Auburn, or Forest Hills; and the city tombs will be crammed
+with as many corpses, as they can hold, by their speculating proprietors.
+Rather than this, it would have been better to continue the old mode of
+earth burial. The remedy is plain&mdash;the fields are before you&mdash;<i>carry out</i>
+&#8220;your dead!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>A famous preacher of eternal torment, and who always, in addition to the
+sulphurous complexion of his discourses throughout, devoted three or four
+pages, at the close, exclusively to brimstone and fire; is said, upon a
+special occasion, to have produced a prodigious effect, upon the more
+devoted of his intensely agitated flock, by causing the sexton, when he
+heard the preacher scream <span class="smcaplc">BRIMSTONE</span>, at the top of his lungs, to throw two
+or three rolls, into the furnace below, whose fumes speedily ascended into
+the church.</p>
+
+<p>This anecdote came instantly to my recollection, some twenty years ago,
+one Sabbath morning, while attending the services in St. Paul&#8217;s church, in
+this city. The rector was absent, and a very worthy clergyman supplied his
+place. In the course of his sermon, he repeated, in a very solemn tone,
+pointing downward with his finger, in the direction of the tombs below,
+those memorable words of Job&mdash;<i>If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have
+made my bed in darkness. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to
+the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister.</i> Almost immediately&mdash;the
+coincidence was wonderful&mdash;I was oppressed by a most offensive stench,
+which certainly seemed to be <i>germain</i> to the subject. It became more and
+more powerful. It seemed to me, and I call myself a pretty good judge, to
+be posthumous, decidedly. I certainly believed it proceeded from the
+charnel house below. My eyes turned right and left, to see<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> how my
+neighbors were impressed. The females bowed their heads, and used their
+handkerchiefs&mdash;the males were evidently aware of it; but, with a slight
+compression of their noses, kept their eyes fixed upon the preacher. Two
+medical gentlemen, then present, and yet living, pronounced it to be <i>the
+worm and corruption</i>, and connected it with the burial of a particular
+individual, not long before.</p>
+
+<p>The case was carefully investigated, by the wardens and others; who were
+perfectly satisfied, that this horrible effluvium was, very probably,
+produced, by the burning of a heretic, in the form of a church mouse, that
+had taken up his quarters, in the pipe or flue, and was thus converted
+into an unsavory <i>pastille</i>.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Draco, I think, would have been perfectly satisfied with some portions of
+the primitive, colonial and town legislation of Massachusetts. Hutchinson,
+i. 436, quotes the following decree&mdash;&#8220;Captain Stone, for abusing Mr.
+Ludlow, and calling him <i>Justass</i>, is fined an hundred pounds, and
+prohibited coming within the patent, without the Governor&#8217;s leave, upon
+pain of death.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Hazard, Hist. Coll. i. 630, has preserved a law against the Quakers,
+published in Boston, by beat of drum. It bears date Oct. 14th, 1656. The
+preamble is couched, in rather strong language&mdash;&#8220;Whereas there is a cursed
+sect of heretics lately risen up in the world, which are commonly called
+Quakers, who take upon them to be immediately sent of God,&#8221; &amp;c. The
+statute inflicts a fine of &pound;100 upon any person, who brings one of them
+into any harbor, creek, or cove, compels him to carry such Quaker
+away&mdash;the Quaker to be put in the house of correction, and severely
+whipped; no person to speak to him. &pound;5 penalty, for importing, dispersing,
+or concealing any book, containing their &#8220;devilish opinions;&#8221; 40 shillings
+for maintaining such opinions. &pound;4 for persisting. House of correction and
+banishment, for still persisting.</p>
+
+<p>The poor Quakers gave our intolerant ancestors complete vexation. Hazard,
+ii. 589, gives an extract from a law, for the special punishment of two of
+these unhappy people, Peter Pierson<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> and Judah Brown&mdash;&#8220;That they shall, by
+the constable of Boston, be forthwith taken out of the prison, and
+stripped from the girdle upwards, by the executioner, tied to the cart&#8217;s
+tail, and whipped through the town, with twenty stripes; and then carried
+to Roxbury, and delivered to the constable there, who is also to tie them,
+or cause them to be tied, in like manner, to the cart&#8217;s tail, and again
+whip them through the town with ten stripes; and then carried to Dedham,
+and delivered to the constable there, who is again, in like manner, to
+cause them to be tied to the cart&#8217;s tail, and whipped, with ten stripes,
+through the town, and thence they are immediately to depart the
+jurisdiction, at their peril.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The legislative designation of the Quakers was <i>Quaker rogues, heretics,
+accursed rantors, and vagabonds</i>.</p>
+
+<p>In 1657, according to Hutchinson, i. 197, &#8220;an additional law was made, by
+which all persons were subjected to the penalty of 40 shillings, for every
+hour&#8217;s entertainment, given to a known Quaker, and every Quaker, after the
+first conviction, if a man, was to lose an ear, and a second time the
+other; a woman, each time, to be severely whipped; and the third time, man
+or woman, to have their tongues bored through, with a red-hot iron.&#8221; In
+1658, 10 shillings fine were levied, on every person, present at a Quaker
+meeting, and &pound;5 for speaking at such meeting. In October of that year, the
+punishment of death was decreed against all Quakers, returning into the
+Colony, after banishment. Bishop, in his &#8220;New England Judged,&#8221; says, that
+the ears of Holden, Copeland, and Rous, three Quakers, were cut off in
+prison. June 1, 1660, Mary Dyer was hanged for returning, after
+banishment. Seven persons were fined, some of them &pound;10 apiece, for
+harboring, and Edward Wharton whipped, twenty stripes, for piloting the
+Quakers. Several persons were brought to trial&mdash;&#8220;for adhering to the
+cursed sect of Quakers, not disowning themselves to be such, refusing to
+give civil respect, leaving their families and relations, and running from
+place to place, vagabond-like.&#8221; Daniel Gold and Robert Harper were
+sentenced to be whipped, and, with Alice Courland, Mary Scott, and Hope
+Clifford, banished, under pain of death. William Kingsmill, Margaret
+Smith, Mary Trask, and Provided Southwick were sentenced to be whipped,
+and Hannah Phelps admonished.</p>
+
+<p>Sundry others were whipped and banished, that year. John<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> Chamberlain came
+to trial, with his hat on, and refused to answer. The verdict of the jury,
+as recorded, was&mdash;&#8220;<i>much inclining to the cursed opinions of the
+Quakers</i>.&#8221; Wendlock Christopherson was sentenced to death, but suffered to
+fly the jurisdiction. March 14, 1660.&mdash;William Ledea, &#8220;<i>a cursed Quaker</i>,&#8221;
+was hanged. Some of these Quakers, I apprehend, were determined to exhibit
+the naked truth to our Puritan fathers. &#8220;Deborah Wilson,&#8221; says Hutchinson,
+i. 204, &#8220;went through the streets of Salem, naked as she came into the
+world, for which she was well whipped.&#8221; At length, Sept. 9, 1661, an order
+came from the King, prohibiting the capital, and even corporal, punishment
+of the Quakers.</p>
+
+<p>Oct. 13, 1657.&mdash;Benedict Arnold, William Baulston, Randall Howldon, Arthur
+Fenner, and William Feild, the Government of Rhode Island, addressed a
+letter, on the subject of this persecution, to the General Court of
+Massachusetts, in reply to one, received from them. This letter is highly
+creditable to the good sense and discretion of the writers&mdash;&#8220;And as
+concerning these Quakers, (so called)&#8221; say they, &#8220;which are now among us,
+we have no law, whereby to punish any, for only declaring by words, &amp;c.,
+their mindes and understandings concerning the things and ways of God, as
+to salvation and an eternal condition. And we moreover finde that in those
+places, where these people aforesaid, in this Coloney, are most of all
+suffered to declare themselves freely, and are only opposed by arguments
+in discourse, there they least of all desire to come; and we are informed
+they begin to loath this place, for that they are not opposed by the civil
+authority, but with all patience and meekness are suffered to say over
+their pretended revelations and admonitions, nor are they like or able to
+gain many here to their way; and surely we find that they delight to be
+persecuted by the civil powers, and when they are soe, they are like to
+gaine more adherents by the conseyte of their patient sufferings than by
+consent to their pernicious sayings.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>One is taken rather by surprise, upon meeting with such a sample of
+admirable common sense, in an adjoining Colony, and on such a subject, at
+that early day&mdash;so opposite withal to those principles of action, which
+prevailed in Massachusetts.</p>
+
+<p>The laws of the Colony, enacted from year to year, were first collected
+together, and ratified by the General Court, in 1648. Hutchinson, i. 437,
+says, &#8220;Mr. Bellingham of the magistrates,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> and Mr. Cotton of the clergy,
+had the greatest share in this work.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This code was framed, by Bellingham and Cotton, with a particular regard
+to Moses and the tables, and a singular piece of mosaic it was. &#8220;Murder,
+sodomy, witchcraft, arson, and <i>rape of a child</i>, under ten years of age,&#8221;
+says Hutchinson, i. 440, &#8220;were the only crimes made capital in the Colony,
+which were capital in England.&#8221; Rape, in the general sense, not being a
+capital offence, by the Jewish law, was not made a capital offence, in the
+Colony, for many years. High treason is not even named. The worship of
+false gods was punished with death, with an exception, in favor of the
+Indians, who were fined &pound;5 a piece, for powowing.</p>
+
+<p>Blasphemy and reproaching religion were capital offences. Adultery with a
+married woman, whether the man were married or single, was punished with
+the death of both parties; but, if the woman were single, whether the man
+were married or single, it was not a capital offence, in either.
+Man-stealing was a capital offence. So was wilful perjury, with intent to
+take away another&#8217;s life. Cursing or smiting a parent, by a child over
+sixteen years of age, unless in self-defence, or provoked by cruelty, or
+having been &#8220;unchristianly neglected in its education,&#8221; was a capital
+offence. A stubborn, rebellious son was punished with death. There was a
+conviction under this law; &#8220;but the offender,&#8221; says Hutchinson, ibid. 442,
+&#8220;was rescued from the gallows, by the King&#8217;s commissioners, in 1665.&#8221; The
+return of a &#8220;cursed Quaker,&#8221; or a Romish priest, after banishment, and the
+denial of either of the books, of the Old or New Testament, were punished
+with banishment or death, at the discretion of the court. The jurisdiction
+of the Colony was extended, by the code of Parson Cotton and Mr.
+Bellingham, over the ocean; for they decreed the same punishment, for the
+last-named offence, when committed upon the high seas, and the General
+Court ratified this law. Burglary, and theft, in a house, or in the
+fields, on the Lord&#8217;s day, were, upon a third conviction, made capital
+crimes. The distinction, between grand and petty larceny, which was
+recognized in England, till 1827, 7th and 8th Geo. IV., ch. 29, was
+abolished, by the code of Cotton and Bellingham, in 1648; and theft,
+without limitation of value, was made punishable, by fine or whipping, and
+restitution of treble value. In some cases, only double. Thus, ibid. 436,
+we have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> the following entry&mdash;&#8220;Josias Plaistowe, for stealing four baskets
+of corn from the Indians, is ordered to return them eight baskets, to be
+fined five pounds, and hereafter to be called by the name of Josias, and
+not Mr., as formerly he used to be.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This lenity, in regard to larceny, Mr. Cotton seems to have been willing
+to counterbalance, by a terrible severity, on some other occasions.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Hutchinson, ibid. 442, states, that he has seen the first draught of
+this code, in the hand-writing of Mr. Cotton, in which there are named six
+offences, made punishable with death, all which are altered, in the hand
+of Gov. Winthrop, and the death penalty stricken out. The six offences
+were&mdash;&#8220;Prophaning the Lord&#8217;s day, in a careless or scornful neglect or
+contempt thereof&mdash;Reviling the magistrates in the highest rank, viz., the
+Governor and Council&mdash;Defiling a woman espoused&mdash;Incest within the
+Levitical degrees&mdash;The pollution, mentioned in Leviticus xx. 13 to
+16&mdash;Lying with a maid in her father&#8217;s house, and keeping secret, till she
+is married to another.&#8221; Mr. Cotton would have punished all these offences
+with death.</p>
+
+<p>On the subject of divorce, the code of 1648 differed from that of the
+present day, <i>with us</i>, essentially. Adultery in the wife was held to be
+sufficient cause, for divorce <i>a vinculo</i>: &#8220;but male adultery,&#8221; says
+Hutchinson, i. 445, &#8220;after some debate and consultation with the elders,
+was judged not sufficient.&#8221; The principle, which directed their decision,
+was, doubtless, the same, referred to and recognized, by Lord Chancellor
+Eldon, in the House of Lords, in 1801, as reported by Mr. Twiss, in his
+Memoirs, vol. i. p. 383.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>If the materials, of which history and biography are made&mdash;the sources of
+information&mdash;were accessible to every reader, and the patience and ability
+were his, to examine for himself, there is, probably, no historian nor
+biographer, in whose accuracy and impartiality, his confidence would not
+be occasionally weakened. The statement or assertion, the authority for
+which lies scattered, among the pages of fifty different writers,
+perhaps,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> and which the historian has compressed within ten short lines,
+would, now and then, be found tinctured, and its true complexion
+materially altered, by the religious or political coloring of the writer&#8217;s
+mind.</p>
+
+<p>The entire history of one or more ages has been written, to support a
+particular code of religious or political tenets. The prejudices of an
+annalist have, occasionally, from long indulgence, become so habitual,
+that his offences, in this wise, become almost involuntary.</p>
+
+<p>It is very probable, that the devoted followers&mdash;the wholesale
+admirers&mdash;of William Penn, who have presented their conceptions of his
+character, and their constructions of his conduct, to the world, from time
+to time, have been led into some little excesses, by the force of habitual
+idolatry. On the other hand, few readers, I believe, have failed to be
+surprised, by some of the statements and opinions, in regard to Penn,
+which are presented, on the pages of Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s History of England.</p>
+
+<p>In my last number, I alluded to the persecution of the Quakers in
+Massachusetts. It is my purpose, to say something more of these &#8220;<i>cursed</i>&#8221;
+Quakers, and, particularly, of William Penn. My remarks may extend over
+several consecutive numbers of these Dealings with the Dead; and, I
+flatter myself, that, from the nature of the subject, they will not be
+wholly uninteresting to the reader.</p>
+
+<p>I have always cherished a feeling of regard and respect, for these
+&#8220;cursed&#8221; Quakers, originating in early impressions, and increased, by some
+personal intercourse, with certain members of the Society of Friends.</p>
+
+<p>It appears, by the Salem Records, that John Kitchen was fined thirty
+pence, for &#8220;unworthy and malignant carriages and speeches, in open court,
+Sept. 25, 1662.&#8221; I was very much chagrined, when I first glanced at this
+record; for he was my great, great, great-grandfather, by the mother&#8217;s
+side; and grandfather of the Hon. Col. John Turner, of Salem, who
+commanded, at the battle of Haverhill. Great was my satisfaction, when I
+discovered, that John Kitchen&#8217;s offence was neither more nor less, than an
+absolute refusal to take off his hat, in presence of the magistrate. For
+the luxury of keeping it on, and absenting themselves from the ordinances,
+he appears to have paid &pound;40 stirling, in fines, for himself and Elizabeth,
+his wife. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> &#8220;<i>cursed</i>&#8221; Quakers appear to have had a hard time of it,
+about the middle of the seventeenth century. Felt tells us, in his Annals,
+p. 204, that Robinson and Stevenson were hung in 1659, for returning from
+banishment; and, on p. 206, that Mary Dyer, of the Friends, was hung, June
+1, 1660.</p>
+
+<p>The deposition of John Ward and Thomas Mekens, is still of record, taken
+in that very month and year, showing that they saw Mrs. Kitchen pulled off
+her horse, and heard one Batter tell her, she was &#8220;<i>a base, quaking
+slut</i>,&#8221; and had been &#8220;<i>a powowing</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Now, John Kitchen was a good Quaker, doubtless, so far as regarded the
+essential qualification of obstinately wearing his hat, and refusing to
+take an oath. But he was made of flesh and blood, like all other Quakers;
+and this outrage, in pulling my gr. gr. gr. grandmother down from her
+horse, was more than flesh and blood could bear. A copy of the deposition
+of Giles Corey is now before me, showing, that John, upon other occasions,
+was not so pacific, as he might have been&mdash;and that, upon one occasion,
+&#8220;<i>he struck up Mr. Edward Norris his heels</i>&#8221;&mdash;and, upon another, he beat
+Giles Corey himself, &#8220;<i>till he was all blody</i>.&#8221; He seems to have been
+moved, by the spirit, to thrash them both. I take this Giles Corey to be
+the man, or the father of the man, who, as Felt says, p. 308, was pressed
+to death, in Salem, for standing mute, during the witch mania, September
+19, 1692.</p>
+
+<p>William Penn was, for many years, engaged in controversy, chiefly in
+defence of the peculiar, religious opinions of the Quakers. Wood, in his
+Athen&aelig; Oxonienses, iv. p. 647, Lond. 1820, gives the titles of fifty-two
+tracts and pamphlets, published by Penn, between 1668 and 1690. In the
+heat of controversy, his character was rudely assailed, and his conduct
+grossly misrepresented. The familiar relation, subsisting between him and
+James II., gave color, with some persons, to the report, that Penn, at
+heart, was a Papist and a Jesuit. These groundless imputations have, long
+ago, been swallowed up, in their own absurdity. So strong, however, was
+the hold, which these ridiculous fancies had taken of the public mind,
+that, after the revolution of 1688, he was examined before the Council,
+and obliged to give bond, for his appearance, from time to time; till, at
+last, he obtained a hearing before King William, and effectually
+established his innocence.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span>Among the few men, of elevated standing, who gave, or pretended to give
+credit to the rumor, that Penn was a Papist, Burnet appears in the
+foremost rank. He, who could speak of Prior, as &#8220;<i>one Prior</i>,&#8221; might be
+expected to speak of William Penn, as &#8220;<i>Penn the Quaker</i>.&#8221; The appearance
+of Penn, at the Court of the Prince of Orange, could, on no account, have
+been agreeable to a Bishop, and, least of all Bishops, to Burnet; who saw,
+in the new comer, the confidential agent of his bitterest enemy, King
+James the Second; and who might, on other scores, have been jealous of the
+influence, even of &#8220;<i>Penn the Quaker</i>.&#8221; Burnet&#8217;s words are these, vol. ii.
+p. 318, Lond., 1818&mdash;&#8220;Many suspected that he was a concealed Papist; it is
+certain he was much with father Peter, and was particularly trusted by the
+Earl of Sunderland.&#8221; On the preceding page Burnet thus describes the
+Quaker&mdash;&#8220;He was a talking vain man, who had been long in the King&#8217;s favor,
+he being the Vice Admiral&#8217;s son. He had such an opinion of his own faculty
+of persuading, that he thought none could stand before it; though he was
+singular in that opinion; for he had a tedious, luscious way, that was not
+apt to overcome a man&#8217;s reason, though it might tire his patience.&#8221; It is
+impossible not to perceive, in this description, some touches, which,
+historians have told us, were singularly applicable to Burnet himself.</p>
+
+<p>William, who perfectly comprehended the character of Halifax and Burnet,
+perceived the propriety of keeping them apart, when the former came to
+Hungerford, as a commissioner from the King, Dec. 8, 1688. How far I judge
+rightly, in applying a part of Burnet&#8217;s description of Penn, to Burnet
+himself, may appear, in the following passage from Macaulay, vol. ii. p.
+538: &#8220;Almost all those, who were admitted to his (William&#8217;s) confidence,
+were men, taciturn and impenetrable as himself. Burnet was the only
+exception. He was notoriously garrulous and indiscreet. Yet circumstances
+had made it necessary to trust him; and he would, doubtless, under the
+dexterous management of Halifax, have poured put secrets, as fast as
+words. William knew this well; and, when he was informed, that Halifax was
+asking for the Doctor, could not refrain from exclaiming, &#8216;<i>If they get
+together, there will be fine tattling</i>.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Macaulay remarks, that&mdash;&#8220;<i>To speak the whole truth, concerning Penn,
+is a task, which requires some courage</i>.&#8221; He then, vol. i. page 505,
+delivers himself as follows&mdash;&#8220;The <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span>integrity of Penn had stood firm
+against obloquy and persecution. But now, attacked by royal wiles, by
+female blandishments, by the insinuating eloquence and delicate flattery
+of veteran diplomatists and courtiers, his resolution began to give way.
+Titles and phrases, against which he had often borne his testimony,
+dropped occasionally from his lips and his pen. It would be well, if he
+had been guilty of nothing worse than such compliances with the fashions
+of the world. Unhappily it cannot be concealed, that he bore a chief part
+in some transactions, condemned, not merely by the rigid code of the
+society, to which he belonged, but by the general sense of all honest men.
+He afterwards solemnly protested that his hands were pure from illicit
+gain, and that he had never received any gratuity from those, whom he had
+obliged, though he might easily, while his interest at court lasted, have
+made a hundred and twenty thousand pounds. To this assertion full credit
+is due. But bribes may be offered to vanity, as well as to cupidity; and
+it is impossible to deny that Penn was cajoled into bearing a part, in
+some unjustifiable transactions of which others enjoyed the profits.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This passage will tend, in the ratio of Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s influence, to
+disturb the popular opinion of William Penn. It is very carefully written,
+and will not always be so carefully read. It is, perhaps, unfortunate for
+Penn, that Mr. Macaulay felt obliged, in pursuing the course of his
+history, to postpone the presentation of the facts, upon which his
+opinions rest, until they arise, in their chronological order. Thus the
+impression, instead of being removed, qualified, or confirmed, by instant
+examination, is suffered to become imbedded in the mind. Having carefully
+collated this passage, with every other passage, relative to Penn, in Mr.
+Macaulay&#8217;s work, I must confess, that the exceedingly painful impression,
+produced by the paragraph, presented above, has been materially relieved,
+by a careful consideration of all the evidence, subsequently offered, by
+Mr. Macaulay himself, and by the testimony of other writers. Perhaps the
+reader will consent to go along with me, in the examination of this
+question.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXIV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s second mention of William Penn may be found, vol. i. page
+650. A number of young girls, acting under the direction of their
+school-mistress, had walked in procession, and presented a standard to
+Monmouth, at Taunton, in 1635. Some of them had expiated their offence
+already. That hell-hound of a judge, Jeffreys, had literally frightened
+one of them to death. It was determined, under menace of the gibbet, to
+extort a ransom from the parents of <i>all</i> these innocent girls. Who does
+not apply those lines of Shakspeare to this infernal judge!</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;Did you say all? What, all? Oh, hell-kite, all?<br />
+What, all my pretty chickens and their dam,<br />
+At one fell swoop?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The Queen&#8217;s maids of honor,&#8221; says Mr. Macaulay, &#8220;asked the royal
+permission, to wring money out of the parents of the poor children; and
+the permission was granted.&#8221; They demanded &pound;7000, and applied to Sir
+Francis Warre, to exact the ransom. &#8220;He was charged to declare, in strong
+language, that the maids of honor would not endure delay,&#8221; &amp;c.</p>
+
+<p>Warre excused himself. Mr. Macaulay proceeds as follows: &#8220;The maids of
+honor then requested William Penn to act for them, and Penn accepted the
+commission. Yet it should seem that a little of the pertinacious
+scrupulosity, which he had often shown, about taking off his hat, would
+not have been altogether out of place on this occasion. He probably
+silenced the remonstrances of his conscience, by repeating to himself,
+that none of the money, which he extorted, would go into his own pocket;
+that, if he refused to be the agent of the ladies, they would find agents
+less humane; that by complying he should increase his influence at the
+court; and that his influence at the court had already enabled him, and
+might still enable him to render greater services to his oppressed
+brethren. The maids of honor were at last forced to content themselves
+with less than a third part of what they had demanded.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Now it seems to me, that no clear-headed, whole-hearted, <i>impartial</i>
+reader will draw the inference, from this passage, which Mr. Macaulay
+would manifestly have him draw. Penn well understood the resolute
+brutality of Jeffreys, the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span>never-dying obstinacy and vindictive
+malevolence of James, and the heartless greediness of these maids of
+honor. He knew, as Mr. Macaulay says, that &#8220;<i>if he refused to be the agent
+of the ladies they would find agents less humane</i>.&#8221; There was no secrecy
+here&mdash;this thing was not done in a corner. Mr. Macaulay says, &#8220;they
+<i>charged</i> Sir Francis Warre,&#8221; &amp;c.: and after he refused, they &#8220;<i>requested</i>
+William Penn,&#8221; &amp;c. Penn acted as a peacemaker. He stood between these she
+wolves&mdash;these shameless maids of honor&mdash;and the Taunton lambs; and,
+instead of &pound;7000, he persuaded those vampyres, who, under the royal grant,
+had full power in their hands to do their wicked will&mdash;to receive less
+than &pound;2300. Mr. Macaulay admits, that Penn received not a farthing; and,
+that, had he refused, matters might have been worse for the oppressed.</p>
+
+<p>The known character of Penn demands of us the presumption, in his favor,
+that he entered upon this business conscientiously, and not as an
+<i>extortioner</i>&mdash;and that he made, as the result leads us to believe he did,
+the very best terms for the parents. Wherein was ever the sin or the shame
+of negotiating, between the buccaneers of the Tortugas, and the parents of
+captive children, for their ransom? Does not Mr. Macaulay present the
+reign of James II. before us, as blotted all over, with official piracy
+and judicial murder? If the adjustment of this odious business increased
+the influence of Penn, at court, and thereby enabled him to &#8220;<i>render great
+services to his oppressed brethren</i>&#8221;&mdash;these were the natural consequences
+of the act; without them, there was enough of just and honorable motive,
+for a mediator, to step between the oppressor and the oppressed, and
+lessen, as much as possible, the weight of the oppression.</p>
+
+<p>If the conduct of William Penn, upon this occasion, was the humane and
+Christian thing, which it certainly appears to have been, &#8220;<i>the
+pertinacious scrupulosity, which he had often shown, about taking off his
+hat</i>&#8221; would have been wholly out of place. And if so, what justification
+can be found for Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s expressions&mdash;&#8220;<i>the remonstrances of his
+conscience</i>,&#8221; and &#8220;<i>the money, which he extorted</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It is proverbially hard, for an old dog to learn new tricks. He, to whose
+hand the hatchet is familiar, when he substitutes the rapier, will still
+hack and hew with it, as though it were a hatchet. It may well be doubted,
+if an impartial history,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> especially those parts of it, wherein the writer
+deals with character and motive, can ever be trustworthily and impartially
+written, by a veteran, professional reviewer, of the tomahawk school,
+however splendid his talents may be.</p>
+
+<p>Upon this occasion, Penn, doubtless, persuaded the maids of honor to
+moderate their demands; at the same time, representing to the parents the
+uncompromising character of those, with whom they had to deal, and the
+unavoidable necessity of making terms. It is impossible to judge of the
+transaction aright, without taking into view the character of those dark
+days of tyranny and misrule, and the little security, then enjoyed by the
+subject.</p>
+
+<p>On page 659, ibid., Mr. Macaulay, once more, introduces Penn to his
+readers&mdash;&#8220;William Penn, for whom exhibitions, which humane men generally
+avoid, seem to have had a strong attraction, hastened from Cheapside,
+where he had seen Cornish hanged, to Tyburn, in order to see Elizabeth
+Gaunt burned. He afterwards related that, when she calmly disposed the
+straw about her, in such a manner, as to shorten her sufferings, all the
+bystanders burst into tears.&#8221; Here is another attempt to lower the Quaker,
+in public estimation.</p>
+
+<p>That Penn ever, from the cradle to the grave, gazed, unsympathizingly,
+upon human suffering, nobody, but a madman, will credit, for a moment. Nor
+would Mr. Macaulay, notwithstanding the rather peculiar construction of
+the paragraph, venture <i>directly</i> so to represent him. It has been my
+fortune to know several men, of kind and warm affections, who have
+confessed, without reserve, a strong desire to witness the execution of
+criminals. Cornish and Gaunt were executed on the same day, and their fate
+excited universal attention. Penn&#8217;s account of the last moments of both
+was very minute; and shows him to have been a deeply interested observer.
+I am not aware, that he ever attended any other execution. And if he did
+not, the remark of Mr. Macaulay, which is <i>general</i>, can never be
+justified, in relation to Penn; though it would fairly apply to the
+celebrated George Selwyn, who, though remarkable for the keenness of his
+sensibility, and the kindness of his heart, was in the habit of attending
+every execution in London; and who, upon one remarkable occasion of this
+kind, actually embarked for the Continent.</p>
+
+<p>Why could not Mr. Macaulay, who often refers to Clarkson,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> have adopted
+some of his charitable and gentlemanly constructions of Penn&#8217;s conduct,
+upon this occasion? Clarkson says&mdash;&#8220;Men of the most noted benevolence have
+felt and indulged a curiosity of this sort. They have been worked upon, by
+different motives; some, perhaps, by a desire of seeing what human nature
+would be, at such an awful crisis; what would be its struggles; what would
+be the effects of innocence or guilt; what would be the power of religion
+on the mind.&#8221; * * * * &#8220;I should say that he consented to witness the
+scenes in question, with a view to do good; with a view of being able to
+make an impression on the King&#8217;s mind, by his own relation,&#8221; &amp;c.</p>
+
+<p>In vol. ii. page 222, 1687, Mr. Macaulay says&mdash;&#8220;Penn had never been a
+strong-headed man: the life which he had been leading, during two years,
+had not a little impaired his moral sensibility; and, if his conscience
+ever reproached him, he comforted himself by repeating, that he had a good
+and noble end in view, and that he was not paid for his services in
+money.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Again, ibid., page 227, referring to the effort of the King, to propitiate
+William Kiffen, a great man, among the Baptists, no phraseology would suit
+Mr. Macaulay, but this&mdash;&#8220;<i>Penn was employed in the work of seduction</i>.&#8221;
+What <i>seduction</i>? Indeed, whenever a good chance presents itself to reach
+the Quaker, anywhere and anyhow, through the joints of the harness, the
+phylactery of Mr. Macaulay seems to have been&mdash;<i>semper paratus</i>.</p>
+
+<p>It was enough, that Penn was, in some sense, the confidant, and,
+occasionally, the <i>unconstrained and perfectly conscientious</i> agent of
+this most miserable King.</p>
+
+<p>That posterity will sanction these politico-historical flings, at the
+character of William Penn, I cannot believe.</p>
+
+<p>Tillotson knew him well. He had once expressed a suspicion that Penn was a
+Papist. A correspondence ensued. &#8220;In conclusion,&#8221; says Chalmers,
+&#8220;Tillotson declared himself fully satisfied, and, as in that case he had
+promised, he heartily begs pardon of Penn.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Chalmers himself, who had no sympathy with the &#8220;<i>cursed Quakers</i>,&#8221; closes
+his account of Penn, as follows&mdash;&#8220;<i>It must be evident from his works, that
+he was a man of abilities; and from his conduct through life, that he was
+a man of the purest conscience. This, without acceding to his opinions in
+religion, we are perfectly willing to allow and to declare</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was a couple of unamiable, maiden ladies, who had cherished, for a
+long time, an unkindly feeling to the son of their married sister; and,
+whenever her temporary absence afforded a fitting opportunity, one of them
+would inquire of the other, if it was not <i>a good time to lick Billy</i>. Mr.
+Macaulay suffers no convenient occasion to pass, without exhibiting a
+practical illustration of this opinion, that it is <i>a good time to lick
+Billy</i>.</p>
+
+<p>In vol. ii. page 292, Mr. Macaulay says&mdash;&#8220;Penn was at Chester (in 1687,)
+on a pastoral tour. His popularity and authority among his brethren had
+greatly declined since he had become a tool of the King and the Jesuits.&#8221;
+In proof of this assertion Mr. Macaulay refers to a letter, from Bonrepaux
+to Seignelay, and to Gerard Croese&#8217;s Quaker History. Let us see, for
+ourselves, what Bonrepaux says&mdash;&#8220;Penn, chef des Quakers, qu&#8217;on sait &ecirc;tre
+dans les int&eacute;r&ecirc;ts du Roi d&#8217;Angleterre, est si fort d&eacute;cri&eacute; parmi ceux de
+son parti qu&#8217;ils n&#8217;ont plus aucune confiance en lui.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Now I ask, in the name of historical truth, if Mr. Macaulay is sustained
+in his assertion, by Bonrepaux? Is there a jot or tittle of evidence, in
+this reference, that Penn &#8220;<i>had become a tool of the King and of the
+Jesuits</i>;&#8221; or that Bonrepaux was himself of any such opinion?</p>
+
+<p>Let us next present the passage from Croese&mdash;&#8220;Etiam Quakeri Pennum non
+amplius, ut ante, ita amabant ac magnifaciebant, quidam aversabantur ac
+fugiebant.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>I ask, in reference to this quotation from Croese, the same question? No
+possible version of these passages into English will go farther, than to
+show, that the Quakers were dissatisfied with Penn, about that time: in
+neither is there the slightest reference to Penn, as &#8220;<i>a tool of the King
+and of the Jesuits</i>.&#8221; Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s passage is so constructed, that his
+citation of authorities goes, not only to the fact of Penn&#8217;s unpopularity,
+for a time, but to the cause of it, as assigned by Mr. Macaulay himself,
+namely, that Penn &#8220;<i>had become a tool of the King and of the Jesuits</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Now it is well known, that Penn, in 1687, was in bad odor with some of the
+Quakers. He was <i>suspected</i>, by some persons, of being a Jesuit&mdash;George
+Keith, the Quaker renegade,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> called him a deist&mdash;he was said by others to
+be a Papist. Even Tillotson had given countenance to this foolish story,
+which Penn&#8217;s intimacy with King James tended to corroborate. How far
+Tillotston believed Penn to be a <i>Papist</i>, or a <i>tool</i> of the King, or of
+the <i>Jesuits</i>, will appear, upon the perusal of a few lines from Tillotson
+to Penn, written in 1686, the year before that, of which Mr. Macaulay is
+writing&mdash;&#8220;I am very sorry that the suspicion I had entertained concerning
+you, of which I gave you the true account in my former letter, hath
+occasioned so much trouble and inconvenience to you: and I do now declare
+with great joy, that I am fully satisfied, that there was no just ground
+for that suspicion, and therefore do heartily beg your pardon for it.&#8221;
+Clarkson&#8217;s Memoirs, vol. i. chap. 22.</p>
+
+<p>If the authorities, cited, sustained the statement of Mr. Macaulay, their
+credibility would still form a serious question. In vol. ii. pages
+305-7-8, Mr. Macaulay refers to Bonrepaux&#8217;s &#8220;complicity with the Jesuits.&#8221;
+It would have been quite agreeable to that crafty emissary of Lewis, to
+have had it believed, that Penn was of their fraternity. As for Gerard
+Croese, Chalmers speaks of him and his history, with very little respect;
+and states, that it dissatisfied the Quakers. However this may have been,
+there is not a syllable in Gerard Croese&#8217;s Historia Quakeriana, giving
+color to Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s assertion, that Penn &#8220;<i>had become a tool of the
+King and of the Jesuits</i>.&#8221; On the contrary, Croese, as I shall show
+hereafter, speaks of Penn, with great respect, on several occasions.</p>
+
+<p>In the same paragraph, of which a part is quoted, at the commencement of
+this article, Mr. Macaulay, after stating, that, when the King and Penn
+met at Chester, in 1687, Penn preached, or, to use Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s word,
+<i>harangued</i>, in the tennis court, he says&mdash;&#8220;<i>It is said indeed, that his
+Majesty deigned to look into the tennis court, and to listen, with
+decency, to his friend&#8217;s melodious eloquence</i>.&#8221; What does Mr. Macaulay
+mean?&mdash;that the King did not laugh outright?&mdash;that he made some little
+exertion, to suppress a disposition to make a mock of Penn and his
+preaching? No intelligent reader, though he may not catch the invidious
+spirit of this remark, can fail to perceive the writer&#8217;s design, to speak
+disparagingly of Penn.</p>
+
+<p>Well: what is Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s authority for this? He quotes &#8220;Cartwright&#8217;s
+Diary, Aug. 30, 1687, and Clarkson&#8217;s Life of William Penn&#8221;&mdash;but without
+any indication of volume, chapter, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> page. This loose and unsatisfactory
+kind of reference is quite common with Mr. Macaulay; and one might almost
+as well indicate the route to the pyramids, by setting up a finger post in
+Edinburgh, pointing in the direction of Cairo. No eminent historian,
+English or Scotch, has ever been thus regardless of his reader&#8217;s comfort;
+neither Rapin nor Tindal, Smollett nor Hume, nor Henry, nor Robertson, nor
+Guthrie, nor any other. Of this the reader may well complain. This may all
+be well enough, in a historical romance&mdash;but in a matter, pretending to be
+true and impartial history, no good reader will walk by faith, altogether,
+and upon the staff of a single narrator; and he will too often find, that
+the spirit of the context, in the authority, is very different, from that
+of the citation.</p>
+
+<p>He, who imparts to any historical fact the coloring of his own prejudice,
+and <i>dresses up</i> a statement, after his own fancy, has no right to vouch
+in, as his authority, for the <i>whole thing</i>, however grotesque he may have
+made it&mdash;the writer, who has stated the <i>naked fact</i>. If Clarkson said
+simply, that the King had listened to Penn&#8217;s preaching, Mr. Macaulay has
+no right to quote Clarkson, as having said so, in a manner to lower Penn,
+the tithe of a hair, in the estimation of the world. <i>A fortiori</i>, if
+Clarkson has said, that the King listened to Penn&#8217;s preaching, <i>on several
+occasion, with respect</i>, Mr. Macaulay had no right to quote Clarkson, as
+his authority, for the sneering and ill-natured statement, to which I have
+referred. This is not history, it is gross misrepresentation; and, the
+more forcibly and ingeniously it is fabricated, the more unjust and the
+more ungenerous the libel, upon the dead.</p>
+
+<p>The reader, if he will, may judge of Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s impartiality, by
+comparing his words with the <i>only words</i> uttered by Clarkson, on this
+point. They may be found, vol. i. chap. 23&mdash;&#8220;Among the places he (Penn)
+visited, in Cheshire, was Chester itself. The King, who was then
+travelling, arriving there at the same time, went to the meeting-house of
+the Quakers, to hear him preach. This mark of respect the King showed him
+also, at two or three other places where they fell in with each other, in
+the course of their respective tours.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This is the only passage, which can be referred to, in Clarkson, by Mr.
+Macaulay, to sustain his ill-natured remark, whose evil spirit is entirely
+neutralized, by the very authority he cites. But there will be many, who
+will rather give Mr. Macaulay credit,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> for stating the point impartially;
+and few, I apprehend, who will take the trouble to look, through two
+octavo volumes, for a passage, thus vaguely referred to, without any
+indication of the volume, chapter, or page.</p>
+
+<p>This rude assault, upon the character and motives of William Penn, Mr.
+Macaulay commences, by saying&mdash;&#8220;<i>To speak the whole truths concerning
+Penn, is a task, which requires some courage</i>.&#8221; It is becoming, in every
+historian, to speak the truth, the whole truth, and <i>nothing but the
+truth</i>. It certainly requires some courage&mdash;audacity, perhaps, is the
+better word&mdash;to present citations, in French and Latin, to sustain an
+assertion, which those citations do not sustain; and to refer to a highly
+respectable author, as having stated that, which he has nowhere stated.</p>
+
+<p>It may not be amiss, to present my views of Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s injustice, more
+plainly than I have done. It is obvious to all, that a fact&mdash;the same
+fact&mdash;may, by the very manner of stating it, raise or lower the character
+of him, in regard to whom it is related. The <i>manner</i> of representing it
+may become <i>material</i>, or, substantially, part and parcel of the fact, as
+completely, as the coloring is part and parcel of a picture. No man has a
+right to take the sketch or outline of an angel, and, having given it the
+sable complexion of a devil, ascribe the entire thing, such as he has made
+it, to the author of the original sketch. No man, surely, has a right to
+seize a wreath, respectfully designed for the brows of his neighbor;
+distort it into the shape of a fool&#8217;s cap; clap it upon that neighbor&#8217;s
+head; and then charge the responsibility upon him, who prepared the
+original chaplet, as a token of respect.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Macaulay represents King James, as listening to the preaching of Penn,
+with concealed contempt&mdash;such are the force and meaning of his words; and
+he quotes Clarkson, as authority for this, who says precisely the
+contrary.</p>
+
+<p>Every reader, who is uninstructed in the French and Latin languages, will
+view the quotations from Bonrepaux and Croese, as authorities for Mr.
+Macaulay&#8217;s assertion, that Penn had &#8220;<i>become the tool of the King and the
+Jesuits</i>&#8221;&mdash;for, whether carelessly, or cunningly, contrived, the sentence
+will certainly be understood to mean precisely this. A large number, even
+of those, who understand the languages, will take these quotations, as
+evidence, upon Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s word, without examination. Now, as I have
+stated, there is not the slightest authority, in these passages, for Mr.
+Macaulay&#8217;s assertion.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXVI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s last attack upon William Penn will be found, in vol. ii.,
+pages 295-6-7. The Fellows of Magdalen College had been most abominably
+treated, by James II., in 1687. The detail is too long for my limits, and
+is, withal, unnecessary here, since there is neither doubt nor denial of
+the fact. The mediatorial agency of Penn was employed. The King was
+enraged, and resolved to have his way. His obstinacy was a proverb. There
+were three courses for Penn&mdash;right, left, and medial&mdash;to side with the
+King&mdash;to side with the Fellows&mdash;or to act as a mediator. Mr. Macaulay is
+pleased, in his Index, to speak of the transaction, as &#8220;<i>Penn&#8217;s
+mediation</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Had he sided with the Fellows entirely, he would have lost his influence
+utterly, to serve them, with the King. Had he sided with the King
+entirely, he would have lost all confidence with the Fellows. Mr.
+Macaulay, here, as elsewhere, is evidently bent upon showing up Penn, as
+the &#8220;<i>tool of the King</i>:&#8221; and, if there is anything more unjust, upon
+historical record, I know not where to look for it.</p>
+
+<p><small><a name="f1.1" id="f1.1" href="#f1">[1]</a></small>With manifest effort, and in stinted measure, Mr. Macaulay lets down a
+few drops of the milk of human kindness, in the outset, and says of
+Penn&mdash;&#8220;<i>He had too much good feeling to approve of the violent and unjust
+proceedings of the government, and even ventured to express part of what
+he thought</i>.&#8221; Here, that which proceeded from <i>fixed and lofty principle</i>,
+is ascribed to a less honorable motive&mdash;&#8220;<i>good feeling</i>,&#8221; or <i>bonhommie</i>;
+and the &#8220;<i>part of what he thought</i>,&#8221; was neither more nor less, than a
+bold and frank remonstrance, committed to writing, and sent to the King,
+by Penn.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span>When they met at Oxford, says Clarkson, vol. i. chap. 23, &#8220;William Penn
+had an opportunity of showing not only his courage, but his consistency in
+those principles of religious liberty, which he had defended, during his
+whole life.&#8221; After giving an account of the Prince&#8217;s injustice, Clarkson
+says&mdash;&#8220;Next morning William Penn was on horseback, ready to leave Oxford,
+but knowing what had taken place, he rode up to Magdalen College, and
+conversed with the Fellows, on the subject. After this conversation, he
+wrote a letter, and desired them to present it to the King.&#8221; * * * * &#8220;Dr.
+Sykes, in relating this anecdote of William Penn, by letter to Dr.
+Chazlett, who was then absent, mentions that Penn, after some discourse
+with the Fellows of Magdalen College, wrote a short letter, directed to
+the King. He wrote to this purpose&mdash;that their case was hard, and that, in
+their circumstances, they could not yield obedience.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This was confirmed by Mr. Creech, as Clarkson states, and by Sewell, who
+states, in his History of the Rise and Progress of the Quakers, that Penn
+told the King the act &#8220;<i>could not in justice be defended, since the
+general liberty of conscience did not allow of depriving any of their
+property, who did what they ought to do, as the Fellows of the said
+College appeared to have done</i>.&#8221; This is the &#8220;<i>part of what he thought</i>,&#8221;
+referred to by Mr. Macaulay, who has not found it convenient, upon this
+occasion, to quote a syllable from Clarkson, nor from Sewell, of whose
+work Chalmers and others have spoken with respect.</p>
+
+<p>I know of no better mode of presenting this matter fairly, than by laying
+before the reader contrasted passages, from Mr. Macaulay, and from
+Clarkson, relating to the conduct of Penn, upon this occasion. Mr.
+Macaulay shall lead off&mdash;&#8220;James, was as usual, obstinate in the wrong. The
+courtly Quaker, therefore, did his best to seduce the college from the
+path of right.&#8221;&mdash;Therefore!&mdash;Wherefore? Penn did his best to <i>seduce</i> the
+college from the path of right, <i>because</i> James was, as usual, obstinate
+in the wrong! This is based, of course, upon Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s favorite
+hypothesis, that Penn was &#8220;<i>the tool of the King and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span>
+the Jesuits</i>.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;He tried first intimidation. Ruin, he said, impended over the society. The
+King was highly incensed. The case might be a hard one. Most people
+thought it so. But every child knew that his Majesty loved to have his own
+way, and could not bear to be thwarted. Penn, therefore, exhorted the
+Fellows not to rely on the goodness of their cause, but to submit, or at
+least to temporize. Such counsel came strangely from one, who had been
+expelled from the University for raising a riot about the surplice, who
+had run the risk of being disinherited, rather than take off his hat to
+the princes of the blood, and who had been more than once sent to prison,
+for haranguing in conventicles. He did not succeed in frightening the
+Magdalen men.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It may be thought scarcely worth while, to charge a Quaker, at the age of
+<i>forty-three</i>, with inconsistency, because his views had somewhat altered,
+since he was a wild young man, at <i>twenty-one</i>.</p>
+
+<p>It is also clear, that Penn viewed the Magdalen question, as one quite as
+much of <i>property</i> as of <i>conscience</i>; and that he could see no good
+reason, with his eyes of toleration wide open, why all the great
+educational institutions should be forever, in the hands of one
+denomination.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Macaulay again&mdash;&#8220;Then Penn tried a gentler tone. He had an interview
+with Hough and some of the Fellows, and after many professions of sympathy
+and friendship, began to hint at a compromise. The King could not bear to
+be crossed. The college must give way. Parker must be admitted. But he was
+in very bad health. All his preferments would soon be vacant. &#8216;Dr. Hough,&#8217;
+said Penn, &#8216;may then be Bishop of Oxford. How should you like that,
+gentlemen?&#8217; Penn had passed his life in declaiming against a hireling
+ministry. He held, that he was bound to refuse the payment of tithes, and
+this even when he had bought lands, chargeable with tithes, and had been
+allowed the value of the tithes in the purchase money. According to his
+own principles, he would have committed a great sin, if he had interfered,
+for the purpose of obtaining a benefice, on the most honorable terms, for
+the most pious divine. Yet to such a degree had his manners been corrupted
+by evil communications, and his understanding obscured by inordinate zeal
+for a single object, that he did not scruple to become a broker in simony
+of a peculiarly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> discreditable kind, and to use a bishopric as a bait to
+tempt a divine to perjury.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Are these the words of truth and soberness? I rather think they are not.
+In the sacred name of common sense&mdash;did Penn become a <i>broker in simony of
+a peculiarly discreditable kind, and use a bishopric, as a bait to tempt a
+divine to perjury</i>, by stating, that Parker was very infirm, and, that,
+should he die, Hough might be his successor! If this is history, give us
+fiction, for Heaven&#8217;s sake, which is said to be less marvellous than fact.
+There is not the least pretence, that he offered, or was authorized to
+offer, any such &#8220;<i>bait</i>.&#8221; He spoke of a mere contingency; and did the best
+he could to mediate, between the King and the Fellows, both of whom were
+highly incensed.</p>
+
+<p>As to the matter of tithes, Penn was mediating, between men, <i>who had no
+scruples about tithes</i>. He recognized, <i>pro hac vice</i>, the usages of the
+parties; and a Christian judge may, as shrewdly, be charged with
+infidelity, for conforming to the established law of evidence, and
+permitting a disciple of Mahomet to be sworn, upon the Koran.</p>
+
+<p>When Hough replied, that the Papists had robbed them of University
+College, and Christ Church, and were now after Magdalen, and would have
+all the rest, &#8220;Penn,&#8221; says Mr. Macaulay, &#8220;was foolish enough to answer,
+that he believed the Papists would now be content. &#8216;University,&#8217; he said,
+&#8216;is a pleasant college. Christ Church is a noble place. Magdalen is a fine
+building. The situation is convenient. The walks by the river are
+delightful. If the Roman Catholics are reasonable, they will be satisfied
+with these.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>And now I will present Clarkson&#8217;s just and sensible view of this
+transaction. Mr. Macaulay has said, vol. ii. page 295, that &#8220;<i>the agency
+of Penn was employed</i>,&#8221; meaning, as the context shows, employed <i>by the
+King</i>. Clarkson, vol. i. chap. 23, says expressly, that, Oct. 3, 1687, Dr.
+Bailey wrote to Penn, &#8220;stated the merits of the case, and solicited his
+mediation.&#8221; Penn told the Fellows, as appears from <i>Dr. Hough&#8217;s own
+letter, written the evening after their last interview</i>, that he &#8220;feared
+they had come too late. He would use, however, his endeavors; and, if they
+were unsuccessful, they must attribute it to want of power in him, and not
+of good will to serve them.&#8221; The mediation came to nothing. The Fellows
+grew dissatisfied with Penn; falling, doubtless, into the very common
+error of parties,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> highly excited, and differing so widely, that all, who
+are not <i>for them; in toto, are against them</i>. They seem to have been
+specially offended, by the following liberal remark of Penn&#8217;s&mdash;&#8220;For my
+part, I have always declared my opinion, that the preferments of the
+Church should not be put into any other hands but such as they at present
+are in; but I hope you would not have the two Universities such invincible
+bulwarks of the Church of England, that none but they must be capable of
+giving their children a learned education.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In the same volume and chapter, Clarkson remarks&mdash;&#8220;They (the delegates
+from Magdalen) thought, strange to relate, that Penn had been rambling;
+and because he spoke doubtfully, about the success of his intended
+efforts, and of the superior capacity of the established clergy, that they
+alone should monopolize education, that his language was not to be
+depended upon as sincere. How this could have come into their heads,
+except from the terror, into which the situation of the College had thrown
+them, it is not easy to conceive; for certainly William Penn was as
+explicit, as any man could have been, under similar circumstances. He
+informed them, that, after repeated efforts with the King, he feared they
+had come too late. This was plain language. He informed them again, that
+he would make another trial with the King; that he would read their papers
+to him, unless peremptorily commanded to forbear; but that, if he failed,
+they must attribute his want of success not to his want of will, but want
+of power.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This, though expressive of his doubts and fears, was but a necessary
+caution, when his exertions had already failed; and it was still more
+necessary, when there was reason to suppose, that, though the King had a
+regard for him, and was glad to employ him, as an instrument, in
+forwarding his public views, yet that he would not gratify him, where his
+solicitations directly opposed them. That William Penn did afterwards make
+a trial with the King, to serve the College, there can be no doubt,
+because no instance can be produced, wherein he ever forfeited his word or
+broke his promise. But all trials with this view must of necessity have
+been ineffectual. The King and his ministers had already determined the
+point in question.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Such were the sentiments of Clarkson.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXVII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Charles I. was King, when William Penn was born; and, when he died, George
+I. was on the throne. Penn therefore lived in the reins of nine rulers of
+the realm&mdash;Charles I.&mdash;the Cromwells, Oliver and Richard&mdash;Charles
+II.&mdash;James II.&mdash;William and Mary as joint sovereigns&mdash;William
+alone&mdash;Anne&mdash;and George I.</p>
+
+<p>He was the son of Admiral, Sir William Penn, and was born on Tower Hill,
+London, Oct. 4, 1644. The spirit and the flesh strove hard for the
+mastery, before young William came forth a Quaker, fully developed. He was
+remarkable at Oxford, for his fine scholarship, and athletic performances.</p>
+
+<p>Penn believed, that the Lord appeared to him, when he was very young. The
+devil seems to have made him a short visit afterwards, if we may rely upon
+the testimony of Penn&#8217;s biographers. Wood, in his Athen&aelig;, iv. 645, gives
+this brief account of the Lord&#8217;s visit&mdash;Penn was &#8220;educated in puerile
+learning, at Chigwell in Essex, where, at eleven years of age, being
+retired in a chamber alone, he was so suddenly surprised with an inward
+comfort, and, as he thought, an external glory in the room, that he has,
+many times, said that, from that time, he had the seal of divinity and
+immortality, that there was also a God, and that the soul of man was
+capable of enjoying his divine communications.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>His biographer, Clarkson, says, that Penn, at the age of sixteen, was led
+to a sense of the corruptions of the established faith, by the preaching
+of Thomas Loe, a Quaker; and broke off at the chapel, and began to hold
+prayer meetings. For this he was fined and admonished. It is remarkable,
+that Wood, though he states, that Penn, after he became a Quaker, in good
+earnest, was imprisoned, once in Ireland, once in the Tower, and three
+times in Newgate, does not even allude, in his Athen&aelig;, to the expulsion
+from Oxford, which is related, by Chalmers, Clarkson, and others.</p>
+
+<p>It seems, that, after he had become impressed, by Loe&#8217;s preaching, an
+order came down from court, that the students should wear surplices. This
+so irritated Penn, that, instead of letting his yea be yea, and his nay
+nay&mdash;in company with others, says Clarkson, &#8220;he fell upon those students,
+who appeared in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> surplices, and tore them everywhere over their heads.&#8221; On
+the subject of his conversion, Wood says&mdash;&#8220;If you&#8217;ll believe a satirical
+pamphlet&mdash;&#8216;<i>The history of Will Penn&#8217;s conversion from a gentleman to a
+Quaker</i>,&#8217; printed at London, in 1682&mdash;you&#8217;ll find, that the reason of his
+turning Quaker was the loss of his mistress, a delicate young lady, that
+then lived in Dublin; or, as others say, because he refused to fight a
+duel.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>For two, good and sufficient reasons, this statement, contained in the
+&#8220;<i>satirical pamphlet</i>,&#8221; and referred to by Wood, is unworthy of the
+slightest credit. In the first place, though Penn met Loe, in Dublin,
+after the expulsion from Oxford, and became more fully impressed, yet his
+first meeting with Loe was at Oxford, before the expulsion, and the
+serious impression, produced by his preaching, led, albeit rather oddly,
+to the affair of the surplices.</p>
+
+<p>In the second place, the notion, that Penn would put on Quakerism, to
+avoid a duel, is still more incredible. Nothing could be more unfortunate,
+than any imputation upon Penn&#8217;s courage, moral or physical. We have seen,
+that he was famous for his athletic exercises. Strange, though it may
+seem, to such as have contemplated Penn, as the quiet non-combatant, he
+was an accomplished swordsman, and, upon one occasion, was actually
+engaged in an affair, which had all the aspect, and all the peril, of the
+<i>duellium</i>, however it may have lacked the preliminary forms and
+ceremonies. &#8220;During his residence in Paris,&#8221; says Chalmers, &#8220;he was
+assaulted in the street, one evening, by a person with a drawn sword, on
+account of a supposed affront; but among other accomplishments of a gay
+man, he had become so good a swordsman, as to disarm his antagonist.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>After his expulsion from Oxford, in 1662, he returned home. His father,
+the Admiral, was greatly provoked, to see his son resorting to the company
+of religious people, who were, of all, the least likely, in the licentious
+reign of Charles II., to advance his worldly interest. The old gentleman
+tried severity, and finally, as Penn himself relates, gave the Quaker
+neophyte a thrashing, and turned him out of doors.</p>
+
+<p>Ere long, the father got the better of the admiral. He relented: and,
+probably, supposing there was as little vitality in Paris, for a Quaker,
+as some of the old philosophers <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span>fancied there might be, in a vacuum, for
+an angel, he sent young William thither, as one of a fashionable
+travelling party.</p>
+
+<p>After his return, he was admitted of Lincoln&#8217;s Inn, and continued there,
+till the year of the plague, 1665. The following year, his father sent him
+to Ireland, to take charge of an estate. At Cork, he met Loe once
+more&mdash;attended his meetings, became an unalterable Quaker, preached in
+conventicles&mdash;was committed to prison&mdash;released upon application to the
+Earl of Orrery&mdash;and summoned home, by his indignant father. The old
+Admiral loved his accomplished son, then twenty-three years old&mdash;but
+abhorred his Quakerish airs and manners. In all points, save one&mdash;the
+point of conscience&mdash;William was unexceptionably dutiful. At length, the
+Admiral agreed to compound, on conditions, which seem not to have been
+very oppressive: in short, he consented to waive all objections, and let
+William do as he pleased, in regard to his religion, provided he would
+yield, in one particular&mdash;doff his broad brim&mdash;take off his hat&mdash;in
+presence of the King, the Duke of York, and his own father, the Admiral.
+Young William demanded time for consideration. It was granted; and he
+earnestly sought the Lord, on an empty stomach, as he says himself, with
+prayer. He finally informed his father, that he <i>could not do it</i>; and,
+once again, the Admiral, in a paroxysm of wrath, turned the rebellious
+young Quaker out of doors, broad brim and all.</p>
+
+<p>William Penn now began to figure, as a preacher, at the Quaker meetings.
+The <i>friends</i>, and the fond mother, ever on hand, in such emergencies,
+supplied his temporal necessities. Even the old Admiral, becoming
+satisfied of William&#8217;s perfect sincerity, although too proud to tack
+about, hoisted private signals, for his release, when imprisoned, for
+attending Quaker meetings; and evidently lay by, ready to bear down, in
+the event of serious difficulty.</p>
+
+<p>In 1668, Penn&#8217;s brim grew broader and broader, and his coat became
+buttonless behind. He was a writer and a preacher, and a powerful defender
+of the &#8220;<i>cursed and depised</i>&#8221; Quakers. The titles of his various works may
+be found in Clarkson, and in Wood&#8217;s Athen&aelig;. They conformed to the fashion
+of the age, and were, necessarily, quaint and extended. I have room for
+one only, as a specimen,&mdash;the title of his first tract&mdash;&#8220;<i>Truth exalted,
+in a short but sure testimony, against all those religious faiths and
+worships, that have been formed and followed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> in the darkness of apostacy;
+and for that glorious light, which is now risen, and shines forth in the
+life and doctrine of the despised Quakers, as the alone good old way of
+life and salvation; presented to princes, priests, and people, that they
+may repent, believe, and obey. By William Penn; whom Divine love
+constrains, in an holy contempt, to trample on Egypt&#8217;s glory, not fearing
+the King&#8217;s wrath, having beheld the majesty of Him, who is invisible.</i>&#8221; In
+this same year 1668, he was imprisoned in the Tower, for publishing his
+<span class="smcap">Sandy Foundation Shaken</span>. There he was confined seven months, doing
+infinitely more mischief, for the cause of lawn sleeves and white frocks,
+forms, ceremonies, and hat-worship, as he calls it, than if he had been
+loose. For, then and there, he wrote his most able pamphlets, especially,
+<span class="smcap">No Cross no Crown</span>, which gained him great praise, far beyond the pale of
+Quakerdom. His treatise has been often reprinted, and translated into
+foreign tongues.</p>
+
+<p>In 1670, his influence was so great, that he obtained an order in Council,
+for the release of the Quakers then in prison. At a later day, he again
+assumed the office of St. Peter&#8217;s angel, and set three thousand captives
+free. In 1685, says Mr. Macaulay, &#8220;he strongly represented the sufferings
+of the Quakers to the new King,&#8221; &amp;c. &#8220;In this way, about fifteen hundred
+Quakers, and a still greater number of Roman Catholics regained their
+liberty.&#8221; No wonder he was mistaken for a Papist, by those, who adopt that
+bastard principle, that charity begins at home, and ends there; whose
+religious circle forms the exclusive line of demarcation, for the exercise
+of that celestial principle; and who look, with the eye of a Chinaman,
+upon all beyond the holy sectarian wall, as outside barbarians. I was
+delighted and rather surprised, that Mr. Macaulay suffered the statement
+of this fact to pass, without some ill-natured expression, in regard to
+Penn&mdash;who, I say it reverentially, was less the <span class="smcaplc">TOOL</span> of the King, than of
+Jesus Christ.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXVIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>In 1670, William Penn was, for the third time, committed to Newgate, for
+preaching. His fines were paid by his father, who died this year, entirely
+reconciled to his son; and, upon his bed of death, pronounced these
+comforting words&mdash;&#8220;<i>Son William, let nothing in this world tempt you to
+wrong your conscience: I charge you, do nothing against your conscience.
+So will you keep peace at home, which will be a feast to you in a day of
+trouble</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Penn inherited from his father an estate, yielding about &pound;1500 per annum.
+About this time he wrote his &#8220;<i>Seasonable caveat against Popery</i>;&#8221; though
+he knew it was the faith of the Queen and his good friend, the Duke of
+York. Shortly after, he travelled in Holland and Germany. In 1672, he
+married Gulielma Maria Springett. In 1675, he held his famous dispute with
+Richard Baxter; and, in 1677, he again visited the continent, in company
+with George Cox and Robert Barclay, constantly preaching, and writing, and
+importuning, in behalf of his despised and oppressed brethren. About this
+period, and soon after his return to England, we find him petitioning
+Parliament, in their behalf. Twice, he was permitted to address the
+committee of the House of Commons, upon this subject.</p>
+
+<p>Whoever coveted the honor of being the creditor of royalty found a willing
+customer, in Charles the Second. In 1681, that monarch, in consideration
+of &pound;16,000 due from him to the estate of Admiral Penn, conveyed to William
+the district, now called Pennsylvania. He himself would have given it the
+name of Sylvania, but the King insisted, on prefixing the name of the
+grantee. Full powers of legislation and government were bestowed upon the
+proprietor. The only limitation was a power, reserved to the Privy
+Council, to rescind his laws, within six months, after they were laid
+before that body. The charter bears date March 4, 1681. He first designed
+to call his domain &#8220;New Wales,&#8221; and nothing saved the Philadelphians from
+being Welchmen, but an objection, from the under-secretary of state, who
+was himself a Welchman, and was offended at the Quaker&#8217;s presumption.</p>
+
+<p>He encouraged emigrants, judiciously selected, to embark for his Province;
+and followed, himself, with about a hundred Quakers, in September, 1682.
+His arrival in the Delaware,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> his beneficent administration, and the whole
+story of his negotiation, with the Indians, are full of interest, and
+overflowing. It is a long story withal, too long, altogether, for our
+narrow boundaries. I have indicated the sources of information, and this
+is all my limits will allow.</p>
+
+<p>After two years, he returned to England, and became a greater favorite
+than ever, with James II.&mdash;was calumniated, of course&mdash;pursued by the
+unholy alliance of churchmen, and sectaries, and apostate Quakers&mdash;grossly
+insulted&mdash;&#8220;chastened but not killed&#8221;&mdash;and finally deprived of his
+government. Justice, at length, prevailed. Penn&#8217;s rights were restored, by
+William III. Having lost his wife and son, he went again, upon his
+travels, and again married. In 1699, he returned to Pennsylvania, and
+remained there, for the term of two years. He then went home to England;
+and, after continuing to employ his tongue and his pen, as freely as ever,
+for several years, he died, July 30, 1718, at the age of seventy-two
+years, at Jordan, near Beaconsfield, in Buckinghamshire.</p>
+
+<p>Such is the mere <i>skeleton</i> of this good man&#8217;s life; and it is my purpose
+to <i>flesh it up</i>, with some few of those highly interesting, and well
+authenticated, incidents, which may be found, on the pages of trust worthy
+writers.</p>
+
+<p>I do not believe, that the pen of any past, present, or future historian,
+or biographer, however masterly the hand that holds it&mdash;however bitter and
+pungent the gall of bigotry or political venom, in which it may
+dipped&mdash;will ever be able, very grievously, or lastingly, to soil the
+character of William Penn. The world&#8217;s opinion has settled down, upon firm
+convictions. If new facts can be produced, then, indeed, a writer may
+justly move, for a reconsideration of the public sentiment&mdash;but Mr.
+Macaulay does not present <i>a single fact</i>, in relation to William Penn,
+not known before&mdash;he gives a <i>construction</i> of his own, so manifestly
+tinctured with ill nature, as, at once, to excite the suspicion of his
+reader.</p>
+
+<p>I wear a narrow brim, and have buttons behind&mdash;I am no Quaker&mdash;and,
+indeed, have a quarrel with them all&mdash;chiefly grammatical&mdash;though I esteem
+and respect the principles of that moral and religious people&mdash;but I
+simply describe the impulse of my own heart, when I say, that Mr.
+Macaulay&#8217;s ill natured treatment of William Penn painfully disturbed my
+confidence, in his impartiality; and constrained me to &#8220;read, mark, learn<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span>
+and inwardly digest,&#8221; the highly seasoned <i>provant</i>, which he has
+furnished&mdash;<i>cum grano salis</i>; and with great care, not to swallow the
+<i>flummery</i>. Scotchmen have not always written thus of William Penn; and
+the sentiments of mankind, now and hereafter, if I do not strangely err,
+will be found, embodied in the concluding passage of an article in the
+Edinburgh Review, vol. xxi. page 462.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We shall not stop to examine what dregs of ambition, or what hankerings
+after worldly prosperity may have mixed themselves with the pious and
+philanthropic principles, that were undoubtedly his chief guides in
+forming, that great settlement, which still bears his name, and profits by
+his example. Human virtue does not challenge nor admit of such a scrutiny:
+and it should be sufficient for the glory of William Penn, that he stands
+upon record, as the most humane, the most moderate, and most pacific of
+all governors.&#8221; All this may be enough for his <i>glory</i>. But there are some
+simple, touching truths, to be told of William Penn, and some highly
+interesting personal details; which, though they may have little about
+them, in accordance with the ordinary estimate of <i>glory</i>, will long
+continue to envelop the memory of this extraordinary man, with a purer and
+a milder light.</p>
+
+<p>I know no better mode of concluding the present article, than by
+presenting a few extracts, from the valedictory letter of William Penn to
+his wife and children, written on the eve of his first visit to
+Pennsylvania, September, 1682. If the <i>saints</i> write such admirable love
+letters, it would greatly benefit the <i>sinners</i>&mdash;the men of this world&mdash;to
+follow the example, and surpass it, if they can.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;My dear wife and children. My love, which neither sea, nor land, nor
+death itself can extinguish nor lessen towards you, most endearingly
+visits you, with eternal embraces, and will abide with you forever. My
+dear wife! remember thou wast the love of my youth, and much the joy of my
+life; the most beloved, as well as most worthy of all my earthly comforts;
+and the reason of that love was more thy inward than thy outward
+excellencies, which yet were many. God knows, and thou knowest it, I can
+say it was a match of Providence&#8217;s making; and God&#8217;s image in us both was
+the first thing, and the most amiable and engaging ornament in our eyes.
+Now I am to leave thee, and that, without knowing whether I shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> ever
+see thee more in this world. Take my counsel into thy bosom, and let it
+dwell with thee, in my stead, while thou livest.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Here follows some domestic advice. Penn then proceeds&mdash;&#8220;And now, my
+dearest, let me recommend to thy care, my dear children, abundantly
+beloved of me, as the Lord&#8217;s blessings, and the sweet pledges of our
+mutual and endeared affection. Above all things, endeavor to breed them
+up, in the knowledge and love of virtue, and that holy plain way of it,
+which we have lived in, that the world, in no part of it, get into my
+family. * * *</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;For their learning, be liberal. Spare no cost. For by such parsimony all
+is lost, that is saved: but let it be useful knowledge, such as is
+consistent with truth and godliness, not cherishing a vain conversation,
+or idle mind. * * * I recommend the useful parts of mathematics, &amp;c., but
+agriculture is especially in my eye: let my children be husbandmen and
+housewives: it is industrious, healthy, honest and of good example. * * *
+Be sure to observe their genius, and do not cross it as to learning. * * *
+I choose not they should be married to earthly, covetous kindred; and of
+cities and towns of concourse, beware. The world is apt to stick close to
+those, who have lived and got wealth there. A country life and estate, I
+like best for my children. I prefer a decent mansion, of an hundred pounds
+per annum, before ten thousand pounds, in London, or such like place, in a
+way of trade.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>He then addresses his children, and finally his elder boys, in the
+following admirable strain, honorable alike to his understanding and his
+heart.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;And, as for you, who are likely to be concerned, in the government of
+Pennsylvania, I do charge you, before the Lord God and his holy angels,
+that you be lowly, diligent and tender, fearing God, loving the people,
+and hating covetousness. Let justice have its impartial course, and the
+law free passage. Though to your loss, protect no man against it&mdash;for you
+are not above the law, but the law above you. Live therefore the lives,
+yourselves, you would have the people live; and then you have right and
+boldness to punish the transgressor. Keep upon the square, for God sees
+you: therefore do your duty, and be sure you see with your own eyes, and
+hear with your own ears. Entertain no lurchers; cherish no informers for
+gain or revenge; use no tricks; fly to no devices, to support or cover
+injustice but let<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> your heart be upright before the Lord, trusting in him,
+above the contrivances of men, and none shall be able to hurt or
+supplant.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The letter, from which I have made these few extracts, concludes&mdash;&#8220;So
+farewell to my thrice dearly beloved wife and children! Yours as God
+pleaseth, in that, which no waters can quench, no time forget, nor
+distance wear away.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It is truly pleasant to get behind the curtain of form and ceremony, and
+look at these eminent men, in their night-gowns and slippers, and listen
+to them thus, while talking to their wives and their children.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXIX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>It is remarkable, that such a genuine Quaker, as William Penn, should have
+sprung from such a belligerent stock. His father, as I have stated, was a
+British admiral; and his grandfather, Giles, was a captain in the navy.
+William Penn may, nevertheless, have derived, from this origin, and from
+his Dutch mother, Margaret Jasper, of Rotterdam&mdash;a certain quality,
+eminently characteristic of the Quaker&mdash;that resolute determination, which
+the coarser man of the world calls <i>pluck</i>, and the Quaker, <i>constancy</i>.</p>
+
+<p>This constancy of purpose, in William Penn, seems never to have been
+shaken. It appeared, in his refusal to doff his brim, before his father,
+the Duke of York, and the King. It was manifested, when, being imprisoned
+in the Tower, for printing his <i>Sandy Foundation Shaken</i>, and hearing,
+that the Bishop of London had declared the offender should publicly
+recant, or remain there, for life; he replied, &#8220;<i>he would weary out the
+malice of his enemies by his patience, and that his prison should be his
+grave, before he would renounce his just opinions, for he owed his
+conscience to no man</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This same constancy was signally exhibited, during the disputation,
+between himself and George Whitehead, for the Quakers, and Thomas Vincent
+and others, for the Presbyterians. Vincent had a parish, in Spitalfields.
+Two of his parishioners went to listen, perhaps to laugh, at the Quakers.
+Like Goldsmith&#8217;s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> scoffers, who came to laugh, and remained to pray&mdash;they
+went in, Presbyterians, and came out, Quakers. They were converted. At
+this, Vincent lost his patience; and seems to have become a persecutor of
+the <i>cursed Quakers</i>; and, as Clarkson states, said all manner of
+&#8220;<i>unhandsome</i>&#8221; things of them, and their <i>damnable</i> doctrines. Penn and
+Whitehead invited Vincent to a public discussion. After much delay and
+evasion, Vincent consented. As every fowl is bravest on his own
+<i>stercorium</i>, Vincent selected his own Presbyterian meeting-house, as the
+place for the discussion; and, before the appointed hour, filled it with
+his own people, so completely, that the disputants themselves, Penn and
+Whitehead, could scarcely gain admittance. They were instantly insulted,
+by a charge, suddenly made, that the Quakers held &#8220;<i>damnable doctrines</i>.&#8221;
+Whitehead began a reply; Vincent interrupted him, and proposed, as the
+proper course, that he should put questions to the Quakers. He put the
+motion, and, as almost all present were of his party, it was agreed to, of
+course. He then put a question concerning the Godhead, which he knew the
+Quakers would answer in the negative. Whitehead and Penn attempted to
+explain. Several rose on the other side. Whitehead desired to put a
+question to Vincent. This the Presbyterians refused. They proceeded to
+laugh, hiss and stigmatize. Penn they called a Jesuit. Upon an answer from
+Whitehead, to a question from Vincent, uproar ensued, and Vincent &#8220;went
+instantly to prayer,&#8221; that the Lord would <i>come short</i> with heretics and
+blasphemers.</p>
+
+<p>When he had, by this man&oelig;uvre, discharged his battery upon the Quakers,
+effectually securing himself from interruption&mdash;for no one would presume
+to interrupt a minister at prayer&mdash;he cut off all power of reply, by
+telling the people to go home immediately, at the same moment setting them
+the example.</p>
+
+<p>The closing part, which especially exhibits that constancy, for which the
+Quakers have ever been remarkable, cannot be more happily related, than in
+the language of Mr. Clarkson himself.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The congregation was leaving the meeting-house, and they had not yet been
+heard. Finding they would soon be left to themselves, some of them, at
+length, ventured to speak; but they were pulled down, and the candles, for
+the controversy had lasted till midnight, were put out. They were not,
+however, prevented by this usage, from going on: for, rising up, they
+continued their defence in the dark; and what was extraordinary,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> many
+staid to hear it. This brought Vincent among them with a candle.
+Addressing himself to the Quakers, he desired them to disperse. To this,
+at length, they consented, but only, on the promise, that another meeting
+should be granted them, for the same purpose, in the same place.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Vincent did not keep his promise. He was, doubtless, fearful that more of
+his parishioners would be converted. Penn and Whitehead, at last, went to
+Vincent&#8217;s meeting-house, on a lecture day; and, when the lecture was
+finished, rose and begged an audience: but Vincent went off, as fast as
+possible; and the congregation, as speedily, followed. Finding no other
+mode before him, Penn wrote and published his celebrated <i>Sandy Foundation
+Shaken</i>, which caused his imprisonment in the Tower, as already related.</p>
+
+<p>Another remarkable example of the constancy of Penn is recorded, in the
+history of his trial, before the Lord Mayor, for a breach of the
+conventicle act, in 1670. Mr. Macaulay is pleased to say, Penn had never
+been &#8220;<i>a strong-headed man</i>.&#8221; This is one of those sliding phrases, that
+may mean anything, or nothing. It may mean, that not being a
+<i>strong-headed man</i>, he necessarily belonged to the other category, and
+was a <i>weak-headed man</i>. Or, it may mean, that he was not as strong-headed
+as Lord Verulam, or Mr. Macaulay. I wish the reader would decide this
+question for himself; and, for that end, read the history of this
+interesting trial, as given by Clarkson, in the first volume, and sixth
+chapter of his Memoirs of Penn. If the evidences of a strong head and a
+strong heart were not abundantly exhibited, by the accused, upon that
+occasion, I know not where to look for them.</p>
+
+<p>The jury returned a verdict of <i>guilty of speaking in Grace Street
+Church</i>. Sir Samuel Starling, the Mayor, and the whole court abused the
+jurors, after the example of Jeffreys, and sent them back to their room.
+After half an hour, they returned the same verdict, in writing, signed
+with their names. The court were more enraged than before; and, Mr.
+Clarkson says, the Recorder addressed them thus&mdash;&#8220;You shall not be
+dismissed, till we have a verdict, such as the court will accept; and you
+shall be locked up without meat, drink, fire, and tobacco; you shall not
+think thus to abuse the court; we will have a verdict, by the help of God,
+or you shall starve for it.&#8221; After being out all night, the jury returned
+the same verdict, for the third time.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> They were severely abused by the
+court, after the fashion of that day, and sent to their room, once more. A
+fourth time, they returned the same verdict. Penn addressed the jury, and
+the court ordered the jailor to stop his mouth, and bring fetters, and
+stake him to the ground. Friend William, for an instant, merged the Quaker
+in the Englishman, and exclaimed&mdash;&#8220;Do your pleasure, I matter not your
+fetters.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>On the fifth of September, the jury, who had received no refreshment, for
+two days and two nights, returned a verdict of <i>not guilty</i>. Such was the
+condition of things, at that day, that, for the rendition of that verdict,
+the jury were fined forty marks apiece, and imprisoned in Newgate. Penn
+was, at this time, five-and-twenty years of age.</p>
+
+<p>The peculiar position of William Penn, at the court of Charles and James
+the Second, may be explained, without laying, at his door, the imputation
+of being a time-server, and a man of the world. Between the latter monarch
+and the Quaker, there existed a relation, akin to friendship. Penn, in
+keeping with his Quaker principles, was forgetful of injuries, and mindful
+of benefits. It is impossible to say, how long he would have remained in
+the tower, when imprisoned there, through the agency of the Bishop of
+London, had he not been released, upon the unsolicited importunity of
+James II., when Duke of York. When the Admiral, his father, was near his
+end, &#8220;he sent one of his friends,&#8221; says Mr. Clarkson, &#8220;to the Duke of
+York, to desire of him, as a death-bed request, that he would endeavor to
+protect his son, as far as he consistently could, and to ask the King to
+do the same, in case of future persecution. The answer was gratifying,
+both of them promising their services, upon a fit occasion.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps it would not be going too far&mdash;with Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s permission, of
+course&mdash;to ascribe that personal consideration, which Penn exhibited, for
+Charles and James&mdash;a part of it, at least&mdash;to a grateful recollection of
+their favors, to his father and himself.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;<i>Titles and phrases</i>,&#8221; says Mr. Macaulay, &#8220;<i>against which he had often
+borne his testimony, dropped occasionally from his lips and his pen</i>.&#8221; I
+rather doubt, if the recording angel, who will never &#8220;<i>set down aught in
+malice</i>,&#8221; has noted the unquakerish sins of William Penn, in doing
+grammatical justice to personal pronouns. This, truly, is a mighty small
+matter. If Penn was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> not so particular, in these little things, as some
+others of his brotherhood, his birth and education may be well considered.
+He was not a Quaker born. His residence in France may also be taken into
+the account. &#8220;He had contracted,&#8221; says Clarkson, &#8220;a sort of polished or
+courtly demeanor, which he had insensibly taken from the customs of the
+people, among whom he had lately lived.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In the matter of the hat, even Mr. Macaulay will never charge William Penn
+with inconsistency. In Granger&#8217;s Biographical History of England, iv. 16,
+I find the following anecdote&mdash;&#8220;We are credibly informed, that he sat with
+his hat on before Charles II., and that the King, as a gentle rebuke for
+his ill manners, put off his own: upon which Penn said to him&mdash;&#8216;Friend
+Charles, why dost thou not put on thy hat?&#8217; The King answered, &#8216;&#8217;Tis the
+custom of this place, that never above one person should be covered at a
+time.&#8217;&#8221; This tale is told also, in a note to Grey&#8217;s Hudibras, on canto ii.
+v. 225, and elsewhere.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXX.</h2>
+
+
+<p><i>The pride of life</i>&mdash;that omnipresent frailty&mdash;that universal mark of
+man&#8217;s congenital naughtiness&mdash;in William Penn, seemed scarcely an earthly
+leaven, springing, as it did, from a comforting consciousness of the
+purity of his own. <i>The pride of life</i>, with him, was essentially
+<i>humility</i>; for, when compelled to rest his defence, in any degree, upon
+his individual character, he vaunted not himself, but gave all the glory
+to the Giver.</p>
+
+<p>No man, however, more keenly felt the assaults, which were made upon his
+character, by the tongue and the pen of envy and hatred, ignorance and
+bigotry, because he knew, that the shaft, though aimed, ostensibly, at
+him, was frequently designed, for that body, whose prominent leader he
+was.</p>
+
+<p>In the very year of his father&#8217;s death, and shortly after that event, he
+was seized, by a file of soldiers, sent purposely, for his apprehension,
+while preaching, in a Quaker meeting-house, and carried before Sir John
+Robinson, who treated him roughly, and sent him, for six months, to
+Newgate. In the course of the trial, Robinson said to Penn&mdash;&#8220;<i>You have
+been as bad as other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span>
+folks</i>&#8221;&mdash;to which Penn replied&mdash;&#8220;<i>When and where? I
+charge thee to tell the company to my face.</i>&#8221; Robinson rejoined&mdash;&#8220;Abroad,
+and at home too.&#8221; This was so notoriously false and absurd, that an
+ingenuous member of the court, Sir John Shelden, exclaimed&mdash;&#8220;<i>No, no, Sir
+John, that&#8217;s too much</i>.&#8221; Penn, turning to the assembly, and with all the
+chastened indignation of an insulted Christian&mdash;Quaker as he
+was&mdash;delivered himself, with a strength and simplicity, which would have
+done honor to Paul, in the presence of Agrippa; and which must forever, so
+long as the precious record shall remain, touch a responsive chord&mdash;even
+in the bosoms of those, whose practice it is, upon ordinary occasions, to
+let their yea be yea, and their nay&mdash;nay.</p>
+
+<p>I am sure it would have cheered the old Admiral&#8217;s heart, and elevated his
+respect for the broad brim, to have heard the manly language of his Quaker
+son, that day.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I make this bold challenge to all men, women, and children upon earth,
+justly to accuse me, with having seen me drunk, heard me swear, utter a
+curse, or speak one obscene word, much less that I ever made it my
+practice. I speak this to God&#8217;s glory, who has ever preserved me from the
+power of these pollutions, and who, from a child, begot an hatred in me,
+towards them.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But there is nothing more common, than, when men are of a more severe
+life than ordinary, for loose persons to comfort themselves with the
+conceit, that these were once as they themselves are; as if there were no
+collateral or oblique line of the compass or globe, by which men might be
+said to come to the Arctic pole, but directly and immediately from the
+Antarctic. Thy words shall be thy burden, and I trample thy slanders, as
+dirt, under my feet.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Clarkson is quoted, as good authority, by Mr. Macaulay. Such he has
+ever been esteemed. A brief quotation may not be amiss, in regard to
+Penn&#8217;s relation to James II. Having referred to the Admiral&#8217;s dying
+request to Charles and James, to have a regard for his Quaker son,
+Clarkson says&mdash;&#8220;From this period a more regular acquaintance grew up
+between them (William Penn and James II.) and intimacy followed. During
+this intimacy, however William Penn might have disapproved, as he did, of
+the King&#8217;s religious opinions, he was attached to him, from a belief, that
+he was a friend to liberty of conscience. Entertaining this opinion
+concerning him, he conceived it to be his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> duty, now that he had become
+King, to renew this intimacy with him, and that, in a stronger manner than
+ever, that he might forward the great object, for which he had crossed the
+Atlantic, namely, the relief of those unhappy persons, who were then
+suffering, on account of their religion. * * * * He used his influence
+with the King solely in doing good.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The relation, between William Penn and the Papist King, was indeed
+remarkable. Gerard Croese published his Historia Quakeriana, at Amsterdam,
+in 1695, which was translated into English, in the following year. It was
+greatly disliked, by the Quakers; and, in 1696, drew forth an answer from
+one of the society. The testimony of Croese, in relation to Penn, may
+therefore be deemed impartial. He says&mdash;&#8220;The king loved him, as a singular
+and entire friend, and imparted to him many of his secrets and counsels.
+He often honored him with his company in private, discoursing with him of
+various affairs, and that not for one but many hours together.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>When a peer, who had been long kept waiting for Penn to come forth,
+ventured to complain, the King simply said&mdash;&#8220;<i>Penn always talked
+ingeniously and he heard him willingly</i>.&#8221; Croese says, that Penn was
+unwearied, as the suitor on behalf of his oppressed people, making
+constant efforts for their liberation, and paying their legal expenses,
+from his private purse. The King&#8217;s remark certainly does not quadrate with
+Burnet&#8217;s statement, that Penn &#8220;<i>had a tedious luscious way of talking</i>.&#8221;
+With Queen Anne he was a great favorite; and Clarkson says, vol. ii. chap.
+15, &#8220;she received him always in a friendly manner, and was pleased with
+his conversation.&#8221; So was Tillotson. So was a better judge than Queen
+Anne, Tillotson, or Burnet. In Noble&#8217;s continuation of Granger, Swift is
+stated to have said&mdash;&#8220;<i>Penn talked very agreeably and with much spirit</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Somewhat of Penn&#8217;s relation to King James may be gathered, from Penn&#8217;s
+answer, when examined, in 1690, before King William, in regard to an
+intercepted letter from King James to Penn. In that letter, James desired
+Penn to &#8220;<i>come to his assistance and express to him the resentments of his
+favor and benevolence</i>.&#8221; When asked what <i>resentments</i> were intended, he
+replied that &#8220;he did not know, but he supposed the King meant he should
+compass his restoration. Though, however he could not avoid the suspicion
+of such an attempt, he could avoid the guilt of it. He confessed he had
+loved King James; and, as he had loved him,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> in his prosperity, he could
+not hate him, in his adversity&mdash;yes, he loved him yet, for the many favors
+he had conferred on him, though he could not join with him, in what
+concerned the state or kingdom.&#8221; This answer, says Pickart, &#8220;<i>was noble,
+generous, and wise</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>One of the most able and eloquent compositions of William Penn is his
+justly celebrated letter of October 24, 1688, to William Popple. Mr.
+Popple was secretary to the Lords Commissioners, for the affairs of trade
+and plantations, and a particular friend of Penn and of his schoolfellow,
+John Locke. Had Mr. Macaulay flourished then, he would have had readier
+listeners to these cavils, than he has at present. Penn, in 1688, was
+excessively unpopular. He was not only <i>the tool of the King and the
+Jesuits</i>, but a rank <i>Papist</i> and <i>Jesuit</i> himself&mdash;the <i>friend of
+arbitrary power,&mdash;bred at St. Omers in the Jesuits College&mdash;he had
+taken orders at Rome&mdash;married under a dispensation&mdash;officiated as a
+priest at Whitehall</i>&mdash;no charge against William Penn was too absurd, to
+gain credit with the people, at the period of the Revolution.</p>
+
+<p>Upon this occasion, Mr. Popple addressed to Penn a letter, eminently
+beautiful, in point of style, and containing a most forcible appeal to
+Penn&#8217;s sense of duty to himself, to the society of Friends, to his
+children, and the world, to put down these atrocious calumnies, by some
+public written declaration. His letter will be found, in Clarkson&#8217;s
+Memoirs, vol. ii. chap. i. I truly regret, that I have space only, for
+some brief disconnected extracts, from William Penn&#8217;s reply.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Worthy Friend; it is now above twenty years, I thank God, that I have not
+been very solicitous what the world thought of me, &amp;c. The business,
+chiefly insisted on, is my Popery and endeavors to promote it. I do say
+then, and that, with all simplicity, that I am not only no Jesuit, but no
+Papist; and which is more, I never had any temptation upon me to be so,
+either from doubts in my own mind, about the way I profess, or from the
+discourses or writings of any of that religion. And in the presence of
+Almighty God I do declare, that the King did never once directly or
+indirectly, attack me or tempt me upon that subject.&#8221; * * * * &#8220;I say then
+solemnly, that so far from having been bred at St. Omers, and having
+received orders at Rome, I never was at either place; nor do I know
+anybody there, nor had I ever a correspondence with anybody in those
+places.&#8221; After<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> alluding to the absurdity of charging him with having
+officiated as a Catholic Priest, he adverts to his opinion of the views of
+King James, on the subject of toleration&mdash;&#8220;And in his honor, as well as in
+my own defence, I am obliged in conscience to say, that he has ever
+declared to me it was his opinion; and on all occasions, when Duke, he
+never refused me the repeated proof of it, as often as I had any poor
+sufferers for conscience&#8217; sake to solicit his help for.&#8221; * * * * &#8220;To this
+let me add the relation my father had to this King&#8217;s service; his
+particular favor in getting me released out of the Tower of London in
+1669, my father&#8217;s humble request to him, upon his death-bed, to protect me
+from the inconveniences and troubles my persuasion might expose me to, and
+his friendly promise to do it, and exact performance of it, from the
+moment I addressed myself to him. I say, when all this is considered,
+anybody, that has the least pretence to good nature, gratitude, or
+generosity, must needs know how to interpret my access to the King.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This letter contains sentiments, on the subject of religious toleration,
+which would be highly ornamental, if placed in golden characters, upon the
+walls of all our churches&mdash;&#8220;Our fault is, we are apt to be mighty hot upon
+speculative errors, and break all bounds in our resentments; but we let
+practical ones pass without remark, if not without repentance! as if a
+mistake about an obscure proposition of faith were a greater evil, than
+the breach of an undoubted precept. Such a religion the devils themselves
+are not without, for they have both faith and knowledge; but their faith
+doth not work by love, nor their knowledge by obedience.&#8221; * * * &#8220;Let us
+not think religion a litigious thing; nor that Christ came only to make us
+disputants.&#8221; * * * * &#8220;It is charity that deservedly excels in the
+Christian religion.&#8221; * * * * &#8220;He that suffers his difference with his
+neighbor, about the other world, to carry him beyond the line of
+moderation in this, is the worse for his opinion, even if it be true. It
+is too little considered by Christians, that men may hold the truth in
+unrighteousness; that they may be orthodox, and not know what spirit they
+are of.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Verily, this &#8220;<i>courtly Quaker</i>&#8221;&mdash;this &#8220;<i>tool of the King and the Jesuits</i>,&#8221;
+who was &#8220;<i>never a strong-headed man</i>&#8221;&mdash;was quite a Christian gentleman
+after all.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXXI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>In the latter days of William Penn, <i>the sun and the light were
+darkened&mdash;the clouds returned after the rain&mdash;the grasshopper became a
+burden</i>&mdash;and the years had drawn nigh, when he could truly say he had <i>no
+pleasure in them</i>. No mortal, probably, ever enjoyed a more continual
+feast from the consciousness of a life, devoted to the glory of God, and
+the welfare of man; but many of his temporal reliances had crumbled under
+him; and trouble had gathered about his path, and about his bed.</p>
+
+<p>He had not much more comfort in his government, I fear, than Sancho Panza
+enjoyed, in that of Barataria. Its commencement was marked, by a vexatious
+dispute with Lord Baltimore; and the Governor&#8217;s absence was ever the
+signal for altercation, between different cliques and parties, and
+vexatious neglect, on the part of his tenants and agents. In his letters
+to Thomas Lloyd, the President of his Council, he complains of some in the
+government, for drinking, carousing, and official extortion.</p>
+
+<p>In his letters to Lloyd and Harrison in 1686, he complains of the Council,
+for neglecting and slighting his letters; that he cannot get &#8220;<i>a penny</i>&#8221;
+of his quit-rents; and adds&mdash;&#8220;God is my witness, I lie not. I am now above
+six thousand pounds out of pocket, more than ever I saw by the province;
+and you may throw in my pains, cares, and hazard of life, and leaving of
+my family and friends to serve them.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It is even stated by Clarkson, vol. i. ch. 22, that want of funds from the
+Province prevented his returning to America, in 1686. In the following
+year, he renews these complaints.</p>
+
+<p>In 1688, and after the revolution, he was examined, before the Lords of
+Council, on the charge of being a Papist and a Jesuit; gave bonds for his
+attendance, on the first day of the next term; and, no witness then
+appearing against him, he was discharged.</p>
+
+<p>In 1690, he was again arrested, and bound over as before, and, no witness
+appearing, was again discharged. In the same year, he was once more
+arrested, and committed to prison. On the day of trial, no witness
+appeared, and he was again discharged. He resolved to fly from such
+continual persecution, to America, and, while making his preparation, he
+was again arrested, upon the information of one Fuller, who was afterward
+set in the pillory, for his crime.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span>Penn sought safety, in privacy and retirement from the world. In 1691, a
+new proclamation was issued for his arrest; and his American affairs wore
+a gloomy aspect. In 1693, he was deprived of his government, by King
+William; and pursued with unrelenting rage, by his enemies. In the words
+of Clarkson, he was &#8220;<i>a poor, persecuted exile</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;<i>Canonized to-day and cursed to-morrow</i>&#8221;&mdash;such seems to have been the
+fortune of William Penn. His only prudent course seemed to be to bow down,
+before the wrath of that popular hurricane, which swept furiously over
+him, and went upon its way. This good and great man was not wholly
+forgotten. He had never forfeited the affectionate respect of some
+persons, who have left bright names, for the admiration of future ages.
+Such were Locke and Tillotson. They marked their time, and moved in behalf
+of the oppressed. Lords Ranelagh, Rochester, and Sidney went to King
+William&mdash;they &#8220;<i>considered it a dishonor to the Government, that a man,
+who had lived such an exemplary life, and who had been so distinguished
+for his talents, disinterestedness, generosity, and public spirit, should
+be buried in an ignoble obscurity, and prevented from rising to future
+eminence and usefulness, in consequence of the charge of an unprincipled
+wretch, whom Parliament had publicly stigmatized, as a cheat and an
+impostor</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>King William replied to these truly noble lords, &#8220;that William Penn was
+<i>an old friend of his, as well as theirs</i>, and that he might follow his
+business, as freely as ever, for he had nothing to say against him.&#8221; The
+principal Secretary of State, Sir John Trenchard, and the Marquis of
+Winchester bore these joyful tidings to William Penn. And how did he
+receive them? He went instantly, of course, to tender the homage of his
+humble acknowledgments to King William&mdash;not so. He was then greatly
+embarrassed in his pecuniary affairs. Foes were on every side. The wife
+whom, in his parting letter, he bade remember, that she was <i>the love of
+his youth and the joy of his life</i>, was on her death-bed, prostrated
+there, according to Clarkson, in no small degree, by her too keen sympathy
+for her long suffering husband. His <i>heart</i> was broken&mdash;his <i>spirit</i> was
+not. He preferred rights before favors, and desired permission publicly to
+defend himself, before the King in council. This was granted, and he was
+abundantly acquitted, after a deliberate hearing.</p>
+
+<p>The last hours of his wife, Gulielma Maria, were cheered by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> this
+intelligence. In about a month after this event, she died. &#8220;She was an
+excelling person,&#8221; said he, &#8220;as wife, child, mother, mistress, friend, and
+neighbor.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In 1694, a complete reconciliation took place between Penn and the society
+of Friends; and, in the same year, he was restored to the Government of
+Pennsylvania. In 1696, he married Hannah Callowhill, of Bristol. These
+gleams of returning happiness were soon obscured. A few weeks after this
+marriage, he lost his eldest son. This young man was upon the eve of
+twenty-one. His father&#8217;s simple narrative of the dying hour is truly
+affecting. &#8220;His time drawing on apace, he said to me&mdash;&#8216;My dear father,
+kiss me. Thou art a dear father. How can I make thee amends?&#8217; He also
+called his sister, and said to her, &#8216;poor child, come and kiss me,&#8217;
+between whom seemed a tender and long parting. I sent for his brother,
+that he might kiss him too, which he did. All were in tears about him.
+Turning his head to me, he said softly, &#8216;Dear father, hast thou no hope
+for me?&#8217; I answered, &#8216;My dear child, I am afraid to hope, and I dare not
+despair, but am and have been resigned, though one of the hardest lessons
+I ever learned.&#8217;&#8221; When the doctor came, he was very weak, and the
+narrative continues thus. &#8220;He said&mdash;&#8216;Let my father speak to the doctor,
+and I&#8217;ll go to sleep,&#8217; which he did and waked no more; breathing his last
+upon my breast, the tenth day of the second month, between nine and ten in
+the morning, 1696. So ended the life of my dear child and eldest son, much
+of my comfort and hope, and one of the most tender and dutiful, as well as
+ingenuous and virtuous youths I knew, if I may say so of my own dear son,
+in whom I lost all that any father can lose in a child; since he was
+capable of anything, that became a sober young man, my friend and
+companion, as well as most affectionate and dutiful child.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>About this time Penn was sorely grieved, by the conduct of George Keith,
+the apostate Quaker, who had been excommunicated, and now spent his time,
+in abusing the society.</p>
+
+<p>Penn had become well convinced of many solemn truths, presented in the
+last chapter of Ecclesiastes, and of none more fully, than that there is
+no end of making books. He continued to pour forth pamphlets, on various
+subjects. In this year, 1696, he became acquainted, and had several
+interviews, with Peter the Great, who was then working, as a common
+shipwright, in the dock yards at Deptford. In 1699 he once more visited
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span>Pennsylvania. In 1701 he returned to England. In 1702 and 1703 he
+continued to preach and publish, as vigorously as ever.</p>
+
+<p>In 1707 he became involved in a lawsuit, with the executors of one Ford,
+his former steward, or agent. Ford was undoubtedly a knave. Penn suffered
+severely from this cause. The decision was against him; and, though
+Chancery could not relieve, many thought him greatly wronged. He was
+compelled, in 1708, to live within the rules of the Fleet. This,
+doubtless, was the occasion of Mr. Burke&#8217;s erroneous statement, many years
+after, that Penn died in the Fleet Prison. An amusing anecdote may be
+referred to this period, which, though not mentioned by Clarkson, nor in
+the life by Chalmers, may be found in the Encyclop&aelig;dia Britannica, of
+1798, and is repeated, in Napier&#8217;s edition of 1842. Penn is said to have
+had a peep-hole, through which, unseen, he could see every visitor. A
+creditor, having often knocked, and becoming impatient, knocked more
+violently; &#8220;will not your master see me?&#8221; said he, when the door was
+opened&mdash;&#8220;He hath <i>seen</i> thee, friend,&#8221; the servant replied, &#8220;but he doth
+not like thee.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In 1709, his necessities were such, that he mortgaged his whole Province
+of Pennsylvania, for &pound;6600. This necessity, as Oldmixon says, in his
+&#8220;Account of the British Empire in America,&#8221; arose from &#8220;his bounty to the
+Indians, his generosity in minding the public affairs of the Colony more
+than his own private ones, his humanity to those, who have not made
+suitable returns, his confidence in those, who have betrayed him.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In 1712, he had three apoplectic fits, followed by those painful effects,
+which are usual in such cases. His friend, Thomas Story, the first
+recorder of Philadelphia, made him yearly visits, after this period, till
+his death, which took place July 30, 1718. It is impossible to read the
+account of these visits, as given by Thomas Story himself, and presented
+by Clarkson, vol. ii. chap. 18, without emotion.</p>
+
+<p>It has too often befallen those, whose lives have been devoted to the
+benefit of mankind, to be outraged, after they were dead and buried.
+Malice delights to meddle with their ashes. Political prejudice and
+priestly bigotry seek, in graves, undisturbed by ages, for something to
+gratify their unnatural appetites, and satisfy the gnawings of a mean,
+vindictive spirit.</p>
+
+<p>Penn had not long been committed to the tomb, when a wretch, Henry
+Pickworth, an excommunicated renegade, spread<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> abroad, with all the
+industry and energy of a malicious spirit, the report that Penn had died a
+raving maniac, at Bath. This rumor became so general, that it was thought
+necessary to destroy it, by the publication of certificates from those,
+who had ministered about his dying bed.</p>
+
+<p>For one hundred and thirty years, William Penn has slumbered in the grave.
+That <i>hutesium et clamor</i>, that spirit of persecution, by which this
+excellent man was pursued, vilified, impoverished, and exiled, has long
+been hushed. The high churchman, the bigot, the Quaker renegade, the false
+accuser, have worn out their viperous teeth upon the file. All, that bore
+the primeval impress of human weakness, in William Penn, had well nigh
+perished, and departed from the minds of men. All, that was excellent, and
+lovely, and of good report, had become case hardened, as it were, into a
+sort of precious immortality. That his spirit had found a celestial niche,
+among the just made perfect, was the firm faith of all, who believe, that
+their Father in Heaven is a God of toleration and of mercy. I have paid my
+imperfect tribute of affectionate respect to the memory of William Penn.</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding Mr. Macaulay&#8217;s efforts to disturb the popular opinion, in
+regard to William Penn, his History of England is one of the most amusing
+books, in the English language. Relationship is worth something, even in a
+library; I have placed the two volumes, already published, between the
+works of Sir Walter Scott, and a highly prized edition of the Arabian
+Nights.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Death has taken away, within a brief space, several of our estimable
+citizens&mdash;Mr. Joseph Balch, an excellent and amiable man, who filled an
+official station, honorably for himself, and profitably for others&mdash;Mr.
+Samuel C. Gray, a gentleman of taste and refinement, who graduated at
+Harvard College, in 1811, and, at the time of his death, was President of
+the Atlas Bank&mdash;Mr. John Bromfield, a man of a sound head, and a kind
+heart. Having bestowed five and twenty thousand dollars, in his life-time,
+upon the Boston Athen&aelig;um, he modestly left the more<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> extended purposes of
+his benevolent heart, to be proclaimed, after his decease; and, by his
+will, distributed, among eight charitable institutions, and his native
+town, the sum of one hundred and ten thousand dollars.</p>
+
+<p>The features of these good men are still upon the retina of our memories;
+the tones of their voices yet ring in our ears; we almost expect their
+wonted salutation, upon the public walk. But there is no mockery
+here&mdash;they are gone&mdash;the places, that knew them, shall know them no more!</p>
+
+<p>Death has laid his icy hand upon these men, as he has ever laid the same
+cold palm upon their fathers, since time began. Such exits are common.
+Disease triumphed over the flesh, and they ceased to be.</p>
+
+<p>But Death has done his dismal work, of late, in our very midst, by the
+hand of cruel violence&mdash;not sitting like the King of Terrors, in quiet
+dignity, upon his throne, and casting his unerring shafts abroad; but
+darting down upon his unsuspecting victim, and, with a murderous grasp,
+crushing him at once. I allude, as every reader well knows, to the fate of
+the late Dr. George Parkman.</p>
+
+<p>As the Coroner&#8217;s Inquest, after long and laborious investigation, has
+declared, that he was &#8220;<i>killed</i>,&#8221; we must assume it to be so. I have known
+this gentleman, for more than forty years; and have had occasion to
+observe some of the peculiarities of his character, in the relations of
+business, as well as in those of ordinary intercourse&mdash;I say the
+<i>peculiarities</i> of his character, for he certainly must be classed in the
+category of <i>eccentric</i> men. Having heard much of this ill-fated
+gentleman, for many years, before the late awful occurrence, and still
+more since the event&mdash;for he was extensively known, and all, who knew him,
+have something to relate&mdash;I am satisfied, that those very traits of
+eccentricity, to which I refer, have led the larger part of mankind, to
+form erroneous impressions of his character.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. George Parkman was the son of Samuel Parkman, an enterprising, and
+successful merchant, of Boston, who was a descendant of Ebenezer Parkman,
+who graduated at Harvard College, in 1721, and was ordained Oct. 28, 1724,
+the first minister of Westborough; and who, after a ministry of sixty
+years, died, Dec. 9, 1782, at the age of 79, and whose wife was the
+daughter of Robert Breck, minister of Marlborough, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> was the grandson
+of Edward Breck, one of the early settlers of Dorchester, in 1636.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. George Parkman graduated, at Harvard College, in 1809. When he
+commenced his junior year, John White Webster, now Erving Professor of
+Chemistry and Mineralogy, entered the University, as freshman. Dr.
+Webster, who is now in prison, charged with the &#8220;<i>killing</i>&#8221; of Dr.
+Parkman, will, in due time, be tried, by a jury of his countrymen. Will it
+not be decorous, and humane, and in accordance with the golden rule, for
+the men, women, and children of Massachusetts, to permit the accused to
+have an impartial trial? Can this be possible, if, upon the <i>on dits</i> of
+the day, of whose value every man of any experience can judge, this
+individual, whose past career seems not to have been particularly
+bloodthirsty, is to be morally condemned, without a hearing?</p>
+
+<p>Hundreds, whose elastic intellects have been accustomed to jump in
+judgment, are already assured, that we believe Dr. Webster innocent. Now
+we <i>believe</i> no such thing&mdash;nor do we <i>believe</i> he is guilty. His
+reputation and his life are of some little importance to himself, and to
+his family; and we should be heartily ashamed, to carry a head upon our
+shoulders, which would not enable us to suspend our judgment, until all
+the <i>true facts</i> are in, and all the <i>false facts</i> are out.</p>
+
+<p>How much beautiful reasoning has been utterly and gratuitously wasted,
+upon premises, which have turned out to be not a whit better, than stubble
+and rottenness! The very readiness, with which everybody believes all
+manner of evil, of everybody, furnishes evidence enough, that the devil is
+in everybody; and goes not a little way, in support of the doctrine of
+original sin.</p>
+
+<p>Let us, by all means, and especially, by an avoidance of the topic, give
+assurance to the accused of a fair and impartial trial. If he shall be
+proved to be innocent, who will not blush, that has contributed to fill
+the atmosphere, with a presentiment of this poor man&#8217;s guilt? If, on the
+other hand, he shall be proved to be guilty of an incomparably foul and
+fiendish murder&mdash;let him be hanged by the neck till he is dead, for God&#8217;s
+sake&mdash;aye, for <span class="smcap">God&#8217;s sake</span>&mdash;for God hath said&mdash;<span class="smcaplc">WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN&#8217;S BLOOD,
+BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED</span>.</p>
+
+<p>The personal appearance of Dr. Parkman was remarkable&mdash;so much so, that
+his identity could not well be mistaken, by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> any one, who had carefully
+observed his person. His body was unusually attenuated, and I have often,
+while looking at his profile, perceived a resemblance to Hogarth&#8217;s sketch
+of his friend Fielding, taken from memory, after death.</p>
+
+<p>The talents of Dr. George Parkman were highly respectable. His mind was of
+that order, which took little rest&mdash;its movements, like those of his body,
+were always quick; more so, perhaps, upon some occasions, than comported
+with the formation of just and permanent judgment. He was a respectably
+well read man, not only in his own profession, but he possessed a very
+creditable store of general information, and was an entertaining and
+instructive companion. In various ways, he promoted the best interests of
+medical science; and nothing, probably, prevented him from attaining very
+considerable eminence, in his calling, but the accession of hereditary
+wealth; whose management occupied, for many years, a large portion of his
+time and thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>By some persons, he has been accounted over sharp and hard, in his
+pecuniary dealings&mdash;mean and even miserly. No opinion can be more untrue.
+Dr. Parkman&#8217;s eccentricity was nowhere so manifest, as in his money
+relations. The line was singularly well defined, in his mind, between
+charity, or liberality, and traffic. He adhered to the time-honored maxim,
+that <i>there is no love in trade</i>. There are persons, who, in their
+dealings, give up fractions, and suffer petty encroachments, for the sake
+of popularity; and who make, not only their own side of a bargain, but, in
+a very amiable, patronizing way, a portion of the other. Dr. Parkman did
+none of these things. He gave men credit, for a full share of selfishness
+and cunning&mdash;made his contracts carefully&mdash;performed them strictly&mdash;and
+expected an exact fulfilment, from the other party.</p>
+
+<p>It is perfectly natural, that the promptness and the pertinacity of Dr.
+Parkman, in exacting the punctual payment of money, and the strict
+performance of contracts, should be equally surprising and annoying to
+those, whose previous dealings had been with men, of less method and
+vigilance. But no man, however irritated by the daily repetition of the
+dun, has ever charged, upon Dr. Parkman, the slightest departure from the
+line of strict integrity. He was a man of honor, in the true acceptation
+of that word. His domestic arrangements were of the most liberal kind&mdash;his
+manners were courteous&mdash;and he possessed the high<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> spirit of a
+gentleman&mdash;and, with all the occasional evidences, which his conduct
+<i>openly</i> supplied, of his particular care, in the gathering of units; he
+could be <i>secretly</i> liberal, with hundreds.</p>
+
+<p>It may well be doubted, if any individual has ever lived, for sixty years,
+in this city, whose real character has been so little understood, by the
+community at large. The reason is at hand&mdash;he exposed that regard for
+pittances, which most men conceal&mdash;and he concealed many acts of charity,
+which most men expose. He had many tenants of the lower order&mdash;he was
+frequently his own collector, and brought upon himself many murmurs and
+complaints, which are commonly the agent&#8217;s portion.</p>
+
+<p>The charities of Dr. Parkman wore an aspect, now and then, of
+whimsicality, and were strangely contrasted with <i>apparent</i> meanness.
+Thus, upon one occasion, he is said to have insisted upon being paid a
+paltry balance of rent, some twenty-five cents, by a poor woman, who
+assured him it was all she had to buy her dinner. &#8220;<i>Now we have settled
+the rent</i>,&#8221; said he, and immediately gave her a couple of dollars.</p>
+
+<p>A gentleman, an old college acquaintance of Dr. Parkman&#8217;s, told me, a day
+or two since, that the Dr. came to him, after this gentleman&#8217;s failure,
+some years ago, and said to him, with great kindness and delicacy&mdash;&#8220;You
+want a house&mdash;there is mine in &mdash;&mdash; street, empty and repaired&mdash;take
+it&mdash;you shall pay no rent for a year, and as much longer, as may suit your
+convenience.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In 1832, this city was visited by the cholera. Mr. Charles Wells was
+Mayor, and a very good Mayor was he. Had his benevolence induced him to
+labor, for the more extensive diffusion of the blessing of alcohol, among
+the poor, the liquor trade would certainly have voted him a punch-bowl,
+for his vigorous opposition to the cholera. Upon the occasion, to which I
+refer, Dr. Parkman said to the city authorities&mdash;&#8220;You are seeking for a
+cholera hospital&mdash;take any of my houses, that may suit you, rent free, in
+welcome. If you prefer that, which I occupy, I will move out, with
+pleasure.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>When Dorcas died, the good people of Joppa began to display her handiwork.
+I am surprised, though much of it was known to me before, at the amount of
+evidence, which is now produced, from various quarters, to prove, that
+this unfortunate gentleman was a man of the most kind affections, and of
+extensive, practical benevolence.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span>Let me close these remarks, with one brief anecdote; which, though once
+already related of Dr. Parkman, by the editor of the Transcript, is worthy
+of many republications, and is not at all like news, on the stock
+exchange, good only while it is new.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;A politician stopped the Doctor in the street and asked him to subscribe
+for the expense of a salute, in honor of some political victory. The
+Doctor put his arm in his, and invited him to take a little walk. He led
+him round the corner into a dismal alley, and then up three flights of
+rickety stairs into a room where a poor woman was sitting, propped by
+pillows, feebly attempting to sew. Some pale, hungry-looking children were
+near. The Doctor took six dollars out of his pocket-book, and handed it to
+the politician, and, simply remarking, &#8220;do with it as you please,&#8221; he
+darted out of the room in his usually impulsive way.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>I must close this feeble tribute of respect to the memory of one, who
+truly deserved a milder fate and an abler pen. Had we the power of
+recall&mdash;how well and wisely might we pay his ransom, with scores of men,
+quite as <i>eccentric</i> in their way, but whose <i>eccentricity</i> has very
+rarely assumed the charitable type!</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>When I was a very young man, I had the honor of a slight acquaintance with
+a most worthy gentleman, my senior by many years, who represented the town
+of Hull, in the Legislature of our Commonwealth. As I marked the solemn
+step, with which he moved along the public way, towards the House of
+Representatives, and the weight of responsibility, which hung upon his
+anxious brow&mdash;if such, thought I, is the effect, produced upon the
+representative of Hull&mdash;what an awful thing it must be, to represent the
+whole United States of North America, at the court of the greatest nation
+in the world!</p>
+
+<p>In harmony with this opinion, every nation of the earth has selected, from
+the <i>&eacute;lite</i> of the whole country, for the high and responsible employment
+of standing before the world, as the legitimate representative of itself,
+a man of affairs&mdash;I do not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> mean the affairs of trade, and discounts, and
+invoices, and profits&mdash;I use the word, in its most ample diplomatic
+sense&mdash;a man of great wisdom, and knowledge, and experience&mdash;a man
+familiar with the laws of nations&mdash;a man of dignity&mdash;not that arrogated
+dignity, which looks supremely wise, while it feels supremely foolish&mdash;but
+that conscious dignity, which is innate, and sits upon the wearer, like an
+easy garment&mdash;a man of liberal education, and great familiarity, not with
+the whole circle of sciences, but with the whole circle of historical and
+correlative knowledge&mdash;a man of classical erudition, and a scholar,
+competent to bear a becoming part, in that elevated intercourse of mind,
+which forms the dignified and delightful recreation of the diplomatist, in
+the first society of Europe.</p>
+
+<p>Men, who have been bred up, amid the pursuits of trade, have been, with
+great propriety, selected, to fill the offices of <i>consuls</i>, in foreign
+lands; agreeably to the long established distinction, that <i>consuls</i>
+represent the <i>commercial affairs</i>&mdash;<i>ambassadors</i> the <i>state and dignity</i>
+of the country, from whence they come.</p>
+
+<p>Oh! for the wand of that enchantress, the glorious witch of Endor! to turn
+up the sod of memory, and conjure, from their honorable graves, the train
+of illustrious, and highly gifted men, who, from time to time, have been
+sent forth, to represent this great Republic, before the throne of
+England!</p>
+
+<p>First, on that scroll of honor, is a name, which shall prove coeval with
+the first days, and with the last, of this Republic. It shall never
+perish, till the whole earth itself shall be rolled up, like a scroll. On
+the second day of June, 1785, <span class="smcap">John Adams</span> was presented to King George, the
+third. The very man, whom that obstinate, old monarch had never
+contemplated, in his royal visions, but as a rebel, suing for pardon, with
+a rope about his neck, then stood before him, calm and erect&mdash;the equal of
+that king, in all things, that became a man, and his mighty superior in
+many&mdash;the representative of a nation, which his consummate wisdom, and
+invincible, moral courage had contributed, so materially, to render free
+and independent.</p>
+
+<p>What a tribute was conveyed, in the words of Jefferson, his political
+rival&mdash;&#8220;<i>The great pillar and support to the declaration of independence,
+and its ablest advocate and champion on the floor of the house was</i> <span class="smcap">John
+Adams</span>. <i>He was the Colossus of that Congress: not graceful, not eloquent,
+not always fluent, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> his public addresses, he yet came out with a power
+both of thought and expression, which moved the hearers from their
+seats.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In those thoughtful days, secretaries of legation were carefully selected,
+and with some reference, of course, to their contingent responsibilities,
+in the event of the absence, or illness, of their principals. When, in
+1779, Mr. Adams went, on his mission to France, a gentleman of high
+qualifications, Mr. Francis Dana, gave up his seat, <i>as a member of
+Congress</i>, to follow that great man, <i>as secretary of legation</i>. Mr. Dana
+subsequently figured, ably and gracefully, in the highest stations. In
+1780, he was minister to Russia. In 1784, he was a delegate to Congress.
+In 1797, he declined the office of envoy extraordinary to France. From
+1792 to 1806, he was the able, impartial, and eminently dignified Chief
+Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.</p>
+
+<p>In 1794, it was thought, by the appointing power, that John Jay might be
+trusted to represent our Republic, at the British Court. With what a
+reputation, for wisdom, and talents, and learning, that great man crossed
+the sea! Mr. Jay, an eminent lawyer, uniting the wisdom and dignity of
+years, with the vigor and zeal of early manhood, was a member of the first
+American Congress, at the age of twenty-nine. Chairman of the Committee,
+of which Lee and Livingston were members, he was the author of the
+eloquent &#8220;<i>Address to the People of Great Britain</i>.&#8221; He was Chief Justice
+of the State of New York, from 1777 to 1779, and relinquished that
+elevated station, as incompatible with the due performance of his duties,
+as President of Congress. From his skilful hand came the stirring address
+of that assembly, to its constituents, of Sept. 8, 1779. He was appointed
+minister plenipotentiary to Spain, at the close of that year&mdash;a
+commissioner, to negotiate peace with Great Britain, in 1782&mdash;Chief
+Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of the United States, in
+1789&mdash;Governor of New York, in 1795, being then abroad, as minister
+plenipotentiary of the United States, to Great Britain, to which office he
+was appointed in 1794&mdash;and again Governor of New York, in 1798.</p>
+
+<p>Rufus King graduated at Harvard College, in 1777, with a high reputation,
+as a classical scholar and an orator; and studied his profession, with the
+late Chief Justice Parsons. In 1784, he was a delegate to Congress. He was
+a member of the Convention of 1787, to form the Constitution of the United
+States. In<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> 1789, he was a member of the United States Senate. Of the
+celebrated Camillus papers, commonly ascribed to Hamilton, all, excepting
+the ten first, were from the pen of Rufus King. In 1796, he was nominated,
+by Washington, minister plenipotentiary to the Court of Great Britain. He
+filled that high station, till the close of the second year of the
+Jefferson administration. After a long retirement, he was again in the
+Senate of the United States, in 1813. After quitting the Senate, in 1825,
+he was once more appointed minister to Great Britain; but, after remaining
+abroad, about a year, in ill health, he returned, and died at Jamaica,
+Long Island, April 29, 1827.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;<i>And what shall I more say?</i> For the time would fail me, to tell of&#8221;
+Pinckney, and Gore, and the younger Adams, that incarnation of wisdom and
+learning, and Gallatin, and Maclean, and Everett, and Bancroft, every one
+of whom has been preceded, by the well-earned reputation of high,
+intellectual powers and attainments, whatever may have been the difference
+of their political opinions.</p>
+
+<p>Knowledge is power; talent is power; and fine literary tastes and
+acquirements are, pre&euml;minently, power; and, in no spot, upon the surface
+of the earth, are they more truly so, than in the great British
+metropolis. The wand of a man of letters can there do more, than can be
+achieved, by the power of Midas, or the wonder-working lamp of Aladdin.</p>
+
+<p>Our fathers, therefore, preferred, that the nation should be represented,
+in its simplicity and strength, by men of long heads, strong hearts, and
+short purses. They considered a regular, thorough, and polished education,
+literary attainments of a very high order, a clear and comprehensive
+knowledge of the law of nations, and an extensive store of general
+information, absolutely essential, in a minister plenipotentiary, from
+this Republic, to the Court of Great Britain; for our <i>state and dignity</i>
+were to be represented there, not less than our <i>commercial relations</i>.</p>
+
+<p>They well knew, that our representative should be qualified to represent
+the refined and educated portions of our community, in the presence of
+those elevated classes, among whom he must frequently appear; and &#8220;<i>whose
+talk</i>,&#8221; to use the expression of Dr. Johnson, was not likely to be &#8220;<i>of
+bullocks</i>.&#8221; They therefore invariably selected, for this exalted station,
+one, who would be abundantly able to represent the nation, with gravity,
+and dignity, and wisdom, and knowledge, and power; and who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> would never be
+reduced, whatever the subject might be, to believe his safety was in
+sitting still, or of suffering the secret of his impotency to escape, by
+opening his mouth.</p>
+
+<p>If I have passed too rapidly for the reader&#8217;s willingness to linger, over
+the names of some highly distinguished men, who have so ably represented
+our country, at the British Court, and who still <i>survive</i>&mdash;it is because
+<i>my dealings are with the dead</i>.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXIV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>&#8220;An immense quantity of fuel was always of necessity used, when dead
+bodies were burned, instead of buried; and a friend, learned in such lore,
+as well as in much that is far more valuable, informs us that the burning
+of a <i>martyr</i> was always an expensive process.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This passage was transferred, from the New York Courier and Enquirer, to
+the Boston Atlas, December 29, 1849, and is part of an article having
+reference to the partial cremation of Dr. Parkman&#8217;s remains.</p>
+
+<p>I must presume, as a sexton of the old school, to doubt the accuracy of
+this statement, in the very face of the averment, that the editor&#8217;s
+authority is &#8220;<i>a friend, learned in such lore</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>To enable my readers to judge of the comparative expense of burial, in the
+ordinary mode, by interment or entombment, and by cremation, I refer, in
+the first place, to Mr. Chadwick&#8217;s Report, made by request of Her
+Majesty&#8217;s Principal Secretary of State, for the Home Department, Lond.
+1843, in which it is stated, that a Master in Chancery, when dealing with
+insolvent estates, will pass, &#8220;<i>as a matter of course</i>,&#8221; such claims as
+these&mdash;from &pound;60 to &pound;100 for burying an upper tradesman&mdash;&pound;250 for burying a
+gentleman&mdash;&pound;500 to &pound;1500 for burying a nobleman.</p>
+
+<p>But let us confine our remarks to the particular allegation. The &#8220;<i>friend,
+learned in such lore</i>,&#8221; has greatly diminished the labor of refutation, by
+confining his statement to the burning of <i>martyrs</i>&mdash;&#8220;<i>the burning of a
+martyr was always an expensive process</i>,&#8221; requiring, says the Courier and
+Enquirer, &#8220;<i>an immense quantity of fuel</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span>I well remember to have read, though I cannot recall the authority, that
+aromatic woods and spices were occasionally used in the East, during the
+<i>suttees</i>, to correct the offensive odor. In addition to the reason,
+assigned by Cicero, De Legibus, ii. 23, for the law against intramural
+burning, that conflagration might be avoided&mdash;Servius, in a note, on the
+&AElig;neis, vi. 150, states another, that the air might not be infected with
+the stench. To prevent this, we know that costly perfumes were cast upon
+the pile; and the respect and affection for the defunct came to be
+measured, at last, by this species of extravagance; just as the funereal
+sorrow of the Irish is supposed to be graduated, by the number of coaches,
+and the quantity of whiskey.</p>
+
+<p>But our business is with the <i>martyrs</i>. What was the cost of burning John
+Rogers I really do not know. I doubt if the process was very expensive;
+for good old John Strype has told us, almost to a fagot, how much fuel it
+took, to burn Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley. The fuel, employed to burn
+Latimer and Ridley, cost fifteen shillings and four pence sterling for
+both; and the fuel for burning Cranmer, nine shillings and four pence
+only. Then there were chains, stakes, laborers, and cartage; and the whole
+cost for burning all three, was <i>one pound, sixteen shillings, and six
+pence</i>! Not a very expensive process truly. The authority is not at every
+one&#8217;s command: I therefore give it entire, from Strype&#8217;s Memorials of
+Cranmer, Oxford ed., 1840, vol. i. p. 563:&mdash;</p>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" summary="table">
+<tr><td>&nbsp;</td>
+    <td align="center"><i>s.</i></td>
+    <td align="center"><i>d.</i></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&#8220;For three loads of wood fagots to burn Ridley and Latimer,</td>
+    <td align="center">12</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">0</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item, one load of furs fagots,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">3</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">4</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>For the carriage of these four loads,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">2</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">0</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item, a post,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">1</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">4</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item, two chains,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">3</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">4</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item, two staples,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">0</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">6</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item, four laborers,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">2</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">8</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+<tr><td align="center">&#8220;<span class="smcap">For Burning Cranmer.</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>For an 100 of wood fagots,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">6</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">0</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>For an 100 and half of furs fagots,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">3</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">4</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>For the carriage of them,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">0</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">8</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>To two laborers,</td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: .5em;">1</span></td>
+    <td align="center"><span style="margin-left: 1.25em;">4.&#8221;</span></td></tr></table>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span>&pound;1500 to <i>bury</i> a nobleman, and &pound;1 16 6, to <i>burn</i> three martyrs! Leaving
+the Courier and Enquirer, and the &#8220;<i>friend, learned in such lore</i>,&#8221; to
+<i>bury</i> or to <i>burn</i> this record, as they please, I turn to another
+subject, referred to, on the very same page of Strype&#8217;s Memorials, and
+which is not without some little interest, at the present moment.</p>
+
+<p>A prisoner, charged with any terrible offence, innocent or guilty, lies
+under the <i>surveillance</i> of all eyes and ears. The slightest act, the
+shortest word, the very breath of his nostrils are carefully reported. The
+public resolves itself into a committee of anxious inquirers, to ascertain
+precisely how he eats, and drinks, and sleeps. There are persons of lively
+fancies, whose imaginations fire up, at the mere sight of his prison
+walls, and start off, under high pressure, filling the air with rumors,
+too horribly delightful, to be doubted for an instant.</p>
+
+<p>If the topic were not the terrible thing that it is, it would be difficult
+to preserve one&#8217;s gravity, while listening to some portion of the
+testimony, upon which, it may be our fortune, one of these days, to be
+convicted of murder, by the charitable public.</p>
+
+<p>Of the guilt or innocence of John White Webster I <i>know</i> nothing, and I
+<i>believe</i> nothing. But it has been currently reported, that, since his
+confinement, he has been detected, in the crime of eating oysters. I
+doubt, if this ordeal would have been considered entirely satisfactory,
+even by Dr. Mather, in 1692. Man is a marvellous monster, when sitting,
+self-placed, in judgment, on his fellow! The very thing, which is a sin,
+in the commission or observance, is no less a sin, in the omission and the
+breach&mdash;for who will doubt the blood-guiltiness of a man, that, while
+confined, on a charge of murder, can partake of an oyster pie! And if he
+cannot do this, who will doubt, that a consciousness of guilt has deprived
+him of his appetite!</p>
+
+<p>I have heard of a drunken husband, who, while staggering home, after
+midnight, communed with himself, as follows&mdash;&#8220;<i>If my wife has gone to bed,
+before I get home to supper, I&#8217;ll beat her,&mdash;and if she is sitting up, so
+late as this, burning my wood and candles, I&#8217;ll beat her</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Good John Strype, ibid. 562, says of Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley, while in
+the prison of Bocardo&mdash;&#8220;They ate constantly suppers as well as dinners.
+Their meals amounted to about three or four shillings; seldom exceeding
+four. Their bread and ale commonly came to two pence or three pence; they
+had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> constantly cheese and pears for their last dish, both at dinner and
+supper; and always wine.&#8221; It is not uninteresting to note the prices, paid
+for certain articles of their diet, in those days, 1555. While describing
+the <i>provant</i> of these martyrs, Strype annexes the prices, &#8220;<i>it being an
+extraordinary dear time</i>.&mdash;A goose, 14d. A pig, 12 oz. 13d. A cony, 6d. A
+woodcock, 3d. and sometimes 5d. A couple of chickens, 6d. Three plovers,
+10d. Half a dozen larks, 3d. A dozen of larks and 2 plovers, 10d. A breast
+of veal, 11d. A shoulder of mutton, 10d. Roast beef, 12d.&#8221; He presents one
+of Cranmer&#8217;s bills of fare:&mdash;</p>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" summary="table">
+<tr><td>&#8220;Bread and ale,</td>
+    <td><span style="margin-left: .5em;">2.d.</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item oisters,</td>
+    <td><span style="margin-left: .5em;">1.d.</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item butter,</td>
+    <td><span style="margin-left: .5em;">2.d.</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item eggs,</td>
+    <td><span style="margin-left: .5em;">2.d.</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item lyng,</td>
+    <td><span style="margin-left: .5em;">8.d.</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Item a piece of fresh salmon,</td>
+    <td>10.d.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>Wine,</td>
+    <td><span style="margin-left: .5em;">3.d.</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>Cheese and pears,</td>
+    <td><span style="margin-left: .5em;">2.d.&#8221;</span></td></tr></table>
+
+<p>Two bailiffs, Wells and Winkle, upon their own responsibility, furnished
+the table of these martyrs, and appear never to have been reimbursed.
+Strype says, ibid. 563, that they expended &pound;63 10s. 2d., and never
+received but &pound;20, which they obtained from Sir William Petre, Secretary of
+State. Ten years after, a petition was presented to the successor of
+Cranmer, that these poor bailiffs might receive some recompense.</p>
+
+<p>After the pile had burnt down, in the case of Cranmer, upon raking among
+the embers, his heart was found entire. Upon this incident, Strype
+exclaims&mdash;&#8220;Methinks it is a pity, that his heart, that remained sound in
+the fire, and was found unconsumed in his ashes, was not preserved in some
+urn; which, when the better times of Queen Elizabeth came, might, in
+memory of this truly good and great Thomas of Canterbury, have been placed
+among his predecessors, in his church there, as one of the truest glories
+of that See.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In 1821, Mr. William Ward, of Serampore, published, in London, his
+&#8220;<i>Farewell Letters</i>.&#8221; Mr. Ward was a Baptist missionary; and, at the time
+of the publication, was preparing to return to Bengal. This work was very
+favorably reviewed in the Christian Observer, vol. xxi. p. 504. I have
+never met with a description, so exceedingly minute, of the <i>suttee</i>, the
+process of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span> burning widows. He thus describes the funeral pile&mdash;&#8220;The
+funeral pile consists of a quantity of fagots, laid on the earth, rising,
+in height, about three feet from the ground, about four feet wide, and six
+feet in length.&#8221; Admitting these fagots to be closely packed, the pile
+contains seventy-two cubic feet of wood, or fifty-six less than a cord.
+&#8220;<i>A large quantity of fagots are then laid upon the bodies</i>,&#8221; says Mr.
+Ward. As the widow often leaps from the pile, and is chased back again,
+into the flames, by the benevolent Bramins, the fagots, which are not
+heaped <i>around</i> the pile, but &#8220;<i>laid on the bodies</i>,&#8221; cannot be a very
+oppressive load; and the quantity, thus employed in the <i>suttee</i>, is for
+the cremation of two bodies, at least, the dead husband, and the living
+widow.</p>
+
+<p>There can be no doubt of the superior economy of cremation, over
+earth-burial. The notions of an &#8220;<i>expensive process</i>,&#8221; and the &#8220;<i>immense
+quantities of fuel</i>,&#8221; have no foundation in practice. If the ashes, as has
+been sometimes the case, were given to the winds, or cast upon the waters,
+the expense of cremation would be exceedingly small. But cremation,
+however inexpensive, in itself, has led to unmeasured extravagance, in the
+matter of urns of the most costly materials, and workmanship, of which an
+ample account may be found, in the <i>Hydriotaphia</i> of Sir Thomas Browne,
+London, 1835, vol. iii. p. 449.</p>
+
+<p>More remarkable changes have occurred, in modern times, than a revival of
+the practice of cremation. It is an error, however, to suppose this
+practice to have been the original mode of dealing with the dead. It was
+very general about the year 1225, B. C., but the usage, at the present
+day, was, doubtless, the primitive practice of mankind. So thought Cicero,
+De Legibus ii. 22. &#8220;Ac mihi quidem antiquissimum sepultur&aelig; genus id fuisse
+videtur, quo apud Xenophontem Cyrus utitur. Redditur enim terr&aelig; corpus, et
+ita locatum ac situm, quasi operimento matris obducitur.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Nevertheless, there is a strong cremation party among us. Who would not
+save sixpence, if he could, even in a winding-sheet! Should the wood and
+lumber interest be fairly represented, in our city councils, it would not
+be surprising, if there should be a majority, in favor of taking the
+remains of our citizens to Nova Scotia, to be burnt, rather than to
+Malden, to be buried. My friends, Birch, Touchwood, and Deal, are of this
+opinion; and would be happy to receive the citizens on board<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span> their
+regular coasters, for this purpose, at a reasonable price, per hundred, or
+by the single citizen&mdash;packed in ice.</p>
+
+<p>An experienced person will be always on hand, to receive the corpses.
+Religious services will be duly performed, during the burning, without
+extra charge; and, should the project find favor with the public, a
+regular line of funeral coasters, with appropriate emblems, and
+figure-heads, will, in due time, be established. Those, who prefer the
+more economical mode of water-burial, for their departed relatives,
+thereby saving the expense of fuel altogether, will be accommodated, if
+they will leave orders in writing, with the masters on board, who will
+personally superintend the dropping of the bodies, off soundings.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>While attempting to rectify the supposed mistakes of other men, we
+sometimes commit egregious blunders ourselves. In turning over an old copy
+of John Josselyn&#8217;s Voyages to New England, in 1638 and 1663, my attention
+was attracted, by a particular passage, and a marginal manuscript note,
+intended to correct what the annotator supposed, and what some readers
+might suppose, to be a blunder of the printer, or the author. The passage
+runs thus&mdash;&#8220;In 1602, these North parts were further discovered by Capt.
+<i>Bartholomew Gosnold</i>. The first <i>English</i> that planted there, set down
+not far from the <i>Narragansetts Bay</i>, and called their Colony <i>Plimouth</i>,
+since old <i>Plimouth, An. Dom., 1602</i>.&#8221; The annotator had written, on the
+margin, &#8220;<i>gross blunder</i>,&#8221; and, in both instances, run his indignant pen
+through 1602, and substituted 1620. There are others, doubtless, who would
+have done the same thing. The first aspect of the thing is certainly very
+tempting. The text, nevertheless, is undoubtedly correct. It is altogether
+likely, that the matter, stated by Josselyn, can be found, so stated by no
+other writer. In 1602, Gosnold discovered the Elizabeth Islands, and built
+a house, and erected palisades, on the &#8220;Island Elizabeth,&#8221; the westernmost
+of the group, whose Indian name was Cuttyhunk. In 1797, Dr. Jeremy Belknap
+visited this interesting spot. &#8220;<i>We had the supreme satisfaction</i>,&#8221; says
+he, Am. Biog. ii. 115, &#8220;<i>to find the cellar of Gosnold&#8217;s store-house</i>!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span>Hutchinson, i. 1, refers expressly to the passage, in Josselyn; and after
+stating that Gosnold discovered the Elizabeth Islands, in 1602, and built
+a fort there, and intended a settlement, but could not persuade his people
+to remain, he adds, in a note&mdash;&#8220;<i>This, I suppose, is what Josselyn, and no
+other author, calls the first colony of New Plimouth, for he says it was
+begun in 1602, and near Narragansett Bay</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The writer of a &#8220;Topographical Description of New Bedford,&#8221; M. H. C., iv.
+234, states, that the island, on which Gosnold built his fort and
+store-house, was <i>Nashaun</i>, and refers to Dr. Belknap&#8217;s Biography. The New
+Bedford writer is wrong, in point of fact, and right, in point of
+reference. Dr. Belknap published the first volume of his Biography, in
+1794, containing a short notice of Gosnold, in which, p. 236, he
+says&mdash;&#8220;The island, on which Gosnold and his companions took up their
+abode, is now called by its Indian name, <i>Nashaun</i>, and is the property of
+the Hon. James Bowdoin, of Boston, to whom I am indebted for these remarks
+on Gosnold&#8217;s journal.&#8221; The writer of the description of New Bedford
+published his account, the following year, and relied on Dr. Belknap, who
+unfortunately relied on his informant, who, it seems, was entirely
+mistaken.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Belknap published his second volume, in 1798, with a new and more
+extended memoir of Gosnold, in which, p. 100, he remarks&mdash;&#8220;The account of
+Gosnold&#8217;s voyage and discovery, in the first volume of this work, is so
+erroneous, from the misinformation, which I had received, that I thought
+it best to write the whole of it anew. The former mistakes are here
+corrected, partly from the best information which I could obtain, after
+the most assiduous inquiry; but principally from <i>my own observations</i>, on
+the spot; compared with the journal of the voyage, more critically
+examined than before.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Here is abundant evidence of that scrupulous regard for historical truth,
+for which that upright and excellent man was ever remarkable. With most
+writers, the pride of authorship would have revolted. The very thought of
+these <i>vestigia retrorsum</i>, would not have found toleration, for a moment.
+Some less offensive mode might have been adopted, by the employment of
+<i>errata</i>, or <i>appendices</i>, or <i>addenda</i>. Not so: this conscientious man,
+however innocently, had misled the public, upon a few historical points,
+and nothing would give him satisfaction, but a public recantation. His
+right hand had not been the agent, like<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> Cranmer&#8217;s, of voluntary
+falsehood, but of unintentional mistake, like Sc&aelig;vola&#8217;s; and nothing would
+suffice, in his opinion, but the actual cautery.</p>
+
+<p>In this second life of Gosnold, p. 114, after describing &#8220;the island
+Elizabeth,&#8221; or Cuttyhunk, Dr. Belknap says&mdash;&#8220;To this spot I went, on the
+20th day of June, 1797, in company with several gentlemen, whose curiosity
+and obliging kindness induced them to accompany me. The protecting hand of
+nature had reserved this favorite spot to herself. Its fertility and its
+productions are exactly the same, as in Gosnold&#8217;s time, excepting the
+wood, of which there is none. Every species of what he calls &#8216;rubbish,&#8217;
+with strawberries, pears, tansy, and other fruits, and herbs, appear in
+rich abundance, unmolested by any animal but aquatic birds. We had the
+supreme satisfaction to find the cellar of Gosnold&#8217;s store-house.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;<i>We had the supreme satisfaction to find the cellar of Gosnold&#8217;s
+store-house!</i>&#8221;&mdash;A whole-souled ejaculation this! I reverence the memory of
+the man who made it. It is not every other man we meet on &#8217;Change, who can
+estimate a sentiment like this. My little Jew friend, in Griper&#8217;s Alley,
+entirely mistakes the case. Never having heard of Bart Gosnold before, he
+takes him, for the like of Kidd; and the venerable Dr. Jeremy Belknap, for
+a gold-finder. What <i>supreme satisfaction</i> could there be, in discovering
+the cellar of a store-house, nearly two hundred years old, unless hidden
+treasures were there concealed! How, in the name of two per cent. a month,
+and all the other gods we worship, could a visit down to Cuttyhunk ever
+<i>pay</i>, only to stare at the stones of an ancient cellar!</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Belknap&#8217;s ejaculation reminds one of divers interesting matters&mdash;of
+Archimedes, when he leaped from his bath, and ran about naked, for joy,
+with <i>eureka</i> on his lips, having excogitated the plan, for detecting the
+fraud, practised upon Hiero.&mdash;It also recalls&mdash;<i>parvis componere
+magna</i>&mdash;Johnson&#8217;s memorable exclamation, upon walking over the graves, at
+Icolmkill&mdash;&#8220;To abstract the mind from all local emotion would be
+impossible, if it were endeavored, and would be foolish, if it were
+possible. Whatever withdraws us from the power of our senses; whatever
+makes the past, the distant or the future predominate over the present,
+advances us in the dignity of thinking beings. Far from me and from my
+friends be such frigid philosophy, as may conduct as indifferent and
+unmoved over any ground,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> which has been dignified by wisdom, bravery or
+virtue. That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain
+force upon the plains of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer
+among the ruins of Iona.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Jeremy Belknap was a Boston boy, born June 4, 1744. He learned his
+rudiments, under the effective birch of Master Lovell; graduated A. M. at
+Harvard, 1762, S. T. D. 1792. He was ordained pastor of the church in
+Dover, N. H. 1767; and in 1787, he became pastor of the church in Berry
+Street, formerly known as Johnny Moorehead&#8217;s, who was settled there in
+1730, and succeeded, by David Annan, in 1783, and which is now Dr.
+Gannett&#8217;s.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Belknap was the founder of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and
+one of the most earnest promoters of the welfare of Harvard College.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Belknap published sermons, on various occasions; a volume of
+dissertations, on the character and resurrection of Christ; his history of
+New Hampshire in three volumes; his American Biography, in two volumes;
+and the Foresters, an American Tale, well worthy of republication, at the
+present day. He wrote extensively, in the newspapers, and published
+several essays, on the slave trade, and upon the early settlement of the
+country.</p>
+
+<p>I have the most perfect recollection of this excellent man; for I saw him
+often, when I was very young; and I used to wonder, how a man, with so
+rough a voice, could bestow such a benign and captivating smile, upon
+little boys.</p>
+
+<p>The churchman prays to be delivered from <i>sudden</i> death. Dr. Belknap
+prayed for <i>sudden</i> death&mdash;that he might be translated &#8220;<i>in a
+moment</i>&#8221;&mdash;such were his words. Yet here is no discrepancy. No man,
+prepared to die, will pray for a lingering death&mdash;and to him, who is not
+prepared, no death, however prolonged, can be other than <i>sudden</i> and
+premature. On the ninth of February, 1791, Dr. Belknap was called to mourn
+the loss of a friend, whose death was immediate. Among the Dr.&#8217;s papers,
+after his decease, the following lines were found, bearing the date of
+that friend&#8217;s demise, and exhibiting, with considerable felicity of
+language, his own views and aspirations:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;When faith and patience, hope and love<br />
+Have made us meet for Heav&#8217;n above;<br />
+How blest the privilege to rise,<br />
+Snatch&#8217;d, in a moment, to the skies!<br />
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span>Unconscious, to resign our breath,<br />
+Nor taste the bitterness of death!<br />
+Such be my lot, Lord, if thou please<br />
+To die in silence, and at ease;<br />
+When thou dost know, that I&#8217;m prepared,<br />
+Oh seize me quick to my reward.<br />
+But, if thy wisdom sees it best,<br />
+To turn thine ear from this request;<br />
+If sickness be th&#8217; appointed way,<br />
+To waste this frame of human clay;<br />
+If, worn with grief, and rack&#8217;d with pain,<br />
+This earth must turn to earth again;<br />
+Then let thine angels round me stand;<br />
+Support me, by thy powerful hand;<br />
+Let not my faith or patience move,<br />
+Nor aught abate my hope or love;<br />
+But brighter may my graces shine,<br />
+Till they&#8217;re absorbed in light divine.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The will of the Lord coincided with the wish of this eminent disciple; and
+his was the sudden death, that he had asked of God. At 4 o&#8217;clock in the
+morning of June 20, 1798, paralysis seized upon his frame, and, before
+noon, he was no more.</p>
+
+<p>Personal considerations of the flesh cannot be supposed, alone, to have
+moved the heart of this benevolent man. Who would not wish to avoid that
+pain, which is reflected, for days, and weeks, and months, and years, from
+the faces of those we love, who watch, and weep, about the bed of disease
+and death! Who can imagine this veteran soldier of the cross, with his
+armor of righteousness, upon the right hand and upon the left, awaiting
+the welcome signal to depart&mdash;without adopting, in the spiritual, and in
+the physical, sense, the language of the prophet&mdash;&#8220;<i>Let me die the death
+of the righteous, and let my last end be like his</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXVI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I never dream, if I can possibly avoid it&mdash;when the thing is absolutely
+forced upon me, why that is another affair. On the evening of the second
+day of January, 1850, from some inexplicable cause, I lost all appetite
+for my pillow. I had, till past eleven, been engaged, in the perusal of
+Goethe&#8217;s Confessions of a Fair Saint. After a vain trial of the
+commonplace expedients,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> such as counting leaping sheep, up to a thousand
+and one; humming Old Hundred; and fixing my thoughts upon the heads of
+good parson Cleverly&#8217;s last Sabbath sermon, on perseverance; I,
+fortunately, thought of Joel Barlow&#8217;s Columbiad, and, after two or three
+pages, went, thankfully, to bed. I threw myself upon my right side, as I
+always do; for, being deaf&mdash;very&mdash;in the sinister ear, I thus exclude the
+nocturnal cries of fire, oysters, and murder.</p>
+
+<p>I think I must have been asleep, full half an hour, by a capital
+Shrewsbury clock, that I keep in my chamber. It was, of course, on the
+dawning side of twelve&mdash;the very time, when dreams are true, or poets lie,
+which latter alternative is impossible. I was aroused, by the stroke of a
+deep-toned bell; and, in an instant, sat bolt upright, listening to the
+sound. I should have known it, among a thousand&mdash;it was the old passing
+bell of King&#8217;s Chapel. I am confident, as to the bell&mdash;it had the full,
+jarring sound, occasioned by the blockhead of a sexton, who cracked it, in
+1814. I counted the strokes&mdash;one&mdash;two&mdash;three&mdash;an adult male, of
+course&mdash;and then the age&mdash;seventy-four was the number of the strokes of
+that good old bell, corresponding with the years of his pilgrimage&mdash;and
+then a pause&mdash;I almost expected another&mdash;so, doubtless, did he, poor
+man&mdash;but it came not!&mdash;Some old stager, thought I, has put up, for the
+long night; and the power of slumber was upon me, in a moment.</p>
+
+<p>I slept&mdash;but it was a fitful sleep&mdash;and I dreamt such a dream, as none but
+a sexton of the old school can ever dream&mdash;</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span style="margin-left: 2em;">&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&#8220;velut &aelig;gri somnia, van&aelig;</span><br />
+Fingentur species, ut nec pes, nec caput uni<br />
+Reddatur form&aelig;.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Funeral baked meats,&#8221; and bride&#8217;s cake, and weepers, and wedding rings
+seemed oddly consorted together. At one moment, two very light and airy
+skeletons seemed to be engaged, in dancing the polka; and, getting angry,
+flung their skulls furiously at each other. I then fancied, that I saw old
+Grossman, driving his hearse at a full run, with the corpse of an
+intemperate old lady, not to the graveyard, but, by mistake, to the very
+shop, where she bought her Jamaica. I dare not relate the half of my
+dream, lest I should excite some doubt of my veracity. For aught I know, I
+might have dreamt on till midsummer, had not a hand been laid on my
+shoulder, and a change come over the spirit of my dream, in a marvellous
+manner&mdash;for I actually<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> dreamt I was wider awake, than I often am, when
+Sirius rages, of a summer afternoon, and I am taking my comfort, in my
+postprandial chair.</p>
+
+<p>Starting suddenly, I beheld the well known features of an old acquaintance
+and fellow-spadesman&mdash;&#8220;Don&#8217;t you know me?&#8221; &#8220;Yes,&#8221; said I&mdash;&#8220;no, I can&#8217;t say
+I do&#8221;&mdash;for I was confoundedly frightened&mdash;&#8220;Not know me! Haven&#8217;t we lifted,
+head and foot, together, for six and thirty years?&#8221; &#8220;Well, I suppose we
+have; but you are so deadly pale; and, will you be so kind as to take your
+hand from my shoulder; for it&#8217;s rather airy, at this season, you know, and
+your palm is like the hand of death.&#8221; &#8220;And such it is,&#8221; said he&mdash;&#8220;did you
+not hear my bell?&#8221; &#8220;<i>Your</i> bell?&#8221; I inquired, gazing more intently, at the
+little, white-haired, old man, that stood before me. &#8220;Even so, Abner,&#8221; he
+replied; &#8220;your old friend, and fellow-laborer, Martin Smith, is dead. I
+always had a solemn affection, for the passing bell. It sounded not so
+pleasantly, to be sure, in the neighborhood of theatres and gay hotels;
+and its good, old, solemnizing tones are no longer permitted to be heard.
+I longed to hear it, once more; and, after they had laid me out, and left
+me alone, I clapped on my great coat, over my shroud, as you see, and ran
+up to the church, and tolled my own death peal. When, more than one
+hundred years ago, in 1747, Dr. Caner took possession, in the old way, by
+entering, and closing the doors, and tolling the bell, as the Rev. Roger
+Price had done before, in 1729, he did not feel, that the church belonged
+to him, half so truly as I have felt, for many years, whenever I got a
+fair grip of that ancient bell-rope.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Martin,&#8221; said I, &#8220;this is rather a long speech, for a ghost; and must be
+wearying to the spirit; suppose you sit down.&#8221; This I said, because I
+really supposed the good, little, old man, contrary to all his known
+habits, was practising upon my credulity&mdash;perhaps upon my fears; and was
+playing a new year&#8217;s prank, in his old age: and I resolved, by the
+smallest touch of sarcasm in the world, to show him, that I was not so
+easily deceived. He made no reply; but, drawing my hand between his great
+coat and shroud, placed it over the region of his heart&mdash;&#8220;Good God! you
+are really dead then, Martin!&#8221; said I, for all was cold and still there.
+&#8220;I am,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;I have lived long&mdash;did you count the strokes of my
+bell?&#8221;&mdash;I nodded assent, for I could not speak.&mdash;&#8220;Four years beyond the
+scriptural measure of man&#8217;s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> pilgrimage. You are not so old as I
+am&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;No,&#8221; I replied.&mdash;&#8220;No, not quite,&#8221; said he.&mdash;&#8220;No, no, Martin,&#8221; said
+I, adjusting my night cap, &#8220;not by several years.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Well,&#8221; said the old
+man, with a sigh, &#8220;a few years make very little difference, when one has
+so many to answer for; those odd years are like a few odd shillings, in a
+very long account. I have come to ask you to go with me.&#8221;&mdash;A cold sweat
+broke through my skin, as quickly, as if it had been mere tissue paper;
+and my mind instantly sprang to the work of finding devices, for putting
+the old man off. &#8220;Surely,&#8221; said he, observing my reluctance, &#8220;you would
+not deny the request of a dying man.&#8221; &#8220;Perhaps not,&#8221; I replied, &#8220;but now
+that you are dead, dear Martin, for Heaven&#8217;s sake, what&#8217;s the use of it?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The old man seemed to be pained, by my hesitation&mdash;&#8220;Abner,&#8221; said he, after
+a short pause, &#8220;you and I have had a goodly number of strange passages, at
+odd hours, down in that vault&mdash;are ye afeard, Abner&mdash;eh!&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Why, as to
+that, Martin,&#8221; said I, &#8220;if you were a real, live sexton, I&#8217;d go with
+pleasure; but our relations are somewhat changed, you will admit. Besides,
+as I told you before, I cannot see the use of it.&#8221; I felt rather vexed, to
+be suspected of fear.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You have the advantage of me, Abner Wycherly,&#8221; said Martin Smith, &#8220;being
+alive; and I have come to ask you to do a favor, for me, which I cannot
+do, for myself.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;What is it?&#8221; said I, rather impatiently, perhaps.&mdash;&#8220;I
+want you to embalm my&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Martin,&#8221; said I, interrupting him&mdash;&#8220;I can&#8217;t&mdash;I
+never embalmed in my life.&#8221; &#8220;You misunderstand me&#8221;&mdash;the old man
+replied&mdash;&#8220;I want you to embalm my memory; and preserve it, from the too
+common lot of our profession, who are remembered, often, as
+resurrectionists, and men of intemperate lives, and mysterious
+conversations. I want you to allow me a little <i>niche</i>, among your
+<i>Dealings with the Dead</i>. I shall take but little room, you see for
+yourself&#8221;&mdash;and then, in an under-tone, he said something about thinking
+more of the honor, than he should of a place in Westminster Abbey; which
+was very agreeable, to be sure, notwithstanding the sepulchral tone, in
+which it was uttered. Indeed I was surprised to find how very refreshing,
+to the spirits of an author, this species of extreme unction might be,
+administered even by a ghost.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Martin,&#8221; said I, &#8220;I have always thought highly of your good opinion; but
+what can I say&mdash;how can I serve you?&#8221;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span> &#8220;I am desirous,&#8221; said he, &#8220;of
+transmitting to my children a good name, which is better than
+riches.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Well, my worthy, old fellow-laborer,&#8221; I replied, &#8220;if that is
+all you want, the work is done to your hand, already. You will not suspect
+me of flattering you to your face, now that you are dead, Martin; and I
+can truly say, that I have heard thousands speak of you, with great
+kindness and respect, and never a lisp against you. All this I am ready to
+vouch for&mdash;but, for what purpose, do you ask me to go with you?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wish you to go with me, and examine for yourself,&#8221; said the old man;
+&#8220;and then you can speak, of your own knowledge. Don&#8217;t refuse me&mdash;let us
+have one more of those cozy walks, Abner, under the old Chapel, and over
+that yard. I desire to talk over some things with you there, which can be
+better understood, upon the spot&mdash;and I want to explain one or two
+matters, so that you may be able to defend my reputation, should any
+censure be cast upon it, after I am gone.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;I cannot go with you tonight,
+Martin,&#8221; said I; &#8220;I see a gleam in the East, already.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;True,&#8221; said he,
+&#8220;I may be missed.&#8221;&mdash;For not more than the half of one second, I closed my
+eyes&mdash;and, in that twinkling of an eye, he was gone&mdash;but I heard him
+whisper, distinctly, as he went&mdash;&#8220;<i>tomorrow night</i>!&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXVII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I verily believe, that ghosts are the most punctual people in the world,
+especially if they were ever sextons, after the flesh. The last stroke of
+twelve had not ceased ringing in my ears, when that icy palm was again
+laid upon my shoulder; and Martin Smith stood by the side of my bed.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, Martin,&#8221; said I, &#8220;since you have taken the trouble to come out
+again, and upon such a stormy night withal, I cannot refuse your
+request.&#8221;&mdash;It seemed to me, that I rose to put on my garments, and found
+them already on; and had scarcely prepared to go, with my old friend, to
+the Chapel, before we were in the middle of the broad aisle. Dreams are
+marvellous things, certainly&mdash;all this was a dream, I suppose&mdash;for, if it
+was not&mdash;what was it?</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span>There seemed to be an oppressive weight, upon the mind of my old friend,
+connected, doubtless, with those explanations, which he had proposed to
+make, upon the spot. We sat down, near Governor Shirley&#8217;s monument.
+&#8220;Abner,&#8221; said he, &#8220;I wish, before I am buried, to make a clean breast, and
+to confess my misdeeds.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;I cannot believe, Martin,&#8221; I replied, &#8220;that
+there is a very heavy, professional load upon your conscience. If there
+is, I know not what will become of the rest of us. But I will hearken to
+all you may choose to reveal.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Well,&#8221; resumed the old man, with a sigh,
+&#8220;I have tried to be conscientious, but we are all liable to error&mdash;we are
+are all fallible creatures, especially sextons. I have been sexton here,
+for six and thirty years; and I am often painfully reminded, that, in the
+year 1815, I was rather remiss, in dusting the pews.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Have you any other
+burden upon your conscience?&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;I have,&#8221; he replied; and, rising,
+requested me to follow him.</p>
+
+<p>He went out into the yard, and walked near the northerly corner, where Dr.
+Caner&#8217;s house formerly stood, which was afterwards occupied, as the Boston
+Athen&aelig;um, and, more recently, gave place to the present Savings Bank.
+&#8220;Here,&#8221; said he, &#8220;thirty years ago, Dinah Furbush, a worthy, negro woman,
+was buried. The careless carpenter made her coffin one foot too short;
+and, to conceal his blunder, chopped off Dinah&#8217;s head, and, clapping it
+between her feet, nailed down the lid. This scandalous transaction came to
+my knowledge, and I grieve to say, that I never communicated it to the
+wardens.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Well, Martin,&#8221; said I, &#8220;what more?&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Nothing, thank Heaven!&#8221;
+he replied. Giving way to an irresistible impulse, I broke forth into a
+roar of laughter, so long and loud, that three watchmen gathered to the
+wall, and seeing Martin Smith, whom they well knew, with the bottom of his
+shroud, exhibited below his great coat, they dropped their hooks and
+rattles, and ran for their lives. Martin walked slowly back to the church,
+and I followed.</p>
+
+<p>He walked in, among the tombs&mdash;thousands of spirits seemed to welcome his
+advent&mdash;but, as I crossed the threshold, at the tramp of a living foot,
+they vanished, in a moment.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How many corpses have you lifted, my old friend, in your six and thirty
+years of office?&#8221; &#8220;About five thousand,&#8221; he replied, &#8220;exclusive of babies.
+It is a very grateful employment, when one becomes used to it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span>&#8220;I have heard,&#8221; continued Martin, &#8220;that the office of executioner, in
+Paris, is highly respectable, and has been hereditary, for many years, in
+the family of the Sansons. I have done all in my power, to elevate our
+profession; and it is my highest ambition, that the office should continue
+in my family; and that my descendants may be sextons, till the graves
+shall give up their dead, and death itself be swallowed up in victory.&#8221; I
+was sensibly touched, by the enthusiasm of this good old official; for I
+honor the man, who honors his calling. I could not refrain from saying a
+few kind and respectful words, of the old man&#8217;s son and successor. He was
+moved&mdash;&#8220;The eyes of ghosts,&#8221; said he, &#8220;are tearless, or I should weep. You
+have heard,&#8221; continued the old man, in a low, tremulous voice, &#8220;that, when
+the mother of Washington was complimented, by some distinguished men, upon
+the achievements of her son, she went on with her knitting, saying,
+&#8216;<i>Well, George always was a good boy</i>&#8217;&mdash;now, I need say no more of Frank;
+and, in truth, I can say no less. I knew he would be a sexton. He has
+forgotten it, I dare say; but he was not satisfied with the first go-cart
+he ever had, till he had fashioned it, like a hearse. He <i>took hold
+right</i>, from the beginning. When I resigned, and gave him the keys, and
+felt, that I should no more walk up and down the broad aisle, as I had
+done, for so many years, I wept like a child.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yours has been a hale old age. You have always been <i>temperate</i>, I
+believe,&#8221; said I.&mdash;&#8220;No,&#8221; the old man replied, &#8220;I have always been
+<i>abstinent</i>. Like yourself, I use no intoxicating drink, upon any
+occasion, nor tobacco, in any of its forms, and we have come, as you say,
+to a hale old age. I have seen drunken sextons squirt tobacco juice over
+the coffin and pall; and let the corpse go by the run; and I know more
+than one successor of St. Peter, in this city, who smoke and chew, from
+morning to night; and give the sextons great trouble, in cleaning up after
+them.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>We had advanced midway, among the tombs.&mdash;&#8220;It is awfully cold and dark
+here, Martin,&#8221; said I, &#8220;and I hear something, like a mysterious breathing
+in the air; and, now and then, it seems as if a feather brushed my
+cheek.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Is it unpleasant?&#8221; said the old man.&mdash;&#8220;Not particularly
+agreeable,&#8221; I replied.&mdash;&#8220;The spirits are aware, that another is added to
+their number,&#8221; said he, &#8220;and even the presence of one, in the flesh, will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span>
+scarcely restrain them from coming forth. I will send them back to their
+dormitories.&#8221; He lighted a spirit lamp, not in the vulgar sense of that
+word, but a lamp, before whose rays no spirit, however determined, could
+stand, for an instant.</p>
+
+<p>There is comfort, even in a farthing rush light&mdash;I felt warmer. &#8220;What a
+subterraneous life you must have had of it,&#8221; said I, &#8220;and how many tears
+and sighs you must have witnessed!&#8221; &#8220;Why yes,&#8221; he replied, with a shake of
+the head, and a sigh, &#8220;the duties of my office have given to my features
+an expression of universal compassion&mdash;a sort of omnibus look, which has
+caused many a mourner to say&mdash;&#8216;Ah, Mr. Smith, I see how much you feel for
+me.&#8217; And I&#8217;m sure I did; not perhaps quite so keenly as I might, if I had
+been less frequently encored in the performance of my melancholy part.
+Yes,&#8221; continued the old man&mdash;&#8220;I have witnessed tears and sighs, and deep
+grief, and shallow, and raving&mdash;for a month, and life-long; very proper
+tears, gushing from the eyes of widows, already wooed and won; and from
+the eyes of widowers, who, in a right melancholy way, had predetermined
+the mothers, for their orphan children. But passages have occurred, now
+and then, all in my sad vocation, pure and holy, and soul-stirring enough,
+to give pulse to a heart of stone.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The old man took from his pocket a master key, and beckoned me to follow.
+He opened an ancient tomb. The mouldy shells were piled one upon another,
+and a few rusty fragments of that flimsy garniture, which was in vogue of
+old, had fallen on the bricks below.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;<i>Sacred to the memory!</i>&#8221; said the old man, with a sad, significant smile,
+upon his intelligent features, as he removed the coffin of a child. I
+looked into the little receptacle, as he raised the lamp. &#8220;This,&#8221; said he,
+&#8220;was the most beautiful boy I ever buried.&#8221; &#8220;This?&#8221; said I, for the little
+narrow house contained nothing but a small handful of grayish dust. &#8220;Aye,&#8221;
+he replied, &#8220;I see; it is all gone now&mdash;it is twelve years since I looked
+at it last&mdash;there were some remnants of bones then, and a lock or two of
+golden hair. This small deposit was one of the first that I made, in this
+melancholy savings bank. Six-and-thirty years! So tender and so frail a
+thing may well be turned to dust.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Time is an alchymist, Abner, as you and I well know. If tears could have
+embalmed, it would not have been thus. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> have never witnessed such agony.
+The poor, young mother lies there. She was not seventeen, when she died.
+In a luckless hour, she married a very gentlemanly sot, and left her
+native home, for a land of strangers. Hers was the common fate of such
+unequal bargains. He wasted her little property, died of intemperance, and
+left her nothing, but this orphan boy. And all the love of her warm, young
+heart was turned upon this child. It had, to be sure, the sweetest,
+catching smile, that I ever beheld.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Their heart strings seemed twisted together&mdash;the child pined; and the
+mother grew pale and wan. They waned together. The child died first. The
+poor, lone, young mother seemed frantic; and refused to part with her
+idol. After the little thing was made ready for the tomb, she would not
+suffer it to be removed. It was laid upon the bed, beside her. On the
+following day, I carried the coffin to the house; and, leaving it below,
+went up, with a kind neighbor, to the chamber, hoping to prevail upon the
+poor thing, to permit us to remove the body of the child. She was holding
+her little boy, clasped in her arms&mdash;their lips were joined together&mdash;&#8216;It
+is a pity to awaken her,&#8217; said the neighbor, who attended me&mdash;I put my
+hand upon her forehead&mdash;&#8216;Nothing but the last trump will awaken her,&#8217; said
+I&mdash;&#8216;she is dead.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, Martin,&#8221; said I, &#8220;pray let us talk of something else&mdash;where is old
+Isaac Johnson, the founder of the city, who was buried, in this lot, in
+1630?&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Ah&#8221;&mdash;the old man replied&mdash;&#8220;the prophets, where are <i>they</i>! I
+believe you may as well look among the embers, after a conflagration, for
+the original spark.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You must know many curious things, Martin,&#8221; said I, &#8220;concerning this
+ancient temple.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;I do,&#8221; said he, &#8220;of my own knowledge, and still more,
+by tradition; and some things, that neither the wardens nor vestry wot of.
+If I thought I might trust you, Abner, in a matter of such moment,
+but&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Did I ever deceive you, Martin,&#8221; said I, &#8220;while living; and do you
+think I would take advantage of your confidence, now you are a
+ghost?&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Pardon me, Abner,&#8221; he replied, for he saw, that he had wounded
+my feelings, &#8220;but the matter, to which I allude, were it made public,
+would produce terrible confusion&mdash;but I will trust you&mdash;meet me here, at
+ten minutes before twelve, on Sabbath night&mdash;three low knocks upon the
+outer door&mdash;at present I can reveal no more.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;No postponement, on
+account of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> the weather?&#8221; I inquired.&mdash;&#8220;None,&#8221; the old man replied, and
+locked up the tomb.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Did you ever see Dr. Caner,&#8221; I inquired, as we ascended into the body of
+the church.&mdash;&#8220;That,&#8221; replied Martin Smith, &#8220;is rather a delicate question.
+In the very year, in which I was born, 1776, the Rev. Doctor Henry Caner,
+then an old man, carried off the church plate, 2800 ounces of silver, the
+gift of three kings; of which not a particle has ever been recovered: and,
+in lieu thereof, he left behind his fervent prayers, that God would
+&#8220;<i>change the hearts of the rebels</i>.&#8221; This the Almighty has never seen fit
+to do&mdash;so that the society have not only lost the silver, but the benefit
+of Dr. Caner&#8217;s prayers. No, Abner, I have never seen Dr. Caner, according
+to the flesh, but&mdash;ask me nothing further, on this highly exciting
+subject, till we meet again.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>I awoke, sorely disturbed&mdash;Martin had vanished.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXVIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I know not why, but the idea of another meeting with Martin Smith,
+notwithstanding my affectionate respect, for that good old man, disturbed
+me so much, that I resolved, to be out of his way, by keeping awake. But,
+in defiance of my very best efforts, strengthened by a bowl of unsugared
+hyson, at half past eleven, if I err not, I fell into a profound slumber;
+and, at the very appointed moment, found myself, at the Chapel door. At
+the third knock, it opened, with an almost alarming suddenness&mdash;I quietly
+entered&mdash;and the old man closed it softly, after me.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;In ten minutes,&#8221; said he, &#8220;the congregation will assemble.&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;What,&#8221; I
+inquired, &#8220;at this time of night?&#8221;&mdash;&#8220;Be silent,&#8221; said he, rather angrily,
+as I thought; and, drawing me, by the arm, to the north side of the door,
+he shoved me against the Vassal monument, with a force, that I would not
+have believed it possible, for any modern ghost to exert. &#8220;Be still and
+listen,&#8221; said he. &#8220;In 1782, my dear, old pastor, Dr. Freeman, came here,
+as Reader; and became Rector, in 1787. Dr. Caner was inducted, in 1747,
+and continued Rector, twenty-nine years; for,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span> as I told you, he went off
+with the plate, in 1776. There were no Rectors, between those two.
+Brockwell and Troutbeck were Caner&#8217;s assistants only: the first died in
+1755, and the last left, the year before Dr. Caner.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well,&#8221; continued the old man, &#8220;never reveal what I am about to tell you,
+Abner Wycherly&mdash;the Trinitarians have never surrendered their claims, upon
+this Church; and, precisely at midnight, upon every Sabbath, since 1776,
+Dr. Caner and the congregation have gathered here; and the Church service
+has been performed, just as it used to be, before the revolution. They
+make short work of it, rarely exceeding fifteen minutes&mdash;hush, for your
+life&mdash;they are coming!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>A glare of unearthly light, invisible through the windows, as Martin
+assured me, to all without, filled the tabernacle, in an
+instant&mdash;exceedingly like gas light; and, at the same instant, I heard a
+rattling, resembling the down-sitting, after prayers, in a village
+meeting-house, where the seats are clappers, and go on hinges. Observing,
+that my jaws chattered, Martin pressed my hand in his icy fingers, and
+whispered, that it was nothing but Dr. Caner&#8217;s congregation, coming up,
+rather less silently, of course, than when they were in the flesh.</p>
+
+<p>Being the first Sunday in the month, all the communion plate, that Caner
+carried off, was paraded, on the altar. I wish the twelve apostles could
+have seen it. It glittered, like Jones, Ball &amp; Poor&#8217;s bow-window, viewed
+from the old, Donnison corner. The whole interior of the Chapel was
+marvellously changed. I was much struck, by a showy, gilt crown, over the
+organ, supported by a couple of gilt mitres. This was the famous organ,
+said to have been selected by Handel, and which came over in 1756.</p>
+
+<p>At this moment, a brief and sudden darkness hid everything from view;
+succeeded, instantly, by a brighter light than before; and all was
+changed. The organ had vanished; the monuments of Shirley and Apthorp, and
+the tablet of Price, over the vestry door, were gone; I looked behind me,
+for the Vassal monument, against which I had been leaning; it was no
+longer there. Martin Smith perceived my astonishment, and whispered, that
+Dr. Caner was never so partial to the Stone Chapel, which was opened in
+1754, as he was to the ancient King&#8217;s Chapel, in which he had been
+inducted in 1747, and in which we then were.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span>The pews were larger than any Hingham boxes I ever saw; but very small.
+The pulpit was on the north side. In front of it was the governor&#8217;s pew,
+highly ornamented, lined with China silk; the cushions and chairs therein
+were covered with crimson damask, and the window curtain was of the same
+material. Near to this, I saw an elevated pew, in which were half a dozen
+fine looking skeletons, with their heads up and their arms akimbo. This
+pew, Martin informed me, was reserved, for the officers of the army and
+navy. A small organ was in the western gallery, said to be the first, ever
+heard in our country. From the walls and pillars, hung several escutcheons
+and armorial bearings. I distinguished those of the royal family, and of
+Andros, Nicholson, Hamilton, Dudley, Shute, Belcher, and Shirley.</p>
+
+<p>I had always associated the <i>hour-glass</i> with my ideas of a Presbyterian
+pulpit, in the olden time, when the very length of the discourse gave the
+hearer some little foretaste of eternity. I was rather surprised to see an
+hour-glass, of large proportions, perched upon the pulpit, in its highly
+ornamented stand of brass. The altar-piece was at the easterly end of the
+Church, with the Glory, the Ten Commandments, the Lord&#8217;s Prayer, the
+Creed, and some texts of Scripture.</p>
+
+<p>The congregation had taken their seats; and a slender, sickly looking
+skeleton glided into the reading desk. &#8220;Dr. Caner?&#8221; said I. &#8220;Brockwell,
+the assistant,&#8221; replied Martin, in a whisper, &#8220;the very first wardens, of
+1686, are in the pew, tonight, Bullivant and Banks. They all serve in
+rotation. Next Sabbath, we shall have Foxcroft and Ravenscroft. Clerke
+Hill, and Rutley are sextons, tonight.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The services were very well conducted; and, taking all things into
+consideration, I was surprised, that I comprehended so well, as I did. The
+prayer, for the royal family, was very impressively delivered. The
+assistant made use, I observed, of the Athanasian creed, and every one
+seemed to understand it, at which I was greatly surprised. Dr. Caner
+seemed very feeble, and preached a very short discourse upon the loss of
+Esau&#8217;s birthright, making a pointed application, to the conversion of
+King&#8217;s Chapel, by the Unitarians. He made rather a poor case of it, I
+thought. Martin was so much offended, that he said, though being a ghost,
+he was obliged to be quiet, he wished I would call the watch, and break up
+the meeting. I told him, that I did not believe Dr. Caner&#8217;s arguments
+would have any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> very mischievous effect; and it seemed not more than fair,
+that these ancient worshippers should have the use of the church, at
+midnight, so long as they conducted themselves orderly&mdash;consumed no
+fuel&mdash;and furnished their own light.</p>
+
+<p>One of the sextons, passing near me, accidentally dropped a small parcel.
+I was seized with a vehement desire of possessing it; and, watching my
+opportunity, conveyed it to my pocket. When Dr. Caner pronounced his final
+amen, light was instantly turned into darkness&mdash;a slight noise
+ensued&mdash;&#8220;<i>the service is over!</i>&#8221; said Martin, and all was still. I begged
+Martin to light his lamp; and, by its light, I examined the parcel the
+sexton had dropped. It was a small roll, containing some extracts from the
+records. They were not without interest. &#8220;Sept. 21, 1691.&mdash;It must not be
+forgot that Sir Robert Robertson gave a new silk damask cushion and cloth
+pulpit-cover.&#8221; &#8220;1697.&mdash;Whit Sunday. Paid Mr. Coneyball, for buying and
+carting Poses and hanging the Doares 8s.&#8221; &#8220;Dec. 20.&mdash;Paid for a stone Gug
+Clark Hill broak.&#8221; &#8220;March 29, 1698.&mdash;Paid Mr. Shelson for Loucking after
+the Boyes &pound;1.&#8221; &#8220;1701, Aug. 4.&mdash;Paid for scouring the brass frame for the
+hour-glass 10s.&#8221; &#8220;1733, Oct. 11.&mdash;Voted that the Brass Stand for the
+hour-glass be lent to the church of Scituate, as also three Diaper
+napkins, provided Mr. Addington Davenport, their minister, gives his note
+to return the same to the Church wardens of the Church, &amp;c.&#8221; &#8220;April 3,
+1740.&mdash;Rec&#8217;d of Mr. Sylvester Gardner Sixteen Pounds Two Shills, in full
+for wine for the Chapple for the year past. John Hancock.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>I was about to put this fragment of the record into my pocket&mdash;&#8220;If,&#8221; said
+Martin, &#8220;you do not particularly covet a visit from Clark Hill, or
+whichever of the old sextons it was, that dropped that paper, leave it, as
+you found it.&#8221; I did so, most joyfully.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If you have any questions to ask of me,&#8221; said the old man, &#8220;ask them now,
+and briefly, for we are about to part&mdash;to meet no more, until we meet, as
+I trust we shall, in a better world.&#8221; &#8220;As a mere matter of curiosity,&#8221;
+said I, &#8220;I should like to know, if you consider your venerable pastor, now
+dead and gone, Dr. Freeman, as the successor of Saint Peter?&#8221; &#8220;No more,&#8221;
+said Martin Smith, with an expression almost too comical for a ghost,
+&#8220;than I consider you and myself successors of the sexton, who, under the
+directions of Abraham, buried Sarah, in the cave of the field of
+Machpelah, before Mamre.&#8221; &#8220;Do you consider the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> Apostolical succession
+broken off, at the time of Dr. Freeman&#8217;s ordination?&#8221; &#8220;Short off, like a
+pipe stem,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;And so you do not consider the laying on of a
+Bishop&#8217;s hand necessary, to empower a man to preach the Gospel?&#8221; &#8220;No
+more,&#8221; said he, &#8220;than I consider the laying on of spades, necessary to
+empower a man, to dig a grave. We were a peculiar people, but quite as
+zealous for good works, as any of our neighbors. The Bishop of New York
+declined to ordain our pastor, because we were Unitarians; and we could
+not expect this service from our neighbors, had it been otherwise, on
+account of our adherence to the Liturgy, though modified, and to certain
+Episcopal forms&mdash;so we ordained him ourselves. The senior warden laid his
+hands upon the good man and true&mdash;said nothing of the thirty-nine
+articles&mdash;but gave him a Bible, as the sole compass for his voyage, in
+full confidence, that, while he steered thereby, we should be upon our
+course, to the haven, where we would be. We have never felt the want of
+the succession, for a moment, and, ever since, we have been a most happy
+and u&mdash;&mdash;.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Just then a distant steam whistle struck upon the ear, which Martin,
+undoubtedly, mistook, for cock-crowing&mdash;for his lamp was extinguished, in
+an instant, and he vanished.</p>
+
+<p>If my confidence in dreams needed any confirmation, nothing more could be
+required, than a careful comparison of many of these incidents, with the
+statements, in the history of King&#8217;s Chapel, published by the late,
+amiable Rector, seventeen years ago. A copy is, at this moment, beneath my
+eye; and, upon the fly leaf, in the author&#8217;s own hand writing, under date
+Jan. 1, 1843, I read&mdash;&#8220;<i>Presented to Martin Smith, for many years, a
+sexton of this church, from his friend F. W. P. Greenwood</i>.&#8221; Aye; every
+one was the <i>friend</i> of good old Martin Smith. Here, deposited among the
+leaves of this book, is an order, from that excellent man, my honored
+friend, Colonel Joseph May, then junior warden. It bears date &#8220;Saturday,
+18 June, 1814.&#8221; It is laconic, and to the point. &#8220;<i>Toll slow!</i>&#8221; This also
+is subscribed &#8220;<i>Your friend</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Yes, every one was the friend of Martin Smith. He was a spruce, little,
+old man&mdash;especially at Christmas.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXXIX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Nothing can be more entirely unfounded, than the popular notion, that
+circumstantial evidence is an inferior quality of proof. The most able
+writers, on the law of evidence, have always maintained the contrary.</p>
+
+<p>Sir William Blackstone and Sir Matthew Hale, it is true, have expressed
+the very just and humane opinion, that circumstantial evidence should be
+weighed with extreme caution; and the latter has expressly said, that, in
+trials, for murder and manslaughter, no conviction ought ever to be had,
+until the fact is clearly proven, or the body of the person, alleged to
+have been killed, has been discovered; for he stated, that two instances
+had occurred, within his own knowledge, in which, after the execution of
+the accused, the persons, supposed to have been murdered, had re&auml;ppeared
+alive.</p>
+
+<p>Probably, one of the most extraordinary cases of fatal confidence in
+circumstantial evidence, recorded, in the history of British, criminal
+jurisprudence, is that, commonly referred to, as the case of &#8220;<i>Hayes and
+Bradford</i>.&#8221; In that case, a murder was certainly committed; the body of
+the murdered man was readily found; the murderer escaped; and, after many
+years, confessed the crime, in a dying hour; and another person, who had
+designed to commit the murder, but found his intended victim, already
+slain, was arrested, as the murderer; and, after an elaborate trial,
+suffered for the crime, upon the gallows.</p>
+
+<p>There is a case in the criminal jurisprudence of our own country, in all
+its strange particulars, far surpassing the British example, to which I
+have referred; and attended by circumstances, almost incredible, were the
+evidence and vouchers less respectable, than they are. I refer to the case
+of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, who were tried, for the murder of Russell
+Colvin, and convicted, before the Supreme Judicial Court of the State of
+Vermont, in October, 1819. In this remarkable case, it must be observed,
+that the Judges appeared to have acted, in utter disregard of that
+merciful caution of Sir Matthew Hale, to which I have alluded; and that
+these miserable men were rescued, from their impending fate, in a most
+remarkable manner.</p>
+
+<p>It is my purpose to present a clear and faithful account of this
+occurrence; and, to enable the reader to go along with me, step<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> by step,
+with perfect confidence, in a matter, in which, from the marvellous
+character of the circumstances, to doubt would be extremely natural, I
+will first exhibit the sources, from which the elements of this narrative
+are drawn. I. The public journals of the day, published in Vermont. II.
+&#8220;Mystery developed, &amp;c., by the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, Hartford, 1820.&#8221; III.
+A sermon, on the occasion, by the same. IV. &#8220;A brief sketch of the
+Indictment, Trial, and Conviction of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, for the
+murder of Russell Colvin, by S. Putnam Waldo, Hartford.&#8221; V. &#8220;A Collection
+of remarkable events, by Leonard Deming. Middlebury, 1825.&#8221; VI. &#8220;Journals
+of the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, for 1819, October
+session,&#8221; in which, page 185, may be found the minutes of the testimony,
+taken on the trial, and certified up, by Judge Chace, to the Legislature,
+by request, on petition, for a commutation of punishment. VII. Law
+Reporter, published in Boston, vol. v. page 193. VIII. Trial of Stephen
+and Jesse Boorn, Rutland, 1820. IX. Remarks thereon, N. A. Review, vol. x.
+page 418. X. Greenleaf&#8217;s Treatise on Evidence, vol. i. page 320, note 2.
+XI. Cooley&#8217;s Memoir of Rev. Lemuel Haynes, N. Y., 1839.</p>
+
+<p>In the village of Manchester, Bennington County, and State of Vermont,
+there resided in 1812, an old man, whose name was Barney Boorn, who had
+two sons, Stephen and Jesse, and a daughter Sarah, who had married Russell
+Colvin. Like the conies of the Bible, these people were <i>a feeble
+folk</i>&mdash;their mental powers were slender&mdash;they grew up in ignorance&mdash;their
+lot was poverty. Colvin, in particular, was, notoriously, an <i>imbecile</i>.
+He had been, for a long period, partially deranged. He was incompetent to
+manage the concerns of his family. He moved about in an idle, wandering
+way, and was perfectly inoffensive; and the wilful destruction of such a
+man would have been the murder of an <i>innocent</i>.</p>
+
+<p>In May, 1812, Russell Colvin was missing from home. This, in consideration
+of his uncertain habits, occasioned, at first, but little surprise. But
+his continued absence, for days, and weeks, and months, produced very
+considerable excitement, in the village of Manchester. This excitement
+naturally increased, with the term of his absence; and the contagion
+began, ere long, to catch upon the neighboring towns; until the most
+exciting topic of the day, throughout that portion of the Hampshire
+Grants, in the absence of mad dogs and revivals, was the mysterious
+disappearance of Russell Colvin.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span>Rumors began to spread, from lip to lip. Suspicion, like a hungry
+leech&mdash;&#8220;a German one&#8221;&mdash;fastened upon the Boorns. Nor was this suspicion
+groundless. Thomas Johnson, a neighbor of all the parties, a credible
+witness, who swore to the facts, seven years after, on the trial,
+reported, that the last time he saw Russell Colvin was immediately before
+his remarkable disappearance, and that he and the Boorns were then
+quarrelling, while engaged in picking up stones.</p>
+
+<p>Lewis Colvin, the son of Russell, with manifest reluctance, stated, that,
+just before his father&#8217;s disappearance, a quarrel took place, between his
+father and Stephen&mdash;that his father struck Stephen first&mdash;that Stephen
+then knocked his father down twice with a club&mdash;that he, the boy, was
+frightened and ran away&mdash;that Stephen told him never to mention what had
+happened&mdash;and that he had never seen his father since.</p>
+
+<p>Here, doubtless, was legitimate ground, for suspicion, and the village of
+Manchester, on the Battenkill, was in a state of universal
+fermentation&mdash;the very atmosphere seemed redolent of murder. It is
+marvellous, in what manner the Boorns escaped from being lynched, without
+trial; and, more especially, how Stephen was preserved, from the fate of
+his namesake, the martyr. A shortlived calm followed this tempest of
+popular feeling&mdash;parties were formed&mdash;some were sure the Boorns were the
+murderers of Colvin&mdash;some were inclined to believe they were not. The
+Boorns continued to dwell in the village, <i>without any effort to escape</i>;
+and the evidence against them was not deemed legally sufficient then, even
+to authorize their arrest.</p>
+
+<p>It appeared, upon the statement of Mrs. Colvin, that Stephen and Jesse,
+her brothers, had told her, upon a certain occasion, that she might be
+satisfied her husband was dead, and that <i>they knew it</i>. This additional
+fact gave fresh impulse to the popular excitement.</p>
+
+<p>In such miserable society, as may be supposed to have remained to these
+suspected men, it is not wonderful, that they should often have
+encountered the most unsparing allusions, and vulgar interrogatories&mdash;nor
+that they should have met this species of persecution, with equally vulgar
+and unflinching replies. It became well established, ere long, upon the
+declarations of a Mr. Baldwin and his wife, that, when asked where Colvin
+had gone, one of the Boorns replied, that he had &#8220;<i>gone to hell</i>&#8221;&mdash;and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span>the other that he had &#8220;<i>gone where potatoes would not freeze</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It is not wonderful, that, upon such evidence, the daughters of Manchester
+should begin to prophecy, and the young men to see visions, and the old
+men to dream dreams. In the language of one, who has briefly described the
+condition of that village, during this period of intense
+excitement&mdash;&#8220;<i>Every house was haunted with the ghost of Colvin</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>At length, a respectable man, a paternal uncle of the Boorns, began to
+dream, in good earnest. The ghost of Colvin appeared to him, and told him,
+upon his honor, that he had been murdered; and indicated the place, with
+unmistakable precision, where his body lay concealed. Like a bill, which
+cannot pass to enactment, until after a third reading, the declarations of
+a ghost are not entitled to the slightest regard, until after a third
+repetition. Every sensible ghost knows this, of course. The ghost of
+Colvin seems to have understood his business perfectly; and he manifested
+a very commendable delicacy, in selecting one of the family, for his
+confidant. Three times, in perfect conformity with acknowledged precedent,
+the ghost of Colvin announced the fact of his murder, and indicated the
+place, where his body was concealed.</p>
+
+<p>To put a slight upon a respectable ghost, in perfectly good standing, who
+had taken all this trouble, was entirely out of the question. Accordingly,
+the uncle of the Boorns summoned his neighbors&mdash;announced these
+revelations&mdash;gathered a posse&mdash;proceeded to dig in the hole, so
+particularly indicated by the ghost&mdash;and, after digging to a great depth,
+succeeded completely, in discovering nothing of any human remains. Indeed
+he was as unsuccessful, as our worthy friend, the Warden of the Prison, in
+his recent search for hidden treasure&mdash;excepting, that it does not appear,
+that the ghost made the slightest effort to bury him alive.</p>
+
+<p>This movement was productive, nevertheless, of additional testimony,
+against the Boorns. In the hole, were found a jack-knife and a button,
+both which Mrs. Colvin solemnly declared to have belonged to her husband.</p>
+
+<p>In regard to the location of the body, the ghost was certainly mistaken;
+perhaps Mr. Boorn, the uncle, being dull of hearing, might have
+misunderstood the revelation; and perhaps the memory of the ghost was
+treacherous. Evidence, gathered up by piecemeal, was, nevertheless,
+gradually enveloping the fate of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> these miserable men&mdash;evidence of a much
+more substantial material, than dreams are made of.</p>
+
+<p>Thomas Johnson, the witness, above referred to, having purchased the
+field, where the quarrel took place, between Colvin and the Boorns, the
+children of Johnson found, while playing there, an old mouldy hat; which
+Johnson asserted, at the time, and afterwards, at the trial, swore,
+positively, had belonged to Colvin.</p>
+
+<p>Nearly seven years had passed, since the disappearance of Russell Colvin.
+Stephen Boorn had removed from Manchester, about five years after the
+supposed murder; and resided in Denmark, Lewis County, New York; at the
+distance of some two hundred miles. Jesse still continued in Manchester;
+and <i>neither of these wretched men, upon any occasion, appears to have
+attempted flight, or concealment</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen Boorn, who, as the sequel will abundantly show, seems not to have
+been entirely deficient, in natural affection, had discovered, after a
+bitter experience of five long years, that the burden of his sins was not
+more intolerable, than the oppressive consciousness of the tenure, by
+which he lived, and moved, and had his being; which tenure was no other,
+than that, by which Cain walked upon the earth, after the murder of Abel.
+Stephen Boorn gathered up the little, that he had, and went into a far
+country&mdash;not hastily, nor by night&mdash;but openly, and in the light of day.</p>
+
+<p>Jesse, who was, evidently, the weaker brother&mdash;the poorer spirit&mdash;remained
+behind; deeming it easier, doubtless, to endure the continued suspicion
+and contempt of mankind, than to muster enough of energy, to rise and
+walk.</p>
+
+<p>Well nigh seven years, as I have stated, had passed, since the
+disappearance of Colvin. A discovery was made, at this period, which left
+very little doubt, upon the minds of the good people of Manchester, that
+the Boorns were guilty of the murder of this unhappy man, and of
+attempting to conceal his remains, by cremation.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXXX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>At this period, about seven years after the disappearance of Russell
+Colvin, a lad, walking near the house of Barney Boorn, was attracted, by
+the movements of a dog, that seemed to have discovered some object of
+interest, near the stump of an ancient tree, upon the banks of the
+Battenkill river. This stump was about sixty rods from the hole, in which,
+upon the suggestion of the ghost, the uncle of the Boorns, and his curious
+neighbors had sought for the body of Colvin. The lad examined the stump,
+and discovered the cavity to be filled with bones!</p>
+
+<p>Had the magnetic been then in operation, the tidings could not have been
+telegraphed more speedily. The affair was definitively settled&mdash;the bones
+of Colvin were discovered; and the ghost appeared to have been only sixty
+rods out of the way, after all. Murder will find a tongue. Manchester
+found thousands. The village was on fire. Young men and maidens, old men
+and children came forth, to gaze upon the bones of the murdered Colvin;
+and to praise the Lord, for this providential discovery! Whatever the
+value of it might be&mdash;the merit seemed clearly to belong, in equal
+moieties, to the dog and the ghost.</p>
+
+<p>How prone we are&mdash;the children of this generation&mdash;to reason upon the
+philosophy, before we weigh the fish! This was a case, if there ever was a
+case, for the recognition of the principle, <i>cuique in sua arte credendum
+est</i>. Accordingly the medical magi of Manchester and of its highly excited
+neighborhood were summoned, to sit in judgment, upon these bones. The
+question was not&mdash;&#8220;<i>can these dry bones live?</i>&#8221;&mdash;but are they the bones of
+the murdered Colvin? One, thoughtful practitioner believed there was a
+previous question, entitled to some little consideration&mdash;are these bones
+the bones of a man, or of a beast? Never were scruples more entirely out
+of place. Imagine the indignation of the good people of Manchester, at the
+bare suggestion, that they had wasted so much excellent sympathy, upon the
+bones, peradventure, of a horse or a heifer!</p>
+
+<p>The doubter, as might have been expected, stood alone: but he sturdily
+persisted. The regular faculty, with the eyes of their well-persuaded
+patients riveted, encouragingly, upon theirs, expressed their clear
+conviction, that the bones were human<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> bones, and, if human bones,
+whose&mdash;aye whose&mdash;but the murdered Colvin&#8217;s! This gave universal
+satisfaction, of course.</p>
+
+<p>It was evident, that some of these bones had been broken and pounded&mdash;the
+quantity was small, for an entire skeleton&mdash;some few bones had been found,
+beneath a barn, belonging to the father of the Boorns, which had been,
+previously, consumed by fire&mdash;and some persons may have supposed, that the
+murderers, having deposited the dead body there, had destroyed the barn,
+to conceal their crime&mdash;and, finding a part of the body unconsumed, after
+the conflagration, had deposited that part, in the hollow stump, to be
+disposed of, at some future moment of convenience.</p>
+
+<p>A very plausible theory, beyond all doubt. But the doubting doctor
+continued to turn over these bones, with an air of provoking unbelief; now
+and then, perhaps, holding aloft, in significant silence, the fragment of
+a cranium, of remarkably sheepish proportions.</p>
+
+<p>This was not to be endured. Anatomical knowledge appears not to have made
+uncommon strides, in that region, in 1819; for, when it was finally
+decided to compare these bones with those of the human body, there
+actually seems to have been nothing in that region, which would serve the
+purpose of the faculty, but the leg of a citizen, long before amputated,
+and committed to the earth. I will here adopt the words of the Rev. Mr.
+Haynes&mdash;&#8220;<i>A Mr. Salisbury, about four years ago, had his leg amputated,
+which was buried, at the distance of four or five miles. The limb was dug
+up, and, by comparing, it was universally determined that the bones were
+not human.</i>&#8221; This was a severe disappointment, undoubtedly; but not
+absolutely total: for two nails, or something, in the image thereof, were
+found, amid the mass, which nails, says Mr. Haynes, &#8220;<i>were human, and so
+appeared to all beholders</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Let us now turn to the murderers, or rather to Jesse, for Stephen was two
+hundred miles away, entirely unsuspicious of the gathering cloud, which
+was destined, ere long, to burst upon his devoted head.</p>
+
+<p>When the discovery of these bones had excited the feelings and suspicions
+of the people, to the utmost, it was deemed proper to take Jesse into
+custody. An examination took place, on Tuesday, May 27, 1819, and
+continued, till the following Saturday. This examination was conducted, in
+the meeting-house, as it appears, from the testimony of Truman Hill, upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span>
+the subsequent trial; who says of Jesse, that&mdash;&#8220;when the knife was
+presented to him, in the meeting-house, and also when the hat was
+presented to him, his feelings were such, as to oblige him to take hold of
+the pew, to steady himself&mdash;he appeared to be much agitated&mdash;I asked him
+what was the matter&mdash;he answered there was matter enough&mdash;I asked him to
+state&mdash;he said he feared, that Stephen had killed Colvin&mdash;that he never
+believed so, till the spring or winter, when he went into William Boorn&#8217;s
+shop, where were William and Stephen Boorn&mdash;at which time he gained a
+knowledge of the manner of Colvin&#8217;s death; and that he thought he knew,
+within a few rods, where Colvin was buried.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Such was the evidence of Truman Hill, upon the trial; and he related the
+facts, very naturally, at the time, to his neighbors. The statement was
+considered, by the community, as tantamount to a confession. At this time,
+the examination of Jesse Boorn had nearly closed&mdash;no ground for detention
+appeared against him&mdash;the bones, discovered in the stump, were
+acknowledged to have belonged to some brute animal&mdash;it was the general
+opinion, that Jesse should be released; when this declaration of his to
+Truman Hill, turned the tide of popular sentiment entirely; and Jesse
+Boorn was remanded to prison.</p>
+
+<p>Truman Hill was the jailer; or, in his own conservative phraseology, he
+&#8220;<i>kept the keys of the prison</i>.&#8221; Jailers are rather apt to look upon their
+prisoners, as great curiosities, in proportion to the crimes, with which
+they are charged, and themselves as showmen. Most men are sufficiently
+willing to be distinguished, for something or other:&mdash;to see Jesse
+Boorn&mdash;to catechise the wretched man&mdash;to set before him the fear of death,
+and the hope of pardon&mdash;to beg him to confess&mdash;nothing but the truth, of
+course&mdash;these were privileges&mdash;favors&mdash;and Truman Hill had the power of
+granting them. Thus he says&mdash;he &#8220;<i>let in</i>&#8221; Mr. Johnson; and, when Mr.
+Johnson came out, he went in himself, and found Jesse &#8220;in great
+agitation&#8221;&mdash;and then he, himself, urged Jesse to confess&mdash;the truth of
+course&mdash;if he said anything&mdash;assuring him, that every falsehood he told,
+would sink him deeper in trouble. It must have been evident to the mind of
+Jesse, that a confession of the murder would be particularly agreeable to
+the public, and that a continued protestation of his innocence would
+disappoint the reasonable expectations of his fellow-citizens.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span>Jesse confessed to Judge Skinner, that Stephen had, probably, buried
+Colvin&#8217;s body in the mountain; and that the knife, found with the button,
+in the hole, indicated to his uncle by the ghost, was, doubtless,
+Colvin&#8217;s; for he had often seen Colvin&#8217;s mother use it, to cut her
+tobacco. Judge Skinner and Jesse took an edifying walk up the mountain, in
+search of the body&mdash;they did not find it, which is very surprising.</p>
+
+<p>About the middle of the month of May, 1819, Mr. Orange Clark, a neighbor
+of Stephen Boorn, in the town of Denmark, some two hundred miles from
+Manchester, entered his dwelling, in the evening. He took a chair, and
+commenced a friendly conversation with Stephen and his wife&mdash;for Stephen
+had married a wife&mdash;the sharer of all his sorrows&mdash;his joys, probably,
+were few, and far between, and not worth the partition. Shortly after, a
+Mr. Hooper, another neighbor, dropped in. He had scarcely taken his seat,
+before another entered the apartment, Mr. Sylvester, the innkeeper, who,
+upon some grave testimony, then recently imported into Denmark, had
+arrived at the solemn conclusion, that there was something rotten there.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen and his helpmate were, doubtless, somewhat surprised, at this
+unusual gathering, in their humble dwelling. Their surprise was greatly
+increased, of course, by the appearance, almost immediately after, of
+Messieurs Anderson and Raymond, worthy men of Manchester. If the ghost of
+Russell Colvin had stalked in, after them, Stephen Boorn could not have
+been more astonished, than he was, when he beheld, closing up the rear of
+all this goodly company&mdash;no less a personage, than Captain Truman Hill,
+the jailer of Manchester&mdash;the gentleman, I mean, who &#8220;<i>kept the keys of
+the prison</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>To Stephen there must have been something not wholly incomprehensible in
+this. His ill-starred partner was not long left in doubt. The very glances
+of the party were of evil omen. Their business was soon declared. The
+gentleman, that <i>kept the keys</i>, kept also the <i>handcuffs</i>. They were
+speedily produced. Stephen Boorn must go back to the place, from whence he
+came&mdash;and from thence&mdash;so opined the men, women and children of
+Manchester&mdash;to the place of execution. But, when the process commenced, of
+putting the irons upon that wretched man&mdash;the poor woman&mdash;the wife of his
+bosom&mdash;for he had a bosom, and a human heart therein, full of tenderness,
+as the sequel will demonstrate, for her; however inconceivable to the
+gentleman, that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> &#8220;<i>kept the keys</i>&#8221;&mdash;and to those learned judges, who, in
+the very teeth, and in utter contempt, of the law, so clearly laid down by
+Sir Matthew Hale, of glorious memory, would have hanged this miserable
+man, but for the signal Providence of Almighty God&mdash;this poor woman was
+completely overwhelmed with agony.</p>
+
+<p>The estimate of many things, in this nether world, is a vastly relative
+affair. That, which would be in excellent taste, among a people, without
+refinement, however moral, will frequently appear to the enlightened
+portion of mankind, as absolutely barbarous.</p>
+
+<p>The idea of allaying the anguish of a wife, produced by the forcible
+removal of her husband, in chains, on a charge of murder, by <i>making her
+presents</i>, hurries one&#8217;s imagination to the land of the Hottentots, or of
+the Caffres; where the loss of a child is sometimes forgotten, in the
+contemplation of a few glass beads&mdash;and no consolation proves so effectual
+for the loss of wife, as a nail or a hatchet.</p>
+
+<p>And yet it is impossible&mdash;and it ought to be&mdash;to read the short and simple
+statement of that good man, the Rev. Mr. Haynes, without emotion&mdash;&#8220;<i>The
+surprise and distress of Mrs. Boorn, on this occasion, are not easily
+described: they excited the compassion of those, who came to take away her
+husband; and they made her some presents.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The prisoner,&#8221; continues Mr. Haynes, &#8220;was put in irons, and brought to
+Manchester, on the 15th of May. He peremptorily asserted his innocence,
+and declared he knew nothing about the murder of his brother-in-law. The
+prisoners were kept apart, for a time. They were afterwards confined in
+one room. Stephen denied the evidence, brought against him by Jesse, and
+treated him with severity.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>These men, imprisoned in May, 1819, were not tried, until October of that
+year. The <i>evidence</i>, upon which they were convicted of murder, in the
+first degree, lies now before me, <i>certified up to the General Assembly of
+the State of Vermont, upon their request, by Judge Dudley Chace, Nov. 11,
+1819</i>. Let us now turn from <i>on dits</i>, and dreams, and ghosts, and
+doubtful relics, to the <i>duly certified testimony, upon which these men
+were sentenced to be hung</i>.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXXXI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The grand jurors of Bennington County found a bill of indictment, against
+Stephen and Jesse Boorn, September 3, 1819, for the murder of Russell
+Colvin, May 10, 1812, charging Stephen, as principal, in the first count,
+and Jesse, in the second.</p>
+
+<p>The facts, proved, upon the trial, by witnesses, whose testimony was
+unimpeached, and which facts appear, in the minutes of evidence, certified
+by Judge Dudley Chace to the General Assembly, November 11, 1819, were,
+substantially, these. Before the time of the alleged murder, Stephen had
+complained that his brother-in-law, Colvin, was a burden to the family;
+and Stephen had said, if there was no other way of preventing him from
+multiplying children, for his father-in-law, Barney Boorn, to support, he
+would prevent him himself.</p>
+
+<p>At the time of the alleged murder, Stephen and Jesse Boorn had a quarrel
+with Colvin. The affair, in part, was seen and heard, by a neighbor, from
+a distance. Lewis Colvin, then ten years old, the son of Russell, was
+present; and, when seventeen, testified at the trial, that the last time
+he saw his father was, when the quarrel took place, which arose, at the
+time they were all engaged, in picking up stones&mdash;that Colvin struck
+Stephen first, with a small stick&mdash;that Stephen then struck Colvin, on his
+neck, with a club, and he fell&mdash;that Colvin rose and struck Stephen
+again&mdash;that Stephen again struck Colvin with the club, and knocked him
+down&mdash;whereupon the witness, being frightened, ran away; and was
+afterwards told, by Stephen, that he would kill him, if he ever told of
+what had happened. The witness further stated, that he ran, and told his
+grandmother.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen appears to have been gifted with a lively fancy. It was testified,
+that, before this occurrence, speaking of his sister and her husband, he
+had said he wished Russell and Sal were both dead; and that he would <i>kick
+them into hell if he burnt his legs off</i>. This piece of evidence, after
+having produced the usual effect upon the jury, was rejected.</p>
+
+<p>Upon another occasion, four years after the alleged murder, Stephen stated
+to Daniel D. Baldwin, and Eunice, his wife, that Colvin went off very
+strangely; that the last he saw of him was when he, Stephen, and Jesse
+were together, and Colvin went off to the woods; that Lewis, the son of
+Colvin, upon returning<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> with some drink, for which he had been sent, asked
+where his father was, and that he, Stephen, replied, that Colvin had gone
+to hell; and Jesse, that they had put him where potatoes would not freeze;
+and Stephen added, while making this statement to the Baldwins, that it
+was not likely he or Jesse would have said this to the boy, if they had
+killed his father.</p>
+
+<p>When the body was sought for, before the bones were discovered, which were
+mistaken for human remains, a girl said to Stephen, &#8220;they are going to dig
+up Colvin for you; aren&#8217;t they?&#8221; He became angry, and said, that Colvin
+often went off and returned&mdash;and that, when he went off, the last time, he
+was crazy; and went off without his hat.</p>
+
+<p>About four years after his disappearance, an old mouldy hat was
+discovered, in the field, where the quarrel took place; and was
+identified, positively, as the hat of Colvin, by the witness who had seen
+the quarrel, from a distance, as I have stated.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen denied, to Benjamin Deming, that he, Stephen, was present, when
+Colvin went off, and stated, that he was then, at a distance.</p>
+
+<p>To Joseph Lincoln he said, that he never killed Colvin&mdash;that he, and
+Colvin, and Jesse were picking up stones, and that Colvin was crazy, and
+went off into the woods, and that they had not seen nor heard from him
+since.</p>
+
+<p>To William Wyman, Stephen re&auml;ffirmed his statement, made to Benjamin
+Deming&mdash;called on Wyman to clear up his statement, that he, Stephen, had
+killed Colvin&mdash;asserted, that he knew nothing of what had become of
+Colvin; and that he had never worked with him an hour.</p>
+
+<p>The minutes of the Judge furnish other examples of similar contradiction
+and inconsistency, on the part of Stephen Boorn.</p>
+
+<p>But the reader will bear constantly in mind, that, through a period of
+seven years, during which the suspicion of the vicinage hung over them,
+like an angry cloud, sending forth occasional mutterings of judgment to
+come, and threatening to burst upon their heads, at any moment; <i>neither
+of these miserable men attempted flight or concealment</i>. Two years before
+his arrest, Stephen removed from Manchester, as I have related; but, in an
+open manner. There was not the slightest disguise, in regard to his abode;
+and there, when it was thought proper to arrest him, he was readily found,
+in the bosom of his family.</p>
+
+<p>In 1813, Jesse Boorn was asked, by Daniel Jacobs, where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> Russell Colvin
+was; and replied, that he had enlisted, as a soldier in the army.</p>
+
+<p>Thus far, the evidence, certified by Judge Chace, appears to have
+proceeded from perfectly credible witnesses. Silas Merrill, <i>in jail, on a
+charge of perjury</i>, testified to the following confession&mdash;that, when
+Jesse returned to prison, after his examination, he told Merrill, that
+&#8220;<i>they</i>&#8221; had encouraged him to confess, <i>with promise of pardon</i>, and that
+he, Merrill, had told him, that, perhaps, he had better confess the whole
+truth, and <i>obtain some favor</i>. In June, 1819, Jesse&#8217;s father visited him
+in jail&mdash;after he went away, Jesse seemed much afflicted. After falling
+asleep, Jesse awoke, and shook the witness, Merrill&mdash;told him that he,
+Jesse, was frightened&mdash;had seen a vision&mdash;and wished the witness to get
+up, for he had something to tell him. They both arose; and Jesse made the
+following disclosure. He said it was true, that he, and Stephen, and
+Colvin, and Lewis were in the lot, picking stones&mdash;that Stephen struck
+Colvin with a club&mdash;that the boy, Lewis, ran&mdash;that Colvin got up&mdash;that
+Stephen struck him again, above the ear, and broke his skull&mdash;that his,
+Stephen&#8217;s father came up, and asked if Colvin was dead; and that he
+repeated this question three times&mdash;that all three of them carried Colvin,
+not then dead, to an old cellar, where the father cut Colvin&#8217;s throat,
+with a small penknife of Stephen&#8217;s&mdash;that they buried him, in the
+cellar&mdash;that Stephen wore Colvin&#8217;s shoes, till he, Jesse, told him it
+would lead to a discovery.</p>
+
+<p>Jesse, as the witness stated, informed him, that he had told his brother
+Stephen, that he had confessed. When Stephen came into the room, witness
+asked him, if he did not take the life of Colvin; to which he replied,
+that &#8220;<i>he did not take the main life of Colvin</i>.&#8221; Stephen, as the witness
+stated, said, that Jesse&#8217;s confession was true; and that he, Stephen, had
+made a confession, which would only make manslaughter of it. The witness,
+Merrill, then proceeded to say, that Jesse further confessed, that,
+eighteen months after they had buried the body, they took it up, and
+placed it under the floor of a barn, that was afterwards burnt&mdash;that they
+then pounded the bones, and put them in the river; excepting a few, which
+their father gathered up, and hid in a hollow stump.</p>
+
+<p>At this stage of the trial, the prosecuting officer offered the written
+confession of Stephen Boorn, dated Aug. 27, 1819. The document was
+authenticated. An attempt was made by the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span>prisoners&#8217; counsel, to show,
+that this confession was made, under the fear of death and hope and
+prospect of pardon. Samuel C. Raymond testified, that he had often told
+the prisoner to confess, <i>if guilty</i>, but not otherwise. Stephen said he
+was <i>not guilty</i>. The witness then told him <i>not to confess</i>. The witness
+said he had heard Mr. Pratt, and Mr. Sheldon, the prosecuting officer,
+tell Jesse, that, if he would confess, <i>in case he was guilty</i>, they would
+petition the legislature in his favor. The witness had made the same
+proposition to Stephen himself, and <i>always told him he had no doubt of
+his guilt; and that the public mind was against him</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The court, of course, rejected the <i>written confession</i> of Stephen, made,
+obviously, under the fear of death, and the hope and prospect of pardon.
+William Farnsworth was then produced, to prove the <i>oral confession</i> of
+Stephen, much to the same effect. To this the prisoners&#8217; counsel objected,
+very properly, as it occurred after the very statement and proposal, made
+to the prisoner, by Mr. Raymond. <i>The court, nevertheless, permitted the
+witness to proceed.</i> Mr. Farnsworth then testified, that, about two weeks
+<i>after</i> the date of the written confession, Stephen confessed, that he
+killed Russell Colvin&mdash;that Russell struck at him; and that he struck
+Russell and killed him&mdash;hid him in the bushes&mdash;buried him&mdash;dug him
+up&mdash;buried him again, under a barn, that was burnt&mdash;threw the unburnt
+bones into the river&mdash;scraped up some few remains, and hid them in a
+stump&mdash;and that the nails found he knew were Russell Colvin&#8217;s. The witness
+told him his case looked badly; and, probably, gave him no encouragement.
+Stephen then said they should have done well enough, had it not been for
+Jesse, and wished he &#8220;<i>had back that paper</i>,&#8221; meaning the written
+confession.</p>
+
+<p>After Mr. Farnsworth had been, thus absurdly, permitted to testify, there
+was no cause for withholding the written confession; and the prisoners&#8217;
+counsel called for its production. This confession embodies little more,
+with the exception of some particulars, as to the manner of burying the
+body; but is entirely inconsistent with the confession of Jesse. It is a
+full confession, that he killed Russell Colvin, and buried his remains.
+But, unlike the confession of Jesse, there is not the slightest
+implication of their father.</p>
+
+<p>The evidence, in behalf of the prisoners, was of very little importance,
+excepting in relation to the fact, that <i>they were <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span>persuaded, by divers
+individuals, that the only chance of escaping the halter was, by an ample
+confession of the murder</i>. They were told to confess <i>nothing but the
+truth</i>&mdash;but this was accompanied, by ominous intimations, that their case
+&#8220;<i>looked dark</i>&#8221;&mdash;that they were &#8220;<i>gone geese</i>&#8221;&mdash;or, by the considerate
+language of <i>Squire Raymond</i>&mdash;as he is styled in the minutes&mdash;that he
+&#8220;<i>had no doubt of their guilt</i>;&#8221; and if they would confess <i>the
+truth</i>&mdash;that is, <i>what the Squire had no doubt of</i>&mdash;he would petition the
+legislature in their favor! What atrocious language to a prisoner, under a
+charge of murder!</p>
+
+<p>It would be quite interesting to read the instructions of Judge Dudley
+Chace, while submitting the case of Stephen and Jesse Boorn to the jury;
+that we might be able to comprehend the measure of his respect, for the
+law, touching the inadmissibility of such extra judicial confessions, and
+for the solemn, judicial declaration of Sir Matthew Hale, that <i>no
+conviction ought ever to take place in trials, for murder or manslaughter,
+until the fact was clearly proven, or the dead body of the person, alleged
+to have been killed, was discovered</i>.</p>
+
+<p>In &#8220;<i>about an hour</i>,&#8221; the jury returned a verdict of guilty, against
+Stephen and Jesse Boorn. And, in &#8220;<i>about an hour</i>&#8221; after, the prisoners
+were brought into court again, and sentenced to be hung, on the
+twenty-eighth day of January, 1820. Judge Chace is said to have been
+&#8220;<i>quite moved</i>,&#8221; while passing sentence on Stephen and Jesse Boorn. It
+would have been well, for the cause of humanity, and not amiss, for the
+honor of his judicial station, if he had shed tears of blood, as the
+reader of the sequel will readily admit.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXXII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Sentenced, on the last day of October, 1819, to be hung, on the 28th of
+January following, the Boorns were remanded to their prison, and put in
+irons.</p>
+
+<p>From this period, their most authentic and interesting prison history is
+obtained, from the written statement of the clergyman, who appears to have
+performed his sacred functions, in regard to these men, with singular
+fidelity and propriety. This clergyman,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, belonged
+to that class of human beings, commonly denominated <i>colored people</i>&mdash;a
+term, to which I have always sturdily objected, because drunkards, who are
+often a highly-colored people, may thus be confounded with temperate and
+respectable men of African descent.</p>
+
+<p><small><a name="f2.1" id="f2.1" href="#f2">[2]</a></small>Mr. Haynes was, in part, of African parentage; and the author of the
+narrative, and occasional sermon, to which I have referred, at the
+commencement of these articles. There flourished, in this city, some five
+and thirty years ago, a number of very respectable, negro musicians,
+associated, as a band; and Major Russell, the editor of the Centinel, was
+in the habit of distinguishing the music, by the color of the performers.
+He frequently remarked, in his journal, that the &#8220;<i>black music</i>&#8221; was
+excellent. If this phraseology be allowable, I cannot deny, that the
+black, or colored, narrative of Mr. Haynes is very interesting; and that I
+have seldom read a black or colored discourse, with more satisfaction; and
+that I have read many a white one, with infinitely less.</p>
+
+<p>Previously to their trial, and after the arrest of Stephen, the Rev. Mr.
+Haynes expressly states, that Jesse, having had an interview with Stephen,
+positively denied his own former statement, that Stephen had admitted he
+killed Colvin. These are the words of Mr. Haynes&mdash;&#8220;During the interval,
+the writer frequently visited them, in his official capacity; and did not
+discover any symptoms of compunction; but they persisted, in declaring
+their innocence, with appeals to Heaven. Stephen, at times, appeared
+absorbed in passion and impatience. One day, I introduced the example of
+Christ, under sufferings, as a pattern, worthy of imitation: he
+exclaimed&mdash;&#8216;I am as innocent, as Jesus Christ!&#8217; for which extravagant
+expression I reproved him: he replied&mdash;&#8216;I don&#8217;t mean I am guiltless, as he
+was, I know I am a great sinner; but I am as innocent of killing Colvin,
+as he was.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span>The condition of the Boorns, immediately after sentence, cannot be more
+forcibly exhibited, than in the language of this worthy clergyman&mdash;&#8220;None
+can express the confusion and anguish, into which the prisoners were cast,
+on hearing their doom. They requested, by their counsel, liberty to speak,
+which was granted. In sighs and broken accents, they asserted their
+innocence. The convulsion of nature, attending Stephen, at last, was so
+great, as to render him unable to walk, and he was supported to the
+prison.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Compassion was excited, in the hearts of some&mdash;doubts, peradventure, in
+the minds of others. A petition was presented to the General Assembly; and
+the punishment of Jesse was changed to imprisonment, for life.
+Ninety-seven deadly noes, against forty-two merciful ayes, decided the
+fate of Stephen.</p>
+
+<p>On the 29th of October, 1819, Jesse bade Stephen a last farewell; and was
+transferred to the State prison, at Windsor.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I visited him&mdash;Stephen&#8221;&mdash;says Mr. Haynes, &#8220;frequently, with sympathy and
+grief; and endeavored to turn his mind upon the things of another world;
+telling him, that, as all human means had failed, he must look to God, as
+the only way of deliverance. I advised him to read the Holy Scriptures; to
+which he consented, if he could be allowed a candle, as his cell was dark.
+This request was granted; and I often found him reading. He was at times
+calm, and again impatient.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Upon another occasion, still nearer the day of the prisoner&#8217;s doom&mdash;&#8220;the
+last of earth&#8221;&mdash;Mr. Haynes remarks, that Stephen addressed him
+thus&mdash;&#8220;<i>&#8216;Mr. Haynes, I see no way but I must die: everything works against
+me; but I am an innocent man: this you will know, after I am dead.&#8217; He
+burst into a flood of tears, and said&mdash;&#8216;What will become of my poor wife
+and children; they are in needy circumstances; and I love them better than
+life itself.&#8217;</i>&mdash;I told him, God would take care of them. He replied&mdash;&#8216;<i>I
+don&#8217;t want to die. I wish they would let me live, even in this situation,
+somewhat longer: perhaps something will take place, that will convince
+people I am innocent.</i>&#8217; I was about to leave the prison, when he
+said&mdash;&#8216;<i>will you pray with me?</i>&#8217;&mdash;He arose with his heavy chains on his
+hands and legs, being also chained down to the floor, and stood on his
+feet, with deep and bitter sighings.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>On the 26th day of November, 1819&mdash;two brief months before the time,
+appointed, for the execution of Stephen Boorn, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span> following notice
+appeared in the Rutland Herald&mdash;&#8220;<span class="smcap">Murder.</span>&mdash;<i>Printers of Newspapers,
+throughout the United States, are desired to publish, that Stephen Boorn
+of Manchester, in Vermont, is sentenced to be executed for the murder of
+Russell Colvin, who has been absent about seven years. Any person, who can
+give information of said Colvin, may save the life of the innocent, by
+making immediate communication. Colvin is about five feet five inches
+high, light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, about forty years of age.
+Manchester, Vt., Nov. 26, 1819.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This notice, published by request of the prisoner, was, doubtless,
+prepared, by one of his counsel:&mdash;by whomsoever prepared, it bears, in its
+very structure, unmistakable evidence of the writer&#8217;s entire confidence,
+in the innocency, of Stephen Boorn, of the <i>murder</i> of Russell Colvin. No
+man, who had a doubt upon his mind, could have put these words together,
+in the very places, where they stand. Had it been otherwise, some little
+hesitancy of expression&mdash;some conservative syllable&mdash;one little if, <i>ex
+abundanti cautela</i>, to shelter the writer from the charge of a most
+miserably weak and merciful credulity, would have characterized this last
+appeal&mdash;this short, shrill cry for mercy&mdash;as the work of a doubter, and a
+hireling.</p>
+
+<p>There may have been a few, whose strong confidence, in the bloodguiltiness
+of Stephen Boorn, had become slightly paralyzed, by his entire and
+absolute retractation of all his confessions, made before trial. There may
+have been a few, who believe, that they, themselves, might have confessed,
+though innocent, in the same predicament&mdash;assured by the <i>squires</i>, the
+<i>magnates</i> of the village, whom they supposed powerful to save, that <i>no
+doubt existed of their guilt</i>&mdash;that they were <i>gone geese</i>&mdash;and who
+proffered an effort in their favor&mdash;to save them from the gallows&mdash;if they
+would confess <i>the truth</i>, which <i>truth</i> could, of course, be nothing, but
+their <i>guilt</i>. If they would confess a crime, though innocent, they might
+still live! If not, they must be deemed liars, and murderers, and die the
+death!</p>
+
+<p>The prisoner, Stephen Boorn, even supposing him to be innocent, but of
+humble station in society, and of ordinary mental powers&mdash;oppressed by the
+chains he wore, and, more heavily, by the dread of death&mdash;clinging to
+life&mdash;not only because it is written, by the finger of God, in the members
+of man, that all a man hath will be given for his life&mdash;but because, as
+the statement of Mr. Haynes convincingly shows, poor degraded outcast as
+Stephen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span> was, he was deeply and tenderly attached to his wife and
+children&mdash;might well fall under the temptation, so censurably spread
+before him.</p>
+
+<p>There may have been a few, who were compelled to doubt, if Stephen were a
+murderer, upon hearing the simple narrative, spread through the village,
+by the worthy clergyman, of the fervent and awful declaration of Stephen
+Boorn, in a moment of deep and energetic misery&mdash;&#8220;I am as innocent of the
+murder of Russell Colvin, as Jesus Christ.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>But the strong current of popular indignation ran, overwhelmingly, against
+him. By a large number, the brief notice, published in the Rutland Herald,
+was, undoubtedly, accounted a mere personal, or professional attempt, to
+produce an impression of the murderer&#8217;s innocence, in the hope of
+commutation, or of pardon&mdash;and, with many, it certainly tended to confirm
+the prejudice against him. Days of unutterable anguish were succeeded, by
+nights of frightful slumber. The cell was feebly lighted, by the taper
+allowed him&mdash;with unpractised fingers, the prisoner turned over the pages
+of God&#8217;s holy word&mdash;but a kind, faithful guide was at his elbow&mdash;the voice
+of fervent prayer, amid the occasional clanking of the prisoner&#8217;s fetters,
+went up to that infallible ear, that is ever ready to hear.&mdash;The Judicial
+power had consigned this victim to the gallows&mdash;the general sense had
+decided, that Stephen Boorn ought not to live&mdash;to prepare him to die was
+the only remaining office, for the man of God.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXXIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>In April, 1813, about a year after poor Colvin was murdered, by the
+Boorns, according to the indictment&mdash;there came to the house of a Mr.
+Polhamus, in Dover, Monmouth County, New Jersey, a wandering man&mdash;he was a
+stranger, and Mr. Polhamus was a good man, and took him in&mdash;he was hungry,
+and he fed him&mdash;he was ragged, if not absolutely naked, and he clothed
+him. He was a man of mean appearance, rapid utterance, and disordered
+understanding. He was harmless withal, perfectly tractable, capable of
+light service, and grateful for kindness. In the family of Mr. Polhamus,
+this poor vagrant had continued, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span>to the very time, when the Boorns were
+convicted of the murder of Russell Colvin.</p>
+
+<p>Not far from Dover, lies the town of Shrewsbury, near Long Branch, the
+Bai&aelig; of the Philadelphians. There dwelt in Shrewsbury, in the year 1819,
+Mr. Taber Chadwick, the brother-in-law of Mr. Polhamus, and familiarly
+acquainted with the domestic affairs of his relative. He also was a man of
+kind and generous feelings. He had accidentally read in the New York
+Evening Post, a paper which he rarely met with, the account of the
+conviction of the Boorns, for the murder of Colvin. The notice in the
+Rutland Herald, he had never seen. He was firmly persuaded, that the
+stranger, who arrived at the house of his brother-in-law, some six years
+before, was Russell Colvin. What reasons he had, for this conviction, the
+reader will gather from a perusal of the following letter, which appeared
+in the Evening Post:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;<span class="smcap">Shrewsbury</span>, Monmouth, N. J., Dec. 6, 1819. To the Editor of the New York
+Evening Post: Sir. Having read in your paper of Nov. 26th last, of the
+conviction and sentence of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, of Manchester,
+Vermont, charged with the murder of Russell Colvin, and from facts, which
+have fallen within my own knowledge, and not knowing what facts may have
+been disclosed on their trial, and wishing to serve the cause of humanity,
+I would state as follows, which may be relied on. Some years past, (I
+think between five and ten), a stranger made his appearance in this
+county: and, upon being inquired of, said his name was Russell Colvin,
+(which name he answers to at this time)&mdash;that he came from Manchester,
+Vermont&mdash;he appeared to be in a state of mental derangement; but, at
+times, gave considerable account of himself&mdash;his connections,
+acquaintances, &amp;c.&mdash;He mentions the names of Clarissa, Rufus, &amp;c.&mdash;Among
+his relations he has mentioned the Boorns above&mdash;Jesse as Judge (I think,)
+&amp;c., &amp;c. He is a man rather small in stature&mdash;round favored&mdash;speaks very
+fast, and has two scars on his head, and appears to be between thirty and
+forty years of age. There is no doubt but that he came from Vermont, from
+the mention that he has made of a number of places and persons there, and
+probably is the person supposed to have been murdered. He is now living
+here, but so completely insane, as not to be able to give a satisfactory
+account of himself, but the connections of Russell Colvin might know, by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span>
+seeing him. If you think proper to give this a place in your columns, it
+may possibly lead to a discovery, that may save the lives of innocent
+men&mdash;if so, you will have the pleasure, as well as myself, of having
+served the cause of humanity. If you give this an insertion in your paper,
+pray be so good as to request the different editors of newspapers, in New
+York, and Vermont, to give it a place in theirs. I am, sir, with
+sentiments of regard, yours, &amp;c.,</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;"><span class="smcap">Taber Chadwick</span>.&#8221;</span></p>
+
+<p>To render a certain part of this letter intelligible to the reader, it is
+proper to state, that Clarissa and Rufus, as it appeared from the
+evidence, were the names of Colvin&#8217;s children; and that &#8220;<i>the judge</i>&#8221; was
+a title, or sobriquet, frequently bestowed upon Jesse, by Stephen.</p>
+
+<p>Upon the arrival of a printed copy of Mr. Chadwick&#8217;s letter, in
+Manchester, it produced little or no effect. Very few of the inhabitants
+gave any credit to the story; and it might have been very reasonably
+supposed, that St. Thomas had begotten a large majority of the population.
+Squire Raymond was certain of Stephen&#8217;s guilt; and to differ from Squire
+Raymond, was probably accounted, by the villagers, as one of the
+presumptuous sins. Besides, if a doubt of their guilt had existed, would
+not those most learned judges have given the prisoners the full advantage
+of that doubt! How little the good people of Manchester imagined, that,
+upon the trial of the Boorns, the well established rules of evidence had
+been outrageously violated, and a great fundamental principle of criminal
+jurisprudence shamefully disregarded, by the court! Such, however painful
+and disgraceful the admission, was manifestly the fact. Judges, who sit
+thus, in judgment, upon the lives of men, would do well to doff their
+ermine, and assume the robe, commended by Faulconbridge to Austria. To the
+enforcement of this simple truth I shall turn hereafter.</p>
+
+<p>Let us now go to the dungeon, taking with us, of course, the newspaper,
+containing these living lines&mdash;these tidings of exceeding great joy. But
+the details of all that occurred within the prison, are related with great
+simplicity and power, by the good clergyman, who stood by Stephen Boorn,
+in his deepest need. Let Mr. Haynes, himself, describe in a few words, the
+effect of this communication, upon the prisoner&mdash;&#8220;Mr. Chadwick&#8217;s letter
+was carried to the prison, and read to Stephen. The news was so
+overwhelming, that, to use his own language, nature could scarcely sustain
+the shock; but, as there was some doubt as to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span> the truth of the report, it
+tended to prevent an immediate dissolution. He observed to me, that, if
+Colvin had then made his appearance before him, he believed it would have
+caused immediate death. Even now a faintness was created, that was painful
+to endure.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Not a few very charitable people, who shrink, instinctively, from the very
+thought of giving pain, marvelled at the cruelty of those, who presumed to
+raise the poor prisoner&#8217;s hopes, upon such frail and improbable grounds.</p>
+
+<p>Soon, intelligence arrived in Manchester, that a Mr. Whelpley, of New
+York, formerly of Manchester, who knew Colvin well, having seen Mr.
+Chadwick&#8217;s letter, had gone to New Jersey, to settle the question of
+identity. This, according to Mr. Deming&#8217;s account, was done, at the
+instance of the city authorities of New York.</p>
+
+<p>Doubt fell, fifty per cent., in the market of Manchester, when a brief
+letter, in the well known handwriting of Mr. Whelpley, was received, in
+that village, immediately upon his return to New York, containing these
+vital words&mdash;&#8220;<span class="smcap">I have Colvin with me</span>!&#8221; This letter was immediately followed
+by another from a Mr. Rempton, who knew him well, in which he
+says&mdash;&#8220;<i>while writing, Russell Colvin is before me!</i>&#8221; The New York
+journals now published the notice, that <i>Colvin had arrived, and would
+soon proceed to Vermont</i>. Doubt dies hard, in the bosoms of those, whose
+pride of opinion forbids them to recant. Squire Raymond, and his tail, as
+the Scotch call a great man&#8217;s followers, could not believe the story.
+Their honors, who sentenced the Boorns to death, in one hour, after the
+verdict had been delivered&mdash;were very naturally inclined to take a longer
+time, for consideration, before they sentenced themselves to merited
+reproach, for their rash and unjustifiable conduct. Bets were made, says
+Mr. Haynes, that the man, on his way to Vermont, notwithstanding the
+positive averments of Whelpley and Rempton, was not the true Colvin, but
+an impostor.</p>
+
+<p>Whoever he was, he was soon upon his way. He passed through Albany. The
+streets, says Mr. Deming, were literally crowded to get a glimpse of the
+man, who was dead and alive again. He passed through Troy. The Trojan
+horse could not have produced a greater measure of amazement, in the days
+of Priam. Dec. 22, he arrived with Mr. Whelpley, at Bennington. The court
+then in session, suspended business, to look upon him, for several hours.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span>Towards evening, upon that memorable day, Dec. 22, 1819, the stage was
+seen, driving into Manchester, and the driving was like the driving of
+Jehu, for it drove furiously. When the dust cleared away, sufficiently, to
+enable the excited population to obtain a clearer view, an unusual signal
+was observed floating above the advancing vehicle. A shout broke forth
+from the crowd&mdash;<span class="smcap">Colvin has come!</span> Hundreds ran to their houses to
+communicate the tidings&mdash;<i>Colvin has come!</i> The stage drove up to the
+tavern door; and a little man, of mean appearance, and wild, disordered
+look, came forth into the middle of the eager multitude. His bewildered
+eyes turned, rapidly and feverishly, in all directions, encountering eyes
+innumerable, that seemed to drink him in, with the strong relish of wonder
+and delight. Hundreds upon hundreds pressed forward, to grasp this poor,
+little, demented creature, by the hand; and enough of sense and memory
+remained, to enable him, feebly, to return the smiles of his former
+neighbors, and to call them, by their names. All was uproar and frantic
+joy. The people of Manchester believed it to be their bounden duty to go
+partially mad; and they did their duty to perfection. Guns were fired,
+amid wild demonstrations of excitement; and Colvin was tumultuously borne
+to the cell of the condemned. The meeting shall be described by Mr.
+Haynes&mdash;&#8220;<i>The prison door was unbolted&mdash;the news proclaimed to Stephen,
+that Colvin had come! The welcome reception, given it by the joyful
+prisoner, need not be mentioned. The chains, on his arms, were taken off,
+while those on his legs remained. Being impatient of an interview with
+him, who had come to bring salvation, they met. Colvin gazed upon the
+chains, and asked&mdash;&#8216;What is that for?&#8217;&mdash;Stephen answered&mdash;&#8216;Because, they
+say, I murdered you&#8217;&mdash;&#8216;You never hurt me&#8217;&mdash;replied Colvin.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Colvin recognized his children; but marvelled how they came in Manchester,
+asserting, that he left them, at the house of his kind benefactor, Mr.
+Polhamus, in New Jersey. Of his wife, who came to see him, he took little
+notice, asserting, that she did not belong to him. There may have been
+enough of method, in his madness, to enable him to appreciate, correctly,
+the value of his marital relation. The breath of Manchester may have blown
+the truth into his ear. An ingenious person may find some little
+resemblance between the wanderings of Ulysses and those of Colvin the
+<i>Oudeis</i> of Manchester&mdash;but the testimony, upon the trial, peremptorily
+forbids the slightest comparison, between <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span>Penelope and Mrs. Colvin, who
+appears not to have embarrassed her suitors, with the preliminary ordeal
+of the bow.</p>
+
+<p>There is an admirable painting, in the Boston Athen&aelig;um, by Neagle, of
+Patrick Lyon, the blacksmith, who was long imprisoned, in Philadelphia,
+for the robbery of a bank, of which crime he was perfectly innocent, as it
+finally appeared, to the entire satisfaction of the government, by whom he
+was, consequently, discharged. Lyon is represented, at his forge; and he
+desired the artist to introduce the Walnut Street prison in the rear,
+where he had suffered, so unjustly, and so long.</p>
+
+<p>The graphic hand of a master might do something here. I would pay more
+than I can well afford, for a couple of illustrative paintings&mdash;I. The
+Judges, with tears in their eyes, sentencing Stephen and Jesse to be
+hanged, for the murder of Colvin&mdash;the best books on evidence, before them,
+and open at the pages where it is expressly stated that extra-judicial
+confession, under fear of death, and hope of pardon, shall never be
+received&mdash;and the leaf turned down, at the authority of Sir Matthew Hale,
+that no conviction ought ever to take place, upon trials for murder and
+manslaughter, till the fact be clearly proven, or the <i>dead body</i> be
+discovered.</p>
+
+<p>II. The dungeon, Dec. 22, 1819, just thirty-six days, before the time,
+appointed for the execution of Stephen&mdash;the murderer and the murdered man,
+standing face to face, in full life&mdash;Squire Raymond still avowing his
+conviction of Stephen&#8217;s guilt, and holding aloft his written
+confession&mdash;Judge Chace seen in the distance, burying the &#8220;<i>certified
+minutes of evidence</i>&#8221; in the very hole, pointed out, to Nathaniel Boorn,
+by Colvin&#8217;s ghost&mdash;and Judge Doolittle evidently regretting, that he had
+not done less, in this unhappy transaction, which came so near the
+consummation of judicial murder.</p>
+
+<p>In the succeeding number, I shall endeavor to present a simple version of
+the motives and conduct of the parties&mdash;and some brief remarks, upon this
+extraordinary trial.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXXIV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>After a little reflection, the true explanation of this apparent mystery
+appears to be exceedingly simple. Colvin had become<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span> an object of contempt
+and hatred to the Boorns; and especially to Stephen. His mental feebleness
+had produced their contempt&mdash;the burdensomeness of himself and his family
+had begotten their hatred. The poor, semi-demented creature happened, in a
+luckless hour, to boast, most absurdly, no doubt, of his great importance
+and usefulness, as a member of this interesting family. This gave a doubly
+keen edge to the animosity of Stephen; and he berated his brother-in-law,
+in terms, almost as vulgar and abusive, as those we daily meet with, in so
+many of our leading political journals, of all denominations.</p>
+
+<p>Forgetful of his inferiority, this miserable worm exemplified the proverb,
+and turned upon his oppressor, in a feeble way. He struck Stephen with &#8220;<i>a
+small riding stick</i>.&#8221; This was accounted sufficient provocation by
+Stephen; and, in the language of the witness, &#8220;<i>Stephen then struck
+Russell on his neck with a club, and knocked him down</i>.&#8221; He rose, and made
+a slight effort to renew the battle, and then Stephen again knocked him
+down. Upon this, Colvin rambled off, towards the mountain, and was seen in
+that region, no more, till he was brought back, after the expiration of
+seven years, in December, 1819.</p>
+
+<p>He went off without his hat and shoes; whether, in his effort to shake off
+the dust of that city, he unconsciously shook off his shoes, is unknown.
+The discovery of the hat, some years after, formed a part of that wretched
+<i>rope of sand</i>, for it is not worthy of being called a <i>chain of
+evidence</i>, upon which Stephen and Jesse were sentenced to death. Colvin
+had, doubtless, long been aware, that he was an object of hatred to the
+Boorns. The blows, inflicted upon this occasion, undoubtedly, aggravated
+his insanity; yet enough remained of the instinctive love of life, to
+teach him, that his safety was in flight. How he found his way to that
+part of New Jersey, which lies near the Atlantic Ocean, is of little
+importance. He was, notoriously, a wanderer. It was the spring of the
+year. He moved onward, without plan, camping out, among the bushes, or
+sleeping in barns; the world before him, and Providence his guide. He,
+probably, rambled from Manchester, which is in the southwest corner of
+Vermont, into the State of New York, which lies very near; and, wandering,
+in a southerly direction, along the westerly boundary lines of
+Massachusetts and Connecticut, he would, before many days, have entered
+the northerly part of New Jersey.</p>
+
+<p>Accustomed to his occasional absences, the Boorns, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span>undoubtedly, expected
+his return, for weeks and months, even though the summer had past, and the
+harvest had ended. But, after the snows of winter had come, and covered
+the mountains; and the spring had returned, and melted them away; and
+Colvin came not; then Stephen Boorn, doubtless, began to fear, that he
+had, unintentionally, killed him&mdash;that he had wandered away, and died of
+the effects of the blows he had received&mdash;and that his bones were
+bleaching, in some unknown part of the mountain, whither he had wandered,
+immediately after the occurrence.</p>
+
+<p>Upon this hypothesis, alone, can we explain one remarkable word, in the
+answer of Stephen to Merrill&#8217;s question, in the jail, as certified, by
+Judge Chace, in his minutes&mdash;&#8220;<i>I asked him, if he did take the life of
+Colvin.&mdash;He said he did not take the</i> main <i>life of Colvin. He said no
+more at that time.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Does any reflecting man inquire&mdash;what could have induced these men to
+confess the crime, with such a particular detail of minute, and
+extraordinary, circumstances? The answer has already been given, in
+part.&mdash;Stephen, doubtless, believed it to be quite probable, that he had
+been the means of Colvin&#8217;s death. To explain the motive for confession,
+more fully, it is only necessary to stand, for one moment, in the
+prisoner&#8217;s shoes. He was assured, by &#8220;Squire Raymond,&#8221; and others, in whom
+he confided, that no doubt was entertained of his guilt&mdash;that his case was
+dark&mdash;and that his only hope lay in confession.</p>
+
+<p>His mind was brought to the full and settled belief, that he should be
+hung, before many days, <i>unless he confessed</i>. If he had confessed the
+simple truth&mdash;the quarrel&mdash;the blows&mdash;the departure of Colvin&mdash;all this
+would have availed him nothing. It was not this, of which &#8220;Squire
+Raymond,&#8221; and others, had <i>no doubt he was guilty</i>. They had no doubt he
+was guilty of the <i>murder</i> of Colvin. No confession of anything, short of
+<i>the murder of Colvin</i>, would satisfy &#8220;Squire Raymond,&#8221; and induce him to
+&#8220;petition the legislature in favor&#8221; of the prisoner! Stephen well knew,
+that, if he confessed the murder of Colvin, it would be immediately
+asked&mdash;where he had buried the body&mdash;a puzzling question, it must be
+confessed, for one, who had committed no murder. But it was a delicate
+moment, for Stephen. It was necessary for him to stand, not only <i>rectus
+in curia</i>&mdash;but <i>rectus</i> with &#8220;Squire Raymond,&#8221; and all his other attentive
+patrons. He therefore, to save his life, and secure the patronage<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span> of the
+&#8220;Squire,&#8221; strung together a terrible tissue of lies, too manifestly
+preposterous and improbable, even for the credulous brain of Cotton
+Mather, in 1692. He relieved himself of all embarrassment, in regard to
+the dead body of the <i>living</i> Colvin, by <i>confessing</i>, that he first
+buried it, in the earth&mdash;then took it up and reburied it, under a
+barn&mdash;and, after the barn had been burnt, took up the bones again, and
+cast them into the Battenkill river.</p>
+
+<p>The confession of Jesse was made, when he was aroused from sleep, at
+midnight, under the impression, as he stated, at the time, that
+&#8220;<i>something had come in at the window, and was on the bed beside
+him</i>&#8221;&mdash;somewhat extra-judicial, this confession, to be sure. This Jesse
+appears to have been a most unfilial scoundrel; for, instead of
+<i>confessing</i>, as Stephen had <i>confessed</i>, that Stephen himself killed
+Colvin, single-handed and alone; Jesse catered, more abundantly, to the
+popular appetite for horrors, by <i>confessing</i> that his old father, Barney
+Boorn, &#8220;<i>damned</i>&#8221; his son-in-law, Colvin, very frequently, and &#8220;<i>cut his
+throat with a small penknife</i>.&#8221; All this clotted mass of inconsistent
+absurdity, extorted by hope and fear, his honor, Judge Chace, received, as
+legal evidence, and gravely certified up to the General Assembly of
+Vermont.</p>
+
+<p>It is true, Judge Chace, as we have stated, rejected the written
+confession of Stephen, because Raymond swore, as follows&mdash;&#8220;<i>I have heard
+Mr. Pratt and Mr. Sheldon tell Jesse Boorn, that if he would confess, in
+case he was guilty, they would petition the legislature for him&mdash;I have
+made the same proposition to Stephen myself, and always told him I had no
+doubt of his guilt, and that the public mind was against him.</i>&#8221; It is
+needless to expatiate on the gross impropriety of addressing such language
+to a prisoner, under such circumstances.</p>
+
+<p>But the witness, Farnsworth, was then produced to prove Stephen&#8217;s oral
+confession, that he killed Colvin. It appears, by the minutes, certified
+by Judge Chace, that he put the preliminary questions, and that the
+witness swore, &#8220;that neither he nor anybody else, <i>to his knowledge</i>, had
+done anything, directly or indirectly, to influence the said Stephen to
+the <i>talk</i> he was about to communicate.&#8221; In vain, the prisoners&#8217; counsel
+protested, that the evidence was inadmissible, because the &#8220;<i>talk</i>&#8221;
+between Stephen and Farnsworth was subsequent to the proposition made to
+Stephen by Raymond. In vain they pressed the consideration,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span> that if, on
+this ground, the written confession had been rejected, the oral confession
+should also be rejected. In vain they offered to prove other proposals and
+promises, made to the prisoners, at other times, <i>before</i> the
+conversation, now offered to be proved. Nothing, however, would stay their
+honors, from gibbetting their judicial reputation, in chains, which no
+time will ever knock off. They suffered Farnsworth to testify; and he
+swore, that Stephen told him, &#8220;about two weeks <i>after</i> the written
+confession, that he killed Colvin,&#8221; &amp;c. This must have been about
+September 10, 1819, and, of course, before the trial, when he was still
+relying on the promises of Squire Raymond, and others.</p>
+
+<p>The prisoners&#8217; counsel very judiciously moved, for the reception of the
+written confession, and it was read accordingly. Unable to restrain the
+judicial antics of the Court, it appeared to be the only course, for the
+prisoners&#8217; counsel, to throw the whole crude and incongruous mass before
+the jury, and leave its credibility, or rather, its palpable
+incredibility, to their decision. It would be desirable, as a judicial
+curiosity, to possess a copy of Judge Chace&#8217;s charge. Of his instructions
+to the jury he says nothing, in his certified statement to the General
+Assembly.</p>
+
+<p>Now, apart from the confessions of these men, extorted, so clearly, by the
+fear of death, and the hope of pardon, there was evidence enough to excite
+<i>suspicion</i>, and there was no more: but, the law of our country convicts
+no man of murder, or manslaughter, upon <i>suspicion</i>. I shall conclude my
+remarks, upon this interesting case, in the following number.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXXV.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The chains of Stephen Boorn were stricken off, and Jesse was liberated
+from prison. They were men of note. If there were not <i>giants</i>, there were
+<i>lions</i>, in those days. Colvin soon became weary of standing upon that
+dizzy eminence, where circumstances had placed him. He had a painful
+recollection, no doubt, more or less distinct, of the past: and, after he
+had served the high purpose, for which he had been brought from New
+Jersey, he expressed an earnest wish to return to the home of his
+adoption; where he had found, in the good Mr. Polhamus, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span> friend, who had
+considered the necessities and distresses of his body and mind; and, who
+had been willing, in return for his feeble services, to give him shelter
+and protection.</p>
+
+<p>The Boorns had, undoubtedly, a fortunate, and, almost a miraculous,
+escape. So had their honors, the Judges, Chace and Doolittle. Their first
+meeting, after the <i>denouement</i>, must have been perfectly tragi-comical.</p>
+
+<p>Their escape from an awful precipice may admonish all, who sit, in
+judgment, upon the lives of their fellow-men, to administer the law, with
+extreme caution, and with a high and holy regard, for those
+well-established principles, and rules, which can never be disregarded,
+with impunity. God forbid, that any humble phraseology of mine should, for
+an instant, be perverted, to mislead the meanest understanding&mdash;to foster
+those principles, which, for the purpose of extending mercy, undeserved,
+to the murderer, would heap gross injustice and cruelty, upon the whole
+community&mdash;to break down the positive law of God, which Jesus Christ
+declared, that he came to confirm; and, in its place and stead, to erect
+the sickly decrees of a society of philandering puppets, whose wires are
+notoriously pulled, by certain professional and political managers.</p>
+
+<p>In the commencement of my remarks, upon this romance of real life, I
+endeavored to forefend, against the suspicion of undervaluing that species
+of evidence, which is called presumptive, or circumstantial. It is
+accounted, by the most able writers, on this branch of jurisprudence, of
+the highest quality. Thus, in his admirable work, on Evidence, vol. i.
+sec. 13, Professor Greenleaf remarks, that, in both civil and criminal
+cases, &#8220;<i>a verdict may well be founded on circumstances alone; and these
+often lead to a conclusion, far more satisfactory than direct evidence can
+produce</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The errors, committed by the Judges, upon the trial of the Boorns&mdash;and
+those errors were egregious&mdash;were twofold&mdash;the admission of extra-judicial
+confessions, manifestly extorted by hope and fear&mdash;and suffering a
+conviction to take place, before the dead body of the person, alleged to
+have been murdered, had been discovered.</p>
+
+<p>The rule, on the subject of confessions, is sufficiently plain.
+&#8220;<i>Deliberate confessions of guilt</i>,&#8221; says Mr. Greenleaf, ibid. sec. 215,
+&#8220;are among the most effectual proofs in the law.&#8221; But they should be
+received and weighed with caution; for, as he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span> remarks, sec. 214&mdash;&#8220;it
+should be recollected, that the mind of the prisoner himself, is oppressed
+by the calamity of his situation, and that he is often influenced by
+motives of hope or fear, to make an untrue confession.&#8221; Mr. Greenleaf then
+proceeds to say, in a note on this passage&mdash;&#8220;of this character was the
+remarkable case of the two Boorns,&#8221; &amp;c., and proceeds to give a summary of
+the case.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;In the United States,&#8221; says Mr. Greenleaf, ibid. sec. 217, &#8220;the
+prisoner&#8217;s confession, when the <i>corpus delicti</i> is not otherwise proved,
+has been held insufficient, for his conviction; and this opinion,
+certainly, best accords with the humanity of the criminal code, and with
+the great degree of caution, applied in receiving and weighing the
+evidence of confessions, in other cases; and it seems countenanced by
+approved writers, on this branch of the law.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Again, ibid. sec. 219, he remarks&mdash;&#8220;Before any confession can be received,
+in evidence, in a criminal case, it must be shown, that it was
+<i>voluntary</i>. * * * * &#8216;A free and voluntary confession,&#8217; said Eyre, C. B.,
+&#8216;is deserving of the highest credit, because it is presumed to flow from
+the strongest sense of guilt, and therefore it is admitted as proof of the
+crime, to which it refers; but a confession forced from the mind, by the
+flattery of hope, or by the torture of fear, comes in so questionable a
+shape, when it is to be considered as the evidence of guilt, that no
+credit ought to be given to it; and therefore it is rejected.&#8217;&#8221;
+Unfortunately, Judges Chace and Doolittle thought otherwise; and brought
+themselves and the condemned, upon the very threshold of a terrible
+catastrophe.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Greenleaf, in the note, above referred to, alludes to an article, in
+the North American Review, vol. 10, p. 418, in which this case of the
+Boorns is examined. It was from the pen of a gentleman, whose high
+professional prospects were blasted, by an early death. This writer had
+seen nothing, however, but &#8220;<i>a very imperfect report of the trial</i>.&#8221; His
+article was published, in April, 1820, about four months after the
+discovery of Colvin. The conclusions, at which he arrives, that the
+confessions ought not to have been admitted, would have gained additional
+strength, had he inspected the <i>certified minutes</i>, taken on the trial, by
+the Chief Justice.</p>
+
+<p>Had he seen those certified minutes of the evidence, he would scarcely
+have described the utter inconsistency of the two <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span>confessions, by the
+inadequate phrase&mdash;&#8220;<i>there are differences between them</i>:&#8221; for Stephen&#8217;s
+claims the whole act of killing to himself&mdash;while Jesse&#8217;s charges the
+father, who was notoriously not present, with cutting Colvin&#8217;s throat,
+while he was yet living, and after Stephen had given him a blow.</p>
+
+<p>This writer relies strongly, upon the humane caution of Sir Matthew Hale,
+to which I have alluded, that no conviction in case of murder or
+manslaughter should ever take place, till the fact were proved&mdash;or the
+dead body had been discovered.</p>
+
+<p>A perfect horror of induction seems to have settled down, like a dense
+cloud, upon the southwestern corner of Vermont. Judges and jurymen appear
+to have been stupefied, by its power. The important <i>consequence</i>, vital
+to the whole, they assumed to be true, without trial or experiment. I have
+looked, attentively, into every document, that I could lay my hands upon,
+connected with this subject; and I cannot discover, that any effort
+whatever was made, by any one, <i>till after the trial</i>, to discover the
+<i>living</i> body of Colvin. The interesting ramble of Jesse and Judge
+Skinner, upon the mountain, was in search of Colvin&#8217;s <i>dead</i> body! But,
+upon the publication of the notice, in the Rutland Herald, Nov. 26, 1819,
+stating the facts, and calling for information, in regard to Colvin, and a
+similar notice, of the same date, in the New York Evening Post&mdash;in ten
+days, that is, Dec. 6, the most ample and satisfactory information was
+published, by Mr. Taber Chadwick, in regard to the <i>living</i> body of
+Russell Colvin!</p>
+
+<p>The great caution of Sir Matthew Hale was meant, not less for the
+prisoner, than for the whole community; no one of whom can be sure,
+through a long life, of escaping from the oppressive influence of
+circumstances, accidentally, or purposely, combined against him. His
+<i>discreet</i> humanity spread no mantle of imitation charity or morbid
+philanthropy over the guilty. He was a bold practitioner&mdash;too bold, by
+far, occasionally, as in the case of Cullender and Duny. But this great,
+good man, well knew, that prisoners, charged with murder, were entitled to
+all the benefit of <i>reasonable</i> doubt. He well knew, that no judicial
+caution could go farther, to save, than the fierce suspicion of an excited
+community would go, to destroy. He well knew, that, with not a small
+number, the very enormity of the crime seems to supply the want of legal
+evidence; and, that, in many cases, to be suspected is to be condemned. We
+have all heard of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span> jury, who, having convicted a prisoner of murder,
+in direct opposition to the Judge&#8217;s instructions, and being questioned and
+reproved&mdash;replied, that an enormous crime had been committed, and ought to
+be atoned for; and they saw no good reason, why the prisoner, the only
+person <i>suspected</i>, should not be selected, as the victim!</p>
+
+<p>Sir Matthew Hale&#8217;s forbearance extended to cases of reprieve, after
+conviction, before another judge. Thus in H. P. C., vol. ii. ch. lvi., he
+says&mdash;&#8220;I have generally observed this rule, that I would never give
+judgment, or award execution, upon a person, reprieved by any other judge
+but myself, because I could not know, upon what ground or reason he
+reprieved him.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Upon this, there is the following pertinent note&mdash;&#8220;The usefulness of this
+caution may be seen, from what is observed, by Sir John Hawles, in his
+remarks on Cornish&#8217;s trial, where he relates the case of some persons, who
+had been convicted of the murder of a person absent, barely by inferences
+from foolish words and actions; but the judge, before whom it was tried,
+was so unsatisfied in the matter, because the body of the person, supposed
+to be murdered, was not to be found, that he reprieved the persons
+condemned; yet, in a circuit afterwards, a certain unwary judge, without
+inquiring into the reasons of the reprieve, ordered execution, and the
+persons to be hanged in chains, which was done accordingly; and
+afterwards, to his reproach, the person, supposed to be murdered, appeared
+alive.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The death of the person, alleged to have been murdered, is, manifestly,
+not less a constituent part of the crime, than the malice prepense, or the
+employment of the means. These three things are necessary to constitute
+murder, in the eye of the law. Thus, an acquittal has taken place, where
+the <i>murder</i> was alleged to have been committed, <i>on the high seas</i>; and
+the <i>malice</i> and the <i>blow</i> only were proved to have occurred <i>on the high
+seas</i>&mdash;and the <i>death</i>, in the harbor of Cape Fran&ccedil;ois. Such was the case
+of the U. S. against McGill, reported in Dallas. This extreme
+particularity appears, to some persons, exceedingly ridiculous; but not
+quite as much so, as certain commentaries, upon legal proceedings which we
+sometimes meet with, in the ordinary journals of the day.</p>
+
+<p>Aaron Burr, whom I desire not to quote, too frequently, once shrewdly
+remarked&mdash;&#8220;<i>he, who despises forms, knows not what he despises</i>.&#8221; To infer
+the death, from the malice, and the employment<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span> of the means, in all
+cases, would be absurd. If one man maliciously knocks another into the
+sea, here is, certainly, a violent assault and battery&mdash;perhaps an assault
+with intent to kill. But, before we join, in the popular <i>hutesium et
+clamor</i>, we have two important points to settle, beyond all <i>reasonable</i>
+doubt&mdash;first, if the person, knocked overboard, be dead, for he may have
+swum to land, or have been picked up, at sea, alive, in which case, unless
+he die of the blow, within the time prescribed, there can be neither
+murder nor manslaughter. And, secondly, if he be proved to have died of
+the injury within that time, we must duly weigh the previous circumstances
+and the provocation, to ascertain, if the act done be manslaughter or
+murder.</p>
+
+<p>Those, who vociferate, most loudly, against the law, for its hesitancy,
+and demand the immediate descent of the executioner&#8217;s axe, upon the neck
+of the victim, will be the very first fervently to supplicate, for the
+law&#8217;s most merciful carefulness of life, should a father, a brother, or a
+son be charged with crime, and involved in the complicated meshes of
+presumptive evidence.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<h2>No. LXXXVI.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The transition state, when the confidence of youth begins to give place to
+that wholesome distrust, which is the usual&mdash;by no means, the
+invariable&mdash;accompaniment of riper years, is often a state of disquietude
+and pain. It is no light matter to look upon the visions of our own
+superiority, and imaginary importance, as they break, like bubbles, one
+after another, and leave us abundantly convinced, that we are of
+yesterday, and know nothing.</p>
+
+<p>The confidence of ignorance, however venial in youth, is not altogether so
+excusable, in full grown men. Its exhibitions, however ridiculous and
+absurd, are daily manifested, by mankind, in relation to those arts and
+sciences, which have little or nothing in common with their own respective
+vocations. The physician, the lawyer, the clergyman, the deeper they
+descend into their respective, professional wells, where truth is
+proverbially said to abide, proceed with increasing caution. Yet it is
+quite amazing, to witness the boldness, with which they dive into the very
+depths, that lie entirely beyond their professional <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span>precincts. The
+physician, who proceeds, in the cure of bodies, with the extremest
+caution, seems to be quite at home, in the cure of souls; and has very
+little doubt or difficulty, upon points, which have perplexed the brains
+of Hale and Mansfield. The lawyer, who, in his own department, moves
+warily; weighs evidence with infinite care; and consults authorities, with
+great deliberation&mdash;looks upon physic and theology, as rather speculative
+matters, and of easy acquirement. The clergyman frequently practises
+physic gratuitously; and holding the doctrine in perfect contempt, that
+the <i>viginti studia annorum</i> are necessary to make a tolerable lawyer,
+he rather opines, that, as <i>majus implicat minus</i>, so his knowledge of the
+Divine law necessarily comprehends a perfect knowledge of mere human
+jurisprudence.</p>
+
+<p>This confidence of ignorance is nowhere more perfectly, or more briefly,
+expressed, than in four oft-repeated lines, in Pope&#8217;s Essay on Criticism:</p>
+
+<p class="poem">&#8220;A <i>little</i> learning is a dangerous thing;<br />
+Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:<br />
+These shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,<br />
+And drinking largely sobers us again.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The editors of public journals are, in many instances, men of education
+and highly respectable abilities&mdash;men of taste and learning&mdash;men of
+integrity, and refinement, cherishing a just regard for the rights of
+individuals, and of the community. There is a very different class of men,
+who, however incompetent to improve the minds or the manners of the
+public, have a small smattering of knowledge; hold a reckless, rapid pen;
+and, by the aid of the scavengers, whom they employ, to rake the gutters
+for slander and obscenity, cater, daily, to the foulest appetites of
+mankind. There are some, who descend not thus, to the very nadir of all
+filth and corruption, but whose columns, nevertheless, are ever open, like
+the mouths of so many <i>cloac&aelig;</i>, for the filthy contributions of every
+dirty depositor; and who are ever on hand, like the Scotch cloak-man, in
+<i>Auld Reekie</i>, to serve the occasions of a customer.</p>
+
+<p>The very phraseology of the craft has a tendency to the amplification of
+an editor; and to give confirmation to the confidence of ignorance. The
+broken merchant, the ambitious weaver, the briefless lawyer, the literary
+tailor are speedily sunk, in &#8220;<i>we</i>,&#8221; and &#8220;<i>our sheet</i>,&#8221; and &#8220;<i>our
+columns</i>,&#8221; and &#8220;<i>our-self</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span>This confidence of ignorance has rarely been manifested, more extensively,
+upon any occasion, than in connection with the indictment, trial, and
+condemnation of Dr. Webster, for the murder of Dr. George Parkman.</p>
+
+<p>The indictment was no sooner published, than three <i>religious</i> journals
+began to criticise this <i>legal</i> instrument, which had been carefully, and,
+as the decision of the learned Chief Justice and of the Court has decided,
+sufficiently, prepared, by the Attorney General of the Commonwealth. This
+indictment contained several counts, a thing by no means unusual, the
+object of which is well understood, by professional men. &#8220;If the crime was
+committed with a knife, or with the fists, how could it be committed with
+a hammer?&#8221; It would not be an easy task to convince these worthy ministers
+of the Gospel, how exceedingly ridiculous such commentaries appear, to men
+of any legal knowledge.</p>
+
+<p>Judge, Jurymen, and Counsellors are severely censured, for the parts they
+have borne, in the trial and condemnation of Dr. Webster. By whom? By the
+editors of certain far-away journals, upon the evidence, <i>as it has
+reached them</i>. The evidence has been very variously reported. A portion of
+the evidence, however deeply graven upon the hearts, and minds, and
+memories of the highly respectable jury, and of the court, and of the
+multitude, present at the trial, is, from its peculiar nature, not
+transferable. I refer to the appearance, the air, the manner, the voice of
+the prisoner, especially, when, in opposition to the advice of his
+counsel, he fatally opened his mouth, and said precisely nothing, that
+betokened innocence.</p>
+
+<p>I do not believe there was ever, in the United States, a more impartial
+trial, more quietly conducted, than this trial of Dr. Webster. Party
+feeling has had no lot, nor share, in this matter. The whole dealing has
+been calmly and confidingly surrendered to the laws of the land. With
+scarcely an exception, from the moment of arrest to the hour of trial, the
+public journals, in this vicinity, have borne themselves, with great
+forbearance to the prisoner. The family connexions of Dr. Parkman have
+held themselves scrupulously aloof, unless summoned to bear witness to
+facts, within their knowledge.</p>
+
+<p>It has been asserted, in one or more journals, that even the body of Dr.
+Parkman has not been discovered. The reply is short, and germain&mdash;the
+coroner&#8217;s jury, twenty-four grand jurors, and twelve jurors in the Supreme
+Judicial Court have decided,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span> that the mutilated remains were those of the
+late George Parkman; and that John White Webster was his murderer; and the
+Court has gravely pronounced the opinion, that the verdict is a righteous
+verdict, and in accordance with the law and the evidence. This opinion
+appears to meet with a very general, affirmative response, in this
+quarter. The jury&mdash;and the members of that panel, one and all, after
+twelve days&#8217; concentration of thought, upon this solemn question of life
+and death, appear to have been conscientious men&mdash;the jury have not
+recommended the prisoner, as a person entitled to mercy.</p>
+
+<p>In view of all this, the editor of a distant, public journal may be
+supposed to entertain a pretty good opinion of his qualifications, who
+ventures to pronounce his ex-cathedral decree, either that Dr. Webster is
+innocent, or, if guilty, that, on technical grounds, he has been illegally
+convicted. There is something absolutely melancholy in the contemplation
+of such presumption as this. But, under all the circumstances of this
+heart-sickening occurrence, it is impossible to behold, without a smile,
+the extraordinary efforts of some exceedingly benevolent people, in the
+city of New York, who are circulating a petition to the Governor of
+Massachusetts, not merely for a commutation of punishment, but for a
+pardon. This, to speak of it forbearingly, may be safely catalogued among
+the works of supererogation.</p>
+
+<p>If the Governor of Massachusetts needs any guidance from man, upon the
+present occasion, his Council is at hand. The highest judicial tribunal of
+the Commonwealth, entirely approving the verdict of an impartial and
+intelligent jury, has sentenced Dr. Webster to be hung, for a murder, as
+foul and atrocious, as was ever perpetrated, within the borders of New
+England. Talents, education, rank aggravate the criminality of the guilty
+party. &#8220;To kill a man, upon sudden and violent resentment, is less penal
+than upon cool deliberate malice.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>If there be any substantial reasons, for pardon or commutation of
+punishment&mdash;any new matter, which has not been exhibited, before the court
+and jury&mdash;those reasons will be duly weighed&mdash;that matter will be gravely
+considered, by the Governor and Council. But, if the objections to the
+execution of the sentence, upon the present occasion, rest upon any
+imaginary misdirection, on the part of the Court, or any misunderstanding,
+on the part of the jury, those objections must be unavailing. After a
+careful comparison of the evidence, in the case<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span> of Dr. Webster, with the
+evidence, in the case of Jason Fairbanks, who was executed, for the murder
+of Betsy Fales, the <i>concatena</i>&mdash;the chain of circumstances&mdash;seems even
+less perfect in the latter case. Yet, after sentence, in that memorable
+trial, Chief Justice Dana, who sat in judgment, upon that occasion, was
+reported to have said, that he believed Fairbanks to be the murderer, more
+firmly, upon the evidence before the court, than he should have believed
+the very same thing, upon the evidence of his own eyesight, in a cloudy
+day&mdash;the first could not have deceived him&mdash;the latter might.</p>
+
+<p>If an application, for pardon or commutation, be grounded, on the
+objection to all capital punishment, that objection has been too recently
+disposed of, in the case of Washington Goode. The majesty of the law, the
+peace of society, the decree of Almighty God call for impartial
+justice&mdash;<span class="smcaplc">WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN&#8217;S BLOOD BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED</span>!</p>
+
+<p>With the eye of mercy turned upon all&mdash;aye upon all&mdash;who have any relation
+to the murderer, the better course is Christian submission to the decrees
+of God and man. What may be the value of a few more years of misery and
+contempt! God&#8217;s high decree, that the murderer shall die, is merciful and
+just. His judgment upon Cain was far more severe&mdash;not that he should
+die&mdash;but <i>that he should live</i>!&mdash;that he should walk the earth, and wear
+the brand of terrible distinction forever&mdash;&#8220;<i>And now thou art cursed from
+the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother&#8217;s blood from
+thy hand. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto
+thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth.
+And Cain said unto the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear.
+Behold thou hast driven me out, this day, from the face of the earth; and
+from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in
+the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall
+slay me. And the Lord said unto him, therefore whosoever slayeth Cain,
+vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold. And the Lord set a mark upon
+Cain, lest any one finding him should slay him.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXXXVII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>It may be said of a proud, poor man&mdash;especially, if he be a fearless,
+godless man, as Dirk Hatteraick said of himself, to Glossin&mdash;that he is
+&#8220;<i>dangerous</i>.&#8221; It is quite probable, there are men, even in our own
+limited community, of an hundred and thirty thousand souls, who would
+rather die an easy death, than signify abroad their inability to maintain,
+any longer, their expensive relations to the fashionable world.</p>
+
+<p>What will not such a man occasionally do, rather than submit gracefully,
+under such a trial, to the will of God? He will beg, and he will
+borrow&mdash;he will lie, and he will steal. Is there a crime, in the
+decalogue, or out of it, which he will not, occasionally, perpetrate, if
+its consummation be likely to save him from a confession of his poverty,
+and from ceasing to fill his accustomed niche, in the <i>beau monde</i>? Not
+one&mdash;<i>no, not one</i>!</p>
+
+<p>Well may we, who profess to be Republicans, adopt the wisdom and the words
+of Montesquieu&mdash;&#8220;<i>The less luxury there is in a Republic, the more it is
+perfect. * * * * Republics end with luxury.</i>&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>A significant illustration of these remarks will readily occur, to every
+reader of American History, in the conduct and character of Benedict
+Arnold. Among the dead, who, with their own hands, have prepared
+themselves graves of infamy, there are men of elevated rank, who have made
+shipwreck of the fairest hopes, in a similar manner. But, far in advance
+of them all, Arnold is entitled to a terrible pre&euml;minence.</p>
+
+<p>The last turn of the screw crushes the victim&mdash;it is the last feather, say
+the Bedouins, that breaks the camel&#8217;s back&mdash;and the train, which has been
+in gradual preparation for many years, may be exploded, in an instant, by
+a very little spark, at last.</p>
+
+<p>There are periods, in the lives of certain individuals, when, upon the
+approach of minor troubles&mdash;baleful stars, doubtless, but of the third or
+fourth magnitude&mdash;it may be said, as Rochefoucault said of the calamities
+of our friends, that there is something in them, not particularly
+disagreeable to us. A man, whose afflictions, especially when
+self-induced, are chafing, at every turn, against his already lacerated
+pride, and who is seeking some apology, for deeds of desperation, often
+discovers, with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span> a morbid satisfaction, in some petty offence, or
+imaginary wrong, ample excuse, for deeds, absolutely damnable.</p>
+
+<p>Such were the influences, at work, in the case of Benedict Arnold. In
+1780, in obedience to the sentence of a court martial, he was reprimanded
+by the Commander-in-Chief; but in terms so highly complimentary, that it
+is impossible to read them, without a doubt, whether this official
+reprimand were a crown of thorns, or a crown of glory. At that very time,
+Arnold&#8217;s pecuniary embarrassments were overwhelming. Without the rightful
+means of supporting a one-horse chaise, he rattled up and down, in the
+city of Philadelphia, in a chariot and four. The splendid mansion, which
+he occupied, had, in former times, been the residence of the Penns. Here
+he gave a sumptuous repast to the French ambassador, and entertained the
+minister and his suite, for several days.</p>
+
+<p>Hunger, it is said, will break through stone walls; even this is a feeble
+illustration of that force and energy, which characterized Arnold&#8217;s
+<i>passion</i> for parade. To support his career of unparalleled extravagance
+and folly, he resorted to stratagems, which would have been contemptible,
+in a broker of the lowest grade&mdash;petty traffic and huckstering
+speculation&mdash;the sale of permits, to do certain things, absolutely
+forbidden&mdash;such were among the last, miserable shifts of this &#8220;brave,
+wicked&#8221; man, when his conscience came between the antagonist muscles of
+poverty and pride. For some of these very offences, he had been condemned,
+by the court martial. Even then, he had secretly become, at heart, a
+scoundrel and a renegade; and, covertly, under a feigned name, had already
+tendered his services to the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>The sentence of the court, sheer justice, but so graciously mingled with
+mercy, as scarcely to wear the aspect of punishment, supplied him with the
+very thing he coveted&mdash;a pretence, for complaining of injustice and
+oppression. He sought the French ambassador; and, after a plain allusion
+to his own needy condition, shadowed forth, in language, not to be
+mistaken, his willingness to become the secret servant of France. The
+prompt reply of the French minister is of record, most honorable for
+himself, and sufficiently humiliating to the spirit of the applicant.</p>
+
+<p>The result is before the world&mdash;Arnold became a traitor, detested by
+those, whose cause he had forsaken, and utterly despised by those, whose
+cause he affected to espouse&mdash;trusted by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span> them, only, because they well
+knew he might safely be employed against an enemy, who would deal with
+him, if captured, not as a prisoner of war, but as a traitor. I have, thus
+briefly, alluded to the career of Arnold, only for the purpose of
+illustration.</p>
+
+<p>No truth is more simple&mdash;none more firmly established by experience&mdash;none
+more universally disregarded&mdash;than, that the growth of luxury must work
+the overthrow of a republic. As the largest masses are made up of the
+smallest particles, so the characteristic luxury of a whole people
+consists of individual extravagance and folly. The ambition to be foremost
+becomes, ere long, the ruling, and almost universal, passion&mdash;in still
+stronger language, &#8220;<i>it is all the rage</i>.&#8221; In a certain condition of
+society, talent takes precedence of virtue, and men would rather be called
+knaves than fools: and, where luxury abounds, as the poorer and the
+middling classes will imitate the wealthier, there must be a large amount
+of indebtedness, and many men and women of desperate fortunes. We cannot
+strut about, in unpaid-for garments, nor ride about, in unpaid-for
+chariots, nor gather the world together, to admire unpaid-for furniture,
+without an inward sense of personal degradation.</p>
+
+<p>It would be a poor compliment to our race, to deny the truth of this
+assertion. True or false, the argument goes steadily forward&mdash;for, if not
+true, then that callous, case-hardened condition of the heart exists,
+which takes off all care for the common weal, and turns it entirely upon
+one&#8217;s self, and one&#8217;s own aggrandizement. Nothing can be more destructive
+of that feeling of independence, which ever lies, at the bottom of
+republican virtue.</p>
+
+<p>This condition of things is the very hot-bed of hypocrisy,&mdash;and it makes
+the heart a forcing-house, for all the evil and bitter passions, envy,
+hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness. Pastors, of all denominations,
+may well unite, in the chorus of the churchman&#8217;s prayer, and cry
+aloud&mdash;<i>Good Lord deliver us!</i></p>
+
+<p>A very fallacious and mischievous estimate of personal array, equipage,
+and furniture has always given wonderful pre&euml;minence to this species of
+emulation. It is perfectly natural withal. Distinction, of some sort, is
+uppermost, in most men&#8217;s minds. It is comforting to many to know there is
+a <i>tapis</i>&mdash;&#8220;<i>the field of the cloth of gold</i>&#8221;&mdash;on which the wealthy fool
+is more than a match, for the poor, wise man; and, as this world contains
+such an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span> overwhelming majority of the former class, the ayes have it, and
+luxury holds on, <i>vires acquirens eundo</i>.</p>
+
+<p>None but an idiot will cavil, because a rich man adorns his mansion, with
+elegance and taste, and receives his friends in a style of liberal
+hospitality. Even if he go beyond the bounds of republican simplicity, and
+waste his substance, it matters not, beyond the circle of his creditors
+and heirs; if the example be not followed by thousands, who are unable, or
+unwilling, to be edified, by &AElig;sop&#8217;s pleasant fable of the ox and the frog.</p>
+
+<p>But it never can be thus. The machinery is exceedingly simple, in these
+manufactories, from which men of broken fortunes are annually turned out
+upon the world.</p>
+
+<p>When once involved in the whirl of fashion, extrication is difficult and
+painful&mdash;the descent is wonderfully easy&mdash;<i>sed revocare gradum</i>! The
+maniac hugs not his fetters, more forcibly, than the devotee of fashion
+clings, with the assistance, occasionally, of his better half, to his
+<i>position in society</i>.</p>
+
+<p>These remarks are, by no means, exclusively applicable to those, who move
+in the higher circles. This is a world of gradation, and there are few so
+humble, as to be entirely without their imitators.</p>
+
+<p>What shall we do to be saved? This anxious inquiry is not always offered,
+I apprehend, in relation to the concerns of a better world. How often, and
+how oppressively, the spirit of this interrogatory has agitated the bosom
+of the impoverished man of fashion! What shall I do to be saved, from the
+terrible disgrace of being exposed, in the court of fashion, as being
+guilty of the awful crime of <i>poverty</i>, and disfranchised, as one of the
+<i>beau monde</i>? And what will he not do, to work out this species of
+salvation, with fear and trembling? We have seen how readily, under the
+influence of pride and poverty, treason may be committed by men of lofty
+standing. It would be superfluous, therefore, to inquire, if there be any
+crime, which men, heavily oppressed by their embarrassments, and
+restrained thereby, from drinking more deeply of that luxury, with which
+they are already drunk, will hesitate to commit.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXXXVIII.</h2>
+
+
+<p>There is a popular notion, that sumptuary laws are applicable to
+monarchies&mdash;not to republics. The very reverse is the truth. Montesquieu
+says, Spirit of Laws, book vii. ch. 4, that &#8220;<i>luxury is extremely proper
+for monarchies, and that, under this government, there should be no
+sumptuary laws</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Sumptuary laws are looked upon, at present, as the relics of an age gone
+by. These laws, in a strict sense, are designed to restrain pecuniary
+extravagance. It has often been attempted to stigmatize the wholesome,
+prohibitory laws of the several States, in regard to the sale of
+intoxicating liquor, by calling them <i>sumptuary laws</i>. The distinction is
+clear&mdash;sumptuary laws strike at the root of extravagance&mdash;the prohibitory,
+license laws, as they are called, strike, not only at the root of
+extravagance, but at the root of every crime, in the decalogue.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>leges sumptuari&aelig;</i> of Rome were numerous. The Locrian law limited the
+number of guests, and the Fannian law the expense, at festivals. The
+Didian law extended the operation of all these laws over Italy.</p>
+
+<p>The laws of the Edwards III., and IV., and of Henry VIII., against shoes
+with long points, short doublets, and long coats, were not repealed, till
+the first year of James I. Camden says, that, &#8220;in the time of Henry IV.,
+it was proclaimed, that no man should wear shoes, above six inches broad,
+at the toes.&#8221; He also states, &#8220;that their other garments were so short,
+that it was enacted, 25 Edward IV., that no person, under the condition of
+a lord, should wear any mantle or gown, unless of such length, that,
+standing upright, it might cover his buttocks.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Diodorus Siculus, lib. xii. cap. 20, gives an amusing account of the
+sumptuary laws of Zeleucus, king of the Locrians. His design appears to
+have been to accomplish his object, by casting ridicule upon those
+practices, against which his laws were intended to operate. He decreed,
+that no free woman should have more than one maid to follow her, unless
+she was drunk; nor should she stir out of the city by night, nor wear
+jewels of gold, or an embroidered gown, unless she was a professed
+strumpet. No men, but ruffians, were allowed to wear gold rings, nor to be
+seen, in one of those effeminate vests of the manufacture of Miletum.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span>The very best code of sumptuary laws is that, which may be found in the
+common sense of an enlightened community. Nothing, that I have ever met
+with, upon this subject, appears more just, than the sentiments of Michael
+De Montaigne, vol. i. ch. 43&mdash;&#8220;The true way would be to beget in men a
+contempt of silks and gold, as vain and useless; whereas we add honor and
+value to them, which sure is a very improper way to create disgust. For to
+enact, that none but princes shall eat turbot, nor wear velvet or gold
+lace, and interdict these things to the people, what is it, but to bring
+them into greater esteem, and to set every one more agog to eat and wear
+them?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>No truth has been more amply demonstrated, than that a republic has more
+to fear from internal than from external causes&mdash;less from foreign foes,
+than from enemies of its own household.</p>
+
+<p>To the ears of those, who have not reflected upon the subject, it may
+sound like the croaking note of some ill boding <i>ab ilice cornix</i>&mdash;but I
+look upon extravagant parade, and princely furniture of foreign
+manufacture, the introduction of courtly customs, transatlantic servants
+in livery, <i>et id genus omne nugarum</i>, as so many premonitory symptoms of
+national evil&mdash;as part and parcel of that luxury, which may justly be
+called the gangrene of a republic.</p>
+
+<p>But does any one seriously fear, that an extravagant fandango, now and
+then, will lead to revolution, or produce a change in our political
+institutions? Probably not. But it will provoke a spirit of rivalry&mdash;of
+emulation, not unmingled with bitterness, and which will cost many an
+aspirant a great deal more, than he can afford. It will lead the community
+to turn their dwellings into baby houses, and to gather vast assemblies
+together, not for the rational purposes of social intercourse, but for the
+purpose of exhibiting their costly toys and imported baubles. It will tend
+to harden the heart; and render us more and more insensible to the cries
+of the poor; for whose keen occasions we cannot afford one dollar, having,
+just then, perhaps, invested a thousand, in some glittering absurdity. It
+will, ultimately, produce numerous examples of poverty, and fill the
+community with desperate men.</p>
+
+<p>The line of distinction, between the liberality of a patrician and the
+flashy, offensive ostentation of a parvenu, at Rome, or at Athens, was as
+readily perceived, as the difference between the manners of a gentleman,
+and those of a clown.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span>Every rank of society, like the troubled sea, casts forth upon the strand,
+from year to year, its full proportion of wrecked adventurers&mdash;men, who
+have gone beyond their depth; lived beyond their means; and who cherish no
+care, <i>ne quid detrimenti Respublica caperet</i>; but, on the contrary, who
+are quite ready for oligarchy, or monarchy; and some of whom would prefer
+even anarchy, to their present condition of obscurity and poverty.</p>
+
+<p>Law and order are of the first importance to every proprietor; for, on
+their preservation, the security of his property depends; but they are of
+no importance to those, who are thus, virtually, denationalized, through
+impoverishment, produced by a career of luxury. Such, if not already the
+component elements of Empire clubs, are always useless, and often
+dangerous men.</p>
+
+<p>It was a well known saying of Jefferson&#8217;s, that <i>great cities</i> were <i>great
+sores</i>. &#8220;In proportion,&#8221; says Montesquieu, &#8220;to the populousness of towns,
+the inhabitants are filled with notions of vanity, and actuated by an
+ambition of distinguishing themselves, by trifles. If they are very
+numerous, and most of them strangers to one another, their vanity
+redoubles, because there are greater hopes of success.&#8221; According to the
+apothegm of Franklin, it is the eyes of others, and not our own, that
+destroy us.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Every body agrees,&#8221; says Mandeville in his Fable of the Bees, i. 98,
+&#8220;that, as to apparel and manner of living, we ought to behave ourselves
+suitable to our conditions, and follow the example of the most sensible
+and prudent, among our equals in rank and fortune; yet how few, that are
+not either universally covetous, or else proud of singularity, have this
+discretion to boast of? We all look above ourselves, and, as fast as we
+can, strive to imitate those that, some way or other, are superior to us.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The poorest laborer&#8217;s wife in the parish, who scorns to wear a strong
+wholesome frize, will half starve herself and her husband, to purchase a
+second-hand gown and petticoat, that cannot do her half the service,
+because, forsooth, it is more genteel. The weaver, the shoemaker, the
+tailor, the barber, has the impudence, with the first money he gets, to
+dress himself like a tradesman of substance; the ordinary retailer, in the
+clothing of his wife, takes pattern from his neighbor, that deals in the
+same commodity by wholesale, and the reason he gives for it is, that,
+twelve years ago, the other had not a bigger shop than himself.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> The
+druggist, mercer, and draper, can find no difference, between themselves
+and merchants, and therefore dress and live like them. The merchant&#8217;s
+lady, who cannot bear the assurance of those mechanics, flies for refuge
+to the other end of the town, and scorns to follow any fashion, but what
+she takes from thence. This haughtiness alarms the court&mdash;the women of
+quality are frightened to see merchants&#8217; wives and daughters dressed like
+themselves. This impudence of the city, they cry, is intolerable;
+mantua-makers are sent for; and the contrivance of fashions becomes all
+their study, that they may have always new modes ready to take up, as soon
+as those saucy cits shall begin to imitate those in being. The same
+emulation is contrived through the several degrees of quality, to an
+incredible expense; till, at last, the prince&#8217;s great favorites, and those
+of the first rank, having nothing else left, to outstrip some of their
+inferiors, are forced to lay out vast estates in pompous equipages,
+magnificent furniture, sumptuous gardens, and princely palaces.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Like an accommodating almanac, the description of Mandeville is applicable
+to other meridians, than that, for which it was especially designed.</p>
+
+<p>The history of all, that passes in the bosom of a proud man, unrestrained
+by fixed religious and moral principles, during his transition from
+affluence to poverty, must be a very edifying history. With such an
+individual the fear of God is but a pack-thread, against the unrelaxing,
+antagonist muscle of pride. The only <i>Hades</i>, of which he has any dread,
+is that abyss of obscurity and poverty, in which a man is condemned to
+abide, who falls from his high estate, among the upper ten thousand. What
+plans, what projects, what infernal stratagems occasionally bubble up, in
+the overheated crucible! Magnanimity, and honor, and humanity, and justice
+are unseen&mdash;unfelt. The dust of self-interest has blinded his eyes&mdash;the
+pride of life has hardened his heart.</p>
+
+<p>If the energies of such men are not mischievously employed, they are, at
+best, utterly lost to the community.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span></p>
+<h2>No. LXXXIX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I noticed, in a late, English paper, a very civil apology from Sheriff
+Calcraft, for not hanging Sarah Thomas, at Bristol, as punctually as he
+ought, on account of a similar engagement, with another lady, at Norwich.
+The hanging business seems to be <i>looking up</i> with us, as the traders say
+of their cotton and molasses; though, in England, it has fallen off
+prodigiously. According to Stowe, seventy-two thousand persons were
+executed there, in one reign, that of Henry VIII. That, however, was a
+long reign, of thirty-eight years. Between 1820 and 1830, there were
+executed, in England alone, seven hundred and ninety-seven convicts. But
+we must remember, for what trifles men were formerly executed <i>there</i>,
+which <i>here</i> were at no time, capital offences. According to authentic
+records, the decrease of executions in London, since 1820, is very
+remarkable. Haydn, in his Dictionary of Universal Reference, p. 205, gives
+the ratio of nine years, as follows&mdash;1820, 43&mdash;1825, 17&mdash;1830, 6&mdash;1835,
+none&mdash;1836, none&mdash;1837, 2&mdash;1838, none&mdash;1839, 2&mdash;1840, 1. There is a
+solution for this riddle&mdash;a key to this <i>lock</i>, which many readers may
+find it rather difficult to pick, without assistance. Before the first
+year, named by Haydn, 1820, Sir Samuel Romilly, who fell, by his own hand,
+in a fit of temporary derangement, in 1818, occasioned by the death of his
+wife, had published&mdash;not long before&mdash;his admirable pamphlet, urging a
+revision of the criminal code, and a limitation of capital punishment. In
+consequence of his exertions, and of those of Sir James Mackintosh
+afterwards, and more recently of Sir Robert Peel and others, a great
+change had taken place, <i>in the mode of punishment</i>. <i>Crime had not
+diminished</i>, in London&mdash;it was <i>differently dealt with</i>. I advise the
+reader, who desires light, upon this highly important and interesting
+subject, to read, with care, the entire article, from which I transcribe
+the following short passage&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;<i>The enormous number of our transported convicts&mdash;five thousand
+annually, for many years past&mdash;accompanied, at the same time, with a large
+increase of crime in general, would seem, prima facie, to be no very
+conclusive argument, in favor of the efficiency of the present system.</i>&#8221;
+Ed. Rev., v. 86, p. 257, 1847. &#8220;<span class="smcap">What shall be done with our criminals?</span>&#8221;
+Such is the caption of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span> the able article, to which I refer. Lord Grey, and
+the most eminent statesmen of Great Britain have been terribly perplexed,
+by this awful interrogatory.&mdash;Well: <i>we</i> are a very great people.&mdash;Dr.
+Omnibus, Squire Farrago, and Mrs. Negoose have no difficulty upon this
+point; and there is some thought in our society, of sending out Mrs.
+Negoose, in the next steamer, to have a conference with Lord Brougham.
+Lord Grey&#8217;s plan was, after a short penitentiary confinement, to
+distribute the malefactors, among their own colonies, and among such other
+nations, as might be willing to receive them. Sending them to Canada,
+therefore, would be sending them, pretty directly, to the States. Dr.
+Omnibus is greatly surprised, that Lord Grey has never thought of building
+prisons of sufficient capacity to hold them all, since there are no more
+than five thousand transported, per annum, in addition to those, who have
+become tenants of prisons, for crimes, which are yet capital, in England,
+and for crimes, whose penalty is less than transportation.</p>
+
+<p>It seems to be the opinion of the writer in the Edinburgh Review, whom I
+last quoted, that, under the anti-capital punishment system, there has
+been &#8220;<i>a large increase of crime in general</i>.&#8221; This he states <i>as a fact</i>.
+Facts are stubborn things&mdash;so are Mrs. Negoose&mdash;Dr. Omnibus&mdash;and Squire
+Farrago. They contend, that our habits of life and education, and the
+great difference of our political institutions entirely nullify the
+British example. They show, with great appearance of truth, that the
+perpetrators of murder, rape, and other crimes, in our own country, are
+more religiously brought up, than the perpetrators of similar crimes, in
+Great Britain. The statistics, on this point, are curious and interesting.
+They present an imposing array of educated laymen, physicians, lawyers,
+bishops, priests, deacons, ruling elders, professors, and candidates, in
+the United States, who have been tried, for various crimes, by civil or
+ecclesiastical courts; deposed, or acquitted, on purely technical grounds;
+or sentenced to imprisonment, for a shorter or longer term, or to the
+gallows, and duly executed. Now we contend, that the ignorant felon, and
+such he is apt to be, in all countries, where there is but little
+diffusion of knowledge, and especially of religious knowledge, when again
+let loose upon the community, whether by a full pardon, or by serving out
+his term, returns, commonly, to his evil courses, as surely as the dog to
+his vomit, or the sow to her wallowing in the mire. But we find, that men
+of talent and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span> education, and particularly men, who have figured, as
+preachers, and professors of religion, who commit any crime, in the
+decalogue, or out of it, become objects of incalculably deeper and
+stronger interest, with a certain portion of the community&mdash;after they
+repent, of course&mdash;which they invariably do, in an inconceivably short
+space of time. Thus, when strong liquor, and lust, and prelatical
+arrogance turn bishops, priests, and deacons, into brutes, and prodigals,
+and sometimes into murderers, they, <i>invariably</i>, excite an interest,
+which they never could have excited, by preaching their very best, to the
+end of their lives.</p>
+
+<p>I have sometimes thought, that, in the matter of temperance, for which I
+cherish a cordial respect, a lecturer, as the performer is called, though
+the thing is not precisely an abstract science, cannot do a better thing,
+for himself and the cause, when he finds, that he is wearing out his
+welcome with the public, than to get pretty notoriously drunk. Depend upon
+it, he will come forth, purified from the furnace. He will take a new
+departure, for his temperance voyage. His deep-wrought penitence will
+enlist a very large part of the army of cold-water men, in his favor. A
+small sizzle will be of no use; but the drunker he gets, the more
+marvellous the hand of God will appear, in his restoration.</p>
+
+<p>From these considerations, our Anti-Punishment Society reason onward, to
+the following conclusions: that, whatever the penalty imposed may be,
+deposition, imprisonment, or death, it is all wrong, radically wrong. For,
+thereby, the community is deprived, for a time, or forever, of the
+services of a true penitent. They all become penitent, if a little time be
+allowed, or they are persecuted innocents, which is better still.</p>
+
+<p>Besides, how audacious, for mere mortals to lessen the sum total of joy,
+among the immortals! As religious men, who, when <i>misguided</i>, commit rape
+or murder, invariably repent, if there is any prospect of pardon; hanging
+may be supposed, in many cases, to prevent that great joy, which exists in
+Heaven&mdash;rather more than ninety-nine per cent.&mdash;over one sinner that
+repenteth.</p>
+
+<p>To be convicted of some highly disgraceful or atrocious crime, or to be
+acquitted, upon some technical ground, though logically convicted, in the
+impartial chancel of wise and good men&#8217;s minds, is not such a terrible
+thing, after all, for a vivacious bishop, priest, or deacon; provided, in
+the former case, he can <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span>contrive to escape the penalty. Such an one is
+sometimes more sure of a parish, than a candidate, of superior talents,
+and unspotted reputation. It is manifest, therefore, that a serious injury
+is done to society, by shutting up, for any great length of time, these
+penitent, misguided murderers, ravishers, &amp;c., and, especially, by hanging
+them by the neck, till they are dead.</p>
+
+<p>This phrase, <i>hanging by the neck, till they are dead</i>, imports something
+more, than some readers are aware of. It was not uncommon, in former
+times, for culprits to come&mdash;<i>usque ad</i>&mdash;to the gallows, and be there
+pardoned, with the halter about their necks. Occasionally, also, criminals
+were actually hung, the halter having been so mercifully adjusted, as not
+to break their necks, and then cut down, and pardoned. Of thirty-two
+gentlemen, traitors, who were taken, in the reign of Henry VI., 1447,
+after Gloucester&#8217;s death, five were drawn to Tyburn on a hurdle, hanged,
+cut down alive, marked with a knife for quartering, and then spared, upon
+the exhibition of a pardon. This matter is related, in Rymer&#8217;s F&oelig;dera,
+xi. 178; also by Stowe, and by Rapin, Lond. ed. 1757, iv. 441.</p>
+
+<p>We are a cruel people. Our phraseology has become softened, but our
+practice is merciless, and our lawgivers are Dracos, to a man. When a poor
+fellow, urged by an impulse, which he cannot resist, seizes upon the wife
+or the daughter of some unlucky citizen, commits a rape upon her person,
+and then takes her life to save his own&mdash;and what can be more natural, for
+all that a man hath will he give for his life&mdash;with great propriety, we
+call this poor fellow a <i>misguided man</i>. This is as it should be. He
+certainly committed a mistake. No doubt of it. But are we not all liable
+to mistakes? We call him a <i>misguided man</i>, which is a more Christian
+phrase than to say, in the coarser language of the law, that he was
+<i>instigated by the devil</i>. But, nevertheless, we hang this <i>misguided</i> man
+by the neck, till he is dead. How absurd! How unjust!</p>
+
+<p>A needy wanderer of the night breaks into the house of some rich, old
+gentleman; robs his dwelling; breaks his skull, <i>ex abundanti cautela</i>;
+and sets fire to the tenement; thus combining burglary, murder, and arson.
+He well knew, that ignorance was bliss; and that the neighborhood would be
+happier, in the belief, that accident was at the bottom of it all, than
+that such enormities had been committed, in their midst. Instead of
+calling this individual, by all the hard names in an indictment, we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span>
+charitably style him an <i>unfortunate person</i>&mdash;provided he is caught and
+convicted&mdash;if not, he deems himself a <i>lucky fellow</i>, of course. Now, can
+anything be more barbarous, than to hang this <i>unfortunate person</i>, upon a
+gallows!</p>
+
+<p>A desperate debtor rouses the indignation of a disappointed creditor, by
+selling to another, as unincumbered, the very property, which had been
+transferred, as collateral security, to himself. Irritated by the
+creditor&#8217;s reproaches, and alarmed by his menaces of public exposure, the
+debtor decides to escape, from these compound embarrassments, by taking
+the life of his pursuer. He affects to be prepared for payment; and
+summons the creditor, to meet him, at a <i>convenient</i> place, where he is
+<i>quite at home</i>, and at a <i>convenient</i> hour, when he is <i>quite
+alone&mdash;bringing with him the evidences of the debt</i>. He kills this
+troublesome creditor. He is suspected&mdash;arrested&mdash;charged with
+murder&mdash;indicted&mdash;tried&mdash;defended, as ably as he can be, by honorable men,
+oppressed by the consciousness of their client&#8217;s guilt&mdash;and finally
+convicted. He made no attempt, by inventing a tale of angry words and
+blows, to merge this murder, in a case of manslaughter: for, before his
+arrest, and when he fancied himself beyond the circle of suspicion, he had
+<i>framed the tale</i>, and reduced it to writing, in the form of a brief,
+portable memorandum, found upon his person. <i>He had paid the creditor, who
+hastily grasped the money and departed&mdash;returning to perform the unusual
+office of dashing out the debtor&#8217;s name from a note delivered up, on
+payment, into the debtor&#8217;s possession!</i> Thus he cut short all power to
+fabricate a case of manslaughter.</p>
+
+<p>Why charge such a man with <i>malice prepense</i>? Why say, that he was
+<i>instigated by the devil</i>? Not so; he was an <i>unfortunate, misguided,
+unhappy</i> man. And yet the judges, with perfect unanimity, have sentenced
+this unhappy man to be hanged! The liberties of the people appear to be in
+danger; and it is deeply to be deplored, that those gentlemen of various
+crafts, who are sufficiently at leisure, to sit in judgment, upon the
+judges themselves, have not appellate jurisdiction, in these high matters,
+with power to invoke the assistance of the Widow&#8217;s society, or some other
+male, or female, auxiliary <i>ne sutor ultra crepidam</i> society.</p>
+
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr style="width: 50%;" />
+
+<p><strong>Footnotes:</strong></p>
+
+<p><a name="f1" id="f1" href="#f1.1">[1]</a> The palpable reluctance of Mr. Macaulay to deal in liberal
+construction, and to award the smallest praise, on such occasions, is
+not confined to Penn. A writer in Blackwood&#8217;s Magazine, for October,
+1849, page 509, after referring to the glorious defeat of the Dutch
+fleet, off Harwich, when the Duke of York, afterwards James II.,
+commanded in person, remarks&mdash;&#8220;Mr. Macaulay, in his late published
+<i>History of England</i>, has not deigned even to notice this
+engagement&mdash;a remarkable omission, the reason of which omission it is
+foreign to our purpose to inquire. This much we may be allowed to say,
+that no historian, who intends to form an accurate estimate of the
+character of James II., or to compile a complete register of his
+deeds, can justly accomplish his task, without giving that unfortunate
+monarch the credit for his conduct and intrepidity, in one of the most
+important and successful naval actions, which stands recorded, in our
+annals.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Other English historians have related it. Hume, Oxford ed. 1826, vol.
+vii. page 355&mdash;Smollett, Lond. ed. 1759, vol. viii. page 31.&mdash;Rapin,
+Lond. ed. 1760, vol. xi. page 272. &#8220;The Duke of York,&#8221; says Smollett,
+&#8220;was in the hottest part of the battle, and behaved with great spirit
+and composure, even when the Earl of Falmouth, the Lord Muskerry, and
+Mr. Boyle, were killed at his side, by one cannon ball, which covered
+him with the blood and brains of these three gallant gentlemen.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><a name="f2" id="f2" href="#f2.1">[2]</a> The editor of the New York Sun, <i>under date, Jan. 25, 1850</i>,
+says&mdash;&#8220;Yesterday, we were waited on, by the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, of
+this city, the person, who, convinced of the innocence of the
+condemned parties, aided in finding the man, supposed to be
+murdered.&#8221;&mdash;The Sun must have been under a total eclipse. This very
+worthy man, the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, who figured, honorably for
+himself, in the affair of the Boorns, was born July 18, 1753, and died
+Sept. 28, 1833, at the age of 80&mdash;as the gentleman, who conducts the
+chariot of the Sun, will discover, by turning to Cooley&#8217;s &#8220;Sketches of
+the life and character of the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, N. Y. 1839,&#8221; p. 312.
+Some dark object must have passed before the editor&#8217;s eye.</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Dealings with the Dead, Volume I (of 2), by 
+A Sexton of the Old School
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEALINGS WITH THE DEAD, VOL I ***
+
+***** This file should be named 38588-h.htm or 38588-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/5/8/38588/
+
+Produced by Delphine Lettau, Meredith Bach and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive.)
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+
+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/38588-h/images/cover.jpg b/38588-h/images/cover.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c5679ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588-h/images/cover.jpg
diff --git a/38588-h/images/dealings.jpg b/38588-h/images/dealings.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c59dc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588-h/images/dealings.jpg
diff --git a/38588-h/images/frontis.jpg b/38588-h/images/frontis.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c747c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588-h/images/frontis.jpg
diff --git a/38588-h/images/title.jpg b/38588-h/images/title.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c26f51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588-h/images/title.jpg
diff --git a/38588.txt b/38588.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b92edee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,14050 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dealings with the Dead, Volume I (of 2), by
+A Sexton of the Old School
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Dealings with the Dead, Volume I (of 2)
+
+Author: A Sexton of the Old School
+
+Release Date: January 16, 2012 [EBook #38588]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEALINGS WITH THE DEAD, VOL I ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Delphine Lettau, Meredith Bach and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Dealings with the Dead.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: DEALINGS with the DEAD, by a SEXTON of the OLD SCHOOL.
+
+DUTTON & WENTWORTH. BOSTON, 1856.]
+
+
+
+
+  DEALINGS WITH THE DEAD.
+
+
+  BY A SEXTON OF THE OLD SCHOOL.
+
+
+  VOLUME I.
+
+
+  BOSTON:
+  PUBLISHED BY DUTTON AND WENTWORTH,
+  33 AND 35 CONGRESS STREET:
+  AND
+  TICKNOR AND FIELDS,
+  CORNER OF WASHINGTON AND SCHOOL STREETS.
+  MDCCCLVI.
+
+
+
+
+"THE BURIAL SERVICE."
+
+
+This is a very solemn service, when it is properly performed. When I was a
+youngster, Grossman was Sexton of Trinity Church, and Parker was Bishop.
+Never were two men better calculated to give the true effect to this
+service. The Bishop was a very tall, erect person, with a deep, sonorous
+voice; and, in the earth-to-earth part, Grossman had no rival. I used to
+think, then, it would be the height of my ambition to fill Grossman's
+place, if I should live to be a man. When I was eight years old, I
+sometimes, though it frightened me half to death, dropped in, as an
+amateur, when there was a funeral at Trinity.
+
+I am not, on common occasions, in favor of reviving the old way of
+performing a considerable part of the service, under the church, among the
+vaults. The women, and feeble, and nervous people will go down, of course;
+and getting to be buried becomes contagious. It does them no good, if they
+don't catch their deaths. But, as things are now managed, the most solemn
+part of the service is made quite ridiculous. In 1796, I was at a funeral,
+under Trinity Church. I went below with the mourners. The body was carried
+into a dimly-lighted vault. I was so small and short, that I could see
+scarcely anything. But the deep, sepulchral voice of Mr. Parker--he was
+not Bishop then--filled me with a most delightful horror. I listened and
+shivered. At length he uttered the words, "earth to earth," and Grossman,
+who did his duty, marvellously well, when he was sober, rattled on the
+coffin a whole shovelful of coarse gravel--"ashes to ashes"--another
+shovelful of gravel--"dust to dust"--another: it seemed as if shovel and
+all were cast upon the coffin lid. I never forgot it. My way home from
+school was through Summer Street. Returning often, in short days, after
+dusk, I have run, at the top of my speed, till I had gotten as far beyond
+Trinity, as Tommy Russell's, opposite what now is Kingston Street.
+
+A great change has taken place, since I became a sexton. I suppose that
+part of the service is the most solemn, where the body is committed to the
+ground; and it is clearly a pity, that anything should occur, to lessen
+the solemnity. As soon as the minister utters the words, "Forasmuch as it
+hath pleased Almighty God," &c., the coffin being in the broad aisle, the
+sexton, now-a-days, steps up to the right of it, and makes ready by
+stooping down, and picking up a little sand, out of a box or saucer--a few
+more words, and he takes aim--"earth to earth," and he fires an
+insignificant portion of it on to the coffin--"ashes to ashes," and he
+fires another volley--"dust to dust," and he throws the balance, commonly
+wiping his hand on his sleeve. There is something, insufferably awkward,
+in the performance. I heard a young sexton say, last week, he had rather
+bury half the congregation, than go through this comic part. There is some
+grace, in the action of a farmer, sowing barley; but there is a feeling of
+embarrassment, in this miserable illustration of casting in the clods upon
+the dead, which characterizes the performance. The sexton commonly tosses
+the sand on the coffin, turning his head the other way, and rather
+downward, as if he were sensible, that he was performing an awkward
+ceremony. For myself, I am about retiring, and it is of little moment to
+me. But I hope something better will be thought of. What would poor old
+Grossman say!
+
+A SEXTON OF THE OLD SCHOOL.
+
+
+
+
+Dealings with the Dead.
+
+BY A SEXTON OF THE OLD SCHOOL.
+
+
+
+
+No. I.
+
+
+Throw aside whatever I send you, if you do not like it, as we throw aside
+the old bones, when making a new grave; and preserve only what you think
+of any value--with a slight difference--you will publish it, and we
+shouldn't. I was so fond of using the thing, which I have now in my hand,
+when a boy, that my father thought I should never succeed with the mattock
+and spade--he often shook his head, and said I should never make a sexton.
+He was mistaken. He was a shrewd old man, and I got many a valuable hint
+from him. "Abner," said he to me one day, when he saw me bowing, very
+obsequiously, to a very old lady, "don't do so, Abner; old folks are never
+pleased with such attentions, from people of your profession. They
+consider all personal approaches, from one of your fraternity, as wholly
+premature. It brings up unpleasant anticipations." Father was right; and,
+when I meet a very old, or feeble, or nervous gentleman, or lady, I always
+walk fast, and look the other way.
+
+Sextons have greatly improved within the last half century. In old times,
+they kept up too close an intimacy with young surgeons; and, to keep up
+their spirits, in cold vaults, they formed too close an alliance with
+certain evil spirits, such as gin, rum, and brandy. We have greatly
+improved, as a class, and are destined, I trust, to still greater
+elevation. A few of us are thinking of getting incorporated. I have
+read--I read a great deal--I have carried a book, of some sort, in my
+pocket for fifty years--no profession loses so much time, in mere waiting,
+as ours--I have read, that the barbers and surgeons of London were
+incorporated, as one company, in the time of Henry VIII. There is
+certainly a much closer relation, between the surgeons and sextons, than
+between the barbers and surgeons, since we put the finishing hand to their
+work. And as every body is getting incorporated now-a-days, I see no good
+reason against our being incorporated, as a society of sextons and
+surgeons. And then our toils and vexations would, in some measure, be
+solaced, by pleasant meetings and convivial suppers, at which the surgeons
+would cut up roast turkeys, and the sextons might bury their sorrows. When
+sextons have no particular digging to do, out of doors, it seems well
+enough for them to dig in their closets. There is a great amount of
+information to be gained from books, particularly adapted to their
+profession, some of which is practical, and some of which, though not of
+that description, is of a much more profitable character than police
+reports of rapes and murders, or the histories of family quarrels, or
+interminable rumors of battles and bloodshed. There is a learned
+blacksmith; who knows but there may spring up a learned sexton, some of
+these days.
+
+The dealings with the dead, since the world began, furnish matter for
+curious speculation. What has seemed meet and right, in one age or nation,
+has appeared absurd and even monstrous in another. It is also interesting
+to contemplate the many strange dispositions, which certain individuals
+have directed to be made, in regard to their poor remains. Men, who seem
+not to have paid much attention to their souls, have provided, in the most
+careful and curious manner, for the preservation of their miserable
+carcasses. It may also furnish matter for legitimate inquiry, how far it
+may be wise, and prudent, and in good taste, to carry our love of finery
+into the place, appropriated for all living. Aristocracy among the dead!
+What a thought. Sumptuary considerations are here involved. The rivalry of
+the tomb! The pride--not of life--but of death! How frequently have I
+seen, especially among the Irish, the practice of a species of pious fraud
+upon the baker and the milk man, whose bills were never to be paid, while
+all the scrapings of the defunct were bestowed upon the "birril!" The
+principle is one and the same, when men, in higher walks, put costly
+monuments over the ashes of their dead, and their effects into the hands
+of assignees. And then the pageantry and grandiloquence of the epitaph! In
+the course of fifty years, what outrageous lies I have seen, done in
+marble! Perhaps I may say something of these matters--perhaps not.
+
+
+
+
+No. II.
+
+
+Closing the eyes of the dead and composing the mouth were deemed of so
+much importance, of old, that Agamemnon's ghost made a terrible fuss,
+because his wife, Clytemnestra, had neglected these matters, as you will
+see, in your Odyssey, L. V. v. 419. It was usual for the last offices to
+be performed by the nearest relatives. After washing and anointing the
+body, the guests covered it with the _pallium_, or common cloak--the
+Romans used the _toga_--the Hebrews wrapped the body in linen. Virgil
+tells us, that Misenus was buried, in the clothes he commonly wore.
+
+            Membra toro deffeta reponunt,
+  Purpureasque super vestes velamina nota
+  Conjiciunt.
+
+This would seem very strange with us; yet it is usual in some other
+countries, at this day. I have often seen the dead, thus laid out, in
+Santa Cruz--coat, neckcloth, waistcoat, pantaloons, boots, and gloves. I
+was never a sexton there, but noted these matters as an amateur. Chaplets
+and flowers were cast upon the dead, by the Greeks and Romans. The body
+was exhibited, or laid in state, near the entrance of the house, that all
+might see there had been no foul play. While thus lying, it was carefully
+watched. The body of every man, who died in debt, at Athens, was liable to
+be seized by creditors. Miltiades died in jail. His son, Cimon, could not
+pay his father's debts; he therefore assumed his debts and fetters, that
+his father might have funeral rites. Some time before interment, a piece
+of money, an _obolus_, was put in the mouth of the corpse, as Charon's
+fee. In the mouth was also placed a cake, made of flour and honey, to
+appease Cerberus. Instead of crape upon the knocker, some of the hair of
+the deceased was placed upon the door, to indicate a house of mourning. A
+vessel of water was placed before the door, until the corpse was removed,
+that all who touched the dead might wash therein. This is in accordance
+with the Jewish usage. Achilles was burnt on the eighteenth day after his
+death. The upper ten thousand were generally burnt on the eighth, and
+buried on the ninth. Common folks were dealt with more summarily. When
+ready for the pile, the body was borne forth on a bier. The Lacedemonians
+bore it on shields. The Athenians celebrated their obsequies before
+sunrise. Funerals, in some of our cities, are celebrated in the morning.
+The Greeks and Romans were very extravagant, like the Irish. If baked
+meats and Chian and Falernian cost less than in more modern times--still
+sumptuary laws were found necessary. Pittacus made such, at Mytelene. The
+women crowded so abominably, at the funerals in Athens, that Solon
+excluded all women, under threescore years, from gadding after such
+ceremonies. Robes of mourning were sometimes worn; not always. Thousands
+followed the bodies of Timoleon and Aratus, in white garments, bedecked
+with garlands, with songs of triumph and dances, rejoicing, that they were
+received into Elysium.
+
+After the funeral, they abstained from banquets and entertainments.
+Admetus says they avoided whatever bore an air of mirth or pleasure, for
+some time. They sequestered themselves from company. It is particularly
+stated, by Archbishop Potter, that "_wine was too great a friend of
+cheerfulness to gain admission into so melancholy a society_." If Old
+Hundred had been known to the Jews, it would, I dare say, have been
+considered highly appropriate--but their good taste was such, that I much
+doubt, if, in the short space of eight and forty hours, they would have
+mingled _sacra profanis_, so very comically, as to bring champagne and Old
+Hundred together. The Greek mourners often cut off their hair, and cast it
+upon the funeral pile. This custom was also followed by the Romans. They
+sometimes threw themselves upon the ground, to express their sorrow. Like
+some of the Eastern nations, they put ashes upon their heads. They beat
+their breasts, tore their flesh, and scratched their faces, with their
+nails. For this, Dionysius says, the women were more remarkable, than the
+men.
+
+Burning and embalming, the latter of which was a costly business, were
+practised among the Greeks and Romans; the latter much more frequently,
+among the Eastern nations. We talk of getting these matters thoroughly
+discussed, ere long, before the Sextons' board, to see if it may not be
+well, to bring them into use again. I will send you the result.
+
+In regard to the use of wine and other intoxicating drinks, at funerals,
+we much more closely resemble the Lacedemonians now, than we did some
+thirty years ago. When I was a boy, and was at an academy in the country,
+everybody went to everybody's funeral, in the village. The population was
+small--funerals rare--the preceptor's absence would have excited remark,
+and the boys were dismissed, for the funeral. A table with liquors was
+always provided. Every one, as he entered, took off his hat, with his left
+hand, smoothed down his hair, with his right, walked up to the coffin,
+gazed upon the corpse, made a crooked face, passed on to the table, took a
+glass of his favorite liquor, went forth upon the plat, before the house,
+and talked politics, or of the new road, or compared crops, or swapped
+heifers or horses, until it was time to lift. Twelve years ago, a
+clergyman of Newburyport told me, that, when settled in Concord, N. H.,
+some years before, he officiated at the funeral of a little boy. The body
+was borne, as is quite common, in a chaise, and six little nominal
+pall-bearers, the oldest not thirteen, walked by the side of the vehicle.
+Before they left the house, a sort of master of ceremonies took them to
+the table, and mixed a tumbler of gin, water and sugar, for each.
+
+There is in this city a worthy man--I shall not name him--the doctor's and
+the lawyer's callings are not more confidential than ours. He used to
+attend every funeral, as an amateur. He took his glass invariably, and
+always had some good thing to say of the defunct. "A great loss," he would
+say, with a sad shake of his head, as he turned off the heel-tap. I have
+not seen him at a funeral, for several years. We met about five months
+ago. "Ah, Mr. Abner," said he, "temperance has done for funerals."
+
+
+
+
+No. III.
+
+
+The board of sextons have met, and we have concluded not to recommend a
+revival of the ancient custom of burning the dead. It would be very
+troublesome to do it, out of town, and inconvenient in the city. I have
+always thought it wrong to bury in the city; and it would be much worse to
+burn there. The first law of the tenth table of the Romans is in these
+words--"Let no dead body be interred or burnt within the city." Something
+may be got to help pay for a church, by selling tombs below. When a church
+was built here, some years ago, an eminent physician, one of the
+proprietors, was consulted and gave his sanction. Yet more than one of our
+board is very sure, that, on a warm, close Sunday, in the spring, he has
+snuffed up something that wasn't particularly orthodox, in that church.
+The old Romans were very careful of the rights of their fellows, in this
+respect: the twelfth law of the tenth table runs thus--"Let no sepulchre
+be built, or funeral pile raised within sixty feet of any house, without
+the consent of the owner of that house." They certainly conducted matters
+with great propriety, avoiding extravagance and intemperance, as appears
+by the seventh law of the same table--"Let no slaves be embalmed; let
+there be no drinking round a dead body; nor any perfumed liquors be poured
+upon it." So also the second law--"Let all costliness and excessive
+waitings be banished from funerals." The women were so very troublesome
+upon these occasions, that a special law, the fifth, was made for their
+government--"Let not the women tear their faces, or disfigure themselves,
+or make hideous outcries."
+
+It was not unusual for one person to have several funerals: to prevent
+this, however agreeable to the Roman undertakers, the tenth law of the
+tenth table was made--"Let no man have more than one funeral, or more than
+one bed put under him." There was also a very strange practice during the
+first Decemvirate; the friends often abstracted a finger of the deceased,
+or some part of the body, and performed fresh obsequies, in some other
+place; erecting there a _cenotaph_ or _empty_ sepulchre, in which they
+fancied the ghost of the departed took occasional refuge, when wandering
+about--in case of a sudden shower, perhaps; or being caught out too near
+daylight.
+
+For the correction of this folly, the Decemvirs passed the sixth law of
+the tenth table--"Let not any part of a dead body be carried away, in
+order to perform other obsequies for the deceased, unless he died in war,
+or out of his own country." It was upon such occasions as these, in which
+an empty form was observed, and no actual inhumation took place, that the
+practice of throwing three handsful of earth originated. This usage was
+practised also by the Jews, and has come down to modern times. Baron
+Rothschild (Nathan Meyer) who died in Frankfort, July 28, 1836, was buried
+in the ground of the Synagogue, in Duke's Place, London. His sons, Lionel,
+Anthony, Nathaniel, and Meyer, his brother-in-law, Mr. Montefiore, and his
+ancient friend, Mr. Samuels, at the age of ninety-six, commenced the
+service of filling up the grave,--by casting in, each one of them, three
+handsful of earth. Not satisfied with carrying a bottle of sal volatile to
+funerals, the women, and even the men, were in the habit of carrying pots
+of essences, which occasioned the enactment of the eighth law--"Let no
+crowns, festoons, perfuming pots, or any kind of perfume be carried to
+funerals."
+
+Burning or interring was adopted, by the ancients, at the will of the
+relatives. This is manifest from the eleventh law, which prohibits the use
+of gold in all obsequies, with a single exception--"Let no gold be used in
+any obsequies, unless the jaw of the deceased has been tied up with a gold
+thread. In that case the corpse may be _interred_ or _burnt_, with the
+gold thread." A large quantity of silver is annually buried with the dead.
+It finds its way up again, however, in the course of time.
+
+Common as burning was, among the ancients, it was looked upon, by some,
+with great abhorrence. The body to be burned was placed upon a pile--if
+the body of a person of quality, one or more slaves or captives were
+burned with it. When not forbidden, all sorts of precious ointments and
+perfumes were poured upon the corpse. The favorite dogs and horses of the
+defunct were cast upon the pile. Homer tells us, that four horses, two
+dogs, and twelve Trojan captives were burnt upon the pile, with the dead
+body of Patroclus. The corpses, that they might consume the sooner, were
+covered with the fat of beasts. Some near relative lighted the pile,
+uttering prayers to Boreas and Zephyrus to increase the flame. The
+relatives stood around, calling on the deceased, and pouring on libations
+of wine, with which they finally extinguished the flames, when the pile
+was well burnt down. They then collected the bones and ashes. How they
+were ever able to discriminate between men, dogs, and horses, it is hard
+to say. Probably the whole was sanctified, in their opinion, by
+juxtaposition. The bones might be distinguished, but not the dust. Such
+bones as could be identified, were washed and anointed _by the nearest
+relatives_. What an office! How custom changes the complexion of such
+matters! These relics were then placed in urns of wood, stone, earth,
+silver, or gold, according to the quality of the parties. Where are these
+memorials now! these myriads of urns! They were deposited in tombs--of
+which a very perfect account may be found in the description of the street
+of tombs, at Pompeii.
+
+
+
+
+No. IV.
+
+
+The Greeks, when interment was preferred to burning, placed the body in
+the coffin, as is done at present, deeming it safer for the defunct to
+look upwards. To ridicule this superstition, Diogenes requested, that his
+body might be placed face downward, "for the world, erelong," said he,
+"will be turned upside down, and then I shall come right." The feet were
+placed towards the East. Those, who were closely allied, were buried
+together. The epitaph of Agathias, on the twin brothers, is still
+preserved--
+
+  "Two brothers lie interred within this urn,
+  They died together, as together born."
+
+"They were lovely and pleasant in their lives," said David, of Saul and
+Jonathan, "and, in death, they were not divided."
+
+Plato says, that the early Greeks buried their dead, in their own houses.
+There was a law in Thebes, that no person should build a house, without
+providing a repository for the dead therein. An inconvenient fashion this.
+In after-times they buried out of the city, and generally by the way-side.
+Hence, doubtless, arose the very common appeal, on their tablets--_Siste
+Viator!_ On the road from Cape Ann Harbor to Sandy Bay, now Rockport, are
+a solitary grave and a monument--the grave of one, who chanced there to
+die. Our graveyards are usually on the roadside. Sometimes a common
+_cart-path_ is laid out, through an ancient burying-ground. Such is the
+case in Uxbridge, in this Commonwealth. This is Vandalism. Sextons, who
+have had long experience, are of opinion, that the rights of the living
+and the decencies of life are less apt to be maintained, wherever the
+ashes of the dead are treated with disrespect. Burying, by the road-side,
+has been said to have been adopted, for the purpose of inspiring
+travellers with thoughts of mortality--travellers in railway cars,
+perhaps! The first time I visited St. Peter's, in Philadelphia, I was much
+impressed with the tablets and their inscriptions, lying level with the
+floor of the church, and vertical, I supposed, to the relics below--but I
+soon became familiar, and forgetful.
+
+Every family, among the Greeks, who could afford it, had its own proper
+burying-ground--as is the case, at the present day, in our own country,
+among the planters and others, living far apart from any common point.
+This might be well enough, where the feudal system prevailed, and estates,
+by the law of descent, continued long in families. If the old usage were
+now in vogue, in New York, for instance, what a carting about of family
+urns there would be, on May day! Estates will pass from man to man, and
+strangers become the custodiers of the dead friends and relatives of the
+alienors. It is not unusual to find, on such occasions, a special clause,
+in the conveyance, for their protection, and for the perpetual _tabooing_
+of the place of sepulture. The first graves of the Greeks were mere
+caverns or holes; but, in later times, they were capacious rooms, vaulted
+and paved--so large, indeed, that in some instances, the mourners
+assembled and remained in them, for days and nights together. Monuments of
+some sort were of very early date; so were inscriptions, containing the
+names, ages, virtues, and actions of the deceased, and the emblems of
+their calling. Diogenes had the figure of a snarling cur engraved upon his
+tablet. Lycurgus put an end to what he called "talkative gravestones." He
+even forbade the inscription of the names, unless of men who died in
+battle, or women in childbed.
+
+Extravagance was, at one time, so notorious, in these matters, that Leon
+forbade the erection of any mausoleum, which could not be erected by ten
+men, in three days.
+
+In Greece and Rome, panegyrics were often pronounced at the grave. Games
+were sometimes instituted in honor of the eminent dead. Homer tells us
+that Agamemnon's ghost and the ghost of Achilles had a long talk upon this
+subject, telling over the number they had attended. After the funeral was
+over, the company met at the house of some near relative, to divert their
+sorrow; and, notwithstanding the abstemiousness of the Lacedemonians, they
+had, I am compelled to believe, what is commonly called a good time. The
+word, used to designate this kind of gathering, _perideipnon_, indicates
+a very social meeting--Cicero translates this word _circumpotatio_.
+
+Embalming was most in use with the Egyptians, and the process is described
+by Herodotus and Diodorus. The brain was drawn through the nostrils with
+an iron scoop, and the void filled with spices. The entrails were removed,
+and the abdomen filled with myrrh and cassia. The body was next pickled in
+nitre, for seventy days, and then enveloped in bandages of fine linen and
+gums. Among the repositories of the curious, are bodies embalmed some
+thousands of years ago. According to Herodotus, the place for the first
+incision having been indicated, by the priest, the operator was looked
+upon, with as much disgust, as we exhibit towards the common
+hangman,--for, no sooner had he hastily made the incision, than he fled
+from the house, and was immediately attacked with stones, by the
+bystanders, as one, who had violated the dead. Rather an undesirable
+office. After being embalmed, the body was placed in a box of sycamore
+wood, carved to resemble the human form.
+
+The story of Diogenes, who desired to be buried face downward, reminds me
+of one, related by old Grossman, as we were coming, many years ago, from
+the funeral of an old lady, who had been a terrible termagant. She
+resembled, old Grossman said, a perfect fury of a woman, whose husband
+insisted upon burying her, face downward; and, being asked the reason, for
+this strange procedure, replied--"the more she scratches the deeper she
+goes."
+
+
+
+
+No. V.
+
+
+Nil de mortuis nisi bonum. You will wonder where I got my Latin. If my
+profession consisted of nothing but digging and filling up--dust to dust,
+and ashes to ashes--I would not give a fig for it. To a sexton of any
+sentiment it is a very different affair. I have sometimes doubted, if it
+might not be ranked among the fine arts. To be sure, it is rather a
+melancholy craft; and for this very reason I have tried to solace myself,
+with the literary part of it. There is a great amount, of curious and
+interesting reading upon these marble pages, which the finger of time is
+ever turning over. I soon found, that a large part of it was in the Latin
+tongue, and I resolved to master so much of it, as impeded my progress. I
+have found, that many superb things are said of the defunct, in Latin,
+which no person, however partial, would venture to say, in plain English.
+
+The Latin proverb, at the head of this article, I saw, on the gravestone
+of a poor fellow, who was killed, by a sort of devil incarnate, in the
+shape of a rumseller, though some persons thought he was worried to death,
+by moral suasion. _Nothing of the dead but what is good_: Well, I very
+much doubt the wisdom of this rule. The Egyptians doubted it; and their
+kings were kept in order, through a fear of the sentence to be passed upon
+their character and conduct, by an assembly of notables, summoned
+immediately after their decease. Montaigne says it is an excellent custom,
+and to be desired by all good princes, who have reason to be offended,
+that the memories of the wicked should be treated with the same respect,
+as their own.
+
+In England and our own Commonwealth, we have, legislatively, repudiated
+this rule, in one instance, at least, until within a few years. I refer to
+the case of suicide. Instead of considering the account balanced by death,
+and treating the defunct with particular tenderness, because he was dead,
+the sheriff was ordered to bury the body of every person, _felo de se_, at
+the central point where four roads met, and to run a stake through his
+body. This, to say nothing of its cheating our brotherhood out of burial
+fees, seems a very awkward proceeding.
+
+There is a pleasant tale, related of Sheriff Bradford, which I may repeat,
+without marring the course of these remarks. Mr. Bradford was the politest
+sheriff, that we ever had in Suffolk, not excepting Sheriff Sumner.
+Sheriff Bradford was a real gentleman, dyed in the wool. It did one's
+heart good to see him serve an attachment, or levy an execution. Instead
+of knocking one down, and arresting him afterwards, Mr. Bradford made a
+pleasant affair of it. It actually seemed, as if he employed a sort of
+official ether, which took away the pain--he used, while placing his
+bailiff in a lady's drawing-room, to bow and smile, so respectfully and
+sympathizingly; and, in a sotto voice, to talk so very clerically, of the
+instability of human affairs.
+
+An individual, within the sheriff's precinct, cut his own throat. An
+officious neighbor, who was rather curious to see the stake part
+performed, brought tidings to Mr. Bradford, while at breakfast. The
+informant ventured to inquire, at what time the performances would
+commence. At five o'clock precisely, this afternoon, the sheriff replied.
+He instantly dispatched a deputy to the son of the defunct, with a note,
+full of the most respectful expressions of condolence, and informing him,
+that the law required the sheriff to run a stake through his father's
+body, _if to be found within his precinct_, and adding that he should call
+with the stake, at 5 P. M. The body was, of course, speedily removed, and
+_non est inventus_ was the end of the whole matter. Civilization
+advanced--several of the upper ten thousand cut their throats, or blew
+their brains out; and it would have been troublesome to carry out the
+provisions of the law, and cost something for stakes. The law was
+repealed.
+
+Some sort of ignominious sepulture, for self-murderers, was in vogue, long
+ago. Plato speaks of it, de legibus lib. ix., p. 660. The attempt to
+shelter mankind from deserved reproach, by putting complimentary epitaphs
+upon their gravestones, is very foolish. It commonly produces an opposite
+effect. One would think these names were intended as a hint, for the
+Devil, when he comes for his own--a sort of _passover_.
+
+I am inclined to think, if a grand inquest of any county were employed, to
+discover the last resting places of their neighbors and fellow-citizens,
+having no other guide, but their respective epitaphs, the names and dates
+having been previously removed or covered up, that inquest would be very
+much at a loss, in the midst of such exalted virtues, and supereminent
+talents, and extraordinary charities, and unbroken friendships, and great
+public services.
+
+Some inscriptions are, perhaps, too simple. In the burying-ground at the
+corner of Arch and Sixth streets, Philadelphia, and very near that corner,
+lies a large flat slab, with these words:
+
+  "Benjamin and Deborah Franklin,
+  1790."
+
+In Exeter, N. H., I once read an epitaph in the graveyard, near the
+Railroad Depot, in these words:
+
+  "Henry's grave."
+
+Pope's epitaph, in the garden of Lord Cobham, at Stow, on his Lordship's
+Italian friend, was, doubtless, well-deserved, though savoring of
+panegyric:
+
+  To the memory
+  of
+  SIGNOR FIDO,
+  an Italian of good extraction,
+  who came into England
+  not to bite us, like most of his countrymen,
+  but to gain an honest livelihood.
+  He hunted not after fame,
+  yet acquired it.
+  Regardless of the praise of his friends,
+  But most sensible of their love,
+  Though he lived among the great,
+  He neither learned nor flattered any vice.
+  He was no bigot,
+  Though he doubted not the 39 articles.
+  And, if to follow nature,
+  And to respect the laws of society
+  Be philosophy,
+  He was a perfect philosopher,
+  A faithful friend,
+  An agreeable companion,
+  A loving husband,
+  Distinguished by a numerous offspring,
+  All which he lived to see take good courses.
+  In his old age he retired
+  To the house of a clergyman, in the country,
+  Where he finished his earthly race,
+  And died an honor and an example to the whole species.
+  Reader
+  This stone is guiltless of flattery;
+  For he, to whom it is inscribed,
+  Was not a man
+  but a
+  GREYHOUND.
+
+
+
+
+No. VI.
+
+
+It could not have been particularly desirable to be the cook, or the
+concubine, or the cup-bearer, or the master of the horse, or the
+chamberlain, or the gentleman usher of a Scythian king, for Herodotus
+tells us, book 4, page 280, that every one of these functionaries was
+strangled, upon the body of the dead monarch.
+
+Castellan, in his account of the Turkish Empire, says, that a dying Turk
+is laid on his back, with his right side towards Mecca, and is thus
+interred. A chafing-dish is placed in the chamber of death, and perfumes
+burnt thereon. The Imam reads the thirty-sixth chapter of the Koran. When
+death has closed the scene, a sabre is laid upon the abdomen, and the
+next of kin ties up the jaw. The corpse is washed with camphor, wrapped in
+a white sheet, and laid upon a bier.
+
+The burial is brief and rapid. The body is never carried to the mosque.
+Unlike the solemn pace of our own age and nation, four bearers, who are
+frequently relieved, carry the defunct, almost on a run, to the place of
+interment. Over the bier is thrown a pall; and, at the head, the turban of
+the deceased. Women never attend. Mourning, as it is called, is never
+worn. Christians are not permitted to be present, at the funeral of a
+Mussulman.
+
+It is not lawful to walk over, or sit upon, a grave. A post mortem
+examination is never allowed, unless the deceased is so near confinement,
+that there may be danger of burying the living with the dead. The corpse
+is laid naked in the ground. The Imam kneels in prayer, and calls the name
+of the deceased, and the name of his mother, thrice. The cemeteries of the
+Turks are without the city, and thickly planted with trees, chiefly
+cypress and evergreens. Near Constantinople there are several
+cemeteries--the most extensive are at Scutari, on the Asiatic side of the
+Bosphorus. There, as here, marble columns designate the graves of the
+eminent and wealthy, but are surmounted with sculptured turbans. The
+inscriptions are brief and simple. This is quite common: "_This world is
+transient and perishable--today mine--tomorrow thine_."
+
+The funeral ceremonies of the Hindoos are minute, trivial, and ridiculous,
+in the extreme. A curious account may be found, in the Asiatic Researches,
+vol. 7, page 264. Formal, or nominal obsequies are performed, says Mr.
+Colebrooke, not less than ninety-six times, in every year, among the
+Hindoos.
+
+We do, for the dead, that, which we would have done for ourselves. The
+desire of making a respectable corpse is quite universal. It has been so,
+from the days of Greece and Rome, to the present. Such was the sentiment,
+which caused the Romans to veil those, whose features were distorted in
+death, as in the case of Scipio Africanus: such obsequies were called
+_larvata funera_. Such has ever been the feeling, among the civilized and
+the savage. Such was the opinion of Pope's Narcissa, when she exclaimed--
+
+  One need not sure be ugly, though one's dead;
+  And Betty, give this cheek a little red.
+
+The Roman female corpses were painted. So are the corpses of the
+inhabitants of the Polynesian Islands, and of New Zealand. When a New
+Zealand chieftain dies, says Mr. Polack, the relatives and friends cut
+themselves with muscle shells, and let blood profusely, because they
+believe that ghosts, and especially royal ghosts, are exceedingly partial
+to this beverage. The body is laid out by the priests. The head is adorned
+with the most valued feathers of the albatross. The hair is anointed with
+shark oil, and tied, at the crown, with a riband of _tapa_. The lobes of
+the ears are ornamented with bunches of white, down, from the sea-fowl's
+breast, and the cheeks are embellished with red ochre. The brow is
+encircled with a garland of pink and white flowers of the _kaikatoa_.
+Mats, wove of the silken flax, are thrown around the body, which is placed
+upright. Skulls of enemies, slain in battle, are ranged at its feet. The
+relics of ancestors, dug up for the occasion, are placed on platforms at
+its head. A number of slaves are slaughtered, to keep the chieftain
+company. His wives and concubines hang and drown themselves, that they
+also may be of the party. The body lies in state, three or four days. The
+priests flourish round it, with wisps of flax, to keep off the devil and
+all his angels. The _pihe_, or funeral song, is then chanted, which I take
+to be the Old Hundred of the New Zealanders, very much resembling the
+_noenia_, or funereal songs of the Romans. At last, the body is buried,
+with the favorite mats, muskets, trinkets, &c., of the deceased.
+
+The Mandans, of the Upper Missouri, never inhume or bury their dead, but
+place their bodies, according to Mr. Catlin, on light scaffolds, out of
+the reach of the wolves and foxes. There they decay. This place of deposit
+is without the village. When a Mandan dies, he is painted, oiled, feasted,
+supplied with bow, arrows, shield, pipe and tobacco, knife, flint, steel,
+and food, for a few days, and wrapped tightly, in a raw buffalo hide. The
+corpse is then placed upon the scaffold, with its feet to the rising sun.
+An additional piece of scarlet cloth is thrown over the remains of a chief
+or medicine man. This cemetery is called, by the Mandans, the village of
+the dead. Here the Mandans, especially the women, give daily evidence of
+their parental, filial, and conjugal devotion. When the scaffold falls,
+and the bones have generally decayed, the skulls are placed in circles,
+facing inwards. The women, says Mr. Catlin, are able to recognize the
+skulls of their respective husbands, by some particular mark; and daily
+visit them with the best cooked dishes from their wigwams. What a lesson
+of constancy is here! It is a pity, that so much good victuals should be
+wasted; but what an example is this, for the imitation of Christian
+widows, too many of whom, it is feared, resemble Goldsmith's widow with
+the great fan, who, by the laws of her country, was forbidden to marry
+again, till the grave of her husband was thoroughly dry; and who was
+engaged, day and night, in fanning the clods. Some thirty years ago, my
+business led me frequently to pass a stonecutter's door, a few miles from
+the city; and, in a very conspicuous position, I noticed a gravestone,
+sacred to the memory of the most affectionate husband, erected by his
+devoted and inconsolable widow. It continued thus, before the
+stonecutter's shop, for several years. I asked the reason. "Why," said the
+stonecutter, "the inconsolable got married, in four months after, and I
+have never got my pay. They pass this way, now and then, the inconsolable
+and her new husband, and, when I see them, I always run out, and brush the
+dust off."
+
+
+
+
+No. VII.
+
+
+I told that anecdote of the inconsolable widow, related in my last, to old
+Grossman. He and Smith were helping me at a grave, in the Granary ground.
+Bless my heart, how things have changed! We were digging near the Park
+Street side--the old Almshouse fronted on Park Street then--and the
+Granary stood where Park Street Church now stands, until 1809, and the
+long building, called the Massachusetts Bank, covered a part of Hamilton
+Place, and the house, once occupied by Sir Francis Barnard and afterwards
+by Mr. Andrews, with its fine garden, stood at the corner of Winter
+Street, on the site of the present granite block; and--but I am burying
+myself, sexton like, in the grave of my own recollections--I say, I told
+Grossman that story--the old man, when not translated by liquor, was
+delightful company, in a graveyard--we were digging the grave of a young
+widow's third husband. Grossman said she poisoned them. Smith was quite
+shocked, and told him Mr. Deblois was looking over the Almshouse wall.
+
+Grossman said he didn't mean, that she really gave all three of them
+ratsbane; but it was clear enough, she was the end of them all; and he had
+no doubt the widow would be a good customer, and give us two or three jobs
+yet, before she left off. This led me to tell that story. Smith said there
+was nothing half so restless, as an Irish widow. He said, that a young
+Tipperary widow, Nelly McPhee, I think he called her, was courted, and
+actually had an offer from Tooley O'Shane, on the way to her husband's
+funeral. "She accepted, of course," said Grossman. "No, she didn't," said
+Smith--"Tooley, dear," said she, "y'are too late: foor waaks ago it was, I
+shook hands wi Patty Sweeney upon it, that I would have him, in a dacent
+time, arter poor McPhee went anunderbood." "Well," said Grossman, "widows
+of all nations are much alike. There was a Dutch woman, whose husband,
+Diedrick Van Pronk, kicked the bucket, and left her inconsolable. He was
+buried on Copp's Hill. Folks said grief would kill that widow. She had a
+figure of wood carved, that looked very like her late husband, and placed
+it in her bed, and constantly kept it there, for several months.
+
+In about half a year, she became interested in a young shoemaker, who got
+the length of her foot, and finally married her. He had visited the widow,
+not more than a fortnight, when the servants told her they were out of
+kindling stuff, and asked what should be done. After a pause, the widow
+replied, in a very quiet way--"Maype it ish vell enough now, to sphlit up
+old Van Pronk, vat ish up shtair."
+
+Some persons have busied themselves, in a singular way, about their own
+obsequies, and have left strange provisions, touching their remains.
+Charles V., according to Robertson and other writers, ordered a rehearsal
+of his own obsequies--his domestics marched with black tapers--Charles
+followed in his shroud--he was laid in his coffin--the service for the
+dead was chanted. This farce was, in a few days, followed by the real
+tragedy; for the fatigue or exposure brought on fever, which terminated
+fatally. Yet this story, which has long been believed, is distinctly
+denied, by Mr. Richard Ford, in his admirable handbook for Spain; and this
+denial is repeated, in No. 151 of the London Quarterly Review.
+
+Several gentlemen, of the fancy, of the present age, and in this vicinity,
+have provided their coffins, in their life time. The late Timothy Dexter,
+commonly called Lord Dexter, of Newburyport; there was also an eminent
+merchant, of this city. This is truly a Blue Beard business; and, beyond
+its influence, in frightening children and domestics, it is difficult to
+imagine the utility of such an arrangement. After a few visitations, these
+coffins would probably excite just about as much of the _memento mori_
+sensation, as the same number of meal chests.
+
+Burton, in his Anatomy of Melancholy, states that John Zisca, the general
+of the Hussites, ordered a drum to be made of his skin, after he was dead,
+persuaded, that the sound of it would terrify his foes.
+
+When Edward I., of England, was dying, he bound his son, by an oath, to
+boil his body, and, separating the bones, to carry them always before him
+in battle, against the Scots; as though he believed victory to be chained
+to his joints.
+
+The bodies of persons, executed for crime, have, in different ages, and
+among different nations, been delivered to surgeons, for dissection. It
+seems meet and right, that those, who have been worse than useless, in
+their lives, should contribute, in some small degree, to the common weal,
+by such an appropriation of their carcasses. In some cases, these
+miserable creatures have been permitted to make their own bargains, with
+particular surgeons, beforehand; who have, occasionally, been taken in, by
+paying a guinea to an unscrupulous fellow, who knew, though the surgeons
+did not, that he was sentenced to be hung in chains, or, as it is commonly
+called, gibbeted. The difficulty of obtaining subjects, for anatomical
+purposes, has led to outrages upon the dead. Various remedies have been
+proposed--none effectual. Surgical students, will not be deterred, by the
+"Requiescat in pace," and the judges, between the demands of science and
+of sympathy, have been in the predicament of asses, between two bundles of
+straw. A poor vagabond, _nullius filius vel ignoti_, was snatched, by some
+of these young medical dogs, some years ago, and Judge Parsons, who tried
+the indictment, with a leaning to science, imposed a fine of five dollars.
+Not many years after, a worthy judge, a reverencer of Parsons, and a
+devotee to precedent, imposed a fine of five dollars, upon a young sloven,
+who but half completed his job, and left a respectable citizen of Maine,
+half drawn out from his grave, with a rope about his neck.
+
+It seems scarcely conceivable, that a pittance should tempt a man to take
+his fellow's life, that he might sell the body to a surgeon. In 1809,
+Burke was executed in Edinburgh, for this species of murder. It was his
+trade. Victims were lured, by this vampyre, to "the chambers of death,"
+strangled or suffocated, without any visible mark of murder, and then sold
+to the surgeons.
+
+This trade has been attempted in London, at a much later day. Dec. 5,
+1831, a wretch, named Bishop, and his accomplice, Williams, were hung, for
+the murder of an Italian boy, Carlo Ferrari, poor and friendless, whose
+body they sold to the surgeons. They confessed the murder of Ferrari and
+several others, whose bodies were disposed of, in a similar manner.
+
+From a desire to promote the cause of science, individuals have, now and
+then, bequeathed their bodies to particular surgeons. These bequests have
+been rarely insisted upon, by the legatees, and the intentions of the
+testator have seldom been carried out, by the executors; a remarkable
+exception, however, occurred, in the case of the celebrated Jeremy
+Bentham, an account of which I must defer for the present, for funerals
+are not the only things, which may be of unreasonable length.
+
+
+
+
+No. VIII.
+
+
+That eminent friend of science and of man, Jeremy Bentham, held the
+prejudice against dissection, in profound contempt, and bequeathed his
+body, for that object, to Dr. Fordyce, in 1769. Dr. Fordyce died, in 1792,
+and Mr. Bentham, who survived him, and seems to have set his heart upon
+being dissected, aware of the difficulties, that might obstruct his
+purpose, chose three friends, from whom he exacted a solemn promise, to
+fulfil his wishes. Accordingly, Mr. Bentham's body was carried to the Webb
+Street School of Anatomy and Surgery, and publicly dissected, June 9,
+1832, by Dr. Southwood Smith, who delivered an admirable lecture, upon
+that occasion. I wholly object to such a practice, not, upon my honor,
+from selfish motives, though it would spoil our business; but because the
+moral injury, which would result, from such a disposition of mortal
+remains, would be so much greater, than the surgical good. Mr. Bentham's
+example is not likely to be commonly adopted.
+
+A great amount of needless care is sometimes taken, by the living, in
+regard to their relics, and their obsequies, which care belongs,
+manifestly, to survivors. Akin to the preparation of one's coffin, and
+storing it in one's domicil, for years perhaps, is the preparation of
+one's shroud, and death cap, and all the et caetera of laying out. In
+ninety and nine cases, in every one hundred, these things are done, for
+the gratification of personal vanity, to attract attention, and to procure
+a small sample of that lamentation, which the desolate widower and orphans
+will pour forth, _one of these days_. It is observed, by one of the
+daughters, that the mother is engaged in some mysterious piece of needle
+work. "What is it, dear mother?" "Ah, my child, you should not inquire. We
+all must die--it is your poor mother's winding sheet." The daughter is
+convulsed, and pours forth a profluvium of tears. The judicious parent
+soothes, and moralizes, and is delighted. The daughter flies to her
+sisters; and, gathering in some private chamber, their tears are poured
+forth, as the fact is announced. The husband returns--the eyes of his
+household are like beet roots. They gather round their miserable meal. The
+husband has been informed. The sweet-breads go down, untasted. How
+grateful these evidences of sympathy to the wife and mother! A case
+occurred in my practice, of this very description, where the lady
+survived, married again, and the shroud, sallowed by thirty years' _non
+user_, was given, in an hour of need, to a poor family.
+
+Montaigne, vol. 1, page 17, Lond., 1811, says, "I was by no means pleased
+with a story, told me of a relation of mine, that, being arrived at a very
+old age and tormented with the stone, he spent the last hours of his life
+in an extraordinary solicitude, about ordering the pomp and ceremony of
+his funeral, pressing all the men of condition, who came to see him, to
+promise their attendance at his grave."
+
+Sophia Charlotte, the sister of George I., of England, a woman of
+excellent understanding, was the wife of Frederic I. of Prussia. When
+dying, one of her attendants observed how sadly the king would be
+afflicted by her death. "With respect to him," she replied, "I am
+perfectly at ease. His mind will be completely occupied in arranging the
+ceremonial of my funeral; and, if nothing goes wrong in the procession, he
+will be quite consoled for my loss."
+
+Man goeth to his long home, as of yore, but the mourners do not go about
+the streets, as they did, when I was young. The afternoons were given to
+the tolling of bells, and funeral processions. This was about the period,
+when the citizens began to feel their privations, as cow-yards grew
+scarce; and, when our old friend, Ben Russell, told the public, in his
+Centinel, that it was no wonder they were abominably crowded, and pinched
+for gardens, for Boston actually contained seventeen thousand inhabitants.
+I have seen a funeral procession, of great length, going south, by the Old
+South Church, passing another, of equal length, going north, and delaying
+the progress of a third, coming down School Street. The dead were not left
+to bury the dead, in those days. Invitations to funerals were sent round,
+as they are at present, to balls and parties. Othello Pollard and Domingo
+Williams had full employment then. I have heard it stated of Othello,
+that, having in hand two bundles of invitations, one for a fandango, of
+some sort, and the other for a funeral, and being in an evil condition, he
+made sad work in the delivery. Printed invitations are quite common, in
+some countries.
+
+I have seen one, in handbill form, for the funeral of a Madame Barbut, an
+old widow, in Martinique, closing with these words, "_un de profundis, si
+vous_," etc. Roman funerals were distinguished as _indictiva_ and
+_tacita_: to the former, persons were invited, by a crier; the others were
+private. The calling out, according to a prearranged list, which always
+gave offence to somebody, was of old the common practice here. Such was
+the usage in Rome, where the director was styled _dominus funeris_ or
+_designator_. I doubt, if martinets are more tenacious of their rank, in
+the army, than mourners, at a funeral.
+
+There was a practice, in Rome, which would appear very grotesque, at the
+present time. Pipers, _tibicines_, preceded the corpse, with players and
+buffoons, who danced and sang, some of whom imitated the voice, manner and
+gestures of the defunct. Of these, Suetonius gives some account, in his
+lives of Tiberius, Vespasian, and Caesar.
+
+The practice of watching a corpse, until the time of burying or burning,
+was very ancient, and in use with the Greeks and Romans. The bodies of
+eminent men were borne to the grave, by the most distinguished citizens,
+not acting merely as pall bearers, but sustaining the body on their
+shoulders. Suetonius states, that Julius Caesar was borne by the
+magistrates; Augustus by the senators. Tacitus, Ann. iii. 2, informs us,
+that Germanicus was supported, on the shoulders of the tribunes and
+centurions. Children, who died, before they were weaned, were carried to
+the pile by their mothers. This must have been a painful office.
+
+
+
+
+No. IX.
+
+
+When I first undertook, there was scarcely any variety, either in the
+inscriptions, or devices, upon gravestones: death's heads and crossbones;
+scythes and hour glasses; angels, with rather a diabolical expression;
+all-seeing eyes, with an ominous squint; squares and compasses; such were
+the common devices; and every third or fourth tablet was inscribed:
+
+  Thou traveller that passest by,
+  As thou art now, so once was I;
+  As I am now, thou soon shalt be,
+  Prepare for death and follow me.
+
+No wonder people were wearied to death, or within an inch of it, by
+reading this lugubrious quatrain, for the hundredth time. We had not then
+learned, from that vivacious people, who have neither taste nor talent for
+being sad, to convert our graveyards into pleasure grounds.
+
+To be sure, even in my early days, and long before, an audacious spirit,
+now and then, would burst the bonds of this mortuary sameness, and take a
+bolder flight. We have an example of this, on the tablet of the Rev.
+Joseph Moody, in the graveyard at York, Maine.
+
+  Although this stone may moulder into dust,
+  Yet Joseph Moody's name continue must.
+
+And another in Dorchester:
+
+  Here lies our Captain and Mayor of Suffolk,
+                Was withall,
+  A godly magistrate was he, and major general.
+  Two troops of hors with him here came, such
+                Worth his love did crave.
+  Ten companyes also mourning marcht
+                To his grave.
+  Let all that read be sure to keep the faith as
+                He has don;
+  With Christ he lives now crowned, his name
+        Was HUMPHREY ATHERTON,
+        He dyed the 16 of September, 1661.
+
+The following, also, in the graveyard at Attleborough, upon the tablet of
+the Rev. Peter Thacher, who died in 1785, is no common effort, and in the
+style of Tate and Brady:
+
+  Whom Papists not
+  With superstitious fire,
+  Would dare to adore,
+  We justly may admire.
+
+And another, in the same graveyard, upon the slave, Caesar, is very clever.
+The two last lines seem by another hand:
+
+  Here lies the best of slaves,
+    Now turning into dust,
+  Caesar, the Ethiopian, craves
+    A place, among the just.
+  His faithful soul is fled
+    To realms of Heavenly light,
+  And by the blood that Jesus shed,
+    Is changed from black to white.
+  January 15, he quitted the stage,
+  In the 77 year of his age.
+
+An erratum, ever to be regretted, is certainly quite unexpected, on a
+gravestone. In the graveyard at Norfolk, Va., there is a handsome marble
+monument, sacred to the memory of Mrs. Margaret, &c., wife of, &c., who
+died, &c.: "_Erratum, for Margaret read Martha_."
+
+In olden time, there was a provost of bonny Dundee, and his name was
+Dickson. He was a right jolly provost, and seemed resolved to have one
+good joke beyond the grave. He bequeathed ten pounds, apiece, to three
+men, remarkable above their fellows, for avarice, and dulness, on
+condition, that they should join in the composition of his epitaph, in
+rhyme and metre. They met--the task was terrible--but, Dr. Johnson would
+have said, what will not a Scotchman undertake, for ten pounds! It need
+not be long, said one--a line apiece, said the second--shall I begin? said
+the third. This was objected to, of course; for whoever commenced was
+relieved from the onus of the rhyme. They drew lots for this vantage
+ground, and he, who won, after a copious perspiration, produced the
+following line--
+
+  Here lies Dickson, Provost of Dundee.
+
+This was very much admired--brief and sententious--his name, his official
+station, his death, and the place of his burial were happily compressed
+in a single line. After severe exertion, the second line was produced:
+
+  Here lies Dickson, here lies he.
+
+It was objected, that this was tautological; and that it did not even go
+so far as the first, which set forth the official character of the
+deceased. It was said, in reply, by one of the executors, who happened to
+be present, and who acted as _amicus poetae_, that the second line would
+have been tautological, if it _had_ set forth the official station, which
+it did not; and that as there had once been a female provost, the last
+word effectually established the sex of Dickson, which was very important.
+The third legatee, though he had leave of absence for an hour, and
+refreshed his spirit, by a ramble on the Frith of Tay, was utterly unable
+to complete the epitaph. At an adjourned meeting, however, he produced the
+following line,
+
+  Hallelujah! Hallelujee!
+
+There are some beautiful epitaphs in our language--there are half a dozen,
+perhaps, which are exquisitely so, and I believe there are not many more.
+I dare not present them here, in juxtaposition with such light matter.
+Swift's clever epitaph, on a miser, may more appropriately close this
+article:
+
+  Beneath this verdant hillock lies
+  Demer, the wealthy and the wise.
+  His heirs, that he might safely rest,
+  Have put his carcass in a chest--
+  The very chest, in which, they say,
+  His other self, his money, lay.
+  And if his heirs continue kind
+  To that dear self he left behind,
+  I dare believe that four in five
+  Will think his better half alive.
+
+
+
+
+No. X.
+
+
+Catacombs, hollows or cavities, according to the etymological import of
+the word, are, as every one knows, receptacles for the dead. They are
+found in many countries; the most ancient are those of Egypt and Thebes,
+which were visited in 1813 and 1818, by Belzoni. Psamatticus was a famous
+fellow, in his time: he was the founder of the kingdom of Egypt; and,
+after a siege of nearly three times the length of that at Troy, he
+captured the city of Azotus. The flight of the house of our lady of
+Loretto from Jerusalem, in a single night, would have seemed less
+miraculous to the Egyptians, than the transportation of the sarcophagus of
+Psamatticus, by a travelling gentleman, from Egypt to London. So it fell
+out, nevertheless. Belzoni penetrated into one of the pyramids of Ghizeh;
+he obtained free access to the tombs of the Egyptian kings, at
+Beban-el-Malook; and brought to England the sarcophagus of Psamatticus,
+exquisitely wrought of the finest Oriental alabaster. Verily kings have a
+slender chance, between the worms and the lovers of _vertu_. "Here lie the
+remains of G. Belzoni"--these brief words mark the grave of Belzoni
+himself, at Gato, near Benin in Africa, where he died, in December, 1823,
+safer in his traveller's robes, than if surrounded with aught to tempt the
+hand of avarice or curiosity. The best account of the Egyptian catacombs
+may be found in Belzoni's narrative, published in 1820.
+
+The catacombs of Italy are vast caverns, in the via Appia, about three
+miles from Rome. They were supposed to be the sepulchres of martyrs, and
+have furnished more capital to priestcraft, for the traffic in relics,
+than would have accrued, for the purposes of agriculture, to the fortunate
+discoverer of a whole island of guano. The common opinion is, that they
+were heathen sepulchres--the _puticuli_ of the ancients. The catacombs of
+Naples, according to Bishop Burnet, are more magnificent than those of
+Rome. Catacombs have been found in Syracuse and Catanea, in Sicily, and in
+Malta.
+
+Jahn, in his Archaeologia, sec. 206, speaks of extensive sepulchres, among
+the Hebrews, otherwise called the _everlasting houses_; a term of peculiar
+inapplicability, if we may judge from Maundrell's account of the shattered
+and untenantable state, in which they are found. They are all located
+beyond the cities and villages, to which they belong, that is, beyond
+their more inhabited parts. The sepulchres of the Hebrew kings were upon
+Mount Zion. Extensive caverns, natural or artificial, were the common
+burying-places or catacombs. Gardens and the shade of spreading trees were
+preferred, by some; these are objectionable, on the ground, suggested in a
+former number: to alienate the estate and leave the dead, without the
+right of removal, reserved, is, virtually, a transfer of one's
+ancestors--and to remove them may be unpleasant. For this contingency the
+Greeks and Romans provided, by reducing them to such a portable compass,
+that a man might carry his grandfather in a quart bottle, and ten
+generations, in the right line, in a wheelbarrow. Numerous catacombs are
+to be found in Syria and Palestine. The most beautiful are on the north
+part of Jerusalem. The entrance into these was down many steps. Some of
+them consisted of seven apartments, with niches in the walls, for the
+reception of the dead.
+
+Maundrell, in his travels, page 76, writing of the "grots," as they were
+styled, which have been considered the sepulchres of kings, denies that
+any of the kings of Israel or Judah were buried there. He describes these
+catacombs, as having necessarily cost an immense amount of money and
+labor. The approach is through the solid rock, into an area forty paces
+wide, cut down square, with exquisite precision, out of the solid mass. On
+the south is a portico, nine paces long, and four broad, also cut from the
+solid rock. This has an architrave, sculptured in the stone, of fruits and
+flowers, running along its front. At the end of the portico, on the left,
+you descend into the passage to the sepulchres. After creeping through
+stones and rubbish, Maundrell arrived at a large room, seven or eight
+yards square, cut also from the natural rock. His words are these:--"Its
+sides and ceiling are so exactly square, and its angles so just, that no
+architect, with levels and plummets, could build a room more regular."
+From this room you pass into six more, of the same fabric; the two
+innermost being deepest. All these apartments, excepting the first, are
+filled around with stone coffins. They had been covered with handsome
+lids, and carved with garlands; but, at the period of this visit, the
+covers were mostly broken to pieces, by sacrilegious hands. Here is a
+specimen of the "everlasting houses," and a solemn satire upon the best of
+all human efforts--impotent and vain--to perpetuate that, which God
+Almighty has destined to perish. But of this I shall have more to say,
+when I come to sum up; and endeavor, from these dry bones, to extract such
+wisdom as I can, touching the best mode, in which the living may dispose
+of the dead, whose _memories_ they are bound to embalm, and whose _bodies_
+are entitled to a decent burial.
+
+The catacombs of the Hottentots are the wildest clefts and caverns of
+their mountains. The Greenlanders, after wrapping the dead, in the skins
+of wild animals, bear them to some far distant Golgotha. In Siberia and
+Kamtschatka, they are deposited in remote caverns, with mantles of snow,
+for their winding sheets. It is the valued privilege of the civilized and
+refined to snuff up corruption, and swear it is a rose--to bury their
+dead, in the very midst of the living--in the very tenements, in which
+they breathe, the larger part of every seventh day--in the vaults of
+churches, into which the mourners are expected to descend, and poke their
+noses into the tombs, to prove the full measure of their respect for the
+defunct. But the tombs are faithfully sealed; and, when again opened,
+after several months, perhaps, the olfactory nerves are not absolutely
+staggered--possibly a dull smeller may honestly aver, that he perceives
+nothing--what then? The work of corruption has gone forward--the gases
+have escaped--how and whither? Subtle as the lightning, they have
+percolated, through the meshes of brick and mortar; and the passages or
+gashes, purposely left open in the walls, have given them free egress to
+the outward air.
+
+Very probably neither the eye nor the nose gave notice of their escape.
+Doubtless, it was gradual. The yellow fever, I believe, has never been
+seen nor smelt, during its most terrible ravages. I do remember--not an
+apothecary--but a greenhorn, who, in 1795, heard old Dr. Lloyd say the
+yellow fever was in the air, and who went upon the house top, next morning
+early, to look for it--but he saw it not; and, ever after, said he did not
+think much of Dr. Lloyd. I have something more to say of burials under
+churches, and in the midst of a dense population.
+
+
+
+
+No. XI.
+
+
+A few more words on the subject of burying the dead under churches, and in
+the midst of a dense population. If men would adopt the language of the
+prologue to Addison's Cato--"_dare to have sense yourselves_"--the folly
+and madness of this practice would be sufficiently apparent. Upon some
+simple subjects, one grain of common sense is better, than any quantity of
+the uncommon kind. But it is hard to make men think so. They prefer
+walking by faith--they must consult the savans--the doctors. Now I think
+very well of a good, old-fashioned doctor--one doctor I mean--but, when
+they get to be gregarious, my observation tells me, no good can possibly
+come of it. At post mortems, and upon other occasions, I have, in my
+vocation, seen them assembled, by half dozens and dozens, and I have come
+to the conclusion, that no body of men ever look half so wise, or feel
+half so foolish.
+
+Some of the faculty were consulted, in this city, about thirty years ago,
+upon the question of burying under churches; and, on the strength of the
+opinion given, a large church, not then finished, was provided with tombs,
+and the dead have been buried therein, ever since. Now I think the public
+good would have been advanced, had those doctors set their faces against
+the selfish proposition. That it is a nuisance, I entertain not the
+slightest doubt. The practice of burying in their own houses, among the
+ancients, gave place to burying without the city, or to cremation. The
+unhealthiness, consequent upon such congregations of the dead, was
+experienced at Rome. The inconvenience was so severely felt, in a certain
+quarter, that Augustus gave a large part of one of the cemeteries to
+Maecenas, who so completely purified it, and changed its character, that it
+became one of the healthiest sites in Rome, and there he built a splendid
+villa, to which Augustus frequently resorted, for fresh air and repose.
+Horace alludes to this transformation, Sat. 8, lib. 1, v. 10, and the
+passage reminds one of the change, which occurred in Philadelphia, when
+the Potter's field was beautifully planted, and transformed into
+Washington Square.
+
+  Hoc miserae plebi stabat commune sepulchrum,
+  Pantolabo scurrae; Nomentanoque nepoti.
+  Mille pedes in fronte, trecentos cippus in agrum
+  Hic dabat, heredes monumentum ne sequeretur.
+  Nunc licet Esquiliis habitare salubribus, atque
+  Aggere in apprico spatiari, qua modo tristes
+  Albis informem spectabant ossibus agrum.
+
+Millingen, in his work on Medical jurisprudence, page 54, remarks--"From
+time immemorial medical men have pointed out to municipal authorities the
+dangers, that arise from burying the dead, within the precincts of cities,
+or populous towns."
+
+The early Christians buried their martyrs, and afterwards eminent
+citizens, in their temples. Theodosius, in his celebrated code, forbade
+the practice, because of the infectious diseases.
+
+Theodolphus, the Bishop of Orleans, complained to Charlemagne, that vanity
+and the love of lucre had turned churches into charnel houses, disgraceful
+to the church, and dangerous to man.
+
+Cuthbert, Archbishop of Canterbury, first sanctioned the use of churches,
+for charnel houses, in 758--though Augustine had previously forbidden the
+practice. As Sterne said, in another connection, "they manage these
+matters much better, in France;" there Maret, in 1773, and Vicq d'Azyr, in
+1778, pointed out the terrible consequences, so effectually, that none,
+but dignitaries, were suffered to be buried in churches. In 1804,
+inhumation, in the cities of France, was wholly forbidden, without any
+exception. The arguments produced, at that time, are not uninteresting, at
+this, or any other. In Saulien, about 140 miles from Paris, in the year
+1773, the corpse of a corpulent person was buried, March 3, under the
+church of St Saturnin. April 20, following, a woman was buried near it.
+Both had died of a prevailing fever, which had nearly passed away. At the
+last interment a foul odor filled the church, and out of 170 persons
+present, 149 were attacked with the disease. In 1774 at Nantes, several
+coffins were removed, to make room for a person of note; and fifteen of
+the bystanders died of the emanation, shortly after. In the same year, one
+third of the inhabitants of Lectouse died of malignant fever, which
+appeared, immediately after the removal of the dead from a burial-ground,
+to give place to a public structure.
+
+The public mind is getting to be deeply impressed, upon this subject.
+Cities, and the larger towns are, in many instances, building homes for
+the dead, beyond the busy haunts of the living. The city of London has,
+until within a few years, been backward, in this sanatory movement. At
+present, however, there are six public cemeteries, in the suburbs of that
+city, of no inconsiderable area: the Kensall Green Cemetery, established
+by act 2 and 3 of William IV., in 1832, containing 53 acres--the South
+Metropolitan, by act 6 and 7 William IV., 1836, containing 40 acres--the
+Highgate and Kentish Town, by act 7 and 8 William IV., containing 22
+acres--the Abney Park, at Stoke Newington, containing 30 acres, 1840--the
+Westminster, at Earlscourt, Kensington road, 1840--and the Nunhead,
+containing 40 acres, 1840. Paris has its beautiful Pere La Chaise,
+covering the site of the house and extensive grounds, once belonging to
+the Jesuit of that name, the confessor of Louis XIV., who died in 1709.
+New York has its Greenwood; Philadelphia its Laurel Hill; Albany its Rural
+Cemetery; Baltimore its Green Mount; Rochester its Mount Hope; we our
+Mount Auburn; and our neighboring city of Roxbury has already
+selected--and well selected--a local habitation for the dead, and wants
+nothing but a name, which will not long be wanting, nor a graceful
+arrangement of the grounds, from the hands of one, to whom Mount Auburn is
+indebted, for so much of all that is admirable there. I shall rejoice, if
+the governors of this cemetery should decree, that no _tomb_ should ever
+be erected therein--but that the dead should be laid in their _graves_.
+
+My experience has supplied me with good and sufficient reasons--one
+thousand and one--against the employment of tombs, some of which reasons I
+may hereafter produce, though the honor of our craft may constrain me to
+keep silence, in regard to others. Some very bitter family squabbles have
+arisen, about tombs. Two deacons, who were half brothers, had a serious
+and lasting dispute, respecting a family tomb. They became almost furious;
+one of them solemnly protesting, that he would never consent to be buried
+there, while he had his reason, and the other declaring, that he would
+never be put into that tomb, while God spared his life. This, however, is
+not one of those one thousand and one reasons, against tombs.
+
+
+
+
+No. XII.
+
+
+The origin of the catacombs of Paris is very interesting, and not known to
+many. The stone, of which the ancient buildings of Paris were constructed,
+was procured from quarries, on the banks of the river Bieore. No system
+had been adopted in the excavation; and, for hundreds of years, the
+material had been withdrawn, until the danger became manifest. There was a
+vague impression, that these quarries extended under a large part of the
+city. In 1774 the notice of the authorities was called to some accidents,
+connected with the subject. The quarries were then carefully examined, by
+skilful engineers; and the startling fact clearly established, that the
+southern parts of Paris were actually undermined, and in danger of
+destruction. In 1777 a special commission was appointed, to direct such
+works, as might be necessary. On the very day of its appointment, the
+necessity became manifest--a house, in the Rue d'Enfer, sunk ninety-two
+feet. The alarm--the fear of a sudden engulphment--was terrible.
+Operatives were set at work, to prop the streets, roads, palaces, and
+churches. The supports, left by the quarriers, without any method or
+judgment, were insufficient--in some instances, they had given way, and
+the roof had settled. Great fear was felt for the aqueduct of Arcueil,
+which supplied the fountains of Paris, and which passed over this ground,
+for it had already suffered some severe shocks; and it was apprehended,
+not simply that the fountains would be cut off, but that the torrent would
+pour itself into these immense caverns. And now the reader will inquire,
+what relation has this statement to the catacombs? Let us reply.
+
+For hundreds of years, Paris had but one place of interment, the Cemetery
+des Innocens. This was once a part of the royal domains; it lay without
+the walls of Paris; and was given, by one of the earlier kings, to the
+citizens, for a burying-place. It is well known, that this gift to the
+people was intended to prevent the continuance of the practice, then
+common in Paris, of burying the dead, in cellars, courts, gardens,
+streets, and public fields, within the city proper. In 1186 this cemetery
+was surrounded with a high wall, by Philip Augustus, the forty second king
+of France. It was soon found insufficient for its purpose; and, in 1218,
+it was enlarged, by Pierre de Nemours, Bishop of Paris. Generation after
+generation was deposited there, stratum super stratum, until the
+surrounding parishes, in the fifteenth century, began to complain of the
+evil, as an insufferable nuisance. Such a colossal mass of putrescence
+produced discomfort and disease. Hichnesse speaks of several holes about
+Paris, of great size and depth, in which dead bodies were deposited, and
+left uncovered, till one tier was filled, and then covered with a layer of
+earth, and so on, to the top. He says these holes were cleared, once in
+thirty or forty years, and the bones deposited, in what was called "_le
+grand charnier des Innocens_;" this was an arched gallery, surrounding the
+great cemetery.
+
+With what affectionate respect we cherish the venerated name of Francois
+Pontraci! _Magnum et venerabile nomen!_ He was the last--the last of the
+grave-diggers of _le grand charnier des Innocens_! In the days of my
+novitiate, I believed in the mathematical dictum, which teaches, that two
+things cannot occupy the same place, at the same time. But that dictum
+appears incredible, while contemplating the operations of Pontraci. He was
+a most accomplished stevedore in his department--the Napoleon of the
+charnel house, the very king of spades. All difficulties vanished, before
+his magic power. Nothing roused his indignation so much, as the
+suggestion, that a cemetery was _full_--_c'est impossible!_ was his
+eternal reply. To use the terms of another of the fine arts, the touch of
+Pontraci was irresistible--his _handling_ masterly--his _grouping_
+unsurpassed--and his _fore-shortening_ altogether his own. _Condense!_
+that word alone explained the mystery of his great success. Knapsacks are
+often thrown aside, _en route_, in the execution of rapid movements. In
+the grand march of death, Pontraci considered coffins an encumbrance.
+Those wooden surtouts he thought well enough for parade, but worse than
+useless, on a march. He had a poor opinion of an artist, who could not
+find room, for twenty citizens, heads and heels, in one common grave.
+Madame Pontraci now and then complained, that the fuel communicated a
+problematical flavor to the meat, while roasting--"_c'est odeur, qui a
+rapport a une profession particuliere, madame_," was the reply of
+Pontraci. The register, kept by this eminent man, shows, that, in thirty
+years, he had deposited, in this cemetery, ninety thousand bodies. It was
+calculated, that twelve hundred thousand had been buried there, since the
+time of Philip Augustus. In 1805, the Archbishop of Paris, under a resolve
+of the Council of State, issued a decree, that the great cemetery should
+be suppressed and evacuated. It was resolved to convert it into a market
+place. The happy thought of converting the quarries into catacombs
+fortunately occurred, at that period, to M. Lenoie, lieutenant general of
+police. Thus a receptacle was, at once, provided for the immense mass of
+human remains, to be removed from the Cemetery des Innocens. A portion of
+the quarries, lying under the _Plaine de Mont Souris_, was assigned, for
+this purpose. A house was purchased with the ground adjoining, on the old
+road to Orleans. It had, at one time, belonged to Isouard, a robber, who
+had infested that neighborhood. A flight of seventy-seven steps was made,
+from the house down into the quarries; and a well sunk to the bottom, down
+which the bones were to be thrown. Workmen were employed, in constructing
+pillars to sustain the roof, and in walling round the part, designed for
+_le charnier_. The catacombs were then consecrated, with all imaginable
+pomp.
+
+In the meantime, the vast work of removing the remains went forward, night
+and day, suspended, only, when the hot weather rendered it unsafe to
+proceed. The nocturnal scenes were very impressive. A strange
+resurrection, to be sure! Bonfires burnt brightly amid the gloom. Torches
+threw an unearthly glare around, and illuminated these dealings with the
+dead. The operatives, moving about in silence, bearing broken crosses, and
+coffins, and the bones of the long buried, resembled the agents of an
+infernal master. All concerned had been publicly admonished, to reclaim
+the crosses, tombstones, and monuments of their respective dead. Such, as
+were not reclaimed, were placed in the field, belonging to the house of
+Isouard. Many leaden coffins were buried there, one containing the remains
+of Madame de Pompadour. During _the_ revolution, the house and grounds of
+Isouard were sold as national domain, the coffins melted, and the
+monuments destroyed. The catacombs received the dead from other
+cemeteries; and those, who fell, in periods of commotion, were cast there.
+When convents were suppressed, the dead, found therein, were transferred
+to this vast omnibus.
+
+During the revolution, the works were neglected--the soil fell in; water
+found its way to the interior; the roof began to crumble; and the bones
+lay, in immense heaps, mixed with the rubbish, and impeding the way. And
+there, for the present, we shall leave them, intending to resume this
+account of the catacombs of Paris, in a future number.
+
+
+
+
+No. XIII.
+
+
+In 1810, the disgusting confusion, in the catacombs of Paris, was so much
+a subject of indignant remark, that orders were issued to put things in
+better condition. A plan was adopted, for piling up the bones. In some
+places, these bones were thirty yards in thickness; and it became
+necessary to cut galleries through the masses, to effect the object
+proposed.
+
+There were two entrances to the catacombs--one near the barrier d'Enfer,
+for visitors--the other, near the old road to Orleans, for the workmen.
+The staircase consisted of ninety steps, which, after several windings,
+conducted to the western gallery, from which others branched off, in
+different directions. A long gallery, extending beneath the aqueduct of
+Arcueil, leads to the gallery of Port Mahon, as it is called. About a
+hundred yards from this gallery, the visitor comes again to the passage to
+the catacombs; and, after walking one hundred yards further, he arrives at
+the vestibule, which is of an octagonal form. This vestibule opens into a
+long gallery, lined with bones, from top to bottom. The arm, leg, and
+thigh bones are in front, compactly and regularly piled together. The
+monotony of all this is tastefully relieved, by three rows of skulls, at
+equal distances, and the smaller bones are stowed behind. How very French!
+This gallery leads to other apartments, lined with bones, variously and
+fancifully arranged. In these rooms are imitation vases and altars,
+constructed of bones, and surmounted with skulls, fantastically arranged.
+This really seems to be the work of some hybrid animal--a cross, perhaps,
+between the Frenchman and the monkey.
+
+These crypts, as they are called, are designated by names, strangely
+dissimilar. There is the Crypte de Job, and the Crypte d'Anacreon--the
+Crypte de La Fontaine, and the Crypte d'Ezekiel--the Crypte d'Hervey, and
+the Crypte de Rousseau. An album, kept here, is filled with mawkish
+sentimentality, impertinent witticism, religious fervor, and infidel
+bravado.
+
+The calculations vary, as to the number of bodies, whose bones are
+collected here. At the lowest estimate, the catacombs are admitted to
+contain the remains of three millions of human beings.
+
+While contemplating the fantastical disposition of these human relics, one
+recalls the words of Sir Thomas Browne, in his Hydriotaphia--"Antiquity
+held too light thoughts from objects of mortality, while some drew
+provocatives of mirth from anatomies, and jugglers showed tricks with
+skeletons."
+
+Here then, like "_broken tea-cups, wisely kept for show_," are the broken
+skeletons of more than three millions of human beings, paraded for public
+exhibition! Most of them, doubtless, received Christian burial, and were
+followed to their graves, and interred, with more or less of the forms and
+ceremonies of the Catholic church, and deposited in the earth, there to
+repose in peace, till the resurrection! How applicable here the language
+of the learned man, whom we just quoted--"When the funeral pyre was out,
+and the last valediction over, men took a lasting adieu of their interred
+friends, little expecting the curiosity of future ages should comment upon
+their ashes; and having no old experience of the duration of their relics,
+held no opinion of such after-considerations. But who knows the fate of
+his bones, or how often he is to be buried! Who hath the oracle of his
+ashes, or whither they are to be scattered?" How little did the gay and
+guilty Jeane Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, imagine this rude
+handling of her mortal remains! She was buried in the Cemetery des
+Innocens, in 1764--and shared the common exhumation and removal in 1805.
+
+It seems to have been the desire of mankind, in every age and nation, to
+repose in peace, after death. In conformity with this desire, the
+cemeteries of civilized nations, the morais of the Polynesian isles, and
+the cities of the dead, throughout the world, have been, from time
+immemorial, consecrated and tabooed. So deep and profound has been the
+sentiment of respect, for the feelings of individuals, upon this subject,
+that great public improvements have been abandoned, rather than give
+offence to a single citizen.
+
+Near forty years ago, a meeting was held in Faneuil Hall, to consider a
+proposition for some change, in the Granary burying-ground, which
+proposition, was rejected, by acclamation. During the Mayoralty, of the
+elder Mr. Quincy, it was the wish of very many to continue the mall,
+through the burial-ground, in the Common. The consent of all, but two or
+three, was obtained. They were offered new tombs, and the removal of their
+deceased relatives, under their own supervision, at the charge of the
+city. These two or three still objected, and this great public improvement
+was abandoned; and with manifest propriety. The basis of this sentiment is
+a deep laid and tender respect for the ashes of the dead, and an earnest
+desire, that they may rest, undisturbed, till the resurrection; and this
+is the very last thing, which is likely to befall the tenant of a TOMB;
+for the owner--and tombs, like other tenements, will change owners--in the
+common phraseology of leases, has a right to enter, "to view, and expel
+the lessee"--if no survivor is at hand to prevent, and the new proprietor
+has other tenants, whom he prefers for the dark and gloomy mansion. And
+they, in process of time, shall be served, in a similar manner, by
+another generation. This is no exception; it is the general rule, the
+common course of dealing with the dead. A tomb, containing the remains of
+several generations, may become, by marriage, the property of a stranger.
+His wife dies. He marries anew. New connections beget new interests. The
+tomb is _useless_, to him, because it is _full_. A general clearance is
+decreed. A hole is dug in the bottom of the tomb; the coffins, with an
+honorable exception, in respect to his late beloved, are broken to pieces;
+and the remains cast into the pit, and covered up. The tablet, overhead,
+perpetuates the lie--"Sacred to the memory," &c. However, the tomb is
+white-washed, and swept out, and a nice place he has made of it! All this,
+have I seen, again and again.
+
+When a tomb is opened, for a new interment, dilapidated coffins are often
+found lying about, and bones, mud, and water, on the bottom. We always
+make the best of it, and stow matters away, as decently as we can. We are
+often blamed for time's slovenly work. Grossman said, that a young
+spendthrift, who really cared for nothing but his pleasures, was, upon
+such an occasion, seized with a sudden fit of reverence for his great
+grandfather, and threatened to shoot Grossman, unless he produced him,
+immediately. He was finally pacified by a plain statement, and an
+exhibition of the old gentleman's bones behind the other coffins. We could
+not be looked upon, more suspiciously, by certain inconsiderate persons,
+if we were the very worms that did the mischief. As a class, we are as
+honorable as any other. There are bad men, in every calling. There is no
+crime, in the decalogue, or out of it, which has not been committed, by
+some apostle, in holy orders. Doctors and even apothecaries are,
+occasionally, scoundrels. And, in a very old book, now entirely out of
+print, I have read, that there was, in the olden time, a lawyer, _rara
+avis_, who was suspected of not adhering, upon all occasions, to the
+precise truth. Tombs are nuisances. I will tell you why.
+
+
+
+
+No. XIV.
+
+
+Tombs are obviously more liable to invasion, with and without assistance,
+from the undertaker and his subalterns, than graves. There may be a few
+exceptions, where the sexton does not cooperate. If a grave be dug, in a
+suitable soil, of a proper depth, which is some feet lower than the usual
+measure, the body will, in all probability, remain undisturbed, for ages,
+and until corruption and the worm shall have done their work, upon flesh
+and blood, and decomposition is complete. An intelligent sexton, who keeps
+an accurate chart of his diggings, will eschew that spot. On the other
+hand, every coffin is exposed to view, when a tomb is opened for a new
+comer. On such occasions, we have, sometimes, full employment, in driving
+away idlers, who gather to the spot, to gratify a sickly curiosity, or to
+steal whatever may be available, however "sacred to the memory," &c. The
+tomb is left open, for many hours, and, not unfrequently, over night, the
+mouth perhaps slightly closed, but not secured against intruders. During
+such intervals, the dead are far less protected from insult, and the
+espionage of idle curiosity, than the contents of an ordinary toy-shop, by
+day or night. Fifty years ago, curiosity led me to walk down into a vault,
+thus left exposed. No person was near. I lifted the lid of a coffin--the
+bones had nearly all crumbled to pieces--the skull remained entire--I took
+it out, and, covering it with my handkerchief, carried it home. I have, at
+this moment, a clear recollection of the horror, produced in the mind of
+our old family nurse, by the exhibition of the skull, and my account of
+the manner, in which I obtained it. "What an awful thing it would be," the
+dear, good soul exclaimed, "if the resurrection should come this very
+night, and the poor man should find his skull gone!" My mother was
+informed; and I was ordered to take it back immediately: it was then dark;
+and when I arrived at the tomb, in company with our old negro, Hannibal,
+to whom the office was in no wise agreeable, the vault was closed. I
+deposited the skull on the tomb, and walked home in double quick time,
+with my head over my shoulder, the whole way. I relate this occurrence, to
+show how motiveless such trespasses may be.
+
+There is a morbid desire, especially in women, which is rather difficult
+of analysis, to descend into the damp and dreary tomb--to lift the coffin
+lid--and look upon the changing, softening, corrupting features of a
+parent or child--to gaze upon the mouldering bones; and thus to gather
+materials, for fearful thoughts, and painful conversations, and frightful
+dreams!
+
+A lady lost her child. It died of a disease, not perfectly intelligible to
+the doctor, who desired a post mortem examination, which the mother
+declined. He urged. She peremptorily refused. The child was buried in the
+Granary ground. A few months after, another member of the same family was
+buried in the same vault. The mother, notwithstanding the remonstrances of
+her husband, descended, to look upon the remains of her only daughter;
+and, after a careful search, returned, in the condition of Rachel, who
+would not be comforted, because it was not. In a twofold sense, it was
+_not_. The coffin and its contents had been removed. The inference was
+irresistible. The distress was very great, and fresh, upon the slightest
+allusion, to the end of life. Cases of premature sepulture are, doubtless,
+extremely rare. That such, however, have sometimes occurred, no doubt has
+been left upon the mind, upon the opening of tombs. These are a few only
+of many matters, which are destined, from time to time, to be brought to
+light, upon the opening of _tombs_, and which are not likely to disturb
+the feelings of those whose deceased relatives and friends are committed
+to well-made _graves_. On all these occasions, ignorance is bliss.
+
+Tombs, not only such as are constructed under churches, but in common
+cemeteries, are frequently highly offensive, on the score of emanation.
+They are liable to be opened, for the admission of the dead, at all times;
+and, of course, when the worms are riotous, and corruption is rankest, and
+the pungent gases are eminently dangerous, and disgusting. Even when
+closed, the intelligible odor, arising from the dissolving processes,
+which are going on within, is more than living flesh and blood can well
+endure. Again and again, visitors at Mount Auburn have been annoyed, by
+this effluvium from the tombs. By the universal adoption of well-made
+graves, this also may be entirely avoided.
+
+When a family becomes, or is supposed to be, extinct, or has quitted the
+country, their dead kindred are usually permitted to lie in peace, in
+their _graves_. It is not always thus, if they have had the misfortune to
+be buried in _tombs_. To cast forth a dead tenant, from a solitary
+_grave_, that room might be found for a new comer, would scarcely be
+thought of; but the temptation to seize five or six _tombs_, at once, for
+town's account, on the pretext, that they were the tombs of extinct
+families, has, once, at least, proved irresistible, and led to an outrage,
+so gross and revolting, in this Commonwealth, that the whole history of
+cemeteries in our country cannot produce a parallel. In April, 1835, the
+board of health, in a town of this Commonwealth, gave notice, in a
+_single_ paper, that certain tombs were dilapidated; that no
+representative of former owners could be found; and that, if not claimed
+and repaired, within sixty days, those tombs would be sold, to pay
+expenses, &c. In fulfilment of this notice, in September following, the
+entire contents of five tombs were broken to pieces, and shovelled out. In
+one of these tombs there were thirty coffins, the greater part of which
+were so sound, as to be split with an axe. A portion of the silver plate,
+stolen by the operatives employed by the board of health, was afterwards
+recovered, bearing date, as recently as 1819. The board of health then
+advertised these tombs for sale, in _two_ newspapers. Nothing of these
+brutal proceedings was known to the relatives, until the deed of barbarity
+was done. Now it can scarcely be credited, that, in that very town, a few
+miles from it, and in this city, there were then living numerous
+descendants, and relatives of those, whose tombs had thus been violated.
+Some of the dead, thus insulted, had been the greatest benefactors of that
+town, so much so, that a narrative of their donations has been published,
+in pamphlet form. Among the direct descendants were some of the oldest and
+most distinguished families of this city, whose feelings were severely
+tried by this outrage. The ashes of the dead are common property. The
+whole community bestirs itself in their defence. The public indignation
+brought those stupid and ignorant officials to confession and atonement,
+if not to repentance. They passed votes of regret; replaced the ashes in
+proper receptacles within the tombs; and put them in order, at the public
+charge. A meagre and miserable atonement, for an injury of this peculiar
+nature; and, though gracelessly accorded,--extorted by the stringency of
+public sentiment, and the fear of legal process,--yet, on the whole, the
+only satisfaction, for a wrong of this revolting and peculiar character.
+The insecurity of tombs is sufficiently apparent. An empty tomb may be
+attached by creditors; but, by statute of Mass., 1822, chap. 93, sec. 8,
+it cannot be, while in use, as a cemetery. But no law, of man or nature,
+can prevent the disgusting effects, and mortifying casualties, and
+misconstructions of power, which have arisen, and will forever continue to
+arise, from the miserable practice of burying the dead, in _tombs_.
+
+
+
+
+No. XV.
+
+
+There is, doubtless, something not altogether agreeable, in the thought of
+being buried alive. Testamentary injunctions are not uncommon, for the
+prevention of such a calamity. As far, as my long experience goes, the
+percentage is exceedingly small. About twenty-five years ago, some old
+woman was certain, that a person, lately buried, was not exactly dead. She
+gave utterance to this certainty--there was no _evidence_, and ample room
+therefore for _faith_. The defunct had a little property--it was a clear
+case, of course--his relatives had buried him alive, to get possession! A
+mob gathered, in King's Chapel yard; and, to appease their righteous
+indignation, the grave was opened, the body exposed, doctors examined, and
+the mob was respectfully assured, that the man was dead--dead as a door
+nail. A proposition to bury the old woman, in revenge, was rejected
+immediately. But she did not give up the point--they never do. She
+admitted, that the party was dead, but persisted, that his death was
+caused, by being buried alive.
+
+Some are, doubtless, still living, who remember the affair in the Granary
+yard. Groans had been heard there, at night. Some person had been buried
+alive, beyond all doubt. A committee was appointed to visit the spot. Upon
+drawing near, subdued laughter and the sounds of vulgar merriment arose,
+from one of the tombs--a light was seen glimmering from below--the strong
+odor, not of corruption, but of mutton chops, filled the air. Some
+vagabonds had cleared the tomb, and taken possession, and, with broken
+coffins for fuel, had found an appetite, among the dead. The occupation of
+tombs, by the outcasts of society, was common, long before the Christian
+era.
+
+That the living have been buried, unintentionally, now and then, is
+undoubtedly true. Such has probably been the case, sometimes, under
+catalepsy or trance, the common duration of which is from a few hours, to
+two or three days; but of which Bonet, _Medic., Septentrion, lib. 1, sec.
+16, chap. 6_, gives an example, which lasted twenty days. Bodies have been
+found, says Millingen, in his Curiosities of Medical Experience, page 63,
+where the miserable victims have devoured the flesh of their arms; and he
+cites John Scott and the Emperor Zeno, as examples. Plato recites the case
+of a warrior, who was left ten days, as dead, upon the field of battle,
+and came to life, on his way to the sepulchre. In Chalmers' Memoir of the
+Abbe Prevot, it is related, that he was found, by a peasant, having fallen
+in an apoplectic fit. The body was cold, and carried to a surgeon, who
+proceeded to open it. During the process, the Abbe revived, only, however,
+to die of the wound, inflicted by the operator.
+
+The danger of burying alive has been noticed by Pineau, _Sur le danger des
+Inhumations precipitees, Paris, 1776_. Dr. John Mason Good, vol. 4, page
+613, remarks, that catalepsy has been mistaken for real death; and, in
+countries where burial takes place speedily, it is much to be feared,
+that, in a few instances, the patient has been buried alive. A case of
+asphyxy, of a singular kind, is stated, by Mr. Pew, and recited by Dr.
+Good, of a female, whose interment was postponed, for a post mortem
+examination--most fortunately--for the first touch of the scalpel brought
+her to life. Diemerbroeck, _Tractat de Peste_, _Lib. 4, Hist. 8_, relates
+the case of a rustic, who was laid out for interment. Three days passed
+before the funeral. He was supposed to have died of the plague. When in
+the act of being buried, he showed signs of life, recovered, and lived
+many years. Dr. Good observes, that a critical examination of the region
+of the heart, and a clear mirror, applied to the mouth and nostrils, will
+commonly settle the question of life or death; but that even these signs
+will sometimes fail. What then shall be done? Matthaeus Hildanus and
+others, who give many stories of this kind, say--wait for the infallible
+signs of putrefaction. It may be absurd to wait too long; it is indecorous
+to inhume too soon.
+
+The case, recited by Mr. Pew, reminds me of Pliny's account of persons who
+came to life, on the funeral pile. "Aviola in rogo revixit: et, quoniam
+subveniri non potuerat, praevalente flamma, vivus crematus est. Similis
+causa in L. Lamia, praetorio viro, traditur."--Lib. 7, sec. 53.
+
+Old Grossman's stories, in this connection, were curious enough. He gave a
+remarkable account of a good old deacon, who had a scolding wife. She fell
+sick and died, as was supposed, and was put in her coffin, and screwed
+down, and lifted. Everything, as Grossman said, went on very pleasantly,
+till they began to descend into the tomb, when the sexton, at the foot,
+slipped, and the coffin went by the run, and struck violently against the
+wall of the tomb. One instant of awful silence was followed, by a shrill
+shriek from the corpse--"_Let me out--let me out!_" The poor old deacon
+wrung his hands, and looked, as Grossman expressed it, "real melancholy."
+The lid was unscrewed, as soon as possible, and the lady, less in sorrow,
+than in anger, insisted on immediate emancipation. All attempts to
+persuade her to be still, and go home as she came, for the decency of the
+thing, were unavailing. The top of the coffin was removed. The deacon
+offered to help her out. She refused his proffered hand; and, doubling her
+fist in his face, told him he was a monster, and should pay for it, and
+insisted on walking back, in her death clothes. About six months after,
+she died, in good earnest. "The poor deacon," said Grossman, "called us
+into a private room, and reminding us of the sad turn things took, last
+time, begged us to be careful; and told us, if all things went right, he
+would treat us at his store, the next day. He retailed spirit, as all the
+deacons did, being the very persons, pointed at, by the finger of the law,
+as men of sober lives and conversations."
+
+Grossman told another story. We could scarcely credit it. He offered to
+swear to it; but we begged he wouldn't. It was of a woman, who was a cider
+sot. Her husband had tried all sorts of preventive experiments, in vain.
+His patience was exhausted. He tapped a barrel, and let her drink her
+fill. She and the barrel gave out together. She was buried. The coldness
+of the tomb brought her to life. She felt around the narrow domicil, in
+which she lay. Her consciousness, that she was in her coffin, and that she
+had been buried, was clear enough; but her other impressions were rather
+cloudy. It never occurred to her, that she had been buried alive. She
+imagined herself, in another world, and, knocking, as hard as possible,
+against the lid and sides of her coffin, she exclaimed, "Good people of
+the upper world, if ye have got any good cider, do let us have a mug of
+it." Luckily, the mouth of the tomb had not been closed, and, when the
+sexton came to close it, he was scandalized, of course, to hear a thirsty
+corpse, crying for cider; but the woman was soon relieved from her
+predicament. The Mandans, whose custom of never burying their dead, I have
+alluded to, may possibly be influenced, by a consideration of this very
+contingency. In some places, bodies have been placed in a lighted room,
+near the charnel house, there to remain, till the signs of corruption
+could no longer be mistaken. The tops of the coffins being loose; and a
+bell so connected with the body, as to ring on the slightest movement.
+
+
+
+
+No. XVI.
+
+
+My profession is very dear to me; and nothing would gratify me more, than
+to see my brother artists restored to their original dignity. It is quite
+common to look upon a sexton, as a mere grave-digger, and upon his
+calling, as a cold, underground employment, divested of everything like
+sentiment or solemnity.
+
+In the olden time, the sexton bore the title of sacristan. He had charge
+of the sacristy, or vestry, and all the sacred vessels and vestments of
+the church. At funerals, his office corresponded with that of the Roman
+_dominus funeris_ or _designator_, referred to by Horace, Ep. i., 7,
+6--and by Cicero to Atticus, iv., 2. He was, in point of law, considered
+as having a freehold, in his office, and therefore he could not be
+deprived, by ecclesiastical censure. It was his duty to attend upon the
+rector, and to take no unimportant part, in all those inestimable forms,
+and ceremonies, and circumgyrations, and genuflections, which render the
+worship of the high church so exceedingly picturesque. The sexton of the
+Pope's chapel was selected, from the order of the hermits of St.
+Augustine, and was commonly a bishop. His title was _prefect of the Pope's
+sacristy_. When the Pope said mass, the sexton always tasted the bread and
+wine first. And, when the Pope was desperately sick, the sexton gave him
+extreme unction. I recite these facts, that the original dignity of our
+office may be understood.
+
+The employment of sextons has been rather singular, in some countries. M.
+Outhier states, that, when he visited the church of St. Clara, at
+Stockholm, he observed the sexton, during the sermon, with a long rod,
+waking those, who had fallen asleep.
+
+I fully believe, that the sextons of this city are all honorable men; and
+yet it cannot be denied, that the solemn occasion, upon which their
+services are required, is one, upon which, pride and sensibility forbid
+all higgling, on the part of the customer. However oppressively the charge
+of consigning a relative to the ground may bear, upon one of slender
+means, the tongue of complaint is effectually tied. The consciousness of
+this furnishes a strong temptation to imposition. The same desire to
+promote the public good, which induced Mr. Bentham to give his body for
+dissection, has led distinguished individuals, now and then, to prescribe
+simple and inexpensive obsequies, for themselves.
+
+Livy says, book 48, sec. 10, that Marcus Emilius Lepidus directed his sons
+to bury him without parade, and at a very small charge. As he was the
+Pontifex Maximus, possessed of wealth, and of a generous spirit, the
+promotion of the public good was the only motive. Cheating at funerals was
+as common at Athens, as at Rome. Demades, as Seneca relates, book 6, ch.
+33, _de beneficiis_, condemned an unprincipled Athenian sexton, for
+extortion, in furnishing out funerals. The friends and relatives are so
+busy with their sorrow, that they have neither time nor taste, for the
+examination of accounts, and, least of all, such as concern the obsequies
+of near friends. I was never more forcibly impressed with the truth, that,
+where the carcass is, there the vultures will be gathered together, than
+in the little island of St. Croix, during the winter of 1840. I was there
+with a friend, a clergyman, who visited that island, for the restoration
+of his wife's health. She died. Her remains were never buried there, but
+brought to this city, and here interred. In that island there is a
+tribunal, called the _Dealing Court_, analogous to the court of probate,
+or orphan's court, in this country. In less than forty-eight hours, a bill
+was presented, from this court, for "_dealing_" with the estate of the
+deceased. She had no estate; no act had been done. "True, but such is the
+custom of our island--such is the law of Denmark." After taking counsel,
+the bill was paid. The Danish Lutheran is the established religion of the
+island. The Episcopal lives, by sufferance. A few days after this lady's
+decease, a bill was presented, from the officers of the _Danish Lutheran_
+church, for granting permission to dig her grave, in the _Episcopal_
+ground. It was objected, that no permission had been asked, that no burial
+had been intended, that the body had been placed in spirits, for its
+removal to the United States. It was replied, "Such is the usage of the
+island; the permission is granted, and may be used or not; such is the law
+of Denmark."
+
+Shortly after this, a bill was presented, for digging the grave. It was in
+vain to protest, as before, and to assert, that no grave had been dug. The
+answer was the same; "the grave must be paid for; it will be dug or not,
+as you wish; such is the usage of the island; such is the law of Denmark."
+In due time, another demand was made, for carrying round invitations, and
+attendance upon the funeral. It was useless to say, that no invitations
+were sent--no funeral was had. "Such is the custom of the island; such is
+the law of Denmark." The reader, by this time, will be satisfied, that
+something is rotten in Denmark; this narrative appears so very improbable,
+that I deem it right to assure the reader the circumstances are stated
+faithfully, and that the clergyman referred to, is still living.
+
+In commending a respectable frugality, in our dealings with the dead, not
+only with regard to their obsequies, but in relation to sepulchral and
+monumental expenditure, I oppose the interest of our profession, and
+cannot be accused of any selfish motive. A chaste simplicity is due to the
+occasion; for surely no more illy chosen hour can be given to the
+gratification of pride, than that, in which the very pride of man is
+humbled in the dust. How often have my thoughts descended from the costly,
+sculptured obelisk, to the carnival of worms below!
+
+A well-set example of comely modesty, in these matters, would be
+productive of much advantage to the community. The man of common means, if
+he happen to be also a man of common sense, will not imitate the man of
+opulence, in the splendor of his equipage or furniture. But he will too
+readily enter into what he deems a righteous rivalry of funereal parade,
+and leave his debts unpaid, rather than abate one cubit, in the height of
+his monument, or obelisk. It is not now the custom to bury with the dead,
+or deposit with their ashes, as in urn burial, articles of use and value
+to the living. We have been taught, that those graves are the least likely
+to be violated, in which are deposited little else than mortal remains.
+But, in a certain sense, the dead can no longer be said to carry nothing
+with them. The silver and its workmanship alone, which are annually
+buried, furnish no inconsiderable item.
+
+The outer coffin of Nathan Meyer Rothschild "was of fine oak, and so
+handsomely carved and decorated with massive silver handles, at both sides
+and ends, that it appeared more like a cabinet, or splendid piece of
+furniture, than a receptacle of the dead. A raised tablet of oak, on the
+breast, was carved with the arms of the deceased." The arms of the
+deceased! Very edifying to the worms, those cunning operatives, who work
+so skilfully, in silence and darkness! The arms of the deceased! Matthew
+Prior had some shrewd notions of heraldry. He wrote his own epitaph--
+
+  Heralds and nobles, by your leave,
+    Here lie the bones of Matthew Prior;
+  The son of Adam and of Eve;
+    Let Bourbon and Nassau go higher.
+
+
+
+
+No. XVII.
+
+
+My attention has been called, by a young disciple of the great Pontraci,
+"a sexton of the new school," to an interesting anecdote, which I have
+heard related, in days by-gone, and which has, more than once, appeared in
+print. It is, by many, believed, that the remains of Major Pitcairn, which
+were supposed to have been sent home to England, are still in this
+country, and that those of Lieutenant Shea were transmitted, by mistake.
+Whether _he_ or _Shea_ will ever remain doubtful. Major Pitcairn was
+killed, as is well known, at the battle of Bunker's Hill. Shea died of
+inflammation on the brain. They were alike in size. On the top of the head
+of the body, selected by the sexton of Christ Church, as the remains of
+Major Pitcairn, it is stated, there was a blistering plaster; and, from
+this circumstance, the impression has arisen, that the monument in
+Westminster Abbey, however sacred to the memory of Pitcairn, stands over
+the remains of Lieutenant Shea. There is not more uncertainty, in relation
+to the remains of Major Pitcairn, than has existed, in regard to the
+individual, by whose hands he fell; though it is now agreed, that he was
+shot by a black soldier, named Salem. Fifty men, at the lowest estimate,
+have died in the faith, that they killed Pitcairn. He was a man of large
+stature, fearless, and ever in the van, as he is represented by Marshall,
+at the battle of Lexington.
+
+He was a palpable mark, for the muskets and rifles of the sharp-shooters.
+It is not improbable, that fifty barrels were levelled at his person, when
+he fell; and hence fifty claimants, for the merit of Pitcairn's
+destruction. Upon precisely similar grounds, rest the claims of Col.
+Johnson, for the killing of Tecumseh.
+
+When the flesh has gone and nothing but the bones remain, it is almost
+impossible, to recognize the remains of any particular individual, buried
+hastily, as the fallen commonly are, after a battle, in one common grave;
+unless we are directed, by certain external indicia. In April, 1815, I
+officiated at the funeral of Dr. John Warren, brother of the patriot and
+soldier, who fell so gloriously, at Bunker's Hill, and whose death was
+said, by the British General, Howe, to be an offset, for five hundred men.
+Dr. James Jackson delivered the eulogy, on Dr. John Warren, in King's
+Chapel. General Warren was buried in the trenches, where he so bravely
+fell; and, when disinterred, in 1776, for removal to Boston, the remains
+were identified, by an inspection of the teeth, upon which an operation
+had been performed, the evidence of which remained. This testimony was
+doubtless corroborated, by the mark of the bullet on his forehead; for he
+was not a man to be wounded in the back. "The bullet which terminated his
+life," says Mr. A. H. Everett in his memoir, "was taken from the body, by
+Mr. Savage, an officer in the Custom House, and was carried by him to
+England. Several years afterwards, it was given by him at London, to the
+Rev. Mr. Montague of Dedham, Massachusetts, and is now in possession of
+his family."
+
+These translations of the dead, from place to place, are full of
+uncertainty; and hence has arisen a marvellous and successful system of
+jugglery and priestcraft. The first translation of this kind, stated by
+Brady, in his Clavis, is that of Edward, king of the West Saxons. He was
+removed with great pomp from Wareham to the minster of Salisbury. Three
+years only had passed since his burial, and no error is imputed, in the
+relation. In the year 359, the Emperor Constantius was moved, by the
+spirit, to do something in this line; and he caused the remains of St.
+Andrew and St. Luke to be translated, from their original resting-places,
+to the temple of the twelve apostles, at Constantinople. Some little
+doubt might be supposed to hang over the question of identity, after such
+a lapse of years, in this latter case. From this eminent example, arose
+that eager search for the remains of saints, martyrs, and relics of
+various descriptions, which, for many centuries, filled the pockets of
+imposters, with gold, and the world, with idolatry. So great was the
+success of those, engaged in this lucrative employment, that John the
+Baptist became a perfect hydra. Heads of this great pioneer were
+discovered, in every direction. Some of the apostles were found, upon
+careful search, to be centipedes; and others to have had as many hands as
+Briareus. These monstrosities were too vast to be swallowed, without a
+miracle. Father John Freand, of Anecy, assured the faithful, that God was
+pleased to multiply these remains for their devotion. Consecration has
+been refused to churches, unprovided with relics. Their production
+therefore became indispensable. All the wines, produced in _Oporto_ and
+_Zeres de la Frontera_, furnish not a fourth part of the liquor, drunken,
+in London alone, under the names of Port and Sherry; and the bones of all
+the martyrs, were it possible to collect them, would not supply the
+occasions of the numerous churches, in Catholic countries. Misson says
+eleven holy lances are shown, in different places, for the true lance,
+that pierced the side of Christ.
+
+Many egregious sinners have undoubtedly been dug up, and their bones
+worshipped, as the relics of genuine saints. Though not precisely to our
+purpose, it may not be uninteresting to the reader, to contemplate a
+catalogue of some few of the relics, exhibited to the faithful, as they
+are enumerated, by Bayle, Butler, Misson, Brady and others;--the lance--a
+piece of the cross--one of Christ's nails--five thorns of the crown--St.
+Peter's chain--a piece of the manger--a tooth of John the Baptist--one of
+St. Anne's arms--the towel, with which Christ wiped the feet of the
+apostles--one of his teeth--his seamless coat--the hem of his garment,
+which cured the diseased woman--a tear, which he shed over Lazarus,
+preserved by an angel, who gave it, in a vial, to Mary Magdalene--a piece
+of St. John the Evangelist's gown--a piece of the table cloth, used at the
+last supper--a finger of St. Andrew--a finger of John the Baptist--a rib
+of our Lord--the thumb of St. Thomas--a lock of Mary Magdalene's hair--two
+handkerchiefs, bearing impressions of Christ's face; one sent by our Lord,
+as a present to Aquarus, prince of Edessa; and the other given by him, at
+the foot of the cross, to a holy woman, named Veronica--the hem of
+Joseph's garment--a feather of the Holy Ghost--a finger of the Holy
+Ghost--a feather of the angel Gabriel--the waterpots, used at the marriage
+in Galilee--Enoch's slippers--a vial of the sweat of St. Michael, at the
+time of his set-to with the Devil. This short list furnishes a meagre
+show-box of that immense mass of merchandise, which formed the staple of
+priestcraft. These pretended relics were not only procured, at vast
+expense, but were occasionally given, and received, as collateral security
+for debts. Baldwin II. sent the point of the holy lance to Venice, as a
+pledge for a loan. It was redeemed by St. Lewis, King of France, who
+caused it to be placed in the holy chapel at Paris. The importation of
+this species of trumpery, into England, was forbidden, by many statutes;
+and, by 3. Jac. i., cap. 26, justices were empowered to search houses for
+such things, and to burn them.
+
+It is pleasant to turn from these shadowy records to matters of reality
+and truth. There was an exhumation, some years ago, of the remains of a
+highly honorable and truly gallant man, for the purpose of returning them
+to his native land. Suspicions of a painful nature arose, in connection
+with that exhumation. Those suspicions were cleared away, most happily, by
+a venerable friend of mine, with whom I have conversed upon that
+interesting topic. I will give some account of the removal of Major
+Andre's remains, in my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XVIII.
+
+
+Major John Andre, aid-de-camp to General Clinton, and adjutant general of
+the British army, was, as every well-read school-boy knows, hanged as a
+spy, October 2, 1780, at Tappan, a town of New York, about five miles from
+the north bank of the Hudson.
+
+In June, 1818, by a vote of the Legislature of New York, the remains of
+that gallant Irishman, Major General Richard Montgomery, were removed from
+Quebec. Col. L. Livingston, his nephew, superintended the exhumation and
+removal. An old soldier, who had attended the funeral, forty-two years
+before, pointed out the grave. These relics were committed to the ground,
+once more, in St. Paul's church-yard in New York; and, by direction of the
+Congress of the United States, a costly marble monument was erected there,
+executed by M. Cassieres, at Paris. Nothing was omitted of pomp and
+pageantry, in honor of the gallant dead.
+
+Still the remains of Andre, whose fate was deeply deplored, however just
+the punishment--still they continued, in that resting place, humble and
+obscure, to which they had been consigned, when taken from the gallows.
+The lofty honors, bestowed upon Montgomery, operated as a stimulus and a
+rebuke. Mr. James Buchanan, the British consul, admits their influence, in
+his memorable letter. He addressed a communication to the Duke of York,
+then commander-in-chief of the British army, suggesting the propriety of
+exhumating the remains of Andre, and returning them to England. The
+necessary orders were promptly issued, and Mr. Buchanan made his
+arrangements for the exhumation.
+
+Mr. Demarat, a Baptist clergyman, at Tappan, was the proprietor of the
+little field, where the remains of Andre had been buried, and where they
+had reposed, for forty-one years, when, in the autumn of 1821, Mr.
+Buchanan requested permission to remove them. His intentions had become
+known--some human brute--some Christian dog, had sought to purchase, or to
+rent, the field of Mr. Demarat, for the purpose of extorting money, for
+permission to remove these relics. But the good man and true rejected the
+base proposal, and afforded every facility in his power.
+
+A narrow pathway led to the eminence, where Andre had suffered--the grave
+was there, covered with a few loose stones and briars. There was nothing
+beside, to mark the spot--I am wrong--woman, who was last at the cross,
+and first at the tomb, had been there--there was a peach tree, which a
+lady had planted at the head, and whose roots had penetrated to the very
+bottom of the shallow grave, and entered the frail shell, and enveloped
+the skull with its fibres. Dr. Thacher, in a note to page 225 of his
+military journal, says, that the roots of two cedar trees "had wrapped
+themselves round the skull bone, like a fine netting." This is an error.
+Two cedars grew near the grave, which were sent to England, with the
+remains.
+
+The point, where these relics lay, commanded a view of the surrounding
+country, and of the head-quarters of Washington, about a mile and a half
+distant. The field, which contained about ten acres, was cultivated--a
+small part only, around the consecrated spot, remained untilled. Upon the
+day of the exhumation, a multitude had gathered to the spot. After digging
+three feet from the surface, the operative paused, and announced, that his
+spade had touched the top of the coffin. The excitement was so great, at
+this moment, that it became necessary to form a cordon, around the grave.
+Mr. Buchanan proceeded carefully to remove the remaining earth, with his
+hands--a portion of the cover had been decomposed. When, at last, the
+entire top had been removed, the remains of this brave and unfortunate
+young man were exposed to view. The skeleton was in perfect order.
+"There," says Mr. Buchanan, "for the first time, I discovered that he had
+been a small man."
+
+One by one, the assembled crowd passed round, and gazed upon the remains
+of Andre, whose fate had excited such intense and universal sensibility.
+These relics were then carefully transferred to a sarcophagus, prepared
+for their reception, and conveyed to England. They now repose beneath the
+sixth window, in the south aisle of Westminster Abbey. The monument near
+which they lie, was designed by Robert Adam, and executed by Van Gelder.
+Britannia reclines on a sarcophagus, and upon the pedestal is
+inscribed--"Sacred to the memory of Major Andre, who, raised by his merit,
+at an early period of life, to the rank of Adjutant General of the British
+forces in America, and, employed in an important but hazardous enterprise,
+fell a sacrifice to his zeal for his king and country, on 2d of October,
+1780, aged twenty-nine, universally beloved and esteemed by the army, in
+which he served, and lamented even by his foes. His generous sovereign,
+King George III., has caused this monument to be erected." Nothing could
+have been prepared, in better taste. Here is not the slightest allusion to
+that great question, which posterity, having attained full age, has
+already, definitively, settled--the justice of his fate. A box, wrought
+from one of the cedar trees, and lined with gold, was transmitted to Mr.
+Demarat, by the Duke of York; and a silver inkstand was presented to Mr.
+James Buchanan, by the surviving sisters of Major Andre.
+
+Thus far, all things were in admirable keeping. It was, therefore, a
+matter of deep regret, that Mr. James Buchanan should have thought proper
+to disturb their harmony, by suggestions, painfully offensive to every
+American heart. Those suggestions, it is true, have been acknowledged to
+be entirely groundless. But that gentleman's original letter, extensively
+circulated here, and transmitted to England, has, undoubtedly, conveyed
+these offensive insinuations, where the subsequent admission of his error
+is not likely to follow. Mr. Buchanan, on the strength of some loose
+suggestions, at Tappan, and elsewhere, corroborated by an examination of
+the contents of the coffin, had assumed it to be true, or highly probable,
+that the body of Andre had been stripped, after the execution, from
+mercenary, or other equally unworthy, motives. This impression he hastily
+conveyed to the world. I will endeavor to present this matter, in its true
+light, in my next communication.
+
+
+
+
+No. XIX.
+
+
+After having removed the entire cover of Andre's coffin, "I descended,"
+says Mr. Buchanan, "and, with my own hands, raked the dust together, to
+ascertain whether he had been buried in his regimentals, or not, as it was
+rumored, among the assemblage, that he was stripped: for, if buried in his
+regimentals, I expected to find the buttons of his clothes, which would
+have disproved the rumor; but I did not find a single button, nor any
+article, save a string of leather, that had tied his hair." Mr. Buchanan
+had evidently arrived at the conclusion, that Andre had been stripped. In
+this conclusion he was perfectly right. He had also inferred, that this
+act had been done, with base motives. In this inference, he was perfectly
+wrong. "Those," continues he, "who permitted the outrage, or who knew of
+it, had no idea, that the unfeeling act they then performed would be
+blazoned to the world, near half a century, after the event." All this is
+entirely gratuitous and something worse. General Washington's
+head-quarters were near at hand. Every circumstance was sure to be
+reported, for the excitement was intense; and the knowledge of such an
+act, committed for any unworthy purpose, would have been instantly
+conveyed to Sir Henry Clinton, and blazoned to the world, some forty
+years before the period of Mr. Buchanan's discovery.
+
+Dr. James Thacher, in his military journal, states, that Andre was
+executed "in his royal regimentals, and buried in the same." Dr. Thacher
+was mistaken, and when he saw the letter of Mr. Buchanan, and the
+offensive imputation it contained, he investigated the subject anew, and
+addressed a letter to that gentleman, which was received by him, in a
+becoming spirit, and which entirely dissipated his former impressions. In
+that letter, Dr. Thacher stated, that he was within a few yards of Andre,
+at the time of his execution, and that he suffered in his regimentals.
+Supposing, as a matter of course, that Andre would be buried in them, Dr.
+Thacher had stated that, also, as a fact, though he did not remain, to
+witness the interment. He then refers to a letter, which he has discovered
+in the Continental Journal and Weekly Advertiser, of October 26, 1780,
+printed in Boston, by John Gill. This letter bears date, Tappan, October
+2, the day of the execution, and details all the particulars, and in it
+are these words--"_He was dressed in full uniform; and, after the
+execution, his servant demanded the uniform, which he received. His body
+was buried near the gallows_." "This," says Dr. Thacher, "confirms the
+correctness of my assertion, that he suffered in his regimentals, but not
+that they were buried with the body. I had retired from the scene, before
+the body was placed in the coffin; but I have a perfect recollection of
+seeing him hand his hat to the weeping servant, while standing in the
+cart."
+
+Mr. Buchanan observes, that an aged widow, who kept the toll-gate, on
+hearing the object stated, was so much gratified, that she suffered all
+carriages to pass free. "It marks strongly," he continues, "the sentiments
+of the American people at large, as to a transaction, which a great part
+of the British public have forgotten." This passage is susceptible of a
+twofold construction. It may mean, that this aged widow and the American
+people at large were unanimous, in lamenting the fate of Major Andre--that
+they most truly believed him to have been brave and unfortunate. It may
+also mean, that they considered the fate of Andre to have been
+unwarranted. Posterity has adjusted this matter very differently. Nearly
+sixty-eight years have passed. All excitement has long been buried, in a
+deeper grave than Andre's. A silent admission has gone forth, far and
+wide, of the perfect justice of Andre's execution. A board of general
+officers was appointed, to prepare a statement of his case. Greene,
+Steuben, and Lafayette were of that board. They were perfectly unanimous
+in their opinion. Prodigious efforts were made on his behalf. He himself
+addressed several letters to Washington, and one, the day before his
+death, in which he says: "Sympathy towards a soldier will surely induce
+your excellency and a military tribunal to adapt the mode of my death to
+the feelings of a man of honor." The board of officers, as Gordon states,
+were induced to gratify this wish, with the exception of Greene. He
+contended, that the laws of war required, that a spy should be hung; the
+adoption of any less rigorous mode of punishment would excite the belief,
+that palliatory circumstances existed in the case of Andre, and that the
+decision might thereby be brought into question. His arguments were sound,
+and they prevailed.
+
+Major Andre received every attention, which his condition permitted. He
+wrote to Sir Henry Clinton, Sept. 29, 1780, three days before his
+execution--"I receive the greatest attention from his excellency, General
+Washington, and from every person, under whose charge I happen to be
+placed." Captain Hale, like Major Andre, was young, brave, amiable, and
+accomplished. He entered upon the same perilous service, that conducted
+Andre to his melancholy fate. Hale was hanged, as a spy, at Long Island.
+Thank God, the brutal treatment he received was not retaliated upon Andre.
+"The provost martial," says Mr. Sparks, "was a refugee, to whose charge he
+was consigned, and treated him, in the most unfeeling manner, refusing the
+attendance of a clergyman, and the use of a bible; and destroying the
+letters he had written, to his mother and friends."
+
+The execution of Major Andre was in perfect conformity with the laws of
+war. Had Sir Henry Clinton considered his fate unwarranted, under any just
+construction of those laws, he would undoubtedly have expressed that
+opinion, in the general orders, to the British army, announcing Major
+Andre's death. These orders, bearing date Oct. 8, 1780, refer only to his
+_unfortunate fate_. They contain not the slightest allusion to any
+supposed injustice, or unaccustomed severity, in the execution, or the
+manner of it.
+
+The fate of Andre might have been averted, in two ways--by a steady
+resistance of Arnold's senseless importunity, to bring him within the
+American lines--and by a frank and immediate presentation of Arnold's
+pass, when stopped by Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart. His loss of
+self-possession, at that critical moment, is remarkable, for, as
+Americans, they would, in all human probability, have suffered him to
+pass, without further examination; and, had they been of the opposite
+party, they would certainly have conducted him to some British post--the
+very haven where he would be.
+
+
+
+
+No. XX.
+
+
+How shall _we_ deal with the dead? We have considered the usages of many
+nations, in different ages of the world. Some of these usages appear
+sufficiently revolting; especially such as relate to secondary burial, or
+the transfer of the dead, from their primary resting-places, to vast,
+miscellaneous receptacles. The desire is almost universal, that, when
+summoned to lie down in the grave, the dead may never be disturbed, by the
+hand of man--that our remains may return quietly to dust--unobserved by
+mortal eye. There is no part of this humiliating process, that is not
+painful and revolting to the beholder. Of this the ancients had the same
+impression. Cremation and embalming set corruption and the worm at
+defiance. Other motives, I am aware, have been assigned for the former.
+The execution of popular vengeance upon the poor remains of those, whose
+memory has become odious, during a revolution, is not uncommon. A
+ludicrous example of this occurred, when Santa Anna became unpopular, and
+the furious mob seized his leg, which had been amputated, embalmed, and
+deposited among the public treasures, and cooled their savage anger, by
+kicking the miserable member all over the city of Montezuma.
+
+In the time of Sylla, cremation was not so common as interment; but Sylla,
+remembering the indignity he had offered to the body of Marius, enjoined,
+that his own body should be burnt. There was, doubtless, another motive
+for this practice among the ancients. The custom prevailed extensively, at
+one time, of burying the dead, in the cellars of houses. I have already
+referred to the Theban law, which required the construction of a suitable
+receptacle for the dead, in every house. Interment certainly preceded
+cremation. Cicero De Legibus, lib. 2, asserts, that interment prevailed
+among the Athenians, in the time of Cecrops, their first king. In the
+earlier days of Rome, both were employed. Numa was _buried_ in conformity
+with a special clause in his will. Remus, as Ovid, Fast. iv. 356, asserts,
+was _burnt_. The accumulation of dead bodies in cellars, or subcellars,
+must have become intolerable. This practice undoubtedly gave rise to the
+whole system of household gods, Lares, Lemures, Larvae, and Manes. Such an
+accumulation of ancestors, it may well be supposed, left precious little
+room for the amphorae of Chian, Lesbian, and Falernian.
+
+Young aspirants sometimes inwardly opine, that their living ancestors take
+up too much room. Such was very naturally the opinion of the ancients, in
+relation to the dead. Like Francois Pontraci, they began to feel the
+necessity of condensation; and cremation came to be more commonly adopted.
+The bones of a human being, reduced to ashes, require but little room; and
+not much more, though the decomposition by fire be not quite perfect. Let
+me say to those, who think I prefer cremation, as a substitute for
+interment, that I do not. It has found little favor for many centuries. It
+seems to have been employed, in the case of Shelley, the poet. However
+desirable, when the remains of the dead were to be deposited in the
+dwelling-houses of the living, cremation and urn burial are quite
+unnecessary, wherever there is no want of ground for cemeteries, in proper
+locations. The funereal urns of the ancients were of different sizes and
+forms, and of materials, more or less costly, according to the ability and
+taste of the surviving friends. Ammianus Marcellinus relates, that
+Gumbrates, king of Chionia, near Persia, burnt the body of his son, and
+placed the ashes in a _silver_ urn.
+
+Mr. Wedgewood had the celebrated Portland vase in his possession, for a
+year, and made casts of it. This was the vase, which had been in
+possession of the Barberini family, for nearly two centuries, and for
+which the Duke of Portland gave Mr. Hamilton one thousand guineas. In the
+minds of very many, the idea of considerable size has been associated with
+this vase. Yet, in fact, it is about ten inches high, and six broad. The
+Wedgewood casts may be seen, in many of our glass and china shops. This
+vase was discovered, about the middle of the sixteenth century, two and a
+half miles from Rome, on the Frescati road, in a marble sarcophagus,
+within a sepulchral chamber. This, doubtless, was a funereal urn. The
+urns, dug up, in Old Walsingham, in 1658, were quite similar, in form, to
+the Portland vase, excepting that they were without ears. Some fifty were
+found in a sandy soil, about three feet deep, a short distance from an old
+Roman garrison, and only five miles from Brancaster, the ancient
+Branodunum. Four of these vases are figured, in Browne's Hydriotaphia;
+some of them contained about two pounds of bones; several were of the
+capacity of a gallon, and some of half that size. It may seem surprising,
+that a human body can be reduced to such a compass. "How the bulk of a man
+should sink into so few pounds of bones and ashes may seem strange unto
+any, who consider not its constitution, and how slender a mass will remain
+upon an open and urging fire, of the carnal composition. Even bones
+themselves, reduced into ashes, do abate a notable proportion." Such are
+the words of good old Sir Thomas.
+
+It was an adage of old, "He that lies in a golden urn, will find no quiet
+for his bones." If the costliness of the material offered no temptation to
+the avarice of man, still, after centuries have given them the stamp of
+antiquity, these urns and their contents become precious, in the eyes of
+the lovers of _vertu_. There is no security from impertinent meddling with
+our remains, so certain, as a speedy conversion into undistinguishable
+dust. Sir Thomas Browne manifestly inclined to cremation. "To be gnawed,"
+says he, "out of our graves, to have our skulls made drinking bowls, and
+our bones turned into pipes, to delight and sport our enemies, are
+tragical abominations, escaped in burning burials." Such anticipations are
+certainly unpleasant. An ingenious device was adopted by Alaricus--he
+appointed the spot for his grave, and directed, that the course of a river
+should be so changed, as to flow over it.
+
+It has been said, that certain soils possess a preserving quality. I am
+inclined to think the secret commonly lies, in some peculiar,
+constitutional quality, in the dead subject; for, wherever cases of
+remarkable preservation have occurred, corruption has been found generally
+to have done its full day's work, on all around. If such quality really
+exist in the soil, it is certainly undesirable. Those who were opposed to
+the evacuation of the Cemetery des Innocens, in the sixteenth century,
+attempted to set up in its favor the improbable pretension, that it
+consumed bodies in nine days. Burton, in his description of
+Leicestershire, states, that the body of Thomas, Marquis of Dorset, "was
+found perfect, and nothing corrupted, the flesh not hardened, but in
+color, proportion and softness, like an ordinary corpse, newly to be
+interred," after seventy-eight years' burial.
+
+A remarkable case of posthumous preservation occurred, in a village near
+Boston. The very exalted character of the professional gentleman, who
+examined the corpse, after it had been entombed, for forty years, gives
+the interest of authenticity to the statement. Justice Fuller, the
+father-in-law of that political victim, General William Hull, _who was
+neither a coward nor a traitor_, was buried in a family tomb, in Newton
+Centre. It was ascertained, and, from time to time, reported, that the
+body remained uncorrupted and entire. Mr. Fuller was about 80, when he
+died, and very corpulent. About forty years after his burial, Dr. John C.
+Warren, by permission of the family, with the physician of the village,
+and other gentlemen, examined the body of Mr. Fuller. The coffin was
+somewhat decomposed. So were the burial clothes. The body presented,
+everywhere, a natural skin, excepting on one leg, on which there had been
+an ulcer. There decomposition had taken place. The skin was generally of a
+dark brown color, and hard like dried leather; and so well preserved,
+about the face, that persons, present with Dr. Warren, said they should
+have recognized the features of Justice Fuller. My business lies not with
+the physiology, however curious the speculation may be. Were it possible,
+by any means, to perpetuate the dead, in a similar manner, it would be
+wholly undesirable. Dust we are, and unto dust must we return. The
+question is still before us,--How shall _we_ deal with the dead?
+
+
+
+
+No. XXI.
+
+
+It is commonly supposed, that the burial of articles of value with the
+dead, is a practice confined to the Indian tribes, and the inhabitants of
+unenlightened regions; who fancied, that the defunct were gone upon some
+far journey, during which such accompaniments would be useful. Such is not
+the fact. Chilperic, the fourth king of France, came to the throne A. D.
+456. In 1655 the tomb of Chilperic was accidentally discovered, in
+Tournay, "restoring unto the world," saith Sir Thomas Browne, vol. 3, p.
+466, "much gold adorning his sword, two hundred rubies, many hundred
+imperial coins, three hundred golden bees, the bones and horse-shoes of
+his horse, interred with him, according to the barbarous magnificence of
+those days, in their sepulchral obsequies." Stow relates, in his survey of
+London, that, in many of the funeral urns, found in Spitalfields, there
+were, mingled with the relics, coins of Claudius, Vespasian, Commodus, and
+Antoninus, with lachrymatories, lamps, bottles of liquor, &c.
+
+As an old sexton, I have a right to give my advice; and the public have a
+right to reject it. If I were the owner of a lot, in some well-governed
+cemetery, I would place around it a neat, substantial, iron fence, and
+paint it black. In the centre I would have a simple monument, of white
+marble, and of liberal dimensions; not pyramidal, but with four
+rectangular faces, to receive a goodly number of memoranda, not one of
+which should exceed a single line. I would have no other monument, slab,
+or tablet, to indicate particular graves. I would have a plan of this lot,
+and preserve it, as carefully, as I preserved my title papers. Probably I
+should keep a duplicate, in some safe place. When a body came to be
+buried, in that lot, I would indicate the precise location, on my plan,
+and engrave the name and the date of birth, and death, and nothing more,
+upon the monument. If the dryness and elevation of the soil allowed, I
+would dig the graves so deep, that the remains of three persons could
+repose in one grave, the uppermost, five or six feet below the surface.
+After the burial of the first, the grave would be filled up, and an even,
+sodded surface presented, as before, until re-opened. Thus, of course,
+those, who had been lovely and pleasant, in their lives, like Jonathan and
+Saul, would, in death, be not divided. This, so far from being
+objectionable, is a delightful idea, embalmed in the classical precedents
+of antiquity. It is a well-known fact, that urns of a very large size
+were, occasionally, in use, in Greece and Rome, for the reception and
+commingling of the ashes of whole families. The ashes of Achilles were
+mingled with those of his friend, Patroclus. The ashes of Domitian, the
+last, and almost the worst, of the twelve Caesars, were inurned, as
+Suetonius reports, ch. 17, with those of Julia.
+
+With the Chinese, it is very common to bury a comb, a pair of scissors to
+pare the nails, and four little purses, containing the nail parings of the
+defunct. Jewels and coins of gold are sometimes inserted in the mouths of
+the wealthy. This resembles the practice of the Greeks and Romans, of
+placing an obolus, Charon's fee, in the mouth of the deceased. This
+arrangement, in regard to the nail parings, seems well enough, as they are
+clearly part and parcel, of the defunct. Rings, coins, and costly chalices
+have been found, with the ashes of the dead.
+
+Avarice, curiosity, and revenge, personal or political, have prompted
+mankind, in every age, to desecrate the receptacles of the dead. The
+latter motive has operated more fiercely, upon the people of France, than
+upon almost any other. No nation has ever surpassed them, in that intense
+ardor, nor in the parade and magnificence, with which they _canonize_--no
+people upon earth can rival the bitterness and fury, with which they
+_curse_. Lamartine, in his history of the Girondists, states, that
+"dragoons of the Republic spread themselves over the public places,
+brandishing their swords, and singing national airs. Thence they went to
+the church of Val de Grace, where, enclosed in silver urns, were the
+hearts of several kings and queens of France. These funeral vases they
+broke, trampling under foot those relics of royalty, and then flung them
+into the common sewer." And how shall _we_ deal with the dead?
+
+With a reasonable economy of space, a lot of the common area, at Mount
+Auburn, or Forest Hills, will suffice, for the occasion of a family of
+ordinary size, for several generations. In re-opening one of these graves,
+for a second or third interment, the operative should never approach
+nearer than one foot to the coffin beneath. The careless manner, in which
+bones are sometimes spaded up, by grave-diggers, results from their want
+of precise knowledge of previous inhumations. Common sense indicates the
+propriety of keeping a regular, topographical account of every interment.
+
+But it is quite time to bring these lucubrations to a close. To some they
+may have proved interesting, and, doubtless, wearisome to others. The
+account is therefore balanced. Most heartily do I wish for every one of my
+readers a decent funeral, and a peaceful grave. I have tolled my last
+knell, turned down my last sod, and am no longer a Sexton of the Old
+School.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXII.
+
+
+Some commendatory passages, in your own and other journals, my dear Mr.
+Transcript, seem very much to me like a theatrical _encore_--they half
+persuade me to reappear. There are other considerations, which I cannot
+resist. Twenty devils, saith the Spanish proverb, employ that man, who
+employeth not himself. I am quite sensible of my error, in quitting an old
+vocation prematurely. You have no conception of the severe depression of
+spirits, produced in the mind of an old sexton, who, in an evil hour, has
+cast his spade aside, and set up for a man of leisure. It may answer for a
+short time--a very short time. I can honestly declare, that I have led a
+wearisome life, since I gave up undertaking. Many have been the expedients
+I have adopted, to relieve the oppressive tedium of my miserable days. The
+funeral bell has aroused me, as the trumpet rouses an old war horse. How
+many processions I have followed, as an amateur! One or two young men of
+the craft have been exceedingly kind to me, and have given me notice,
+whenever they have been employed upon a new grave, and have permitted me
+to amuse myself, by performing a portion of the work.
+
+My own condition, since I left off business, and tried the terrible
+experiment of living on my income, and doing nothing, has frequently and
+forcibly reminded me of a similar passage, in the history of my excellent
+old friend, Simon Allwick, the tallow-chandler, with whom I had the
+happiness of living, in the closest intimacy, and whom I had the pleasure
+of burying, about twenty years ago.
+
+Mr. Allwick was a thrifty man; and, having acquired a handsome property,
+his ambitious partner persuaded him to abandon his greasy occupation, and
+set up for a gentleman. This was by no means, the work of a day. Mr.
+Allwick loved his wife--she was an affectionate creature; and, next to the
+small matter of having her own way in everything, she certainly loved
+Allwick, as her prime minister, in bringing that matter about. She was
+what is commonly called a devoted wife. Man is, marvellously, the creature
+of habit. So completely had Allwick become that creature, that, when his
+partner, upon the occasion of an excursion, as far as Jamaica Pond, for
+which Allwick literally tore himself away from the chandlery, could not
+restrain her admiration of that pretty, pet lake, he candidly confessed,
+that he felt nothing of the sort. And, when Mrs. Allwick exclaimed, with
+uplifted hands and tears in her eyes, that, in a cottage, on the borders
+of such a lake, she should be the happiest of the happy--"So should I, my
+dear," said her husband, with a sigh, so heavily drawn, that it seemed
+four to the pound--"so should I, my dear, if the lake were a vat of clear
+melted tallow, and I had a plenty of sticks and wicks."
+
+Suffice it to say, Mrs. Allwick had set her heart upon the measure. She
+had a confidential friend or two, to whom she had communicated the
+_projet_: her pride had therefore become enlisted; for she had given them
+to understand, that she meant to have her own way. She commenced an
+uncompromising crusade, against grease, in every form. She complained,
+that grease spots were upon everything. She engaged the services of a
+young physician, who gave it, as his deliberate opinion, that Mr.
+Allwick's headaches arose from the deleterious influence of the fumes of
+hot grease, acting through the olfactory nerves, upon the pineal gland.
+
+He even expressed a fear, that insanity might supervene, and he furnished
+an account of an eminent tallow-chandler in London, who went raving mad,
+and leaping into his own vat of boiling grease, was drawn out, no better
+than a great candle. It was a perfect _coup de grace_, when Mrs. Allwick
+drove candles from her dwelling, and substituted oil. The chandlery
+adjoined their residence, in Scrap Court; and it must be admitted, that,
+with the wind at south, the odor was not particularly savory. Mrs. Allwick
+was what the world would style a smart woman, and she was in the habit of
+calling her husband a very _wicked_ man and their mansion the most
+unclassical villa, though in the very midst of _grease_!
+
+It is quite superfluous to say, the point was finally carried--the
+chandlery was sold--a country house was purchased, not on the lake, but in
+a sweet spot. There was some little embarrassment about the name, but two
+wild gooseberry bushes having been discovered, within half a mile, it was
+resolved, in council, to call it Mount Gooseberry. Since the going forth
+of Adam from Eden, in misery and shame, never was there such an exodus, as
+that of poor Allwick from the chandlery. I have not time to describe it. I
+am glad I have not. It was too much. Even Mrs. Allwick began to doubt the
+perfect wisdom of her plan. But the die was cast. On they went to their
+El Dorado. It was a pleasant spot. It was "a bonnie day in June." The
+birds were in ecstacies--so was Mrs. Allwick--so were the children--the
+sun shone--the stream ran beautifully by--the leaves still glistened in
+the morning dew--there was a sprinkling of lambs on the hills--old Cato
+was at the door, to welcome them, and Carlo most affectionately covered
+the white frocks of the children with mud. "Was there ever anything like
+this?" exclaimed the delighted wife. "Isn't it a perfect pink, papa?"
+cried the children. In answer to all this, the _jecur ulcerosum_ of poor
+Allwick sent forth a deep groan, that shook the very walls of his
+tabernacle.
+
+The mind of man is a mill, and will grind chaff if nothing more
+substantial be supplied; and, peradventure, the upper will grind the
+nether millstone to destruction. For a brief space, Mr. Allwick found
+employment. Fences were to be completed--trees and bushes were to be set
+out--the furniture was to be arranged--but all this was soon over, and
+there was my good old friend, Simon Allwick, the busiest man alive, with
+nothing to do! Never was there a heart, in the bosom of a tallow-chandler,
+so perfectly "untravelled." Poor fellow, he went "up stairs and down
+stairs, and in my lady's chamber," but all to no other purpose, than to
+confirm him, in a sentiment of profound respect, for that homely proverb,
+_it is hard for an old dog to learn new tricks_.
+
+"Where is your father?" said Mrs. Allwick to the children, after
+breakfast, one awful hot morning, near the end of June. The children went
+in pursuit--there he was--he had sought to occupy his thoughts, by
+watching the gambols of some half a dozen Byfield cokies--there he was--he
+had rested his arms upon the rail of the fence, and had been looking into
+the sty--his chin had dropped upon his hands--he had fallen asleep! He was
+mortified and nettled, at being found thus, and continued in a moody
+condition, through the day. On the following morning, he went to the city,
+and remained till night. His spirits were greatly improved, on his return;
+and to some felicitations from his wife and family, he replied--"My dear,
+I feel better, certainly; and I have made an arrangement, which, I think,
+will enable me to get along pretty comfortably--I have seen Mr. Smith, to
+whom I sold the chandlery, and have extended the term of payment. He still
+dips on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and has agreed to set a kettle
+of fat and some sticks for me, in the little closet, near the back door,
+that I may slip in, and amuse myself, on dipping days."
+
+I ought to have been warned, by this example; but I had quite forgotten
+it. It is very agreeable to be thus welcomed back to the performance of my
+former duties. No one, but he, who is deprived of some long-cherished
+occupation, can truly comprehend the pleasure of occasionally handling a
+corpse.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXIII.
+
+
+Few things can be imagined, more thoroughly revolting and absurd, than the
+vengeance of the living, rioting among the ashes of the dead--rudely
+rolling the stone away from the door of the sepulchre--entering the narrow
+houses of the unresisting, _vi et armis_, with the pickaxe and the
+crowbar--and scattering to the winds the poor senseless remains of those,
+who were consigned to their resting-places, with all the honors of a
+former age. This, were it not awful, would be eminently ridiculous. For
+the execution of such posthumous revenge the French nation has the
+precedence of every other, civilized and savage. Frenchmen, if not,
+through all time, from the days of Pharamond to the present, remarkably
+zealous of good works, are clearly a peculiar people.
+
+The history of the world furnishes no parallel to that preposterous
+crusade, carried on by that people, in 1794, against the dead bodies of
+kings and princes, saints and martyrs. This war, upon dead men's bones,
+was not projected and executed, by the rabble, on the impulse of the
+moment. A formal, deliberate decree of the Convention commanded, that the
+tombs should be destroyed, and they were destroyed, and their contents
+scattered to the winds, accordingly. Talk not of all that is furious and
+fantastical, in the conduct of monkeys and maniacs--a nation of
+chimpanzees would have acted with more dignity and discretion. A colony of
+grinning baboons, as Shakspeare calls them, bent upon liberty, equality,
+and fraternity, might have dethroned some tyrannical ourang outang, who
+had carried matters with too high a hand, and extorted too many cocoa
+nuts, for the support of his civil list; but, after having cut off his
+head, it is not to be believed, that they would have gone about,
+scratching up the ashes of his ancestors, and wreaking their vengeance
+upon those unoffending relics.
+
+This miserable onslaught upon the dead began, immediately after December
+20, 1794. The new worship commenced on that day, and the goddess of reason
+then, for the first time, presented herself to the people, in the person
+of the celebrated actress, Mademoiselle Maillard. St. Genevieve, the
+patroness of the city of Paris, died in 512, and her remains were
+subsequently transferred to the church, which bears her name, and which
+was erected, by Clovis, in 517. The executive agents of the National
+Convention commenced their legalized fooleries, upon the ashes of this
+poor old saint. These French gentlemen--the politest nation upon
+earth--without the slightest regard for decency, or sanctification, or
+common sense, dug up Madame Genevieve's coffin, and, to aggravate the
+indignity, dragged the old lady's remains to the place of public
+execution, the _Place de Greve_; and, having burnt them there, scattered
+the ashes to the winds. The gates of bronze, presented by Charlemagne to
+the church of St. Denis, were broken to pieces. Pepin, the sire of
+Charlemagne and son of Charles Martel, was buried there, in 768. Nothing
+remained of Pepin but a handful of dust, which was served in a similar
+manner. It is stated by Lamartine, that the heads of Marshal Turenne,
+Duguesclin, Louis XII., and Francis I., were rolled about the pavement;
+sceptres, crowns, and crosiers were trampled under foot; and the shouts of
+the operatives were heard, when the blows of the axe broke through some
+regal coffin, and the royal bones were thrown out, to be treated with
+senseless insult.
+
+Hugh Capet, Philip the bold, and Philip, the handsome, were buried beneath
+the choir. The ruthless hands of these modern vandals tore from the
+corpses those garments of the grave, in which they had reposed for
+centuries, and threw the relics upon beds of quicklime.
+
+Henry IV. fell by the hands of Ravaillac, the assassin, May 14, 1610. His
+body, was carefully embalmed, by Italians. When taken from the coffin, the
+lineaments of the face fully corresponded with the numerous
+representations, transmitted by the hands of painters and statuaries. That
+cherished and perfumed beard expanded, as if it had just then received the
+last manipulation of the friseur. The marks were perfectly visible, upon
+the breast, indicating the first and second thrust of Ravaillac's
+stilletto. The popularity of this monarch protected his remains, though
+for a brief space. He was frank, brave, and humane. For two days, all that
+remained of this idol of the people--was exhibited to public view.
+
+The exhumed king was placed at the foot of the altar, and a countless
+multitude passed, in mute procession, around these favored relics. This
+gave umbrage to Javogues, a member of the Convention. He denounced this
+partiality, and railed against the memory of Henri le Grand. The
+multitude, impressible by the slightest impulse, hurled the dead monarch
+into the common fosse of quicklime and corruption; execrating, under the
+influence of a few feverish words, from the lips of a republican savage,
+the memory and the remains of one, cherished by their predecessors, for
+nearly three hundred years. A similar fate awaited his son and grandson,
+Louis XIII. and XIV. The vault of the Bourbons was thoroughly ransacked,
+in the same spirit of desolation. Queens, dauphinesses, and princesses,
+says the historian of the Girondists, were carried away, in armsful, by
+the laborers, to be cast into the trench, and consumed by quicklime. In
+the vault of Charles V., surnamed the wise, besides the corpse were found,
+a hand of justice and a golden crown. In the coffin of his wife, Jeanne of
+Bourbon, were her spindles and marriage rings. These relics were thrown
+into the ditch--the corpses--not the articles of gold, however debased by
+their juxtaposition. Of the French gentlemen it may be affirmed, as of
+Madame Gilpin--
+
+  "Though on pleasure she was bent,
+  She had a frugal mind."
+
+An economy, perfectly grotesque, mingled with an unmanly desecration. Even
+the lead was scraped together from these coffins, and converted into
+balls. In the vault of the Valois no bodies were discovered. The people
+were very desirous of showing some tokens of their wrath, upon the poor
+carcass of Louis XI., but it could not be found. Abbes, heroes, ministers
+of state were indiscriminately cast into the fosse. Upon the exhumation of
+Dagobert I., and his queen, Matilde, who had been buried twelve hundred
+years, her skeleton was found without a head. Such is said to have been
+the case with several other skeletons of the queens of France.
+
+In one of the upper lofts of the cabinet of Natural History of the Jardin
+des Plantes, among stuffed beasts and birds, surrounded by mixed and
+manifold rubbish, and covered with dust, there lay a case or package,
+unexamined and unnoticed, for nine long years. This envelope contained the
+mortal remains of a Marechal of France, the hero of an hundred
+battles,--of no other than Henry de la Tour, Viscount de Turenne. He was
+killed by a cannon ball, July 27, 1675, at the age of 64. All France
+lamented the death of this great man. The admiration of all Europe
+followed him to the grave. Courage, modesty, generosity, science have
+embalmed his memory. The king, Louis le Grand, ordered a solemn service to
+be performed, for the Marechal de Turenne, in the Cathedral church at
+Paris, as for the first prince of the blood, and that his remains should
+be interred in the abbey of St. Denis, the burial-place of the royal
+personages of France, where the cardinal, his nephew, raised a splendid
+mausoleum to his memory. So much for glory--and what then? In 1794, the
+remains of this great man were upon the point of being cast into the
+common fosse, by the agents of the Convention, when some, less rabid than
+the rest, smuggled them away; and, for security, conveyed them to the
+lumber room of the cabinet of Natural History of the Jardin des Plantes.
+Having reposed, nine years in state, peradventure between a dilapidated
+kangaroo and a cast-off opossum--these remains of the great Turenne were,
+at length, committed, in a quiet way, to the military tomb of the
+Invalids.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXIV.
+
+
+Burning dead saints, is a more pardonable matter, than burning living
+martyrs--the combustion of St. Genevieve's dry bones, than the fiery trial
+of Latimer and Ridley--the fantastical decree of the French Convention,
+than the cruel discipline of bloody Mary. Dark days were they, and full of
+evil, those years of bitterness and blood, from 1553 to Nov. 17, 1558,
+when, by a strange coincidence, this hybrid queen, whose sire was a
+British tyrant, and whose dam a Spanish bigot, expired on the same day
+with the Cardinal, Reginald Pole. From the remarkable proximity of the
+events arose a suspicion of poison, of which the public mind has long
+since been disabused.
+
+In this age of greater intelligence and religious freedom, the outrages,
+perpetrated, in the very city of London, within five brief years, are
+credible, only on the strength of well authenticated history. According to
+Bishop Burnet, two hundred and eighty-four persons were burnt at the
+stake, during four years of this merciless and miserable reign. Lord
+Burleigh makes the number of those, who died, in that reign, by
+imprisonment, torments, famine, and fire, to be near four hundred. Weever,
+in his Funeral Monuments, page 116, quotes the historian Speed, as saying,
+"In the heat of those flames, were burnt to ashes five bishops,
+one-and-twenty divines, eight gentlemen, eighty-four artificers, an
+hundred husbandmen, servants, and laborers, twenty-six wives, twenty
+widows, nine virgins, two boys, and two infants; one of them whipped to
+death by Bonner, and the other, springing out of the mother's womb from
+the stake, as she burned, thrown again into the fire." Here, in passing,
+suffer me to express my deep reverence for John Weever. I know of no book,
+so interesting to the craft, as his Funeral Monuments, a work of infinite
+labor and research. Weever died in 1632, and lies in St. James,
+Clerkenwell. His epitaph may be found in Strype's Survey:
+
+  Lancashire gave me birth,
+    And Cambridge education;
+  Middlesex gave me death,
+    And this church my humation;
+  And Christ to me hath given
+  A place with him in heaven.
+
+The structure of these lines will remind the classical reader of Virgil's
+epitaph:
+
+  Mantua me genuit: Calabri rapuere; tenet nunc
+  Parthenope; cecini pascua, rura, duces.
+
+The short and sharp reign of Mary Tudor was remarkable for burning
+Protestant Christians and wax candles. That fountain of fun, pure and
+undefiled, that prince of wags, Theodore Hook, was offered, very young,
+for admission at the University; and, when the chancellor opened the book,
+and gravely inquired if he was ready to sign the thirty-nine articles,
+"Yes, sir," replied the young puppy, "forty, if you please." Now, in
+contemplation of the enormous consumption of wax, especially upon the
+occasion of funeral obsequies, during Mary's reign, it would seem that a
+belief, in its vital importance, might have formed an additional article,
+in the Romish creed.
+
+I have never thought well of grafting religion upon the selfishness of
+man's nature. Nominal converts, it is true, are readily made, in that way.
+In Catholic countries, wax chandlers are Romanists, to a man. I always
+considered the attempt, a few years since, to convert the inhabitants of
+Nantucket to Puseyism, by a practical appeal to their self interest,
+however ingeniously contrived, a very wicked thing. And I greatly lauded
+the good old bishop of this diocese, for rebuking those very silly
+priests, who promoted a senseless and extravagant consumption of one of
+the great staples of that island, by burning candles in the day time. He
+made good use of his mitre as an extinguisher.
+
+On a somewhat similar principle, I have always objected to every attempt
+to augment the revenues of a state by taxing corpses--not upon the
+acknowledged principle, that taxation without representation is
+inadmissible--but because the whole system is a most miserable mingling of
+_sacra profanis_. I may not be understood by all, in this remark: I refer
+to those acts of Parliament, which, for the purposes of levying a tax, or
+promoting some particular branch of industry, have attempted to regulate a
+man's apparel, and the fitting up of his narrow house, after he is dead.
+The compulsory employment of flannel, by British statute, is an example of
+this legislative interference.
+
+Nothing is more common, in Strype's Ecclesiastical Memorials, than
+entries, such as these: "1557, May 3. The Lord Shandois was buried with
+heralds, an herse of wax, four banners of images, and other appendages of
+funeral honor." "On the 5th, the Lady Chamberlain was buried with a fair
+herse of wax." "May 28, in the forenoon, was buried Mrs. Gates, widow,
+late wife, as it seems, to Sir John Gates, executed the first year of this
+queen's reign. She gave seventeen fine black gowns, and fourteen of broad
+russet for poor men. There were carried two white branches, ten staff
+torches, and four great tapers." "July 10th the Lady Tresham was buried at
+Peterborough, with four banners, and an herse of wax, and torches." "1558,
+September 14th, was buried Sir Andrew Judd, skinner, merchant of Muscovy,
+and late Mayor of London, with ten dozen of escutcheons, garnished with
+angels, and an herse of wax." What is an herse of wax? This will be quite
+unintelligible to those, who have supposed that word to import nothing
+else than the vehicle, in which the dead are carried to the grave. Herse
+also signifies a temporary monument, erected upon, or near, the place of
+sepulture, and on which the corpse was laid, for a time, in state; and a
+herse of wax was a structure of this kind, surrounded with wax tapers.
+This will be made manifest, by some additional extracts from the same
+author: "1557. The 16th day of July, died the lady Anne, of Cleves, at
+Chelsey, sometime wife and queen unto King Henry VIII., but never crowned.
+Her corpse was cered the night following." "On the 29th began the herse at
+Westminster, for the Lady Anne of Cleves, consisting of carpenters' work
+of seven principals, being as goodly an herse as had been seen." "On the
+3d of August the body of the Lady Anne of Cleves was brought from Chelsey,
+where her house was, unto Westminster, to be buried--men bore her, under a
+canopy of black velvet, with four black staves, and so brought her into
+the herse, and there tarried _Dirge_, remaining there all night, with
+lights burning." "On the 16th day of August the herse of the King of
+Denmark was begun to be set up, in a four-square house. August 18, was the
+King of Denmark's herse in St. Paul's finished with wax, the like to which
+was never seen in England, in regard to the fashion of square tapers." And
+on the 23d, also was the King of Denmark's herse, at St. Paul's, "taken
+down by the wax chandlers and carpenters, to whom this work pertained, by
+order of Mr. Garter, and certain of the Lord Treasurer's servants." These
+herses were, doubtless, very attractive in their way. "Aug. 31, 1557. The
+young Dutchess of Norfolk being lately deceased, her herse began to be set
+up on the 28th, in St. Clements, without Temple bar, and was this day
+finished with banners, pensils, wax, and escutcheons."
+
+The office of an undertaker, in those days, was no sinecure. He was an
+_arbiter elegantiarum_. A funeral was a festival then. Eat, drink, and be
+merry, for tomorrow you die, was the common phylactery.
+
+             "The funeral baked meats
+  Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables."
+
+Baked meats shall be the subject of my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXV.
+
+
+Pliny, xviii. 30, refers to a practice among the Romans, very similar to
+that, in use among certain unenlightened nations, of depositing articles
+of diet upon tombs and graves, such as beans, lettuces, eggs, bread, and
+the like, for the use of ghosts. The stomachs of Roman ghosts were not
+supposed to be strong enough for flesh meat. Hence the lines of Juvenal,
+v. 85:
+
+  Sed tibi dimidio constrictus cammarus ovo
+  Ponitur, exigua feralis caena patella.
+
+The _silicernium_ or _caena funebris_ was a very different, and more solid
+affair. At first blush--to use a common and sensible expression--there
+seems no respectable keeping, between the art of burying the dead, and
+that of feasting the living. Depositing those, whom we love, in their
+graves, is certainly the very last relish for an appetite. Something of
+this was undoubtedly done, of old, under the promptings of Epicurean
+philosophy--upon the _dum vivimus vivamus_ principle--and, in that spirit
+which teaches the soldier, when he turns from the grave, to change the
+mournful, for the merry strain. The desire of equalling or excelling
+others, in the magnificence of funereal parade, has ever been a powerful
+motive. The eyes of others destroy us, said Franklin, and not our own.
+Grief for the departed, and sympathy with the bereaved, were not deemed
+sufficient, to insure an imposing parade. Games and festivals were
+therefore provided, for the people. Among other attractions, masses of
+uncooked meat were bestowed upon all comers. This was the _visceratio_ of
+the Romans. This word seems to have a different import; _viscera_,
+however, signifies all beneath the skin, as may be seen by consulting
+Serv. in Virg., AEn. i., 211. Suetonius Caes. 39, and Cicero de Officiis ii.
+16, refer to this practice. It was by no means very common, but frequently
+adopted by those, who could afford the expense, and were desirous of the
+display.
+
+Marcus Flavius had committed an infamous crime. He was popular, and the
+aediles of the people had fixed a day for his absolution. Under pretence of
+celebrating his mother's funeral, he gave a _visceratio_ to the people:
+Populo visceratio data, a M. Flavio, in funere matris. Erant, qui, per
+speciem honorandae parentis, meritam mercedem populo solutam
+interpretarentur; quod eum, die dicta ab aedilibus, crimine stupratae
+matris familae absolvisset. Liv. viii. 22. A note upon this passage, in
+Lemaire's edition, fully explains the nature of this practice.
+
+This was a very different affair from the _silicernium_, or feast for the
+friends, after the funeral. Upon such occasions, the Falernian flowed, and
+boars were roasted whole. The reader, by opening his Livy, xxxix. 46, will
+find an account of the funeral of P. Licinius: a _visceratio_ was given to
+the people; one hundred and twenty gladiators fought in the arena; the
+funeral games lasted three days; and then followed a splendid
+entertainment. On that occasion, a tempest drove the company into the
+forum; this occurred, in the year U. C. 569. Through all time, the
+practice has prevailed, more or less, of providing entertainments, for
+those, who gather on such occasions. In villages, especially, and within
+my own recollection, the funeral has been delayed, to enable distant
+friends to arrive in season; and the interval has been employed, in the
+preparation of creature comforts, not only for such as attended, and
+observed the ceremonial of an hour, but for such, as came to the bereaved,
+like the comforters of the man of Uz, "every one from his place, and sat
+down with him, seven days and seven nights." Animal provision must surely
+be required, to sustain such protracted lamentation.
+
+In the age, when Shakspeare wrote, and for several ages before and after,
+"baked meats," at funerals, were very common. So far, from contenting
+themselves with the preparation of some simple aliment, for such as were
+an hungered, the appetites of all were solicited, by a parade of the
+rarest liquors and the choicest viands. Tables were spread, in the most
+ample manner, and the transition was immediate from the tomb to the festal
+board. The _requiescat in pace_ was scarcely uttered, before the blessing
+was craved, on the baked meats. It matters little, from what period of
+history we select our illustrations of this truth. Suppose we take our
+examples from the reign, preceding that, in which Shakspeare was born;
+comprehend some other incidents in our collection; and rely, for our
+authority, on good old John Strype, who was himself born in 1643. There is
+no higher authority. I will present a few specimens from his
+Ecclesiastical Memorials: "1557, May 5. Was the Lady Chamberlain buried.
+At the mass preached Dr. Chadsey. A great dole of money given at the
+church, and after, a great dinner. May 29, was buried Mrs. Gates; after
+mass a great dinner. June 7, began a stage play at the Grey Friars of the
+passion of Christ. June 10.--This day Sir John, a chantry priest, hung
+himself with his own girdle. The same day was the storehouse in Portsmouth
+burnt, much beer and victual destroyed. A judgment, perhaps, for burning
+so many innocent persons. June 29.--This same day was the second year's
+mind (i. e. yearly _obit_) of good master Lewyn, ironmonger; at his dirge
+were all the livery. After, they retired to the widow's place, where they
+had a cake and wine; and besides the parish, all comers treated." Aug.
+3.--After giving a long account of the funeral of Ann of Cleves, Strype
+adds, "and so they went in order to dinner." After reciting the
+particulars of the King of Denmark's funeral, in London, Aug. 18, 1557, he
+adds: "After the dirge, all the heralds and all the Lords went into the
+Bishop of London's place, and drank. The next day was the morrow-mass, and
+a goodly sermon preached, and after, to my Lord of London's to dinner."
+
+The account of the funeral of Thomas Halley is entitled to be presented
+entire: "On the 24th of this month, August, Mr. Thomas Halley,
+clarentieux, king-at-arms, was buried, in St. Giles's parish, without
+Cripplegate, with coat, armor, and pennon of arms, and scutcheons of his
+arms, and two white branches, twelve staff torches, and four great tapers,
+and a crown. And, after dirge, the heralds repaired unto Greenhill, the
+waxchandler, a man of note (being waxchandler to Cardinal Pole) living
+hard by; where they had spice-bread and cheese, and wine, great plenty.
+The morrow-mass was also celebrated, and sermon preached; and after
+followed a great dinner, whereat were all the heralds, together with the
+parishioners. There was a supper also, as well as a dinner." After a long
+account of the funeral of the Countess of Arundel, Oct. 5, 1557, follow
+the customary words--"and, after, all departed to my Lord's place to
+dinner." "Nov. 12, Mr. Maynard, merchant, was buried; and after, the
+company departed to his house, at Poplar, to a great dinner." "Oct. 19,
+died the Lord Bray; and so he went by water to Chelsea to be buried, &c.
+&c. Many priests and clerks attended. They all came back to this Lord's
+place, at Blackfriars, to dinner." At the funeral of Richard Capet, Feb.
+1, "All return to dinner." "On the 16th, Mr. Pynohe, fishmonger, and a
+brother of Jesus, was buried. All being performed at the church, the
+company retired to his house to drink." On the 24th, "a great dinner,"
+after the funeral of Sir George Bowers. This testimony is inexhaustible.
+After the funeral of Lady White, March 2, Strype says "there was as great
+a dinner as had been seen." I will close with two examples. "Aug. 3, 1588.
+The Lady Rowlet was buried; and after mass, the company retreated to the
+place to dinner, which was plentifully furnished with venison, fresh
+salmon, fresh sturgeon, and many other fine dishes. On the 12th, died Mr.
+Machyl, alderman and clothesworker." After a sermon by a grey friar, "the
+Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and all the mourners and ladies went to dinner,
+which was very splendid, lacking no good meat, both flesh and fish, and an
+hundred marchpanes."
+
+It is certain, that all this appears to us now to have been in very bad
+taste; and it is not easy to comprehend the principle, which conducted to
+the perpetration of such sensual absurdities; unless we suppose it to have
+been the design of all concerned, to felicitate the heir, upon his coming
+to possession; the widow, upon the fruition of an ample dower and abundant
+leisure; or the widower, upon the recovery of his liberty. This is not the
+only occasion, upon which man's features are required, from the extreme
+suddenness of the change, to undergo a process of moral distortion,
+amounting to grimace. Thus, grief, for the death of one monarch, is rudely
+expressed, by turbulent joy at the succession of another. Suffer me to
+conclude, in the words of father Strype--"The same day queen Mary
+deceased, in the morning between 11 and 12, the Lady Elizabeth was
+proclaimed queen: in the afternoon all the churches in London rang their
+bells; and at night were bonfires made, and tables set in the streets, and
+the people did eat, and drink, and make merry."
+
+
+
+
+No. XXVI.
+
+
+Among the dead--the mighty dead--there is one, in regard to whom, our
+national dealings may be fairly set forth, in the words of Desdemona--
+
+  In faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange;
+  'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful:
+  She wish'd she had not heard it.
+
+Forty-nine years have passed, since the interment of George Washington.
+Forty-nine years ago, "the joint committee," says Chief Justice Marshall,
+"which had been appointed to devise the mode, by which the nation should
+express its feelings, on this melancholy occasion, reported" a series of
+resolutions, among which was the following: "That a marble monument be
+erected, by the United States, at the city of Washington, and that the
+family of General Washington be requested to permit his body to be
+deposited under it; and that the monument be so designed, as to
+commemorate the great events of his military and political life." To the
+letter, transmitting the resolutions to Mrs. Washington, she replied, as
+follows: "Taught by the great example, which I have so long had before me,
+never to oppose my private wishes to the public will, I must consent to
+the request made by Congress, which you have had the goodness to transmit
+to me; and, in doing this, I need not, I cannot, say what a sacrifice of
+individual feeling I make, to a sense of public duty."
+
+All this is very fine. The nation requested permission to remove the
+remains--Mrs. Washington consented--but that monument! The remains have
+slumbered quietly, where they first were interred, for nine and forty
+years--and the monument is like Rachel's first born--it is not! There is
+something better in prospect. Such, however, is the record thus far. It is
+very true he needs no monument. No immortal can say more justly, from his
+elevated sphere, to every inhabitant of this vast empire, _si monumentum
+quaeris, circumspice_!
+
+This fact, however, so far from taking the tithe of a hair from the
+balance of this account, illustrates the national delinquency. It may be
+matter of amusing speculation, to contrast the zeal, which prevails,
+especially in England, in relation to the most trifling memorials of
+Shakspeare, and the popular indifference, in regard to certain relics,
+known to have been the property of Washington, and to have been personally
+used by him.
+
+All are familiar with the recent excitement, on the subject of
+Shakspeare's house--that mulberry tree--a hair of him, for memory.
+
+Washington's library has lately been sold, for just about the price of
+four shares in one of the cotton mills at Lowell. A few years since, the
+cabinet of medals, struck at different times, in honor of the Father of
+his country, and which had become the property of one of his
+representatives, was sold by him, for five hundred dollars, and purchased
+by an individual citizen of Massachusetts. There are some things,
+seemingly so vast--so very--very national--that one can scarcely believe
+it possible for any private cabinet to contain them gracefully.
+
+Soon after the destruction of the Bastile, July 14, 1789, La Fayette sent
+its massive key to Washington--his political father--as the first fruits
+of those principles of liberty, which were then supposed to be bourgeoning
+forth, in a _free_ French soil. This colossal key was suspended, in the
+front entry, at Mount Vernon. A short time ago, an aged friend, residing
+in a neighboring town, and once intimate in the family of Washington, told
+me he had often seen that famous key, in its well known position. This
+also became the property of Washington's representatives. A few years
+since, I saw it stated, in the public journals, that, among other effects,
+this key of the Bastile was sold at auction, and purchased for
+seventy-five cents, by a gentleman, who had the good taste to return it to
+some member of the family.
+
+Eminent men, as they arise, are occasionally compared to Washington.
+Points of resemblance, now and then, may assuredly be found; but there
+never breathed a man, whose mental and moral properties combined, could
+endure a rigid comparison with his. Whoever attempts to run this parallel,
+between him and any other, will readily acknowledge the truth of the
+proverb, _nullum simile quatuor pedibus currit_. Select the example from
+the present, or the past, from our own or from other lands, and inquire,
+to which of them all would Erskine, so chary of his praise, so slow of
+faith in his fellow, have applied those memorable words, inscribed, in the
+presentation copy of his work, transmitted to Washington--_You, sir, are
+the only individual, for whom I ever felt an awful reverence_. Of whom
+else would Lord Brougham have pronounced this remarkable passage--"It will
+be the duty of the historian and the sage, in all ages, to omit no
+occasion of commemorating this illustrious man; and, until time shall be
+no more, will a test of the progress, which our race has made in wisdom
+and virtue, be derived, from the veneration paid to the immortal name of
+Washington."
+
+I have not yet met with any gentleman of our calling, who is not decidedly
+in favor of the election of General Taylor, or who would not gratuitously
+attend, in a professional way, upon Messieurs Cass and Van Buren. We
+perceive a resemblance between the first president and the present
+candidate, in their willingness to draw long bills on posterity for fame,
+in preference to numerous drafts, at sight, without grace, for daily
+applause. But we behold, in Washington, the image and superscription, not
+of Caesar, but of a peerless mortal--of one, created, verily, a little
+lower than the angels--
+
+  "A combination, and a form, indeed,
+  Where every god did seem to set his seal,
+  To give the world assurance of a man."
+
+No men have done more to bedim the reputation of Washington, than
+Jefferson and Randolph. Verily they have their reward. In no portion of
+our country has the memory of that great man been more universally
+cherished and beloved, than in New England. A sentiment, not only of
+reverence for his character, but of affection for his person, was very
+general, in this quarter; and manifested itself, in a remarkable manner,
+upon the occasion of his death. Nothing could have been more unexpected,
+than the announcement of that event, in Boston. I will close this article,
+with a simple illustration of the popular feeling, when the sad tidings
+arrived. At the close of that year, 1799--I was a small boy then--I was
+returning from a ride on horseback, to Dorchester Point--there was no
+bridge, and it was quite a journey. As I approached the town, I was very
+much surprised, at the tolling of the bells. Upon reaching home, I saw my
+old father, at an unusual hour for him, the busiest man alive, to be at
+home, sitting alone in our parlor, with his bandanna before his eyes. I
+ran towards him, with the thoughtless gayety of youth, and asked what the
+bells were tolling for. He withdrew the handkerchief from his face--the
+tears were rolling down his fine old features--"Go away child," said he,
+"don't disturb me; do you not know, that Washington is dead?"
+
+The reader has surmised, that the worthy old man had sipped at the
+fountain of executive patronage. Not at all. He had never seen Washington,
+and never held an office civil or military, saving under Hancock's
+commission, as justice of the peace, which was accounted a very pretty
+compliment, in those days. No. He was nothing but an American, and he shed
+those American tears, upon the death of one, whose character and conduct
+had filled his heart with sentiments of pride, and love, and "awful
+reverence."
+
+
+
+
+No. XXVII.
+
+
+I am rather inclined to suspect, that man is a selfish animal. A few days
+ago, I administered a merited rebuke to a group of young sextons, who had
+gathered together, after a funeral, and were seated upon a barrow bier,
+before an unclosed tomb. They had been discussing the subject of capital
+punishment, and were opposed to it unanimously. They frankly admitted,
+that they were not influenced, by any consideration of humanity, but
+looked simply to the fact, that, as the bodies of executed criminals went,
+commonly, to the surgeons, every execution deprived us of a job. One
+observed, that Boston was dreadfully healthy--another remarked, that
+homoeopathy had proved a considerable help to us. Several compliments were
+paid to Thompson, Brandreth, and Mrs. Kidder. But they appeared to
+anticipate emolument from no source, so certainly, as from the approaching
+cholera.
+
+I was greatly shocked, and expressed my opinion very freely. I reminded
+them of the primitive dignity of the sacristan's office. I should deeply
+regret, to see our calling reduced to the level of a mere trade, with its
+tariff--shrouds all rising--coffins looking up! We have a fair share of
+funerals, and the members of our profession have no just cause for
+complaint. Steam has helped us prodigiously. It has been said, that,
+comparing the amount of steam travel with the amount of ante-steam travel,
+i. e., the present with the past, the relative amount of deaths, from
+accident, is about the same. Suppose it to be so; the cheapness and
+facility of locomotion, at present, stimulate a much larger number to
+move--there is a vast increase of frivolous and pleasure travel--cars are
+filled with women, crates with bandboxes, and death is to be averaged over
+the integer--I therefore repeat, that steam has helped our profession. If
+steam had been known, in ancient Rome, it would have been reckoned a
+deity, whose diet, like the sacrifice of Juggernaut, would have been flesh
+and blood.
+
+There is a very natural sensibility, on the part of steamboat and railroad
+proprietors, to the announcement of disasters, by steam. There is a
+wonderful eagerness to persuade the public to contemplate these
+catastrophes, with the larger end of the telescope toward the eye. This
+also is a great help to our profession. There is really no lack of
+business, and it is quite abominable, for thoughtless young sextons to
+pray for the advent of the cholera.
+
+We dwell in a region of the earth, seldom touched by this besom of
+destruction. Pestilence and famine have rarely come nigh unto us. It would
+be impious to envy the denizens of milder climes.
+
+  "With gold and gems if Chilian mountains glow,
+    If bleak and barren Scotia's hills arise;
+  There plague and poison, lust and rapine grow,
+    Here peaceful are the vales and pure the skies."
+
+I thank heaven, I was not an undertaker, in London, in 1665, when there
+were scarcely enough of the living to bury the dead. When I used to wrap
+myself up, in the pages of Robinson Crusoe, how little I suspected, that
+Daniel Defoe was the writer of some twenty volumes beside. His inimitable
+history of the plague, of 1665, is admirable reading, for the members of
+our craft.
+
+At irregular periods, plague, yellow fever, sweating sickness, and cholera
+have visited the earth, with terrible effect. Let us take a cursory view
+of these awful visitations. A. D. 78, 10,000 perished daily at Rome. The
+plague returned there A. D. 167. Terrible plague in Britain A. D. 430. A
+dreadful plague spread over Europe, Asia and Africa, A. D. 558, and
+continued, for several years. 200,000 died of the plague in
+Constantinople, A. D. 746. This plague raged for three years, and extended
+to Calabria, Sicily and Greece. William of Malmsbury states, that A. D.
+772, an epidemic disease carried off 34,000 in Chichester, England. 40,000
+died of pestilence in Scotland, A. D. 954. Hollingshed gives an account of
+a terrible plague among cattle, A. D. 1111, and in Ireland A. D. 1204. In
+this year a general plague raged in Europe. In London 200 persons were
+buried daily, in the Charterhouse yard. A dreadful mortality prevailed in
+London and Paris, A. D. 1362 and '7. Great pestilence in Ireland A. D.
+1383. Endemic destroyed 30,000 in London A. D. 1407. Great numbers died of
+plague in Ireland, following famine, A. D. 1466. Dublin was severely
+visited with plague A. D. 1470. Rapin and Salmon give an account of the
+plague at Oxford, A. D. 1471, and throughout England A. D. 1478.
+
+The sweating sickness, _sudor Anglicus_, first appeared, in England, in
+1483, in the army of Henry VII., on his landing at Milfordhaven. A year
+or two after, it travelled to London, and remained there, with
+intermissions, for forty years. It then passed over to the continent, and
+overran Holland, Germany, Flanders, France, Denmark, and Norway. It
+continued in those countries, from 1525 to 1530; it then returned to
+England; and was last known there, in 1551. It was a malignant fever,
+accompanied with very great thirst, delirium, and excessive sweat. Dr.
+Caius called it "a contagious, pestilential fever of one day, prevailing
+with a mighty slaughter, as tremendous as the plague of Athens." Dr.
+Willis says, "Its malignity was so extreme, that as soon as it entered a
+city, it made a daily attack, on five or six hundred persons, of whom
+scarcely one in a hundred recovered." Strype says, "The plague of sweat
+this summer, 1551, was very severe, and carried away multitudes of people,
+rich and poor, especially in London, where, in one day, July 10th, died an
+hundred people, and the next, one hundred and twenty. From the 8th of this
+month to the 19th, there died in London, of this sweat, 872."
+
+Stowe says that, in the 9th year of Henry VII., 1517, half the population,
+in the capital towns of England, died of the sweating sickness: and that
+it proved fatal, in three hours. In the year 1500, Stowe also says, that
+the plague was so terrible in London, that Henry VII. and his court went
+over to Calais. The plague prevailed in England and Ireland, in 1603, and
+in London 30,000 persons died. In 1611, 200,000 died of pestilence, in
+Constantinople; 35,000 persons died of an epidemic in London, in 1625. In
+1632 a general mortality prevailed in France; 60,000 died in Lyons. The
+plague was brought from Sardinia to Naples, in 1656, and 400,000 of the
+Neapolitans died, in six months. In the great plague of London, of 1665,
+described by De Foe, 68,596 persons died. In 1720, 60,000 perished of the
+plague at Marseilles.
+
+An account is given, by the Abbe Mariti, of one of the most awful plagues
+ever known, which prevailed in Syria, in 1760. In Persia, 80,000
+inhabitants of Bassorah, died of the plague, in 1773. In 1792, the plague
+destroyed 800,000 persons in Egypt. In 1799, 247,000 died of the plague at
+Fez; and in Barbary, 3000 daily, for several days. In 1804 and '5, an
+immense number were destroyed, by the plague, in Gibraltar. At the same
+place, in 1828, many were swept away, by an epidemic fever, scarce
+distinguishable from the plague. Verily the vocation of an undertaker is
+anything but a sinecure! But, in such terrible emergencies, as were hourly
+occurring, during the prevalence of the great plague of London, such an
+operator as Pontraci would have cast aside all thoughts of shrouds and
+coffins. In one single night 4000 died. The hearses were common dead
+carts; and the continued cry, _bring out your dead_, rang through every
+heart. Defoe rates the victims of the plague of 1665, at 100,000.
+
+At present, we have a deeper interest in the pestilence of modern times,
+though by some accounted of great antiquity. The Indian or Asiatic cholera
+traversed the north, east and south of Europe, and the countries of Asia,
+and, in two years, prostrated 900,000 victims. It subsequently appeared in
+England, at Sunderland, Oct. 26, 1831; in Scotland, at Edinburgh, Feb. 6,
+1832; in Ireland, at Dublin, March 3, 1832. The mortality was great, but
+much less than upon the continent. Between March and August, 1832, 18,000
+died of cholera, in Paris. In July and August, 1837, it reappeared in
+Rome, the Two Sicilies, Genoa, Berlin, and some other cities. Its ravages,
+in this country, were far less notable, than in many others. It is very
+wise to cast about us, and determine what we will do, if it should come
+again, and it is very likely to take us in its progress. But let us not
+forget, that it will most easily approach us, through our fears; and
+probably, in no disease, are fear and grief more fatal _avant couriers_,
+than in affections of the abdominal viscera.
+
+I am half inclined to the opinion of a charming old lady of my
+acquaintance, who, after listening to a learned discussion, as to the seat
+of the soul--the fountain of sensibility,--and whether or not it was
+seated in the conarion--the pineal gland--gave her decided opinion, that
+it was seated in the bowels.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXVIII.
+
+
+The dead speak from their coffins--from their very graves--and verily the
+heart of the true mourner hath ears to hear. Gloves and rings are the
+valedictories of the dead--their _vales_, or parting tokens, received by
+the mourners, at the hand of some surviving friend. This appropriated
+word, _vale_, as almost every one knows, is the leave-taking expression
+of the mourners; and, when anglicised, and used in the plural number, as
+one syllable, signifies those _vales_ or vails, tokens, in various forms,
+from shillings to crown pieces, bestowed by parting visitors, on
+domestics, from the head waiter to the scullion. They are intended as
+leave tokens. Every servant, in the families of the nobility, from the
+highest to the lowest, expects a _vale_, not in the classical sense of
+Menalcas--_Longum, formose, vale, vale_, but in lawful money, intelligible
+coin. This practice had become so oppressive to visitors, in the early
+part of the reign of George III., that Sir Jonas Hanway, remarkable, among
+other things, for his controversy with Dr. Johnson, on the subject of tea
+drinking, wrote and published eight letters to the Duke of Newcastle,
+against the custom of giving vails, in which he relates some very amusing
+anecdotes. Mr. Hanway, being quietly reproached, by a friend, in high
+station, for not accepting his invitations to dinner, more frequently,
+frankly replied, "Indeed, my Lord, I cannot afford it." He recites the
+manner of leaving a gentleman's house, where he had dined; the servants,
+as usual, flocked around him--"your great coat, Sir Jonas"--a
+shilling--"your hat, sir:" a shilling--"stick, sir:" a shilling--"umbrella,
+sir:" a shilling--"sir, your gloves"--"well, keep the gloves, they are not
+worth the shilling." A remarkable example of the insolence of a pampered
+menial was related to Mr. Hanway, by Sir Timothy Waldo. He had dined with
+the Duke of Newcastle: as he was departing, and handing over his coin to
+the train of servants, that lined the hall, he put a crown into the hand
+of the chief cook, who returned it, saying, "I never take silver, sir."
+"Indeed"--Sir Timothy replied, returning the piece to his pocket, "I never
+give gold."
+
+Sir Jonas was an excellent man; and, whatever objections he may have had
+to the practice of giving extravagant vails to servants, I think he would
+have little or nothing to say, against the practice of giving such vails,
+as the dead may be supposed, vicariously, to bestow upon the living, in
+the form of rings and gloves. The dead, it must be conceded, seem not so
+much disposed to give vails, at present, as they were, one hundred years
+ago. In such dispensations, in the olden time, the good man, the
+clergyman, was seldom forgotten. Gloves and rings were showered down, upon
+the Lord's anointed, at weddings, christenings, and funerals. When a
+child, I was very much puzzled, upon two points; first, what became of
+all the old moons, and, secondly, what the minister did with his gloves
+and rings. If he had had the hands of Briareus, he could not have worn
+them all.
+
+An interesting little volume is now lying upon my table, which explains
+the mystery, not at all, in relation to the moons, but most happily, in
+respect to rings and gloves. It is the Astronomical Diary or Almanac of
+Nathaniel Ames, Boston, New England, printed by J. Draper, for the
+booksellers, 1748. This little book is interleaved; and the blank leaves
+are written over, in the hand-writing of good old Andrew Eliot, who, April
+14, 1742, was ordained pastor of the new North Church, in Boston, as
+colleague with Mr. Webb, where, possessing very little of the locomotive
+or migratory spirit of the moderns, this excellent man remained, till his
+death, Sept. 13, 1778. If gall and wormwood are essential to the
+perfection of Christian theology, Dr. Eliot was singularly deficient, as a
+teacher of religion. His sermons were very full of practical godliness,
+and singularly free from brimstone and fire. He was elected President of
+Harvard University, but his attachment to his people caused him to decline
+the appointment. After this passing tribute, let us return to the little
+Almanac of 1748. On the inside of the marble cover the first entry
+commences thus: "Gloves, 1748, January." The gloves, received by Dr.
+Eliot, are set against particular names, and under every month, in the
+year. Certain names are marked with asterisks, doubtless denoting, that
+the parties were dead, or _stelligeri_, after the fashion of the College
+catalogue; and thus the good doctor discriminated, between funerals, and
+weddings and christenings. Although a goodly number of rings are enrolled,
+together with the gloves, yet a page is devoted to rings, exclusively, in
+the middle of the book. This is not arranged, under months, but years; and
+commences, in 1741, the year before he was ordained, as colleague with Mr.
+Webb. At the bottom of the record, the good man states how many pairs were
+kid; how many were lambswool; and how many were long or women's gloves,
+intended, of course, for the parson's lady.
+
+These rings and gloves were sold, by the worthy doctor, with the exception
+of such, as were distributed, in his own household, not a small one, for
+he left eleven children. A prejudice might have prevailed, an hundred
+years ago, against dead men's gloves, similar to that, recorded in the
+proverb, against dead men's shoes; certain it is, these gloves did not
+meet with a very ready market. It appears by the record, in the doctor's
+own hand, that Mrs. Avis was entrusted with fifteen pairs of women's and
+three dozen of men's; and returned, unsold, eight pairs of women's, and
+one dozen and ten pairs of men's. A dozen pairs of men's were committed to
+Mrs. Langstaff; half a dozen women's to Mr. Langdon, and seventeen pairs
+to Captain Millens. What a glove and ring market the dear Doctor's study
+must have been. In thirty-two years, he appears to have received two
+thousand nine hundred and forty pairs of gloves, at funerals, weddings,
+and baptisms. Of these he sold to the amount of fourteen hundred and forty
+one pounds, eighteen shillings, and one penny, old tenor, equal to about
+six hundred and forty dollars. He also sold a goodly number of his rings.
+From all this, the conclusion is irresistible, that this truly good man
+and faithful minister must have been, if I may use the common expression,
+hand and glove with his parishioners. The little volume before me contains
+the record of other matters, highly interesting, doubtless, in their day
+but of precious little moment, at the present hour. Of what importance can
+it be, I beg leave to inquire, for any one to know, on what precise day,
+one hundred years ago, the worthy pastor borrowed a box of candles of
+Deacon Langdon, or a loaf of sugar of his own father, or ten shillings,
+old tenor, of Deacon Grant! Who, of the present generation, cares, on what
+day, one hundred years ago, he repaid those three pounds to Deacon
+Barrett! Of what consequence to any living mortal can it be, that, on the
+thirteenth day of April, one hundred years ago, Betty Bouve came to live
+at the manse, as a maid! It is past. The last of that box of candles has
+burnt down into the socket, long ago. That sugar has dissolved, and lost
+its sweetness. And Betty Bouve! The places that knew her know her no more.
+Her sweeping days are over; for time, with its irresistible broom, hath
+swept her from the face of the earth, and given her the grave for a
+dustpan.
+
+The good old man himself has been called to the account of his
+stewardship. "It was a pleasant day," saith Father Gannett, on the
+fly-leaf of his almanac, "Sept. 15, 1778, when near four hundred couples
+and thirty-two carriages followed the remains of Dr. Andrew Eliot from his
+house, before the south side of his meeting-house, into Fore Street, up
+Cross Street, through Black Horse Lane, to Corpse Hill." I adopt Mr.
+Gannett's orthography, though rather less accurate than applicable.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXIX.
+
+
+The true value of an enlightened conscience may be duly estimated by him,
+who has enjoyed the luxury of travelling in the dark, with the assistance
+of a lantern, without a candle. A man, who has a very strong sense of
+duty, and very little common sense, is apt to be a very troublesome
+fellow; for he is likely to unite the stupidity of an ass with the
+obstinacy of a mule. Yet such there are; and, however inconvenient,
+individually, the evil is immeasurably increased, when they become
+gregarious, and form a party, for any purpose whatever. Such conscience
+parties have existed, in every age and nation. A few individuals, of
+higher intelligence, dissatisfied with their civil, political, military,
+religious, or literary importance, and fatally bent upon distinction, are
+necessary to elevate some enormous green cheese high in the firmament, and
+persuade their followers, that it is neither more nor less than the moon,
+at full. Herod was the great director of that conscience party, that
+believed it to be their bounden duty, to murder all the little children in
+Judea, under a certain age. The terrible sacrifice, on St. Bartholomew's
+eve, was conducted by a conscience party. The burnings and starvings, in
+bloody Mary's reign, were planned and executed, by a conscience party. In
+no country has conscience been so very rampant, as in Ireland, from the
+days of Heremon and King Olam Fodla, to the present hour. Almost every
+reader is aware how conscientiously Archbishop Sharp was murdered, in
+presence of his daughter, in Scotland.
+
+The widows of Hindostan, when they attempt to escape from the funeral
+pile, on which their late husbands are burning, are driven back into the
+flames, by a conscience party. It is well known, that certain inhabitants
+of India deposit their aged and decrepit parents, upon the very margin of
+the river, that the rising waters may bear them away. This is not the act
+of a few individuals; but the common practice, clearly indicating the
+existence of a conscience party, who undoubtedly believe they are acting,
+in a most filial and dutiful manner, and doing the very best thing in the
+world, for all parties. Infanticide is tolerated in China. Very little
+account is made of female babies there. This has been doubted and denied.
+Doubt and denial are of no use. There is a conscience party there, who
+believe it to be their duty to their male babies, to drown the females,
+unless they are pretty, and then they have a chance for life, in being
+sold for concubines. Among the numerous and best modern authorities, on
+this point, is Gutzlaff, whose voyages, along the coast of China, were
+published, in London, 1834. "At the beach of Amoy," says he, "we were
+shocked, at the spectacle of a pretty, new-born babe, which, shortly
+before, had been killed. We asked some of the bystanders what this meant;
+they answered with indifference, 'it is only a girl.'" On page 174,
+Gutzlaff remarks, "It is a general custom among them to drown a large
+proportion of their new-born female children. This unnatural crime is so
+common, that it is perpetrated, without any feeling, and even in a
+laughing mood; and, to ask a man of distinction, whether he has daughters,
+is a mark of great rudeness." Earle, in his narrative of New Zealand,
+London, 1832, states that the practice existed there.
+
+The insurrection of Shays, in this Commonwealth, in 1787, was a matter of
+conscience, beyond all doubt. He and many of his associates believed
+themselves a conscience party. After General Lincoln had suppressed the
+rebellion, great lenity was shown to the prisoners--not an individual was
+executed--and Shays, who died in 1825, at the age of 85, was even
+pensioned, in his old age, for his prior services in the revolution.
+
+The revolt of the Pennsylvania line, in 1781, was, I admit, less an affair
+of the conscience, than of the stomach and bowels; for the poor fellows
+were nearly starved to death. The insurrection under Fries, commonly
+called the whiskey rebellion, in Western Pennsylvania, in 1792, was a
+different affair. A conscience party resolved to drink nothing but untaxed
+whiskey--they conscientiously believed the flavor to be utterly ruined, by
+the excise. It is certain, that, when General Washington moved against the
+rebels, there was conscience enough, among them, to make cowards of them
+all, for they scattered, in all directions.
+
+A conscience party existed, in the early settlement of our country, when
+our pious ancestors, having fled to the howling wilderness, that they
+might enjoy liberty of thought, on religious subjects, began to hang the
+poor Quakers, for the glory of God.
+
+Never before had there been such a conscience party in Massachusetts, as
+from 1689 to 1693. It was then Cotton Mather exclaimed from the pulpit,
+that witchcraft was the "most nefandous high treason against the Majesty
+on high." It was then, that he satisfied himself, by repeated trials, that
+devils were skilled in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. It was then, that they
+hanged old women, for riding on broomsticks through the air; a mode of
+conveyance, which Lord Mansfield declared, long after, to be perfectly
+lawful, for all who preferred that mode of equitation.
+
+A conscience party has recently appeared, in this country, which it is not
+easy to describe. Every other party seems to have contributed to its
+formation. It is a sort of political mosaic, made up of tag, rag, and
+bobtail. Some of the prominent members of this party were whigs, but
+yesterday; and yet they have put forth all their energies, to elect, as
+president, a man, whom they and all other whigs have hitherto opposed, and
+denounced, and who, it was manifest, from the beginning, could not
+possibly be elected. This man has been accounted, by the whigs, a
+political charlatan; and all that he has done, to obtain the support of
+this conscience party, such of them at least, as were once whigs, is to
+avow certain sentiments, on the subject of slavery, the very contrary of
+those, which he has hitherto maintained, most openly and zealously. No
+grave and reflecting whig puts any more confidence, in the promises of
+this political spin-button, than he would put, in the words of Nicholas
+Machiavelli. Nor could this candidate do more to check the progress of
+slavery, than every honest whig believes will be done, by the candidate of
+their party, who certainly resembles Washington, in three particulars; he
+is himself a slaveholder--he is an honest man--and he wears the same
+political phylactery, "_I will be the president of the people, not of a
+party_."
+
+In consideration of the limit of power, neither of these candidates can do
+more than the other, for the object in view, if they were equally honest,
+which nobody dreams of, unless he dreams in Sleepy Hollow. If there had
+been an anti-cholera party, Van Buren might have commanded suffrages, as
+sensibly, by pledging himself to do all in his power, to prevent its
+extension. The remaining candidate, it is agreed, would, if elected, have
+turned the hopes, one and all, of both whig and conscience parties
+topsy-turvy. His election, it is clear, was made more probable, by every
+vote, given by a whig to that candidate, whose election was clearly
+impossible. These irregular whigs, have, therefore, spent their
+ammunition, as profitably, as the old covenanter spent his, who fired a
+horse pistol against the walls of Sterling Castle. Such is the conscience
+party.
+
+When I refer to the universal consent of the whigs, during the former
+canvass for Martin Van Buren, that he was, politically, the very devil
+incarnate; and, in making a selection of those, who were the loudest, and
+longest, and the most vehement of his antagonists, find them to be the
+very leaders of the present movement, in his favor; I am reminded of Peter
+Pindar's pleasant story of the chambermaid and the spider; and, not having
+my copy of Peter at hand, I will endeavor to relate the tale in prose, as
+well as I am able.
+
+A chambermaid, in going her rounds, observed an enormous spider, black and
+bloated, so far from his hole of refuge, that, lifting her broom, she
+exclaimed, "Now, you ugly brute, I have you! You are such a sly, cunning
+knave, and have such a happy non-committal way with you, that I never have
+been able to catch you before; for, the moment I raised my broom, you were
+out of sight, forsooth, and perfectly safe, in that Kinderhook of a hole
+of yours--but, now prepare yourself, for your hour has come." The spider
+turned every one of his eight eyes down upon the chambermaid, and,
+extending his two forelegs in a beseeching manner, calmly replied,
+"Strike, peerless maid, but hear me! I have given you infinite trouble,
+and have been a very bad fellow, I admit. Crafty and cruel, I have been an
+unmitigated oppressor of flies, and all inferior insects. I have sucked
+their blood, and lived upon their marrow. But now my conscience has
+awakened, and I am in favor of letting flies go free. It is not in quest
+of flies, that I am here, sweet maid; (and then he seemed perfectly
+convulsed;) I am changed at heart, and become a new spider. Pardon me for
+speaking the truth; my only object, in being here, is, from this elevated
+spot, to survey your incomparable charms." The chambermaid lowered her
+broom; and gently said, as she walked away, "Well, a spider is not such a
+horrid creature, after all."
+
+I may be thought, in these remarks, to have offended against the
+dictum--_ne sutor ultra crepidam_. Surely I am not guilty--my dealings are
+with _the dead_. Perhaps I am mistaken. The conscience party may not be
+dead, but cataleptic--destined to rise again--to fall more feebly than
+before.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXX.
+
+
+Funerals, in the earlier days of Rome, must have been very showy affairs.
+They were torch-light processions, by night. You will gather some
+information, on this subject, by consulting a note of Servius, on Virg.
+AEn. xi. 143. Cicero, de legibus, ii. 26, says, that Demetrius ordered
+nocturnal funerals, to check the taste for extravagance, in these matters:
+"Iste igitur sumptum minuit, non solum poena, sed etiam tempore; ante
+lucem enim jussit efferri." A more ancient law, of similar import, will be
+found recited, in the oration of Demosthenes, against Macartatus, viii.,
+82, Dove's London ed. Orat. Attici. _Funes_ or _funiculi_ were small ropes
+or cords, covered with wax or tallow; such were the torches, used on such
+occasions; hence the word _funus_ or funeral. A confirmation of this may
+be found in the note of Servius, AEn. i. 727. In a later age, funerals were
+celebrated in the forenoon.
+
+There were some things done, at ancient funerals, which would be accounted
+very extraordinary at the present day. What should we say to a stuffed
+effigy of the defunct, composed entirely of cinnamon, and paraded in the
+procession! Plutarch says; "Such was the quantity of spices brought in by
+the women, at Sylla's funeral, that, exclusive of those carried in two
+hundred and ten great baskets, a figure of Sylla at full length, and of a
+lictor besides, was made entirely of cinnamon, and the choicest
+frankincense."
+
+At the head of Roman funerals, came the _tibicines_, pipers, and
+trumpeters, immediately following the _designator_, or undertaker, and the
+lictors, dressed in black. Next came the "praeficae, quae dabant caeteris
+modum plangendi." These were women hired to mourn, and sing the funeral
+song, who are popularly termed _howlers_. To this practice Horace alludes,
+in his Art of Poetry:
+
+  Ut, qui conducti plorant in funere, dicunt,
+  Et faciunt prope plura dolentibus ex animo--
+
+which Francis well translates:
+
+  As hirelings, paid for the funereal tear,
+  Outweep the sorrows of a friend sincere.
+
+I once witnessed an exhibition of this kind, in one of the West India
+Islands. A planter's funeral occurred, at Christianstadt, the west end of
+Santa Cruz. After the corpse had been lowered into the grave, a wild
+ululation arose, from the mouths of some hundred slaves, who had followed
+from the plantation--"Oh, what good massa he was--good, dear, old massa
+gone--no poor slave eber hab such kind massa--no more any such good, kind
+massa come agin." I noticed one hard-favored fellow, who made a terrible
+noise, and upon whose features, as he turned the whites of his big eyes up
+toward heaven, there was a sinister, and, now and then, rather a comical
+expression, and who, when called to assist in filling up, appeared to
+throw on the earth, as if he did it from the heart.
+
+After the work was done, I called him aside. "You have lost an excellent
+master," said I. The fellow looked warily round, and, perceiving that he
+was not overheard, replied, in an undertone--"No massa, he bad mule--big
+old villain--me glad the debble got him." Having thus relieved himself of
+his feelings, he hastened to join the gang, and I soon saw him, as they
+filed off, on their way back to the plantation, throwing his brawny arms
+aloft, and joining in the cry--"Oh, what kind, good massa he was!" Upon
+inquiry, I learned, that this planter was a very bad mule indeed, a
+merciless old taskmaster.
+
+Not more than ten flute players were allowed, at a funeral, by the Twelve
+Tables. The flutes and trumpets were large and of lugubrious tones; thus
+Ovid, Fast. vi. 660: Cantabat moestis tibia funeribus; and Am. ii. 66: Pro
+longa resonent carmina vestra tuba.
+
+Nothing appears more incomprehensible, in connection with this subject,
+than the employment of players and buffoons, by the ancients, at their
+funerals. This practice is referred to, by Suetonius, in his Life of
+Tiberius, sec. 57. We are told by Dyonisius, vii. 72, that these Ludii,
+Histriones, and Scurrae danced and sang. One of this class of performers
+was a professed mimic, and was styled _Archimimus_. Strange as such a
+proceeding may appear to us, it was his business, to imitate the voice,
+manner, and gestures of the defunct; he supported the dead man's
+character, and repeated his words and sayings. In the Life of Vespasian,
+sec. 19, Suetonius thus describes the proceeding: In funere, Favor,
+archimimus, personam ejus ferens, imitansque, ut est mos, facta ac dicta
+vivi, etc. This Favor must have been a comical fellow, and is as free with
+the dead, as Killigrew, Charles the Second's jester, was, with the
+living; as the reader will perceive, if he will refer to the passage in
+Suetonius: for the fellow openly cracks his jokes, on the absurd expense
+of the funeral. This, we should suppose, was no subject for joking, if we
+may believe the statement of Pliny, xxxiii. 47, that one C. Caecillius
+Claudius, a private citizen, left rather more than nine thousand pounds
+sterling, by his will, for his funeral expenses.
+
+After the archimimus, came the freemen of the deceased, _pileati_; that
+is, wearing their caps of liberty. Men, not unfrequently, as a last act,
+to swell their funeral train, freed their slaves. Before the corpse, were
+carried the images of the defunct and of his ancestors, but not of such,
+as had been found guilty of any heinous crime. Thus Tacitus, ii. 32,
+relates, that the image of Libo was not permitted to accompany the
+obsequies of any of his posterity.
+
+The origin of the common practice of marching at military funerals, with
+arms reversed, is of high antiquity. Thus Virgil xi. 93, at the funeral of
+Pallas--_versis Arcades armis_: and upon another occasion, _versi fasces_
+occur in Tacitus iii. 2, referring to the lictors.
+
+In our cities and large towns, the corpse is commonly borne to the grave,
+in a hearse, or on the shoulders of paid bearers. Originally it was
+otherwise. The office of supporting the body to the grave was supposed to
+belong, of right, and duty, to relatives and friends; or, in the case of
+eminent persons, to public functionaries. Thus, in Tacitus, iii. 2, we
+find the expression, _tribunorum centurionumque humeris cineres
+portabantur_: and, upon the death of Augustus, Tac. i. 8, it was carried
+by acclamation, as we moderns say, _corpus ad rogum humeris senatorum
+ferendum_.
+
+The conduct of both sexes, at funerals, was, in some respects, rather
+ridiculous, in those days. Virgil says of King Latinus, when he lost his
+wife,
+
+  --------it, scissa veste, Latinus,
+  Canitiem immundo perfusam pulvere turpans;
+
+which means, in plain English, that the old monarch went about, with his
+coat torn, defiling his white hair with filthy dust.
+
+Cicero, in his Tusculan Questions, iii. 26, is entirely of this opinion:
+detestabilia genera lugendi, paedores, muliebres lacerationes genarum,
+pectoris, feminum, capitis percussiones--detestable kinds of mourning,
+covering the body with filth, women tearing their cheeks, bosoms, and
+limbs, and knocking their heads. Tibullus, in the concluding lines of his
+charming elegy to Delia, the first of his first book, though he evidently
+derives much happiness, from the conviction, that she will mourn for him,
+and weep over his funeral pile, implores her to spare her lovely cheeks
+and flowing hair. No classical reader will censure me, for transcribing
+this very fine passage:
+
+  Te spectem, suprema mihi quum venerit hora,
+    Te teneam moriens, deficiente manu.
+  Flebis et arsuro positum me, Delia, lecto.
+    Tristibus et lacrymis oscula mixta dabis.
+  Flebis; non tua sunt duro praecordia ferro,
+    Vincta, nec in tenero stat tibi corde silex.
+  Illo non juvenis poterit de funere quisquam
+    Lumina, non virgo, sicca referre domum.
+  Tu manes ne laede meos: sed parce solutis
+    Crinibus, et teneris, Delia, parce genis.
+
+The _suttee_, or sacrifice of the widows of Hindostan, on the funeral pile
+of their husbands, was not more a matter of course, than the laceration of
+the hair and cheeks, among Roman women. It was undoubtedly accounted
+disreputable, for a widow to appear in public, after the recent funeral of
+her husband, with locks unpulled and cheeks unscratched. To such extremity
+had this absurd practice proceeded, that the fifth law of the tenth of the
+Twelve Tables, to which reference has been made, in a former number, was
+enacted to prevent it--_mulieres genas ne radunto_.
+
+No discreet matron perpetrates any such absurdity, in modern times. The
+hair and cheeks of the departed have, occasionally, given evidence of
+considerable laceration, from some cause unknown; but neither the law of
+the Tables, nor the pathos of a Tibullus is commonly required, to prevent
+a Christian widow, from laying violent hands, upon her cheeks or her hair.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXI.
+
+
+The cholera seems to be forgotten--but without reason--for the yellowest
+and most malignant of all yellow fevers is down upon us, proving fatal to
+the peace of many families, and sweeping away our citizens, by hundreds.
+The distemper appears to have originated in California, and to have been
+brought hither, in letters from Governor Mason and others. It is deeply to
+be deplored, that these letters, which are producing all this mischief,
+had not been subjected to the process of smoking and sprinkling with
+vinegar; for the disease is highly contagious. This fever differs entirely
+from the _febris flava_--the _typhus icteroides_ of _Sauvages_. The
+symptoms are somewhat peculiar. The pulse is quick and fluttering--the
+head hot--the patient neglects his business, bolts his food, and wanders
+about--sometimes apparently delirious, and, during the paroxysms, calls
+furiously for a pickaxe and a tin pan. But the most certain indication,
+that the disease has entered into the system, is, not that the patient
+himself becomes yellow, but that everything, upon which he turns his eyes,
+assumes the yellow appearance of gold. The nature of this distemper will,
+however, be much better understood, by the presentation of a few cases of
+actual occurrence.
+
+I. Jeduthan Smink--a carpenter, having a wife and two children, residing
+at No. 9 Loafer's Lane. This is a strongly marked case. Mr. Smink, who is
+about five and twenty years of age, has always entertained the opinion,
+that work did him harm, and that drink did him good--labors--the only way
+in which he will labor--under the delusion, that all is gold that
+glistens--packed up his warming pan and brass kettle, to send them to the
+mint.
+
+II. Laban Larkin, a farmer--caught the fever of a barber, while being
+shaved--persuaded that the unusual yellowness of his squashes and carrots
+can only be accounted for, by the presence of gold dust--turned a field of
+winter rye topsy turvy, in search of it--believes finally, in the sliding
+qualities of subterraneous treasure--thinks his gold has slipped over into
+his neighbor's field of winter rye--offers to dig it all up, at the
+halves--excited and abusive, because his neighbor declines the offer--told
+him he was a superannuated ass, and behind the times.
+
+III. Molly Murphy resides, when at home, which is seldom, in Shelaly
+Court, near the corner, easily found by any one, who will follow his nose;
+has a husband and one child, a dutiful boy, who vends matches and penny
+papers, on week days, and steals, on Sundays, for the support of the
+family. Molly can read; has read what Gov. Mason writes about pigs
+rooting up gold, by mistake, for groundnuts--her brain much disturbed--has
+an impression, that gold may be found almost anywhere--with a tin pan, and
+no other assistance but her son, Tooley Murphy, she has actually dug over
+and washed a pile of filth, in front of her dwelling, which the city
+scavengers have never been able materially to diminish--urges her husband
+to be "aff wid the family for Killyfarny, where the very wheelbarries is
+made out of goold." Dreams of nothing but gold dust, and firmly believes
+it to be the very dust we shall all return to--while asleep, seized her
+husband by the ears, and could scarcely be sufficiently awakened, to
+comprehend that she had not captured the golden calf.
+
+Let us be grave. I shall not inquire, if Bishop Archelaus was right in the
+opinion, that the original golden calf was made, not by the Israelites,
+but by Egyptians, who were the companions of their flight; nor if the
+modern idol be a descendant in the right line. It is somewhat likely, that
+the golden calf of 1848, will grow up to be a terrible bull, for some of
+the adventurers.
+
+That there is gold in California, no one doubts. Governor Mason's standard
+of quantity is rather alarming--there is gold enough, says he, in the
+country, drained by the Sacramento and Joaquin rivers, and more than
+enough, "_to pay the cost of the present war with Mexico, a hundred times
+over_." This is encouraging, and may lead us to look upon the prospect of
+another, with more complacency; though the whole of this treasure will not
+buy back a single slaughtered victim--not one husband to the widow--nor
+one parent to an orphan child--nor one stay and staff, the joy and the
+pride of her life, to the lone mother. _N'importe_--we have gold and
+glory! "The people," says Mr. Mason, "before engaged in cultivating their
+small patches of ground, and guarding their herds of cattle and horses,
+have all gone to the mines. Laborers of every trade have left their work
+benches, and tradesmen their shops. Sailors desert their ships, as fast as
+they arrive on the coast."
+
+There is a marvellous fascination in all this, no doubt; and as fast and
+as far as the knowledge radiates, thousands upon thousands will be rushing
+to the spot. The shilling here, however, which procures a given amount of
+meat, fire and clothes, is equal to the sum, whatever it may be, which,
+there procures the same amount and quality. Loafers and the lovers of
+ease and indolence, who are tobacco chewers, to a man, are desirous of
+flying to this El Dorado. Let them have a care: an ounce of gold dust,
+valued at $12 there, though worth $18 here, is said to have been paid, for
+a plug of tobacco. A traveller in Caffraria, having paid five cowries,
+(shells, the money of the country) for some article, complained, that
+forty were demanded, for a like article, in a village, not far off; and
+inquired if the article was scarce; "no," was the reply, "but cowries are
+very plenty."
+
+Our adventurers intend to remain, perhaps, only till they obtain a
+competency. Even that is not the work of a day; and will be longer, or
+shorter, in the ratio of the consumption of means, for daily support,
+during the operation. There will, doubtless, be some difference also, as
+to the meaning of the word competency. An intelligent merchant, of this
+city, once defined it to mean a little more, in every individual's
+opinion, than he hath. Like the lock of hay, which Miss Edgeworth says is
+attached to the extremity of the pole, and which is ever just so far in
+advance of the hungry horses, in an Irish jaunting car, so competency
+seems to be forever leading us onward, yet is never fairly within our
+grasp.
+
+John Graunt, of whom a good account may be found in Bayle, says, that, if
+the art of making gold were known, and put extensively in practice, it
+would raise the value of silver. Of course it would, and of everything
+else, so far as the quantity of gold, given in exchange for any article,
+is the representative of value. As gold becomes plenty, it will be
+employed for other uses, sauce-pans perhaps, as well as for the increase
+of the circulating medium. The amount of gold, which has passed through
+the British mint, from the accession of Elizabeth, 1558, to 1840, is,
+according to Professor Farraday, 3,353,561 pounds weight troy; and nearly
+one half of this was coined during the reign of George III.
+
+Gold is a good thing, in charitable fingers; but it too frequently
+constructs for itself a chancel in our hearts. It then becomes the golden
+calf, and man an idolater. How dearly we get to love the chink and the
+glitter of our gold! How much like death it does seem, to go off 'change,
+before the last watch!
+
+Three score years and ten, devoted to the turning of pennies! How many of
+us, after we have had our three warnings, still hobble up and down, day
+after day, infinitely more anxious about pennies, than we were, fifty
+years ago, about pounds! An angel, the spirit, for example, of Michael de
+Montaigne, perched upon the City Hall--the eastern end of the ridge
+pole--must be tempted to laugh heartily. Without any angelic pretensions,
+I have done so myself, when, upon certain emergencies, the kegs, boxes,
+and bags of gold and silver, hand-carted and hand borne, have gone from
+bank to bank, backward and forward, often, in a morning, like the slipper,
+in the _jeu de pantoufle_! What an interest is upon the faces of the
+crowd, who gaze upon the very kegs and boxes; feasting upon the bald
+idea--the unprofitable consciousness--that gold and silver are within; and
+reminding one of old George Herbert's lines,--
+
+  "Wise men with pity do behold
+  Fools worship mules, that carry gold."
+
+"Verily," saith an ancient writer, "traffickers and the getters of gain,
+upon the mart, are like unto pismires, each struggling to bear off the
+largest mouthful."
+
+I am glad to see that the moderns are collecting the remains of good old
+George Herbert, and giving them an elegant _surtout_. His address to money
+is a jewel, and none the worse for its antique setting:
+
+    "Money! Thou bane of bliss, and source of wo!
+  Whence com'st thou, that thou art so fresh and fine?
+    I know thy parentage is base and low;
+  Man found thee, poor and dirty, in a mine.
+
+    "Surely thou didst so little contribute
+  To this great kingdom, which thou now hast got,
+    That he was fain, when thou wert destitute,
+  To dig thee out of thy dark cave and grot.
+
+    "Then, forcing thee by fire, he made thee bright;
+  Nay, thou hast got the face of man, for we
+    Have, with our stamp and seal, transferred our right;
+  Thou art the man, and we but dross to thee!
+
+  "Man calleth thee his wealth, who made thee rich,
+  And, while he digs out thee, falls in the ditch."
+
+The mere selfish getters of gain, who dispense it not, are, _civiliter et
+humaniter mortui_--dead as a door nail--dead dogs in the manger! I come
+not to bury them, at present; but, if possible, to awaken some of them
+with my penny trumpet; otherwise they may die in good earnest in their
+sins; their last breath giving evidence of their ruling passion--muttering
+not the _tete d'armee_ of Napoleon, but the last words of that
+accomplished Israelite, who caused his gold to be counted out, before his
+failing eyes--_per shent_.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXII.
+
+
+_Making mourning_, as an abstract phrase, is about as intelligible, as
+_making fish_. These arbitrary modes of expression have ever been well
+enough understood, nevertheless, by those employed in the respective
+operations. _Making mourning_, in ancient times, was assigned to that
+class of hired women, termed _praeficae_, to whom I have had occasion to
+refer. They are thus described, by Stephans--adhiberi solebant funeri,
+mercede conductae, ut flerent, et fortia facta laudarent--they were called
+to funerals, and paid, to shed tears, and relate the famous actions of the
+defunct. Doubtless, by practice, and continual exercise of the will over
+the lachrymary organs, they acquired the power of forcing mechanical
+tears. We have a specimen of this power, in the case of Miss Sophy
+Streatfield, so often referred to, by Madame D'Arblay, in her account of
+those happy days at Mrs. Thrale's. _Making mourning_, in modern times, is,
+with a few touching exceptions, confined to that important class, the
+dress-makers.
+
+The time allowed, for mourning, was determined, by the laws of Numa.
+Plutarch informs us, that no mourning was allowed, for a child, that died
+under three years, and for all others, a month, for every year it had
+lived, but never to exceed ten, which was the longest term, allowed for
+any mourning. We often meet with the term, _luctus annus_, the year of
+mourning; but the year of Romulus contained but ten months; and, though
+Numa added two, to the calendar, the term of mourning remained unchanged.
+The howlers, or wailing women, were employed also in Greece, and in Judea.
+Thus in Jeremiah ix. 17, _call for the mourning women, &c., and let them
+make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with
+tears, &c._
+
+By the laws of Numa, widows were required to mourn ten months or during
+the year of Romulus. Thus Ovid, Fast. i. 35:
+
+  Per totidem menses a funere conjugis uxor
+    Sustinet in vidua tristia signa domo.
+
+Numa was rather severe upon widows. The _tristia signa_, spoken of by
+Ovid, were sufficiently mournful. According to Kirchmaun de Fun. iv. 11,
+they were not to stir abroad in public--to abstain entirely from all
+entertainments--to lay aside every kind of ornament--to dress in
+black--and not even to kindle a fire, in their houses. Not content with
+stinting and freezing these poor, lone creatures, to death, Numa forbade
+them to repeat the matrimonial experiment, for ten months. Indeed, it was
+accounted infamous, for a widow to marry, within that period. As though he
+were resolved to add insult to injury, he, according to Plutarch,
+permitted those to violate this law, who would make up their minds, to
+sacrifice a cow with calf. This unnatural sacrifice was intended, by Numa,
+to frighten the widows. Doubtless, in many instances, the legislative
+bugbear was effectual; but it is quite probable there were some courageous
+women, in those days, as there are, at present, who would have slaughtered
+a whole drove, rather than yield the tender point.
+
+The Jews expressed their grief, for the death of their near friends, by
+weeping, and crying aloud, beating their breasts, rending their clothes,
+tearing their flesh, pulling their hair, and starving themselves. They
+neither dressed, nor made their beds, nor washed, nor saw visitors, nor
+shaved, nor cut their nails, and made their toilets with sackcloth and
+ashes. The mourning of the Jews lasted commonly seven days, and never more
+than thirty--quite long enough, we should think, for such an exhibition of
+filth and folly. The Greeks also did much of all this--they covered
+themselves with dust and dirt, and rolled in the mire, and beat their
+breasts, and tore their faces.
+
+The color of the mourning garb, among the Romans, was originally
+black--from the time of Domitian, white. At present, the color of the
+mourning dress, in Europe is black--in China white--in Turkey blue or
+violet--in Egypt yellow--in Ethiopia brown. There have come down to us two
+admirable letters from Seneca, 63, and 99, on the subject of lamentation
+for the dead; the first to Lucilius, after the death of his friend,
+Flaccus--the second to Lucilius, communicating the letter Seneca had
+written to Murullus, on the death of his son. These letters must be read,
+_cum grano salis_, on account of the stoical philosophy of the writer. He
+admits the propriety of decent sorrow, but is opposed to violent and
+unmeasured lamentations--_nec sicci sint occuli, amisso amico, nec
+fluant_--shed tears, if you have lost your friend, but do not cry your
+eyes out--_lacrimandum est, non plorandum_--let there be weeping, but not
+wailing. He cites, for the advantage of Lucilius, the counsel of Ulysses
+to Achilles, whose grief, for the death of Patroclus, had become
+inordinate, to give one whole day to his sorrow, and have done with it. He
+considers it not honorable, for men, to exhibit their grief, beyond the
+term of two or three days. Such, upon the authority of Tacitus De Mor.
+Germ. 27, was the practice of the ancient Germans. Funerum nulla ambitio:
+... struem rogi nec vestibus, nec odoribus, cumulant: ... lamenta ac
+lacrimas cito, dolorem et tristitiam tarde, ponunt; feminis lugere
+honestum est; viris meminisse: there was no pride of funereal parade; they
+heaped no garments, no odors, upon the pile; they speedily laid aside
+their tears and laments; not so their grief and sorrow. It was becoming,
+for _women_ to mourn; for _men_ to cherish in their memories.
+
+In his letter to Lucilius, Seneca enters upon an investigation, as to the
+real origin of all this apparent sorrow, so freely and generally
+manifested, for the dead; and his sober conviction breaks forth, in the
+words--Nemo tristis sibi est. O infelicem stultitiam! est aliqua et
+doloris ambitio! No one mourns for himself alone. Oh miserable folly!
+There is ambition, even in our sorrow! This passage recalls Martial's
+epigram, 34, De Gellia:
+
+  Amissum non flet, quum sola est Gellia, patrem;
+    Si quis adest, jussae prosiliunt lacrymae.
+  Non dolet hic, quisquis landari, Gellia, quaerit;
+    Ille dolet vere, qui sine teste dolet.
+
+Arthur Murphy, in his edition of Dr. Johnson's works, ascribes to that
+great man the following extraordinary lines:
+
+  If the man, who turnips cries,
+  Cry not, when his father dies,
+  'Tis a proof, that he had rather
+  Have a turnip than his father.
+
+Under the doctor's sanction, for a bagatelle, I may offer a translation of
+Martial's epigram:
+
+  When no living soul is nigh,
+  Gellia's filial grief is dry;
+  Call, some morning, and I'll warrant
+  Gellia'l shed a perfect torrent.
+  Tears unforc'd true sorrow draws:
+  Gellia weeps for mere applause.
+
+It is our fortune to witness not a little of this, in our line. We are
+compelled to drop in, at odd, disjointed moments, when the not altogether
+disagreeable occupations of the survivors contrast, rather oddly, to be
+sure, with the graver duties to the dead. A rich widow, like Dr. Johnson's
+_protege_, in his letter to Chesterfield, is commonly overburdened with
+help. It is quite surprising, to observe the solicitude about her health,
+and how very fervent the hope of her neighbors becomes, that she may not
+have taken cold. The most prominent personages, after the widow and the
+next of kin, are the coffin-maker and the dress-maker--both are solicitous
+of making an excellent fit. Those, who, like myself, have had long
+practice in families, are often admitted to familiar interviews with the
+chief mourners, which are likely to take place, in the midst of
+dress-makers and artists of all sorts. How many acres of black crape I
+have witnessed, in half a century! "Mr. Abner--good Mr. Abner," said Mrs.
+----, "dear Mr. Abner," said she, "I shall not forget your kindness--how
+pleasant it is, on these occasions, to see a face one knows. You buried my
+first husband--I thought there was nothing like that: and you buried my
+second husband--and, oh dear me, I thought there was nothing like
+that--and now, oh dear, dear me, you are going to bury my third! How I am
+supported, it is hard to tell--but the widow's God will carry me through
+this, and other trials, for aught I know--Miss Buddikin, don't you think
+that dress should be fuller behind?" "Oh dear ma'am, your fine shape, you
+know," said Miss Buddikin. "There now, Miss Buddikin, at any other time I
+dare say I should be pleased with your flattery, but grief has brought
+down my flesh and spirits terribly. Good morning, dear Mr. Abner--remember
+there will be no postponement, on account of the weather."
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXIII.
+
+
+I am sad. It is my duty to record an event of deep and universal interest.
+On Sunday night, precisely as the clock of the Old South Church struck the
+very first stroke of twelve, departed this life, of no particular malady,
+but from a sort of constitutional decay, to which the family has ever been
+periodically liable, and at the same age, at which his ancestors have
+died, for many generations, A. Millesimus Octingentesimus Quadragesimus
+Octavus.
+
+It has been a custom in France, and in other countries, to send printed
+invitations to friends and relatives, inviting them to funerals. I have
+heard of a thriving widow--_la veuve Berthier_--who added a short
+postscript--_Madame Berthier will be happy to furnish soap and candles, at
+the old stand, as heretofore_. I trust I shall not be deemed guilty of a
+like indiscretion, if I add, for general information, that the business
+will be conducted hereafter, in the name of A. M. O. Q. Nonus.
+
+I did intend to be facetious, but, for the soul of me, I cannot. It is
+enough for me to know that the old year is dead and gone, and that the
+hopes and fears of millions are now lying in its capacious grave. Between
+the old year and the new, the space is so incalculably narrow, that, if
+those ancient philosophers were in the right, who contended, that an angel
+could not live in a vacuum, no angel, in the flesh, or out of it, could
+possibly get between the two: the partition is thin as tissue paper--thin
+as that between wit and madness, which is so exceedingly thin, as to be
+often undistinguishable, leaving us in doubt, on which side our neighbors
+may be found,--when at home.
+
+I see, clearly, in the close of another year, another milestone, upon
+Time's highway, from chaos to eternity. Is it not wise, and natural, and
+profitable, for the pilgrim to pause, and mark his lessening way? He
+cannot possibly know the precise number of milestones, that lie between
+the present and his journey's end; but he may sometimes shrewdly guess
+from the number he has passed already. There is precious little certainty,
+however, in the very best of man's arithmetic, on a subject like this:
+for, at every milestone, from the very first, and at countless
+intermediate points, he will observe innumerable tablets, recording the
+fact, that myriads of travellers have stopped here and there, not for the
+want of willingness to go forward, but for the want of breath--not for the
+night, to be awakened at the morning watch, by the attentive host, or the
+railway whistle,--but for a long, long while, to be summoned, at last, by
+the piercing notes of a clarion, loud and clear, which, as the bow of
+Ulysses could be bent only by the master's hand, can be raised, only by
+the lips and the lungs of an archangel.
+
+Well, Quadragesimus Octavus hath gone to his long home, and the mourners
+go about the streets--a motley group it is, that band of melancholy
+followers! Upon this, as upon all other occasions of the same sort, true
+tears, from the very well-spring of the heart, fall, together with showers
+of hypocritical salt water. Little children, who must ever refer their
+orphanage to the year that is past, are in the van; and with them, a few
+widowers and widows, who have not been married quite long enough, to be
+reconciled to their bereavement. There are others, who also have been
+divorced from their partners by death, and who submit, with admirable
+grace; and wear their weeds--of the very best make and fashion, by the
+way--with infinite propriety.
+
+It is quite amazing to see the great number of mourners, who, though,
+doubtless, natives, have a very Israelitish expression, and wear
+phylacteries, upon which are written three or four words whose import is
+intelligible, only to the initiated, but which, being interpreted,
+signify--_three per cent. a month_. None seem to wear an expression of
+more heartfelt sorrow, for the departure of Quadragesimus Octavus, during
+whose existence, being less greedy of honors than of gain, they were
+singularly favored, converting the necessities of other men into an
+abundance of bread and butter, for themselves.
+
+In the melancholy train, we behold a goodly number of maiden ladies,
+dressed in yellow, which is the mourning color of the Egyptians, and some
+of these disconsolate damsels are really beginning to acquire the mummy
+complexion: it happened that, as the old year expired, they were just
+turned of thirty.
+
+There are others, who have sufficient reason to mourn, and whose numerous
+writings have brought them into serious trouble. Their works, commencing
+with a favorite expression--_for value received I promise to pay_, owing
+to something rather pointed in the phraseology, were liable to be severely
+criticised, so soon as the old year expired.
+
+The lovers of parade, and show, and water celebrations, and torch-light
+processions, trumpeting and piping merrymakings, and huzzaings, the
+brayings of stump orators, and the intolerable noise and farrago of
+electioneering; the laudings and vituperatings of Taylor, Cass, and Van
+Buren; the ferocious lyings and vilifyings of partisans, politically drunk
+or crazy--the lovers of all or any of these things are one and all,
+attendants at the funeral of Quadragesimus Octavus.
+
+The good old year is gone--and, in the words of a celebrated clergyman,
+to a bereaved mother, who would not be comforted, but wailed the louder,
+the more he pressed upon her the duty of submission--"_what do you propose
+to do about it?_" I cannot answer for you, my gentle reader, but I am
+ready to answer for myself. As an old sexton, I believe it to be my duty
+to pay immediate attention to the very significant command--whatsoever thy
+hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor
+device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest. If
+good old Samuel had been an undertaker, he could not have said, more
+confidently than I do, at this moment, whose corpse have I taken, or whose
+shroud have I taken, or whom have I defrauded, or whom have I buried east
+for west, or wrong end foremost? Of what surgeon have I received a fee,
+for a skeleton, to blind mine eyes withal? I have neither the head nor the
+heart for mystical theology. I believe in the doctrine of election, as
+established by the constitution and laws of the United States, and of the
+States respectively, so far as regards the President, Vice President, and
+all town, county and state officers: and I respect the Egyptians, for one
+trait, recorded of them, by an eminent historian, who states, that those,
+who worship an ape, never quarrel with those, who worship an ox. A very
+fine verse, the thirteenth of the last chapter of Ecclesiastes--"Let us
+hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep his
+commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
+
+Let us try, during the year, upon whose threshold we are now standing, to
+do as much good, and as little harm, as possible. I respectfully recommend
+to all old men and women, who are as grey and grizzly as I am, to make
+themselves as agreeable as they can; and remember, that old age is
+proverbially peevish and exacting. In the presence of children, do not
+forget the wise sayings of Parson Primrose, who candidly confessed, when
+solicited to join in some childish pastime, that he complied, for he was
+tired of being always wise. Pray allow all you can for the vivacity and
+waywardness of youth. Nine young ladies, in ten, may find a clever fit,
+in Pope's shrewd line--
+
+  "Brisk as a flea, and ignorant as dirt."
+
+All, that can be said about it, lies in a filbert shell, _ita lex scripta
+est, ita rerum natura_. You will not mend the matter, by scowling and
+growling, from morning to night. Can you not remember, that you yourself,
+when a boy, were saluted now and then, with the title of "proper
+plague"--"devil's bird"--or "little Pickle?" I can. Some years ago, my
+very worthy friend, the Rev. John S. C. Abbott, did me the kindness to
+give me one of his excellent works, the Path of Peace. The preface
+contains a very short and clever incident, of whose applicability, you can
+judge for yourself.
+
+"Mother," said a little boy, "I do not wish to go to Heaven."
+
+"And why not, my son?"
+
+"Why, grandfather will be there, will he not?"
+
+"Yes, my son, I hope he will."
+
+"Well, as soon as he sees us, he will come, scolding along, and say,
+'Whew, whew, whew! what are these boys here for?' I am sure I do not wish
+to go to Heaven, if grandfather is to be there."
+
+This is a short tale of a grandfather, but it is a very significant story,
+for its length; and calculated, I fear, for many meridians.
+
+Well, here we are, in the very midst of bells and bonfires, screaming for
+joy, in honor of the new year, with our spandy new weepers on, for the old
+one.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXIV.
+
+
+Viewed in every possible relation, the most melancholy and distressing
+funerals, of which I have any knowledge, were a series of interments,
+which occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, not very many years ago, and
+of which, in 1840, I received, while sojourning there, a particular
+account, from an inhabitant of that hospitable city. These funerals were
+among the blacks; and, as there was no epidemic at the time, their
+frequency, at length, attracted observation. Every day or two, the colored
+population were seen, bearing, apparently, one of their number to the
+place, appointed for all living. Suspicion was, at last, awakened--a post
+mortem examination was resolved on--the graves, which proved to be
+uncommonly shallow, were opened--the coffins lifted out, and examined--and
+found to be filled, not with corpses, but with muskets, swords, pistols,
+pikes, knives, hatchets, and such other weapons, as might be necessary,
+for the perfection of a deadly work, which had been long projected, and
+was then not far from its consummation.
+
+These, I say, were the most melancholy funerals, of which I have any
+knowledge. This was burying the hatchet, in a novel sense. In 1840, the
+tumult of mind, resulting from immediate apprehension, had, in a great
+degree, subsided; yet a rigorous system of espionage continued, in full
+operation--the spirit of vigilance was still on tiptoe--the arsenal was in
+excellent working order, and capable, at any moment, of turning its iron
+shower, in every direction--the separate gathering of the blacks, for
+religious worship, had been, and still was, prohibited; for it was
+believed, that the little tabernacle, in which, before this alarming
+discovery, the colored people were in the habit of assembling, had been
+used, in some sort, for the purpose of holding insurrectionary conclaves;
+perhaps for the purpose also of muttering prayers, between their teeth, to
+the bondman's God, to give him strength to break his fetters.
+
+At the time, to which I refer, the slaves, who attended religious
+services, on the Sabbath, entered the same temples with their masters, who
+paid their vows, on cushions, while many of the slaves worshipped,
+squatting in the aisles. At this time, slaves, _ex cautela_, were
+forbidden, under penalty of imprisonment and the lash, from being present
+at any conflagration. Under a like penalty, they were commanded to retire
+instantly, upon the very first stroke of the curfew bell, to their homes
+and cabins. At every quarter of an hour, through the whole night, the cry
+of _all's well_ was sent forth by the armed sentinel, from the top of St.
+Michael's tower. Such was the state of things, in 1840, in the city of
+Charleston.
+
+Melancholy as were these funerals, the undertakers were quite as
+ingenious, as those cunning Greeks, who contrived the Trojan horse,
+_divina Palladis arte_. Melancholy and ominous funerals were they--for
+they were incidents of slavery, the CURSE COLOSSAL--that huge, unsightly
+cicatrice, upon the very face of our heritage. Well may we say to the most
+favored nation of the earth, in Paul's proud words,--_would to God ye were
+not only almost, but altogether such as we are, saving these bonds_.
+
+After taking a mental and moral _coup d'oeil_ of these matters, I remember
+that I lay long, upon my pillow, not consigning my Southern friends and
+brethren, votively, to the devil; but thanking God, for that blessed
+suggestion, which led good, old Massachusetts, and the other states of the
+North, to abolish slavery, within their own domains.
+
+Slavery is a curse, not only to the long-suffering slave, but to the
+mortified master. This chivalry of the South--what is it? Every man of the
+South, or the North, who comes to the blessed conclusion, that, while
+others own _jackasses_, _horses_, _and horned cattle_, he actually _owns
+men_--what a thought!--will soon become filled with this very chivalry. It
+is the lordly consciousness of dominion over one's fellow-man--a sort of
+Satrap-like feeling of power--a sentiment extremely oriental, which begets
+that important and consequential air of superiority, that marks the
+Southern man and the Southern boy,--Mr. Calhoun, diving, like one of
+Pope's heroes, after first principles, and fetching up, for a fact, the
+pleasant fancy, that _man is not born of a woman_--or the young,
+travelling gentleman, full of "Suth Cralina," who comes hither, to sojourn
+awhile, and carries in every look, that almost incomprehensible mixture of
+pride and sensitiveness, which is equally repulsive and ridiculous.
+
+The bitterness of sectional feeling is a necessary incident of slavery.
+Civil and servile wars are among its terrible contingencies. Slavery
+cannot endure in our land, though the end be not yet. I had rather the
+cholera should spread, than this moral scourge, over our new domains--not,
+upon my honor, because the former would be a help to our profession, but
+because a dead is more bearable, than a living curse.
+
+Of all the sciolists, who have offered their services, to remedy this
+evil, the conscience party is the most remarkable. A self-consecrated
+party, with their phlogistic system, would deal with the whole South,
+which, on this topic, is a perfect hornet's nest already, precisely as an
+intelligent farmer, in Vermont, dealt with a hornet's nest, under the
+eaves of his dwelling--he applied the actual cautery; his practice was
+successful--he destroyed the nest, and with it his entire mansion. There
+are men, of this party, to whom the constitution and laws of the Union are
+objects of infinite contempt; who despise the Bible; who would overthrow
+the civil magistrate; and unfrock the clergy. But there are many others,
+who abjure such doctrines--a species of conscience comeouters--who intend,
+after they have unkennelled the whirlwind, to appoint a committee of
+three, from every county, to hold it by the tail, _ne quid detrimenti
+respublica caperet_. These are to be selected from the most careful and
+judicious, who, when the firebrand is thrown into the barrel of gunpowder,
+will have a care, that not more than a moderate quantity shall be ignited.
+
+The constitution is a contract, made by our fathers, and binding on their
+children. Who shall presume to say that contract is void, for want of
+consideration, or because the subject is _malum in se_? Who shall decide
+the question of _nudum pactum_ or not? Not one of the parties, nor two,
+nor any number, short of the whole, can annul this solemn contract; nor
+can a decision of the question of constitutionality come from any other
+tribunal, than the Supreme Judicial Court of the United States.
+
+Lord Mansfield's celebrated dictum--_fiat justitia, ruat Caelum_, has been
+often absurdly applied, and in connection with this very question of
+slavery and its removal. _Justitia_ is a broad word, and refers not solely
+to the rights of the slave, but to those of the freeman. The proposition
+of the full-bottomed abolitionist--immediate emancipation, or dissolution
+of the Union, and civil and servile war to boot, if it must be so--is fit
+to be taught, only to the tenants of a madhouse. But there is a spirit
+abroad, whose tendency cannot be mistaken. Slavery is becoming daily more
+and more odious, in the east, in the west, in the north, ay, and in the
+south. Individually, many slaveholders are becoming less attached to their
+_property_. There may be too much even of _this good thing_. Slavery would
+continue longer, in the present slave states, if it were extended to the
+new territories; for it would be rendered more bearable in the former, by
+the power of sloughing off the redundancy, on profitable terms. The spirit
+of emancipation is striding over the main land, walking upon the waters,
+and planting its foot, upon one dark island after another. _Let us
+hope_--better to do that, than mischief. Let us rejoice, that, as the
+Scotch say, _there is a God aboon a'_--better to do that, than spit upon
+our Bibles, and scoff at law and order. It is always better to stand
+still, than move rudely and rashly, in the dark. Such was the decided
+opinion of my old friend and fellow-sexton, Grossman, when he fell, head
+first, into an unclosed tomb, and broke his enormous nose.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXV.
+
+
+In looking up a topic, for my dealings with the dead, this afternoon, I
+can think of nothing more interesting, at the present time, than _Lot's
+wife and the Dead Sea_. I consider Lieutenant Lynch the most fortunate of
+modern discoverers. He has discovered the long lost lady of Lot--the
+veritable pillar of salt! There are some incredulous persons, I am aware,
+who are of opinion, that the account of this discovery should be received,
+_cum grano salis_; but my own mind is entirely made up. I should have been
+better pleased, I admit, if he had verified the suggestion, which led to
+the discovery, by bringing home a leg, or an arm. Possibly, it may be
+thought proper to send a Government vessel, for the entire pillar, to
+ornament the Rotunda at Washington. The identification of Lot's wife is
+rendered exceedingly simple, by the fact, that seventeen of her fingers,
+and not less than fourteen of her toes, broken off from time to time, by
+the faithful, as relics, are exhibited in various churches and
+monasteries.
+
+Models of these, in plaster, could readily be obtained, I presume; and an
+application of their fractured parts to the salt corpse, discovered by
+Lieutenant Lynch, would settle the question, in the manner, employed to
+test the authenticity of ancient indentures. Besides, every one knows,
+that salt is a self preserver, and lasting in its character, especially
+the Attic. The very elements of preservation abound in the Dead Sea, and
+the region round about. Its very name establishes the
+fact--_Asphaltites_--so called from the immense quantity of _asphaltum_ or
+bitumen, with which it abounds. This is called _Jews' Pitch_, and was used
+of old, for embalming; and the corpse of Mrs. Lot, after the salt had
+thoroughly penetrated, rolled up, as it probably was found by Lieutenant
+Lynch, in a winding sheet of bitumen, which readily envelopes everything
+it touches, would last forever. This pitch is often sold by the druggists,
+under the name of mummy.
+
+In Judea, with the territory of Moab, on the East, and the wilderness of
+Judah, on the West, and having the lands of Reuben and Edom, or Idumea, on
+the North and South, lies that sheet of mysterious and unfrequented water,
+which has been called the East Sea--the Salt Sea--the Sea of the
+Desert--the Sea of the Plain--the Sea of Sodom--and, more commonly, the
+Dead Sea. To this I beg leave to add another title, the Legendary lake, or
+Humbug water. More marvel has been marked, learned, and inwardly digested,
+by Christians, on the subject of this sheet of water, than the broad ocean
+has ever supplied, to stir the landman's heart. Its dimensions, in the
+first place, have been set down, with remarkable discrepancy. Pliny, lib.
+v. 15, says, Longitudine excedit centum M. passuum, latitudine maxima
+xxv., implet, minima sex, making the length one hundred miles, and the
+breadth, from twenty-five miles, to six. Josephus estimates its length at
+five hundred and eighty furlongs, from the mouth of the Jordan, to the
+town of Segor, at the opposite end; and its greatest breadth one hundred
+and fifty furlongs. The Rev. Dr. William Jenks, of whose learning and
+labors a sexton of the old school may be permitted to speak, with great
+respect, sets down the length, in his New Gazetteer of the Bible, appended
+to his Explanatory Bible Atlas, of 1847, at thirty-nine miles, and its
+greatest breadth at nine. Carne, in his Letters from the East, says the
+length is sixty miles, and the breadth from eight to ten. Stephens states
+the length to be thirty miles, in his Incidents of Travel.
+
+The origin of this lake was ascribed to the submersion of the valley of
+Siddim, where the cities stood, which were destroyed, in the conflagration
+of Sodom and Gomorrah. This tremendous gallimaufry or hotch potch,
+produced, as some suppose, an intolerable stench, and impregnated the
+waters with salt, sulphur, and bitumen.
+
+Pliny, in the passage quoted above,--observes--Nullum corpus animalium
+recipit--no animal can live in it. Speaking of these waters, Dr. Jenks
+remarks--"no animals exist in them." On the other hand, Dr. Pococke, on
+the authority of a monk, tells us, that fish have been caught in the Dead
+Sea. _Per contra_ again, Mr. Volney affirms, that it contains neither
+animal nor vegetable life. M. Chateaubriand, on the other hand, who
+visited the Dead Sea, in 1807, remarks--"About midnight, I heard a noise
+upon the lake, and was told by the Bethlehemites, who accompanied me, that
+it proceeded from legions of small fish, which come out, and leap upon the
+shore." The monks of St. Saba assured Dr. Shaw, as he states in his
+travels, that they had seen fish caught there.
+
+In the passage quoted from Pliny, he says--Tauri camelique fluitant. Inde
+fama nihil in eo mergi--bulls and camels float upon this lake: hence the
+notion, that nothing will sink in it. It is true, that the water of the
+Dead Sea is specifically heavier than any other, owing to the great
+quantity of salt, sulphur, and bitumen; but Dr. Pococke found not the
+slightest difficulty, in swimming and diving in the lake. Sir Thomas
+Browne, treating of this, in his Pseudodoxia, vol. iii., p. 341, London,
+1835, observes--"As for the story, men deliver it variously. Some, I fear
+too largely, as Pliny, who affirmeth that bricks will swim therein.
+Mandevil goeth further, that iron swimmeth and feathers sink." "But,"
+continueth Sir Thomas, "Andrew Thevet, in his Cosmography, doth ocularly
+overthrow it, for he affirmeth he saw an ass with his saddle cast therein
+and drowned."
+
+Another legend is equally absurd, that birds, attempting to fly over the
+lake, fall, stifled by its horrible vapors. "It is very common," says
+Volney, "to see swallows skimming its surface, and dipping for the water,
+necessary to build their nests." Mr. Stephens, in his Incidents of Travel,
+vol. ii. chap. 15, gives an interesting account of the Dead Sea, and
+says--"I saw a flock of gulls floating quietly on its bosom."
+
+It has been roundly asserted, that, in very clear weather, the ruins of
+the cities, destroyed by the conflagration, are visible beneath the
+waters. Josephus soberly avers, that a smoke constantly arose from the
+lake, whose waters changed their color three times daily.
+
+The waters of Jordan and of the brooks Kishon, Jabbok, and Arnon, flow
+into the Dead Sea, yet produce no perceptible rise of its surface. The
+influx from these mountain streams is considerable. Hence another legend,
+to account for this mystery--a subterraneous communication with the
+Mediterranean--which would surely make the matter worse, for Dr. Jenks and
+other writers state, that "the waters lie in a deep caldron, many hundred
+feet _below_ the Mediterranean." Evaporation, which is said to be very
+great, explains the mystery entirely. At the rising of the sun, dense fogs
+cover the lake.
+
+Chateaubriand says--"The first thing I did, on alighting, was to walk into
+the lake, up to my knees, and taste the water. I found it impossible to
+keep it in my mouth. It far exceeds that of the sea, in saltness, and
+produces, upon the lips, the effect of a strong solution of alum. Before
+my boots were completely dry, they were covered with salt; our clothes,
+our hats, our hands were, in less than three hours, impregnated with this
+mineral." "The origin of this mineral," says Volney, "is easy to be
+discovered, for, on the southwest shore, are mines of fossil salt. They
+are situated, in the sides of the mountains, which extend along the
+border; and, for time immemorial, have supplied the neighboring Arabs, and
+even the city of Jerusalem."
+
+"Whoever," says Mr. Carne, in his Letters from the East, "has seen the
+Dead Sea, will have its aspect impressed upon his memory. It is, in truth,
+a gloomy and fearful spectacle. The precipices, in general, descend
+abruptly to the lake, and, on account of their height, it is seldom
+agitated by the winds. Its shores are not visited, by any footstep, save
+that of the wild Arab, and he holds it in superstitious dread. On some
+parts of the rocks, there is a thick, sulphureous incrustation, and, in
+their steep descents, there are several deep caverns, where the benighted
+Bedouin sometimes finds a home. The sadness of the grave was on it and
+around it, and the silence also. However vivid the feelings are, on
+arriving on its shores, they subside, after a time, into languor and
+uneasiness; and you long, if it were possible, to see a tempest wake on
+its bosom, to give sound and life to the scene."
+
+"If we adopt," says Chateaubriand, "the idea of Professor Michaelis, and
+the learned Busching, in his memoir on the Dead Sea, physics may be
+admitted, to explain the catastrophe of the guilty cities, without offence
+to religion. Sodom was built upon a mine of bitumen, as we know from the
+testimony of Moses and Josephus, who speak concerning wells of bitumen, in
+the valley of Siddim. Lightning kindled the combustible mass, and the
+cities sank in the subterranean conflagration." In Calmet's Dictionary of
+the Bible, vol. iii., article Lot, it is stated, that the Mahometans have
+added many circumstances to his history. They assert, that the angel
+Gabriel pried up the devoted cities so near to Heaven, that the angels
+actually heard the sound of the trumpets and horns, and even the yelping
+of puppies, in Sodom and Gomorrah: and that Gabriel then let the whole
+concern go with a terrible crash. Upon this, Calmet remarks,--"Romantic as
+this account appears, it preserves traces of an earthquake and a volcano,
+which were, in all probability, the _natural secondary cause_ of the
+overthrow of Sodom, and of the formation of the Dead Sea." Lot's wife in
+my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXVI.
+
+
+The conversion of Lot's wife into a pillar of salt has given rise to as
+much learned discussion, as the question, so zealously agitated, between
+Barcephas and others, whether the forbidden fruit were an _apple_ or a
+_fig_. _But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar
+of salt._ Gen. xix. 26. Very little account seems to have been made of
+this matter, at the time. The whole story, and without note or comment, is
+told in these fifteen words. It would have seemed friendly, and natural,
+and proper, for Abraham to have said a few words of comfort to Lot, on
+this sudden and singular bereavement; but, instead of this, we are told,
+in the following verse, that Abraham got up, next morning, and looked,
+very philosophically, at the smoke, which went up from the cities of the
+plain, like the smoke of a furnace. This neglect of Lot's wife is, too
+frequently, a wife's lot. Some of the learned have been sorely perplexed,
+to understand, why this unfortunate lady has not long since melted away,
+under the influence of the rains; for a considerable quantity of water has
+fallen, since the destruction of Sodom. But they seem to forget, that
+there is no measure of limitation, for a miracle; and that the salt might
+have been purposely designed, like _caoutchouc_, to resist the action of
+water. The departure from Sodom was sudden, to be sure; but the lady was
+clothed, in some sort, doubtless; yet nothing has been said, by
+travellers, about her drapery, and whether that also was converted into
+salt, or cast off, by the mere energy of the miracle, is unknown.
+
+This pillar of salt Josephus says he has seen; and, though he does not
+name the time, it is of little consequence, as, in such a matter, we can
+well afford to throw in a century or two; but it must have been between A.
+D. 37, and a point, not long after the 13th year of Domitian. Such being
+the term of the existence of Josephus, as nearly as can be ascertained.
+The cities of the plain were destroyed, according to Calmet's reckoning,
+1893 years before Christ; therefore, _the pillar_, which Josephus saw,
+must have then been standing more than nineteen centuries. These are the
+words of Josephus: "_But Lot's wife, continually turning back, to view the
+city, as she went from it, and being too nicely inquisitive what would
+become of it, although God had forbidden her so to do, was changed into a
+pillar of salt, for I have seen it, and it remains at this day_." Antiq.,
+vol. i. p. 32, Whiston's translation, Lond. 1825. The editor, in a note
+states, that Clement of Rome, a cotemporary of Josephus, also saw it, and
+that Irenaeus saw it, in the next century. Mr. Whiston prudently declines
+being responsible for the statements of modern travellers, who say they
+have seen it. And what did they see?--a pillar of salt. This is quite
+probable. Volney remarks, "At intervals we met with misshapen blocks,
+which prejudiced eyes mistake for mutilated statues, and which pass, with
+ignorant and superstitious pilgrims, for monuments of the adventure of
+Lot's wife; though it is nowhere said that she was metamorphosed into
+stone, like Niobe, but into salt, which must have melted the ensuing
+winter." Volney forgets, that the salt itself was miraculous, and,
+doubtless, water proof.
+
+Mr. Stephens, in his Incidents of Travel, though he gives a description of
+the Dead Sea, in whose waters he bathed, says not a syllable of Lot's
+wife, or the pillar of salt.
+
+Some of the learned have opined, that Lot's wife, like Pliny, during the
+eruption of Vesuvius, was overwhelmed, by the burning and flying masses of
+sulphur and bitumen; this is suggested, under the article, Lot's Wife, in
+Calmet. "Some travellers in Palestine," says he, "relate that Lot's wife
+was shown to them, i. e. the rock, into which she was metamorphosed. But
+what renders their testimony very suspicious is, that they do not agree,
+about the place, where it stands; some saying westward, others eastward,
+some northward, others southward of the Dead Sea; others in the midst of
+the waters; others in Zoar; others at a great distance from the city." In
+1582, Prince Nicholas Radziville took a vast deal of pains to discover
+this remarkable pillar of salt, but all his inquiries were fruitless. Dr.
+Adam Clarke suggests, that Lot's wife, by lingering in the plain, may have
+been struck dead with lightning, and enveloped in the bituminous and
+sulphureous matter, that descended. He refers to a number of stories, that
+have been told, and among them, that this pillar possessed a miraculous,
+reproductive energy, whereby the fingers and toes of the unfortunate lady
+were regenerated, instanter, as fast as they were broken off, by the hands
+of pilgrims. Irenaeus, one of the fathers, asserts, that this pillar of
+salt was _actually alive in his time_! Some of those fathers, I am
+grieved to say it, were insufferable story-tellers. This tale is also
+told, by the author of a poem, _De Sodoma_, appended to the life of
+Tertullian. Some learned men understand the Hebrew to mean simply, that
+"_she became fixed in the salsuginous soil_"--anglice, _stuck in the mud_.
+If this be the real meaning of the passage, it must have been some other
+lady, that was seen by Josephus, Clement, Irenaeus, and Lieut. Lynch.
+
+Sir Thomas Browne, credulous though he was, had, probably, no great
+confidence in the _literal_ construction of the passage in Genesis. In
+vol. iii. page 327, of his works, London, 1835, he says--"We will not
+question the metamorphosis of Lot's wife, or whether she were transformed
+into a real statue of salt; though some conceive that expression
+metaphorical, and no more thereby than a lasting and durable column,
+according to the nature of salt, which admitteth no corruption." This is
+evidently the opinion of Dr. Adam Clarke. In other words, God, by her
+destruction, while her husband and daughters were saved, made her a
+_pillar or lasting memorial_ to the disobedient. In this sense a pillar of
+_salt_ means neither more nor less than an _everlasting memorial_. Salt is
+the symbol of perpetuity; thus Numbers xviii. 19. _It is a covenant of
+salt forever_: and 2 Chron. xvii. 5, the kingdom is given to David and his
+sons forever, _by a covenant of salt_. If this be the true construction,
+those four gentlemen, to whom I have referred, have been entirely misled,
+in supposing that any one of those masses of salt, which Volney says may
+be mistaken, for the remains of mutilated statues, has ever, at any period
+of the world, been the object of Lot's devotion, or the partner of his
+joys and sorrows.
+
+In vol. ii. page 212, of his Incidents of Travel, New York, 1848, Mr.
+Stephens, referring to an account, received by him, respecting what he
+supposed to be an island in the Dead Sea, writes thus--"_It comes from one
+who ought to know, from the only man, who ever made the tour of that sea,
+and lived to tell of it_." If Mr. Stephens will look at Chateaubriand's
+Travels, and his fine description of the Dead Sea, he will find there the
+following passage: "_No person has yet made the tour of it but Daniel,
+abbot of St. Saba. Nau has preserved in his travels the narrative of that
+recluse. From his account we learn_," &c.
+
+"The celebrated lake," says Chateaubriand, "which occupies the site of
+Sodom, is called in Scripture the Dead or Salt Sea." Not so: it is no
+where called the Dead Sea, in the sacred writings. By the Turks, it is
+called Ula Deguisi, and by the Arabs, Bahar Loth and Almotanah.
+
+It is quite desirable for travellers to be well apprized of all, that is
+previously known, in regard to the field of their peregrination. Goldsmith
+once projected a plan of visiting the East, for the purpose of bringing to
+England such inventions and models, as might be useful. Johnson laughed at
+the idea, and denounced Goldsmith, as entirely incompetent, from his
+ignorance of what already existed--"he will bring home a wheelbarrow,"
+said Johnson, "and think he had made a great addition to our stock." Mr.
+Stephens has preserved a respectable silence, on the subject of Lot's
+wife.
+
+The island, which is above referred to, turned out, like Sancho's in
+Barrataria, to be an optical illusion. The Maltese sailor, who said he had
+rowed about the lake with his employer, a Mr. Costigan, who died on its
+shores, was disposed, after fingering his fee, to enlarge and improve his
+former narrative. Mr. Stephens does not give the date of Costigan's visit
+to the Dead Sea. He, however, furnishes a linear map of its form. This
+also is drawn by the Maltese sailor, from memory. All that can be said of
+it is, that it corresponds with other plans, in one particular,--the
+Jordan enters the sea, at its northern extremity. Probably, no very
+accurate plan is to be found, such have been the impediments in the way of
+any deliberate examination--unless Lieutenant Lynch has succeeded in the
+work. The figure of the Dead Sea, in the Atlas of Lucas, has no
+resemblance to the figure, in the late Bible Atlas by Dr. Jenks.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXVII.
+
+
+Dr. Johnson said, if an atheist came into his house, he would lock up his
+spoons. I have always distrusted a sexton, who did not cherish a sentiment
+of profound and cordial affection, for his bell. It did my heart good,
+when a boy, to mark the proud satisfaction, with which Lutton, the sexton
+of the Old Brick, used to ring for fire. I have no confidence in a
+fellow, who can toll his bell, for a funeral, and listen to its deep, and
+solemn vibrations, without a gentle subduing of the spirit. I never had a
+great affection for Clafflin, the sexton of Berry Street Church; but I
+always respected the deep feeling of indignation he manifested, if anybody
+meddled with his bellrope.
+
+Bells were treated more honorably in the olden time, and ringing was an
+art--an accomplishment--then. Holden tells us some fine stories of the
+societies of ringers. In his youth, Sir Matthew Hale was a member of one
+of those societies. In 1687, Nell Gwinne--and it may be lawful to take the
+devil's water, as Dr. Worcester said, to turn the Lord's mill--Nell Gwinne
+left the ringers of the church bells of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, where
+there is a peal of twelve, a sum of money, for a weekly entertainment. I
+never shall get the chime of the North Church bells out of my ears--I hope
+I never shall--more than half an hundred years ago, my mother used to open
+the window, of a Christmas eve, that we might hear their music!
+
+In the olden time, bells were baptized--_rantized_ I presume--and wore
+_posies_ on their collars. They were first cast in England, in the reign
+of Edmund I., and the first tunable set, or peal, for Croyland Abbey, was
+cast A. D. 960. Weever tells us, in his Funeral Monuments, that, in 1501,
+the bells of the Priory of Little Dunmow, in Essex, were baptized, by the
+names of St. Michael, St. John, Virgin Mary, &c. As late as 1816, the
+great bell of Notre Dame, in Paris, was baptized, by the name of the Duke
+of Angouleme. Bells were supposed to be invested with extraordinary
+powers. They were employed, not only to call the congregation together, to
+give notice of conflagrations, civil commotions, and the approach of an
+enemy, and to ring forth the merry holiday peal--but to quell tempests,
+pacify the restless dead, and arrest the very lightning. Bells often bore
+inscriptions like these:
+
+  Laudo Deum verum, plebem voco, conjugo clerum,
+  Defunctos ploro, pestem fugo, festa decoro.
+
+  Funera plango; Fulgura frango; Sabbata pango;
+  Excito lentos; Dissipo ventos; Paco cruentos.
+
+The _passing bell_ was the bell, which announced to the people, according
+to Mabillon, that a spirit was taking its flight, or _passing away_, and
+demanding their prayers. Bells were also used to frighten away evil
+spirits, that were supposed to be on the watch, for their customers. The
+learned Durandus affirms, that all sorts of devils have a terror of
+bells. This, of course, can only be true of bells, that have been received
+into the flock, that is, baptized. Such was the Popish belief, and that
+the very devil, himself, cared not a fig, for an unbaptized bell. De
+Worde, in his Golden Legend, sayeth "it is said the evill spirytes that
+ben in the regyon of the ayre doubte moche, when they here the belles
+rongen, and this is the cause why the belles ben rongen, whan it
+thondreth, and when grate tempests and outrages of wether happen, to the
+ende that the feinds and wycked spirytes should be abashed and flee, and
+cease of the movinge of tempests."
+
+Compared with the big bells of the earth--ours--the very largest--are
+cowbells, at best. The great bell of St. Paul's weighs 8400 pounds--a
+small affair; Great Tom of Lincoln, 9894--Great Tom of Oxford, 17,000.
+This is precisely the weight of the bell of the Palazzo, at Florence;--St.
+Peter's at Rome, 18,607--the great bell at Erfurth, 28,224--St. Joan's
+bell, at Moscow, 127,836--the bell of the Kremlin, 443,772. The last is
+the marvel of travellers, and its metal, at a low estimate, is valued at
+L66,565. During the fusion of this bell, considerable quantities of gold
+and silver were cast in, the pious contribution of the people. This
+enormous mass has never been suspended.
+
+There was a bell--_parvis componere magna_--a very little bell
+indeed--very--a perfect _tintinabulum_. It made a most ridiculous noise.
+An account of this bell may be found, in a pamphlet, entitled Historical
+Notices, &c., of the New North Religious Society, in the town of Boston,
+1822. It weighed, says the writer, "_between three and four hundred_."
+Twelve or thirteen hundred such bells, therefore, would just about
+counterpoise the bell of the Kremlin. "Its tone," says the writer, "_was
+unpleasant_." The preposterous clatter of this bell was, nevertheless, the
+gathering cry of the worshippers, at the New North Church, for the term of
+eighty-three years, from 1719 to 1802, when it was purchased by the town
+of Charlton, in the county of Worcester; probably to frighten the _evyll
+spirytes_, in the shape of wolves and foxes, abounding there, that would
+be likely to _doubte moche_, when this bell was _ben rongen_. Not to look
+a gift horse in the mouth is a proverb--not to criticise the tone of a
+gift bell may be another. This bell, which a stout South Down wether might
+almost have carried off, was the gift of _Mr. John Frizzell_, a merchant
+of Boston, to the New North Church, _on the island of North Boston_, as
+all that portion of the town was then called, lying North of Mill Creek.
+On the principle which gave the title of Bell the Cat to the famous
+Archibald, Frizzell should have borne the name of Bell the Church. Let it
+pass: Frizzell and his little bell are both translated. The tongue of the
+former is still; that of the latter still waggeth, I believe, in the town
+of Charlton.
+
+The authenticity of the statements in the pamphlet to which I have
+referred, admits not of a doubt. The name of its highly respectable
+author, though not upon the title-page, appears in the certificate of
+copyright; and, in the range of my limited reading, I have met with
+nothing, more curious and grotesque, than his account of the installation
+of the Rev. Peter Thacher, over the New North Church, Jan. 27, 1720. Upon
+no less respectable evidence, would I have believed, that our amiable
+ancestors could have acted so much like _evil spirytes_, upon such an
+occasion. I have not elbow room for the farce entire--one or two touches
+must suffice. After agreeing upon a mode of choosing a colleague, for the
+Rev. Mr. Webb, and pitching upon Mr. Thacher, a quarrel arose, among the
+people. The council met, on the day of installation, at the house of the
+Rev. Mr. Webb, at the corner of North Bennet and Salem Streets. The
+aggrieved assembled, at the house of Thomas Lee, in Bennet Street, next to
+the Universal meeting-house. A knowledge of these points is necessary, for
+a correct understanding of the subsequent strategy. If the Council
+attempted to go to the New North Church, through the street, in the usual
+way, they must necessarily pass Lee's house. The aggrieved waited on the
+Council, by a committee, requesting them not to proceed with the
+installation of Mr. Thacher; and assuring them, that, if they persisted,
+force would be used, to prevent their occupation of the church.
+
+Instead, therefore, of proceeding through the street, the Rev. Mr. Webb
+led the Council, by his back gate, through Love Lane, and a little alley,
+leading to the meeting-house, and thus got possession of the pulpit. Thus,
+by a knowledge of by-ways, so important in the _petite guerre_, the worthy
+clergyman outwitted the malcontents. A mob, to whom an installation, in
+such sort, was highly acceptable, had already gathered. The party at Lee's
+house, being apprised of the ruse, and perceiving they were _in danger of
+the council_, flew to the rescue. They rushed into the church;
+vociferously forbade the proceedings, and were "_indecent_," says the
+writer, "_almost beyond credibility_." "However incredible," continues the
+narrator, "it is a fact, that some of the most unruly did sprinkle a
+liquor, which shall be nameless, from the galleries, upon the people
+below." The wife of Josiah Langdon used to tell, with great asperity, of
+her being a sufferer by it. This good lady retained her resentment to old
+age--the filthy creatures entirely spoiled a new velvet hood, which she
+had made for the occasion, and she could not wear it again.
+
+In the midst of this uproar, Mr. Thacher was installed. "The malcontents,"
+says the writer, "went off in a bad humor. They proceeded to the gathering
+of another church. In the plenitude of their zeal, they first thought of
+denominating it the _Revenge_ Church of Christ; but they thought better of
+it, and called it the New Brick Church. However, the first name was
+retained, for many years, among the common people. Their zeal was great,
+indeed, and descended to puerility. They placed the figure of a cock, as a
+vane, upon the steeple, out of derision of Mr. Thacher, whose Christian
+name was Peter. Taking advantage of a wind, which turned the head of the
+cock towards the New North Meeting-house, when it was placed upon the
+spindle, a merry fellow straddled over it, and crowed three times, to
+complete the ceremony." The solemn, if not the sublime, and the
+ridiculous, seem, not unfrequently, to have met together at ordinations,
+in the olden time. "I could mention an ordination," says the Rev. Leonard
+Woods, of Andover, in a letter, written and published, a few years since,
+"that took place about twenty years ago, at which I, myself, was ashamed
+and grieved, to see two aged ministers literally drunk; and a third
+indecently excited with strong drink. These disgusting and appalling facts
+I should wish might be concealed. But they were made public, by the guilty
+persons; and I have thought it just and proper to mention them, in order
+to show how much we owe to a compassionate God, for the great deliverance
+he has wrought." Legitimate occasion for a Te Deum this, most certainly.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXVIII.
+
+
+The _praeficae_, or mourning women, were not confined to Greece, Rome, and
+Judea. In 1810, Colonel Keatinge published the history of his travels. His
+account of Moorish funerals, is, probably, the best on record. The dead
+are dressed in their best attire. The ears, nostrils, and eyelids are
+filled with costly spices. Virgins are ornamented with bracelets, on their
+wrists and ankles. The body is enfolded in sanctified linen. If a male, a
+turban is placed at the head of the coffin; if a female, a large bouquet.
+Before a virgin is buried, the _loo loo loo_ is sung, by hired women, that
+she may have the benefit of the wedding song. "When a person," says Mr.
+Keatinge, "is thought to be dying, he is immediately surrounded by his
+friends, who begin to scream, in the most hideous manner, to convince him
+that there is no more hope, and that he is already reckoned among the
+dead."
+
+Premature burial is said to be very common, among the Moors. For this, Mr.
+Keatinge accounts, in this manner: "As, according to their religion, they
+cannot think the departed happy, till they are under ground, they are
+washed instantly, while yet warm; and the greatest consolation the sick
+man's friends can have, is to see him smile, while this operation is
+performing; not supposing such an appearance to be a convulsion,
+occasioned by washing and exposing the unfortunate person to the cold air,
+before life has taken its final departure."
+
+When a death occurs, the relations immediately set up the _wooliah woo_;
+or death scream. This cry is caught up, from house to house, and hundreds
+of women are instantly gathered to the spot. They come to scream and mourn
+with the bereaved. This species of condolence is very happily described by
+Colonel Keatinge, page 92. "They," the howlers, "take her," the mother,
+widow or daughter, "in their arms, lay her head on their shoulders, and
+scream without intermission for several minutes, till the afflicted
+object, stunned with the constant howling and a repetition of her
+misfortune, sinks senseless on the floor. They likewise hire a number of
+women, who make this horrid noise round the bier, over which they scratch
+their faces, to such a degree, that they appear to have been bled with a
+lancet. These women are hired at burials, weddings and feasts. Their
+voices are heard at the distance of half a mile. It is the custom of
+those, who can afford it, to give, on the evening of the day the corpse is
+buried, a quantity of hot-dressed victuals to the poor. This, they call
+"the supper of the grave."
+
+Dr. E. D. Clarke observes, in his Travels in Egypt, Lond., 1817, that he
+recognized, among the Egyptians, the same notes, and the repetition of the
+same syllables, in their funeral cries, that had become familiar to his
+ear, on like occasions, among the Russians and the Irish.
+
+Dr. Martin, in his account of the Tonga Islands, in the South Pacific,
+compiled from Mariner's papers, in his narrative of the funeral of a
+chief, states, that the women mourned over the corpse, through the whole
+night, sitting as near as possible, singing their dismal death song, and
+beating their breasts and faces.
+
+The desire, to magnify one's apostleship, is, doubtless, at the bottom of
+all extravagant demonstrations of sorrow, at funerals, in the form of
+screaming, howling, yelling, personal laceration, and disfigurement. In
+the highly interesting account of the missionary enterprise, upon which
+the Duff was employed, in 1796, it was stated, that, at the funeral of a
+chief of Tongataboo, the people of both sexes continued, during two days,
+to mangle and hack themselves, in a shocking manner;--some thrust spears,
+through their thighs, arms, and cheeks; others beat their heads, till the
+blood gushed forth in streams; one man, having oiled his hair, set it on
+fire, and ran about the area, with his head in a blaze. This was a burning
+shame, beyond all doubt. I never forget old Tasman's bowl, when I think of
+this island. Tasman discovered Tongataboo, in 1643. At parting, he gave
+the chief a wooden bowl. Cook found this bowl, on the island, one hundred
+and thirty years afterwards. It had been used as a divining bowl, to
+ascertain the guilt or innocence of persons, charged with crimes. When the
+chief was absent, at some other of the Friendly Islands, the bowl was
+considered as his representative, and honored accordingly. Captain Cook
+presented the reigning chief with a pewter platter, and the bowl became
+immediately _functus officio_, the platter taking its place, for the
+purposes of divination.
+
+In 1818, Captain Tuckey published the account of his expedition, to
+explore the Zaire, or Congo river. He describes a funeral, at Embomma, the
+chief mart, on that river. In returning to their vessel, after a visit to
+the chief, Chenoo, the party observed a hut, in which the corpse of a
+female was deposited, dressed as when alive. On the inside were four women
+howling lustily, to whom two men, outside, responded; the concert closely
+resembling the yell, at an Irish funeral. Captain Tuckey should not have
+spoken so thoughtlessly of the _keena_, the funeral cry of the wild Irish,
+the most unearthly sound, that ever came from the agonized lungs of
+mortal. For the most perfect description of this peculiar scream, this
+inimitable hella-baloo, the reader may turn to Mrs. Hall's incomparable
+account of an Irish funeral. In close connection with this incident,
+Captain Tuckey, p. 115, remarks, that, in passing through the burying
+ground, at Embomma, they saw two graves, recently prepared, of monstrous
+size, being not less than nine feet by five.
+
+This he explains as follows:--"Simmons (a native, returned from England to
+his native country) requested a piece of cloth to envelop his aunt, who
+had been dead seven years, and was to be buried in two months. The manner
+of preserving corpses, for so long a time, is by enveloping them in the
+cloth of the country, or in European cotton. The wrappers are successively
+multiplied, as they can be procured by the relations of the deceased, or
+according to the rank of the person; in the case of a rich and very great
+man, the bulk being only limited, by the power of conveyance to the
+grave." When the Spaniards entered the Province of Popayan, they found a
+similar practice there, with this difference, that the corpse was
+partially roasted, before it was enveloped. When a chief dies, among the
+Caribs of Guyana, his wives, the whole flock of them, watch the corpse for
+thirty days, to keep off the flies,--a task which becomes daily more
+burdensome, as the attraction becomes greater. At the expiration of thirty
+days, it is buried, and one of the ladies, probably the best beloved, with
+it.
+
+Some of the Orinoco tribes were in the practice of tying a rope to the
+corpse, and sinking it in the river; in twenty-four hours, it was picked
+clean to the bones, by the fishes, and the skeleton became a very
+convenient and tidy memorial. This is decidedly preferable to the mode,
+adopted by the Parsees. Their sacred books enjoin them not to pollute
+_earth_, _water_, or _fire_, with their dead. They therefore feel
+authorized to pollute the air. They bury not; but place the corpses at a
+distance, and leave them to their fate. It was the opinion of Menu, that
+the body was a tenement, scarcely worth inhabiting; "a mansion," says he,
+"with bones for beams and rafters,--nerves and tendons for cords; muscles
+and blood for mortar; skin for its outward covering; a mansion, infested
+by age and sorrow, the seat of many maladies, harassed with pains, haunted
+with darkness, and utterly incapable of standing long--such a mansion let
+the vital soul, its tenant, always quit cheerfully."
+
+This contempt for the tabernacle--the carcass--the outer man--strangely
+contrasts with that deep regard for it, evinced by the Egyptians, and such
+of the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, as were in the practice of embalming.
+When that extraordinary man, Sir Thomas Browne, exclaimed, in his
+Hydriotaphia, "who knows the fate of his bones or how oft he shall be
+buried? Who hath the oracle of his ashes, or whither they are to be
+scattered?" he, doubtless, was thinking of Egyptian mummies, transported
+to Europe, forming a part of the materia medica, and being actually
+swallowed as physic. A writer, in the London Quarterly, vol. 21, p. 363,
+states, that, when the old traveller, John Sanderson, returned to England,
+six hundred pounds of mummies were brought home, for the Turkey Company. I
+am aware, that it has been denied, by some, that the Egyptian mummies were
+broken up, and sent to Europe, for medicinal uses. By them it is asserted,
+that what the druggists have been supplied with is the flesh of executed
+criminals, or such others, as the Jews can obtain, filled with bitumen,
+aloes and other things, and baked, till the juices are exhaled, and the
+embalming matter has fitted the body for transportation. The Lord deliver
+us from such "_doctors' stuff_" as this.
+
+
+
+
+No. XXXIX.
+
+
+_Non sumito, nisi vocatus_: let no man presume to be an undertaker, unless
+he have a _vocation_--unless he be _called_. If these are not the words of
+Puddifant, to whom I shall presently refer, I have no other conjecture to
+offer. Though, when a boy, I had a sort of hankering after dead men's
+bones, as I have already related, I never felt myself truly called to be a
+sexton, until June, 1799. It was in that month and year, that Governor
+Sumner was buried. The parade was very great, not only because he had been
+a Governor, but because he had been a very good man. All the sextons were
+on duty, but Lutton, as we called him--his real name was Lemuel Ludden. He
+was the sexton of the Old Brick, where my parents had worshipped, under
+dear parson Clarke, who died, the year before. He had the cleverest way,
+that man ever had, of winning little boys' hearts--he really seemed to
+have the key to their little souls. Lutton was sick--he was not able to
+officiate, on that memorable day; and no recently appointed ensign ever
+felt such a privation more keenly, on the very day of battle. He was a
+whole-souled sexton, that Lutton. He, most obligingly, took me into the
+Old Brick Church, where Joy's buildings now stand, to see the show. There
+was a half-crazy simpleton, whom it was difficult to prevent from capering
+before the corpse--a perfect Davie Gelatly. An awkward boy, whose name was
+Reuben Rankin, came from Salem, with a small cart-load of pies, which his
+mother had baked, and sent to Boston, hoping for a ready sale, upon the
+occasion of such an assemblage there. Like Grouchy, at Waterloo, he lost
+his _tete_; followed the procession, through every street; and returned to
+Salem, with all his wares.
+
+It was, while contemplating the high satisfaction, beaming forth, upon the
+features of the chief undertaker, that I first felt my _vocation_. I
+ventured, timidly, to ask old Lutton, if he thought I had talents for the
+office. He said, he thought I might succeed, clapped me on the shoulder,
+and gave me a smile of encouragement, which I never shall forget, till my
+poor old arm can wield a spade no more, and the sod, which I have so
+frequently turned upon others, shall be turned upon me.
+
+Old Grossman said, in my hearing, the following morning, that it had been
+the proudest day of his life. It is very pardonable, for an undertaker, on
+such occasions, to imagine himself the observed of all observers. This
+fancy is, by no means, confined to undertakers. Chief mourners of both
+sexes are very liable to the same impression. An over-estimate of one's
+own importance is pretty universal, especially in a republic. I never did
+go the length of believing the tale, related, by Peter, in his letter to
+his kinsfolk, who says he knew a Scotch weaver, who sat upon his stoop,
+and read the Edinburgh Review, till he actually thought he wrote it. I see
+nothing to smile at, in any man's belief, that he is the object of public
+attention, on occasions of parade and pageantry. It rather indicates the
+deep interest of the individual--a solemn sense of responsibility. At the
+late water celebration, I noticed many examples of this species of
+personal enthusiasm. The drivers of the Oak Hall and Sarsaparilla
+expresses were no mean illustrations; and when three cheers were given to
+the elephant, near the Museum, in Tremont Street, I was pleased to see
+several of the officials, and one, at least, of the water commissioners,
+touch their hats, and smile most graciously, in return.
+
+Puddifant, to whom I have alluded, officiated as sexton, at the funeral of
+Charles I. What a broad field, for painful contemplation, lies here! It is
+a curious fact, that, while preparations were being made, for depositing
+the body of King Charles in St. George's Chapel, at Windsor, a common foot
+soldier is supposed to have stolen a bone from the coffin of Henry VIII.,
+for the purpose of making a knife-handle. This account is so curious, that
+I give it entire from Wood's Athenae Oxonienses, folio edit. vol. ii., p.
+703. "Those gentlemen, therefore, Herbert and Mildmay, thinking fit to
+submit, and leave the choice of the place of burial to those great
+persons, (the Duke of Richmond, Marquis of Hertford, and Earl of Lindsey)
+they, in like manner, viewed the tomb house and the choir; and one of the
+Lords, beating gently upon the pavement with his staff, perceived a hollow
+sound; and, thereupon ordering the stones to be removed, they discovered a
+descent into a vault, where two coffins were laid, near one another, the
+one very large, of an antique form, and the other little. These they
+supposed to be the bodies of Henry VIII., and his third wife, Queen Jane
+Seymour, as indeed they were. The velvet palls, that covered their
+coffins, seemed fresh, though they had lain there, above one hundred
+years. The Lords agreeing, that the King's body should be in the same
+vault interred, being about the middle of the choir, over against the
+eleventh stall, upon the sovereign's side, they gave orders to have the
+King's name, and year he died, cut in lead; which, whilst the workmen were
+about, the Lords went out, and gave Puddifant, the sexton, order to lock
+the chapel door, and not suffer any to stay therein, till further notice."
+
+"The sexton did his best to clear the chapel; nevertheless, Isaac, the
+sexton's man, said that a foot soldier had hid himself so as he was not
+discovered; and, being greedy of prey, crept into the vault, and cut so
+much of the velvet pall, that covered the great body, as he judged would
+hardly be missed, and wimbled a hole through the said coffin that was
+largest, probably fancying that there was something well worth his
+adventure. The sexton, at his opening the door, espied the sacrilegious
+person; who, being searched, a bone was found about him, with which he
+said he would haft a knife. The girdle or circumscription of capital
+letters of lead put upon the King's coffin had only these words--King
+Charles, 1648." This statement perfectly agrees with Sir Henry Halford's
+account of the examination, April 1, 1813, in presence of the Prince
+Regent.
+
+Cromwell had a splendid funeral: good old John Evelyn saw it all, and
+describes it in his diary--the waxen effigy, lying in royal robes, upon a
+velvet bed of state, with crown, sceptre and globe--in less than two years
+suspended with a rope round the neck, from a window at Whitehall. Evelyn
+says, the "funeral was the joyfullest ever seen: none cried but the dogs,
+which the soldiers hooted away with a barbarous noise, drinking and taking
+tobacco in the streets as they went." Some have said that Cromwell's body
+was privately buried, by his own request, in the field of Naseby: others,
+that it was sunk in the Thames, to prevent insult. It was not so. When,
+upon the restoration, it was decided, to reverse the popular sentiment,
+Oliver's body was sought, in the middle aisle of Henry VII's chapel, and
+there it was found. A thin case of lead lay upon the breast, containing a
+copper plate, finely gilt, and thus inscribed--Oliverius, Protector
+reipublicae Angliae, Scotiae, et Hiberniae, natus 25 April, 1599--inauguratus
+16 Decembris 1653--mortuus 3 Septembris ann--1658. Hic situs est. This
+plate, in 1773, was in possession of the Hon George Hobart of Nocton in
+Lincolnshire. By a vote of the House of Commons, Cromwell's and Ireton's
+bodies were taken up, Jan. 26, 1660--and, on the Monday night following,
+they were drawn, on two carts, to the Red Lion Inn, Holborn, where they
+remained all night; and, with Bradshaw's, which was not exhumed, till the
+day after, conveyed, on sledges, to Tyburn, and hanged on the gallows,
+till sunset. They were then beheaded--the trunks were buried in a hole,
+near the gallows, and their heads set on poles, on the top of Westminster
+Hall, where Cromwell's long remained.
+
+The treatment of Oliver's character has been in perfect keeping, with the
+treatment of his carcass. The extremes of censure and of praise have been
+showered upon his name. He has been canonized, and cursed. The most
+judicious writers have expressed their views of his character, in
+well-balanced phrases. Cardinal Mazarin styled him _a fortunate mad-man_;
+and, by Father Orleans, he was called a _judicious villain_. The opinion
+of impartial men will probably vary very little from that of Clarendon,
+through all time: he says of Cromwell--"he was one of those men, _quos
+vituperare ne inimici quidem possunt, nisi ut simul laudent_;" and again,
+vol. vii. 301, Oxford ed. 1826: "In a word, as he was guilty of many
+crimes, against which damnation is denounced, and for which hell-fire is
+prepared, so he had some good qualities, which have caused the memory of
+some men, in all ages, to be celebrated; and he will be looked upon by
+posterity as _a brave wicked man_." Oliver had the nerve to do what most
+men could not: he went to look upon the corpse of the beheaded
+king--opened the coffin with his own hand--and put his finger to the neck,
+where it had been severed. _He could not then doubt that Charles was
+dead._
+
+At the same time, when the authorized absurdities were perpetrated upon
+Oliver's body, every effort was ineffectually made to discover that of
+King Charles, for the purpose of paying to it the highest honors. This
+occurred at the time of the restoration, or about ten years after the
+death of Charles I. In 1813, i. e. one hundred and sixty-five years after
+that event, the body was accidentally discovered. To this fact, and to the
+examination by Sir Henry Halford, President of the Royal College of
+Physicians, I shall refer in my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XL.
+
+
+The passage, quoted in my last, from the Athenae Oxonienses, shows plainly,
+that Charles I. was buried in 1648, in the same vault with the bodies of
+Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour; and this statement is perfectly sustained,
+by the remarkable discovery in 1813, which proves Lord Clarendon to have
+been mistaken in his account, Hist. Reb., Oxford ed., vol. vi. p. 243. The
+Duke of Richmond, the Marquis of Hertford, and the Earls of Southampton
+and Lindsey, who had been of the bed chamber, and had obtained leave, to
+perform the last duty to the decollated king, went into the church, at
+Windsor, to seek a place for the interment, and were greatly perplexed, by
+the mutilations and changes there--"At last," says Clarendon, "there was a
+fellow of the town, who undertook to tell them the place, where he said
+there was a vault, in which King Harry, the Eighth, and Queen Jane Seymour
+were interred. As near that place, as could conveniently be, they caused
+the grave to be made. There the king's body was laid, without any words,
+or other ceremonies, than the tears and sighs of the few beholders. Upon
+the coffin was a plate of silver fixed with these words only: 'King
+Charles, 1648.' When the coffin was put in, the black velvet pall, that
+had covered it, was thrown over it, and then the earth thrown in." _Such,
+clearly, could not have been the facts._
+
+Lord Clarendon then proceeds to speak of the impossibility of finding the
+body ten years after, when it was the wish of Charles II. to place it,
+with all honor, in the chapel of Henry VII., in Westminster Abbey. For
+this he accounts, by stating, that most of those present, at the
+_interment_, were dead or dispersed, at the restoration; and the memories
+of the remaining few had become so confused, that they could not designate
+the spot; and, after opening the ground, in several places, without
+success, they gave the matter up. Now there can be no doubt, that the body
+was placed in the vault, where it was found, in 1813, and that no
+_interment_ took place, in the proper sense of that word. Had Richmond,
+Hertford, Southampton, or Lindsey been alive, or at hand, the _vault
+itself_, and not a spot _near the vault_, would, doubtless, have been
+indicated, as the resting place of King Charles. Wood, in the Athenae
+Oxonienses, states, that the royal corpse was "well coffined, and all
+afterwards wrapped up in lead and covered with a new velvet pall." All
+this perfectly agrees with the account, given by Sir Henry Halford, and
+certified by the Prince Regent, in 1813.
+
+Sir Henry Halford states, that George the Fourth had built a mausoleum, at
+Windsor; and, while constructing a passage, under the choir of St.
+George's Chapel, an opening was unintentionally made into the vault of
+Henry VIII., through which, the workmen saw, not only those two coffins,
+which were supposed to contain the bodies of Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour,
+but a third, covered with a black pall. Mr. Herbert's account, quoted in
+my last number, from the Athenae, left little doubt, that this was the
+coffin of Charles I.; notwithstanding the statements of Lord Clarendon,
+that the body was interred _near_ the vault. An examination was made,
+April 1, 1813, in the presence of George IV., then Prince Regent, the Duke
+of Cumberland, Count Munster, the Dean of Windsor, Benjamin Charles
+Stevenson, Esq., and Sir Henry Halford; of which the latter published an
+account. London, 1831. This account is exceedingly interesting. "On
+removing the pall, a plain leaden coffin, with no appearance of ever
+having been enclosed in wood, and bearing an inscription, KING CHARLES,
+1648, in large legible characters, on a scroll of lead encircling it,
+immediately presented itself to view.
+
+"A square opening was then made, in the upper part of the lid, of such
+dimensions, as to admit a clear insight into its contents. These were an
+internal wooden coffin, very much decayed, and the body carefully wrapped
+up in cere-cloth, into the folds of which a quantity of unctuous or greasy
+matter, mixed with resin, as it seemed, had been melted, so as to exclude,
+as effectually as possible, the external air. The coffin was completely
+full; and from the tenacity of the cere-cloth, great difficulty was
+experienced, in detaching it successfully from the parts, which it
+enveloped. Wherever the unctuous matter had insinuated itself, the
+separation of the cere-cloth was easy; and when it came off, a correct
+impression of the features, to which it had been applied, was observed in
+the unctuous substance. At length the whole face was disengaged from its
+covering. The complexion of the skin of it was dark and discolored. The
+forehead and temples had lost little or nothing of their muscular
+substance; the cartilage of the nose was gone; but the left eye, in the
+first moment of exposure, was open and full, though it vanished, almost
+immediately; and the pointed beard, so characteristic of the period of the
+reign of King Charles, was perfect. The shape of the face was a long oval;
+many of the teeth remained; and the left ear, in consequence of the
+interposition of the unctuous matter, between it and the cere-cloth, was
+found entire.
+
+"It was difficult, at this moment, to withhold a declaration, that,
+notwithstanding its disfigurement, the countenance did bear a strong
+resemblance to the coins, the busts, and especially to the pictures of
+King Charles I., by Vandyke, by which it had been made familiar to us. It
+is true, that the minds of the spectators of this interesting sight were
+well prepared to receive this impression; but it is also certain, that
+such a facility of belief had been occasioned, by the simplicity and truth
+of Mr. Herbert's narrative, every part of which had been confirmed by the
+investigation, so far as it had advanced; and it will not be denied, that
+the shape of the face, the forehead, an eye, and the beard, are the most
+important features, by which resemblance is determined.
+
+"When the head had been entirely disengaged from the attachments, which
+confined it, it was found to be loose, and without any difficulty was
+taken up and held to view. It was quite wet, and gave a greenish and red
+tinge to paper and to linen, which touched it. The back part of the scalp
+was entirely perfect, and had a remarkably fresh appearance; the pores of
+the skin being more distinct, as they usually are, when soaked in
+moisture; and the tendons and ligaments of the neck were of considerable
+substance and firmness. The hair was thick, at the back part of the head,
+and in appearance, nearly black. A portion of it, which has since been
+cleansed and dried, is of a beautiful dark brown color. That of the beard
+was of a redder brown. On the back part of the head it was not more than
+an inch in length, and had probably been cut so short, for the convenience
+of the executioner, or perhaps, by the piety of friends, soon after death,
+in order to furnish memorials of the unhappy king."
+
+"On holding up the head to examine the place of separation from the body,
+the muscles of the neck had evidently retracted themselves considerably;
+and the fourth cervical vertebra was found to be cut through its substance
+transversely, leaving the surfaces of the divided portions perfectly
+smooth and even, an appearance, which could have been produced only by a
+heavy blow, inflicted with a very sharp instrument, and which furnished
+the last proof wanting to identify King Charles, the First. After this
+examination of the head, which served every purpose in view, and without
+examining the body below the neck, it was immediately restored to its
+situation, the coffin was soldered up again, and the vault closed."
+
+"Neither of the other coffins had any inscription upon them. The larger
+one, supposed, on good grounds, to contain the remains of Henry VIII.,
+measured six feet ten inches in length, and had been enclosed in an elm
+one, of two inches in thickness; but this was decayed, and lay in small
+fragments. The leaden coffin appeared to have been beaten in by violence
+about the middle, and a considerable opening in that part of it, exposed a
+mere skeleton of the king. Some beard remained upon the chin, but there
+was nothing to discriminate the personage contained in it."
+
+This is, certainly, a very interesting account. Some beard still remained
+upon the chin of Henry VIII., says Sir Henry Halford. Henry VIII. died
+Jan. 28, 1547. He had been dead, therefore, April 1, 1813, the day of the
+examination, two hundred and sixty-six years. The larger coffin measured
+six feet ten inches. Sir Henry means top measure. We always allow seven
+feet lid, or thereabouts, for a six feet corpse. Henry, in his History,
+vol. xi. p. 369, Lond. 1814, says that King Henry VIII. was tall. Strype,
+in Appendix A., vol. vi. p. 267, Ecc. Mem., London, 1816, devotes
+twenty-four octavo pages to an account of the funeral of Henry VIII., with
+all its singular details; and, at the last, he says--"Then was the vault
+uncovered, under the said corpse; and the corpse let down therein by the
+vice, with help of sixteen tal yeomen of the guard, appointed to the
+same." "Then, when the mold was brought in, at the word, pulverem pulveri
+et cinerem cineri, first the Lord Great Master, and after the Lord
+Chamberlain and al others in order, with heavy and dolorous lamentation
+brake their staves in shivers upon their heads and cast them after the
+corps into the pit. And then the gentlemen ushers, in like manner brake
+their rods, and threw them into the vault with exceeding sorrow and
+heaviness, not without grievous sighs and tears, not only of them, but of
+many others, as well of the meaner sort, as of the nobility, very piteous
+and sorrowful to behold."
+
+
+
+
+No. XLI.
+
+
+My attention was arrested, a day or two since, by a memorial, referred to,
+in the Atlas, from the owner of the land, famous, in revolutionary
+history, as the birth-place of LIBERTY TREE; and, especially, by a
+suggestion, which quadrates entirely with my notions of the fitness of
+things. If I were a demi-millionaire, I should delight to raise a
+monument, upon that consecrated spot--it should be a simple colossal
+shaft, of Massachusetts granite, surmounted with the cap of liberty. I
+would not inscribe one syllable upon it--but, if any grey-headed _Boston
+boy_--born here, within the limits of the old peninsula--should be moved,
+by the spirit, to write below--
+
+  Haec olim meminisse juvabit--
+
+I should not deem that act any interference with my original purpose.
+
+What days and nights those were! 1765! then, the man, who has now passed
+on to ninety-four, was the boy of ten! How perfectly the tablet of memory
+retains those impressions, made, by the pressure of great events, when the
+wax was soft and warm!
+
+It is quite common, with the present generation, at least, to connect the
+origin of LIBERTY TREE with 1775-6. This is an error. It became
+celebrated, ten years earlier, during the disturbances in Boston, on
+account of the Stamp Act, which passed March 22, 1765, and was to be in
+force, on the first of November following. Intelligence arrived, that
+Andrew Oliver, Secretary of the Province, was to be distributor of stamps.
+
+There was a cluster or grove of beautiful elms, in HANOVER SQUARE--such
+was the name, then given to the corner of Orange, now part of Washington
+Street, and Auchmuty's Lane, now Essex Street. Opposite the southwesterly
+corner of Frog Lane, now Boylston Street, where the market-house now
+stands, there was an old house, with manifold gables, and two massive
+chimneys, and, in the yard, in front of it, there stood a large, spreading
+elm. This was LIBERTY TREE. Its first designation was on this wise. During
+the night of August 13, 1765, some of the SONS OF LIBERTY, as they styled
+themselves, assuming the appellation bestowed on them in the House of
+Commons, by Col. Barre, in a moment of splendid but unpremeditated
+eloquence, hung, upon that tree, an effigy of Mr. Oliver, and a boot, with
+a figure of the devil peeping out, and holding the stamp act in his hand;
+this boot was intended as a practical pun--wretched enough--upon the name
+of Lord Bute. In the morning of the 14th, a great crowd collected to the
+spot. Some of the neighbors attempted to take the effigy down. The _Sons
+of Liberty_ gave them a forcible hint, and they desisted. The Lieutenant
+Governor, as Chief Justice, directed the sheriff to take it down: he
+reconnoitred the ground, and reported that it could not be done, without
+peril of life.
+
+Business was suspended, about town. After dark, the effigy was borne, by
+the mob, to a building, which was supposed to have been erected, as a
+stamp-office. This they destroyed, and, bearing the fragments to Fort
+Hill, where Mr. Oliver lived, they made a bonfire, and burnt the effigy
+before his door. They next drove him and his family from his house, broke
+the windows and fences, and stoned the Lieutenant Governor and Sheriff,
+when they came to parley--all this, upon the night of August 14, 1765. On
+the 26th, they destroyed the house of Mr. Story, register-deputy of the
+Admiralty, and burnt the books and records of the court. They then served
+the house of Mr. Hollowell, Contractor of the Customs, in a similar
+manner, plundering and carrying away money and chattels. They next
+proceeded to the residence of the Lieutenant Governor, and destroyed every
+article not easily transported, doing irreparable mischief, by the
+destruction of many valuable manuscripts. The next day, a town meeting was
+held, and the citizens expressed their _detestation of the riots_--and,
+afterwards manifested their silent sympathy with the mob, by punishing
+nobody.
+
+Nov. 1, 1765, the day, when the stamp act came into force, the bells were
+muffled and tolled; the shipping displayed their colors, at half mast; the
+stamp act was printed, with a death's head, in the place of the stamp, and
+cried about the streets, under the name of the FOLLY OF ENGLAND, AND THE
+RUIN OF AMERICA. A new political journal appeared, having for its emblem,
+or political phylactery, a serpent, cut into pieces, each piece bearing
+the initials of a colony, with the ominous motto--JOIN OR DIE. More
+effigies were hung, upon "_the large old elm_," as Gordon terms
+it--LIBERTY TREE. They were then cut down, and escorted over town. They
+were brought back, and hung up again; taken down again; escorted to the
+Neck, by an immense concourse; hanged upon the gallows tree; taken down
+once more; and torn into innumerable fragments. Three cheers were then
+given, and, upon a request to that effect, every man went quietly home;
+and a night of unusual stillness ensued.
+
+Hearing that Mr. Oliver intended to resume his office, he was required,
+through the newspaper, by an anonymous writer, to acknowledge, or deny,
+the truth of that report. His answer proving unsatisfactory, he received a
+requisition, Nov. 16th, to appear "_tomorrow, under_ LIBERTY TREE, _to
+make a public resignation_." Two thousand persons gathered then, beneath
+that TREE--not the rabble, but the selectmen, the merchants, and chief
+inhabitants. Mr. Oliver requested, that the meeting might be held, in the
+town house; but the SONS OF LIBERTY seemed resolved, that he should be
+_treed_--no place, under the canopy of Heaven, would answer, but LIBERTY
+TREE. Mr. Oliver came; subscribed an ample declaration; and made oath to
+it, before Richard Dana, J. P. This exactitude and circumspection, on the
+part of the people, was not a work of supererogation: Andrew Oliver was a
+most amiable man, in private, but a most lubricious hypocrite, in public
+life; as appears by his famous letters, sent home by Dr. Franklin, in
+1772. After his declaration under the TREE, he made a short speech,
+expressive of his "_utter detestation of the stamp act_." What a spectacle
+was there and then! The best and the boldest were there. Samuel Adams and
+John--Jerry Gridley, Samuel Sewall, and John Hancock, _et id genus omne_
+were in Boston then, and the busiest men alive: their absence would have
+been marked--they must have been there. What an act of daring, thus to
+defy the monarch and his vicegerents! I paused, this very day, and gazed
+upon the spot, and put the steam upon my imagination, to conjure, into
+life and action, that little band of sterling patriots, gathered around;
+and that noble elm in their midst:--
+
+  "In medio ramos annosaque brachia pandit
+  Ulmus opaca, ingens."
+
+Thenceforward, the SONS OF LIBERTY seem to have taken the TREE, under
+their special protection. On Valentine's day, 1776, they assembled, and
+passed a vote, that _it should be pruned after the best manner_. It is
+well, certainly, now and then, to lop off some rank, disorderly shoots of
+licentiousness, that will sometimes appear, upon LIBERTY TREE. It was
+pruned, accordingly, by a party of volunteer carpenters, under the
+direction of a gentleman of skill and judgment, in such matters.
+
+News of the repeal of the stamp act arrived in Boston, May 16, 1766. The
+bells rang merrily--and the cannon were unlimbered, around LIBERTY TREE,
+and bellowed for joy. The TREE, so skilfully pruned, in February, must
+have presented a beautiful appearance, bourgeoning forth, in the middle of
+May! The nineteenth of May was appointed, for a merrymaking. At one, in
+the morning, the bell of the Hollis Street Church, says a zealous writer
+of that day, "_began to ring_"--_sua sponte_, no doubt. The slumbers of
+the pastor, Dr. Byles, were disturbed, of course, for he was a tory,
+though a very pleasant tory, after all. Christ Church replied, with its
+royal peal, from the North, and _God save the king_, rang pleasantly
+again, in colonial ears. The universal joy was expressed, in all those
+unphilosophical ways, enumerated by Pope,
+
+  With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbuss and thunder.
+
+LIBERTY TREE was hung with various colors. Fireworks and illuminations
+succeeded. Gov. Hancock treated the people with "_a pipe of Madeira_;" and
+the SONS OF LIBERTY raised a pyramid, upon the Common, with two hundred
+and eighty lamps. At twelve o'clock--midnight--a drum, upon the Common,
+beat the _tattoo_; and men, women, and children retired to their homes, in
+the most perfect order: verily, a soberness had come over the spirit of
+their dreams, and method into their madness. On the evening of the
+twentieth of May, it was resolved to have a festival of lanterns.
+
+The inhabitants vied with each other; and, about dusk, they were seen
+streaming, from all quarters, to HANOVER SQUARE, every man and boy with
+his lamp or lantern. In a brief space, LIBERTY TREE was converted into a
+brilliant constellation. Like the sparkling waters, during the burning of
+Ucalegon's palace, described by Homer, the boughs, the branches, the
+veriest twigs of this popular idol
+
+                                --------"were bright,
+  With splendors not their own, and shone with sparkling light."
+
+It appears, by the journals of that day, from which most of these
+particulars are gathered, that our fathers--what inimitable, top-gallant
+fellows they were!--took a pleasant fancy into their heads, that these
+lamps would shed a brighter lustre, if the poor debtors, in jail, could
+join in the general joy, under LIBERTY TREE. Accordingly they made up a
+purse and paid the debts of them all! There was a general jail delivery of
+the poor debtors, for very joy. Well: a Boston boy, of the old school, was
+a noble animal--how easily held by the heart-strings!--with how much
+difficulty, by the head or the tail!
+
+An antiquarian friend, to whom I am already under sundry obligations, has
+obligingly loaned me an interesting document, in connection with the
+subject of LIBERTY TREE; under whose shade I propose to linger a little
+longer.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLII.
+
+
+March 22, 1765. George III. and his ministers took it into their heads to
+sow the wind; and, in an almost inconceivably short time, they reaped the
+whirlwind. They scattered dragons' teeth, and there came up armed men.
+They planted the stamp act, in the Colonial soil, and there sprang into
+life, mature and full of vigor, the LIBERTY TREE, like Minerva, fully
+developed, and in perfect armor, from the brain of Jupiter. Whoever would
+find a clear, succinct, and impartial account of the effect of the stamp
+act, upon the people of New England, may resort to Dodsley's Annual
+Register, page 49, of that memorable year. "The sun of liberty has set,"
+wrote Franklin home, "but you must light up the candles of industry and
+economy."
+
+The life of that act of oppression was short and stormy. March 18, 1766,
+its miserable requiem was sung in Parliament--"an event," says the Annual
+Register, of that year, page 46, "that caused more universal joy,
+throughout the British dominions, than, perhaps, any other, that can be
+remembered." How such a viper ever found its way into the cradle of
+liberty is quite a marvel--certain it is, the genius of freedom, with the
+power of Hercules, speedily strangled it there.
+
+In America, and, especially, in Boston, the joy, as I have already stated,
+was very great; and some there were, beyond all doubt, who were delighted,
+to find an apology, for going back to monarchical usages. Even liberty may
+be, sometimes, irksome, at first, to him, who has long lived a slave; and
+it is no small grievance, I dare say, to such, to be deprived of the
+luxury of calling some one, Lord and Master, after the flesh. However
+monstrous, and even ridiculous, the idea of a king may seem to us,
+republicans, born in this wonderfully bracing atmosphere--there are some,
+who have a strong taste for _booing_ and genuflection, and the doffing of
+beavers, and throwing up of "greasy caps," and rending their throats, for
+very ecstacy, when the royal coach is coming along, bearing the heir
+apparent, in diapers. This taste, I suppose, like that for olives, must be
+acquired; it cannot be natural.
+
+May 19, and 20, 1766, the face of the town of Boston was dressed in
+smiles--a broad grin rather, from ear to ear, from Winnisimmet to Roxbury.
+Nothing was talked of but "_a grateful people_," and "_the darling
+monarch_"--which amounts to this--the "_darling monarch_" had graciously
+desisted, from grinding their faces any longer, simply because he was
+convinced, that the "_grateful people_" would kick the grindstone over,
+and peradventure the grinder, should the "_darling_" attempt to give it
+another turn.
+
+Under LIBERTY TREE, there was erected, during the rejoicings, an obelisk
+with four sides. An engraving of those four sides was made at the time,
+and is now, doubtless, very rare. A copy, loaned me by the friend, to whom
+I referred, in my last number, is lying before me. I present it,
+_verbatim, literatim, et punctuatim_.
+
+It is thirteen and an half inches long, and nine and an half wide. On top
+are these words--"A VIEW of the OBELISK erected under LIBERTY TREE in
+BOSTON on the Rejoicings for the Repeal of the ---- Stamp Act 1766." At
+the bottom--"To every Lover of LIBERTY this Plate is humbly dedicated by
+her true born SONS in BOSTON, New England." The plate presents,
+apparently, four obelisks, which are, in reality, the four sides of one.
+Every side, above the base, is divided horizontally, and nearly equally,
+into three parts. The superior division of each contains four heads, many
+of which may be readily recognized, and all of which have indicating
+letters. The middle division of each contains ten decasyllabic lines. The
+inferior division of each contains a sketch, of rude execution, and rather
+more patriotic, than tasteful, in the design. The principal portraits are
+of George III.; Queen Charlotte; Marquis of Rockingham; Duke of York; Gen.
+Conway; Lord Townshend; Colonel Barre; W. Pitt; Lord Dartmouth; Charles
+Townshend; Lord George Sackville; John Wilkes; Alderman Beckford; Lord
+Camden; &c. The first side is subscribed thus: "_America in distress,
+apprehending the total loss of_ LIBERTY;" and is inscribed thus:
+
+  Oh thou, whom next to Heaven we most revere
+  Fair LIBERTY! thou lovely Goddess hear!
+  Have we not woo'd thee, won thee, held thee long,
+  Lain in thy Lap and melted on thy tongue.
+  Thro' Deaths and Dangers rugged paths pursu'd
+  And led thee smiling to this SOLITUDE,
+  Hid thee within our hearts' most golden cell
+  And brav'd the Powers of Earth and Powers of Hell,
+  GODDESS! we cannot part, thou must not fly,
+  Be SLAVES! we dare to scorn it, dare to die.
+
+Beneath is the sketch--America recumbent and dejected, in the form of an
+Indian chief, under a pine tree, the angel of Liberty hovering over; the
+Prime minister advancing with a chain, followed by one of the bishops, and
+others, Bute clearly designated by his Scotch plaid, and gaiters; over
+head, flying towards the Indian, with the stamp act in his right claw, is
+the Devil; of whom it is manifest our patriotic sires had a very clever
+conception.
+
+The second side is subscribed thus: "_She implores the aid of her
+patrons_;" and is inscribed thus:
+
+  While clanking chains and curses shall salute
+  Thine Ears remorseless G----le, and thine O B----e,
+  To you blest PATRIOTS, we our cause submit,
+  Illustrious CAMPDEN, Britain's Guardian, PITT.
+  Recede not, frown not, rather let us be
+  Deprived of being than of LIBERTY,
+  Let fraud or malice blacken all our crimes,
+  No disaffection stains these peaceful climes.
+  Oh save us, shield us from impending woes,
+  The foes of Britain only are our foes.
+
+Beneath is the sketch--America, on one knee, pointing over her shoulder
+towards a retreating group, composed, as the chain and the plaid inform
+us, of the Prime Minister Bute, and company, upon whose heads a thunder
+cloud is bursting. At the same time America--the Indian, as
+before--supplicates the aid of others, whose leader is being crowned, by
+Fame, with a laurel wreath. The enormous nose--a great help to
+identification--marks the Earl of Chatham; Camden may be known by his wig;
+and Barre by his military air.
+
+The third side is subscribed thus: "_She endures the Conflict, for a short
+Season_" and is inscribed thus:
+
+  Boast foul Oppression, boast thy transient Reign,
+  While honest FREEDOM struggles with her Chain,
+  But know the Sons of Virtue, hardy, brave,
+  Disclaim to lose thro' mean Dispair to save;
+  Arrowed in Thunder awfull they appear,
+  With proud Deliverance stalking in their Rear,
+  While Tyrant Foes their pallid Fears betray,
+  Shrink from their Arms, and give their Vengeance way.
+  See in the unequal War OPPRESSORS fall,
+  The hate, contempt, and endless Curse of all.
+
+Beneath is the sketch--THE TREE OF LIBERTY, with an eagle feeding its
+young, in the topmost branches, and an angel advancing with an aegis.
+
+The fourth side is subscribed thus: "_And has her_ LIBERTY _restored by
+the Royal hand of_ GEORGE _the Third_;" and is inscribed thus:
+
+  Our FAITH approv'd, our LIBERTY restor'd,
+  Our Hearts bend grateful to our sov'reign Lord;
+  Hail darling Monarch! by this act endear'd,
+  Our firm affections are thy best reward--
+  Sh'd Britain's self against herself divide,
+  And hostile Armies frown on either side;
+  Sh'd hosts rebellious shake our Brunswick's Throne,
+  And as they dar'd thy Parent dare the Son.
+  To this Asylum stretch thine happy Wing,
+  And we'll contend who best shall love our KING.
+
+Beneath is the sketch--George the Third, in armor, resembling a Dutch
+widow, in a long-short, introducing America to the goddess of liberty, who
+are, apparently, just commencing the Polka--at the bottom of the engraving
+are the words--_Paul Revere Sculp._ Our ancestors dealt rather in fact
+than fiction--they were no poets.
+
+Gordon refers to LIBERTY TREE, i. 175.
+
+The fame of LIBERTY TREE spread far beyond its branches. Not long before
+it was cut down, by the British soldiers, during the winter of 1775-6, an
+English gentleman, Philip Billes, residing at Backway, near Cambridge,
+England, died, seized of a considerable fortune, which he bequeathed to
+two gentlemen, not relatives, on condition, that they would faithfully
+execute a provision, set forth in his will, namely, that his body should
+be buried, under the shadow of LIBERTY TREE, in Boston, New England. This
+curious statement was published in England, June 3, 1774, and may be found
+in the Boston Evening Gazette, first page, Aug. 22, 1774, printed by
+Thomas & John Fleet, sign of the Heart and Crown, Cornhill.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLIII.
+
+
+Josiah Carter died, at the close of December, 1774. Never was there a
+happier occasion, for citing the _Quis desiderio_, &c., and I would cite
+that fine ode, were it not worn threadbare, like an old coverlet, by
+having been, immemorially, thrown over all manner of corpses, from the
+cobbler's to the king's.
+
+If good old Dr. Charles Chauncy were within hearing, I would, indeed,
+apply to him a portion of its noble passages:
+
+  Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit,
+  Nulli flebilior quam tibi----.
+
+  For good Josiah many wept, I fancy;
+  But none more fluently than Dr. Chauncy.
+
+Josiah Carter was sexton of the Old Brick. He died, in the prime of
+life--fifty only--a martyr to his profession--conscientious to a
+fault--standing all alone in the cold vault, after the last mourner had
+retired, and knocking gently upon the coffin lid, seeking for some little
+sign of animation, and begging the corpse, for Heaven's sake, if it were
+alive, to say so, in good English.
+
+Carter was one of your real _integer vitae_ men. It is said of him, that he
+never actually lost his self-government, but once, in his life.
+
+He was finishing a grave, in the Granary yard, and had come out of the
+pit, and was looking at his work, when a young, surgical sprig came up,
+and, with something of a mysterious air, shadowed forth a proposition, the
+substance of which was, that Carter should sell him the corpse--cover it
+lightly--and aid in removing it, by night. In an instant, Carter jerked
+the little chirurgeon into the grave--it was a deep one--and began to fill
+up, with all his might. The screams of the little fellow drew quite a
+number to the spot, and he was speedily rescued. When interrogated, years
+afterwards, as to his real intentions, at the time, Carter always became
+solemnized; and said he considered the preservation of that young
+doctor--a particular Providence.
+
+Carter had a strong aversion to unburying--so have I--especially a
+hatchet. I have a rooted hatred of slavery; and I hope our friends, on the
+sunny side of Mason's and Dixon's line, will not censure me, for digging
+up the graves of the past, and exposing unsightly relics, while I solicit
+the world's attention to the following literary _bijoux_.
+
+To be sold, a young negro fellow, fit for country or other business.--Will
+be sold to the highest bidder, a very good gold watch, a negro boy,
+&c.--Cheap, for cash, a negro man, and woman, and two children.--A very
+likely negro wench, about 16 years of age.--A likely negro woman, about
+30, cheap for cash.--A likely negro boy, about 13.--Sold only for want of
+employ, a healthy, tractable negro girl, about 18 years of age.--To be
+sold, for want of employ, a strong, hearty negro fellow, about 25 years of
+age.--Ran away, a negro, named Dick, a well-looking, well-shaped fellow,
+right negro, little on the yellow, &c.--A likely negro woman, about 33
+years old, remarkable for honesty and good temper.--Grant Webster has for
+sale new and second hand chaises, rum, wines, and male and female
+negroes.--At auction, a negro woman that is used to most sorts of house
+business.--A likely, healthy negro man, a good cook, and can drive a
+carriage.--Ran away, a negro man, named Prince, a tall, straight fellow;
+he is about 33 years old, talks pretty good English; his design was to get
+off in some vessel, so as to go to England, under the notion, if he could
+get there, he should be free, &c.--Ten dollars reward: ran away, negro
+Primus, five feet ten inches high, long limbs, very long finger nails,
+&c.--To be sold, for no fault, a negro man, of good temper.--A valuable
+negro man.--Ran away, my negro, Cromarte, commonly called Crum, &c., &c.;
+whoever will return said runaway to me, or secure him in some public jail,
+&c.--The cash will be given for a negro boy of good temper.--A fine negro
+male child, to be given away.--To be sold, a Spanish Indian woman, about
+21 years old, also a negro child, about two years old. To be sold, a
+strong, hearty negro girl, and her son, about a week old.--Ran away, my
+negro man, Samson; when he speaks has a leering look under his eyes;
+whoever will return him, or secure him in any of the jails, shall receive
+ten dollars reward. For sale, a likely negro man; has had the smallpox.--A
+likely negro boy, large for his age, about 13.--To be sold, very
+reasonably, a likely negro woman, about 33 or '4 years of age.--To be sold
+or hired, for a number of years, a strong, healthy, honest, negro girl,
+about 16 years of age.
+
+Ah, my dear, indignant reader, I marvel not, that you are grieved and
+shocked, that man should dare, directly under the eye of God, to offer his
+fellow for sale, as he would offer a side of mutton, or a slaughtered
+hog--that he should offer to sell him, from head to heel, liver and
+lights, and lungs, and heart, and bone, and muscle, and presume to convey
+over, to the buyer, the very will of the poor black man, for years, and
+for aye; so that the miserable creature should never draw in one single
+breath of freedom, but breathe the breath of a slave forever and ever.
+This is very damnable indeed--very. You read the advertisements, which I
+have paraded before you, with a sentiment of disgust towards the men of
+the South--_nimium ne crede colori_. These are northern negroes! these are
+northern advertisements!
+
+  --------Mutato nomine, de te
+  Fabula narratur--------.
+
+Every one of these slaves was owned in Boston: every one of these
+advertisements was published in the Boston Gazette, and the two last on
+December 10, 1781. They are taken from one only of the public journals,
+and are a very Flemish sample of the whole cloth, which may be examined by
+him, who has leisure to turn over the several papers, then published here.
+
+There is one, however, so awfully ridiculous, when we consider the
+profession of the deceased owner, and the place of sale, and which, in
+these connections, presents such an example of _sacra, commixta profanis_,
+that I must give the advertisement without defalcation. John Moorhead, the
+first minister of Bury, afterwards Berry Street Church, died Dec. 2, 1773.
+About a year after, his effects were sold, and the following advertisement
+appears, in the Boston Gazette, Jan. 2, 1775: "To be sold by Public
+Auction, on Thursday next, at ten o'clock in the Forenoon, all the
+Household Furniture, belonging to the Estate of the Rev. Mr. John
+Moorhead, deceased, consisting of Tables, Chairs, Looking Glasses, Feather
+Beds, Bedsteads and Bedding, Pewter, Brass, sundry Pieces of Plate, &c.,
+&c. A valuable collection of Books--Also a likely Negro Lad--The sale to
+be at the House in Auchmuty's Lane, South End, not far from Liberty
+Tree."--Moses and the Prophets! _A human being to be sold as a_ SLAVE,
+_not far from_ LIBERTY TREE, in 1775!
+
+Let me be clearly comprehended. Two wrongs cannot, like two negatives,
+neutralize each other. It is true, there was slavery in Massachusetts, and
+probably more of it, than is supposed to have existed, by many of the
+present generation. Free negroes were not numerous, in Boston, in those
+years. In the Boston Gazette of Jan. 2, 1775, it is stated, that 547
+whites and 52 blacks were buried in the town in 1774; and 533 whites and
+62 blacks in 1773. Such was the proportion then.
+
+The energy of our northern constitution has exorcised the evil spirit of
+slavery. Common sense and the grace of God put it into the minds and
+hearts of our fathers, when the accursed _Bohun Upas_ was a sapling, to
+pull it up, by the roots. It follows not, therefore, that the people of
+the South are entitled to be treated by us, their brethren, like _outside
+barbarians_, because they do not cast it out from their midst, as
+promptly, and as easily, now that it has stricken down its roots into the
+bowels of the earth, and become a colossus, and overshadowed the land.
+Slavery, being the abomination that it is, in the abstract, and in the
+relative, we may well regret, that it ever defiled our peninsula;
+especially that a slave market, for the sale of one slave only, ever
+existed, "_not far from Liberty Tree_." In sober truth, we are not quite
+justified, for railing at the South, as we have done. The sins of our
+dear, old fathers are still so comparatively recent, in regard to slavery,
+that I am absolutely afraid to fire canister and grape, among the group of
+offenders, lest I should disturb the ashes of my ancestors. Neither may we
+forget, that we, of the North, consented, aided and abetted,
+constitutionally, in the confirmation of slavery. Some of the most furious
+of the abolitionists, in this fair city, are _descendants in the right
+line, from Boston slaveholders_--their fathers did not recognize the
+sinfulness of holding slaves!
+
+The people of the South are entitled to civility, from the people of the
+North, because they are citizens of one common country; and, if there is
+one village, town, or city of these United States, that, more than any and
+all others, is under solemn obligations to cherish a sentiment of grateful
+and affectionate respect for the South, it is the city of Boston. I
+propose to refresh the reader's recollection, in my next.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLIV.
+
+
+_Delenda est Carthago--abolendum est servitium._--No doubt of it; slavery
+must be buried--decently, however. I cannot endure rudeness and violence,
+at a funeral. John Cades, in Charter Street, lost his place, in 1789, for
+letting old Goody Smith go by the run. The _naufragium_ of Erasmus, was
+nothing at all, compared with that of the old lady's coffin. Our Southern
+confederates are entitled to _civility_, because they are men and
+brethren; and they are entitled to _kindness and courtesy from us, of
+Boston_, because we owe them a debt of gratitude, which it would be
+shameful to forget. Since we, of the North, have presumed to be
+_undertakers_ upon this occasion, let us do the thing "_decenter et
+ornate_." Besides, our friends of the South are notoriously testy and
+hot-headed: they are, geographically, children of the sun. John Smith's
+description of the Massachusetts Indians, in 1614, Richmond ed., ii. 194,
+is truly applicable to the Southern people, "_very kind, but, in their
+fury, no less valiant_."
+
+I am no more inclined to uphold the South, in the continued practice of a
+moral wrong, because they gave us bread when we were hungry, as they
+certainly did, than was Sir Matthew Hale, to decide favorably for the
+suitor, who sent him the fat buck. _Nullum simile quatuor pedibus
+currit_--the South, when they bestowed their kindness upon us, during the
+operation of the _Boston Port Bill_, had no possible favor to ask, in
+return.
+
+This famous Port Bill, which operated like _guano_ upon LIBERTY TREE, and
+caused it to send forth a multitude of new and vigorous shoots, was an act
+of revenge and coercion, passed March 31, 1774, by the British Parliament.
+
+No government was ever so _penny wise_ and _pound foolish_, as that of
+Great Britain, in 1773-'4. They actually sacrificed thirteen fine,
+flourishing colonies for _three pence_! In 1773 the East India Company,
+suffering from the bad effects of the smuggling trade, in the colonies,
+all taxation having been withdrawn, by Great Britain, excepting on tea,
+proposed, for the purpose of quieting the strife, to sell their tea, free
+of all duties, in the Colonies, and that sixpence a pound should be
+retained by the Government, on exportation. But the Government insisted
+upon _three pence_ worth of dignity; in other words, for the honor of the
+Crown, they resolved, that the colonists _should pay three pence_ a pound,
+import duty. This was a very poor bargain--a _crown_ for _three pence_!
+Well; I have no room for detail--the tea came; some of it went back again;
+and the balance was tossed into the sea. It was not suffered to be landed,
+at Philadelphia and New York. Seventeen chests, brought to New York, on
+private account, says Gordon, vol. i. page 333, were thrown overboard,
+Nov. 18, 1773, and combustibles were prepared to burn the ships, if they
+came up from the Hook. Dec. 16, 1773, three hundred and twenty-four chests
+of tea were broken open, on board the ships, in Boston, and their contents
+thrown into the salt water, by a "number of persons," says Gordon, vol. i.
+page 341, "chiefly masters of vessels and shipbuilders from the north end
+of the town," dressed as Indians.
+
+In consequence of this, the _Port Bill_ was passed. The object of this
+bill was to beggar--commercially to neutralize or nullify--the town of
+Boston, by shutting the port, and cutting off all import and export, by
+sea, until full compensation should be made, for the tea destroyed, and to
+the officers of the revenue, and others, who had suffered, by the riots,
+in the years 1773 and 1774. Such was the _Port Bill_, whose destructive
+operation was directed, upon the port of Boston alone, under a fatal
+misunderstanding of the British government, in relation to the real
+unanimity of the American people.
+
+It is no easy matter, to describe the effect of this act of folly and
+injustice. The whole country seemed to be affected, with a sort of
+political _neuralgia_; and the attack upon Boston, like a wound upon some
+principal nerve, convulsed the whole fabric. The colonies resembled a band
+of brothers--"born for affliction:" a blow was no sooner aimed at one,
+than the remaining twelve rushed to the rescue, each one interposing an
+aegis. In no part of the country, were there more dignified, or more
+touching, or more substantial testimonies of sympathy manifested, for the
+people of Boston, than in the Southern States; and especially in Virginia,
+Maryland, and both the Carolinas.
+
+The _Port Bill_ came into force, June 1, 1774. The Marylanders of
+Annapolis, on the 25th of May preceding, assembled, and resolved, that
+Boston was "_suffering in the common cause of America_." On the 30th, the
+magistrates, and other inhabitants of Queen Anne's County resolved, in
+full meeting, that they would "_make known, as speedily as possible, their
+sentiments to their distressed brethren of Boston, and that they looked
+upon the cause of Boston to be the common cause of America_." The House of
+Burgesses, in Virginia, appointed the day, when the Boston Port Bill came
+into operation, as a day of fasting and prayer, throughout the ancient
+dominion. A published letter, from Kent County, Maryland, dated June 7,
+1774, says--"The people of Boston need not be afraid of being starved into
+compliance; if they will only give a short notice, they may make their
+town the granary of America."
+
+June 24, 1774.--Twenty-four days after the Port Bill went into operation,
+a public meeting was held at Charleston, S. C. The moving spirits were the
+Trapiers and the Elliots, the Horries and the Clarksons, the Gadsdens and
+the Pinkneys of that day; and resolutions were passed, full of brotherly
+love and sympathy, for the inhabitants of Boston.
+
+"Baltimore, July 16th, 1774.--A vessel hath sailed from the Eastern Shore
+of this Province, with a cargo of provisions as a free gift to our
+besieged brethren of Boston. The inhabitants of all the counties of
+Virginia and Maryland are subscribing, with great liberality, for the
+relief of the distressed towns of Boston and Charlestown. The inhabitants
+of Alexandria, we hear, in a few hours, subscribed L350, for that noble
+purpose. Subscriptions are opened in this town, for the support and
+animation of Boston, under their present great conflict, for the common
+freedom of us all. A vessel is now loading with provisions, as a testimony
+of the affection of this people towards their persecuted brethren."
+
+"Salem, Aug. 23, 1774.--Yesterday arrived at Marblehead, Capt. Perkins,
+from Baltimore, with 3000 bushels of corn, 20 barrels of rye meal, and 21
+barrels of bread, for the benefit of the poor of Boston, and with 1000
+bushels of corn from Annapolis, for the same benevolent purpose."
+
+"New York, Aug. 15, 1774.--Saturday last, Capt. Dickerson arrived here,
+and brought 376 barrels of rye from South Carolina, to be sold, and
+proceeds remitted to Boston, a present to the sufferers; a still larger
+cargo is to be shipped for the like benevolent purpose."
+
+"Newport, R. I.--Capt. Bull, from Wilmington, North Carolina, arrived here
+last Tuesday, with a load of provisions for the poor of Boston; to sail
+again for Salem."
+
+These testimonies of a kind and brotherly spirit, came from all quarters
+of the country. These illustrations might be multiplied to any extent. I
+pass by the manifestations of the most cordial sympathy from other
+colonies, and the contributions from the towns and villages around us--my
+business lies, at present with the South--and my object is to remind some
+of the more rampant and furious of my abolition friends, who are of
+yesterday, that the people of the South, however hasty they may be, living
+under the sun's fiercer rays, and however excited, when a Northern man,
+however respectable, comes to take up his quarters in their midst, and
+gather evidence against them, under their very noses--are not precisely
+_outside barbarians_.
+
+Let the work of abolition go forward, in a dignified and decent spirit.
+Let us argue; and, so far as we rightfully may, let us legislate. Let us
+bring the whole world's sympathy up to the work of emancipation. But, let
+us not revile and vituperate those, who are, to all intents and purposes,
+our brethren, as certainly as if they lived just over the Roxbury line,
+instead of Mason's and Dixon's. Such harsh and unmitigated scoffing and
+abuse, as we too often witness, are equally ungracious, ungentlemanly, and
+ungrateful.
+
+There is something strangely grotesque, to be sure, in the idea of calling
+a state, in which there are more slaves than freemen, the _land of
+liberty_. Our Massachusetts ancestors had a very good _theoretical_
+conception of its inconsistency and absurdity, as early as 1773; when the
+first glimmerings of independence began to come over the spirit of their
+dreams. In that year, the Massachusetts negroes caught the liberty fever,
+and presented a petition to have their fetters knocked off. May 17, 1773,
+the inhabitants of Pembroke addressed a respectfully suggestive letter to
+their representative in the General Court, John Turner; the last paragraph
+of which is well worthy of republication. The entire letter may be found
+in the Boston Gazette of June 14, 1773--"We think the negro petition
+reasonable--agreeable to natural justice and the precepts of the Gospel;
+and therefore advise that, in concurrence with the other worthy members of
+the assembly, you endeavor to find a way, in which they may be freed from
+slavery, without wrong to their present masters, or injury to
+themselves--and that a total abolition of slavery may in due time take
+place. Then we trust we may with humble confidence, look up to the Great
+Arbiter of Heaven and earth, expecting that he will in his own due time,
+look upon our affliction, and in the way of his Providence, deliver us
+from the insults, the grievances, and impositions we so justly complain
+of." This, as the reader will remember, had reference to slavery in
+Massachusetts.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLV.
+
+
+In 1823, and in the month of May, something, in my line, caused me to
+visit the first ex-President Adams, at the old mansion in Quincy. By some
+persons, he was accounted a cold man; and his son, John Quincy, even a
+colder man: yet neither was cold, unless in the sense, in which Mount
+Hecla is cold--belted in everlasting ice, though liable, occasionally, to
+violent eruptions of a fiery character.
+
+As I was taking my leave, being about to remove into a distant State, my
+daughter, between five and six years old, stepped timidly towards Mr.
+Adams, and placing her little hand upon his, and looking upon his
+venerable features, said to him--"_Sir, you are so old, and I am going
+away so far, that I do not think I shall ever see you again--will you let
+me kiss you before I go?_" His brow was suddenly overcast--the spirit
+became gently solemnized--"_Certainly, my child_" said he, "_if you desire
+to kiss a very old man, whom it is quite likely you will never see
+again_."--He bowed his aged form, and the child, rising on tiptoe,
+impressed a kiss upon his brow. I would give a great deal more than I can
+afford, for a fair sketch of that old man's face, as he resumed his
+position--I see it now, with the eye of a Swedenborgian. His features were
+slightly flushed, but not discomposed at all; tears filled his eyes; and,
+if one word must suffice to express all that I saw, that word is
+_benevolence_--that same benevolence, which taught him, on the day of his
+death, July 4, 1826, when asked if he knew what day it was, to
+exclaim--"_Yes, it is the glorious Fourth of July--God bless it--God bless
+you all_."
+
+At the time of the little occurrence, which I have related, Mr. Adams was
+eighty-eight years old. I ventured to say, that I wished we could give him
+the years of Methuselah--to which he replied, with a faint smile,--"_My
+friend, you could not wish me a greater curse_."--As we wax older and
+grayer, this expression, which, in the common phrase, is _Greek_ to the
+young and uninitiated, becomes sufficiently translated into every man's
+vernacular. Mr. Adams was born October 19, 1735, and had therefore
+attained his ninety-first year, when he died.
+
+Nothing like the highest ancient standard of longevity is attained, in
+modern times. Nine hundred, sixty, and nine years, is certainly a long
+life-time. When baby Lamech was born, his father was a young fellow of one
+hundred and eighty-seven. Weary work it must have been, waiting so long,
+for one's inheritance!
+
+The records of modern longevity will appear, nevertheless, somewhat
+surprising, to those, who have given but little attention to the subject.
+The celebrated Albert De Haller, and there can be no higher authority,
+enumerated eleven hundred and eleven cases of individuals, who had lived
+from 100 to 169. His classification is as follows:--
+
+  1000 from 100 to 110
+    60  "   110 to 120
+    29  "   120 to 130
+    15  "   130 to 140
+     6  "   140 to 150
+     1 of   169.
+
+The oldest was Henry Jenkins, of Yorkshire, who died in 1670. Thomas Parr,
+of Wilmington, in Shropshire, died in 1635, aged 152. He was a poor
+yeoman, and married his first wife, when he was in his 88th year, or, as
+some say, his 80th, and had two children. He was brought to Court, by the
+Earl of Arundel, in the reign of Charles I., and died, as it was supposed,
+in consequence of change of diet. His body was examined by Dr. Harvey, who
+thought he might have lived much longer, had he adhered to his simple
+habits. Being rudely asked, before the King, what more he had done, in his
+long life, than other old men, he replied--"_At the age of 105, I did
+penance in Alderbury Church, for an illegitimate child_." When he was 120,
+he married a second wife, by whom he had a child. Sharon Turner, in his
+Sacred History of the World, vol. iii. ch. 23, says, in a note, that
+Parr's son (by the second wife, the issue by the first died early) lived
+to the age of 113--his grandson to that of 109--his great-grandson to that
+of 124; and two other grandsons, who died in 1761 and 1763, to that of
+127.
+
+Parr's was a much longer life than Reuben's, Judah's, Issachar's, Abner's,
+Simeon's, Dan's, Zebulon's, Levi's, or Naphthali's. Dr. Harvey's account
+of the post mortem examination is extremely interesting. The quaint lines
+of Taylor, the water poet, as he was styled, I cannot omit:--
+
+  "Good wholesome labor was his exercise,
+  Down with the lamb, and with the lark would rise;
+  In mire and toiling sweat he spent the day,
+  And to his team he whistled time away:
+  The cock his night-clock, and till day was done,
+  His watch and chief sundial was the sun.
+  He was of old Pythagoras' opinion,
+  That green cheese was most wholesome with an onion;
+  Coarse meslin bread, and for his daily swig,
+  Milk, buttermilk, and water, whey and whig.
+  Sometimes metheglin, and by fortune happy,
+  He sometimes sipp'd a cup of ale most nappy,
+  Cider or perry, when he did repair
+  T'a Whitsun ale, wake, wedding or a fair;
+  Or, when in Christmas time he was a guest
+  At his good landlord's house, among the rest.
+  Else he had very little time to waste,
+  Or at the alehouse huff-cap ale to taste.
+  His physic was good butter, which the soil
+  Of Salop yields, more sweet than candy oil.
+  And garlic he esteemed, above the rate
+  Of Venice treacle or best Mithridate.
+  He entertained no gout, no ache he felt,
+  The air was good and temperate, where he dwelt;
+  While mavises and sweet-tongued nightingales
+  Did sing him roundelays and madrigals.
+  Thus, living within bounds of nature's laws
+  Of his long, lasting life may be some cause.
+  From head to heel, his body had all over
+  A quickset, thickset, nat'ral, hairy cover."
+
+Isaac lived to the age of 180, or five years longer than his father
+Abraham. I now propose to enter one or more well-known old stagers, of
+modern times, who will beat Isaac, by five lengths. Mr. Easton, of
+Salisbury, England, a respectable bookseller, and quoted, as good
+authority by Turner, prepared a more extensive list than Haller, of
+persons, who had died aged from 100 to 185. His work was entitled _Human
+Longevity_--1600 of his cases occurred, within the British Isles, and 1687
+between the years 1706 and 1799. He sets down three between 170 and 185,
+giving their names and other particulars.
+
+Mr. Whitehurst's tables contain several cases, not in Mr. Easton's work,
+from 134 years to 148. Some twenty other cases are stated, by Turner, from
+130 to 150. I refer, historically, to the case of Jonathan Hartop, not
+because of the very great age he attained, but for other reasons of
+interest: "1791.--Died, Jonathan Hartop, aged one hundred and
+thirty-eight, of the village of Aldborough, Yorkshire. He could read to
+the last, without spectacles, and play at cribbage, with the most perfect
+recollection. He remembered Charles II., and once travelled to London,
+with the facetious Killegrew. He ate but little; his only beverage was
+milk. He had been married five times. Mr. Hartop lent Milton fifty pounds,
+which the bard returned, with honor, though not without much difficulty.
+Mr. Hartop would have declined receiving it; but the pride of the poet was
+equal to his genius, and he sent the money with an angry letter, which was
+found, among the curious possessions of that venerable old man."
+
+On the 4th of July, 1846, I visited Dr. Ezra Green, at his residence, in
+Dover, N. H. He showed me a couple of letters, which he had received, a
+short time before, from Daniel Webster and Thomas H. Benton,
+congratulating him, on having completed his one hundredth year, on the
+17th of the preceding June, the anniversary of the battle of Bunker's
+Hill, and remarked, that those gentlemen had not regarded the difference,
+between the old style and the new. He told me, that in 1777, he had been a
+surgeon, in the Ranger, with John Paul Jones. Upon my taking out my
+glasses, to read a passage in a pamphlet, to which he called my attention,
+he told me he had never used spectacles, nor felt the need of any such
+assistance, in reading. Dr. Green died, in 1847.
+
+He graduated, at Harvard, in 1765. At the time of his death, every other
+member of his own class, numbering fifty-four, was dead.
+
+Previously to 1765, two thousand and seventy-five individuals are named,
+upon the catalogue. They were all dead at the time of his decease, though
+he died so recently, as 1847. Yet, from the year, when he graduated, to
+1786, a period of twenty years, of seven hundred and seventy-three
+graduates, fifteen only appear, upon the catalogue of 1848, without the
+fatal star. One of the fifteen, Harrison Gray Otis, has recently died,
+leaving three survivors only, in his class of 1783, Asa Andrews, J. S.
+Boies, and Jonathan Ewins. Another of the fifteen has also recently died,
+being the oldest graduate, Judge Timothy Farrar, of the class of 1767. The
+oldest living graduate of Harvard is James Lovell, of the class of 1776.
+
+I send my communication to the press, as speedily as possible, lest he
+also should be off, before I can publish.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLVI.
+
+
+A few days ago, I saw, in the hands of the artist, Mr. Alvan Clarke, a
+sketch, nearly completed, from Stuart's painting of John Adams, in his
+very old age. This sketch is to be engraved, as an accompaniment of the
+works of Mr. Adams, about to be published, by Little & Brown. I scarcely
+know what to say of this sketch of Mr. Adams. His fine old face, such as
+it was in the flesh, and at the very last of his long and illustrious
+career, is fixed in my memory--rivetted there--as firmly as his name is
+bolted, upon the loftiest column of our national history. Never have I
+seen a more perfect fac simile of man, without the aid of relief--it is
+the resurrection and the life. If I am at a loss what to say of the
+sketch, I am still farther at fault, what to say of the artist. Like some
+of those heavenly bodies, whose contemplation occupies no little portion
+of his time, it is not always the easiest thing in the world, to know in
+what part of his orbit he may be found; if I desire to obtain a portrait,
+or a miniature, or a sketch, he can scarcely devote his time to it, he is
+so very busy, in contriving some new improvement, for his already
+celebrated rifle; or if it is a patent muzzled rifle that I want, he is
+quite likely to be occupied, in the manufacture of a telescope. Be all
+these matters as they may, I can vouch for it, after years of experience,
+Alvan Clarke is a very clever fellow, _Anglice et Americanice_; and this
+sketch of Mr. Adams does him honor, as an artist.
+
+It was in the year 1822, I believe, that a young lady sent me her album,
+with a request, that I, of all people in the world, would occupy one of
+its pages. Well, I felt, that after all, it was quite in my line, for I
+had always looked upon a young lady's album, as a kind of cemetery, for
+the burial of anybody's bantlings, and I began to read the inscriptions,
+upon such as reposed in this place, appointed for the still-born. I was a
+little startled, I confess, at my first glance, upon the autograph of the
+late Bishop Griswold, appended to some very respectable verses. My
+attention was next drawn to some lines, over the name of Daniel Webster,
+_manu propria_. I forget them now, but I remember, that the American Eagle
+was invoked for the occasion, and flapped its wings, through one or more
+of the stanzas. Next came an article in strong, sensible prose, from John
+Adams, written by an amanuensis, but signed with his own hand. Such a
+hand--the "_manu deficiente_" of Tibullus. The letters, formed by the
+failing, trembling fingers, resembled the forked lightning. A solemnizing
+and impressive autograph it was: and, under the impulse of the moment, I
+had the audacity to spoil three pages of this consecrated album, by
+appending to this venerable name the following lines:--
+
+  High over Alps, in Dauphine,
+    There lies a lonely spot,
+  So wild, that ages rolled away,
+    And man had claimed it not:
+  For ages there, the tiger's yell
+  Bay'd the hoarse torrent as it fell.
+
+  Amid the dark, sequestered glade,
+    No more the brute shall roam;
+  For man, unsocial man, hath made
+    That wilderness his home:
+  And convent bell, with notes forlorn,
+  Is heard, at midnight, eve, and morn.
+
+  For now, amid the Grand Chartreuse,
+    Carthusian monks reside;
+  Whose lives are passed, from man recluse,
+    In scourging human pride;
+  In matins, vespers, aves, creeds,
+  With crosses, masses, prayers, and beads.
+
+  When hither men of curious mood,
+    Or pilgrims, bend their way,
+  To view this Alpine solitude,
+    Or, heav'nward bent, to pray,
+  Saint Bruno's monks their album bring,
+  Inscrib'd by poet, priest, and king.
+
+  Since pilgrim first, with holy tears,
+    Inscrib'd the tablet fair,
+  On time's dark flood, some thousand years,
+    Have pass'd like billows there.
+  What countless names its pages blot,
+  By country, kindred, long forgot!
+
+  Here chaste conceits and thoughts divine
+    Unclaim'd, and nameless, stand;
+  Which, like the Grecian's waving line,
+    Betray some master's hand.
+  And here Saint Bruno's monks display,
+  With pride, the classic lines of Gray.
+
+  While pilgrim ponders o'er the name,
+    He feels his bosom glow;
+  And counts it nothing less than fame,
+    To write his own below.
+  So, in this Album, fain would I,
+  Beneath a name, that cannot die.
+
+  Thrice happy book! no tablet bears
+    A nobler name than thine;
+  Still followed by a nation's pray'rs,
+    Through ling'ring life's decline.
+  The wav'ring stylus scarce obey'd
+  The hand, that once an empire sway'd!
+
+  Not thus, among the patriot band,
+    That name enroll'd we see--
+  No falt'ring tongue, no trembling hand
+    Proclaim'd an empire free!--
+  Lady, retrace those lines, and tell,
+  If, in thy heart, no sadness dwell?
+
+  And, in those fainting, struggling lines,
+    Oh, see'st thou naught sublime!
+  No tott'ring pile, that half inclines!
+    No mighty wreck of time!
+  Sighs not thy gentle heart to save
+  The sage, the patriot, from the grave!
+
+  If thus, oh then recall that sigh,
+    Unholy 'tis, and vain;
+  For saints and sages never die,
+    But sleep, to rise again.
+  Life is a lengthened day, at best,
+  And in the grave tir'd trav'llers rest;
+
+  Till, with his trump, to wake the dead,
+    Th' appointed angel flies;
+  Then Heav'n's bright album shall be spread,
+    And all who sleep, shall rise;
+  The blest to Zion's Hill repair,
+  And write their names immortal there.
+
+I had as much pleasure, in composing these lines, as I ever had, in
+composing the limbs or the features of a corpse; and now that they are
+fairly laid out, the reader may bury them in oblivion, as soon as he
+pleases. The lines of Gray, referred to, in the sixth stanza, may be found
+in the collections of his works, and were written in the album of the
+Chartreuse, in 1741.
+
+My recollections of John Adams, are very perfect, and preeminently
+pleasant. I knew nothing of him personally, of course, in the days of his
+power. I had nothing to ask at his hands, but the permission to sit and
+listen. How vast and how various his learning!--"Qui sermo! quae praecepta!
+quanta notitia antiquitatis!... Omnia memoria tenebat, non domestica
+solum, sed etiam externa bella: cujus sermone ita tum cupide fruebar,
+quasi jam divinarem id, quod evenit, illo extincto, fore, unde discerem,
+neminem." Surpassingly delightful were the outpourings, till some
+thoughtless wight, by an ill-timed allusion, opened the fountain of
+bitter waters--then, history, literature, the arts, all were buried _in
+gurgite vasto_, giving place to Jefferson's injustice, the Mazzei letters,
+and Callender's prospect before us--_quantum mutatus ab illo_!
+
+How forcibly the dead are quickened, upon the retina of memory, by the
+exhibition of some well known and personally associated article--the
+little hat of Napoleon--the mantle of Caesar--"_you all do know this
+mantle_!" I have just now drawn, from my treasury, an autograph of John
+Adams, bearing date, Jan. 31, 1824, and a lock of strong hair, cut from
+his venerable brow, the day before. In October of that year, he was
+eighty-nine years of age; and that lock of hair is a dark iron gray. I
+have also taken from its casket a silver pen, and small portable inkstand
+attached, which also were his. The contemplation of these things--I came
+honestly by them--seems almost to raise that venerable form before me. I
+can almost hear him repeat those memorable words--"THE UNION IS OUR ROCK
+OF SAFETY AS WELL AS OUR PLEDGE OF GRANDEUR."
+
+
+
+
+No. XLVII.
+
+
+I am rather surprised, to find how little is known, among the rising
+generation, about slavery, in the Old Bay State. One might delve for a
+twelve month, and not gather together the half of all, that is condensed,
+in Dr. Belknap's replies to Judge Tucker's inquiries, Mass. H. C., iv.
+191.
+
+I never was a sexton in the Berry Street Church, but I knew Dr. Jeremy
+Belknap well, in 1797, when he lived on the southeasterly side of Lincoln
+Street, near Essex. He died the following year. His garden was overrun
+with spiders. I had a great veneration for the doctor--he gave me a copy
+of his Foresters--and, to repay a small part of the debt, I was
+proceeding, one summer morning, with a strong arm, to demolish the
+spiders, when he pleasantly called to me to desist, saying, that he
+preferred them to the flies.
+
+Slavery was here--negro slavery--at a very early day. Josselyn speaks of
+three slaves, in the family of Maverick, on Noddle's Island, Oct. 2, 1639,
+M. H. C., xxiii. 231. These were probably brought directly from Africa.
+In 1645, the General Court of Massachusetts ordered Mr. Williams, at
+Pascataqua, over which Massachusetts exercised jurisdiction, to send the
+negro he had of Captain Smith, to them, that he might be sent home; as
+Smith had confessed, that the negroes he brought were stolen from Guinea.
+Ibid. iv. 195. In the same year, a law was passed, against the traffic in
+slaves, those excepted, who were taken in war, or cast into servitude, for
+crime. Ibid.
+
+The slave trade was carried on, in Massachusetts, to a very small extent.
+"In 1703," says Dr. Belknap, "a duty of L4 was laid on every negro
+imported." He adds--"By the inquiries which I have made of our oldest
+merchants, now living, I cannot find that more than three ships in a year,
+belonging to this port, were ever employed in the African trade. The rum
+distilled here, was the mainspring of this traffic. Very few whole cargoes
+ever came to this port. One gentleman says he remembers two or three. I
+remember one, between thirty and forty years ago, which consisted almost
+wholly of children. At Rhode Island the rum distillery and the African
+trade were prosecuted to a greater extent than in Boston; and I believe no
+other seaport, in Massachusetts, had any concern in the slave business."
+Ibid. 196. Dr. Belknap drew up his answers to Judge Tucker's inquiries,
+April 21, 1795: "_between thirty and forty years ago_," therefore, was
+between 1755 and 1765. Dr. Belknap remembered the arrival in Boston of a
+"_whole cargo_" of slaves, "_almost wholly children_," between the years
+1755 and 1765! If we have ever had an accurate and careful narrator of
+matters of fact, in New England, that man was Jeremy Belknap. The last of
+these years, 1765, was the memorable year of the Stamp Act, and LIBERTY
+TREE! Let us hope the arrival was nearer to 1755.
+
+"About the time of the Stamp Act," says Dr. Belknap, "this trade began to
+decline, and, in 1788, it was prohibited by law. This could not have been
+done previous to the Revolution, as the governors sent hither from
+England, it is said, were instructed not to consent to any acts made for
+that purpose." Ibid. 197. In 1767, a bill was brought into the House of
+Representatives, "to prevent the unnatural and unwarrantable custom of
+enslaving mankind, and the importation of slaves into the Province:" but
+it came to nothing. "Had it passed both houses in any form whatever," says
+Dr. B., ibid. page 202, "Gov. Bernard would not have consented to it."
+One scarcely knows which most to admire, the fury against the South, of
+gentlemen, whose ancestors imported cargoes of slaves, or bought and sold
+them, at retail, or the righteous indignation of Great Britain, who
+instructed her colonial governors, to veto every attempt of the
+Massachusetts Legislature, to abolish the traffic in human flesh. A
+disposition existed, at an earlier period, to abolish the brutal traffic.
+In a letter to the Rev. Dr. Freeman from Timothy Pickering, which may
+found in M. H. C., xviii. 183, he refers to the following transcript, from
+the records of the Selectmen of Boston: "1701, May 26. The Representatives
+are desired to promote the encouraging the bringing of white servants, and
+to put a period to negroes being slaves."
+
+"A few only of our merchants," says Dr. B., M. H. C., iv. 197, "were
+engaged in this traffic. It was never supported by popular opinion. A
+degree of infamy was attached to the characters of those, who were
+employed in it. Several of them, in their last hours, bitterly lamented
+their concern in it." Chief Justice Samuel Sewall wrote a pamphlet against
+it. Many, says Dr. B., who were wholly opposed to the traffic, would yet
+buy a slave, when brought here, on the ground that it was better for him
+to be brought up in a Christian land! For this, Abraham and the patriarchs
+were vouched in, of course, as supporters.
+
+Our winters were unfavorable to unacclimated negroes; white laborers were
+therefore preferred to black. "_Negro children_," says Dr. B., ibid. 200,
+"_were reckoned an incumbrance in a family; and, when weaned, were given
+away like puppies. They have been publicly advertised in the newspapers,
+to be given away_."
+
+In answer to the question, how slavery had been abolished in
+Massachusetts? Dr. Belknap answered--"_by public opinion_." He considers,
+that slavery came to an end, in our Commonwealth, in 1783. After 1781,
+there were, certainly, very few, who had the brass to offer negroes, for
+sale, openly, in the newspapers of Boston. Public opinion, as Dr. Belknap
+says, was accomplishing this work: and every calm, impartial person may
+opine for himself, how patiently we of the North should have endured, at
+that time, even a modicum of the galling abuse, of which such a
+_profluvium_ is daily administered, to the people of the South. It seems
+to me, that such rough treatment would have been more likely to addle,
+than to hatch the ovum of public opinion in 1783.
+
+Dr. Belknap's account, ibid. 203, is very clear. He says--"The present
+constitution of Massachusetts was established in 1780. The first article
+of the declaration of rights asserts that '_all men are born free and
+equal_.' This was inserted, not merely as a moral or political truth, but
+with a particular view to establish the liberation of the negroes, on a
+general principle; and so it was understood, by the people at large; but
+some doubted whether this were sufficient. Many of the blacks, taking
+advantage of the _public opinion_, and of this general assertion, in the
+bill of rights, asked their freedom and obtained it. Others took it
+without leave. Some of the aged and infirm thought it most prudent to
+continue in the families, where they had been well used, and experience
+has proved that they acted right. In 1781, at the court in Worcester
+County, an indictment was found against a white man for assaulting,
+beating, and imprisoning a black. He was tried at the Supreme Judicial
+Court, in 1783. His defence was that the black was his slave, and that the
+beating, &c., was the necessary restraint and correction of the master.
+This was answered by citing the aforesaid clause in the declaration of
+rights. The Judge and Jury were of opinion that he had no right to beat or
+imprison the negro. He was found guilty and fined forty shillings. This
+decision was a mortal wound to slavery in Massachusetts."
+
+The reader will perceive, that a distinction was maintained, between the
+_slave trade_, eo nomine, and the _holding of slaves_, inseparably
+connected as it was, with the incidents of sale and transfer from man to
+man, in towns and villages. He, who was engaged in the _trade_, so called,
+was supposed _per se_ or _per alium_ to _steal_ the slaves; but, contrary
+to the proverb, the _receiver_ was, in this case, not accounted so bad as
+the _thief_! The prohibition of the _traffic_, in 1788, grew out of public
+indignation, produced by the act of one Avery, from Connecticut, who
+decoyed three black men on board his vessel, under pretence of employing
+them; and while they were at work below, proceeded to sea, having
+previously cleared for Martinico. The knowledge of this outrage produced a
+great sensation. Gov. Hancock, and M. L'Etombe, the French Consul, wrote
+in favor of the kidnapped negroes, to all the West India Islands. A
+petition was presented to the Legislature, from the members of the
+association of the Boston Clergy; another from the blacks; and one, at
+that very time, from the Quakers, was lying on the table, for an act
+against equipping and insuring vessels, engaged in the traffic, and
+against kidnappers. Such an act was passed March 26, 1788.
+
+The poor negroes, carried off by that arch villain, Avery, were offered
+for sale, in the island of St. Bartholomew. They told their story
+publicly--_magna est veritas_--the Governor heard and believed it--the
+sale was forbidden. An inhabitant of the island--a Mr. ATHERTON, of
+blessed memory--became their protector, and gave bonds for their good
+behavior, for six months. Letters, confirming their story, arrived. They
+were sent on their way home rejoicing, and arrived in Boston, on the
+following 29th day of July.
+
+In 1763, according to Dr. Belknap, ibid. 198, there was 1 black to every
+45 whites in Massachusetts; in 1776, 1 to every 65; in 1784, 1 to every
+80. The whole number, in the latter year, 4377 blacks, 354,133 whites.
+
+It appears, by a census, taken by order of Government, in the last month
+of 1754, and the first month of 1755, that there were then in the Province
+of Massachusetts Bay 2717 negro slaves of and over 16 years of age. Of
+these, 989 belonged to Boston. This table may be found in M. H. C., xiii.
+95.
+
+
+
+
+No. XLVIII.
+
+
+Of all sorts of affectation the affectation of happiness is the most
+universal. How many, whose domestic relations are full of trouble, are,
+abroad, apparently, the happiest of mortals. How many, after laying down
+the severest sumptuary laws, for their domestics, on the subject of
+_sugar_ and _butter_, go forth, in all their personal finery, to inquire
+the prices of articles, which they have no means to purchase, and return,
+comforted by the assurance, that they have the reputation of fashion and
+wealth, with those, at least, who have, so deferentially, displayed their
+diamonds and pearls!
+
+Who would not be thought wealthy, and wise, and witty, if he could!
+
+Happiness is every man's _cynosure_, when he embarks upon the ocean of
+life. No man would willingly be thought so very unskilful, as that
+ill-starred Palinurus, who made the shores of Norway, on a voyage to the
+coast of Africa. Whether wealth, or fame, or fashion, or pleasure be the
+principal object of pursuit, no one is willing to be accounted a
+disappointed man, after the application of his best energies, for years.
+The man of wealth--the man of ambition, for example, are desirous of being
+accounted happy. It would certainly be exceedingly annoying to both, to be
+convinced, that they were believed, by mankind, to be otherwise. Their
+condition is rendered tolerable, only by the conviction, that thousands
+suppose them happy, and covet their condition accordingly. There is
+something particularly agreeable, in being envied, of course. Now, it is
+the common law of man's nature--a law, that executes itself--that
+_possession makes him poor_ as Horace says, Sat. i. 1, 1.
+
+  --------"Nemo, quam sibi sortem,
+  Seu ratio dederit, seu fors objecerit illi,
+  Contentus vivat."--------
+
+All experience has demonstrated, that happiness is not to be bought, and
+that what there is of it, in this present life, is a home-made article,
+which every one produces for himself, in the workshop of his own bosom. It
+no more consists, in the accumulation of wealth, than in snuffing up the
+east wind. The poor believe the rich to be happy--they become rich, and
+find they were mistaken. But they keep the secret, and affect to be happy,
+nevertheless.
+
+Seneca looked upon the devotion of time and talent to the acquirement of
+money, beyond the measure of a man's reasonable wants, with profound
+contempt. He called such, as gave themselves up to the unvarying pursuit
+of wealth, _short lived_; meaning that the hours and years, so employed,
+were carved out of the estate of a man's life, and utterly thrown away.
+There is a fine passage, in ch. 17, of Seneca's book, _De Brevitate Vitae_.
+
+"Misserrimam ergo necesse est, non tantum brevissimam, vitam eorum esse,
+qui magno parant labore, quod majore possideant: operose assequuntur quae
+volunt, anxii tenent quae assecuti sunt. Nulla interim nunquam amplius
+redituri temporis est ratio"--It is clear, therefore, that the life must
+be very miserable, and very brief, of those, who get their gains with
+great labor, and hold on to their gettings with greater--who obtain the
+object of their wishes, with much difficulty, and are everlastingly
+anxious for the safe keeping of their treasures. They seem to have no true
+estimate of those hours, thus wasted, which never can return.
+
+In one of his admirable letters to Lucilius, the eightieth, on the subject
+of poverty, he says--"Si vis scire quam nihil in illa mali sit, compara
+inter se pauperum et divitum vultus. Saepius pauper et fidelius ridet;
+nulla sollicitudo in alto est; etiamsi qua incidit cura, velut nubes levis
+transit Horum, qui felices vocantur, hilaritas ficta est, au gravis et
+suppurata tristitia; eo quidem gravior, quia interdum non licet palam esse
+miseros, sed inter aerumnas, cor ipsum exedentes, necesse est agere
+felicem"--If you wish to know, that there is no evil therein, compare the
+faces of the rich and the poor. The poor man laughs much oftener, and more
+heartily. There is no wearying solicitude pressing upon his inmost soul,
+and when care comes, it passes away, like a thin cloud. But the hilarity
+of these rich men, who are called happy, is affected, or a deep-seated and
+rankling anxiety, the more oppressive, because it never would answer for
+them to appear as miserable, as they are, being constrained to appear
+happy, in the midst of harassing cares, gnawing at their vitals.
+
+If Seneca had been on 'Change, daily, during the last half year, and
+watched the countenances of our wealthy money-lenders, he could not have
+portrayed the picture with a more masterly pencil. The rate of usury has,
+of course, a relation to the hazard encountered, and that hazard is ever
+uppermost in the mind of the usurer: and it is extremely doubtful, if the
+hope, however sanguine, of realizing two per cent. a month, is always
+sufficient, to quiet those fears, which will occasionally arise, of losing
+the principal and interest together.
+
+I never buried an old usurer, without a conviction, as I looked upon his
+hard, corrugated features, that, if he could carry nothing else with him,
+he certainly carried upon his checkered brow the very phylactery of his
+calling. We may talk about money, as an article of commerce, till we are
+tired--we may weary the legislature, by our importunity, into a repeal of
+the existing laws against usury--we may cudgel our brains, to stretch the
+mantle of the law over our operations, and make it appear _a regular
+business transaction_--it is a case, in which no refinement of the
+culinary art will ever be able to disguise, or neutralize, the odor of
+the opossum--there ever was--there is--there ever will be, I am afraid, a
+certain touch of moral _nastiness_ about it, which no casuistical
+chemistry will ever be able entirely to remove.
+
+Doubtless, there are men, who take something more, during a period of
+scarcity, than legal interest, and who are very worthy men withal. There
+are others, who are descendants, in the right line, from the horse-leech
+of biblical history--who take all they can get. Now, there is but one
+category: _they are all usurers_; and those, who are respectable, impart
+of their respectability to such, as have little or none; and give a
+confidence to those, who would be treated with contempt, for their
+merciless gripings, were they not banded together, with men of character,
+in the same occupation, as usurers. Those, who take seven or eight per
+cent. per annum, and those who take _one per cent. a day_, and such things
+have been, are not easily distinguished; but the question, who come within
+the category, as usurers, is a thing more readily comprehended. All are
+such, who exceed the law.
+
+_Usurer_, originally, was not a term of reproach; for _interest_ and
+_usury_ meant one and the same thing. The earlier statutes against usury,
+in England, were directed chiefly against the Jews--whose lineal
+descendants are still in our midst. Usury was forbidden, by act of
+Parliament, in 1341. The rate then taken by the Jews, was enormous. In
+1545, 37 Henry VIII., the rate established was ten per cent. This statute
+was confirmed by 13 Eliz. 1570. Reduced to eight per cent., 21 James I.
+1623, when the word _interest_ was first employed, instead of _usury_.
+Again reduced, by Cromwell, 1650, to six per cent. Confirmed by Charles
+II. 1660. Reduced to five per cent., 5 Anne, 1714.
+
+There are not two words about it; extortion and usury harden the heart;
+soil the reputation; and diminish the quantum of happiness, by lowering
+the standard of self-respect. That unconscionable griper, whose god is
+Mammon, and who fattens upon misery, as surely as the vulture upon
+carrion, stalking up and down like a commercial buzzard, tearing away the
+substance of his miserable victim, by piecemeal--_two per cent. a
+month_--can he be happy! However much like a human being he may have
+looked, in his youth, the workings of his mercenary soul have told too
+truly upon his iron features, until that visage would form an appropriate
+figure-head for the portal of 'Change alley, or the Inquisition.
+
+  --------"Is your name Shylock?
+  Shylock is my name."
+
+To how many, in this age of _anxious inquirers_, may we hold up this
+picture, and propound this interrogatory!
+
+God is just, though Mahomet be not his prophet. Instead of exclaiming,
+that God's ways are past finding out, let us go doggedly to work, and
+study them a little. Some of them, I humbly confess, appear sufficiently
+intelligible, with common sense for an expositor. Does not the All-wise
+contriver say, in language not to be mistaken, to such as worship, at the
+shrines of avarice and sensuality--you have chosen idols, and your
+punishment shall consist, in part, in the ridicule and contempt, which the
+worship of these idols brings upon your old age. You--the victim of
+intemperance--shall continue, with your bloated lips, to worship--not a
+stone image--but a stone jug; and grasping your idol with your trembling
+fingers, literally stagger into the grave! And you, though last, not
+least, of all vermicular things, whose whole time and intellectual powers
+are devoted to no higher object than making money--shall still crawl
+along, heaping up treasure, day after day--day after day--to die at last,
+not knowing who shall come after you, a wise man or a fool!
+
+  "Constant at Church and 'Change; his gains were sure,
+  His givings rare, save farthings to the poor!
+  The Dev'l was piq'd such saintship to behold,
+  And long'd to tempt him, like good Job of old;
+  But Satan now is wiser than of yore,
+  And tempts, by making rich, not making poor."
+
+
+
+
+No. XLIX.
+
+
+Self-conceit and vanity are very pardonable offences, till, stimulated by
+flattery, or aggravated by indulgence, they assume the offensive forms of
+arrogance and insolence. If we should drive, from the circle of our
+friends, all, who are occasionally guilty of such petty misdemeanors, we
+should restrict ourselves to the solitude of Selkirk. There are some
+worthy men, with whom this little infirmity is an intermittent,
+alternating, like fever and ague, between self-conceit and self-abasement.
+Like some estimable people, of both sexes, who, at one moment, proclaim
+themselves the chief of sinners, and the next, are in admirable working
+condition, as the spiritual guides and instructors of all mankind; these
+persons, under the influence of the wind, or the weather, or the world's
+smiles, or its frowns, or the state of their digestive organs, indicate,
+by their air and carriage, today, a feeling, far on the sunny side of
+self-complacency, and of deep humility, tomorrow.
+
+William Boodle has been dead, some twenty years. He was my school-fellow.
+I would have undertaken anything, for Boodle, while living, but I could
+not undertake for him, when dead. The idea of burying Billy Boodle, my
+playmate from the cradle--we were put into breeches, the very same
+day--with whom I had passed, simultaneously, through all the
+epocha--rattles--drums--go-carts--kites--tops--bats--skates--the idea of
+shovelling the cold earth upon him, was too much. I would have buried the
+Governor and Council, with the greatest pleasure, but Billy Boodle--I
+couldn't. So I changed works, that day, with one of our craft, who
+comprehended my feelings perfectly.
+
+I never shall forget my sensations, the first time he called me _Mr.
+Wycherly_. We had ever been on terms of the greatest intimacy, and had
+never known any other words of designation, than Abner and Bill. I was
+very much amazed; and he seemed a little confused, himself, when I laughed
+in his face, and asked him what the devil he meant by it. But he grew
+daily more formal in his manners, and more particular in his dress. His
+voice became changed--he began to use longer words--assumed an unusual
+wave of the hand, and a particular movement of the head, when
+speaking--and, while talking, on the most common-place topics, he had a
+way, quite new with him, of bringing down the fore-finger of his right
+hand, frequently and forcibly, upon the ball of the uplifted thumb of the
+left. He was a leather-breeches maker; and I caught him, upon two or three
+occasions, spouting in his shop, all by himself, before a small
+looking-glass. He once made a pair of buckskins, for old General
+Heath--they did not fit--the General returned them, and Boodle said he
+would have them _taken into a new draft_--I thought he was a little
+deranged: "taken where?" said the old General. Boodle colored, and
+corrected himself, saying he would have them _let out_. He had two turns
+of this strange behavior, in one year, during which, he was rather
+neglectful of his business, pompous in his family, and talked to his wife,
+who was a plain, notable woman, of nothing but first principles, and
+political economy. In the intervals between these attacks, he was
+perfectly himself again, and it was Abner and Bill, as in former days.
+
+I have often smiled, at my own dullness, in not sooner apprehending the
+solution of this little enigma. Boodle was a member of the Legislature;
+and the fits were upon him, during the sessions. No man, probably, was
+ever more thoroughly confounded, than my old friend, when, it having been
+deemed expedient to compliment the leather-breeches interest, the
+committee requested him to permit his name to be put upon the list of
+candidates, as one of the representatives of the city of Boston, in the
+General Court. He could not think of it--the committee averred the utter
+impossibility of doing without him--he was ignorant of the duties--they
+could be learned in half a day--he was without education--the very thing,
+a self-taught man! He consented.
+
+How much more easily we are persuaded to be great men, than to be
+Christians! There is but a step from conscious insignificancy to the
+loftiest pretension. Boodle was elected, and awoke the next morning, less
+surprised by the event, than at the extraordinary fact, that his talents
+had been overlooked, so long. He spoiled three good skins that day, from
+sheer absence of mind.
+
+However disposed we may be to laugh at the airs of men, who so entirely
+misapprehend themselves and their constituents, our laughter should be
+tempered with charity. They are not honestly told, that they are wanted,
+only as makeweights--to keep in file--to follow, _en suite_--to register
+an edict: and their vanity is pardonable, in the ratio of that ignorance
+of themselves, which leads them to rely, so implicitly, upon the testimony
+of others.
+
+Comparative mensuration is a very popular process, and a very comforting
+process, for all, who have made small progress in self-knowledge; and this
+category comprehends all, but a very small minority. There are a few, I
+doubt not, who think humbly of themselves; but there are very few, indeed,
+who cannot perceive, in themselves, or their possessions, some one or more
+points of imaginary superiority, over their fellows. This is an
+inexpensive mode of enjoying one's self, and I cannot see the wisdom, or
+the wit, of disturbing the self-complacency of any one, upon such an
+occasion, unless the delusion is of vital importance to somebody. What,
+if your neighbor prefers his Dutch domicil, with its overhanging gable, to
+your classic chateau--or sees more to admire, in his broad-faced squab of
+a wife, than in your faultless Helen--or vaunts the superiority of his
+short-legged cob, over your famous blood horse! Let him. Such things
+should be passed, with great forbearance, were it only for the innocent
+amusement they afford us. So far, however, is this from the ordinary mode
+of treating them, that I am compelled to believe vanity is often more apt,
+than criminality, to excite our irritable principle, and stimulate the
+spirit of resentment.
+
+I have known some worthy men, generous and humane, whose very gait has
+rendered them exceedingly unpopular. I once heard a pious and reverend
+clergyman say, of one of his very best parishioners, but whose unfortunate
+air of hauteur was rather remarkable, that, with all his excellent
+qualities, "it would do the flesh good to give him a kick."
+
+From a thousand illustrations, which are all around us, I will select one
+only. The anecdote, which I am about to relate, may be told without any
+apprehension of giving offence; as the parties have been dead, some thirty
+years. A worthy clergyman, residing in a neighboring state, grew old; and
+the parish, who entertained the most cordial respect and affection, for
+this venerable soldier of the cross, resolved to give him a colleague.
+After due inquiry, and a _quantum sufficit_ of preaching on probation,
+they decided on giving a call to Parson Brocklebank. He was a little, red,
+round man, with a spherical head, a Brougham nose, and a gait, the like of
+which had never been seen, in that parish, before. It had not attracted
+particular notice, until after he was settled. To be sure, an aged single
+lady, of the parish, was heard to say, that she saw something of it, at
+the ordination, when Parson Brocklebank stepped forward, to receive the
+right hand of fellowship. Suffice it to say, for the reader's particular
+edification, that it was indescribable. It became the village talk, and is
+thought to have had an injurious influence, in retarding a revival, which
+seemed to be commencing, just before the period of the ordination. However
+lowly in spirit, the new minister may have been, all who ever beheld him
+move, were satisfied, at a glance, that he had a most exalted opinion of
+himself. And yet he was an excellent man.
+
+This unfortunate trick of jerking out the hips, and those rotundities of
+flesh connected therewith, however it might have originated in "curs'd
+pride, that busy sin," had become, with Parson Brocklebank, an
+unchangeable habit. We often see it in a slight degree, but, as it existed
+in his particular case, it was a thing not known among men. I think I have
+seen it among women. Dr. Johnson would have called it a fundamental
+undulation, elaborated by the ostentatious workings of a pompous spirit.
+Whatever it was, it was fatal to the peace and prosperity of that parish.
+Every one talked of it. The young laughed at it; the old mourned over it;
+the middle aged were vexed by it; boys and girls were whipped, for
+imitating it; children were forbidden to look at it, for fear of their
+catching it; the very dogs were said to have barked at it.
+
+The parish began to dissolve, _sine die_. The deacons waited upon their
+old clergyman, Father Paybody, and the following colloquy ensued:
+
+"We're in a bad way, Father Paybody; and, if folks keep going off so, we
+don't see how we shall be able to pay the salaries.--Dismiss me: I am of
+little use now.--No, no, Father Paybody, while there's a potato in this
+parish, we'll share it together. We call'd for advice. Ever since Parson
+Brocklebank was settled, the parish has been going to pieces: what is the
+cause of it?--The shrewd old man shook his head, and smiled.--Parson
+Brocklebank is a good man, Father Paybody.--Excellent.--Sound
+doctrine.--Very.--Amazing ready at short notice.--Very.--Great at clearing
+a knotty passage.--Very.--We think him a very pious Christian.--Very.--In
+the parochial relation he is very acceptable.--Very.--I hear he has a
+winning way, and always has candy or gingerbread in his pockets, for the
+children, which helps the word greatly, with the little ones.--Well,
+nearly half our people are dissatisfied, and have left, or will leave
+soon. What is the cause of it, Father Paybody?--I will tell you: it's
+owing to no other cause under the sun, than that wriggle of Brother
+Brocklebank's behind."
+
+
+
+
+No. L.
+
+
+I sincerely hope, that Daniel H. Pearson, now in prison, under suspicion
+of having murdered his wife and twin daughters, at Wilmington, in this
+Commonwealth, in the month of April last, may be proved to be an innocent
+man. For, should he be convicted, he will certainly be sentenced to be
+hung; and it is quite probable, that Governor Briggs, and his iron-hearted
+Council may do, as they recently did, in the case of poor Washington
+Goode, a most unfortunate man, who, unhappily, committed a most infernal
+murder, of which, after an impartial trial, he was duly convicted. Will it
+be believed, in this age of improved contrivances, moral and physical,
+that the Governor and Council of our Commonwealth have actually refused,
+to rush between the sentence and the execution, and save this egregious
+scoundrel from the gallows! They have solemnly decided, not to interfere
+with the operation of that ancient law of this Commonwealth, which
+decrees, that he, who kills his fellow man, with malice prepense, shall be
+hanged, by the neck, till he is dead!
+
+It really seems to me, that the time has arrived when Massachusetts should
+be governed, by some compassionate person, who will prove himself, upon
+such unpleasant occasions, the murderer's friend. I am not unapprized of
+the fact, that there is a strong opposition to these opinions, among the
+wisest and best men in the community; and that, irrespectively of the
+operation of the _lex talionis_ upon the murderer, his death is accounted
+necessary, _in terrorem_, for the rest of mankind; as Cicero has
+said--"_ut poena ad paucos, metus ad omnes perveniat_"--that the
+punishment may reach the few, and fear the many. But Cicero was a heathen.
+There are also some individuals, having very little of that contempt for
+old wives' tales, which characterizes those profound thinkers, our
+interesting fellow-citizens of the Liberty Party, and who still venture,
+in these enlightened days, to cite the word of God--WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN'S
+BLOOD, BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED. In the present condition of
+society, when there are so very few of us, who do not feel, that we are
+wise above what is written, this precept, delivered by God Almighty, to
+Noah, appears exceedingly preposterous, greatly resembling some of those
+_blue laws_, which were in operation, in the olden time, in a sister
+state. What was Noah to Jeremy Bentham! Although I am pained to confess
+the shortcomings of Jeremy; for, though he did much to meliorate the
+severity of the British penal code, he went not, by any means, to those
+happy lengths, which we approve, in shielding the unfortunate murderer
+from the halter.
+
+There was a very amiable, old gentleman in England, who lived, through the
+times of Charles I., both Cromwells, and Charles II. He was reputed so
+wise, and learned, and just, and pious, that his judgment was highly
+prized, by all men. He was esteemed the greatest lawyer and the most
+upright, in all England; so much so, that, in 1671, he was created Lord
+Chief Justice of the realm. I desire to reason impartially, upon this
+subject, and therefore admit, that this great and good man, Sir Matthew
+Hale, believed death to be a very just punishment, for certain crimes,
+inferior to murder. Although Sir Matthew's crude notions are rapidly going
+out of fashion, it is but fair, to transcribe his words--"When offences
+grow enormous, frequent, and dangerous to a kingdom or state, destructive
+or highly pernicious to civil societies, and to the great insecurity and
+danger of the kingdom or its inhabitants, severe punishment and even death
+itself is necessary to be annexed to laws, in many cases, by the prudence
+of lawgivers." In all candor, we must admit, that Sir Matthew Hale was
+notoriously the very reverse of a sanguinary Judge. But Sir Matthew's days
+were the days of small things. We cannot sufficiently bless the Great
+Disposer of human affairs, for raising up the foolish, as He has done, in
+these latter days, and in such great numbers withal, to confound the wise.
+It is now no longer necessary, as of old, to pursue a particular course of
+study, to qualify mankind, for the work of legislation, or the practice of
+law, or physic, or the exposition of the more subtle points of religion,
+or ethics, or political economy.
+
+This truly is an age of intuition. He, who learns, or half learns, one
+profession, is, instanter, competent to perform the duties of all. It is a
+heavenly stream of universal light and power, somewhat analogous to the
+miraculous gift of tongues. Nothing, in this connection, is more
+remarkable, than the rapid turgescence of every man's confidence, in his
+own abilities, upon the slightest encouragement, from his neighbor. There
+has been scarcely a blacksmith in New England, since the remarkable and
+merited success of Elihu Burritt, who, if you ask his opinion of the
+efficacy of pennyroyal for the stomach-ache, will not, with your
+permission, of course, prescribe for any acute or chronic complaint, with
+which you are afflicted. Tailors, in full measure, nine to a man, will
+readily solve you a point of theology, which would have been fearfully
+approached, by Tillotston or Horne. And, upon this solemn subject of
+capital punishment, there is scarcely a man-midwife in the land, who is
+not ready, with his instruments, to deliver the community of all their
+scruples at once.
+
+This, certainly, is a blessed condition of things, for which we cannot be
+sufficiently thankful.
+
+That we may do abundant justice to our opponents, I propose to offer, in
+this place, a quotation from the Edinburgh Review, vol. 86, p. 216. The
+article is entitled--"_What is to be done with our criminals?_" The
+passage runs thus--"Another circumstance, which renders legislation on
+this subject peculiarly difficult, is the lamentably perverted
+sentimentality, which is extensively diffusing itself among the people,
+and which may soon render it problematical, whether any penal code, really
+calculated to answer its objects, can be devised; a sentimentality, which
+weeps over the criminal, and has no tears to spare for the miseries he has
+caused--which transforms the felon into an object of interest and
+sympathy, and forgets the innocent sufferers from his cruelty or perfidy.
+So far as pity for the criminal is consistent with a more comprehensive
+compassion for those he has wronged, and is limited by the necessity of
+obtaining them redress and providing for the safety of society--so far as
+it prompts to a desire to see the statute-book cleared of every needless
+severity, and that no punishments shall be inflicted for punishment's sake
+it is laudable.
+
+"But we must, with regret, profess our belief, that it has often far
+transcended these limits; and has exhibited itself in forms and modes,
+which, if permitted to dictate the tone of our criminal legislation, would
+tend to the rapid increase of crime. The people in question belong to a
+class, always numerous, who are led by the imagination, and not by their
+reason--by emotion rather than reflection. They see the felon in chains,
+and they are dissolved in commiseration; they do not stop to realize all
+the miseries, which have at last made _him_ miserable--perhaps, in the
+present apathy of his conscience, much less miserable than many of those
+whom he has injured."
+
+This is from an article, ably written, of some fifty-eight pages,
+published in 1847. I give it a place here, lest I should be suspected of
+suppressing all arguments, on the other side.
+
+The idea of hanging a murderer, by form of law, instead of placing him for
+a few years, in some _anxious seat_, the treadmill or the state prison,
+where he might be converted perhaps--cutting him off, in the midst of his
+days, without time allowed for repentance, is a terrible thing. I am
+perfectly aware, that it will be replied--this is the very thing which he
+did for his wretched victim.
+
+We are told, that the highest penalty known to the law is demanded. _All
+that a man hath will he give for his life_; and we are opposed, in our
+humane endeavors, by the scriptural edict referred to already. It is
+averred to be an all-important object in capital punishment, to operate
+upon the fears of others, _ut metus_, as we said before, _ad omnes
+perveniat_, which would be less likely to be the case, if the halter were
+abolished. It is true, that, while there is life, there is hope--hope of
+pardon; hope even of a natural and less horrible death; a fond, fearful
+hope of cutting the keeper's throat, and escaping from thraldom! How truly
+the poor murderer deserves our compassion!
+
+What a revolting spectacle this hanging is! Here, however, I confess, the
+answer is complete--nobody, but the functionaries, is suffered to see it.
+It is much less of an entertainment, than it was, in the days of George
+Selwyn, who was in the habit of feeing the keeper of Newgate, for due
+notice of every execution, and a reservation of the best seat, nearest the
+gallows. It has been said, that hanging has become more unpopular, since
+it ceased to be a public amusement. It may be so--I rather doubt it.
+
+In former times, there were very few inexpensive public amusements, in
+Boston, beside the Thursday lectures; and a hanging has always been highly
+attractive, in town and country. I well remember, not very many years ago,
+while riding into the city, in my chaise, having been compelled to halt,
+and remain at rest, for twenty minutes, in Washington, near Pleasant
+Street, while the immense mass of men, women and children rushed by, on
+their way to the execution of an Irishman, which took place at the
+gallows, near the grave-yard, on the Neck. The prisoner was in an open
+barouche, dressed in a blue coat and gilt buttons, white waistcoat, drab
+breeches, and white top boots, and his hair was powdered. He was
+accompanied by Mr. Larrassy, the Catholic priest, and the physician of the
+prison.
+
+During the afternoon of July 30, 1794, on the morning of which day the
+great fire occurred in Boston, three pirates, brought home in irons, on
+board the brig Betsey, Captain Saunders, belonging to Daniel Sargent,
+were hung on the Common; and three governors, sitting in their chairs,
+would not have drawn half the concourse, then and there assembled.
+
+
+
+
+No. LI.
+
+
+  "Thy Clarence he is dead that stabb'd my Edward;
+  And the beholders of this tragic play
+  Untimely smothered in their dusky graves."
+
+There were no humane and gentle spirits, in those days of old, to speak
+soft words of comfort in the ears of murderers and midnight assassins.
+Poor fellows! after they had let out the last drop of blood, in the hearts
+of their innocent victims, and reduced wives to widowhood, and children to
+orphanage--after the parricide had plunged the dagger in his father's
+heart--after the husband had murdered her, whom he had sworn, under the
+eye of God, to love and to cherish--after the wife, with the assistance of
+her paramour, had stealthily administered the poisonous draught to her
+confiding husband--they were respectively indicted--arraigned--publicly
+and deliberately tried--abundantly defended--and, when duly convicted at
+last, they were hanged, forsooth, by their necks, till they were dead!
+
+Merciful God! where were the Marys and the Marthas! Was there no political
+lawyer, in those days, whom the desire of personal aggrandizement could
+induce to befriend the poor, afflicted cut-throat, by which parade of
+philanthropy he might ride into notice, as the patriot of the
+Anti-capital-punishment party! Was there no tender-hearted doctor, whose
+leisure hours, neither few nor far between, might have been devoted to the
+blessed work of relieving the murderer, from the gallows, and himself,
+from the excruciating misery of nothing to do!
+
+Truly we live in a tragi-comical world. During the late trial of John
+Brown, the other day, for the murder of Miss Coventry, at Tolland, in
+regard to which the jury could not agree, a requisition arrived from the
+Governor of New York, for the prisoner, to answer, for the murder of Mrs.
+Hammond.--Dr. V. P. Coolidge, who murdered Matthews, at Waterville,
+committed suicide in prison, a few days since.--A precocious boy, eight
+years old, has, this month, chopped off the head of his sleeping father,
+with an axe, in the town of Lisle, N. Y.--Matthew Wood is to be hung in
+New York, June 22, for the murder of his wife.--Alexander Jones is to be
+hung, in the same State, on the same day, for arson.--Goode is to be hung
+here, in a few days.--On the 27th day of the last month, a man, named
+Newkirk, near Louisville, Kentucky, shot and killed his mother, near one
+hundred years of age.--On the third day of the present month, Mr. Carroll,
+near Philadelphia, murdered his lady, by choking and pitching her down
+stairs.--J. M. Riley is to be hung, June 5, for the murder of W. Willis,
+in Independence, Tennessee.--Vintner is under sentence of death, for
+murdering Mrs. Cooper, in Baltimore.--Elder Enos G. Dudley is to be hung,
+in New Hampshire, May 23, for the murder of his wife.--The wife of John
+Freedly, of Philadelphia, is now in jail, for helping her husband, to
+murder his first wife.--Pearson is now in prison, under charge of
+murdering his wife and twin daughters, at Wilmington, in this
+Commonwealth, in April last.--Mrs. McAndrew has been convicted of murder,
+for killing her sister-in-law, in Madison, Mississippi.--Elisha N. Baldwin
+is to be hung, June 5, for the murder of his brother-in-law, Victor
+Matthews, at St. Louis.--The girl, Blaisdell, is to be hung, in New
+Hampshire, Aug. 30, for poisoning a little boy, two and a half years old.
+She was on trial for this act only. She had previously poisoned the
+child's grandmother, her friend and protectress, and subsequently
+attempted to poison both its parents. This "_misguided young lady_" was
+engaged to be married, and wanting cash, for an outfit, had forged the
+note of the child's father, for four hundred dollars.
+
+Of Wood's case I know little more, than that he murdered his wife. Surely
+he is to be pitied, poor fellow. The case of Elder Enos is deeply
+interesting. This worthy Elder took his partner out, to give her a
+sleigh-ride, in life and health, and brought home her lifeless body. She
+had knocked her head against a tree--such, indeed, was the opinion,
+expressed by Elder Enos. He was also of opinion that it was not good for
+an Elder to be alone, for one minute; and he exhibited rather too much
+haste, perhaps, in taking to himself another partner. The jury were
+unanimously of opinion, that Elder Enos was mistaken, and that Mrs. Dudley
+came to her death, by the hands of Elder Enos himself. The Elder and the
+jury differed in opinion; and therefore, forsooth, Elder Enos must be
+hanged by the neck till he is dead! How much better to change this
+punishment, for perpetual imprisonment--and that, after a few years of
+good behavior, upon a petition, subscribed by hundreds, who care not the
+value of a sixpence, whether Elder Enos is in the State Prison, or out of
+it, for a pardon. Then the church will again be blessed with his services,
+as a ruling Elder; and the present Mrs. Dudley may herself be favored with
+a sleigh-ride, at some future day.
+
+The case of the "_misguided_" Miss Blaisdell is truly affecting. It is
+quite inconceivable how the people of New Hampshire can have the heart to
+hang such an interesting creature by the neck, till she is dead. I am of
+opinion, that the remarks, with which Judge Eastman prefaced his sentence,
+must have hurt Miss Blaisdell's feelings. It seems that she only made use
+of the little innocent, as aeronauts employ a pet balloon, to try the wind.
+She wished to ascertain, if her poison was first proof, before she tried
+it, upon the parents. Although it had worked to perfection, upon the old
+lady, Miss Blaisdell, who appears to have acted with consummate prudence,
+was not quite satisfied of its efficacy, upon more vigorous constitutions.
+It is quite surprising, that Judge Eastman should have talked so unkindly
+to Miss Blaisdell, in open court--"_An experiment is to be made; the
+efficiency of your poison is to be tried; and the helpless innocent boy is
+selected. He is left in your care, with all the confidence of a mother. He
+plays at your feet, he prattles at your side. You take him up, and give
+him the fatal morphia; and, when you see him sicken and dizzy, and
+stretching out his little arms to his mother, and trying to walk, your
+heart relents not. May God soften it._" What sort of a Judge is this, to
+harrow up the delicate feelings of "_a misguided young lady_" after this
+fashion!
+
+It has been proposed, by a medical gentleman, whose philanthropy has
+assumed the appearance of a violent eruption, breaking out in every
+direction, that, if this abominable punishment, this destruction of life,
+which God Almighty has prescribed, in the case of murder, must continue to
+be inflicted, the "_misguided young ladies_" and "_unfortunate men_," who
+commit that crime, shall be executed under the influence of ether. This
+may be considered the happiest suggestion of the age. A tract may be
+expected from the pen of this gentleman, ere long, entitled "Crumbs of
+comfort for Cut-throats, or Hanging made easy." Jeremy Bentham gave his
+body to be dissected, for the good of mankind. Oh, that this worthy
+doctor, who has struck out this happy thought of hanging, under the
+influence of ether, would _verify the suggestion_!
+
+There are some individuals, who had rather be hanged, than talked to, in
+such an unfeeling manner, as Judge Eastman talked to the unfortunate and
+misguided Miss Blaisdell: it has therefore been decided to improve, upon
+the suggestion of hanging murderers, under the influence of ether; and we
+propose to apply for an act, authorizing the sponge to be applied to the
+nostrils of the condemned, by the clerk _ex officio_, during the time,
+when the judge is pronouncing the sentence. The time of the murderer is
+short, and there are many little comforts, and even delicacies, which
+would greatly tend to soften the rigor of his imprisonment. We have it,
+upon the testimony of more than one experienced keeper of Newgate, that,
+with some few exceptions, the appetite of the misguided, who are about to
+be hanged, is remarkably good.
+
+I fully comprehend the objections, which will be made to the use of ether,
+and granting such other little indulgences, to those, who are about to be
+sentenced, or are already condemned to be hanged. The Ciceronian
+argument,--_ut metus ad omnes perveniat_, will be neutralized. How many,
+it will be said, are now upon the earth, without God in this world,
+without the least particle of religious sensibility, disappointed men,
+desperate, degraded, men of utterly broken hopes, broken hearts, and
+broken fortunes, to whom nothing would be more acceptable, than an easy
+transition from this wide-awake world of pain and sadness to that region
+of negative happiness, which they anticipate, in their fancied state of
+endless oblivion beyond. They may be, nevertheless, disturbed, in some
+small degree, _in articulo_, by that indestructible doubt, which hangs
+over the mind, even the mind of the most sceptical, and deepens and
+darkens as death draws near,--SUPPOSE THERE SHOULD BE A GOD!--what then!
+They are therefore unwilling to cut their own throats, however willing to
+cut the throats of other people. But, if the State will take the
+responsibility, and furnish the ether, there are not a few, who would very
+complacently embrace the opportunity.
+
+That fear, which it is desirable to keep before the eyes of all men, say
+our opponents, is surely not the fear of the easiest of all imaginable
+deaths--the fear of meeting, not the King of terrors, but the very thing,
+which all men pray for, a placid exit from a world of care--a welcome
+spirit--an _etherial_ deliverer. On the contrary, we wish, say they, to
+hold up to the world the fear of a terrible, as well as a shameful death:
+and we desire to give a certainty to this fear, which we cannot do, while
+the frequent exercise of the power of commutation and of pardon teaches
+that portion of our race, which is fatally bent upon mischief, that the
+gibbet is nothing but a bugbear; and that, let them commit as many
+murders, as they will, there is not one chance, in fifty, of their coming
+to the gallows, at last.
+
+It is not easy to answer this argument, upon the spur of the moment; and
+it has been referred to a committee of our society, with instructions to
+prepare a reply, in season for the next execution.
+
+We have the satisfaction of knowing, that no efforts have been spared by
+us, to save Washington Goode, one of the most interesting of murderers,
+from the gallows. We have endeavored to get up an excitement in the
+community, by posting placards, in numerous places--"A MAN TO BE HANGED!"
+By this we intended to put an execution upon the footing of a puppet-show
+or play, and thereby to excite the public indignation. But, most
+unfortunately, there is too much common sense among the people of Boston,
+and too little enthusiasm altogether, for the successful advancement of
+our philanthropic views. However, importunity, if we faint not, will
+certainly prevail. The right of petition is ours. Let us follow, in the
+steps of Amy Darden and William Vans. The Legislature, at their last
+session, indefinitely postponed the consideration of the subject of the
+abolition of capital punishment. The Legislature is made of flesh and
+blood, and must finally give way, as a matter of course.
+
+It cannot be denied, that gentlemen make use, occasionally, of strange
+arguments, while opposing our efforts, in favor of those _misguided_
+persons, who _unfortunately_ commit rape, treason, arson, murder, &c. A
+few years since, when a bill was before our House of Representatives, for
+the abolition of capital punishment, in the case of rape, while it was
+proposed to retain it in the case of highway robbery--"Let us go home, Mr.
+Speaker," exclaimed an audacious orator, "and tell our wives and our
+daughters, that we set a higher value upon our purses, than upon the
+security of their persons, from brutal violation."
+
+
+
+
+No. LII.
+
+
+To my anonymous correspondent who inquires, through the medium of the
+post-office, in what respect my "dealings with extortioners" can fairly be
+entitled "_dealings with the dead_," I reply, because they are _alive_
+unto sin, and _dead_ unto righteousness.
+
+In Lord Bacon's Life of Henry VII., London edition of 1824, vol. v. 51,
+the Lord Chancellor Morton says to the Parliament--"His Grace prays you to
+take into consideration matters of trade, as also the manufactures of the
+kingdom, and to repress the bastard and barren employment of moneys to
+usury and unlawful exchanges, that they may be, as their natural use is,
+turned upon commerce, and lawful, and royal trading." Henry VIII. came to
+the throne, in 1509, and the rate of interest was fixed, in 1545, the 37th
+of that king's reign; and that rate was ten per cent. per annum. Before
+that time, no Christian was allowed to take interest for money; and the
+Jews had the matter of usury, all to themselves. It was shown, before
+Parliament, that, in 1260, two shillings was the rate, demanded and given,
+for the loan of twenty shillings for one week; and Stowe states, that the
+people were so highly excited against the Jews, on account of their
+extortion, as to massacre seven hundred of them, in London, in 1262. In
+1274, a law was passed, compelling every Jew, lending money on interest,
+to wear a plate on his breast, signifying, that he was an usurer, or to
+quit the realm. What an exhibition we should have, in State Street, and
+the alleys, if this edict should be revived, against those, whose
+uncircumcision would avail them nothing, to disprove their Levitical
+propinquity.
+
+In 1277, two hundred and sixty-seven Jews were hung, in London, for
+clipping the coin. Their usurious practices, at last, so highly
+exasperated the nation, that, according to Rapin, Lond., 1757, vol. iii.
+246, 15,000 were banished the realm, in 1290. They had obtained great
+privileges from King Edward; but, says Rapin, "lost all these advantages,
+by not curbing their insatiable greediness of enriching themselves, by
+unlawful means, as usury, &c." I find Sir Edward Coke denies the fact of
+their banishment. His version is this: "They were not banished, but their
+usury was banished, by the statute, enacted in this parliament, and that
+was the cause they banished themselves into foreign countries, where they
+might live by their usury; and because they were odious to the nation,
+that they might pass out of the realm in safety, they made a petition to
+the king, that a certain day might be prefixed for them to depart the
+realm, that they might have the king's writ to his sheriffs, for their
+safe conduct." 2d Institute, 507. Hume, nevertheless, Oxford ed., ii. 210,
+reaffirms the statement of Rapin.
+
+Hume says, ibid., the practice of usury was afterwards carried on, "by the
+English themselves upon their fellow-citizens, or by the Lombards and
+other foreigners;" and he adds--"It is very much to be questioned, whether
+the dealings of these new usurers were equally open and unexceptionable
+with the old." Perhaps it may be questioned, whether the community would
+not fare better, at the present day, if some of the circumcised could be
+imported hither, from the Jews' Quarter, in Istampol. The following remark
+of Hume, on the same page, is of importance to the political
+economist:--"But as the canon law, seconded by the municipal, permitted no
+Christian to take interest, all transactions of this kind must, after the
+banishment of the Jews, have become more secret and clandestine, and the
+lender, of consequence, be paid both for the use of his money, _and for
+the infamy and danger, which he incurred by lending it_." This is not from
+Aristotle, nor one of the school divines, but from David Hume, whose
+liberality is sufficiently notorious.
+
+The English usurers, in those days, were more excusable, because they were
+not permitted to take _any interest whatever_, for the loan of money,
+while money lenders here have not the same excuse for being usurers, as
+they may lawfully take six per cent. per annum, or one per cent. above the
+legal rate of Great Britain, as established in 1714, the 13th of Queen
+Anne, and which has remained unaltered, to the present day.
+
+I have heard of a fellow, who, upon being asked, after conviction of
+larceny, if he did not regret his conduct, replied, with an air of great
+sincerity, that he certainly did--for, instead of stealing a few pieces of
+gold, as he had done, he might easily have stolen enough, to bribe the
+court and jury. The Jews were wiser in their day and generation--they
+never suffered themselves to be placed in a predicament, which might cause
+them to suffer from any such regret. For many years, there subsisted a
+delightful understanding, between them and Edward I. Longshanks.
+Longshanks granted them many and various indulgencies; by his permission,
+they even had a synagogue in London. On their part, they were willing to
+relieve the necessities of Longshanks. In short, Longshanks was,
+vicariously, and upon the principle, that _qui facit per alium facit per
+se_, the very Apollyon of all usurers. He countenanced the extortion of
+the Jews, and shared the spoils. Sir Edward Coke, in his Second Institute,
+506, states that, in seven years, covering portions of the reigns of Henry
+III. and Edward I., the Crown had four hundred and twenty thousand pounds,
+fifteen shillings, and four pence from the Jews.
+
+After treating of the advantages and disadvantages of taking interest, on
+money loans, and arriving at the sensible conclusion, that it is
+impossible for society to get along without them, Lord Bacon remarks, ii.
+354--"Let usury (the term for interest in those days) in general be
+reduced to five in the hundred, and let the rate be proclaimed to be free
+and current: and let the State shut itself out to take any penalty for the
+same. This will preserve borrowing from any stop or dryness. This will
+ease infinite borrowers in the country, &c." Lord Bacon was therefore in
+favor of an universal rate of interest, established by law. Of usury, in
+the opprobrious sense of the word, the taking of excessive and unlawful
+interest, this great man speaks in his tract on Riches, ii. 340, in no
+very complimentary terms--"Usury is the certainest means of gain, though
+one of the worst, as that whereby a man doth eat his bread, in _sudore
+vultus alieni_," by the sweat of another's brow.
+
+I have heard it said of a rural governor of Massachusetts, now sleeping
+with his fathers, that, although addicted to the practice of virtual
+usury, he scrupulously abstained from lending money, at any rate, beyond
+six per cent. It became a by-word, in his district, however, when a farmer
+became straitened for a little money, and was inquiring among his
+neighbors--_that it was quite likely his excellency might have a yoke of
+cattle, that he did not care to winter over_! The cattle were sold at a
+high price to the needy man, who sold them forthwith, at auction, or
+otherwise, for a small one, giving the worthy governor his note in
+payment, and a mortgage on his farm, if required. The note was payable in
+six months, or a year, with "lawful interest."
+
+This moral manoeuvre appears to have been of ancient origin. There is the
+draught of a law for the punishment of it, in Lord Bacon's works, iv. 285.
+The preamble runs thus--"Whereas it is an usual practice, to the undoing
+and overthrowing of many young gentlemen and others, that where men are in
+necessity, and desire to borrow money, they are answered, that money
+cannot be had, but that they may have commodities sold unto them, upon
+credit, whereof they may make money, as they can: in which course it ever
+comes to pass, not only that such commodities are bought at extreme high
+rates, and sold again far under foot, at a double loss; but also that the
+party which is to borrow, is wrapt in bonds and counter bonds; so that
+upon a little money, which he receiveth, he is subject to penalties and
+suits of great value." Then follows the statute, taking away legal remedy,
+and punishing the broker or procurer with six months' imprisonment, and
+the pillory.
+
+It has been commonly understood, that, before the act of 37th Henry VIII.,
+though Christians were forbidden to take any interest for money, the Jews
+were not restrained; yet Lord Chief Baron Hale, Hard. 420, says that
+Jewish usury was forbidden, at common law, being forty per cent. and
+upwards, per annum, but no other. Lea, C. J., Palm. 292, says, that the
+usury, condemned at common law, was the "_biting usury_" of the Jews. To
+comprehend this expression, it must be understood, that, among the Jews,
+of old, there were two Hebrew words, signifying _usury_, _terebit_, which
+meant simply _increase_, and _Neshec_, which meant _devouring_ or _biting
+usury_. Of this distinction, an account may be found in Calmet, vol. iii.
+Fragment 46.
+
+When the statute of James I. was passed, in 1623, reducing the rate from
+ten to eight per cent., Orde says, in his Law of Usury, p. 5, that the
+Bishops "would not, at first, agree to it, for the sole reason, that there
+was no clause that disgraced usury, as in former statutes; and then the
+clause at the end of that statute was added, for their satisfaction."
+Usury was punished more severely in France, than in England. For the first
+offence, the usurer "was punished by a public and ignominious
+acknowledgment of his offence, and was banished. His second offence was
+capital, and he was hanged." Coke's 3d Institute, 152.
+
+
+
+
+No. LIII.
+
+
+Our society, whose object is nothing less than the entire and unqualified
+abolition of capital punishment, have derived the greatest advantage, from
+an ample recognition of the rights of women--not only by a free
+participation of counsel with the softer sex, after the example of certain
+other societies, the value of whose services can never be understood, by
+the present generation; but by assigning equally to both sexes, all
+offices of honor and trust. We have adhered to this principle, with the
+most perfect impartiality, in the composition of our committees. Thus, our
+committee, for visiting the condemned, consists of the Rev. Mr. Puzzlepot,
+and the five Miss Frizzles--the committee on public excitement, prior to
+an execution, consists of Dr. Omnibus, Squire Farrago, Mrs. Pickett, and
+her daughters, the Misses Patience and Hopestill Pickett. In like
+proportion, all our committees are constructed.
+
+We think proper, in this public manner, to express our warmest
+acknowledgments to Mrs. Negoose, Madam Moody, and Squire Bodkin, for their
+able report, on the iniquity of presumptive or circumstantial evidence.
+The notes, appended to this report, are invaluable--their authorship
+cannot be mistaken--every individual, acquainted with the peculiar style
+of the gifted author, will recognize the powerful hand of the justly
+celebrated Mrs. Folsom.
+
+This committee are of opinion, that, under the show or pretence of
+punishing murder, our legal tribunals are constantly committing it. They
+_presume_, forsooth, that is, they guess, that the prisoner is guilty, and
+therefore take the awful responsibility of hanging him by the neck, till
+he is dead! This, says Mrs. Negoose, is _presumption_ with a vengeance.
+
+The committee refer to the statement of Sir Matthew Hale, as cited by
+Blackstone, iv. 358-9, that he had known two cases, in which, after the
+accused had been hung for murder, the individuals, supposed to have been
+murdered, had re-appeared, in full life. Upon this, the committee reason,
+with irresistible force and acumen. How many judges, say they, there have
+been, since the world began, we know not. _Two cases_, in which innocent
+persons were executed, on presumptive or circumstantial evidence, are
+proved to have occurred, within the knowledge of _one judge_. It is
+reasonable, say the committee, to conclude that, at a moderate
+calculation, _three cases_ more, remaining undiscovered, occurred within
+the jurisdiction of that _one judge_. Now, we have nothing to do, but to
+ascertain the number of judges, who have ever existed, and then multiply
+that number by _five_; and thus, say the committee, "by the unerring force
+of figures, which cannot lie, we have the sanguinary result." "Talk not of
+ermine," exclaims Mrs. Negoose, the chairwoman of the committee, in a gush
+of scorching eloquence, "these blood-stained judges, gory with the blood
+of the innocents, let them be stripped of their ermine, and robed with the
+skins of wild cats and hyenas."
+
+It has excited the highest indignation in the society, that Sir Matthew
+Hale, who has ever borne the name of a humane and upright judge, should
+have continued to decide questions, involving life, upon circumstantial
+evidence, after the cases, referred to above, had come to his knowledge,
+and in the very same manner, that he had been accustomed to decide them,
+in earlier times. Mrs. Moody openly expresses her opinion, that he was no
+better than he should be; and Squire Bodkin only wishes, that he could
+have had half an hour's conversation with Sir Matthew. The only effect,
+produced upon the mind of Sir Matthew Hale, by these painful discoveries,
+seems to have been to call forth an expression of opinion, that
+circumstantial evidence should be received with caution; and that, in
+trials for murder and manslaughter, no person should ever be convicted,
+till the body of the individual, alleged to have been killed, had been
+discovered.
+
+An opinion, often repeated, as having been expressed by Chief Justice
+Dana, after the conviction of Fairbanks, for the murder of Miss Fales, at
+Dedham, in 1801, has frequently been a topic of conversation, among the
+members of our society, and Mrs. Negoose is satisfied, that if Chief
+Justice Dana expressed any such opinion, he must have been out of his
+head. Fairbanks was convicted and hung, on circumstantial evidence
+entirely. The concatenation, or linking together, of circumstances, in
+that remarkable case, was very extraordinary.
+
+The sympathy for Fairbanks was very great, and began to exhibit itself,
+almost as soon, as the spirit had fled from the body of his victim. After
+his condemnation, his zealous admirers, for such they seemed to be,
+assisted him successfully, to break jail. He was retaken, on the borders
+of Lake Champlain; and, as the jail in Boston was of better proof, than
+the jail in Dedham, he was committed to the former. The genealogy of
+Fairbanks was shrouded in a sort of mystery. Ladies, of respectable
+standing, visited him, in his cell, and one, in particular, of some
+literary celebrity, in our days of small things, was supposed to have
+supplied him with a knife, of rather expensive workmanship, for the
+purpose of self-destruction. This knife was found upon his person, after
+her visits. There was no positive proof, to establish the guilt of Jason
+Fairbanks--not a tittle. Yet a merciless jury found him guilty, by a
+process, which our society considers mere _guess work_,--and after the
+execution, Judge Dana is reported to have said, that he believed Fairbanks
+murdered Miss Fales, more certainly, from the circumstantial evidence,
+produced at the trial, than if he had had the testimony of his own
+eyesight, at a short distance, in a dusky day. What sort of a Judge is
+this? cried Mrs. Negoose--sure enough, exclaimed Madam Moody.
+
+I have no objection to give our opponents all the advantage, which they
+can possibly derive from a full and fair exposition of their arguments.
+When a witness, for example, swears, directly and unhesitatingly, that he
+saw the prisoner inflict a wound, with a deadly weapon, upon another
+person--that he saw that other person instantly fall, and die shortly
+after, this is _positive evidence of something_. Yet the act may be
+murder, or it may be manslaughter, or it may be justifiable homicide.
+Murder consists of three parts, the malice prepense, the blow inflicted or
+means employed, and the death ensuing, within a time prescribed by law.
+There can be no _murder_, if either of these parts be absent. Now, it is
+contended, by such as deem it lawful and right to hang the unfortunate,
+misguided, upon circumstantial evidence, that, however _positive_ the
+evidence may be, upon the two latter points--the act done and the death
+ensuing--it is necessary, from the nature of things, in every case to
+depend on _circumstantial_ evidence, to prove the malice prepense.
+
+One or more of the senses enable the witness to swear positively to either
+of the two latter points. But the malice prepense must be _inferred_, from
+words, deeds, and _circumstances_. Upon this Dr. Omnibus sensibly
+observes, that this very fact proves the impropriety of hanging upon all
+occasions: and Mrs. Negoose remarks, that she is of the same opinion, on
+the authority of that ancient dictum, the authorship of which seems to be
+equally ascribed to Solomon and Sancho Panza--that "_circumstances_ alter
+cases."
+
+It is really surprising, that so grave and sensible a man, as Mr. Simon
+Greenleaf, should have made the remark, which appears on page 74, vol. i.,
+of his Treatise on Evidence,--"_In both cases_ (civil and criminal) _a
+verdict may well be founded on circumstances alone; and these often lead
+to a conclusion far more satisfactory than direct evidence may produce_."
+Mr. Greenleaf refers, for illustration of this opinion, to the case of
+Bodine, N. Y. Legal Observer, vol. iv. p. 89, et seq. Lawyer Bodkin's work
+on evidence will, doubtless, correct this error.
+
+Let us reason impartially. Compunction, in a dying hour, we cannot deny
+it, has established the fact, that innocent persons have been hung, now
+and then, upon _positive_ evidence, the false witness confessing himself
+the murderer, _in articulo mortis_. Well, says Madam Moody, here is fresh
+proof of the great sinfulness of hanging.--To be sure.--But let our
+opponents have fair play. A. is found dead, evidently stabbed.--B. is
+seized upon suspicion.--C. heard B. declare he would have the heart's
+blood of A.--D. saw B. with a knife in his hand, ten minutes before the
+murder.--E. finds a knife bloody, near the place of the murder.--F.
+recognizes the knife as his own, and by him lent to B. just before the
+time of the murder.--G. says the size of the wound is precisely the size
+of the knife.--H. says, that, when he arrested B. his hand and
+shirt-sleeve were bloody.--I. says he heard B. say, just after the murder,
+"I've got my revenge." In the case supposed, C. D. E. F. G. H. and I.
+swear _positively_, each one to a particular fact. Here are seven
+witnesses. Here then is a chain of evidence, whereof each witness
+furnishes a single link. It is the opinion of Peake, Chitty, Starkie,
+Greenleaf, and all other writers, on the law of evidence, that this chain
+is often as strong or stronger, than it would be, were it fabricated by
+one man only. I will not deny, that Dr. Omnibus and Mrs. Negoose think
+differently.
+
+An extraordinary example of circumstantial evidence, in a capital case,
+was related by Lord Eldon. A man was on trial for murder. The evidence
+against him, which was wholly circumstantial, was so very insufficient,
+that the prisoner, confident of acquittal, assumed an air of easy
+nonchalance. The officer, who had arrested the prisoner, and conducted the
+customary search, had exhibited, in court, the articles, found upon his
+person, at the time of his capture--a few articles of little value, and,
+among them, a fragment of a newspaper. The surgeon, who examined the body
+of the victim after death, produced the ball, which he had extracted from
+the wound, precisely as he found it. Enveloped in a wrapper of some sort,
+and with the blood dried upon it, it presented an almost unintelligible
+mass.
+
+A basin of warm water was brought into court--the mass was softened--the
+wrapper carefully detached--it was the fragment of a newspaper, and fitted
+like the counterpart of an indenture to the fragment, taken by the officer
+from the prisoner's person. He was hung. Dear me! says Mrs. Negoose, what
+a pity!
+
+I regret to learn from the late London papers, that Mr. Horace Twiss is
+recently dead. No one, I am confident, will fail to join in this feeling
+of regret, who has enjoyed, as I have done, the perusal of his truly
+delightful work, "The Public and Private Life of Lord Chancellor Eldon."
+
+
+
+
+No. LIV.
+
+
+A pleasant anecdote is related by Nichols, of Dean Swift, who, when his
+servant apologized for not cleaning his boots, on a journey, because they
+would soon be dirty again, directed him to get the horses in readiness
+immediately: and, upon the fellow's remonstrance, that he had not eaten
+his breakfast, replied, that it was of little consequence, as he would
+soon be hungry again.
+
+The American Irish are, undoubtedly, a very sweet people, when they are
+thoroughly washed; but they rarely think of washing themselves or their
+children--they are so soon dirty again. Hydrophobia is an Irish epidemic;
+and there are also some of the Native American Party, I fear, who have not
+been into water, since the Declaration of Independence.
+
+When Peter Fagan applied to me, a few days since, to read for him a
+letter, from his cousin, Eyley Murphy, of Ballyconnel, in the county of
+Cavan, he was so insufferably filthy, that I gave him a quarter of a
+dollar, to be spent in sacrificing to the graces, that is, in taking a
+warm bath. While he was absent, I examined the letter; and found it to be
+a very interesting account of the execution of Fagan's fourth cousin,
+Rory Mullowny, for murder. As I thought its publication might be of
+importance here, at this time, I obtained Mr. Fagan's permission to place
+it before the community. I was, at first, disposed to correct the
+spelling, and give it rather more of an English complexion, but have, upon
+the whole, decided to publish it, as it is. Fagan tells me, that Eyley
+Murphy was the daughter of the hedge school-master, at Ballyconnel. The
+letter is written in a fair hand, and directed, "For Misther Pether Fagan,
+these--Boston, Capital of Amerriky."
+
+Ballyconnel, Cavan, March 19, 1849.--Fagan dear, bad news and thrue for ye
+it is; Rory Mullowny, your own blood cousin o' the forth remove, by the
+mither's side, was pit up yestreen for the murther o' Tooley O'Shane, and
+there was niver a felly o' all that's been hung in Ballyconnel, with sich
+respictable attindance. The widdy Magee pit the divle into both the poor
+fellies, no more nor a waak arter the birril o' her forth husband, and so
+she kipt a flarting wid the one and the tither, till she flarted um out o'
+the warld this away.
+
+Poor Rory--what a swaat boy he was--jist sax foot and fore inches in his
+brogans--och, my God! it's myself that wush'd I'd bin pit up along wid im.
+But he's claan gane now; whin we was childer togither how we used to
+gather the pirriwincles by the brook, and chase the fire-flaughts in the
+pasture o' a June evening--och my God--Pether--Pether--but there's no use
+waaping anyhow, so I'll be telling ye the shtory.
+
+Poor Mullowny was found guilty o' what they call sircumstanshul ividunce.
+A spaach it was he made whin the cussid sherry was pittin im up, and he
+swore he died more innisent o' the crime nor the mither o' God, and he
+called God to witness what he sed. Himself it was that was rather hasty
+onyhow, in makin a confission to father Brian Bogle o' this very murther,
+and some other small mathers, a rape or too, may be, and sich like.
+
+But the socyety that's agin pittin a body up--God bliss their sowls--they
+perswaded im to spaak at the gallows, and till the paaple how it was, and
+they rit im a spaach, in wich he toult 'em a body's last wull was the only
+wull that was gud in the law, and sure it was a poor body's last words and
+dyin spaach that was gud anunder the tree. And whin he had dun, the cursed
+divelsbird o' a sherry, wid a hart as coult as bog mud, swung im off in a
+minnit. It was himsilf was spaakin; and I jist pit my apurn to my face to
+wipe aff the saut wather, whin I heerd a shreek and a howl, louder and
+wilder nor ten thousand keenas at a birril, whin I lookd up and saw poor,
+daar Mullowny a swingin in the air. The like o' that yersilf niver saad,
+Pether Fagan, nor the mither that brot ye into this world o' care and
+confushon. The wimmin scraamed loud enuff to friten the little childer
+claan away in Ballymahon. The min swung their shillalies owr their heds.
+Father Brian Bogle was crossing himself, and a stone hurld by Jimmy
+Fitzgerald at the infarnal sherry, knocked father Bogle's taath down his
+throte. By the same token ye see, they was pit in for im the dee afore at
+considerable cost. Father Brian fell back, head foremost, ye see, on top
+o' Molly Mahoney's little bit table o' refrishments, and twas the wark o'
+a minnit.
+
+Molly, who jist afore was wall to do in the warld, was a brukken marchant,
+immadiately, all claan gane; tumblers o' whiskey, cakes, custards, and
+cookies was all knocked in the shape o' bit o'chalk; and all the pennies
+she had took since bick o'dee--for more nor ten thousan was on the spot to
+see poor Rory pit up afore dee--was scattered and clutched up, by hunders
+o' little childher that was playing prop and chuck farding anunder the
+gallus. A jug o' buthermilk was capsized ower the widdy Magee's bran new
+dress, that was made for the hanging precesely, and ruinated it pretty
+considerably intirely. It was not myself that pittied the hussy--she to be
+there, as naar to the gallus as she could squaze hersel, and the very
+cause o' the dith o' poor Rory, and Tooley O'Shane into the bargin.
+
+Och, Fagan, niver ye see was the likes o' it in Ballyconnel afore. Whin
+the sherry was for cuttin the alter and littin the corps o' poor, daar
+Mullowny down into the shell, that was all riddy below, the Mullownys
+swore they would have the body, for a riglar birrill, and a wake, and a
+keena, ye see--and the O'Shanes swore it should go to the risirictioners,
+to be made into a menotomy. Then for it, it was--sich a cursin and swaring
+and howling--sich a swingin o' shillalies, sich a crackin o' pates, sich
+callin upon Jasus and the blissid mither, sich a scramin o' wimmin and
+childer, niver was herd afore in county Cavan. The sherry he gat on Molly
+Mahoney's little table to read the ryot act, and whin he opunt his mouth
+Phelim Macfarland flung a rottun egg atwaan his taath preceesly, and brot
+im to a spaady conclushon.
+
+Poor Rory's vinrable oult mither was carried aff and murthered in the side
+o' the hid, wid a stone mint for the sherry, o' which she recovered
+diricly. They tried to kaap her quiet in her shanty, but she took on so
+gravous, that they let her attind the pittin up--poor ould sowl--she sed
+she had attinded the last moments o' her good man, and both her childer,
+Patrick and Pether, whin they wur pit up the same way, and it was not the
+like o' her to hart poor daar Rory's faalings onyhow.
+
+Dolly Macabe was saved by a myrrikle, ye see. She took out wid her her
+siven childer, leading little Phelim by the hand, wid her babe at the
+brist, and hersilf in a familiar way into the bargin. She was knocked ower
+and trampled under the faat o' the fellies as was yellin and fitin, and
+stunted out o' her raason intirely. Only jist think o' it, Fagan daar,
+when she kim too, not one o' the childher was hart in the laast, nor Dolly
+naather; and the first thing she asked wos, whose was the two swaat babes,
+lyin together, and they toult her they war her own. Ye see, Patrick
+O'Shane and some more trod upon Dolly Macabe and hastened matters a
+leetle, and she was delivered o' twins, widout knowin anything about it.
+They gied her a glass o' whiskey, and O'Flaherty, the baker, pit the swaat
+babes in his brid cart, and Dolly, who priffird walking, wint home as well
+as could be expected. All the Macabes have ixcillint constitushons, and
+make no moor o' sich thrifles, than nothing at all.
+
+But its for tellin the petiklars I'm writin. As I toult ye, twas about the
+widdy Magee. Rory toult more nor fifty, for a waak afore, that he'd have
+Tooley's hart's blood. When Tooley was found, it was ston ded he was, and
+his hed was bate all to paces, and Rory was o' tap o' im houltin im by the
+throte, wid a shillaly nigh by, covered wid blud, and the blood was rinnin
+out o' his eyes, and nose, and aars. Lawyer McGammon definded Rory, the
+poor unfortunit crathur, and he frankly admitted, that it was onlocky for
+him to be found jist that away, but he toult the jewry, that as he hoped
+for salvashun, Rory was an innysunt man, and he belaaved the foreman as
+guilty nor he. He brot half Ballyconnel to prove that Tooley was liable to
+blaad fraly at the nose, and was apt to have a rush o' blood to the hed,
+and he compared Rory to the good Summeritan, and sed he was there by the
+marest axidunt in the warld, and was tryin to stop the flow o' blud by
+houltin Tooley by the throte.
+
+As to the bloody shillaly, McGammon brot more nor twenty witnesses, and
+ivery one a Mullowny, to sware it was more like Tooley's own shillaly nor
+two paas in a pud; and then he had three lunatic doctors, they call'd em,
+to prove that the O'Shane's were o' the silf-distructive persuashun. As to
+what Rory had sed about havin Tooley's hart's blud, lawyer McGammon provd
+that it was a common mode o' spakin in Ballyconnel and all owr the
+contree, among frinds and neybors, and thin he hinted, in a dillikit wey,
+that all the Mullownys wuld be after sayin that virry same thing o' the
+jewry, if thay brot Rory to the gallus by thair vardic, and that he was
+guilty o' nothin but circumstanshul ividunce. But the jewry brot in the
+poor felly guilty o' murther, and its all owr wid poor Rory.
+
+It's no more I can rite--Your sister Betty Macnamarra has nine fine boys,
+at thraa births it is. From yours ever till the dee,
+
+EYLEY MURPHY.
+
+No impartial reader of Miss Eyley Murphy's letter will hesitate to
+pronounce Rory Mullowny an unfortunate man, and his case another example
+of the abominable practice of hanging innocent persons, upon
+circumstantial evidence.
+
+
+
+
+No. LV.
+
+
+Poor Eli--as the old man was familiarly called by the Boston sextons of
+his time. He was a prime hand, at the shortest notice, in his better days.
+He has been long dead--died by inches--his memory first. For a year or
+more before his death, he was troubled with some strange hallucinations,
+of rather a professional character--among them, an impression, that he had
+committed a terrible sin, in putting so many respectable people under
+ground, who had never done him any harm. He said to me, more than once,
+while attempting to dissipate this film from his mental vision--"Abner,
+take my advice, and give up this wicked business, or you'll be served so
+yourself, one of these days." I was, upon one occasion, going over one of
+our farms, with the old man--the Granary burying-ground--and he flew into
+a terrible passion, because no grave had been dug for old Master
+Lovell--the father. We tried to remind him, that Master Lovell, many years
+before, in 1776, had turned tory, and gone off with the British army; but
+poor old Eli was past conviction. He took his last favorite walk, among
+the graves on Copp's Hill, one morning in May--he there met a very worthy
+man, whom he was so fully persuaded he had buried, twenty years before,
+that he hobbled home, in the greatest trepidation, took to his bed, and
+never left it, but to verify his own suggestion, that we are all to be
+finally buried. During his last, brief illness, his mental wanderings were
+very manifest:--"Poor man--poor man"--he would mutter to himself--"I'm
+sure I buried him--deep grave, very--estate's been settled--his sons--very
+fast young men, took possession--gone long ago--poor weeping
+widow--married twice since--what a time there'll be--oh Lord forgive me,
+I'll never bury another." He was eighty-two then, and used to say he
+longed to die, and get among his old friends, for all, that he had known,
+were dead and gone.
+
+A feeling, somewhat akin to this, is apt to gather about us, and grow
+stronger, as we march farther forward on our way, the numbers of our
+companions gradually lessening, as we go. Our ranks close up--those, with
+whom we stood, shoulder to shoulder, are cut down by the great
+leveller--and their places are filled by others. As we grow older, and the
+friends and companions of our earlier days are removed, we have a desire
+to do the next best thing--we cannot supply their places--but there are
+individuals--worthy people withal--whose faces have been familiar to our
+eyes, for fifty or sixty years--we have passed them, daily, or weekly--we
+chance to meet, no matter where--the ice is broken, by a mutual agreement,
+that it is very hot, or that it is very cold--very wet, or very dry--an
+allusion follows to the great number of years we have known each other, by
+name, and this results, frequently, in a relation, which, if it be not
+entitled to the sacred name of friendship, is not to be despised by those,
+who are deep in the valley:--out of such materials, an old craft, near the
+termination of its voyage, may rig up a respectable jury-mast, at least,
+and sail on comfortably, to the haven where it would be.
+
+The old standard merchants, who transacted business, on the Long Wharf,
+Boston Pier, when I was a boy--are dead--_stelligeri_--almost every one of
+them; and, if all, that I have known and heard of them, were fairly told,
+it would make a very readable volume, highly honorable to many of their
+number, and calculated to operate, as a stimulus, upon the profession, in
+every age.
+
+One little narrative spreads itself before my memory, at this moment,
+which I received from the only surviving son of the individual, to whom it
+especially refers. A merchant, very extensively engaged in commerce, and
+located upon the Long Wharf, died February 18, 1806, at the age of 75,
+intestate. His eldest son administered upon the estate. This old gentleman
+used pleasantly to say, that, for many years, he had fed a very large
+number of the Catholics, on the shores of the Mediterranean, during Lent,
+referring to his very extensive connection with the fishing business. In
+his day, he was certainly well known; and, to the present time, is well
+remembered, by some of the "_old ones down along shore_," from the
+Gurnet's Nose to Race Point. Among his papers, a package, of very
+considerable size, was found, after his death, carefully tied up, and
+labelled as follows: "_Notes, due-bills, and accounts against sundry
+persons, down along shore. Some of these may be got by suit or severe
+dunning. But the people are poor: most of them have had fishermen's luck.
+My children will do as they think best. Perhaps they will think with me,
+that it is best to burn this package entire._"
+
+"About a month," said my informant, "after our father died, the sons met
+together, and, after some general remarks, our elder brother, the
+administrator, produced this package, of whose existence we were already
+apprized; read the superscription; and asked what course should be taken,
+in regard to it. Another brother, a few years younger than the eldest, a
+man of strong, impulsive temperament, unable, at the moment, to express
+his feeling, by words, while he brushed the tears from his eyes with one
+hand, by a spasmodic jerk of the other, towards the fireplace, indicated
+his wish to have the package put into the flames. It was suggested, by
+another of our number, that it might be well, first, to make a list of the
+debtors' names, and of the dates, and amounts, that we might be enabled,
+as the intended discharge was for all, to inform such as might offer
+payment, that their debts were forgiven. On the following day, we again
+assembled--the list had been prepared--and all the notes, due-bills, and
+accounts, whose amount, including interest, exceeded thirty-two thousand
+dollars, were committed to the flames."
+
+"It was about four months after our father's death," continued my
+informant, "in the month of June, that, as I was sitting in my eldest
+brother's counting-room, waiting for an opportunity to speak with him,
+there came in a hard-favored, little, old man, who looked as if time and
+rough weather had been to windward of him, for seventy years. He asked if
+my brother was not the executor. He replied, that he was administrator, as
+our father died intestate. 'Well,' said the stranger, 'I've come up from
+the Cape, to pay a debt I owed the old gentleman.' My brother," continued
+my informant, "requested him to take a seat, being, at the moment, engaged
+with other persons, at the desk."
+
+"The old man sat down, and, putting on his glasses, drew out a very
+ancient, leather pocket-book, and began to count over his money. When he
+had done--and there was quite a parcel of bank notes--as he sat, waiting
+his turn, slowly twisting his thumbs, with his old gray, meditative eyes
+upon the floor, he sighed; and I knew the money, as the phrase runs, _came
+hard_--and secretly wished the old man's name might be found, upon the
+forgiven list. My brother was soon at leisure, and asked him the common
+questions--his name, &c. The original debt was four hundred and forty
+dollars--it had stood a long time, and, with the interest, amounted to a
+sum, between seven and eight hundred. My brother went to his desk, and,
+after examining the forgiven list attentively, a sudden smile lighted up
+his countenance, and told me the truth, at a glance--the old man's name
+was there! My brother quietly took a chair, by his side, and a
+conversation ensued, between them, which I never shall forget.--'Your note
+is outlawed,' said my brother; 'it was dated twelve years ago, payable in
+two years; there is no witness, and no interest has ever been paid; you
+are not bound to pay this note, we cannot recover the amount.' 'Sir,' said
+the old man, 'I wish to pay it. It is the only heavy debt I have in the
+world. It may be outlawed here, but I have no child, and my old woman and
+I hope we have made our peace with God, and wish to do so with man. I
+should like to pay it'--and he laid his bank notes before my brother,
+requesting him to count them over. 'I cannot take this money,' said my
+brother. The old man became alarmed. 'I have cast simple interest, for
+twelve years and a little over,' said the old man. 'I will pay you
+compound interest, if you say so. The debt ought to have been paid, long
+ago, but your father, sir, was very indulgent--he knew I'd been unlucky,
+and told me not to worry about it.'
+
+"My brother then set the whole matter plainly before him, and, taking the
+bank bills, returned them to the pocket book, telling him, that, although
+our father left no formal will, he had recommended to his children, to
+destroy certain notes, due-bills, and other evidences of debt, and release
+those, who might be legally bound to pay them. For a moment the worthy old
+man appeared to be stupefied. After he had collected himself, and wiped a
+few tears from his eyes, he stated, that, from the time he had heard of
+our father's death, he had raked, and scraped, and pinched and spared, to
+get the money together, for the payment of this debt.--'About ten days
+ago,' said he, 'I had made up the sum, within twenty dollars. My wife knew
+how much the payment of this debt lay upon my spirits, and advised me to
+sell a cow, and make up the difference, and get the heavy burden off my
+spirits. I did so--and now, what will my old woman say! I must get back to
+the Cape, and tell her this good news. She'll probably say over the very
+words she said, when she put her hand on my shoulder as we parted--_I have
+never yet seen the righteous man forsaken, nor his seed begging bread_.'
+After a hearty shake of the hand, and a blessing upon our old father's
+memory, he went upon his way rejoicing.
+
+"After a short silence--taking his pencil and making a cast--'there,' said
+my brother, 'your part of the amount would be so much--contrive a plan to
+convey to me your share of the pleasure, derived from this operation, and
+the money is at your service.'"
+
+Such is the simple tale, which I have told, as it was told to me.
+
+
+
+
+No. LVI.
+
+
+"_Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them;
+otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven. Therefore
+when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the
+hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have
+glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou
+doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. That
+thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret,
+himself shall reward thee openly._"
+
+This ancient word--_alms_--according to its derivative import, comprehends
+not only those _oboli_, which are given to the wandering poor, but all
+bestowments, great and small, in the blessed cause of charity.
+
+In the present age, how limited the number, whose moral courage and
+self-denial enable them to do their alms in secret, and without sounding a
+trumpet, as the hypocrites do! How many, impatient of delay, prefer an
+immediate reward--_to have glory of men_--rather than a long draft, upon
+far futurity, though God himself be the paymaster!
+
+The ability, to plan a magnificent, prospective charity, to provide the
+means for its consummation, to preserve inviolate the secret of this high
+and holy purpose, except from some confidential friend perhaps, until the
+noble and pure-minded benefactor himself is beyond the reach of all human
+praise--this is indeed a celestial and a rare accomplishment.
+
+My thoughts have been drawn hitherward, by the public announcement of
+certain testamentary donations of the late Theodore Lyman--ten thousand
+dollars to the Horticultural Society--ten thousand dollars to the Farm
+School--and fifty thousand dollars to the Reform School at Westborough.
+The public have been long in doubt, who was the secret patron of that
+excellent establishment, upon which he had previously bestowed two and
+twenty thousand dollars.--While we readily admit, that, in these
+unostentatious and posthumous benefactions, there is every claim upon the
+grateful respect of the community--while we delight to cherish a sentiment
+of reverence, for the memory of a good man, who would not suffer the sound
+of his munificence to go forth, till he had descended to that grave, where
+there is no device, nor work, and where his ears must be closed forever to
+the world's applause--still there are some, who, doubtless, will marvel at
+these magnificent, noiseless, and posthumous appropriations. With a very
+small portion of the amounts, bestowed upon these institutions, what glory
+might have been had of men, aye, and in his own life time! By distributing
+the aggregate into comparatively petty sums--by the exercise of rather
+more than ordinary vigilance and cunning, in the selection of fitting
+opportunities, what a reputation Mr. Lyman might have obtained! He would
+not only have been preceded, by the sound of a trumpet, but every penny
+paper would have readily converted itself into a penny trumpet, to spread
+the fame of his showy benefactions. His name would have been in every
+mouth--aye, and on every omnibus and engine. Add to all this a very small
+amount--a few hundred dollars, devoted to the procurement of plaster casts
+of himself, to be skilfully distributed, and verily he would have had his
+reward.
+
+The Hon. Theodore Lyman is dead, and, today, my grateful and respectful
+dealings are with his memory. The practical benevolence of this gentleman
+has been well known to me, for years. There are quiet, unobtrusive
+charities, which are not likely to figure, in the daily journals, or to be
+known by any person, but the parties. For such as these I have
+occasionally solicited Mr. Lyman, and never in vain. On the other hand,
+there are individuals, whose names are forever before the public, in
+connection with some work, to be seen of men; but whose gold and silver,
+unless they are likely to glitter, _in transitu_, before the eye of the
+community, are parted with, reluctantly, if at all.
+
+This great public benefactor, upon the present occasion, seems to have
+said, in the gentle, unobtrusive whisperings of his noble spirit--"A
+portion of that, which God has permitted me to gather, I believe it is my
+bounden duty to return, into the treasury of the Lord. This will I do. The
+secret shall remain, while I live, between God, who gives me this willing
+heart, and myself. And, when the world shall, at last, become unavoidably
+apprized of the fact, I shall have taken sanctuary in the grave, where the
+fulsome applause of the multitude can never reach me."
+
+Between such apostolic charity as this, and certain flashy munificence,
+whose authors seem to be forever drawing drafts, at sight, and always
+_without grace_, upon the public, for fresh laudation--more votes of
+thanks--additional resolutions of all sorts of societies--and a more
+copious supply of vapid editorial adulation--between these, I say, there
+is all that real difference which exists, between the "gem of purest ray
+serene," and the wretched Bristol imitation--between the flower that
+blooms and sends abroad its perfume in secret, and that corruption whose
+veritable character can never be concealed; and I may be suffered to say,
+as truly as Jock Jabos of his professional relations, that one of my
+calling may be supposed to know something of corruption, by this time.
+
+                    ----"My ear is pained,
+  My soul is sick with every day's report"
+
+of _ad captandum_ benefactions. Today, that generous benefactor, Mr.
+Pipkin, endows some village Lyceum, which is destined forever to glory in
+the euphonious name of Pipkin. Tomorrow our illustrious fellow-citizen,
+Mr. Snooks, presents a bell to some village church, and, the very next
+week, we are told, that the bell was cracked, while ringing peals in honor
+of the munificent Snooks. Even the Tonsons, whose ubiquity is a proverb,
+and whose inordinate relish for all sorts of notoriety surpasses their
+powers of munificence, are always in, for a pen'worth of this species of
+titillating snuff, at small cost.
+
+The Hon. Theodore Lyman was born in Boston, in 1792. His father was
+Theodore Lyman, a shrewd, enterprising, and eminently successful merchant
+of this city. His mother's maiden name was Lydia Williams. She was a
+sister of Samuel Williams, the celebrated London Banker. The subject of
+this brief notice received his preparatory education, at Phillips Exeter
+Academy, under the charge of the venerable Dr. Abbott. He entered Harvard
+University in 1806, and took his degrees in the usual course.
+
+In 1812, Mr. Lyman went to England, upon a visit to his maternal uncle,
+Mr. Williams, and, during his absence, travelled on the continent, with
+Mr. Edward Everett, visiting Greece, Palestine, &c., and remaining abroad,
+until 1816. He was in Paris, when the allied armies entered that city. Of
+this event he subsequently published an account, in a work, very
+pleasantly written, entitled _Three Weeks in Paris_.
+
+In 1820, or very near that period, Mr. Lyman married Miss Mary Henderson
+of New York, a lady of rare personal beauty and accomplishments, who died
+in 1836. The issue of this marriage were three daughters and a son, Julia,
+Mary, Cora and Theodore. The two last survive. The elder children, Julia
+and Mary, in language of beautiful significancy, have "gone before."
+
+Mr. Lyman published an octavo volume, on Italy, and compiled two useful
+volumes, on the Diplomacy of the United States with Foreign Nations. In
+1834 and 1835, Mr. Lyman was Mayor of the City of Boston. He brought to
+that office the manners of a refined and polished gentleman; the
+independence of a man of spirit and of honor; a true regard for justice
+and the rights of all men; a lofty contempt for all time-serving policy;
+talents of a highly respectable order; a mind well stored and well
+balanced; and a cordial desire, exemplified in his own personal and
+domestic relations, and by his encouraging word and open hand, of
+promoting the best interests of the great temperance reform.
+
+To the duties of this office, in which there is something less of glory
+than of toil, he devoted himself, during those two years, with great
+personal sacrifice and privation to those, whom he loved most. The period
+of his mayoralty was, by no means, a period of calm repose. Those years
+were scored, by the spirit of misrule, with deep, dark lines of infamy.
+Those years are memorable for the Vandal outrage upon the Ursuline
+Convent, and the Garrison riot; in which, a portion of the people of
+Boston demonstrated the terrible truth, that they were not to be outdone
+in fury, even by the most furious abolitionist, who ever converted his
+stylus into a harpoon, and his inkhorn into a vial of wrath.
+
+Mr. Lyman, even in comparatively early life, filled the offices of a
+Brigadier and Major General of our Militia; and was in our Legislative
+Councils.
+
+The temperament of Mr. Lyman was peculiar. Frigid, and even formal, before
+the world, he was one of the most warm-hearted men, among the noiseless
+paths of charity, and in the closer relations of life. I have sometimes
+marvelled, where he bestowed his keen sensibility, while going through the
+rough and wearying detail of official duty. In the spring of 1840 we met
+accidentally, at the South--in the city of Charleston. He was ill. His
+mind was ill at ease. He seemed to me, at that time, a practical
+illustration of the truth, that it is not good for man to be alone. Yet he
+had been long stricken then, in his domestic relation. His chief anxiety
+seemed to be about the health of his little boy. He told me, that he
+lingered there on his account. I never knew a more devoted father.
+
+A gentleman, well-known to the community, by his untiring practical
+benevolence, to whom I applied for information, has sent me a reply, from
+which I must be permitted to extract one passage, for the benefit of the
+world--"I have known much of his benevolent acts, having been the
+frequent almoner of his bounty, with the injunction, '_Keep it to
+yourself_.' He often called, and spent one or two hours, to converse on
+temperance, and the poor, and would spend a long winter evening in my
+office, to learn of me what my situation enabled me to communicate, and
+always left a check for $50 or $100, to give to the Howard, or some other
+society. In the severe winter weather, I remarked that he would say,
+'_This weather makes one feel for the poor_.' He often sent his man with
+provisions to the houses of the destitute, and had a heart to feel for
+others' woe."
+
+He has gone! But the memory of this good man shall never go! It shall be
+embalmed in the grateful tears of the reformed, from age to age.
+Thousands, now unborn, shall be snatched, like brands from the burning,
+through the agency of this heavenly charity; and, as they turn from the
+walls of this noble institution, in a moral sense, regenerate, they shall
+bless the name of their noble benefactor; and thus raise and perpetuate,
+to the memory of THEODORE LYMAN, the _monumentum aere perennius_.
+
+
+
+
+No. LVII.
+
+
+It is scarcely credible, for what peccadilloes, life was forfeited, by the
+laws of England, within the memory of men, now living. One hundred and
+sixty offences, which may be committed by man, have been declared, by
+different acts of parliament, to be felony, without benefit of clergy;
+that is, punishable with death. It is truly wonderful, that, in the
+eighteenth century, it should have been a capital offence, in England, to
+break down the mound of a fish pond--to cut down a cherry tree in an
+orchard--or to be seen, for one month, in the company of those, who called
+themselves Egyptians.
+
+We constantly refer to the laws of Draco, the Archon of Athens, as a code
+of unequalled cruelty; under whose operation, crimes of the highest order,
+and the most trifling offences, were punished, with equal severity. Draco
+punished murder with death, and he punished idleness with death. The laws
+of England punished murder with death, and they punished theft, over the
+value of twelve pence, with death. What is the necessity of going back to
+the time of Draco, 624 years before Christ, for examples of inhuman, and
+absurdly inconsistent legislation?
+
+The Marquis of Beccaria, in his treatise, _De Delitti e Delle Pene_, seems
+to have awakened legislators from a trance, in 1764, by propounding the
+simple inquiry--_Ought not punishments to be proportioned to crimes, and
+how shall that proportion be established?_ A matter, so apparently simple,
+seems not to have been thought of before.
+
+Sir Samuel Romilly, Sir James Mackintosh, and Sir Robert Peel are entitled
+to great praise, for their efforts to soften and humanize the criminal
+code of Great Britain.
+
+The distinction, between grand and petty larceny, was not abolished, until
+1827, when, by the act 7th and 8th Geo. IV. chap. 29, theft was made
+punishable by transportation, or imprisonment and whipping. By this
+statute, robbery from the person, burglary, stealing in a dwelling-house
+to the value of L5, stealing cattle, and sheep-stealing are made
+punishable with death. So that the punishment was, even then, the same,
+for murdering a man, and stealing a sheep, or L5 from a dwelling-house.
+Death, by this statute, was also the punishment for arson, for setting
+fire to coal mines, and ships; and for riotously demolishing buildings or
+machinery.
+
+In the following year, 1828, by the act 9th Geo. IV. ch. 31, death is made
+the punishment, for murder, maliciously shooting, cutting and maiming,
+administering poison, attempting to drown, suffocate, &c., and for rape
+and sodomy. By this act, more than fifty statutes, relative to offences
+against the person, are repealed.
+
+The act 11th Geo. IV. and 1st Will. IV. ch. 66, passed in 1830, abolishes
+capital punishment, in all cases of forgery, excepting forgery of the
+royal seals, exchequer bills, bank notes, wills, bills of exchange,
+promissory notes, or money orders, transfers of stock, and powers of
+attorney. Death remained the penalty for all these forgeries, in 1830,
+and, for all other forgeries, transportation and imprisonment.
+
+Two years after, in 1832, another step was taken. By 2d Will. IV. ch. 34,
+capital punishment was abolished, and transportation and imprisonment
+substituted, for all offences, relative to the coin. This was a prodigious
+stride.
+
+This gave us a great hope, that misguided murderers might finally be
+suffered to live in security, at least, from the halter: for no object
+had been of greater moment with the British nation, than the coin of the
+realm, and the death penalty had often been exacted from those, who had
+dared to clip or counterfeit that sacred representative of majesty. The
+principle is well established, that men, who fly from one extreme, _in
+contraria currunt_. We trusted, therefore, that extremely lenient
+legislation would supervene, upon its very opposite.
+
+We had great confidence in a system of "indefatigable teasing," as Butler
+calls it. In the same year, 1832, by 2d and 3d Will. IV. ch. 62, capital
+punishment was abolished, in cases of stealing from a dwelling-house to
+the value of L5, and sheep-stealing; and by the same act, ch. 123, capital
+punishment was abolished, in all cases of forgery, excepting in the cases
+of wills, and powers of attorney for stock.
+
+In 1833, by 3d and 4th Will. IV. ch. 44, capital punishment was abolished
+in case of dwelling-house robbery; repealing so much of the larceny act of
+1827.
+
+Our good friends in England next thought it expedient to divest the
+process of hanging, of all its postmortuary terrors. I have heard of
+condemned persons, who expressed a greater horror, at the thought of being
+dissected, than of being hanged. It was deemed proper, therefore, to
+relieve the unfortunates, on this tender point. Accordingly, in 1834, by
+4th Will. IV. ch. 26, dissecting murderers, and hanging them, in chains,
+were abolished.
+
+It had been the law of England, that all persons returning, _sua sponte_,
+after transportation, should be hanged. But experience has shown how deep
+is the affection, which convicts bear to their former haunts, their native
+land. It is a perfect _nostalgia_. This law was therefore repealed, in
+1834, by 4th and 5th Will. IV. ch. 67.
+
+In 1835, by 5th and 6th Will. IV. ch. 33, sundry felonies, never before
+deemed bailable offences, were made so, notwithstanding the parties
+confessed themselves guilty.
+
+Sacrilege and letter-stealing had long been capital offences in England.
+In the same year, they were no longer punished with death.
+
+We had great hopes from Victoria. In 1837, 1 Vic. ch. 23, she began, by
+abolishing the pillory entirely;--and ch. 84, capital punishment is
+abolished, in all cases of forgery;--ch. 85, capital punishment is
+inflicted, for administering poison, or doing bodily injury with intent
+to mutilate; but other acts, with intent to murder, or maim, or disfigure,
+are punished with different degrees of transportation and
+imprisonment.--Ch. 86 takes away capital punishment, in burglary, unless
+accompanied with violence.--Ch. 87 takes away capital punishment, in case
+of robbery, unless attended with cutting or wounding. Ch. 88 leaves the
+punishment of death, transportation or imprisonment, to the discretion of
+the court, in case of piracy, where murder is attempted. Ch. 89 varies the
+laws of arson, making arson a capital offence, in regard to a
+dwelling-house, _any person being therein_.--Ch. 91 abolishes capital
+punishment in cases of riotous assemblies, seducing from allegiance, and
+certain offences against the revenue laws.
+
+It is rather surprising, that there is such a general prejudice throughout
+the world, in favor of putting murderers to death. The Bible is an awful
+stumbling block, in this respect. We are also reminded that Solon, when he
+abolished the code of Draco, retained the punishment of death, in the case
+of murder. I have never thought much of Solon, since I became acquainted
+with this weak point in his character.
+
+A writer in the Edinburgh Review, vol. 86, p. 217, speaking of death as
+the punishment for murder, observes--"The intense desire which now
+actuates a portion of the community, to get rid of capital punishment even
+for murder, may be taken as an indication of this excessive sensibility.
+The propriety of that punishment in the given case, would certainly appear
+to be distinctly sanctioned by that book, to which its opponents
+professedly appeal--by reason--and by the all but universal practice of
+nations. It is the only certain guarantee which society can have for the
+security of its members." Here we have it again--"that book"--the Bible.
+It cannot be denied that the Bible, or Solon, or Sir Matthew Hale, or
+somebody else, is everlastingly in the way of this and other modern,
+philanthropic movements. What was Solon, in comparison with David
+Crockett--we are sure we are right, and why should we not go ahead?
+
+For my own part, I have never been able to perceive the wisdom of
+attempting to conceal any of our prospective movements. Indeed, our future
+course must be sufficiently apparent, at a glance. When we have
+_agitated_, until capital punishment is abolished, and we have had a
+commemorative celebration, with emblematical banners, and an hundred guns
+on the Common, nothing will be further from our thoughts, than a
+dissolution, sine die. One of our chief arguments in favor of abolishing
+capital punishment, is the greater hardship of a life-long imprisonment.
+Availing of this argument, we shall be able to show, that we have placed
+these unfortunates, in a worse condition than before. A petition will be
+presented to the Governor and Council, from five thousand unhappy
+murderers, ravishers, house-burners, burglars and highway robbers--such we
+think will be the number, in a few years--representing their miserable
+condition, and respectfully requesting to be hanged, under the influence
+of ether or otherwise, as to the Governor and Council may seem fit. We
+shall then _agitate_ anew, and endeavor, through public meetings and the
+press, to exhibit the barbarity of refusing their humble request.
+
+This, we well enough know, will not be granted; and the only escape from
+the dilemma, will be to suffer them, to go at large, upon their parole of
+honor. It will not, of course, be expected, that this parole will be
+received from any, who cannot produce a certificate, under the hand of the
+warden, that they have committed no murder, rape, arson, burglary, or
+highway robbery, during the period of their confinement in the State
+Prison.
+
+
+
+
+No. LVIII.
+
+
+The late Archbishop of Bordeaux, when Bishop of Boston, Dr. Cheverus, told
+me, that he had very little influence with his people, in regard to their
+extravagance at funerals. It is very hard to persuade them to abate the
+tithe of a hair, in the cost of a _birril_.
+
+This post-mortuary profligacy, this pride of death, is confined to no age
+or nation of the world. It has prevailed, ever since chaos was licked into
+shape, and throughout all Heathendom and Christendom, begetting a childish
+and preposterous competition, who should bear off the corpses of their
+relations, most showily, and cause them to rot, most expensively.
+
+This amazing folly has often required, and received, the sumptuary curb of
+legislation. I have briefly referred, in a former number, to the
+restraining edicts of the law-givers of Greece, and the laws of the Twelve
+Tables at Rome.
+
+Even here, and among the earlier records of our own country, evidences are
+not wanting, that the attention of our worthy ancestors had been attracted
+to the subject of funereal extravagance. At a meeting, held in Faneuil
+Hall, October 28, 1767, at which the Hon. James Otis was the Moderator,
+the following resolution was passed: "_And we further agree strictly to
+adhere to the late regulations respecting funerals, and will not use any
+gloves but what are manufactured here, nor procure any new garments, upon
+such occasions, but what shall be absolutely necessary_." This resolution
+was passed, _inter alia similia_, with reference to the Stamp Act of 1765,
+and as part of the system of non-importation.
+
+There is probably no place like England--no city like London, for funereal
+parade and extravagance. The Church, to use the fox-hunting phrase, must
+be _in at the death_; and how truly would a simple funeral, without
+pageantry, in some sort--a cold, unceremonious burial, without mutes, and
+streamers, and feathers--without bell, book, or candle--flout and
+scandalize the gorgeous Church of England! The Church and the State are
+connected, so intimately and indissolubly connected, that he, who dies in
+the arms of Mother Church, must permit that particular old lady, in the
+matter of his funeral, to indulge her ruling passion, for costly forms and
+ceremonies.
+
+It is more than forty years, since, with infinite delight, I first read
+that effusion--outpouring--splendid little eruption, if you like--of
+Walter Scott's, called Llewellyn. Apart from all context, a single stanza
+is to my present purpose; I give it from memory, where it has clung, for
+forty years:
+
+  When a prince to the fate of a peasant has yielded,
+  The tapestry waves dark, round the dim lighted pall,
+  With scutcheons of silver the coffin is shielded,
+  And pages stand mute in the canopied hall.
+  Through the vault, at deep midnight, the torches are gleaming,
+  In the proudly arched chapel the banners are beaming,
+  Far adown the long aisle sacred music is streaming,
+  Lamenting a chief of the people should fall.
+
+In all this, the nobility ape royalty, the gentry the nobility, the
+commonalty the gentry: and there is no estate so low, as not, in this
+particular, to account the death of a near relative a perfect
+justification of extravagance.
+
+There is scarcely one in a thousand, I believe, who has any just idea of
+the amount, annually lavished upon funerals, in Great Britain; or of the
+extraordinary fact, that joint stock burial companies exist there, and
+declare excellent dividends.
+
+In 1843, at the request of her Majesty's principal Secretary of State, for
+the Home Department, Edwin Chadwick, Esquire, drew up "a report on the
+results of a special inquiry into the practice of interment, in towns."
+
+Mr. Chadwick states, that, _upon a moderate calculation, the sum annually
+expended in funeral expenses, in England and Wales, is five millions of
+pounds sterling_, and that four of these millions may be justly set down
+as expended on the mere fopperies of death.
+
+Evelyn says, that his mother requested his father, on her death bed, to
+bestow upon the poor, whatever he had designed, for the expenses of her
+funeral.
+
+Speaking of this abominable misapplication of money, a writer, in the
+London Quarterly Review, vol. 73, p. 466, exclaims--"To what does it go?
+To silk scarfs and brass nails--feathers for the horses--kid gloves and
+gin for the mutes--white satin and black cloth for the worms. And whom
+does it benefit? Not those, whose unfeigned sorrow makes them callous, at
+the moment, to its show, and almost to its mockery--not the cold
+spectator, who sees its dull magnificence give the lie to the preacher's
+equality of death--but the lowest of all hypocrites, the hired mourner,
+&c." It is calculated by Mr. Chadwick, that L60 to L100 are necessary to
+bury an upper tradesman--L250 for a gentleman--L500 to L1500 for a
+nobleman.
+
+High profits were obtained, by the joint stock burial companies in
+England, in 1843. The sale of graves in one cemetery was at the rate of
+L17,000 per acre, and a calculation, made for another, gave L45,375 per
+acre, not including fees for monuments, &c. One company, says Mr.
+Chadwick, has set forth an estimate, that seven acres, at the rate of ten
+coffins, in one grave, would accommodate 1,335,000--one million three
+hundred and thirty-five thousand--paupers. The following interrogatory was
+put, and repeated by members of the Parliamentary Committee, to the
+witnesses: "_Do you think there would be any objection to burying bodies
+with a certain quantity of quick lime, sufficient to destroy the coffin
+and the whole thing in a given time?_"
+
+In 1843, Mr. J. C. Loudon published, in London, his work on the Managing
+of Cemeteries and the Improvement of Churchyards. The cool, philosophic
+style, in which Mr. Loudon handles this interesting subject, is rather
+remarkable. On page 50, he expatiates, as follows: "_This temporary
+cemetery may be merely a field, rented on a twenty-one years' lease, of
+such an extent, as to be filled with graves in fourteen years. At the end
+of seven years more it may revert to the landlord, and be cultivated,
+planted, or laid down in grass, or in any manner that may be thought
+proper. Nor does there appear to us any objection to union workhouses
+having a portion of their garden ground used as a cemetery, to be restored
+to cultivation, after a sufficient time had elapsed._"
+
+This certainly is doing the utilitarian thing, with a vengeance. Quite a
+novel rotation of crops--cabbages following corpses. My long experience
+assures me, that the rapidity of decomposition depends, upon certain
+qualities in the subject and in the soil. Skeletons are sometimes found,
+in tolerably perfect condition, after an inhumation of two hundred years.
+Perhaps Mr. Loudon, in his eager festination for a crop, may have
+determined to bury in quicklime. Paupers and quicklime would make a
+capital compost, and scarcely require a top-dressing, of any kind, for
+years. What beets! what carrots, for the cockney market! Notwithstanding
+the quicklime, I should rather fear an occasional envelopment of some
+_unlucky_ relic, in the guise of a _lucky_ bone--a grinder, perhaps. And,
+when these vegetables shall again have been converted into animals, and
+these animals shall have served their day and generation, they shall again
+be converted into cabbages and carrots, as all their predecessors were.
+Well, this Mr. Loudon is a practical fellow; and his metastasis is
+admirable. Here are thousands of miserable wretches--_nullorum fiilii_,
+many of them--they have contributed scarcely anything to the common weal,
+while living; now let us put them in the way, with the assistance of a
+little quicklime, of doing something for their fellow-beings, after they
+are dead. The pauper squashes and cabbages must have been at a premium, in
+Leadenhall Market. Imagination is clearly worth something. After all my
+reason can accord, in the way of respect, for these utilitarian notions, I
+solemnly protest against marrowfats, cultivated in Mr. Loudon's pauper
+hotbeds. No doubt they would be larger, and the flavor richer and more
+peculiar--nevertheless, Mr. Loudon must excuse me--I say I protest. He
+gives an alternative permission, to lay down his mixture of dead bodies
+and quicklime to grass, or for the pasture of cows. Even then the milk
+would have a suspicious flavor, or _post-mortem_ smell, I apprehend; it
+would be the same thing, by second intention, as the surgeons say.
+
+The explanation of Mr. Loudon's monstrous proposition can be found
+nowhere, but in his concentrated interest in agriculture, to which he
+would have the living and the dead alike contribute. When contemplating
+the corpse of a portly pauper, he seems to think of nothing, but the
+readiest mode of converting it into cabbages.
+
+I have heard of a cutaneous fellow, who had an irresistible fancy, for
+skinning animals--it had become a passion. Nothing came amiss to him. He
+sought with avidity, for every four-footed and creeping thing, that died
+within five miles of his dwelling, for the pleasure of skinning it. The
+insides of his apartments were covered with the expanded skins, not only
+of beasts and the lesser vermin, but of birds, serpents and fishes. His
+house was an exuvial museum. He had a little son, a mere child, who
+assisted his father, on these occasions, in a small way. He had the
+misfortune to lose his grandmother--a fine old lady--and the following
+brief colloquy occurred, between the father and the child, the day before
+she was buried: "I say, father." "What, Peter?" "When are you going to
+skin Granny?"
+
+
+
+
+No. LIX.
+
+
+Last Sabbath morning, I read Cicero's _Dialogus de Amicitia_--simple
+Latinity, and very short--27 sections only. It seemed like enjoying the
+company of an old friend. It is now just forty-seven years, since I first
+read it, at Exeter. I marvel at Montaigne, for not thinking highly of
+it--but find some little motive, in the fact, that he had written a tract
+upon the subject, himself, which may be found, in his first volume, page
+215, London, 1811, and which can no more be compared to the _Dialogus_,
+than--to use George Colman's expression--a mummy to Hyperion.
+
+The Dialogus de Amicitia, of a Sabbath morning! Aye, my reverend, orthodox
+brother. Not having, in my system, one pulse of sympathy for
+disorganization, and liberty parties, I reverence the holy Sabbath, as
+much as you do yourself; and, to prevent the _Dialogus_ from hurting me, I
+read one sermon before, and another immediately after--Jeremy Taylor's
+_Apples of Sodom_; and Flechier's _Sur La Correction Fraternelle_--such
+sermons, as, in the concoction, would, perhaps, be very likely to burst
+your mental boiler, and which would not suit the appetites of many, modern
+congregations, who have ruined their powers of inwardly digesting such
+strong meat, by dieting upon theological _fricandises faites avec du
+sucre_.
+
+And you was not at meeting then! Right again, my dear brother. I am deaf
+as a haddock; though Sir Thomas Browne has annihilated this favorite
+standard of comparison, by assuring us, that a haddock has as good ears,
+as any other fish in the sea. Mine, however, are quite unscriptural--ears
+not to hear. My ear is all in my eye.
+
+Roscius boasted of his power to convey his meaning, by mute gesticulation.
+Our modern clergy have so little of this gift, that, with my impracticable
+ears, it is all dumb show for me. Now and then, when the wind is fair, I
+catch a word or two; and no cross-readings were ever more grotesque and
+comical, than my cross-hearings. I am convinced, that I do not always have
+the worst of it. When, in reply to an old lady, who once asked me how I
+liked the preacher, I told her I heard not a syllable--what a mercy! she
+exclaimed. But consider the example! True, there is something in that. Try
+the experiment--stop the _meatus auditorius_ with beeswax, and try it, for
+half a dozen Sabbaths, even with the knowledge, that you can remove the
+impediment at will, which I cannot!
+
+After I had finished the _Dialogus_, I found myself successfully engaged,
+in the process of mental exhumation:--up they came, one after another, the
+playmates of my childhood, with their tee-totums and merry-andrews--the
+companions of my boyhood, with their tops, kites, and marbles--the friends
+and associates of my youth, with their skates, bats, and fowling pieces.
+It is really quite pleasant to gather a party, upon such short notice, and
+with so little effort; and without the trouble of providing wine and
+sweetmeats. Upon the very threshold of manhood, how they scatter and
+disperse! There is a passage of the Dialogus--the tenth section--which is
+so true to life, at the present hour, that one can scarcely realize it was
+written, before the birth of Christ:--"Ille (Scipio) quidem nihil
+dificilius esse dicebat, quam amicitiam usque ad extremum vitae permanere.
+Nam vel ut non idem expediret utrique, incidere saepe; vel ut de republica
+non idem sentirent; mutari etiam mores hominum saepe dicebat, alias
+adversis rebus, alias aetate ingravescente. Atque earum rerum exemplum ex
+similitudine capiebat incuentis aetatis, quod summi puerorum amores saepe
+una cum praetexta ponerentur; sin autem ad adolescentiam perduxissent,
+dirimi tamen interdum contentione, vel uxoriae conditionis, vel commodi
+allicujus, quod idem adipisci uterque non posset. Quod si qui longius in
+amicitia provecti essent, tamen saepe labefactari, si in honoris
+contentionem incidissent: pestem esse nullam amicitiis, quam in plerisque
+pecuniae cupiditatem, in optimis quibusque honoris certamen et gloriae: ex
+quo inimicitias maximas saepe inter amicissimos extitisse." Lord Rochester
+said, that nothing was ever benefited, by translation, but a bishop. This,
+nevertheless, I believe, is a fair translation of the passage--
+
+He (Scipio) said, that nothing was more difficult, than for friendship to
+continue to the very end of life: either because its continuance was found
+to be inexpedient for one of the parties, or on account of political
+differences.
+
+He remarked, that men's humors were apt to be affected, sometimes, by
+adverse fortune, and at others, by the heavy listlessness of age. He drew
+an example of these things, from a similar condition in youth--the most
+vehement attachments, among boys, were commonly laid aside with the
+praetexta, or at the age of maturity; or, if continued beyond that period,
+they were occasionally interrupted, by some contention about the state or
+condition of the wife, or the possessions or advantages of somebody, which
+the other party was unable to equal. Indeed, if some there were, whose
+friendship was drawn along to a later period, it was very apt to be
+weakened, if they became rivals, in the path of fame. The greatest bane of
+friendship, among the mass, was the love of money, and among some, of the
+better sort, the thirst for glory; by which the bitterest hatred had been
+generated, between those, who had been the greatest friends.
+
+Unless it be orthodoxy, nothing has been so variously defined, as
+_friendship_. A man who stands by, and sees another murdered, in a duel,
+is his _friend_. Mutual endorsers are _friends_. Partisans are the
+_friends_ of the candidate. Those gentlemen, who give their time and
+talents to eat and drink up some wealthy fool, who would pass for an
+Amphytrion, and laugh at the fellow's simplicity, behind his back, are his
+_friends_. The patrons of players and buffoons, signors and signorinas,
+are their _friends_. The venders of Havana cigars and Bologna sausages
+inform their _friends_ and patrons, that they have recently received a
+fresh supply. Marat was the _friend_ of the people. Eliphaz, Bildad, and
+Zophar were the _friends_ of Job; and he told them rather uncivilly, I
+think, that they were miserable comforters. Matthew speaks of a _friend_
+of publicans and sinners.
+
+Monsieur Megret, who, as Voltaire relates, the instant Charles XII. was
+killed, exclaimed--_Voila la piece finie, allons souper_--see, the play is
+over, let us go to supper, was the king's _friend_. William the First,
+like other kings, had many _friends_, who, the moment he died, ran away,
+and literally left the dead to bury the dead; of which a curious account
+may be found, in the Harleian Miscellany, vol. iii. page 160, London,
+1809. Friendship flourishes, at Christmas and New Year, for every one, we
+are told, in the book of Proverbs, is a _friend_ to him that giveth gifts.
+There seems to be no end to this enumeration of _friends_. The name is
+legion, to say nothing of the whole society of _Friends_. What then could
+Aristotle have meant, when he exclaimed, as Diogenes Laertius says he did,
+lib. v. sec. 21, _My friends, there is no such thing as a friend_?
+Menander is stated by Plutarch, in his tract, on Brotherly Love, cap. 3,
+to have proclaimed that man happy, who had found even _the shadow of a
+friend_?
+
+It would be hard to describe the friend, whom Aristotle and Menander had
+in mind. Cicero has employed twenty-seven sections, and given us an
+imperfect definition after all. Such a friend comes not, within any one of
+the categories I have named.
+
+_Friends_, in the common acceptation of that word, may be readily lost and
+won. The direction, ascribed to Rochefoucault, seems less revolting, when
+applied to such _friends_ as these--_to treat all one's friends, as if,
+one day, they might be foes, and all one's foes, as if, one day, they
+might be friend_. This cold-blooded axiom is Rochefoucault's, only by
+adoption. Aristotle, in his Rhetoric, lib. ii. cap. 13, and Diogenes
+Laertius, in his life of Bias, lib. i. sec. 7, ascribe something like this
+saying to him. Cicero, in the sixteenth section of the _Dialogus de
+Amicitia_, after referring to the opinion--"_ita amare oportere, ut si
+aliquando esset ossurus_," and stating Scipio's abhorrence of the
+sentiment, expresses his belief, that it never proceeded from so good and
+wise a man, as Bias. Aulus Gellius, lib. i. cap. 3, imputes to Chilon, one
+of the seven wise men of Greece, substantially, the same sentiment--"_Love
+him, as if you were one day to hate him, and hate him, as if you were one
+day to love him_." Poor Rochefoucault, who had sins enough to answer for,
+is as unjustly held to be author of this infernal sentiment, as was Dr.
+Guillotin of the instrument, that bears his ill-fated name.
+
+Boccacio was in the right--_there is a skeleton in every house_. We have,
+all of us, our crosses to carry; and should strive to bear them as
+gracefully, as comports with the infirmity of human nature; and among the
+most severe is the loss of an old friend. Aristotle was mistaken--there is
+such a thing as a friend. Some fifty years ago, I began to have a
+friend--our professions and pursuits were similar. For some fifty years,
+we have cherished a feeling of mutual affection and respect; and, now that
+we have retired from the active exercise of our craft, we daily meet
+together, and, like a brace of veteran grasshoppers, chirp over days
+bygone. I believe I never asked of my friend an unreasonable or unseemly
+thing. God knows he never did of me. Thus we have obeyed Cicero's first
+law of friendship--_Haec igitur prima lex in amicitia sanciatur, ut neque
+rogemus res turpes, nec faciamus, rogati_.
+
+We are most happily adapted to each other. I have always taken pleasure in
+regurgitating, from the fourth stomach of the mind, some tale or anecdote,
+and chewing over the cud of pleasant fancy. No man ever had a friend with
+a more willing ear, or a shorter memory. But for this, which I have always
+accounted a Providence, my stock would have been exhausted, long ago.
+After lying fallow, for two or three months, every tale is as good as new.
+
+God bless my friend, and compensate the shortness of his memory, by giving
+him length of days, and every good thing, in this and a better world.
+
+
+
+
+No. LX.
+
+
+Much has been said and written, of late, here and elsewhere, on the
+subject of _intra mural_ interment--burial within the _walls_ or
+_confines_ of cities. This term, though commonly employed by British
+writers, is wholly inapplicable, in all those rural cities, which have
+recently sprung up among us, and in which there are still many broad acres
+of meadow and pasture, plough-land and forest. In these almost nominal
+cities, the question must be, in relation to the propriety of burying the
+dead, not within the confines, but in the more densely peopled
+portions--in the very midst of the living.
+
+I have an opinion, firmly fixed, and long cherished, upon this important
+subject; and, considering myself, professionally, an expert, in these
+matters, I shall devote the present article to their consideration.
+
+There is no doubt, that a cemetery, from its improper location, or the
+mass of putrefying material, which the madness, or folly, or avarice of
+its proprietors has accumulated there, or from the indecent and almost
+superficial deposition of half-buried corpses, may become, like the burden
+of our sins--_intolerable_. It is not less certain, that it may become a
+_public nuisance_--not merely in the _popular_ sense--but _legally_, and,
+as such, indictable at common law. Neither can there be any doubt, that
+the city authorities, without a resort to the process of indictment, and
+as conservators of the public health, have full power, to prevent all
+future interments in that cemetery. This is true of a cemetery in the
+suburbs--_a fortiori_, of a cemetery in the city.
+
+At the present day, it may seem astonishing to many, that any doubt ever
+prevailed, in the minds of respectable members of the medical faculty, as
+to the unhealthy influences of the effluvia, arising from _animal_
+corruption. Orfila, Parant Duchatelet, and other Frenchmen, of high
+professional reputation, have maintained, that such effluvia are perfectly
+innocuous. It seems to be almost universally agreed, at the present day,
+to reject such extraordinary doctrines entirely; although it is admitted,
+by the highest authorities, that the exhalations from _vegetable_
+corruption are the more pernicious of the two.
+
+So far as the decision of this question concerns the remedy, by legal
+process, it is of no absolute importance. The popular impression, that
+exhalations, of any kind, cannot constitute a _public nuisance_, in the
+technical import of those words, unless those exhalations are injurious to
+health, is erroneous. Lord Mansfield held this not to be necessary; and
+that it was enough, if the air were so affected, as to be breathed by the
+public, with less comfort and pleasure, than before.
+
+Interment, beyond the confines of the city, was enjoined, some eighteen
+hundred years ago. It was decreed in Rome, by the twelve tables--_hominem
+mortuum in urbe ne sepelito_.
+
+A writer, in the London Quarterly Review, vol. 73, p. 446, has written,
+very ably, on this interesting topic. He supplies some facts of
+importance, connected with the history of interment. A. D. 381.--The
+Theodosian code forbade all interment within the walls of the city, and
+even ordered, that all the bodies and monuments, already placed there,
+should be carried out.
+
+A. D. 529.--The first clause was confirmed by Justinian. A. D. 563.--The
+Council of Brague decreed, that no dead body should be buried, within the
+circle of the city walls.
+
+A. D. 586.--The Council of Auxerre decreed, that no one should be buried
+in their temples. A. D. 827.--Charlemagne decreed, that no person should
+be buried in a church. A. D. 1076.--The Council of Winchester decreed,
+that no person should be buried in the churches. A. D. 1552.--Latimer, on
+Saint Luke vii. ii., says, "the citizens of Nain had their burying places
+without the city; and I do marvel, that London, being so great a city,
+hath not a burial place without," &c. A. D. 1565.--Charles Borromeo, the
+good bishop of Milan, ordered the return to the ancient custom of suburban
+cemeteries.
+
+Sir Matthew Hale used to say, "churches were made for the living, not for
+the dead." The learned Anthony Rivet observed--"I wish this custom, which
+covetousness and superstition first brought in, were abolished; and that
+the ancient custom were revived to have burying places, in the free and
+open fields, without the gates of cities." In 1832, fifteen Archbishops,
+Bishops, and others, ecclesiastical commissioners, in London, recommended
+the abolition of all burials in churches.
+
+At great expense, the City Government of Roxbury have judiciously selected
+a spot, eminently beautiful, and remote from the peopled portion of the
+city, for the burial of the dead. The great argument--the manifest
+motive--was _a just regard for the health of their constituents_. If the
+present nuisance should continue much longer, and grow much greater, may
+not the question be respectfully asked, with some little pertinency, _what
+has become of that just regard?_
+
+Surely there is no lack of power. In 1832, the government of Boston said
+to the town of Roxbury, not in the language of David to Moab--thou shalt
+be "_my wash pot_"--but thou shalt be the receptacle of our offal--of all,
+that is filthy, and corruptible, within our borders. The City Government
+of Boston went extensively then into the carrion and garbage business, and
+furnished the provant for a legion of hogs, the property of an influential
+citizen of Roxbury. This awful hoggery was located on the road, now called
+East Street. The carrion carts of the metropolis of New England, _eundo,
+redeundo, et manendo_, dropping filth and fatness, as they went, became
+an abominable nuisance; and, as Commodore Trunnion beat up to church, on
+his wedding day, so every citizen, as soon as he discovered one of these
+aromatic vehicles, drawn by six or eight horses, tossing up their heads,
+and snorting sympathetically, was obliged to close-haul his nose, and
+struggle for the weather gage.
+
+Then again, the proprietor of this colossal hog-sty, with his burnery of
+bones, and other fragrant contrivances, created a stench, unknown among
+men, since the bituminous conflagration of the cities of the plain--Sodom
+and Gomorrah; and which terrible stench, in the language of Sternhold &
+Hopkins, "_came flying all abroad_." In the keeping of the varying wind,
+this "_arria cattiva_," like that from a graveyard, surcharged with
+half-buried corpses, visited, from day to day, every dwelling, and
+nauseated every man, woman, and child in the village. Four town meetings
+were held, upon this subject. Roxbury calmly remonstrated,--Boston
+doggedly persisted; and, at last, patience having had its perfect work,
+the carrion carts, while attempting to enter Roxbury, were met, by the
+yeomanry, on the line, and driven back to Boston. Chief Justice Shaw
+having refused an application for an _injunction_, the complaint was
+brought before the grand jury of Norfolk. Bills were found, against the
+owner of the hogs, and the city of Boston. My learned and amiable friend,
+the late John Pickering, then the City Solicitor, defended them both, with
+great ability; and the present Judge Merrick, then County Attorney,
+opposed the whole swinish concern, with the spirit of an Israelite, and
+the power of a Rabbi. The owner of the hogs and the city of Boston were
+both duly convicted, and, entering into a written obligation to sin no
+more, in this wise, the indictment was held over them, for a reasonable
+period, until they had given satisfactory evidence of their sincerity.
+
+In the testimony of Dr. George Cheyne Shattuck, which was published, at
+the time, after sustaining the prosecutors amply, in their allegation, in
+respect to the deleterious effect of the nuisance, he remarks--"_The
+Creator has established, in the sense of smelling, a sentinel, to descry
+distant danger of life. The alarm, sounded through this organ, seldom
+passes unheeded, with impunity._"
+
+Dr. John C. Warren and sixteen other respectable physicians concurred in
+this opinion.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXI.
+
+
+How long--oh Lord--how long will thy peculiar people disregard the simple,
+unmistakable teachings of common sense, and the admonitions of their own,
+proper noses, and bury the dead, in the very midst of the living!--Above
+all, how long will they continue to perpetrate that hideous folly of
+burying the dead, in tombs! What a childish effort, to keep the worm at
+bay--to stave off corruption, yet a little while--to procrastinate the
+payment of nature's debt, at maturity--DUST THOU ART AND UNTO DUST THOU
+SHALT RETURN!--For what? That the poor, senseless tabernacle may have a
+few more months or years, to rot in--that friends and relatives may, from
+time to time, be enabled, upon every re-opening of the tomb, to gratify
+their morbid curiosity, and see how the worms are getting on--that,
+whenever the tomb is unbarred, for another and another tenant, as it may
+often happen, at the time, when corruption is doing its utmost--its
+rankest work--the foul quintessence--the reeking, deleterious gases may
+rush back upon the living world; and, blending with ten thousand kindred
+stenches, in a densely peopled city, promote the mighty work of pestilence
+and death.
+
+Who does not sympathize with Cowper!
+
+  Oh for a lodge, in some vast wilderness,
+  Some boundless contiguity of shade,
+  Where the atrocious smells of docks, and sewers,
+  Eruptive gas, and rank distillery
+  May never reach me more. My lungs are pain'd,
+  My nose is sick, with this eternal stench
+  Of corpse and carrion, with which earth is fill'd.
+
+I am not unmindful, that, in a former number of these Dealings with the
+Dead, I have passed over these burial-grounds, and partially exhibited the
+interior of these tombs already. But there really seems to be a great
+awakening, upon this subject, at the present moment, at home and abroad;
+and I rejoice, that it is so.
+
+I am aware, that, within the bounds of old, peninsular Boston, no
+inhumations--_burials in graves_--are permitted. This is well.--_Burials
+in tombs_ are still allowed.--Why? This mode of burial is much more
+offensive. In _grave burial_, the gases percolate gradually; and a
+considerable portion may be reasonably supposed to be neutralized, _in
+transitu_. This is unquestionably the case, unless the grave is kept open,
+or opened, six times, or more, on the speculation principle, for the
+reception of new customers. In _tomb burial_, it is otherwise. The tomb is
+opened for new comers, and sometimes, most inopportunely, and the horrible
+smell fills the atmosphere, and compels the neighboring inhabitants, to
+close their windows and doors.
+
+As, with some persons, this may seem to require authentication, without
+leading the reader to every offensive graveyard in this city, I will take
+a single, and a sufficient example--I will take the oldest graveyard in
+the Commonwealth, and the most central, in the city of Boston. I refer to
+Isaac Johnson's lot, where, in 1630, his bones were laid--the Chapel
+burying-ground. The Savings Bank building bounds upon that cemetery. The
+rooms of the Massachusetts Historical Society are over the Bank.
+
+The stench, produced, by burials in the tombs, in that yard, during the
+summer of 1849, has compelled the Librarian to close his windows. _Tomb
+burial_, in this yard, has not been limited to deceased proprietors, and
+their relatives; it has, in some instances, been a matter of traffic. I
+have been struck with the present arrangement of the gravestones, in this
+yard. Some ingenious person has removed them all, from their original
+positions, and actually planted them, "_all of a row_," like the four and
+twenty fiddlers--or rather, in four straight rows, near the four sides of
+the graveyard. This is a queerer metamorphosis, than any I ever read of.
+Ovid has nothing to compare with it. There they are, every one, with its
+"_Here lies_," &c., compelled to stand forever, a monument of falsehood.
+
+Of all the pranks, ever perpetrated in a graveyard, this, surely, is the
+most amusing. In defiance of the _lex loci_, which rightfully enjoins
+solemnity of demeanor, in such a place--and of all my reverence for Isaac
+Johnson, and those illustrious men, who slumber there, I was actually
+seized with a fit of uncontrollable laughter; and came to the conclusion,
+that this sacrilegious transposition must have been the work of Punch, or
+Puck, or some Lord of misrule. As I proceeded to read the inscriptions, my
+merriment increased, for the gravestones seemed to be conferring together,
+upon the subject of these extraordinary changes, which had befallen them;
+and repeating over to one another--"_As you are now, so once was I_." As
+it happened, in the case of Major Pitcairn, should any person desire to
+remove the ashes of his ancestor, these misplaced gravestones would surely
+lead to the awakening of the wrong passenger; and some venerable old lady,
+who died in her bed, may be transported to England, and buried under arms,
+for a major of infantry, who died in battle.
+
+Why continue to bury in tombs? _Surely the sufferance on the part of the
+City Government, does not arise, from a respect for vested rights!!!_ If
+the City Government has power to close the offensive cellars in Broad
+Street, and elsewhere, being private property, because they are accounted
+injurious to public health, why may they not close the tombs, being
+private property, for the very same reason? Considerations of public
+health are paramount. When, upon an application from a number of the
+liquor-sellers, wholesale and retail, in this city, Chancellor Kent gave
+his opinion, adverse to their hearts' desire, that the license laws were
+_constitutional_, he alluded, analogically, to the power of the
+Commonwealth, to pass sanatory laws. If the municipal power were deemed
+inadequate, legislation would give all the power required. For it would,
+indeed, be monstrous, having settled the fact, that the public health
+suffered, from burial in tombs, to suppose it a remediless evil.
+
+The slaughter-houses and tanneries, which once existed, in Kilby Street
+and Dock Square, would not be tolerated now. Originally, they were not
+nuisances. Population gathered around them--their precedency availed them
+nothing--they became nuisances, by the force of circumstances. The tombs,
+in the churchyard, were not nuisances, when population was sparse--though
+they are so now. But the fact I have stated will increase the evil, from
+day to day: there can be no more burials, in graves, within the city
+proper--people will die--and, as we have not the taste nor courage to
+burn--they must be buried--where? In the tombs--which, as I have stated,
+is the most offensive and mischievous mode of burial. I have already
+alluded to some instances of traffic, connected with certain tombs, in the
+Chapel yard. If some plan be not adopted, a new line of business will
+spring up, in which the members of my profession will figure, to some
+extent: many of the present owners of tombs will sell out, and move their
+dead to Mount Auburn, or Forest Hills; and the city tombs will be crammed
+with as many corpses, as they can hold, by their speculating proprietors.
+Rather than this, it would have been better to continue the old mode of
+earth burial. The remedy is plain--the fields are before you--_carry out_
+"your dead!"
+
+A famous preacher of eternal torment, and who always, in addition to the
+sulphurous complexion of his discourses throughout, devoted three or four
+pages, at the close, exclusively to brimstone and fire; is said, upon a
+special occasion, to have produced a prodigious effect, upon the more
+devoted of his intensely agitated flock, by causing the sexton, when he
+heard the preacher scream BRIMSTONE, at the top of his lungs, to throw two
+or three rolls, into the furnace below, whose fumes speedily ascended into
+the church.
+
+This anecdote came instantly to my recollection, some twenty years ago,
+one Sabbath morning, while attending the services in St. Paul's church, in
+this city. The rector was absent, and a very worthy clergyman supplied his
+place. In the course of his sermon, he repeated, in a very solemn tone,
+pointing downward with his finger, in the direction of the tombs below,
+those memorable words of Job--_If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have
+made my bed in darkness. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to
+the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister._ Almost immediately--the
+coincidence was wonderful--I was oppressed by a most offensive stench,
+which certainly seemed to be _germain_ to the subject. It became more and
+more powerful. It seemed to me, and I call myself a pretty good judge, to
+be posthumous, decidedly. I certainly believed it proceeded from the
+charnel house below. My eyes turned right and left, to see how my
+neighbors were impressed. The females bowed their heads, and used their
+handkerchiefs--the males were evidently aware of it; but, with a slight
+compression of their noses, kept their eyes fixed upon the preacher. Two
+medical gentlemen, then present, and yet living, pronounced it to be _the
+worm and corruption_, and connected it with the burial of a particular
+individual, not long before.
+
+The case was carefully investigated, by the wardens and others; who were
+perfectly satisfied, that this horrible effluvium was, very probably,
+produced, by the burning of a heretic, in the form of a church mouse, that
+had taken up his quarters, in the pipe or flue, and was thus converted
+into an unsavory _pastille_.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXII.
+
+
+Draco, I think, would have been perfectly satisfied with some portions of
+the primitive, colonial and town legislation of Massachusetts. Hutchinson,
+i. 436, quotes the following decree--"Captain Stone, for abusing Mr.
+Ludlow, and calling him _Justass_, is fined an hundred pounds, and
+prohibited coming within the patent, without the Governor's leave, upon
+pain of death."
+
+Hazard, Hist. Coll. i. 630, has preserved a law against the Quakers,
+published in Boston, by beat of drum. It bears date Oct. 14th, 1656. The
+preamble is couched, in rather strong language--"Whereas there is a cursed
+sect of heretics lately risen up in the world, which are commonly called
+Quakers, who take upon them to be immediately sent of God," &c. The
+statute inflicts a fine of L100 upon any person, who brings one of them
+into any harbor, creek, or cove, compels him to carry such Quaker
+away--the Quaker to be put in the house of correction, and severely
+whipped; no person to speak to him. L5 penalty, for importing, dispersing,
+or concealing any book, containing their "devilish opinions;" 40 shillings
+for maintaining such opinions. L4 for persisting. House of correction and
+banishment, for still persisting.
+
+The poor Quakers gave our intolerant ancestors complete vexation. Hazard,
+ii. 589, gives an extract from a law, for the special punishment of two of
+these unhappy people, Peter Pierson and Judah Brown--"That they shall, by
+the constable of Boston, be forthwith taken out of the prison, and
+stripped from the girdle upwards, by the executioner, tied to the cart's
+tail, and whipped through the town, with twenty stripes; and then carried
+to Roxbury, and delivered to the constable there, who is also to tie them,
+or cause them to be tied, in like manner, to the cart's tail, and again
+whip them through the town with ten stripes; and then carried to Dedham,
+and delivered to the constable there, who is again, in like manner, to
+cause them to be tied to the cart's tail, and whipped, with ten stripes,
+through the town, and thence they are immediately to depart the
+jurisdiction, at their peril."
+
+The legislative designation of the Quakers was _Quaker rogues, heretics,
+accursed rantors, and vagabonds_.
+
+In 1657, according to Hutchinson, i. 197, "an additional law was made, by
+which all persons were subjected to the penalty of 40 shillings, for every
+hour's entertainment, given to a known Quaker, and every Quaker, after the
+first conviction, if a man, was to lose an ear, and a second time the
+other; a woman, each time, to be severely whipped; and the third time, man
+or woman, to have their tongues bored through, with a red-hot iron." In
+1658, 10 shillings fine were levied, on every person, present at a Quaker
+meeting, and L5 for speaking at such meeting. In October of that year, the
+punishment of death was decreed against all Quakers, returning into the
+Colony, after banishment. Bishop, in his "New England Judged," says, that
+the ears of Holden, Copeland, and Rous, three Quakers, were cut off in
+prison. June 1, 1660, Mary Dyer was hanged for returning, after
+banishment. Seven persons were fined, some of them L10 apiece, for
+harboring, and Edward Wharton whipped, twenty stripes, for piloting the
+Quakers. Several persons were brought to trial--"for adhering to the
+cursed sect of Quakers, not disowning themselves to be such, refusing to
+give civil respect, leaving their families and relations, and running from
+place to place, vagabond-like." Daniel Gold and Robert Harper were
+sentenced to be whipped, and, with Alice Courland, Mary Scott, and Hope
+Clifford, banished, under pain of death. William Kingsmill, Margaret
+Smith, Mary Trask, and Provided Southwick were sentenced to be whipped,
+and Hannah Phelps admonished.
+
+Sundry others were whipped and banished, that year. John Chamberlain came
+to trial, with his hat on, and refused to answer. The verdict of the jury,
+as recorded, was--"_much inclining to the cursed opinions of the
+Quakers_." Wendlock Christopherson was sentenced to death, but suffered to
+fly the jurisdiction. March 14, 1660.--William Ledea, "_a cursed Quaker_,"
+was hanged. Some of these Quakers, I apprehend, were determined to exhibit
+the naked truth to our Puritan fathers. "Deborah Wilson," says Hutchinson,
+i. 204, "went through the streets of Salem, naked as she came into the
+world, for which she was well whipped." At length, Sept. 9, 1661, an order
+came from the King, prohibiting the capital, and even corporal, punishment
+of the Quakers.
+
+Oct. 13, 1657.--Benedict Arnold, William Baulston, Randall Howldon, Arthur
+Fenner, and William Feild, the Government of Rhode Island, addressed a
+letter, on the subject of this persecution, to the General Court of
+Massachusetts, in reply to one, received from them. This letter is highly
+creditable to the good sense and discretion of the writers--"And as
+concerning these Quakers, (so called)" say they, "which are now among us,
+we have no law, whereby to punish any, for only declaring by words, &c.,
+their mindes and understandings concerning the things and ways of God, as
+to salvation and an eternal condition. And we moreover finde that in those
+places, where these people aforesaid, in this Coloney, are most of all
+suffered to declare themselves freely, and are only opposed by arguments
+in discourse, there they least of all desire to come; and we are informed
+they begin to loath this place, for that they are not opposed by the civil
+authority, but with all patience and meekness are suffered to say over
+their pretended revelations and admonitions, nor are they like or able to
+gain many here to their way; and surely we find that they delight to be
+persecuted by the civil powers, and when they are soe, they are like to
+gaine more adherents by the conseyte of their patient sufferings than by
+consent to their pernicious sayings."
+
+One is taken rather by surprise, upon meeting with such a sample of
+admirable common sense, in an adjoining Colony, and on such a subject, at
+that early day--so opposite withal to those principles of action, which
+prevailed in Massachusetts.
+
+The laws of the Colony, enacted from year to year, were first collected
+together, and ratified by the General Court, in 1648. Hutchinson, i. 437,
+says, "Mr. Bellingham of the magistrates, and Mr. Cotton of the clergy,
+had the greatest share in this work."
+
+This code was framed, by Bellingham and Cotton, with a particular regard
+to Moses and the tables, and a singular piece of mosaic it was. "Murder,
+sodomy, witchcraft, arson, and _rape of a child_, under ten years of age,"
+says Hutchinson, i. 440, "were the only crimes made capital in the Colony,
+which were capital in England." Rape, in the general sense, not being a
+capital offence, by the Jewish law, was not made a capital offence, in the
+Colony, for many years. High treason is not even named. The worship of
+false gods was punished with death, with an exception, in favor of the
+Indians, who were fined L5 a piece, for powowing.
+
+Blasphemy and reproaching religion were capital offences. Adultery with a
+married woman, whether the man were married or single, was punished with
+the death of both parties; but, if the woman were single, whether the man
+were married or single, it was not a capital offence, in either.
+Man-stealing was a capital offence. So was wilful perjury, with intent to
+take away another's life. Cursing or smiting a parent, by a child over
+sixteen years of age, unless in self-defence, or provoked by cruelty, or
+having been "unchristianly neglected in its education," was a capital
+offence. A stubborn, rebellious son was punished with death. There was a
+conviction under this law; "but the offender," says Hutchinson, ibid. 442,
+"was rescued from the gallows, by the King's commissioners, in 1665." The
+return of a "cursed Quaker," or a Romish priest, after banishment, and the
+denial of either of the books, of the Old or New Testament, were punished
+with banishment or death, at the discretion of the court. The jurisdiction
+of the Colony was extended, by the code of Parson Cotton and Mr.
+Bellingham, over the ocean; for they decreed the same punishment, for the
+last-named offence, when committed upon the high seas, and the General
+Court ratified this law. Burglary, and theft, in a house, or in the
+fields, on the Lord's day, were, upon a third conviction, made capital
+crimes. The distinction, between grand and petty larceny, which was
+recognized in England, till 1827, 7th and 8th Geo. IV., ch. 29, was
+abolished, by the code of Cotton and Bellingham, in 1648; and theft,
+without limitation of value, was made punishable, by fine or whipping, and
+restitution of treble value. In some cases, only double. Thus, ibid. 436,
+we have the following entry--"Josias Plaistowe, for stealing four baskets
+of corn from the Indians, is ordered to return them eight baskets, to be
+fined five pounds, and hereafter to be called by the name of Josias, and
+not Mr., as formerly he used to be."
+
+This lenity, in regard to larceny, Mr. Cotton seems to have been willing
+to counterbalance, by a terrible severity, on some other occasions.
+
+Mr. Hutchinson, ibid. 442, states, that he has seen the first draught of
+this code, in the hand-writing of Mr. Cotton, in which there are named six
+offences, made punishable with death, all which are altered, in the hand
+of Gov. Winthrop, and the death penalty stricken out. The six offences
+were--"Prophaning the Lord's day, in a careless or scornful neglect or
+contempt thereof--Reviling the magistrates in the highest rank, viz., the
+Governor and Council--Defiling a woman espoused--Incest within the
+Levitical degrees--The pollution, mentioned in Leviticus xx. 13 to
+16--Lying with a maid in her father's house, and keeping secret, till she
+is married to another." Mr. Cotton would have punished all these offences
+with death.
+
+On the subject of divorce, the code of 1648 differed from that of the
+present day, _with us_, essentially. Adultery in the wife was held to be
+sufficient cause, for divorce _a vinculo_: "but male adultery," says
+Hutchinson, i. 445, "after some debate and consultation with the elders,
+was judged not sufficient." The principle, which directed their decision,
+was, doubtless, the same, referred to and recognized, by Lord Chancellor
+Eldon, in the House of Lords, in 1801, as reported by Mr. Twiss, in his
+Memoirs, vol. i. p. 383.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXIII.
+
+
+If the materials, of which history and biography are made--the sources of
+information--were accessible to every reader, and the patience and ability
+were his, to examine for himself, there is, probably, no historian nor
+biographer, in whose accuracy and impartiality, his confidence would not
+be occasionally weakened. The statement or assertion, the authority for
+which lies scattered, among the pages of fifty different writers,
+perhaps, and which the historian has compressed within ten short lines,
+would, now and then, be found tinctured, and its true complexion
+materially altered, by the religious or political coloring of the writer's
+mind.
+
+The entire history of one or more ages has been written, to support a
+particular code of religious or political tenets. The prejudices of an
+annalist have, occasionally, from long indulgence, become so habitual,
+that his offences, in this wise, become almost involuntary.
+
+It is very probable, that the devoted followers--the wholesale
+admirers--of William Penn, who have presented their conceptions of his
+character, and their constructions of his conduct, to the world, from time
+to time, have been led into some little excesses, by the force of habitual
+idolatry. On the other hand, few readers, I believe, have failed to be
+surprised, by some of the statements and opinions, in regard to Penn,
+which are presented, on the pages of Mr. Macaulay's History of England.
+
+In my last number, I alluded to the persecution of the Quakers in
+Massachusetts. It is my purpose, to say something more of these "_cursed_"
+Quakers, and, particularly, of William Penn. My remarks may extend over
+several consecutive numbers of these Dealings with the Dead; and, I
+flatter myself, that, from the nature of the subject, they will not be
+wholly uninteresting to the reader.
+
+I have always cherished a feeling of regard and respect, for these
+"cursed" Quakers, originating in early impressions, and increased, by some
+personal intercourse, with certain members of the Society of Friends.
+
+It appears, by the Salem Records, that John Kitchen was fined thirty
+pence, for "unworthy and malignant carriages and speeches, in open court,
+Sept. 25, 1662." I was very much chagrined, when I first glanced at this
+record; for he was my great, great, great-grandfather, by the mother's
+side; and grandfather of the Hon. Col. John Turner, of Salem, who
+commanded, at the battle of Haverhill. Great was my satisfaction, when I
+discovered, that John Kitchen's offence was neither more nor less, than an
+absolute refusal to take off his hat, in presence of the magistrate. For
+the luxury of keeping it on, and absenting themselves from the ordinances,
+he appears to have paid L40 stirling, in fines, for himself and Elizabeth,
+his wife. The "_cursed_" Quakers appear to have had a hard time of it,
+about the middle of the seventeenth century. Felt tells us, in his Annals,
+p. 204, that Robinson and Stevenson were hung in 1659, for returning from
+banishment; and, on p. 206, that Mary Dyer, of the Friends, was hung, June
+1, 1660.
+
+The deposition of John Ward and Thomas Mekens, is still of record, taken
+in that very month and year, showing that they saw Mrs. Kitchen pulled off
+her horse, and heard one Batter tell her, she was "_a base, quaking
+slut_," and had been "_a powowing_."
+
+Now, John Kitchen was a good Quaker, doubtless, so far as regarded the
+essential qualification of obstinately wearing his hat, and refusing to
+take an oath. But he was made of flesh and blood, like all other Quakers;
+and this outrage, in pulling my gr. gr. gr. grandmother down from her
+horse, was more than flesh and blood could bear. A copy of the deposition
+of Giles Corey is now before me, showing, that John, upon other occasions,
+was not so pacific, as he might have been--and that, upon one occasion,
+"_he struck up Mr. Edward Norris his heels_"--and, upon another, he beat
+Giles Corey himself, "_till he was all blody_." He seems to have been
+moved, by the spirit, to thrash them both. I take this Giles Corey to be
+the man, or the father of the man, who, as Felt says, p. 308, was pressed
+to death, in Salem, for standing mute, during the witch mania, September
+19, 1692.
+
+William Penn was, for many years, engaged in controversy, chiefly in
+defence of the peculiar, religious opinions of the Quakers. Wood, in his
+Athenae Oxonienses, iv. p. 647, Lond. 1820, gives the titles of fifty-two
+tracts and pamphlets, published by Penn, between 1668 and 1690. In the
+heat of controversy, his character was rudely assailed, and his conduct
+grossly misrepresented. The familiar relation, subsisting between him and
+James II., gave color, with some persons, to the report, that Penn, at
+heart, was a Papist and a Jesuit. These groundless imputations have, long
+ago, been swallowed up, in their own absurdity. So strong, however, was
+the hold, which these ridiculous fancies had taken of the public mind,
+that, after the revolution of 1688, he was examined before the Council,
+and obliged to give bond, for his appearance, from time to time; till, at
+last, he obtained a hearing before King William, and effectually
+established his innocence.
+
+Among the few men, of elevated standing, who gave, or pretended to give
+credit to the rumor, that Penn was a Papist, Burnet appears in the
+foremost rank. He, who could speak of Prior, as "_one Prior_," might be
+expected to speak of William Penn, as "_Penn the Quaker_." The appearance
+of Penn, at the Court of the Prince of Orange, could, on no account, have
+been agreeable to a Bishop, and, least of all Bishops, to Burnet; who saw,
+in the new comer, the confidential agent of his bitterest enemy, King
+James the Second; and who might, on other scores, have been jealous of the
+influence, even of "_Penn the Quaker_." Burnet's words are these, vol. ii.
+p. 318, Lond., 1818--"Many suspected that he was a concealed Papist; it is
+certain he was much with father Peter, and was particularly trusted by the
+Earl of Sunderland." On the preceding page Burnet thus describes the
+Quaker--"He was a talking vain man, who had been long in the King's favor,
+he being the Vice Admiral's son. He had such an opinion of his own faculty
+of persuading, that he thought none could stand before it; though he was
+singular in that opinion; for he had a tedious, luscious way, that was not
+apt to overcome a man's reason, though it might tire his patience." It is
+impossible not to perceive, in this description, some touches, which,
+historians have told us, were singularly applicable to Burnet himself.
+
+William, who perfectly comprehended the character of Halifax and Burnet,
+perceived the propriety of keeping them apart, when the former came to
+Hungerford, as a commissioner from the King, Dec. 8, 1688. How far I judge
+rightly, in applying a part of Burnet's description of Penn, to Burnet
+himself, may appear, in the following passage from Macaulay, vol. ii. p.
+538: "Almost all those, who were admitted to his (William's) confidence,
+were men, taciturn and impenetrable as himself. Burnet was the only
+exception. He was notoriously garrulous and indiscreet. Yet circumstances
+had made it necessary to trust him; and he would, doubtless, under the
+dexterous management of Halifax, have poured put secrets, as fast as
+words. William knew this well; and, when he was informed, that Halifax was
+asking for the Doctor, could not refrain from exclaiming, '_If they get
+together, there will be fine tattling_.'"
+
+Mr. Macaulay remarks, that--"_To speak the whole truth, concerning Penn,
+is a task, which requires some courage_." He then, vol. i. page 505,
+delivers himself as follows--"The integrity of Penn had stood firm
+against obloquy and persecution. But now, attacked by royal wiles, by
+female blandishments, by the insinuating eloquence and delicate flattery
+of veteran diplomatists and courtiers, his resolution began to give way.
+Titles and phrases, against which he had often borne his testimony,
+dropped occasionally from his lips and his pen. It would be well, if he
+had been guilty of nothing worse than such compliances with the fashions
+of the world. Unhappily it cannot be concealed, that he bore a chief part
+in some transactions, condemned, not merely by the rigid code of the
+society, to which he belonged, but by the general sense of all honest men.
+He afterwards solemnly protested that his hands were pure from illicit
+gain, and that he had never received any gratuity from those, whom he had
+obliged, though he might easily, while his interest at court lasted, have
+made a hundred and twenty thousand pounds. To this assertion full credit
+is due. But bribes may be offered to vanity, as well as to cupidity; and
+it is impossible to deny that Penn was cajoled into bearing a part, in
+some unjustifiable transactions of which others enjoyed the profits."
+
+This passage will tend, in the ratio of Mr. Macaulay's influence, to
+disturb the popular opinion of William Penn. It is very carefully written,
+and will not always be so carefully read. It is, perhaps, unfortunate for
+Penn, that Mr. Macaulay felt obliged, in pursuing the course of his
+history, to postpone the presentation of the facts, upon which his
+opinions rest, until they arise, in their chronological order. Thus the
+impression, instead of being removed, qualified, or confirmed, by instant
+examination, is suffered to become imbedded in the mind. Having carefully
+collated this passage, with every other passage, relative to Penn, in Mr.
+Macaulay's work, I must confess, that the exceedingly painful impression,
+produced by the paragraph, presented above, has been materially relieved,
+by a careful consideration of all the evidence, subsequently offered, by
+Mr. Macaulay himself, and by the testimony of other writers. Perhaps the
+reader will consent to go along with me, in the examination of this
+question.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXIV.
+
+
+Mr. Macaulay's second mention of William Penn may be found, vol. i. page
+650. A number of young girls, acting under the direction of their
+school-mistress, had walked in procession, and presented a standard to
+Monmouth, at Taunton, in 1635. Some of them had expiated their offence
+already. That hell-hound of a judge, Jeffreys, had literally frightened
+one of them to death. It was determined, under menace of the gibbet, to
+extort a ransom from the parents of _all_ these innocent girls. Who does
+not apply those lines of Shakspeare to this infernal judge!
+
+  "Did you say all? What, all? Oh, hell-kite, all?
+  What, all my pretty chickens and their dam,
+  At one fell swoop?"
+
+"The Queen's maids of honor," says Mr. Macaulay, "asked the royal
+permission, to wring money out of the parents of the poor children; and
+the permission was granted." They demanded L7000, and applied to Sir
+Francis Warre, to exact the ransom. "He was charged to declare, in strong
+language, that the maids of honor would not endure delay," &c.
+
+Warre excused himself. Mr. Macaulay proceeds as follows: "The maids of
+honor then requested William Penn to act for them, and Penn accepted the
+commission. Yet it should seem that a little of the pertinacious
+scrupulosity, which he had often shown, about taking off his hat, would
+not have been altogether out of place on this occasion. He probably
+silenced the remonstrances of his conscience, by repeating to himself,
+that none of the money, which he extorted, would go into his own pocket;
+that, if he refused to be the agent of the ladies, they would find agents
+less humane; that by complying he should increase his influence at the
+court; and that his influence at the court had already enabled him, and
+might still enable him to render greater services to his oppressed
+brethren. The maids of honor were at last forced to content themselves
+with less than a third part of what they had demanded."
+
+Now it seems to me, that no clear-headed, whole-hearted, _impartial_
+reader will draw the inference, from this passage, which Mr. Macaulay
+would manifestly have him draw. Penn well understood the resolute
+brutality of Jeffreys, the never-dying obstinacy and vindictive
+malevolence of James, and the heartless greediness of these maids of
+honor. He knew, as Mr. Macaulay says, that "_if he refused to be the agent
+of the ladies they would find agents less humane_." There was no secrecy
+here--this thing was not done in a corner. Mr. Macaulay says, "they
+_charged_ Sir Francis Warre," &c.: and after he refused, they "_requested_
+William Penn," &c. Penn acted as a peacemaker. He stood between these she
+wolves--these shameless maids of honor--and the Taunton lambs; and,
+instead of L7000, he persuaded those vampyres, who, under the royal grant,
+had full power in their hands to do their wicked will--to receive less
+than L2300. Mr. Macaulay admits, that Penn received not a farthing; and,
+that, had he refused, matters might have been worse for the oppressed.
+
+The known character of Penn demands of us the presumption, in his favor,
+that he entered upon this business conscientiously, and not as an
+_extortioner_--and that he made, as the result leads us to believe he did,
+the very best terms for the parents. Wherein was ever the sin or the shame
+of negotiating, between the buccaneers of the Tortugas, and the parents of
+captive children, for their ransom? Does not Mr. Macaulay present the
+reign of James II. before us, as blotted all over, with official piracy
+and judicial murder? If the adjustment of this odious business increased
+the influence of Penn, at court, and thereby enabled him to "_render great
+services to his oppressed brethren_"--these were the natural consequences
+of the act; without them, there was enough of just and honorable motive,
+for a mediator, to step between the oppressor and the oppressed, and
+lessen, as much as possible, the weight of the oppression.
+
+If the conduct of William Penn, upon this occasion, was the humane and
+Christian thing, which it certainly appears to have been, "_the
+pertinacious scrupulosity, which he had often shown, about taking off his
+hat_" would have been wholly out of place. And if so, what justification
+can be found for Mr. Macaulay's expressions--"_the remonstrances of his
+conscience_," and "_the money, which he extorted_."
+
+It is proverbially hard, for an old dog to learn new tricks. He, to whose
+hand the hatchet is familiar, when he substitutes the rapier, will still
+hack and hew with it, as though it were a hatchet. It may well be doubted,
+if an impartial history, especially those parts of it, wherein the writer
+deals with character and motive, can ever be trustworthily and impartially
+written, by a veteran, professional reviewer, of the tomahawk school,
+however splendid his talents may be.
+
+Upon this occasion, Penn, doubtless, persuaded the maids of honor to
+moderate their demands; at the same time, representing to the parents the
+uncompromising character of those, with whom they had to deal, and the
+unavoidable necessity of making terms. It is impossible to judge of the
+transaction aright, without taking into view the character of those dark
+days of tyranny and misrule, and the little security, then enjoyed by the
+subject.
+
+On page 659, ibid., Mr. Macaulay, once more, introduces Penn to his
+readers--"William Penn, for whom exhibitions, which humane men generally
+avoid, seem to have had a strong attraction, hastened from Cheapside,
+where he had seen Cornish hanged, to Tyburn, in order to see Elizabeth
+Gaunt burned. He afterwards related that, when she calmly disposed the
+straw about her, in such a manner, as to shorten her sufferings, all the
+bystanders burst into tears." Here is another attempt to lower the Quaker,
+in public estimation.
+
+That Penn ever, from the cradle to the grave, gazed, unsympathizingly,
+upon human suffering, nobody, but a madman, will credit, for a moment. Nor
+would Mr. Macaulay, notwithstanding the rather peculiar construction of
+the paragraph, venture _directly_ so to represent him. It has been my
+fortune to know several men, of kind and warm affections, who have
+confessed, without reserve, a strong desire to witness the execution of
+criminals. Cornish and Gaunt were executed on the same day, and their fate
+excited universal attention. Penn's account of the last moments of both
+was very minute; and shows him to have been a deeply interested observer.
+I am not aware, that he ever attended any other execution. And if he did
+not, the remark of Mr. Macaulay, which is _general_, can never be
+justified, in relation to Penn; though it would fairly apply to the
+celebrated George Selwyn, who, though remarkable for the keenness of his
+sensibility, and the kindness of his heart, was in the habit of attending
+every execution in London; and who, upon one remarkable occasion of this
+kind, actually embarked for the Continent.
+
+Why could not Mr. Macaulay, who often refers to Clarkson, have adopted
+some of his charitable and gentlemanly constructions of Penn's conduct,
+upon this occasion? Clarkson says--"Men of the most noted benevolence have
+felt and indulged a curiosity of this sort. They have been worked upon, by
+different motives; some, perhaps, by a desire of seeing what human nature
+would be, at such an awful crisis; what would be its struggles; what would
+be the effects of innocence or guilt; what would be the power of religion
+on the mind." * * * * "I should say that he consented to witness the
+scenes in question, with a view to do good; with a view of being able to
+make an impression on the King's mind, by his own relation," &c.
+
+In vol. ii. page 222, 1687, Mr. Macaulay says--"Penn had never been a
+strong-headed man: the life which he had been leading, during two years,
+had not a little impaired his moral sensibility; and, if his conscience
+ever reproached him, he comforted himself by repeating, that he had a good
+and noble end in view, and that he was not paid for his services in
+money."
+
+Again, ibid., page 227, referring to the effort of the King, to propitiate
+William Kiffen, a great man, among the Baptists, no phraseology would suit
+Mr. Macaulay, but this--"_Penn was employed in the work of seduction_."
+What _seduction_? Indeed, whenever a good chance presents itself to reach
+the Quaker, anywhere and anyhow, through the joints of the harness, the
+phylactery of Mr. Macaulay seems to have been--_semper paratus_.
+
+It was enough, that Penn was, in some sense, the confidant, and,
+occasionally, the _unconstrained and perfectly conscientious_ agent of
+this most miserable King.
+
+That posterity will sanction these politico-historical flings, at the
+character of William Penn, I cannot believe.
+
+Tillotson knew him well. He had once expressed a suspicion that Penn was a
+Papist. A correspondence ensued. "In conclusion," says Chalmers,
+"Tillotson declared himself fully satisfied, and, as in that case he had
+promised, he heartily begs pardon of Penn."
+
+Chalmers himself, who had no sympathy with the "_cursed Quakers_," closes
+his account of Penn, as follows--"_It must be evident from his works, that
+he was a man of abilities; and from his conduct through life, that he was
+a man of the purest conscience. This, without acceding to his opinions in
+religion, we are perfectly willing to allow and to declare_."
+
+
+
+
+No. LXV.
+
+
+There was a couple of unamiable, maiden ladies, who had cherished, for a
+long time, an unkindly feeling to the son of their married sister; and,
+whenever her temporary absence afforded a fitting opportunity, one of them
+would inquire of the other, if it was not _a good time to lick Billy_. Mr.
+Macaulay suffers no convenient occasion to pass, without exhibiting a
+practical illustration of this opinion, that it is _a good time to lick
+Billy_.
+
+In vol. ii. page 292, Mr. Macaulay says--"Penn was at Chester (in 1687,)
+on a pastoral tour. His popularity and authority among his brethren had
+greatly declined since he had become a tool of the King and the Jesuits."
+In proof of this assertion Mr. Macaulay refers to a letter, from Bonrepaux
+to Seignelay, and to Gerard Croese's Quaker History. Let us see, for
+ourselves, what Bonrepaux says--"Penn, chef des Quakers, qu'on sait etre
+dans les interets du Roi d'Angleterre, est si fort decrie parmi ceux de
+son parti qu'ils n'ont plus aucune confiance en lui."
+
+Now I ask, in the name of historical truth, if Mr. Macaulay is sustained
+in his assertion, by Bonrepaux? Is there a jot or tittle of evidence, in
+this reference, that Penn "_had become a tool of the King and of the
+Jesuits_;" or that Bonrepaux was himself of any such opinion?
+
+Let us next present the passage from Croese--"Etiam Quakeri Pennum non
+amplius, ut ante, ita amabant ac magnifaciebant, quidam aversabantur ac
+fugiebant."
+
+I ask, in reference to this quotation from Croese, the same question? No
+possible version of these passages into English will go farther, than to
+show, that the Quakers were dissatisfied with Penn, about that time: in
+neither is there the slightest reference to Penn, as "_a tool of the King
+and of the Jesuits_." Mr. Macaulay's passage is so constructed, that his
+citation of authorities goes, not only to the fact of Penn's unpopularity,
+for a time, but to the cause of it, as assigned by Mr. Macaulay himself,
+namely, that Penn "_had become a tool of the King and of the Jesuits_."
+
+Now it is well known, that Penn, in 1687, was in bad odor with some of the
+Quakers. He was _suspected_, by some persons, of being a Jesuit--George
+Keith, the Quaker renegade, called him a deist--he was said by others to
+be a Papist. Even Tillotson had given countenance to this foolish story,
+which Penn's intimacy with King James tended to corroborate. How far
+Tillotston believed Penn to be a _Papist_, or a _tool_ of the King, or of
+the _Jesuits_, will appear, upon the perusal of a few lines from Tillotson
+to Penn, written in 1686, the year before that, of which Mr. Macaulay is
+writing--"I am very sorry that the suspicion I had entertained concerning
+you, of which I gave you the true account in my former letter, hath
+occasioned so much trouble and inconvenience to you: and I do now declare
+with great joy, that I am fully satisfied, that there was no just ground
+for that suspicion, and therefore do heartily beg your pardon for it."
+Clarkson's Memoirs, vol. i. chap. 22.
+
+If the authorities, cited, sustained the statement of Mr. Macaulay, their
+credibility would still form a serious question. In vol. ii. pages
+305-7-8, Mr. Macaulay refers to Bonrepaux's "complicity with the Jesuits."
+It would have been quite agreeable to that crafty emissary of Lewis, to
+have had it believed, that Penn was of their fraternity. As for Gerard
+Croese, Chalmers speaks of him and his history, with very little respect;
+and states, that it dissatisfied the Quakers. However this may have been,
+there is not a syllable in Gerard Croese's Historia Quakeriana, giving
+color to Mr. Macaulay's assertion, that Penn "_had become a tool of the
+King and of the Jesuits_." On the contrary, Croese, as I shall show
+hereafter, speaks of Penn, with great respect, on several occasions.
+
+In the same paragraph, of which a part is quoted, at the commencement of
+this article, Mr. Macaulay, after stating, that, when the King and Penn
+met at Chester, in 1687, Penn preached, or, to use Mr. Macaulay's word,
+_harangued_, in the tennis court, he says--"_It is said indeed, that his
+Majesty deigned to look into the tennis court, and to listen, with
+decency, to his friend's melodious eloquence_." What does Mr. Macaulay
+mean?--that the King did not laugh outright?--that he made some little
+exertion, to suppress a disposition to make a mock of Penn and his
+preaching? No intelligent reader, though he may not catch the invidious
+spirit of this remark, can fail to perceive the writer's design, to speak
+disparagingly of Penn.
+
+Well: what is Mr. Macaulay's authority for this? He quotes "Cartwright's
+Diary, Aug. 30, 1687, and Clarkson's Life of William Penn"--but without
+any indication of volume, chapter, or page. This loose and unsatisfactory
+kind of reference is quite common with Mr. Macaulay; and one might almost
+as well indicate the route to the pyramids, by setting up a finger post in
+Edinburgh, pointing in the direction of Cairo. No eminent historian,
+English or Scotch, has ever been thus regardless of his reader's comfort;
+neither Rapin nor Tindal, Smollett nor Hume, nor Henry, nor Robertson, nor
+Guthrie, nor any other. Of this the reader may well complain. This may all
+be well enough, in a historical romance--but in a matter, pretending to be
+true and impartial history, no good reader will walk by faith, altogether,
+and upon the staff of a single narrator; and he will too often find, that
+the spirit of the context, in the authority, is very different, from that
+of the citation.
+
+He, who imparts to any historical fact the coloring of his own prejudice,
+and _dresses up_ a statement, after his own fancy, has no right to vouch
+in, as his authority, for the _whole thing_, however grotesque he may have
+made it--the writer, who has stated the _naked fact_. If Clarkson said
+simply, that the King had listened to Penn's preaching, Mr. Macaulay has
+no right to quote Clarkson, as having said so, in a manner to lower Penn,
+the tithe of a hair, in the estimation of the world. _A fortiori_, if
+Clarkson has said, that the King listened to Penn's preaching, _on several
+occasion, with respect_, Mr. Macaulay had no right to quote Clarkson, as
+his authority, for the sneering and ill-natured statement, to which I have
+referred. This is not history, it is gross misrepresentation; and, the
+more forcibly and ingeniously it is fabricated, the more unjust and the
+more ungenerous the libel, upon the dead.
+
+The reader, if he will, may judge of Mr. Macaulay's impartiality, by
+comparing his words with the _only words_ uttered by Clarkson, on this
+point. They may be found, vol. i. chap. 23--"Among the places he (Penn)
+visited, in Cheshire, was Chester itself. The King, who was then
+travelling, arriving there at the same time, went to the meeting-house of
+the Quakers, to hear him preach. This mark of respect the King showed him
+also, at two or three other places where they fell in with each other, in
+the course of their respective tours."
+
+This is the only passage, which can be referred to, in Clarkson, by Mr.
+Macaulay, to sustain his ill-natured remark, whose evil spirit is entirely
+neutralized, by the very authority he cites. But there will be many, who
+will rather give Mr. Macaulay credit, for stating the point impartially;
+and few, I apprehend, who will take the trouble to look, through two
+octavo volumes, for a passage, thus vaguely referred to, without any
+indication of the volume, chapter, or page.
+
+This rude assault, upon the character and motives of William Penn, Mr.
+Macaulay commences, by saying--"_To speak the whole truths concerning
+Penn, is a task, which requires some courage_." It is becoming, in every
+historian, to speak the truth, the whole truth, and _nothing but the
+truth_. It certainly requires some courage--audacity, perhaps, is the
+better word--to present citations, in French and Latin, to sustain an
+assertion, which those citations do not sustain; and to refer to a highly
+respectable author, as having stated that, which he has nowhere stated.
+
+It may not be amiss, to present my views of Mr. Macaulay's injustice, more
+plainly than I have done. It is obvious to all, that a fact--the same
+fact--may, by the very manner of stating it, raise or lower the character
+of him, in regard to whom it is related. The _manner_ of representing it
+may become _material_, or, substantially, part and parcel of the fact, as
+completely, as the coloring is part and parcel of a picture. No man has a
+right to take the sketch or outline of an angel, and, having given it the
+sable complexion of a devil, ascribe the entire thing, such as he has made
+it, to the author of the original sketch. No man, surely, has a right to
+seize a wreath, respectfully designed for the brows of his neighbor;
+distort it into the shape of a fool's cap; clap it upon that neighbor's
+head; and then charge the responsibility upon him, who prepared the
+original chaplet, as a token of respect.
+
+Mr. Macaulay represents King James, as listening to the preaching of Penn,
+with concealed contempt--such are the force and meaning of his words; and
+he quotes Clarkson, as authority for this, who says precisely the
+contrary.
+
+Every reader, who is uninstructed in the French and Latin languages, will
+view the quotations from Bonrepaux and Croese, as authorities for Mr.
+Macaulay's assertion, that Penn had "_become the tool of the King and the
+Jesuits_"--for, whether carelessly, or cunningly, contrived, the sentence
+will certainly be understood to mean precisely this. A large number, even
+of those, who understand the languages, will take these quotations, as
+evidence, upon Mr. Macaulay's word, without examination. Now, as I have
+stated, there is not the slightest authority, in these passages, for Mr.
+Macaulay's assertion.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXVI.
+
+
+Mr. Macaulay's last attack upon William Penn will be found, in vol. ii.,
+pages 295-6-7. The Fellows of Magdalen College had been most abominably
+treated, by James II., in 1687. The detail is too long for my limits, and
+is, withal, unnecessary here, since there is neither doubt nor denial of
+the fact. The mediatorial agency of Penn was employed. The King was
+enraged, and resolved to have his way. His obstinacy was a proverb. There
+were three courses for Penn--right, left, and medial--to side with the
+King--to side with the Fellows--or to act as a mediator. Mr. Macaulay is
+pleased, in his Index, to speak of the transaction, as "_Penn's
+mediation_."
+
+Had he sided with the Fellows entirely, he would have lost his influence
+utterly, to serve them, with the King. Had he sided with the King
+entirely, he would have lost all confidence with the Fellows. Mr.
+Macaulay, here, as elsewhere, is evidently bent upon showing up Penn, as
+the "_tool of the King_:" and, if there is anything more unjust, upon
+historical record, I know not where to look for it.
+
+[1]With manifest effort, and in stinted measure, Mr. Macaulay lets down a
+few drops of the milk of human kindness, in the outset, and says of
+Penn--"_He had too much good feeling to approve of the violent and unjust
+proceedings of the government, and even ventured to express part of what
+he thought_." Here, that which proceeded from _fixed and lofty principle_,
+is ascribed to a less honorable motive--"_good feeling_," or _bonhommie_;
+and the "_part of what he thought_," was neither more nor less, than a
+bold and frank remonstrance, committed to writing, and sent to the King,
+by Penn.
+
+    [1] The palpable reluctance of Mr. Macaulay to deal in liberal
+    construction, and to award the smallest praise, on such occasions, is
+    not confined to Penn. A writer in Blackwood's Magazine, for October,
+    1849, page 509, after referring to the glorious defeat of the Dutch
+    fleet, off Harwich, when the Duke of York, afterwards James II.,
+    commanded in person, remarks--"Mr. Macaulay, in his late published
+    _History of England_, has not deigned even to notice this
+    engagement--a remarkable omission, the reason of which omission it is
+    foreign to our purpose to inquire. This much we may be allowed to say,
+    that no historian, who intends to form an accurate estimate of the
+    character of James II., or to compile a complete register of his
+    deeds, can justly accomplish his task, without giving that unfortunate
+    monarch the credit for his conduct and intrepidity, in one of the most
+    important and successful naval actions, which stands recorded, in our
+    annals."
+
+    Other English historians have related it. Hume, Oxford ed. 1826, vol.
+    vii. page 355--Smollett, Lond. ed. 1759, vol. viii. page 31.--Rapin,
+    Lond. ed. 1760, vol. xi. page 272. "The Duke of York," says Smollett,
+    "was in the hottest part of the battle, and behaved with great spirit
+    and composure, even when the Earl of Falmouth, the Lord Muskerry, and
+    Mr. Boyle, were killed at his side, by one cannon ball, which covered
+    him with the blood and brains of these three gallant gentlemen."
+
+When they met at Oxford, says Clarkson, vol. i. chap. 23, "William Penn
+had an opportunity of showing not only his courage, but his consistency in
+those principles of religious liberty, which he had defended, during his
+whole life." After giving an account of the Prince's injustice, Clarkson
+says--"Next morning William Penn was on horseback, ready to leave Oxford,
+but knowing what had taken place, he rode up to Magdalen College, and
+conversed with the Fellows, on the subject. After this conversation, he
+wrote a letter, and desired them to present it to the King." * * * * "Dr.
+Sykes, in relating this anecdote of William Penn, by letter to Dr.
+Chazlett, who was then absent, mentions that Penn, after some discourse
+with the Fellows of Magdalen College, wrote a short letter, directed to
+the King. He wrote to this purpose--that their case was hard, and that, in
+their circumstances, they could not yield obedience."
+
+This was confirmed by Mr. Creech, as Clarkson states, and by Sewell, who
+states, in his History of the Rise and Progress of the Quakers, that Penn
+told the King the act "_could not in justice be defended, since the
+general liberty of conscience did not allow of depriving any of their
+property, who did what they ought to do, as the Fellows of the said
+College appeared to have done_." This is the "_part of what he thought_,"
+referred to by Mr. Macaulay, who has not found it convenient, upon this
+occasion, to quote a syllable from Clarkson, nor from Sewell, of whose
+work Chalmers and others have spoken with respect.
+
+I know of no better mode of presenting this matter fairly, than by laying
+before the reader contrasted passages, from Mr. Macaulay, and from
+Clarkson, relating to the conduct of Penn, upon this occasion. Mr.
+Macaulay shall lead off--"James, was as usual, obstinate in the wrong. The
+courtly Quaker, therefore, did his best to seduce the college from the
+path of right."--Therefore!--Wherefore? Penn did his best to _seduce_ the
+college from the path of right, _because_ James was, as usual, obstinate
+in the wrong! This is based, of course, upon Mr. Macaulay's favorite
+hypothesis, that Penn was "_the tool of the King and the Jesuits_."--"He
+tried first intimidation. Ruin, he said, impended over the society. The
+King was highly incensed. The case might be a hard one. Most people
+thought it so. But every child knew that his Majesty loved to have his own
+way, and could not bear to be thwarted. Penn, therefore, exhorted the
+Fellows not to rely on the goodness of their cause, but to submit, or at
+least to temporize. Such counsel came strangely from one, who had been
+expelled from the University for raising a riot about the surplice, who
+had run the risk of being disinherited, rather than take off his hat to
+the princes of the blood, and who had been more than once sent to prison,
+for haranguing in conventicles. He did not succeed in frightening the
+Magdalen men."
+
+It may be thought scarcely worth while, to charge a Quaker, at the age of
+_forty-three_, with inconsistency, because his views had somewhat altered,
+since he was a wild young man, at _twenty-one_.
+
+It is also clear, that Penn viewed the Magdalen question, as one quite as
+much of _property_ as of _conscience_; and that he could see no good
+reason, with his eyes of toleration wide open, why all the great
+educational institutions should be forever, in the hands of one
+denomination.
+
+Mr. Macaulay again--"Then Penn tried a gentler tone. He had an interview
+with Hough and some of the Fellows, and after many professions of sympathy
+and friendship, began to hint at a compromise. The King could not bear to
+be crossed. The college must give way. Parker must be admitted. But he was
+in very bad health. All his preferments would soon be vacant. 'Dr. Hough,'
+said Penn, 'may then be Bishop of Oxford. How should you like that,
+gentlemen?' Penn had passed his life in declaiming against a hireling
+ministry. He held, that he was bound to refuse the payment of tithes, and
+this even when he had bought lands, chargeable with tithes, and had been
+allowed the value of the tithes in the purchase money. According to his
+own principles, he would have committed a great sin, if he had interfered,
+for the purpose of obtaining a benefice, on the most honorable terms, for
+the most pious divine. Yet to such a degree had his manners been corrupted
+by evil communications, and his understanding obscured by inordinate zeal
+for a single object, that he did not scruple to become a broker in simony
+of a peculiarly discreditable kind, and to use a bishopric as a bait to
+tempt a divine to perjury."
+
+Are these the words of truth and soberness? I rather think they are not.
+In the sacred name of common sense--did Penn become a _broker in simony of
+a peculiarly discreditable kind, and use a bishopric, as a bait to tempt a
+divine to perjury_, by stating, that Parker was very infirm, and, that,
+should he die, Hough might be his successor! If this is history, give us
+fiction, for Heaven's sake, which is said to be less marvellous than fact.
+There is not the least pretence, that he offered, or was authorized to
+offer, any such "_bait_." He spoke of a mere contingency; and did the best
+he could to mediate, between the King and the Fellows, both of whom were
+highly incensed.
+
+As to the matter of tithes, Penn was mediating, between men, _who had no
+scruples about tithes_. He recognized, _pro hac vice_, the usages of the
+parties; and a Christian judge may, as shrewdly, be charged with
+infidelity, for conforming to the established law of evidence, and
+permitting a disciple of Mahomet to be sworn, upon the Koran.
+
+When Hough replied, that the Papists had robbed them of University
+College, and Christ Church, and were now after Magdalen, and would have
+all the rest, "Penn," says Mr. Macaulay, "was foolish enough to answer,
+that he believed the Papists would now be content. 'University,' he said,
+'is a pleasant college. Christ Church is a noble place. Magdalen is a fine
+building. The situation is convenient. The walks by the river are
+delightful. If the Roman Catholics are reasonable, they will be satisfied
+with these.'"
+
+And now I will present Clarkson's just and sensible view of this
+transaction. Mr. Macaulay has said, vol. ii. page 295, that "_the agency
+of Penn was employed_," meaning, as the context shows, employed _by the
+King_. Clarkson, vol. i. chap. 23, says expressly, that, Oct. 3, 1687, Dr.
+Bailey wrote to Penn, "stated the merits of the case, and solicited his
+mediation." Penn told the Fellows, as appears from _Dr. Hough's own
+letter, written the evening after their last interview_, that he "feared
+they had come too late. He would use, however, his endeavors; and, if they
+were unsuccessful, they must attribute it to want of power in him, and not
+of good will to serve them." The mediation came to nothing. The Fellows
+grew dissatisfied with Penn; falling, doubtless, into the very common
+error of parties, highly excited, and differing so widely, that all, who
+are not _for them; in toto, are against them_. They seem to have been
+specially offended, by the following liberal remark of Penn's--"For my
+part, I have always declared my opinion, that the preferments of the
+Church should not be put into any other hands but such as they at present
+are in; but I hope you would not have the two Universities such invincible
+bulwarks of the Church of England, that none but they must be capable of
+giving their children a learned education."
+
+In the same volume and chapter, Clarkson remarks--"They (the delegates
+from Magdalen) thought, strange to relate, that Penn had been rambling;
+and because he spoke doubtfully, about the success of his intended
+efforts, and of the superior capacity of the established clergy, that they
+alone should monopolize education, that his language was not to be
+depended upon as sincere. How this could have come into their heads,
+except from the terror, into which the situation of the College had thrown
+them, it is not easy to conceive; for certainly William Penn was as
+explicit, as any man could have been, under similar circumstances. He
+informed them, that, after repeated efforts with the King, he feared they
+had come too late. This was plain language. He informed them again, that
+he would make another trial with the King; that he would read their papers
+to him, unless peremptorily commanded to forbear; but that, if he failed,
+they must attribute his want of success not to his want of will, but want
+of power."
+
+"This, though expressive of his doubts and fears, was but a necessary
+caution, when his exertions had already failed; and it was still more
+necessary, when there was reason to suppose, that, though the King had a
+regard for him, and was glad to employ him, as an instrument, in
+forwarding his public views, yet that he would not gratify him, where his
+solicitations directly opposed them. That William Penn did afterwards make
+a trial with the King, to serve the College, there can be no doubt,
+because no instance can be produced, wherein he ever forfeited his word or
+broke his promise. But all trials with this view must of necessity have
+been ineffectual. The King and his ministers had already determined the
+point in question."
+
+Such were the sentiments of Clarkson.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXVII.
+
+
+Charles I. was King, when William Penn was born; and, when he died, George
+I. was on the throne. Penn therefore lived in the reins of nine rulers of
+the realm--Charles I.--the Cromwells, Oliver and Richard--Charles
+II.--James II.--William and Mary as joint sovereigns--William
+alone--Anne--and George I.
+
+He was the son of Admiral, Sir William Penn, and was born on Tower Hill,
+London, Oct. 4, 1644. The spirit and the flesh strove hard for the
+mastery, before young William came forth a Quaker, fully developed. He was
+remarkable at Oxford, for his fine scholarship, and athletic performances.
+
+Penn believed, that the Lord appeared to him, when he was very young. The
+devil seems to have made him a short visit afterwards, if we may rely upon
+the testimony of Penn's biographers. Wood, in his Athenae, iv. 645, gives
+this brief account of the Lord's visit--Penn was "educated in puerile
+learning, at Chigwell in Essex, where, at eleven years of age, being
+retired in a chamber alone, he was so suddenly surprised with an inward
+comfort, and, as he thought, an external glory in the room, that he has,
+many times, said that, from that time, he had the seal of divinity and
+immortality, that there was also a God, and that the soul of man was
+capable of enjoying his divine communications."
+
+His biographer, Clarkson, says, that Penn, at the age of sixteen, was led
+to a sense of the corruptions of the established faith, by the preaching
+of Thomas Loe, a Quaker; and broke off at the chapel, and began to hold
+prayer meetings. For this he was fined and admonished. It is remarkable,
+that Wood, though he states, that Penn, after he became a Quaker, in good
+earnest, was imprisoned, once in Ireland, once in the Tower, and three
+times in Newgate, does not even allude, in his Athenae, to the expulsion
+from Oxford, which is related, by Chalmers, Clarkson, and others.
+
+It seems, that, after he had become impressed, by Loe's preaching, an
+order came down from court, that the students should wear surplices. This
+so irritated Penn, that, instead of letting his yea be yea, and his nay
+nay--in company with others, says Clarkson, "he fell upon those students,
+who appeared in surplices, and tore them everywhere over their heads." On
+the subject of his conversion, Wood says--"If you'll believe a satirical
+pamphlet--'_The history of Will Penn's conversion from a gentleman to a
+Quaker_,' printed at London, in 1682--you'll find, that the reason of his
+turning Quaker was the loss of his mistress, a delicate young lady, that
+then lived in Dublin; or, as others say, because he refused to fight a
+duel."
+
+For two, good and sufficient reasons, this statement, contained in the
+"_satirical pamphlet_," and referred to by Wood, is unworthy of the
+slightest credit. In the first place, though Penn met Loe, in Dublin,
+after the expulsion from Oxford, and became more fully impressed, yet his
+first meeting with Loe was at Oxford, before the expulsion, and the
+serious impression, produced by his preaching, led, albeit rather oddly,
+to the affair of the surplices.
+
+In the second place, the notion, that Penn would put on Quakerism, to
+avoid a duel, is still more incredible. Nothing could be more unfortunate,
+than any imputation upon Penn's courage, moral or physical. We have seen,
+that he was famous for his athletic exercises. Strange, though it may
+seem, to such as have contemplated Penn, as the quiet non-combatant, he
+was an accomplished swordsman, and, upon one occasion, was actually
+engaged in an affair, which had all the aspect, and all the peril, of the
+_duellium_, however it may have lacked the preliminary forms and
+ceremonies. "During his residence in Paris," says Chalmers, "he was
+assaulted in the street, one evening, by a person with a drawn sword, on
+account of a supposed affront; but among other accomplishments of a gay
+man, he had become so good a swordsman, as to disarm his antagonist."
+
+After his expulsion from Oxford, in 1662, he returned home. His father,
+the Admiral, was greatly provoked, to see his son resorting to the company
+of religious people, who were, of all, the least likely, in the licentious
+reign of Charles II., to advance his worldly interest. The old gentleman
+tried severity, and finally, as Penn himself relates, gave the Quaker
+neophyte a thrashing, and turned him out of doors.
+
+Ere long, the father got the better of the admiral. He relented: and,
+probably, supposing there was as little vitality in Paris, for a Quaker,
+as some of the old philosophers fancied there might be, in a vacuum, for
+an angel, he sent young William thither, as one of a fashionable
+travelling party.
+
+After his return, he was admitted of Lincoln's Inn, and continued there,
+till the year of the plague, 1665. The following year, his father sent him
+to Ireland, to take charge of an estate. At Cork, he met Loe once
+more--attended his meetings, became an unalterable Quaker, preached in
+conventicles--was committed to prison--released upon application to the
+Earl of Orrery--and summoned home, by his indignant father. The old
+Admiral loved his accomplished son, then twenty-three years old--but
+abhorred his Quakerish airs and manners. In all points, save one--the
+point of conscience--William was unexceptionably dutiful. At length, the
+Admiral agreed to compound, on conditions, which seem not to have been
+very oppressive: in short, he consented to waive all objections, and let
+William do as he pleased, in regard to his religion, provided he would
+yield, in one particular--doff his broad brim--take off his hat--in
+presence of the King, the Duke of York, and his own father, the Admiral.
+Young William demanded time for consideration. It was granted; and he
+earnestly sought the Lord, on an empty stomach, as he says himself, with
+prayer. He finally informed his father, that he _could not do it_; and,
+once again, the Admiral, in a paroxysm of wrath, turned the rebellious
+young Quaker out of doors, broad brim and all.
+
+William Penn now began to figure, as a preacher, at the Quaker meetings.
+The _friends_, and the fond mother, ever on hand, in such emergencies,
+supplied his temporal necessities. Even the old Admiral, becoming
+satisfied of William's perfect sincerity, although too proud to tack
+about, hoisted private signals, for his release, when imprisoned, for
+attending Quaker meetings; and evidently lay by, ready to bear down, in
+the event of serious difficulty.
+
+In 1668, Penn's brim grew broader and broader, and his coat became
+buttonless behind. He was a writer and a preacher, and a powerful defender
+of the "_cursed and depised_" Quakers. The titles of his various works may
+be found in Clarkson, and in Wood's Athenae. They conformed to the fashion
+of the age, and were, necessarily, quaint and extended. I have room for
+one only, as a specimen,--the title of his first tract--"_Truth exalted,
+in a short but sure testimony, against all those religious faiths and
+worships, that have been formed and followed in the darkness of apostacy;
+and for that glorious light, which is now risen, and shines forth in the
+life and doctrine of the despised Quakers, as the alone good old way of
+life and salvation; presented to princes, priests, and people, that they
+may repent, believe, and obey. By William Penn; whom Divine love
+constrains, in an holy contempt, to trample on Egypt's glory, not fearing
+the King's wrath, having beheld the majesty of Him, who is invisible._" In
+this same year 1668, he was imprisoned in the Tower, for publishing his
+SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. There he was confined seven months, doing
+infinitely more mischief, for the cause of lawn sleeves and white frocks,
+forms, ceremonies, and hat-worship, as he calls it, than if he had been
+loose. For, then and there, he wrote his most able pamphlets, especially,
+NO CROSS NO CROWN, which gained him great praise, far beyond the pale of
+Quakerdom. His treatise has been often reprinted, and translated into
+foreign tongues.
+
+In 1670, his influence was so great, that he obtained an order in Council,
+for the release of the Quakers then in prison. At a later day, he again
+assumed the office of St. Peter's angel, and set three thousand captives
+free. In 1685, says Mr. Macaulay, "he strongly represented the sufferings
+of the Quakers to the new King," &c. "In this way, about fifteen hundred
+Quakers, and a still greater number of Roman Catholics regained their
+liberty." No wonder he was mistaken for a Papist, by those, who adopt that
+bastard principle, that charity begins at home, and ends there; whose
+religious circle forms the exclusive line of demarcation, for the exercise
+of that celestial principle; and who look, with the eye of a Chinaman,
+upon all beyond the holy sectarian wall, as outside barbarians. I was
+delighted and rather surprised, that Mr. Macaulay suffered the statement
+of this fact to pass, without some ill-natured expression, in regard to
+Penn--who, I say it reverentially, was less the TOOL of the King, than of
+Jesus Christ.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXVIII.
+
+
+In 1670, William Penn was, for the third time, committed to Newgate, for
+preaching. His fines were paid by his father, who died this year, entirely
+reconciled to his son; and, upon his bed of death, pronounced these
+comforting words--"_Son William, let nothing in this world tempt you to
+wrong your conscience: I charge you, do nothing against your conscience.
+So will you keep peace at home, which will be a feast to you in a day of
+trouble_."
+
+Penn inherited from his father an estate, yielding about L1500 per annum.
+About this time he wrote his "_Seasonable caveat against Popery_;" though
+he knew it was the faith of the Queen and his good friend, the Duke of
+York. Shortly after, he travelled in Holland and Germany. In 1672, he
+married Gulielma Maria Springett. In 1675, he held his famous dispute with
+Richard Baxter; and, in 1677, he again visited the continent, in company
+with George Cox and Robert Barclay, constantly preaching, and writing, and
+importuning, in behalf of his despised and oppressed brethren. About this
+period, and soon after his return to England, we find him petitioning
+Parliament, in their behalf. Twice, he was permitted to address the
+committee of the House of Commons, upon this subject.
+
+Whoever coveted the honor of being the creditor of royalty found a willing
+customer, in Charles the Second. In 1681, that monarch, in consideration
+of L16,000 due from him to the estate of Admiral Penn, conveyed to William
+the district, now called Pennsylvania. He himself would have given it the
+name of Sylvania, but the King insisted, on prefixing the name of the
+grantee. Full powers of legislation and government were bestowed upon the
+proprietor. The only limitation was a power, reserved to the Privy
+Council, to rescind his laws, within six months, after they were laid
+before that body. The charter bears date March 4, 1681. He first designed
+to call his domain "New Wales," and nothing saved the Philadelphians from
+being Welchmen, but an objection, from the under-secretary of state, who
+was himself a Welchman, and was offended at the Quaker's presumption.
+
+He encouraged emigrants, judiciously selected, to embark for his Province;
+and followed, himself, with about a hundred Quakers, in September, 1682.
+His arrival in the Delaware, his beneficent administration, and the whole
+story of his negotiation, with the Indians, are full of interest, and
+overflowing. It is a long story withal, too long, altogether, for our
+narrow boundaries. I have indicated the sources of information, and this
+is all my limits will allow.
+
+After two years, he returned to England, and became a greater favorite
+than ever, with James II.--was calumniated, of course--pursued by the
+unholy alliance of churchmen, and sectaries, and apostate Quakers--grossly
+insulted--"chastened but not killed"--and finally deprived of his
+government. Justice, at length, prevailed. Penn's rights were restored, by
+William III. Having lost his wife and son, he went again, upon his
+travels, and again married. In 1699, he returned to Pennsylvania, and
+remained there, for the term of two years. He then went home to England;
+and, after continuing to employ his tongue and his pen, as freely as ever,
+for several years, he died, July 30, 1718, at the age of seventy-two
+years, at Jordan, near Beaconsfield, in Buckinghamshire.
+
+Such is the mere _skeleton_ of this good man's life; and it is my purpose
+to _flesh it up_, with some few of those highly interesting, and well
+authenticated, incidents, which may be found, on the pages of trust worthy
+writers.
+
+I do not believe, that the pen of any past, present, or future historian,
+or biographer, however masterly the hand that holds it--however bitter and
+pungent the gall of bigotry or political venom, in which it may
+dipped--will ever be able, very grievously, or lastingly, to soil the
+character of William Penn. The world's opinion has settled down, upon firm
+convictions. If new facts can be produced, then, indeed, a writer may
+justly move, for a reconsideration of the public sentiment--but Mr.
+Macaulay does not present _a single fact_, in relation to William Penn,
+not known before--he gives a _construction_ of his own, so manifestly
+tinctured with ill nature, as, at once, to excite the suspicion of his
+reader.
+
+I wear a narrow brim, and have buttons behind--I am no Quaker--and,
+indeed, have a quarrel with them all--chiefly grammatical--though I esteem
+and respect the principles of that moral and religious people--but I
+simply describe the impulse of my own heart, when I say, that Mr.
+Macaulay's ill natured treatment of William Penn painfully disturbed my
+confidence, in his impartiality; and constrained me to "read, mark, learn
+and inwardly digest," the highly seasoned _provant_, which he has
+furnished--_cum grano salis_; and with great care, not to swallow the
+_flummery_. Scotchmen have not always written thus of William Penn; and
+the sentiments of mankind, now and hereafter, if I do not strangely err,
+will be found, embodied in the concluding passage of an article in the
+Edinburgh Review, vol. xxi. page 462.
+
+"We shall not stop to examine what dregs of ambition, or what hankerings
+after worldly prosperity may have mixed themselves with the pious and
+philanthropic principles, that were undoubtedly his chief guides in
+forming, that great settlement, which still bears his name, and profits by
+his example. Human virtue does not challenge nor admit of such a scrutiny:
+and it should be sufficient for the glory of William Penn, that he stands
+upon record, as the most humane, the most moderate, and most pacific of
+all governors." All this may be enough for his _glory_. But there are some
+simple, touching truths, to be told of William Penn, and some highly
+interesting personal details; which, though they may have little about
+them, in accordance with the ordinary estimate of _glory_, will long
+continue to envelop the memory of this extraordinary man, with a purer and
+a milder light.
+
+I know no better mode of concluding the present article, than by
+presenting a few extracts, from the valedictory letter of William Penn to
+his wife and children, written on the eve of his first visit to
+Pennsylvania, September, 1682. If the _saints_ write such admirable love
+letters, it would greatly benefit the _sinners_--the men of this world--to
+follow the example, and surpass it, if they can.
+
+"My dear wife and children. My love, which neither sea, nor land, nor
+death itself can extinguish nor lessen towards you, most endearingly
+visits you, with eternal embraces, and will abide with you forever. My
+dear wife! remember thou wast the love of my youth, and much the joy of my
+life; the most beloved, as well as most worthy of all my earthly comforts;
+and the reason of that love was more thy inward than thy outward
+excellencies, which yet were many. God knows, and thou knowest it, I can
+say it was a match of Providence's making; and God's image in us both was
+the first thing, and the most amiable and engaging ornament in our eyes.
+Now I am to leave thee, and that, without knowing whether I shall ever
+see thee more in this world. Take my counsel into thy bosom, and let it
+dwell with thee, in my stead, while thou livest."
+
+Here follows some domestic advice. Penn then proceeds--"And now, my
+dearest, let me recommend to thy care, my dear children, abundantly
+beloved of me, as the Lord's blessings, and the sweet pledges of our
+mutual and endeared affection. Above all things, endeavor to breed them
+up, in the knowledge and love of virtue, and that holy plain way of it,
+which we have lived in, that the world, in no part of it, get into my
+family. * * *
+
+"For their learning, be liberal. Spare no cost. For by such parsimony all
+is lost, that is saved: but let it be useful knowledge, such as is
+consistent with truth and godliness, not cherishing a vain conversation,
+or idle mind. * * * I recommend the useful parts of mathematics, &c., but
+agriculture is especially in my eye: let my children be husbandmen and
+housewives: it is industrious, healthy, honest and of good example. * * *
+Be sure to observe their genius, and do not cross it as to learning. * * *
+I choose not they should be married to earthly, covetous kindred; and of
+cities and towns of concourse, beware. The world is apt to stick close to
+those, who have lived and got wealth there. A country life and estate, I
+like best for my children. I prefer a decent mansion, of an hundred pounds
+per annum, before ten thousand pounds, in London, or such like place, in a
+way of trade."
+
+He then addresses his children, and finally his elder boys, in the
+following admirable strain, honorable alike to his understanding and his
+heart.
+
+"And, as for you, who are likely to be concerned, in the government of
+Pennsylvania, I do charge you, before the Lord God and his holy angels,
+that you be lowly, diligent and tender, fearing God, loving the people,
+and hating covetousness. Let justice have its impartial course, and the
+law free passage. Though to your loss, protect no man against it--for you
+are not above the law, but the law above you. Live therefore the lives,
+yourselves, you would have the people live; and then you have right and
+boldness to punish the transgressor. Keep upon the square, for God sees
+you: therefore do your duty, and be sure you see with your own eyes, and
+hear with your own ears. Entertain no lurchers; cherish no informers for
+gain or revenge; use no tricks; fly to no devices, to support or cover
+injustice but let your heart be upright before the Lord, trusting in him,
+above the contrivances of men, and none shall be able to hurt or
+supplant."
+
+The letter, from which I have made these few extracts, concludes--"So
+farewell to my thrice dearly beloved wife and children! Yours as God
+pleaseth, in that, which no waters can quench, no time forget, nor
+distance wear away."
+
+It is truly pleasant to get behind the curtain of form and ceremony, and
+look at these eminent men, in their night-gowns and slippers, and listen
+to them thus, while talking to their wives and their children.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXIX.
+
+
+It is remarkable, that such a genuine Quaker, as William Penn, should have
+sprung from such a belligerent stock. His father, as I have stated, was a
+British admiral; and his grandfather, Giles, was a captain in the navy.
+William Penn may, nevertheless, have derived, from this origin, and from
+his Dutch mother, Margaret Jasper, of Rotterdam--a certain quality,
+eminently characteristic of the Quaker--that resolute determination, which
+the coarser man of the world calls _pluck_, and the Quaker, _constancy_.
+
+This constancy of purpose, in William Penn, seems never to have been
+shaken. It appeared, in his refusal to doff his brim, before his father,
+the Duke of York, and the King. It was manifested, when, being imprisoned
+in the Tower, for printing his _Sandy Foundation Shaken_, and hearing,
+that the Bishop of London had declared the offender should publicly
+recant, or remain there, for life; he replied, "_he would weary out the
+malice of his enemies by his patience, and that his prison should be his
+grave, before he would renounce his just opinions, for he owed his
+conscience to no man_."
+
+This same constancy was signally exhibited, during the disputation,
+between himself and George Whitehead, for the Quakers, and Thomas Vincent
+and others, for the Presbyterians. Vincent had a parish, in Spitalfields.
+Two of his parishioners went to listen, perhaps to laugh, at the Quakers.
+Like Goldsmith's scoffers, who came to laugh, and remained to pray--they
+went in, Presbyterians, and came out, Quakers. They were converted. At
+this, Vincent lost his patience; and seems to have become a persecutor of
+the _cursed Quakers_; and, as Clarkson states, said all manner of
+"_unhandsome_" things of them, and their _damnable_ doctrines. Penn and
+Whitehead invited Vincent to a public discussion. After much delay and
+evasion, Vincent consented. As every fowl is bravest on his own
+_stercorium_, Vincent selected his own Presbyterian meeting-house, as the
+place for the discussion; and, before the appointed hour, filled it with
+his own people, so completely, that the disputants themselves, Penn and
+Whitehead, could scarcely gain admittance. They were instantly insulted,
+by a charge, suddenly made, that the Quakers held "_damnable doctrines_."
+Whitehead began a reply; Vincent interrupted him, and proposed, as the
+proper course, that he should put questions to the Quakers. He put the
+motion, and, as almost all present were of his party, it was agreed to, of
+course. He then put a question concerning the Godhead, which he knew the
+Quakers would answer in the negative. Whitehead and Penn attempted to
+explain. Several rose on the other side. Whitehead desired to put a
+question to Vincent. This the Presbyterians refused. They proceeded to
+laugh, hiss and stigmatize. Penn they called a Jesuit. Upon an answer from
+Whitehead, to a question from Vincent, uproar ensued, and Vincent "went
+instantly to prayer," that the Lord would _come short_ with heretics and
+blasphemers.
+
+When he had, by this manoeuvre, discharged his battery upon the Quakers,
+effectually securing himself from interruption--for no one would presume
+to interrupt a minister at prayer--he cut off all power of reply, by
+telling the people to go home immediately, at the same moment setting them
+the example.
+
+The closing part, which especially exhibits that constancy, for which the
+Quakers have ever been remarkable, cannot be more happily related, than in
+the language of Mr. Clarkson himself.
+
+"The congregation was leaving the meeting-house, and they had not yet been
+heard. Finding they would soon be left to themselves, some of them, at
+length, ventured to speak; but they were pulled down, and the candles, for
+the controversy had lasted till midnight, were put out. They were not,
+however, prevented by this usage, from going on: for, rising up, they
+continued their defence in the dark; and what was extraordinary, many
+staid to hear it. This brought Vincent among them with a candle.
+Addressing himself to the Quakers, he desired them to disperse. To this,
+at length, they consented, but only, on the promise, that another meeting
+should be granted them, for the same purpose, in the same place."
+
+Vincent did not keep his promise. He was, doubtless, fearful that more of
+his parishioners would be converted. Penn and Whitehead, at last, went to
+Vincent's meeting-house, on a lecture day; and, when the lecture was
+finished, rose and begged an audience: but Vincent went off, as fast as
+possible; and the congregation, as speedily, followed. Finding no other
+mode before him, Penn wrote and published his celebrated _Sandy Foundation
+Shaken_, which caused his imprisonment in the Tower, as already related.
+
+Another remarkable example of the constancy of Penn is recorded, in the
+history of his trial, before the Lord Mayor, for a breach of the
+conventicle act, in 1670. Mr. Macaulay is pleased to say, Penn had never
+been "_a strong-headed man_." This is one of those sliding phrases, that
+may mean anything, or nothing. It may mean, that not being a
+_strong-headed man_, he necessarily belonged to the other category, and
+was a _weak-headed man_. Or, it may mean, that he was not as strong-headed
+as Lord Verulam, or Mr. Macaulay. I wish the reader would decide this
+question for himself; and, for that end, read the history of this
+interesting trial, as given by Clarkson, in the first volume, and sixth
+chapter of his Memoirs of Penn. If the evidences of a strong head and a
+strong heart were not abundantly exhibited, by the accused, upon that
+occasion, I know not where to look for them.
+
+The jury returned a verdict of _guilty of speaking in Grace Street
+Church_. Sir Samuel Starling, the Mayor, and the whole court abused the
+jurors, after the example of Jeffreys, and sent them back to their room.
+After half an hour, they returned the same verdict, in writing, signed
+with their names. The court were more enraged than before; and, Mr.
+Clarkson says, the Recorder addressed them thus--"You shall not be
+dismissed, till we have a verdict, such as the court will accept; and you
+shall be locked up without meat, drink, fire, and tobacco; you shall not
+think thus to abuse the court; we will have a verdict, by the help of God,
+or you shall starve for it." After being out all night, the jury returned
+the same verdict, for the third time. They were severely abused by the
+court, after the fashion of that day, and sent to their room, once more. A
+fourth time, they returned the same verdict. Penn addressed the jury, and
+the court ordered the jailor to stop his mouth, and bring fetters, and
+stake him to the ground. Friend William, for an instant, merged the Quaker
+in the Englishman, and exclaimed--"Do your pleasure, I matter not your
+fetters."
+
+On the fifth of September, the jury, who had received no refreshment, for
+two days and two nights, returned a verdict of _not guilty_. Such was the
+condition of things, at that day, that, for the rendition of that verdict,
+the jury were fined forty marks apiece, and imprisoned in Newgate. Penn
+was, at this time, five-and-twenty years of age.
+
+The peculiar position of William Penn, at the court of Charles and James
+the Second, may be explained, without laying, at his door, the imputation
+of being a time-server, and a man of the world. Between the latter monarch
+and the Quaker, there existed a relation, akin to friendship. Penn, in
+keeping with his Quaker principles, was forgetful of injuries, and mindful
+of benefits. It is impossible to say, how long he would have remained in
+the tower, when imprisoned there, through the agency of the Bishop of
+London, had he not been released, upon the unsolicited importunity of
+James II., when Duke of York. When the Admiral, his father, was near his
+end, "he sent one of his friends," says Mr. Clarkson, "to the Duke of
+York, to desire of him, as a death-bed request, that he would endeavor to
+protect his son, as far as he consistently could, and to ask the King to
+do the same, in case of future persecution. The answer was gratifying,
+both of them promising their services, upon a fit occasion."
+
+Perhaps it would not be going too far--with Mr. Macaulay's permission, of
+course--to ascribe that personal consideration, which Penn exhibited, for
+Charles and James--a part of it, at least--to a grateful recollection of
+their favors, to his father and himself.
+
+"_Titles and phrases_," says Mr. Macaulay, "_against which he had often
+borne his testimony, dropped occasionally from his lips and his pen_." I
+rather doubt, if the recording angel, who will never "_set down aught in
+malice_," has noted the unquakerish sins of William Penn, in doing
+grammatical justice to personal pronouns. This, truly, is a mighty small
+matter. If Penn was not so particular, in these little things, as some
+others of his brotherhood, his birth and education may be well considered.
+He was not a Quaker born. His residence in France may also be taken into
+the account. "He had contracted," says Clarkson, "a sort of polished or
+courtly demeanor, which he had insensibly taken from the customs of the
+people, among whom he had lately lived."
+
+In the matter of the hat, even Mr. Macaulay will never charge William Penn
+with inconsistency. In Granger's Biographical History of England, iv. 16,
+I find the following anecdote--"We are credibly informed, that he sat with
+his hat on before Charles II., and that the King, as a gentle rebuke for
+his ill manners, put off his own: upon which Penn said to him--'Friend
+Charles, why dost thou not put on thy hat?' The King answered, ''Tis the
+custom of this place, that never above one person should be covered at a
+time.'" This tale is told also, in a note to Grey's Hudibras, on canto ii.
+v. 225, and elsewhere.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXX.
+
+
+_The pride of life_--that omnipresent frailty--that universal mark of
+man's congenital naughtiness--in William Penn, seemed scarcely an earthly
+leaven, springing, as it did, from a comforting consciousness of the
+purity of his own. _The pride of life_, with him, was essentially
+_humility_; for, when compelled to rest his defence, in any degree, upon
+his individual character, he vaunted not himself, but gave all the glory
+to the Giver.
+
+No man, however, more keenly felt the assaults, which were made upon his
+character, by the tongue and the pen of envy and hatred, ignorance and
+bigotry, because he knew, that the shaft, though aimed, ostensibly, at
+him, was frequently designed, for that body, whose prominent leader he
+was.
+
+In the very year of his father's death, and shortly after that event, he
+was seized, by a file of soldiers, sent purposely, for his apprehension,
+while preaching, in a Quaker meeting-house, and carried before Sir John
+Robinson, who treated him roughly, and sent him, for six months, to
+Newgate. In the course of the trial, Robinson said to Penn--"_You have
+been as bad as other folks_"--to which Penn replied--"_When and where? I
+charge thee to tell the company to my face._" Robinson rejoined--"Abroad,
+and at home too." This was so notoriously false and absurd, that an
+ingenuous member of the court, Sir John Shelden, exclaimed--"_No, no, Sir
+John, that's too much_." Penn, turning to the assembly, and with all the
+chastened indignation of an insulted Christian--Quaker as he
+was--delivered himself, with a strength and simplicity, which would have
+done honor to Paul, in the presence of Agrippa; and which must forever, so
+long as the precious record shall remain, touch a responsive chord--even
+in the bosoms of those, whose practice it is, upon ordinary occasions, to
+let their yea be yea, and their nay--nay.
+
+I am sure it would have cheered the old Admiral's heart, and elevated his
+respect for the broad brim, to have heard the manly language of his Quaker
+son, that day.
+
+"I make this bold challenge to all men, women, and children upon earth,
+justly to accuse me, with having seen me drunk, heard me swear, utter a
+curse, or speak one obscene word, much less that I ever made it my
+practice. I speak this to God's glory, who has ever preserved me from the
+power of these pollutions, and who, from a child, begot an hatred in me,
+towards them."
+
+"But there is nothing more common, than, when men are of a more severe
+life than ordinary, for loose persons to comfort themselves with the
+conceit, that these were once as they themselves are; as if there were no
+collateral or oblique line of the compass or globe, by which men might be
+said to come to the Arctic pole, but directly and immediately from the
+Antarctic. Thy words shall be thy burden, and I trample thy slanders, as
+dirt, under my feet."
+
+Mr. Clarkson is quoted, as good authority, by Mr. Macaulay. Such he has
+ever been esteemed. A brief quotation may not be amiss, in regard to
+Penn's relation to James II. Having referred to the Admiral's dying
+request to Charles and James, to have a regard for his Quaker son,
+Clarkson says--"From this period a more regular acquaintance grew up
+between them (William Penn and James II.) and intimacy followed. During
+this intimacy, however William Penn might have disapproved, as he did, of
+the King's religious opinions, he was attached to him, from a belief, that
+he was a friend to liberty of conscience. Entertaining this opinion
+concerning him, he conceived it to be his duty, now that he had become
+King, to renew this intimacy with him, and that, in a stronger manner than
+ever, that he might forward the great object, for which he had crossed the
+Atlantic, namely, the relief of those unhappy persons, who were then
+suffering, on account of their religion. * * * * He used his influence
+with the King solely in doing good."
+
+The relation, between William Penn and the Papist King, was indeed
+remarkable. Gerard Croese published his Historia Quakeriana, at Amsterdam,
+in 1695, which was translated into English, in the following year. It was
+greatly disliked, by the Quakers; and, in 1696, drew forth an answer from
+one of the society. The testimony of Croese, in relation to Penn, may
+therefore be deemed impartial. He says--"The king loved him, as a singular
+and entire friend, and imparted to him many of his secrets and counsels.
+He often honored him with his company in private, discoursing with him of
+various affairs, and that not for one but many hours together."
+
+When a peer, who had been long kept waiting for Penn to come forth,
+ventured to complain, the King simply said--"_Penn always talked
+ingeniously and he heard him willingly_." Croese says, that Penn was
+unwearied, as the suitor on behalf of his oppressed people, making
+constant efforts for their liberation, and paying their legal expenses,
+from his private purse. The King's remark certainly does not quadrate with
+Burnet's statement, that Penn "_had a tedious luscious way of talking_."
+With Queen Anne he was a great favorite; and Clarkson says, vol. ii. chap.
+15, "she received him always in a friendly manner, and was pleased with
+his conversation." So was Tillotson. So was a better judge than Queen
+Anne, Tillotson, or Burnet. In Noble's continuation of Granger, Swift is
+stated to have said--"_Penn talked very agreeably and with much spirit_."
+
+Somewhat of Penn's relation to King James may be gathered, from Penn's
+answer, when examined, in 1690, before King William, in regard to an
+intercepted letter from King James to Penn. In that letter, James desired
+Penn to "_come to his assistance and express to him the resentments of his
+favor and benevolence_." When asked what _resentments_ were intended, he
+replied that "he did not know, but he supposed the King meant he should
+compass his restoration. Though, however he could not avoid the suspicion
+of such an attempt, he could avoid the guilt of it. He confessed he had
+loved King James; and, as he had loved him, in his prosperity, he could
+not hate him, in his adversity--yes, he loved him yet, for the many favors
+he had conferred on him, though he could not join with him, in what
+concerned the state or kingdom." This answer, says Pickart, "_was noble,
+generous, and wise_."
+
+One of the most able and eloquent compositions of William Penn is his
+justly celebrated letter of October 24, 1688, to William Popple. Mr.
+Popple was secretary to the Lords Commissioners, for the affairs of trade
+and plantations, and a particular friend of Penn and of his schoolfellow,
+John Locke. Had Mr. Macaulay flourished then, he would have had readier
+listeners to these cavils, than he has at present. Penn, in 1688, was
+excessively unpopular. He was not only _the tool of the King and the
+Jesuits_, but a rank _Papist_ and _Jesuit_ himself--the _friend of
+arbitrary power,--bred at St. Omers in the Jesuits College--he had
+taken orders at Rome--married under a dispensation--officiated as a
+priest at Whitehall_--no charge against William Penn was too absurd, to
+gain credit with the people, at the period of the Revolution.
+
+Upon this occasion, Mr. Popple addressed to Penn a letter, eminently
+beautiful, in point of style, and containing a most forcible appeal to
+Penn's sense of duty to himself, to the society of Friends, to his
+children, and the world, to put down these atrocious calumnies, by some
+public written declaration. His letter will be found, in Clarkson's
+Memoirs, vol. ii. chap. i. I truly regret, that I have space only, for
+some brief disconnected extracts, from William Penn's reply.
+
+"Worthy Friend; it is now above twenty years, I thank God, that I have not
+been very solicitous what the world thought of me, &c. The business,
+chiefly insisted on, is my Popery and endeavors to promote it. I do say
+then, and that, with all simplicity, that I am not only no Jesuit, but no
+Papist; and which is more, I never had any temptation upon me to be so,
+either from doubts in my own mind, about the way I profess, or from the
+discourses or writings of any of that religion. And in the presence of
+Almighty God I do declare, that the King did never once directly or
+indirectly, attack me or tempt me upon that subject." * * * * "I say then
+solemnly, that so far from having been bred at St. Omers, and having
+received orders at Rome, I never was at either place; nor do I know
+anybody there, nor had I ever a correspondence with anybody in those
+places." After alluding to the absurdity of charging him with having
+officiated as a Catholic Priest, he adverts to his opinion of the views of
+King James, on the subject of toleration--"And in his honor, as well as in
+my own defence, I am obliged in conscience to say, that he has ever
+declared to me it was his opinion; and on all occasions, when Duke, he
+never refused me the repeated proof of it, as often as I had any poor
+sufferers for conscience' sake to solicit his help for." * * * * "To this
+let me add the relation my father had to this King's service; his
+particular favor in getting me released out of the Tower of London in
+1669, my father's humble request to him, upon his death-bed, to protect me
+from the inconveniences and troubles my persuasion might expose me to, and
+his friendly promise to do it, and exact performance of it, from the
+moment I addressed myself to him. I say, when all this is considered,
+anybody, that has the least pretence to good nature, gratitude, or
+generosity, must needs know how to interpret my access to the King."
+
+This letter contains sentiments, on the subject of religious toleration,
+which would be highly ornamental, if placed in golden characters, upon the
+walls of all our churches--"Our fault is, we are apt to be mighty hot upon
+speculative errors, and break all bounds in our resentments; but we let
+practical ones pass without remark, if not without repentance! as if a
+mistake about an obscure proposition of faith were a greater evil, than
+the breach of an undoubted precept. Such a religion the devils themselves
+are not without, for they have both faith and knowledge; but their faith
+doth not work by love, nor their knowledge by obedience." * * * "Let us
+not think religion a litigious thing; nor that Christ came only to make us
+disputants." * * * * "It is charity that deservedly excels in the
+Christian religion." * * * * "He that suffers his difference with his
+neighbor, about the other world, to carry him beyond the line of
+moderation in this, is the worse for his opinion, even if it be true. It
+is too little considered by Christians, that men may hold the truth in
+unrighteousness; that they may be orthodox, and not know what spirit they
+are of."
+
+Verily, this "_courtly Quaker_"--this "_tool of the King and the
+Jesuits_," who was "_never a strong-headed man_"--was quite a Christian
+gentleman after all.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXI.
+
+
+In the latter days of William Penn, _the sun and the light were
+darkened--the clouds returned after the rain--the grasshopper became a
+burden_--and the years had drawn nigh, when he could truly say he had _no
+pleasure in them_. No mortal, probably, ever enjoyed a more continual
+feast from the consciousness of a life, devoted to the glory of God, and
+the welfare of man; but many of his temporal reliances had crumbled under
+him; and trouble had gathered about his path, and about his bed.
+
+He had not much more comfort in his government, I fear, than Sancho Panza
+enjoyed, in that of Barataria. Its commencement was marked, by a vexatious
+dispute with Lord Baltimore; and the Governor's absence was ever the
+signal for altercation, between different cliques and parties, and
+vexatious neglect, on the part of his tenants and agents. In his letters
+to Thomas Lloyd, the President of his Council, he complains of some in the
+government, for drinking, carousing, and official extortion.
+
+In his letters to Lloyd and Harrison in 1686, he complains of the Council,
+for neglecting and slighting his letters; that he cannot get "_a penny_"
+of his quit-rents; and adds--"God is my witness, I lie not. I am now above
+six thousand pounds out of pocket, more than ever I saw by the province;
+and you may throw in my pains, cares, and hazard of life, and leaving of
+my family and friends to serve them."
+
+It is even stated by Clarkson, vol. i. ch. 22, that want of funds from the
+Province prevented his returning to America, in 1686. In the following
+year, he renews these complaints.
+
+In 1688, and after the revolution, he was examined, before the Lords of
+Council, on the charge of being a Papist and a Jesuit; gave bonds for his
+attendance, on the first day of the next term; and, no witness then
+appearing against him, he was discharged.
+
+In 1690, he was again arrested, and bound over as before, and, no witness
+appearing, was again discharged. In the same year, he was once more
+arrested, and committed to prison. On the day of trial, no witness
+appeared, and he was again discharged. He resolved to fly from such
+continual persecution, to America, and, while making his preparation, he
+was again arrested, upon the information of one Fuller, who was afterward
+set in the pillory, for his crime.
+
+Penn sought safety, in privacy and retirement from the world. In 1691, a
+new proclamation was issued for his arrest; and his American affairs wore
+a gloomy aspect. In 1693, he was deprived of his government, by King
+William; and pursued with unrelenting rage, by his enemies. In the words
+of Clarkson, he was "_a poor, persecuted exile_."
+
+"_Canonized to-day and cursed to-morrow_"--such seems to have been the
+fortune of William Penn. His only prudent course seemed to be to bow down,
+before the wrath of that popular hurricane, which swept furiously over
+him, and went upon its way. This good and great man was not wholly
+forgotten. He had never forfeited the affectionate respect of some
+persons, who have left bright names, for the admiration of future ages.
+Such were Locke and Tillotson. They marked their time, and moved in behalf
+of the oppressed. Lords Ranelagh, Rochester, and Sidney went to King
+William--they "_considered it a dishonor to the Government, that a man,
+who had lived such an exemplary life, and who had been so distinguished
+for his talents, disinterestedness, generosity, and public spirit, should
+be buried in an ignoble obscurity, and prevented from rising to future
+eminence and usefulness, in consequence of the charge of an unprincipled
+wretch, whom Parliament had publicly stigmatized, as a cheat and an
+impostor_."
+
+King William replied to these truly noble lords, "that William Penn was
+_an old friend of his, as well as theirs_, and that he might follow his
+business, as freely as ever, for he had nothing to say against him." The
+principal Secretary of State, Sir John Trenchard, and the Marquis of
+Winchester bore these joyful tidings to William Penn. And how did he
+receive them? He went instantly, of course, to tender the homage of his
+humble acknowledgments to King William--not so. He was then greatly
+embarrassed in his pecuniary affairs. Foes were on every side. The wife
+whom, in his parting letter, he bade remember, that she was _the love of
+his youth and the joy of his life_, was on her death-bed, prostrated
+there, according to Clarkson, in no small degree, by her too keen sympathy
+for her long suffering husband. His _heart_ was broken--his _spirit_ was
+not. He preferred rights before favors, and desired permission publicly to
+defend himself, before the King in council. This was granted, and he was
+abundantly acquitted, after a deliberate hearing.
+
+The last hours of his wife, Gulielma Maria, were cheered by this
+intelligence. In about a month after this event, she died. "She was an
+excelling person," said he, "as wife, child, mother, mistress, friend, and
+neighbor."
+
+In 1694, a complete reconciliation took place between Penn and the society
+of Friends; and, in the same year, he was restored to the Government of
+Pennsylvania. In 1696, he married Hannah Callowhill, of Bristol. These
+gleams of returning happiness were soon obscured. A few weeks after this
+marriage, he lost his eldest son. This young man was upon the eve of
+twenty-one. His father's simple narrative of the dying hour is truly
+affecting. "His time drawing on apace, he said to me--'My dear father,
+kiss me. Thou art a dear father. How can I make thee amends?' He also
+called his sister, and said to her, 'poor child, come and kiss me,'
+between whom seemed a tender and long parting. I sent for his brother,
+that he might kiss him too, which he did. All were in tears about him.
+Turning his head to me, he said softly, 'Dear father, hast thou no hope
+for me?' I answered, 'My dear child, I am afraid to hope, and I dare not
+despair, but am and have been resigned, though one of the hardest lessons
+I ever learned.'" When the doctor came, he was very weak, and the
+narrative continues thus. "He said--'Let my father speak to the doctor,
+and I'll go to sleep,' which he did and waked no more; breathing his last
+upon my breast, the tenth day of the second month, between nine and ten in
+the morning, 1696. So ended the life of my dear child and eldest son, much
+of my comfort and hope, and one of the most tender and dutiful, as well as
+ingenuous and virtuous youths I knew, if I may say so of my own dear son,
+in whom I lost all that any father can lose in a child; since he was
+capable of anything, that became a sober young man, my friend and
+companion, as well as most affectionate and dutiful child."
+
+About this time Penn was sorely grieved, by the conduct of George Keith,
+the apostate Quaker, who had been excommunicated, and now spent his time,
+in abusing the society.
+
+Penn had become well convinced of many solemn truths, presented in the
+last chapter of Ecclesiastes, and of none more fully, than that there is
+no end of making books. He continued to pour forth pamphlets, on various
+subjects. In this year, 1696, he became acquainted, and had several
+interviews, with Peter the Great, who was then working, as a common
+shipwright, in the dock yards at Deptford. In 1699 he once more visited
+Pennsylvania. In 1701 he returned to England. In 1702 and 1703 he
+continued to preach and publish, as vigorously as ever.
+
+In 1707 he became involved in a lawsuit, with the executors of one Ford,
+his former steward, or agent. Ford was undoubtedly a knave. Penn suffered
+severely from this cause. The decision was against him; and, though
+Chancery could not relieve, many thought him greatly wronged. He was
+compelled, in 1708, to live within the rules of the Fleet. This,
+doubtless, was the occasion of Mr. Burke's erroneous statement, many years
+after, that Penn died in the Fleet Prison. An amusing anecdote may be
+referred to this period, which, though not mentioned by Clarkson, nor in
+the life by Chalmers, may be found in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, of
+1798, and is repeated, in Napier's edition of 1842. Penn is said to have
+had a peep-hole, through which, unseen, he could see every visitor. A
+creditor, having often knocked, and becoming impatient, knocked more
+violently; "will not your master see me?" said he, when the door was
+opened--"He hath _seen_ thee, friend," the servant replied, "but he doth
+not like thee."
+
+In 1709, his necessities were such, that he mortgaged his whole Province
+of Pennsylvania, for L6600. This necessity, as Oldmixon says, in his
+"Account of the British Empire in America," arose from "his bounty to the
+Indians, his generosity in minding the public affairs of the Colony more
+than his own private ones, his humanity to those, who have not made
+suitable returns, his confidence in those, who have betrayed him."
+
+In 1712, he had three apoplectic fits, followed by those painful effects,
+which are usual in such cases. His friend, Thomas Story, the first
+recorder of Philadelphia, made him yearly visits, after this period, till
+his death, which took place July 30, 1718. It is impossible to read the
+account of these visits, as given by Thomas Story himself, and presented
+by Clarkson, vol. ii. chap. 18, without emotion.
+
+It has too often befallen those, whose lives have been devoted to the
+benefit of mankind, to be outraged, after they were dead and buried.
+Malice delights to meddle with their ashes. Political prejudice and
+priestly bigotry seek, in graves, undisturbed by ages, for something to
+gratify their unnatural appetites, and satisfy the gnawings of a mean,
+vindictive spirit.
+
+Penn had not long been committed to the tomb, when a wretch, Henry
+Pickworth, an excommunicated renegade, spread abroad, with all the
+industry and energy of a malicious spirit, the report that Penn had died a
+raving maniac, at Bath. This rumor became so general, that it was thought
+necessary to destroy it, by the publication of certificates from those,
+who had ministered about his dying bed.
+
+For one hundred and thirty years, William Penn has slumbered in the grave.
+That _hutesium et clamor_, that spirit of persecution, by which this
+excellent man was pursued, vilified, impoverished, and exiled, has long
+been hushed. The high churchman, the bigot, the Quaker renegade, the false
+accuser, have worn out their viperous teeth upon the file. All, that bore
+the primeval impress of human weakness, in William Penn, had well nigh
+perished, and departed from the minds of men. All, that was excellent, and
+lovely, and of good report, had become case hardened, as it were, into a
+sort of precious immortality. That his spirit had found a celestial niche,
+among the just made perfect, was the firm faith of all, who believe, that
+their Father in Heaven is a God of toleration and of mercy. I have paid my
+imperfect tribute of affectionate respect to the memory of William Penn.
+
+Notwithstanding Mr. Macaulay's efforts to disturb the popular opinion, in
+regard to William Penn, his History of England is one of the most amusing
+books, in the English language. Relationship is worth something, even in a
+library; I have placed the two volumes, already published, between the
+works of Sir Walter Scott, and a highly prized edition of the Arabian
+Nights.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXII.
+
+
+Death has taken away, within a brief space, several of our estimable
+citizens--Mr. Joseph Balch, an excellent and amiable man, who filled an
+official station, honorably for himself, and profitably for others--Mr.
+Samuel C. Gray, a gentleman of taste and refinement, who graduated at
+Harvard College, in 1811, and, at the time of his death, was President of
+the Atlas Bank--Mr. John Bromfield, a man of a sound head, and a kind
+heart. Having bestowed five and twenty thousand dollars, in his life-time,
+upon the Boston Athenaeum, he modestly left the more extended purposes of
+his benevolent heart, to be proclaimed, after his decease; and, by his
+will, distributed, among eight charitable institutions, and his native
+town, the sum of one hundred and ten thousand dollars.
+
+The features of these good men are still upon the retina of our memories;
+the tones of their voices yet ring in our ears; we almost expect their
+wonted salutation, upon the public walk. But there is no mockery
+here--they are gone--the places, that knew them, shall know them no more!
+
+Death has laid his icy hand upon these men, as he has ever laid the same
+cold palm upon their fathers, since time began. Such exits are common.
+Disease triumphed over the flesh, and they ceased to be.
+
+But Death has done his dismal work, of late, in our very midst, by the
+hand of cruel violence--not sitting like the King of Terrors, in quiet
+dignity, upon his throne, and casting his unerring shafts abroad; but
+darting down upon his unsuspecting victim, and, with a murderous grasp,
+crushing him at once. I allude, as every reader well knows, to the fate of
+the late Dr. George Parkman.
+
+As the Coroner's Inquest, after long and laborious investigation, has
+declared, that he was "_killed_," we must assume it to be so. I have known
+this gentleman, for more than forty years; and have had occasion to
+observe some of the peculiarities of his character, in the relations of
+business, as well as in those of ordinary intercourse--I say the
+_peculiarities_ of his character, for he certainly must be classed in the
+category of _eccentric_ men. Having heard much of this ill-fated
+gentleman, for many years, before the late awful occurrence, and still
+more since the event--for he was extensively known, and all, who knew him,
+have something to relate--I am satisfied, that those very traits of
+eccentricity, to which I refer, have led the larger part of mankind, to
+form erroneous impressions of his character.
+
+Dr. George Parkman was the son of Samuel Parkman, an enterprising, and
+successful merchant, of Boston, who was a descendant of Ebenezer Parkman,
+who graduated at Harvard College, in 1721, and was ordained Oct. 28, 1724,
+the first minister of Westborough; and who, after a ministry of sixty
+years, died, Dec. 9, 1782, at the age of 79, and whose wife was the
+daughter of Robert Breck, minister of Marlborough, who was the grandson
+of Edward Breck, one of the early settlers of Dorchester, in 1636.
+
+Dr. George Parkman graduated, at Harvard College, in 1809. When he
+commenced his junior year, John White Webster, now Erving Professor of
+Chemistry and Mineralogy, entered the University, as freshman. Dr.
+Webster, who is now in prison, charged with the "_killing_" of Dr.
+Parkman, will, in due time, be tried, by a jury of his countrymen. Will it
+not be decorous, and humane, and in accordance with the golden rule, for
+the men, women, and children of Massachusetts, to permit the accused to
+have an impartial trial? Can this be possible, if, upon the _on dits_ of
+the day, of whose value every man of any experience can judge, this
+individual, whose past career seems not to have been particularly
+bloodthirsty, is to be morally condemned, without a hearing?
+
+Hundreds, whose elastic intellects have been accustomed to jump in
+judgment, are already assured, that we believe Dr. Webster innocent. Now
+we _believe_ no such thing--nor do we _believe_ he is guilty. His
+reputation and his life are of some little importance to himself, and to
+his family; and we should be heartily ashamed, to carry a head upon our
+shoulders, which would not enable us to suspend our judgment, until all
+the _true facts_ are in, and all the _false facts_ are out.
+
+How much beautiful reasoning has been utterly and gratuitously wasted,
+upon premises, which have turned out to be not a whit better, than stubble
+and rottenness! The very readiness, with which everybody believes all
+manner of evil, of everybody, furnishes evidence enough, that the devil is
+in everybody; and goes not a little way, in support of the doctrine of
+original sin.
+
+Let us, by all means, and especially, by an avoidance of the topic, give
+assurance to the accused of a fair and impartial trial. If he shall be
+proved to be innocent, who will not blush, that has contributed to fill
+the atmosphere, with a presentiment of this poor man's guilt? If, on the
+other hand, he shall be proved to be guilty of an incomparably foul and
+fiendish murder--let him be hanged by the neck till he is dead, for God's
+sake--aye, for GOD'S SAKE--for God hath said--WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN'S BLOOD,
+BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED.
+
+The personal appearance of Dr. Parkman was remarkable--so much so, that
+his identity could not well be mistaken, by any one, who had carefully
+observed his person. His body was unusually attenuated, and I have often,
+while looking at his profile, perceived a resemblance to Hogarth's sketch
+of his friend Fielding, taken from memory, after death.
+
+The talents of Dr. George Parkman were highly respectable. His mind was of
+that order, which took little rest--its movements, like those of his body,
+were always quick; more so, perhaps, upon some occasions, than comported
+with the formation of just and permanent judgment. He was a respectably
+well read man, not only in his own profession, but he possessed a very
+creditable store of general information, and was an entertaining and
+instructive companion. In various ways, he promoted the best interests of
+medical science; and nothing, probably, prevented him from attaining very
+considerable eminence, in his calling, but the accession of hereditary
+wealth; whose management occupied, for many years, a large portion of his
+time and thoughts.
+
+By some persons, he has been accounted over sharp and hard, in his
+pecuniary dealings--mean and even miserly. No opinion can be more untrue.
+Dr. Parkman's eccentricity was nowhere so manifest, as in his money
+relations. The line was singularly well defined, in his mind, between
+charity, or liberality, and traffic. He adhered to the time-honored maxim,
+that _there is no love in trade_. There are persons, who, in their
+dealings, give up fractions, and suffer petty encroachments, for the sake
+of popularity; and who make, not only their own side of a bargain, but, in
+a very amiable, patronizing way, a portion of the other. Dr. Parkman did
+none of these things. He gave men credit, for a full share of selfishness
+and cunning--made his contracts carefully--performed them strictly--and
+expected an exact fulfilment, from the other party.
+
+It is perfectly natural, that the promptness and the pertinacity of Dr.
+Parkman, in exacting the punctual payment of money, and the strict
+performance of contracts, should be equally surprising and annoying to
+those, whose previous dealings had been with men, of less method and
+vigilance. But no man, however irritated by the daily repetition of the
+dun, has ever charged, upon Dr. Parkman, the slightest departure from the
+line of strict integrity. He was a man of honor, in the true acceptation
+of that word. His domestic arrangements were of the most liberal kind--his
+manners were courteous--and he possessed the high spirit of a
+gentleman--and, with all the occasional evidences, which his conduct
+_openly_ supplied, of his particular care, in the gathering of units; he
+could be _secretly_ liberal, with hundreds.
+
+It may well be doubted, if any individual has ever lived, for sixty years,
+in this city, whose real character has been so little understood, by the
+community at large. The reason is at hand--he exposed that regard for
+pittances, which most men conceal--and he concealed many acts of charity,
+which most men expose. He had many tenants of the lower order--he was
+frequently his own collector, and brought upon himself many murmurs and
+complaints, which are commonly the agent's portion.
+
+The charities of Dr. Parkman wore an aspect, now and then, of
+whimsicality, and were strangely contrasted with _apparent_ meanness.
+Thus, upon one occasion, he is said to have insisted upon being paid a
+paltry balance of rent, some twenty-five cents, by a poor woman, who
+assured him it was all she had to buy her dinner. "_Now we have settled
+the rent_," said he, and immediately gave her a couple of dollars.
+
+A gentleman, an old college acquaintance of Dr. Parkman's, told me, a day
+or two since, that the Dr. came to him, after this gentleman's failure,
+some years ago, and said to him, with great kindness and delicacy--"You
+want a house--there is mine in ---- street, empty and repaired--take
+it--you shall pay no rent for a year, and as much longer, as may suit your
+convenience."
+
+In 1832, this city was visited by the cholera. Mr. Charles Wells was
+Mayor, and a very good Mayor was he. Had his benevolence induced him to
+labor, for the more extensive diffusion of the blessing of alcohol, among
+the poor, the liquor trade would certainly have voted him a punch-bowl,
+for his vigorous opposition to the cholera. Upon the occasion, to which I
+refer, Dr. Parkman said to the city authorities--"You are seeking for a
+cholera hospital--take any of my houses, that may suit you, rent free, in
+welcome. If you prefer that, which I occupy, I will move out, with
+pleasure."
+
+When Dorcas died, the good people of Joppa began to display her handiwork.
+I am surprised, though much of it was known to me before, at the amount of
+evidence, which is now produced, from various quarters, to prove, that
+this unfortunate gentleman was a man of the most kind affections, and of
+extensive, practical benevolence.
+
+Let me close these remarks, with one brief anecdote; which, though once
+already related of Dr. Parkman, by the editor of the Transcript, is worthy
+of many republications, and is not at all like news, on the stock
+exchange, good only while it is new.
+
+"A politician stopped the Doctor in the street and asked him to subscribe
+for the expense of a salute, in honor of some political victory. The
+Doctor put his arm in his, and invited him to take a little walk. He led
+him round the corner into a dismal alley, and then up three flights of
+rickety stairs into a room where a poor woman was sitting, propped by
+pillows, feebly attempting to sew. Some pale, hungry-looking children were
+near. The Doctor took six dollars out of his pocket-book, and handed it to
+the politician, and, simply remarking, "do with it as you please," he
+darted out of the room in his usually impulsive way."
+
+I must close this feeble tribute of respect to the memory of one, who
+truly deserved a milder fate and an abler pen. Had we the power of
+recall--how well and wisely might we pay his ransom, with scores of men,
+quite as _eccentric_ in their way, but whose _eccentricity_ has very
+rarely assumed the charitable type!
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXIII.
+
+
+When I was a very young man, I had the honor of a slight acquaintance with
+a most worthy gentleman, my senior by many years, who represented the town
+of Hull, in the Legislature of our Commonwealth. As I marked the solemn
+step, with which he moved along the public way, towards the House of
+Representatives, and the weight of responsibility, which hung upon his
+anxious brow--if such, thought I, is the effect, produced upon the
+representative of Hull--what an awful thing it must be, to represent the
+whole United States of North America, at the court of the greatest nation
+in the world!
+
+In harmony with this opinion, every nation of the earth has selected, from
+the _elite_ of the whole country, for the high and responsible employment
+of standing before the world, as the legitimate representative of itself,
+a man of affairs--I do not mean the affairs of trade, and discounts, and
+invoices, and profits--I use the word, in its most ample diplomatic
+sense--a man of great wisdom, and knowledge, and experience--a man
+familiar with the laws of nations--a man of dignity--not that arrogated
+dignity, which looks supremely wise, while it feels supremely foolish--but
+that conscious dignity, which is innate, and sits upon the wearer, like an
+easy garment--a man of liberal education, and great familiarity, not with
+the whole circle of sciences, but with the whole circle of historical and
+correlative knowledge--a man of classical erudition, and a scholar,
+competent to bear a becoming part, in that elevated intercourse of mind,
+which forms the dignified and delightful recreation of the diplomatist, in
+the first society of Europe.
+
+Men, who have been bred up, amid the pursuits of trade, have been, with
+great propriety, selected, to fill the offices of _consuls_, in foreign
+lands; agreeably to the long established distinction, that _consuls_
+represent the _commercial affairs_--_ambassadors_ the _state and dignity_
+of the country, from whence they come.
+
+Oh! for the wand of that enchantress, the glorious witch of Endor! to turn
+up the sod of memory, and conjure, from their honorable graves, the train
+of illustrious, and highly gifted men, who, from time to time, have been
+sent forth, to represent this great Republic, before the throne of
+England!
+
+First, on that scroll of honor, is a name, which shall prove coeval with
+the first days, and with the last, of this Republic. It shall never
+perish, till the whole earth itself shall be rolled up, like a scroll. On
+the second day of June, 1785, JOHN ADAMS was presented to King George, the
+third. The very man, whom that obstinate, old monarch had never
+contemplated, in his royal visions, but as a rebel, suing for pardon, with
+a rope about his neck, then stood before him, calm and erect--the equal of
+that king, in all things, that became a man, and his mighty superior in
+many--the representative of a nation, which his consummate wisdom, and
+invincible, moral courage had contributed, so materially, to render free
+and independent.
+
+What a tribute was conveyed, in the words of Jefferson, his political
+rival--"_The great pillar and support to the declaration of independence,
+and its ablest advocate and champion on the floor of the house was_ JOHN
+ADAMS. _He was the Colossus of that Congress: not graceful, not eloquent,
+not always fluent, in his public addresses, he yet came out with a power
+both of thought and expression, which moved the hearers from their
+seats._"
+
+In those thoughtful days, secretaries of legation were carefully selected,
+and with some reference, of course, to their contingent responsibilities,
+in the event of the absence, or illness, of their principals. When, in
+1779, Mr. Adams went, on his mission to France, a gentleman of high
+qualifications, Mr. Francis Dana, gave up his seat, _as a member of
+Congress_, to follow that great man, _as secretary of legation_. Mr. Dana
+subsequently figured, ably and gracefully, in the highest stations. In
+1780, he was minister to Russia. In 1784, he was a delegate to Congress.
+In 1797, he declined the office of envoy extraordinary to France. From
+1792 to 1806, he was the able, impartial, and eminently dignified Chief
+Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
+
+In 1794, it was thought, by the appointing power, that John Jay might be
+trusted to represent our Republic, at the British Court. With what a
+reputation, for wisdom, and talents, and learning, that great man crossed
+the sea! Mr. Jay, an eminent lawyer, uniting the wisdom and dignity of
+years, with the vigor and zeal of early manhood, was a member of the first
+American Congress, at the age of twenty-nine. Chairman of the Committee,
+of which Lee and Livingston were members, he was the author of the
+eloquent "_Address to the People of Great Britain_." He was Chief Justice
+of the State of New York, from 1777 to 1779, and relinquished that
+elevated station, as incompatible with the due performance of his duties,
+as President of Congress. From his skilful hand came the stirring address
+of that assembly, to its constituents, of Sept. 8, 1779. He was appointed
+minister plenipotentiary to Spain, at the close of that year--a
+commissioner, to negotiate peace with Great Britain, in 1782--Chief
+Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of the United States, in
+1789--Governor of New York, in 1795, being then abroad, as minister
+plenipotentiary of the United States, to Great Britain, to which office he
+was appointed in 1794--and again Governor of New York, in 1798.
+
+Rufus King graduated at Harvard College, in 1777, with a high reputation,
+as a classical scholar and an orator; and studied his profession, with the
+late Chief Justice Parsons. In 1784, he was a delegate to Congress. He was
+a member of the Convention of 1787, to form the Constitution of the United
+States. In 1789, he was a member of the United States Senate. Of the
+celebrated Camillus papers, commonly ascribed to Hamilton, all, excepting
+the ten first, were from the pen of Rufus King. In 1796, he was nominated,
+by Washington, minister plenipotentiary to the Court of Great Britain. He
+filled that high station, till the close of the second year of the
+Jefferson administration. After a long retirement, he was again in the
+Senate of the United States, in 1813. After quitting the Senate, in 1825,
+he was once more appointed minister to Great Britain; but, after remaining
+abroad, about a year, in ill health, he returned, and died at Jamaica,
+Long Island, April 29, 1827.
+
+"_And what shall I more say?_ For the time would fail me, to tell of"
+Pinckney, and Gore, and the younger Adams, that incarnation of wisdom and
+learning, and Gallatin, and Maclean, and Everett, and Bancroft, every one
+of whom has been preceded, by the well-earned reputation of high,
+intellectual powers and attainments, whatever may have been the difference
+of their political opinions.
+
+Knowledge is power; talent is power; and fine literary tastes and
+acquirements are, preeminently, power; and, in no spot, upon the surface
+of the earth, are they more truly so, than in the great British
+metropolis. The wand of a man of letters can there do more, than can be
+achieved, by the power of Midas, or the wonder-working lamp of Aladdin.
+
+Our fathers, therefore, preferred, that the nation should be represented,
+in its simplicity and strength, by men of long heads, strong hearts, and
+short purses. They considered a regular, thorough, and polished education,
+literary attainments of a very high order, a clear and comprehensive
+knowledge of the law of nations, and an extensive store of general
+information, absolutely essential, in a minister plenipotentiary, from
+this Republic, to the Court of Great Britain; for our _state and dignity_
+were to be represented there, not less than our _commercial relations_.
+
+They well knew, that our representative should be qualified to represent
+the refined and educated portions of our community, in the presence of
+those elevated classes, among whom he must frequently appear; and "_whose
+talk_," to use the expression of Dr. Johnson, was not likely to be "_of
+bullocks_." They therefore invariably selected, for this exalted station,
+one, who would be abundantly able to represent the nation, with gravity,
+and dignity, and wisdom, and knowledge, and power; and who would never be
+reduced, whatever the subject might be, to believe his safety was in
+sitting still, or of suffering the secret of his impotency to escape, by
+opening his mouth.
+
+If I have passed too rapidly for the reader's willingness to linger, over
+the names of some highly distinguished men, who have so ably represented
+our country, at the British Court, and who still _survive_--it is because
+_my dealings are with the dead_.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXIV.
+
+
+"An immense quantity of fuel was always of necessity used, when dead
+bodies were burned, instead of buried; and a friend, learned in such lore,
+as well as in much that is far more valuable, informs us that the burning
+of a _martyr_ was always an expensive process."
+
+This passage was transferred, from the New York Courier and Enquirer, to
+the Boston Atlas, December 29, 1849, and is part of an article having
+reference to the partial cremation of Dr. Parkman's remains.
+
+I must presume, as a sexton of the old school, to doubt the accuracy of
+this statement, in the very face of the averment, that the editor's
+authority is "_a friend, learned in such lore_."
+
+To enable my readers to judge of the comparative expense of burial, in the
+ordinary mode, by interment or entombment, and by cremation, I refer, in
+the first place, to Mr. Chadwick's Report, made by request of Her
+Majesty's Principal Secretary of State, for the Home Department, Lond.
+1843, in which it is stated, that a Master in Chancery, when dealing with
+insolvent estates, will pass, "_as a matter of course_," such claims as
+these--from L60 to L100 for burying an upper tradesman--L250 for burying a
+gentleman--L500 to L1500 for burying a nobleman.
+
+But let us confine our remarks to the particular allegation. The "_friend,
+learned in such lore_," has greatly diminished the labor of refutation, by
+confining his statement to the burning of _martyrs_--"_the burning of a
+martyr was always an expensive process_," requiring, says the Courier and
+Enquirer, "_an immense quantity of fuel_."
+
+I well remember to have read, though I cannot recall the authority, that
+aromatic woods and spices were occasionally used in the East, during the
+_suttees_, to correct the offensive odor. In addition to the reason,
+assigned by Cicero, De Legibus, ii. 23, for the law against intramural
+burning, that conflagration might be avoided--Servius, in a note, on the
+AEneis, vi. 150, states another, that the air might not be infected with
+the stench. To prevent this, we know that costly perfumes were cast upon
+the pile; and the respect and affection for the defunct came to be
+measured, at last, by this species of extravagance; just as the funereal
+sorrow of the Irish is supposed to be graduated, by the number of coaches,
+and the quantity of whiskey.
+
+But our business is with the _martyrs_. What was the cost of burning John
+Rogers I really do not know. I doubt if the process was very expensive;
+for good old John Strype has told us, almost to a fagot, how much fuel it
+took, to burn Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley. The fuel, employed to burn
+Latimer and Ridley, cost fifteen shillings and four pence sterling for
+both; and the fuel for burning Cranmer, nine shillings and four pence
+only. Then there were chains, stakes, laborers, and cartage; and the whole
+cost for burning all three, was _one pound, sixteen shillings, and six
+pence_! Not a very expensive process truly. The authority is not at every
+one's command: I therefore give it entire, from Strype's Memorials of
+Cranmer, Oxford ed., 1840, vol. i. p. 563:--
+
+                                                                _s._  _d._
+  "For three loads of wood fagots to burn Ridley and Latimer,    12    0
+  Item, one load of furs fagots,                                  3    4
+  For the carriage of these four loads,                           2    0
+  Item, a post,                                                   1    4
+  Item, two chains,                                               3    4
+  Item, two staples,                                              0    6
+  Item, four laborers,                                            2    8
+
+  "FOR BURNING CRANMER.
+  For an 100 of wood fagots,                                      6    0
+  For an 100 and half of furs fagots,                             3    4
+  For the carriage of them,                                       0    8
+  To two laborers,                                                1    4."
+
+L1500 to _bury_ a nobleman, and L1 16 6, to _burn_ three martyrs! Leaving
+the Courier and Enquirer, and the "_friend, learned in such lore_," to
+_bury_ or to _burn_ this record, as they please, I turn to another
+subject, referred to, on the very same page of Strype's Memorials, and
+which is not without some little interest, at the present moment.
+
+A prisoner, charged with any terrible offence, innocent or guilty, lies
+under the _surveillance_ of all eyes and ears. The slightest act, the
+shortest word, the very breath of his nostrils are carefully reported. The
+public resolves itself into a committee of anxious inquirers, to ascertain
+precisely how he eats, and drinks, and sleeps. There are persons of lively
+fancies, whose imaginations fire up, at the mere sight of his prison
+walls, and start off, under high pressure, filling the air with rumors,
+too horribly delightful, to be doubted for an instant.
+
+If the topic were not the terrible thing that it is, it would be difficult
+to preserve one's gravity, while listening to some portion of the
+testimony, upon which, it may be our fortune, one of these days, to be
+convicted of murder, by the charitable public.
+
+Of the guilt or innocence of John White Webster I _know_ nothing, and I
+_believe_ nothing. But it has been currently reported, that, since his
+confinement, he has been detected, in the crime of eating oysters. I
+doubt, if this ordeal would have been considered entirely satisfactory,
+even by Dr. Mather, in 1692. Man is a marvellous monster, when sitting,
+self-placed, in judgment, on his fellow! The very thing, which is a sin,
+in the commission or observance, is no less a sin, in the omission and the
+breach--for who will doubt the blood-guiltiness of a man, that, while
+confined, on a charge of murder, can partake of an oyster pie! And if he
+cannot do this, who will doubt, that a consciousness of guilt has deprived
+him of his appetite!
+
+I have heard of a drunken husband, who, while staggering home, after
+midnight, communed with himself, as follows--"_If my wife has gone to bed,
+before I get home to supper, I'll beat her,--and if she is sitting up, so
+late as this, burning my wood and candles, I'll beat her_."
+
+Good John Strype, ibid. 562, says of Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley, while in
+the prison of Bocardo--"They ate constantly suppers as well as dinners.
+Their meals amounted to about three or four shillings; seldom exceeding
+four. Their bread and ale commonly came to two pence or three pence; they
+had constantly cheese and pears for their last dish, both at dinner and
+supper; and always wine." It is not uninteresting to note the prices, paid
+for certain articles of their diet, in those days, 1555. While describing
+the _provant_ of these martyrs, Strype annexes the prices, "_it being an
+extraordinary dear time_.--A goose, 14d. A pig, 12 oz. 13d. A cony, 6d. A
+woodcock, 3d. and sometimes 5d. A couple of chickens, 6d. Three plovers,
+10d. Half a dozen larks, 3d. A dozen of larks and 2 plovers, 10d. A breast
+of veal, 11d. A shoulder of mutton, 10d. Roast beef, 12d." He presents one
+of Cranmer's bills of fare:--
+
+  "Bread and ale,                   2.d.
+  Item oisters,                     1.d.
+  Item butter,                      2.d.
+  Item eggs,                        2.d.
+  Item lyng,                        8.d.
+  Item a piece of fresh salmon,    10.d.
+  Wine,                             3.d.
+  Cheese and pears,                 2.d."
+
+Two bailiffs, Wells and Winkle, upon their own responsibility, furnished
+the table of these martyrs, and appear never to have been reimbursed.
+Strype says, ibid. 563, that they expended L63 10s. 2d., and never
+received but L20, which they obtained from Sir William Petre, Secretary of
+State. Ten years after, a petition was presented to the successor of
+Cranmer, that these poor bailiffs might receive some recompense.
+
+After the pile had burnt down, in the case of Cranmer, upon raking among
+the embers, his heart was found entire. Upon this incident, Strype
+exclaims--"Methinks it is a pity, that his heart, that remained sound in
+the fire, and was found unconsumed in his ashes, was not preserved in some
+urn; which, when the better times of Queen Elizabeth came, might, in
+memory of this truly good and great Thomas of Canterbury, have been placed
+among his predecessors, in his church there, as one of the truest glories
+of that See."
+
+In 1821, Mr. William Ward, of Serampore, published, in London, his
+"_Farewell Letters_." Mr. Ward was a Baptist missionary; and, at the time
+of the publication, was preparing to return to Bengal. This work was very
+favorably reviewed in the Christian Observer, vol. xxi. p. 504. I have
+never met with a description, so exceedingly minute, of the _suttee_, the
+process of burning widows. He thus describes the funeral pile--"The
+funeral pile consists of a quantity of fagots, laid on the earth, rising,
+in height, about three feet from the ground, about four feet wide, and six
+feet in length." Admitting these fagots to be closely packed, the pile
+contains seventy-two cubic feet of wood, or fifty-six less than a cord.
+"_A large quantity of fagots are then laid upon the bodies_," says Mr.
+Ward. As the widow often leaps from the pile, and is chased back again,
+into the flames, by the benevolent Bramins, the fagots, which are not
+heaped _around_ the pile, but "_laid on the bodies_," cannot be a very
+oppressive load; and the quantity, thus employed in the _suttee_, is for
+the cremation of two bodies, at least, the dead husband, and the living
+widow.
+
+There can be no doubt of the superior economy of cremation, over
+earth-burial. The notions of an "_expensive process_," and the "_immense
+quantities of fuel_," have no foundation in practice. If the ashes, as has
+been sometimes the case, were given to the winds, or cast upon the waters,
+the expense of cremation would be exceedingly small. But cremation,
+however inexpensive, in itself, has led to unmeasured extravagance, in the
+matter of urns of the most costly materials, and workmanship, of which an
+ample account may be found, in the _Hydriotaphia_ of Sir Thomas Browne,
+London, 1835, vol. iii. p. 449.
+
+More remarkable changes have occurred, in modern times, than a revival of
+the practice of cremation. It is an error, however, to suppose this
+practice to have been the original mode of dealing with the dead. It was
+very general about the year 1225, B. C., but the usage, at the present
+day, was, doubtless, the primitive practice of mankind. So thought Cicero,
+De Legibus ii. 22. "Ac mihi quidem antiquissimum sepulturae genus id fuisse
+videtur, quo apud Xenophontem Cyrus utitur. Redditur enim terrae corpus, et
+ita locatum ac situm, quasi operimento matris obducitur."
+
+Nevertheless, there is a strong cremation party among us. Who would not
+save sixpence, if he could, even in a winding-sheet! Should the wood and
+lumber interest be fairly represented, in our city councils, it would not
+be surprising, if there should be a majority, in favor of taking the
+remains of our citizens to Nova Scotia, to be burnt, rather than to
+Malden, to be buried. My friends, Birch, Touchwood, and Deal, are of this
+opinion; and would be happy to receive the citizens on board their
+regular coasters, for this purpose, at a reasonable price, per hundred, or
+by the single citizen--packed in ice.
+
+An experienced person will be always on hand, to receive the corpses.
+Religious services will be duly performed, during the burning, without
+extra charge; and, should the project find favor with the public, a
+regular line of funeral coasters, with appropriate emblems, and
+figure-heads, will, in due time, be established. Those, who prefer the
+more economical mode of water-burial, for their departed relatives,
+thereby saving the expense of fuel altogether, will be accommodated, if
+they will leave orders in writing, with the masters on board, who will
+personally superintend the dropping of the bodies, off soundings.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXV.
+
+
+While attempting to rectify the supposed mistakes of other men, we
+sometimes commit egregious blunders ourselves. In turning over an old copy
+of John Josselyn's Voyages to New England, in 1638 and 1663, my attention
+was attracted, by a particular passage, and a marginal manuscript note,
+intended to correct what the annotator supposed, and what some readers
+might suppose, to be a blunder of the printer, or the author. The passage
+runs thus--"In 1602, these North parts were further discovered by Capt.
+_Bartholomew Gosnold_. The first _English_ that planted there, set down
+not far from the _Narragansetts Bay_, and called their Colony _Plimouth_,
+since old _Plimouth, An. Dom., 1602_." The annotator had written, on the
+margin, "_gross blunder_," and, in both instances, run his indignant pen
+through 1602, and substituted 1620. There are others, doubtless, who would
+have done the same thing. The first aspect of the thing is certainly very
+tempting. The text, nevertheless, is undoubtedly correct. It is altogether
+likely, that the matter, stated by Josselyn, can be found, so stated by no
+other writer. In 1602, Gosnold discovered the Elizabeth Islands, and built
+a house, and erected palisades, on the "Island Elizabeth," the westernmost
+of the group, whose Indian name was Cuttyhunk. In 1797, Dr. Jeremy Belknap
+visited this interesting spot. "_We had the supreme satisfaction_," says
+he, Am. Biog. ii. 115, "_to find the cellar of Gosnold's store-house_!"
+
+Hutchinson, i. 1, refers expressly to the passage, in Josselyn; and after
+stating that Gosnold discovered the Elizabeth Islands, in 1602, and built
+a fort there, and intended a settlement, but could not persuade his people
+to remain, he adds, in a note--"_This, I suppose, is what Josselyn, and no
+other author, calls the first colony of New Plimouth, for he says it was
+begun in 1602, and near Narragansett Bay_."
+
+The writer of a "Topographical Description of New Bedford," M. H. C., iv.
+234, states, that the island, on which Gosnold built his fort and
+store-house, was _Nashaun_, and refers to Dr. Belknap's Biography. The New
+Bedford writer is wrong, in point of fact, and right, in point of
+reference. Dr. Belknap published the first volume of his Biography, in
+1794, containing a short notice of Gosnold, in which, p. 236, he
+says--"The island, on which Gosnold and his companions took up their
+abode, is now called by its Indian name, _Nashaun_, and is the property of
+the Hon. James Bowdoin, of Boston, to whom I am indebted for these remarks
+on Gosnold's journal." The writer of the description of New Bedford
+published his account, the following year, and relied on Dr. Belknap, who
+unfortunately relied on his informant, who, it seems, was entirely
+mistaken.
+
+Dr. Belknap published his second volume, in 1798, with a new and more
+extended memoir of Gosnold, in which, p. 100, he remarks--"The account of
+Gosnold's voyage and discovery, in the first volume of this work, is so
+erroneous, from the misinformation, which I had received, that I thought
+it best to write the whole of it anew. The former mistakes are here
+corrected, partly from the best information which I could obtain, after
+the most assiduous inquiry; but principally from _my own observations_, on
+the spot; compared with the journal of the voyage, more critically
+examined than before."
+
+Here is abundant evidence of that scrupulous regard for historical truth,
+for which that upright and excellent man was ever remarkable. With most
+writers, the pride of authorship would have revolted. The very thought of
+these _vestigia retrorsum_, would not have found toleration, for a moment.
+Some less offensive mode might have been adopted, by the employment of
+_errata_, or _appendices_, or _addenda_. Not so: this conscientious man,
+however innocently, had misled the public, upon a few historical points,
+and nothing would give him satisfaction, but a public recantation. His
+right hand had not been the agent, like Cranmer's, of voluntary
+falsehood, but of unintentional mistake, like Scaevola's; and nothing would
+suffice, in his opinion, but the actual cautery.
+
+In this second life of Gosnold, p. 114, after describing "the island
+Elizabeth," or Cuttyhunk, Dr. Belknap says--"To this spot I went, on the
+20th day of June, 1797, in company with several gentlemen, whose curiosity
+and obliging kindness induced them to accompany me. The protecting hand of
+nature had reserved this favorite spot to herself. Its fertility and its
+productions are exactly the same, as in Gosnold's time, excepting the
+wood, of which there is none. Every species of what he calls 'rubbish,'
+with strawberries, pears, tansy, and other fruits, and herbs, appear in
+rich abundance, unmolested by any animal but aquatic birds. We had the
+supreme satisfaction to find the cellar of Gosnold's store-house."
+
+"_We had the supreme satisfaction to find the cellar of Gosnold's
+store-house!_"--A whole-souled ejaculation this! I reverence the memory of
+the man who made it. It is not every other man we meet on 'Change, who can
+estimate a sentiment like this. My little Jew friend, in Griper's Alley,
+entirely mistakes the case. Never having heard of Bart Gosnold before, he
+takes him, for the like of Kidd; and the venerable Dr. Jeremy Belknap, for
+a gold-finder. What _supreme satisfaction_ could there be, in discovering
+the cellar of a store-house, nearly two hundred years old, unless hidden
+treasures were there concealed! How, in the name of two per cent. a month,
+and all the other gods we worship, could a visit down to Cuttyhunk ever
+_pay_, only to stare at the stones of an ancient cellar!
+
+Dr. Belknap's ejaculation reminds one of divers interesting matters--of
+Archimedes, when he leaped from his bath, and ran about naked, for joy,
+with _eureka_ on his lips, having excogitated the plan, for detecting the
+fraud, practised upon Hiero.--It also recalls--_parvis componere
+magna_--Johnson's memorable exclamation, upon walking over the graves, at
+Icolmkill--"To abstract the mind from all local emotion would be
+impossible, if it were endeavored, and would be foolish, if it were
+possible. Whatever withdraws us from the power of our senses; whatever
+makes the past, the distant or the future predominate over the present,
+advances us in the dignity of thinking beings. Far from me and from my
+friends be such frigid philosophy, as may conduct as indifferent and
+unmoved over any ground, which has been dignified by wisdom, bravery or
+virtue. That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not gain
+force upon the plains of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer
+among the ruins of Iona."
+
+Dr. Jeremy Belknap was a Boston boy, born June 4, 1744. He learned his
+rudiments, under the effective birch of Master Lovell; graduated A. M. at
+Harvard, 1762, S. T. D. 1792. He was ordained pastor of the church in
+Dover, N. H. 1767; and in 1787, he became pastor of the church in Berry
+Street, formerly known as Johnny Moorehead's, who was settled there in
+1730, and succeeded, by David Annan, in 1783, and which is now Dr.
+Gannett's.
+
+Dr. Belknap was the founder of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and
+one of the most earnest promoters of the welfare of Harvard College.
+
+Dr. Belknap published sermons, on various occasions; a volume of
+dissertations, on the character and resurrection of Christ; his history of
+New Hampshire in three volumes; his American Biography, in two volumes;
+and the Foresters, an American Tale, well worthy of republication, at the
+present day. He wrote extensively, in the newspapers, and published
+several essays, on the slave trade, and upon the early settlement of the
+country.
+
+I have the most perfect recollection of this excellent man; for I saw him
+often, when I was very young; and I used to wonder, how a man, with so
+rough a voice, could bestow such a benign and captivating smile, upon
+little boys.
+
+The churchman prays to be delivered from _sudden_ death. Dr. Belknap
+prayed for _sudden_ death--that he might be translated "_in a
+moment_"--such were his words. Yet here is no discrepancy. No man,
+prepared to die, will pray for a lingering death--and to him, who is not
+prepared, no death, however prolonged, can be other than _sudden_ and
+premature. On the ninth of February, 1791, Dr. Belknap was called to mourn
+the loss of a friend, whose death was immediate. Among the Dr.'s papers,
+after his decease, the following lines were found, bearing the date of
+that friend's demise, and exhibiting, with considerable felicity of
+language, his own views and aspirations:--
+
+  "When faith and patience, hope and love
+  Have made us meet for Heav'n above;
+  How blest the privilege to rise,
+  Snatch'd, in a moment, to the skies!
+  Unconscious, to resign our breath,
+  Nor taste the bitterness of death!
+  Such be my lot, Lord, if thou please
+  To die in silence, and at ease;
+  When thou dost know, that I'm prepared,
+  Oh seize me quick to my reward.
+  But, if thy wisdom sees it best,
+  To turn thine ear from this request;
+  If sickness be th' appointed way,
+  To waste this frame of human clay;
+  If, worn with grief, and rack'd with pain,
+  This earth must turn to earth again;
+  Then let thine angels round me stand;
+  Support me, by thy powerful hand;
+  Let not my faith or patience move,
+  Nor aught abate my hope or love;
+  But brighter may my graces shine,
+  Till they're absorbed in light divine."
+
+The will of the Lord coincided with the wish of this eminent disciple; and
+his was the sudden death, that he had asked of God. At 4 o'clock in the
+morning of June 20, 1798, paralysis seized upon his frame, and, before
+noon, he was no more.
+
+Personal considerations of the flesh cannot be supposed, alone, to have
+moved the heart of this benevolent man. Who would not wish to avoid that
+pain, which is reflected, for days, and weeks, and months, and years, from
+the faces of those we love, who watch, and weep, about the bed of disease
+and death! Who can imagine this veteran soldier of the cross, with his
+armor of righteousness, upon the right hand and upon the left, awaiting
+the welcome signal to depart--without adopting, in the spiritual, and in
+the physical, sense, the language of the prophet--"_Let me die the death
+of the righteous, and let my last end be like his_."
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXVI.
+
+
+I never dream, if I can possibly avoid it--when the thing is absolutely
+forced upon me, why that is another affair. On the evening of the second
+day of January, 1850, from some inexplicable cause, I lost all appetite
+for my pillow. I had, till past eleven, been engaged, in the perusal of
+Goethe's Confessions of a Fair Saint. After a vain trial of the
+commonplace expedients, such as counting leaping sheep, up to a thousand
+and one; humming Old Hundred; and fixing my thoughts upon the heads of
+good parson Cleverly's last Sabbath sermon, on perseverance; I,
+fortunately, thought of Joel Barlow's Columbiad, and, after two or three
+pages, went, thankfully, to bed. I threw myself upon my right side, as I
+always do; for, being deaf--very--in the sinister ear, I thus exclude the
+nocturnal cries of fire, oysters, and murder.
+
+I think I must have been asleep, full half an hour, by a capital
+Shrewsbury clock, that I keep in my chamber. It was, of course, on the
+dawning side of twelve--the very time, when dreams are true, or poets lie,
+which latter alternative is impossible. I was aroused, by the stroke of a
+deep-toned bell; and, in an instant, sat bolt upright, listening to the
+sound. I should have known it, among a thousand--it was the old passing
+bell of King's Chapel. I am confident, as to the bell--it had the full,
+jarring sound, occasioned by the blockhead of a sexton, who cracked it, in
+1814. I counted the strokes--one--two--three--an adult male, of
+course--and then the age--seventy-four was the number of the strokes of
+that good old bell, corresponding with the years of his pilgrimage--and
+then a pause--I almost expected another--so, doubtless, did he, poor
+man--but it came not!--Some old stager, thought I, has put up, for the
+long night; and the power of slumber was upon me, in a moment.
+
+I slept--but it was a fitful sleep--and I dreamt such a dream, as none but
+a sexton of the old school can ever dream--
+
+        --------"velut aegri somnia, vanae
+  Fingentur species, ut nec pes, nec caput uni
+  Reddatur formae."
+
+"Funeral baked meats," and bride's cake, and weepers, and wedding rings
+seemed oddly consorted together. At one moment, two very light and airy
+skeletons seemed to be engaged, in dancing the polka; and, getting angry,
+flung their skulls furiously at each other. I then fancied, that I saw old
+Grossman, driving his hearse at a full run, with the corpse of an
+intemperate old lady, not to the graveyard, but, by mistake, to the very
+shop, where she bought her Jamaica. I dare not relate the half of my
+dream, lest I should excite some doubt of my veracity. For aught I know, I
+might have dreamt on till midsummer, had not a hand been laid on my
+shoulder, and a change come over the spirit of my dream, in a marvellous
+manner--for I actually dreamt I was wider awake, than I often am, when
+Sirius rages, of a summer afternoon, and I am taking my comfort, in my
+postprandial chair.
+
+Starting suddenly, I beheld the well known features of an old acquaintance
+and fellow-spadesman--"Don't you know me?" "Yes," said I--"no, I can't say
+I do"--for I was confoundedly frightened--"Not know me! Haven't we lifted,
+head and foot, together, for six and thirty years?" "Well, I suppose we
+have; but you are so deadly pale; and, will you be so kind as to take your
+hand from my shoulder; for it's rather airy, at this season, you know, and
+your palm is like the hand of death." "And such it is," said he--"did you
+not hear my bell?" "_Your_ bell?" I inquired, gazing more intently, at the
+little, white-haired, old man, that stood before me. "Even so, Abner," he
+replied; "your old friend, and fellow-laborer, Martin Smith, is dead. I
+always had a solemn affection, for the passing bell. It sounded not so
+pleasantly, to be sure, in the neighborhood of theatres and gay hotels;
+and its good, old, solemnizing tones are no longer permitted to be heard.
+I longed to hear it, once more; and, after they had laid me out, and left
+me alone, I clapped on my great coat, over my shroud, as you see, and ran
+up to the church, and tolled my own death peal. When, more than one
+hundred years ago, in 1747, Dr. Caner took possession, in the old way, by
+entering, and closing the doors, and tolling the bell, as the Rev. Roger
+Price had done before, in 1729, he did not feel, that the church belonged
+to him, half so truly as I have felt, for many years, whenever I got a
+fair grip of that ancient bell-rope."
+
+"Martin," said I, "this is rather a long speech, for a ghost; and must be
+wearying to the spirit; suppose you sit down." This I said, because I
+really supposed the good, little, old man, contrary to all his known
+habits, was practising upon my credulity--perhaps upon my fears; and was
+playing a new year's prank, in his old age: and I resolved, by the
+smallest touch of sarcasm in the world, to show him, that I was not so
+easily deceived. He made no reply; but, drawing my hand between his great
+coat and shroud, placed it over the region of his heart--"Good God! you
+are really dead then, Martin!" said I, for all was cold and still there.
+"I am," he replied. "I have lived long--did you count the strokes of my
+bell?"--I nodded assent, for I could not speak.--"Four years beyond the
+scriptural measure of man's pilgrimage. You are not so old as I
+am"--"No," I replied.--"No, not quite," said he.--"No, no, Martin," said
+I, adjusting my night cap, "not by several years."--"Well," said the old
+man, with a sigh, "a few years make very little difference, when one has
+so many to answer for; those odd years are like a few odd shillings, in a
+very long account. I have come to ask you to go with me."--A cold sweat
+broke through my skin, as quickly, as if it had been mere tissue paper;
+and my mind instantly sprang to the work of finding devices, for putting
+the old man off. "Surely," said he, observing my reluctance, "you would
+not deny the request of a dying man." "Perhaps not," I replied, "but now
+that you are dead, dear Martin, for Heaven's sake, what's the use of it?"
+
+The old man seemed to be pained, by my hesitation--"Abner," said he, after
+a short pause, "you and I have had a goodly number of strange passages, at
+odd hours, down in that vault--are ye afeard, Abner--eh!"--"Why, as to
+that, Martin," said I, "if you were a real, live sexton, I'd go with
+pleasure; but our relations are somewhat changed, you will admit. Besides,
+as I told you before, I cannot see the use of it." I felt rather vexed, to
+be suspected of fear.
+
+"You have the advantage of me, Abner Wycherly," said Martin Smith, "being
+alive; and I have come to ask you to do a favor, for me, which I cannot
+do, for myself."--"What is it?" said I, rather impatiently, perhaps.--"I
+want you to embalm my"--"Martin," said I, interrupting him--"I can't--I
+never embalmed in my life." "You misunderstand me"--the old man
+replied--"I want you to embalm my memory; and preserve it, from the too
+common lot of our profession, who are remembered, often, as
+resurrectionists, and men of intemperate lives, and mysterious
+conversations. I want you to allow me a little _niche_, among your
+_Dealings with the Dead_. I shall take but little room, you see for
+yourself"--and then, in an under-tone, he said something about thinking
+more of the honor, than he should of a place in Westminster Abbey; which
+was very agreeable, to be sure, notwithstanding the sepulchral tone, in
+which it was uttered. Indeed I was surprised to find how very refreshing,
+to the spirits of an author, this species of extreme unction might be,
+administered even by a ghost.
+
+"Martin," said I, "I have always thought highly of your good opinion; but
+what can I say--how can I serve you?" "I am desirous," said he, "of
+transmitting to my children a good name, which is better than
+riches."--"Well, my worthy, old fellow-laborer," I replied, "if that is
+all you want, the work is done to your hand, already. You will not suspect
+me of flattering you to your face, now that you are dead, Martin; and I
+can truly say, that I have heard thousands speak of you, with great
+kindness and respect, and never a lisp against you. All this I am ready to
+vouch for--but, for what purpose, do you ask me to go with you?"
+
+"I wish you to go with me, and examine for yourself," said the old man;
+"and then you can speak, of your own knowledge. Don't refuse me--let us
+have one more of those cozy walks, Abner, under the old Chapel, and over
+that yard. I desire to talk over some things with you there, which can be
+better understood, upon the spot--and I want to explain one or two
+matters, so that you may be able to defend my reputation, should any
+censure be cast upon it, after I am gone."--"I cannot go with you tonight,
+Martin," said I; "I see a gleam in the East, already."--"True," said he,
+"I may be missed."--For not more than the half of one second, I closed my
+eyes--and, in that twinkling of an eye, he was gone--but I heard him
+whisper, distinctly, as he went--"_tomorrow night_!"
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXVII.
+
+
+I verily believe, that ghosts are the most punctual people in the world,
+especially if they were ever sextons, after the flesh. The last stroke of
+twelve had not ceased ringing in my ears, when that icy palm was again
+laid upon my shoulder; and Martin Smith stood by the side of my bed.
+
+"Well, Martin," said I, "since you have taken the trouble to come out
+again, and upon such a stormy night withal, I cannot refuse your
+request."--It seemed to me, that I rose to put on my garments, and found
+them already on; and had scarcely prepared to go, with my old friend, to
+the Chapel, before we were in the middle of the broad aisle. Dreams are
+marvellous things, certainly--all this was a dream, I suppose--for, if it
+was not--what was it?
+
+There seemed to be an oppressive weight, upon the mind of my old friend,
+connected, doubtless, with those explanations, which he had proposed to
+make, upon the spot. We sat down, near Governor Shirley's monument.
+"Abner," said he, "I wish, before I am buried, to make a clean breast, and
+to confess my misdeeds."--"I cannot believe, Martin," I replied, "that
+there is a very heavy, professional load upon your conscience. If there
+is, I know not what will become of the rest of us. But I will hearken to
+all you may choose to reveal."--"Well," resumed the old man, with a sigh,
+"I have tried to be conscientious, but we are all liable to error--we are
+are all fallible creatures, especially sextons. I have been sexton here,
+for six and thirty years; and I am often painfully reminded, that, in the
+year 1815, I was rather remiss, in dusting the pews."--"Have you any other
+burden upon your conscience?"--"I have," he replied; and, rising,
+requested me to follow him.
+
+He went out into the yard, and walked near the northerly corner, where Dr.
+Caner's house formerly stood, which was afterwards occupied, as the Boston
+Athenaeum, and, more recently, gave place to the present Savings Bank.
+"Here," said he, "thirty years ago, Dinah Furbush, a worthy, negro woman,
+was buried. The careless carpenter made her coffin one foot too short;
+and, to conceal his blunder, chopped off Dinah's head, and, clapping it
+between her feet, nailed down the lid. This scandalous transaction came to
+my knowledge, and I grieve to say, that I never communicated it to the
+wardens."--"Well, Martin," said I, "what more?"--"Nothing, thank Heaven!"
+he replied. Giving way to an irresistible impulse, I broke forth into a
+roar of laughter, so long and loud, that three watchmen gathered to the
+wall, and seeing Martin Smith, whom they well knew, with the bottom of his
+shroud, exhibited below his great coat, they dropped their hooks and
+rattles, and ran for their lives. Martin walked slowly back to the church,
+and I followed.
+
+He walked in, among the tombs--thousands of spirits seemed to welcome his
+advent--but, as I crossed the threshold, at the tramp of a living foot,
+they vanished, in a moment.
+
+"How many corpses have you lifted, my old friend, in your six and thirty
+years of office?" "About five thousand," he replied, "exclusive of babies.
+It is a very grateful employment, when one becomes used to it."
+
+"I have heard," continued Martin, "that the office of executioner, in
+Paris, is highly respectable, and has been hereditary, for many years, in
+the family of the Sansons. I have done all in my power, to elevate our
+profession; and it is my highest ambition, that the office should continue
+in my family; and that my descendants may be sextons, till the graves
+shall give up their dead, and death itself be swallowed up in victory." I
+was sensibly touched, by the enthusiasm of this good old official; for I
+honor the man, who honors his calling. I could not refrain from saying a
+few kind and respectful words, of the old man's son and successor. He was
+moved--"The eyes of ghosts," said he, "are tearless, or I should weep. You
+have heard," continued the old man, in a low, tremulous voice, "that, when
+the mother of Washington was complimented, by some distinguished men, upon
+the achievements of her son, she went on with her knitting, saying,
+'_Well, George always was a good boy_'--now, I need say no more of Frank;
+and, in truth, I can say no less. I knew he would be a sexton. He has
+forgotten it, I dare say; but he was not satisfied with the first go-cart
+he ever had, till he had fashioned it, like a hearse. He _took hold
+right_, from the beginning. When I resigned, and gave him the keys, and
+felt, that I should no more walk up and down the broad aisle, as I had
+done, for so many years, I wept like a child."
+
+"Yours has been a hale old age. You have always been _temperate_, I
+believe," said I.--"No," the old man replied, "I have always been
+_abstinent_. Like yourself, I use no intoxicating drink, upon any
+occasion, nor tobacco, in any of its forms, and we have come, as you say,
+to a hale old age. I have seen drunken sextons squirt tobacco juice over
+the coffin and pall; and let the corpse go by the run; and I know more
+than one successor of St. Peter, in this city, who smoke and chew, from
+morning to night; and give the sextons great trouble, in cleaning up after
+them."
+
+We had advanced midway, among the tombs.--"It is awfully cold and dark
+here, Martin," said I, "and I hear something, like a mysterious breathing
+in the air; and, now and then, it seems as if a feather brushed my
+cheek."--"Is it unpleasant?" said the old man.--"Not particularly
+agreeable," I replied.--"The spirits are aware, that another is added to
+their number," said he, "and even the presence of one, in the flesh, will
+scarcely restrain them from coming forth. I will send them back to their
+dormitories." He lighted a spirit lamp, not in the vulgar sense of that
+word, but a lamp, before whose rays no spirit, however determined, could
+stand, for an instant.
+
+There is comfort, even in a farthing rush light--I felt warmer. "What a
+subterraneous life you must have had of it," said I, "and how many tears
+and sighs you must have witnessed!" "Why yes," he replied, with a shake of
+the head, and a sigh, "the duties of my office have given to my features
+an expression of universal compassion--a sort of omnibus look, which has
+caused many a mourner to say--'Ah, Mr. Smith, I see how much you feel for
+me.' And I'm sure I did; not perhaps quite so keenly as I might, if I had
+been less frequently encored in the performance of my melancholy part.
+Yes," continued the old man--"I have witnessed tears and sighs, and deep
+grief, and shallow, and raving--for a month, and life-long; very proper
+tears, gushing from the eyes of widows, already wooed and won; and from
+the eyes of widowers, who, in a right melancholy way, had predetermined
+the mothers, for their orphan children. But passages have occurred, now
+and then, all in my sad vocation, pure and holy, and soul-stirring enough,
+to give pulse to a heart of stone."
+
+The old man took from his pocket a master key, and beckoned me to follow.
+He opened an ancient tomb. The mouldy shells were piled one upon another,
+and a few rusty fragments of that flimsy garniture, which was in vogue of
+old, had fallen on the bricks below.
+
+"_Sacred to the memory!_" said the old man, with a sad, significant smile,
+upon his intelligent features, as he removed the coffin of a child. I
+looked into the little receptacle, as he raised the lamp. "This," said he,
+"was the most beautiful boy I ever buried." "This?" said I, for the little
+narrow house contained nothing but a small handful of grayish dust. "Aye,"
+he replied, "I see; it is all gone now--it is twelve years since I looked
+at it last--there were some remnants of bones then, and a lock or two of
+golden hair. This small deposit was one of the first that I made, in this
+melancholy savings bank. Six-and-thirty years! So tender and so frail a
+thing may well be turned to dust.
+
+"Time is an alchymist, Abner, as you and I well know. If tears could have
+embalmed, it would not have been thus. I have never witnessed such agony.
+The poor, young mother lies there. She was not seventeen, when she died.
+In a luckless hour, she married a very gentlemanly sot, and left her
+native home, for a land of strangers. Hers was the common fate of such
+unequal bargains. He wasted her little property, died of intemperance, and
+left her nothing, but this orphan boy. And all the love of her warm, young
+heart was turned upon this child. It had, to be sure, the sweetest,
+catching smile, that I ever beheld.
+
+"Their heart strings seemed twisted together--the child pined; and the
+mother grew pale and wan. They waned together. The child died first. The
+poor, lone, young mother seemed frantic; and refused to part with her
+idol. After the little thing was made ready for the tomb, she would not
+suffer it to be removed. It was laid upon the bed, beside her. On the
+following day, I carried the coffin to the house; and, leaving it below,
+went up, with a kind neighbor, to the chamber, hoping to prevail upon the
+poor thing, to permit us to remove the body of the child. She was holding
+her little boy, clasped in her arms--their lips were joined together--'It
+is a pity to awaken her,' said the neighbor, who attended me--I put my
+hand upon her forehead--'Nothing but the last trump will awaken her,' said
+I--'she is dead.'"
+
+"Well, Martin," said I, "pray let us talk of something else--where is old
+Isaac Johnson, the founder of the city, who was buried, in this lot, in
+1630?"--"Ah"--the old man replied--"the prophets, where are _they_! I
+believe you may as well look among the embers, after a conflagration, for
+the original spark."
+
+"You must know many curious things, Martin," said I, "concerning this
+ancient temple."--"I do," said he, "of my own knowledge, and still more,
+by tradition; and some things, that neither the wardens nor vestry wot of.
+If I thought I might trust you, Abner, in a matter of such moment,
+but"--"Did I ever deceive you, Martin," said I, "while living; and do you
+think I would take advantage of your confidence, now you are a
+ghost?"--"Pardon me, Abner," he replied, for he saw, that he had wounded
+my feelings, "but the matter, to which I allude, were it made public,
+would produce terrible confusion--but I will trust you--meet me here, at
+ten minutes before twelve, on Sabbath night--three low knocks upon the
+outer door--at present I can reveal no more."--"No postponement, on
+account of the weather?" I inquired.--"None," the old man replied, and
+locked up the tomb.
+
+"Did you ever see Dr. Caner," I inquired, as we ascended into the body of
+the church.--"That," replied Martin Smith, "is rather a delicate question.
+In the very year, in which I was born, 1776, the Rev. Doctor Henry Caner,
+then an old man, carried off the church plate, 2800 ounces of silver, the
+gift of three kings; of which not a particle has ever been recovered: and,
+in lieu thereof, he left behind his fervent prayers, that God would
+"_change the hearts of the rebels_." This the Almighty has never seen fit
+to do--so that the society have not only lost the silver, but the benefit
+of Dr. Caner's prayers. No, Abner, I have never seen Dr. Caner, according
+to the flesh, but--ask me nothing further, on this highly exciting
+subject, till we meet again."
+
+I awoke, sorely disturbed--Martin had vanished.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXVIII.
+
+
+I know not why, but the idea of another meeting with Martin Smith,
+notwithstanding my affectionate respect, for that good old man, disturbed
+me so much, that I resolved, to be out of his way, by keeping awake. But,
+in defiance of my very best efforts, strengthened by a bowl of unsugared
+hyson, at half past eleven, if I err not, I fell into a profound slumber;
+and, at the very appointed moment, found myself, at the Chapel door. At
+the third knock, it opened, with an almost alarming suddenness--I quietly
+entered--and the old man closed it softly, after me.
+
+"In ten minutes," said he, "the congregation will assemble."--"What," I
+inquired, "at this time of night?"--"Be silent," said he, rather angrily,
+as I thought; and, drawing me, by the arm, to the north side of the door,
+he shoved me against the Vassal monument, with a force, that I would not
+have believed it possible, for any modern ghost to exert. "Be still and
+listen," said he. "In 1782, my dear, old pastor, Dr. Freeman, came here,
+as Reader; and became Rector, in 1787. Dr. Caner was inducted, in 1747,
+and continued Rector, twenty-nine years; for, as I told you, he went off
+with the plate, in 1776. There were no Rectors, between those two.
+Brockwell and Troutbeck were Caner's assistants only: the first died in
+1755, and the last left, the year before Dr. Caner."
+
+"Well," continued the old man, "never reveal what I am about to tell you,
+Abner Wycherly--the Trinitarians have never surrendered their claims, upon
+this Church; and, precisely at midnight, upon every Sabbath, since 1776,
+Dr. Caner and the congregation have gathered here; and the Church service
+has been performed, just as it used to be, before the revolution. They
+make short work of it, rarely exceeding fifteen minutes--hush, for your
+life--they are coming!"
+
+A glare of unearthly light, invisible through the windows, as Martin
+assured me, to all without, filled the tabernacle, in an
+instant--exceedingly like gas light; and, at the same instant, I heard a
+rattling, resembling the down-sitting, after prayers, in a village
+meeting-house, where the seats are clappers, and go on hinges. Observing,
+that my jaws chattered, Martin pressed my hand in his icy fingers, and
+whispered, that it was nothing but Dr. Caner's congregation, coming up,
+rather less silently, of course, than when they were in the flesh.
+
+Being the first Sunday in the month, all the communion plate, that Caner
+carried off, was paraded, on the altar. I wish the twelve apostles could
+have seen it. It glittered, like Jones, Ball & Poor's bow-window, viewed
+from the old, Donnison corner. The whole interior of the Chapel was
+marvellously changed. I was much struck, by a showy, gilt crown, over the
+organ, supported by a couple of gilt mitres. This was the famous organ,
+said to have been selected by Handel, and which came over in 1756.
+
+At this moment, a brief and sudden darkness hid everything from view;
+succeeded, instantly, by a brighter light than before; and all was
+changed. The organ had vanished; the monuments of Shirley and Apthorp, and
+the tablet of Price, over the vestry door, were gone; I looked behind me,
+for the Vassal monument, against which I had been leaning; it was no
+longer there. Martin Smith perceived my astonishment, and whispered, that
+Dr. Caner was never so partial to the Stone Chapel, which was opened in
+1754, as he was to the ancient King's Chapel, in which he had been
+inducted in 1747, and in which we then were.
+
+The pews were larger than any Hingham boxes I ever saw; but very small.
+The pulpit was on the north side. In front of it was the governor's pew,
+highly ornamented, lined with China silk; the cushions and chairs therein
+were covered with crimson damask, and the window curtain was of the same
+material. Near to this, I saw an elevated pew, in which were half a dozen
+fine looking skeletons, with their heads up and their arms akimbo. This
+pew, Martin informed me, was reserved, for the officers of the army and
+navy. A small organ was in the western gallery, said to be the first, ever
+heard in our country. From the walls and pillars, hung several escutcheons
+and armorial bearings. I distinguished those of the royal family, and of
+Andros, Nicholson, Hamilton, Dudley, Shute, Belcher, and Shirley.
+
+I had always associated the _hour-glass_ with my ideas of a Presbyterian
+pulpit, in the olden time, when the very length of the discourse gave the
+hearer some little foretaste of eternity. I was rather surprised to see an
+hour-glass, of large proportions, perched upon the pulpit, in its highly
+ornamented stand of brass. The altar-piece was at the easterly end of the
+Church, with the Glory, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the
+Creed, and some texts of Scripture.
+
+The congregation had taken their seats; and a slender, sickly looking
+skeleton glided into the reading desk. "Dr. Caner?" said I. "Brockwell,
+the assistant," replied Martin, in a whisper, "the very first wardens, of
+1686, are in the pew, tonight, Bullivant and Banks. They all serve in
+rotation. Next Sabbath, we shall have Foxcroft and Ravenscroft. Clerke
+Hill, and Rutley are sextons, tonight."
+
+The services were very well conducted; and, taking all things into
+consideration, I was surprised, that I comprehended so well, as I did. The
+prayer, for the royal family, was very impressively delivered. The
+assistant made use, I observed, of the Athanasian creed, and every one
+seemed to understand it, at which I was greatly surprised. Dr. Caner
+seemed very feeble, and preached a very short discourse upon the loss of
+Esau's birthright, making a pointed application, to the conversion of
+King's Chapel, by the Unitarians. He made rather a poor case of it, I
+thought. Martin was so much offended, that he said, though being a ghost,
+he was obliged to be quiet, he wished I would call the watch, and break up
+the meeting. I told him, that I did not believe Dr. Caner's arguments
+would have any very mischievous effect; and it seemed not more than fair,
+that these ancient worshippers should have the use of the church, at
+midnight, so long as they conducted themselves orderly--consumed no
+fuel--and furnished their own light.
+
+One of the sextons, passing near me, accidentally dropped a small parcel.
+I was seized with a vehement desire of possessing it; and, watching my
+opportunity, conveyed it to my pocket. When Dr. Caner pronounced his final
+amen, light was instantly turned into darkness--a slight noise
+ensued--"_the service is over!_" said Martin, and all was still. I begged
+Martin to light his lamp; and, by its light, I examined the parcel the
+sexton had dropped. It was a small roll, containing some extracts from the
+records. They were not without interest. "Sept. 21, 1691.--It must not be
+forgot that Sir Robert Robertson gave a new silk damask cushion and cloth
+pulpit-cover." "1697.--Whit Sunday. Paid Mr. Coneyball, for buying and
+carting Poses and hanging the Doares 8s." "Dec. 20.--Paid for a stone Gug
+Clark Hill broak." "March 29, 1698.--Paid Mr. Shelson for Loucking after
+the Boyes L1." "1701, Aug. 4.--Paid for scouring the brass frame for the
+hour-glass 10s." "1733, Oct. 11.--Voted that the Brass Stand for the
+hour-glass be lent to the church of Scituate, as also three Diaper
+napkins, provided Mr. Addington Davenport, their minister, gives his note
+to return the same to the Church wardens of the Church, &c." "April 3,
+1740.--Rec'd of Mr. Sylvester Gardner Sixteen Pounds Two Shills, in full
+for wine for the Chapple for the year past. John Hancock."
+
+I was about to put this fragment of the record into my pocket--"If," said
+Martin, "you do not particularly covet a visit from Clark Hill, or
+whichever of the old sextons it was, that dropped that paper, leave it, as
+you found it." I did so, most joyfully.
+
+"If you have any questions to ask of me," said the old man, "ask them now,
+and briefly, for we are about to part--to meet no more, until we meet, as
+I trust we shall, in a better world." "As a mere matter of curiosity,"
+said I, "I should like to know, if you consider your venerable pastor, now
+dead and gone, Dr. Freeman, as the successor of Saint Peter?" "No more,"
+said Martin Smith, with an expression almost too comical for a ghost,
+"than I consider you and myself successors of the sexton, who, under the
+directions of Abraham, buried Sarah, in the cave of the field of
+Machpelah, before Mamre." "Do you consider the Apostolical succession
+broken off, at the time of Dr. Freeman's ordination?" "Short off, like a
+pipe stem," he replied. "And so you do not consider the laying on of a
+Bishop's hand necessary, to empower a man to preach the Gospel?" "No
+more," said he, "than I consider the laying on of spades, necessary to
+empower a man, to dig a grave. We were a peculiar people, but quite as
+zealous for good works, as any of our neighbors. The Bishop of New York
+declined to ordain our pastor, because we were Unitarians; and we could
+not expect this service from our neighbors, had it been otherwise, on
+account of our adherence to the Liturgy, though modified, and to certain
+Episcopal forms--so we ordained him ourselves. The senior warden laid his
+hands upon the good man and true--said nothing of the thirty-nine
+articles--but gave him a Bible, as the sole compass for his voyage, in
+full confidence, that, while he steered thereby, we should be upon our
+course, to the haven, where we would be. We have never felt the want of
+the succession, for a moment, and, ever since, we have been a most happy
+and u----."
+
+Just then a distant steam whistle struck upon the ear, which Martin,
+undoubtedly, mistook, for cock-crowing--for his lamp was extinguished, in
+an instant, and he vanished.
+
+If my confidence in dreams needed any confirmation, nothing more could be
+required, than a careful comparison of many of these incidents, with the
+statements, in the history of King's Chapel, published by the late,
+amiable Rector, seventeen years ago. A copy is, at this moment, beneath my
+eye; and, upon the fly leaf, in the author's own hand writing, under date
+Jan. 1, 1843, I read--"_Presented to Martin Smith, for many years, a
+sexton of this church, from his friend F. W. P. Greenwood_." Aye; every
+one was the _friend_ of good old Martin Smith. Here, deposited among the
+leaves of this book, is an order, from that excellent man, my honored
+friend, Colonel Joseph May, then junior warden. It bears date "Saturday,
+18 June, 1814." It is laconic, and to the point. "_Toll slow!_" This also
+is subscribed "_Your friend_."
+
+Yes, every one was the friend of Martin Smith. He was a spruce, little,
+old man--especially at Christmas.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXIX.
+
+
+Nothing can be more entirely unfounded, than the popular notion, that
+circumstantial evidence is an inferior quality of proof. The most able
+writers, on the law of evidence, have always maintained the contrary.
+
+Sir William Blackstone and Sir Matthew Hale, it is true, have expressed
+the very just and humane opinion, that circumstantial evidence should be
+weighed with extreme caution; and the latter has expressly said, that, in
+trials, for murder and manslaughter, no conviction ought ever to be had,
+until the fact is clearly proven, or the body of the person, alleged to
+have been killed, has been discovered; for he stated, that two instances
+had occurred, within his own knowledge, in which, after the execution of
+the accused, the persons, supposed to have been murdered, had reaeppeared
+alive.
+
+Probably, one of the most extraordinary cases of fatal confidence in
+circumstantial evidence, recorded, in the history of British, criminal
+jurisprudence, is that, commonly referred to, as the case of "_Hayes and
+Bradford_." In that case, a murder was certainly committed; the body of
+the murdered man was readily found; the murderer escaped; and, after many
+years, confessed the crime, in a dying hour; and another person, who had
+designed to commit the murder, but found his intended victim, already
+slain, was arrested, as the murderer; and, after an elaborate trial,
+suffered for the crime, upon the gallows.
+
+There is a case in the criminal jurisprudence of our own country, in all
+its strange particulars, far surpassing the British example, to which I
+have referred; and attended by circumstances, almost incredible, were the
+evidence and vouchers less respectable, than they are. I refer to the case
+of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, who were tried, for the murder of Russell
+Colvin, and convicted, before the Supreme Judicial Court of the State of
+Vermont, in October, 1819. In this remarkable case, it must be observed,
+that the Judges appeared to have acted, in utter disregard of that
+merciful caution of Sir Matthew Hale, to which I have alluded; and that
+these miserable men were rescued, from their impending fate, in a most
+remarkable manner.
+
+It is my purpose to present a clear and faithful account of this
+occurrence; and, to enable the reader to go along with me, step by step,
+with perfect confidence, in a matter, in which, from the marvellous
+character of the circumstances, to doubt would be extremely natural, I
+will first exhibit the sources, from which the elements of this narrative
+are drawn. I. The public journals of the day, published in Vermont. II.
+"Mystery developed, &c., by the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, Hartford, 1820." III.
+A sermon, on the occasion, by the same. IV. "A brief sketch of the
+Indictment, Trial, and Conviction of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, for the
+murder of Russell Colvin, by S. Putnam Waldo, Hartford." V. "A Collection
+of remarkable events, by Leonard Deming. Middlebury, 1825." VI. "Journals
+of the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, for 1819, October
+session," in which, page 185, may be found the minutes of the testimony,
+taken on the trial, and certified up, by Judge Chace, to the Legislature,
+by request, on petition, for a commutation of punishment. VII. Law
+Reporter, published in Boston, vol. v. page 193. VIII. Trial of Stephen
+and Jesse Boorn, Rutland, 1820. IX. Remarks thereon, N. A. Review, vol. x.
+page 418. X. Greenleaf's Treatise on Evidence, vol. i. page 320, note 2.
+XI. Cooley's Memoir of Rev. Lemuel Haynes, N. Y., 1839.
+
+In the village of Manchester, Bennington County, and State of Vermont,
+there resided in 1812, an old man, whose name was Barney Boorn, who had
+two sons, Stephen and Jesse, and a daughter Sarah, who had married Russell
+Colvin. Like the conies of the Bible, these people were _a feeble
+folk_--their mental powers were slender--they grew up in ignorance--their
+lot was poverty. Colvin, in particular, was, notoriously, an _imbecile_.
+He had been, for a long period, partially deranged. He was incompetent to
+manage the concerns of his family. He moved about in an idle, wandering
+way, and was perfectly inoffensive; and the wilful destruction of such a
+man would have been the murder of an _innocent_.
+
+In May, 1812, Russell Colvin was missing from home. This, in consideration
+of his uncertain habits, occasioned, at first, but little surprise. But
+his continued absence, for days, and weeks, and months, produced very
+considerable excitement, in the village of Manchester. This excitement
+naturally increased, with the term of his absence; and the contagion
+began, ere long, to catch upon the neighboring towns; until the most
+exciting topic of the day, throughout that portion of the Hampshire
+Grants, in the absence of mad dogs and revivals, was the mysterious
+disappearance of Russell Colvin.
+
+Rumors began to spread, from lip to lip. Suspicion, like a hungry
+leech--"a German one"--fastened upon the Boorns. Nor was this suspicion
+groundless. Thomas Johnson, a neighbor of all the parties, a credible
+witness, who swore to the facts, seven years after, on the trial,
+reported, that the last time he saw Russell Colvin was immediately before
+his remarkable disappearance, and that he and the Boorns were then
+quarrelling, while engaged in picking up stones.
+
+Lewis Colvin, the son of Russell, with manifest reluctance, stated, that,
+just before his father's disappearance, a quarrel took place, between his
+father and Stephen--that his father struck Stephen first--that Stephen
+then knocked his father down twice with a club--that he, the boy, was
+frightened and ran away--that Stephen told him never to mention what had
+happened--and that he had never seen his father since.
+
+Here, doubtless, was legitimate ground, for suspicion, and the village of
+Manchester, on the Battenkill, was in a state of universal
+fermentation--the very atmosphere seemed redolent of murder. It is
+marvellous, in what manner the Boorns escaped from being lynched, without
+trial; and, more especially, how Stephen was preserved, from the fate of
+his namesake, the martyr. A shortlived calm followed this tempest of
+popular feeling--parties were formed--some were sure the Boorns were the
+murderers of Colvin--some were inclined to believe they were not. The
+Boorns continued to dwell in the village, _without any effort to escape_;
+and the evidence against them was not deemed legally sufficient then, even
+to authorize their arrest.
+
+It appeared, upon the statement of Mrs. Colvin, that Stephen and Jesse,
+her brothers, had told her, upon a certain occasion, that she might be
+satisfied her husband was dead, and that _they knew it_. This additional
+fact gave fresh impulse to the popular excitement.
+
+In such miserable society, as may be supposed to have remained to these
+suspected men, it is not wonderful, that they should often have
+encountered the most unsparing allusions, and vulgar interrogatories--nor
+that they should have met this species of persecution, with equally vulgar
+and unflinching replies. It became well established, ere long, upon the
+declarations of a Mr. Baldwin and his wife, that, when asked where Colvin
+had gone, one of the Boorns replied, that he had "_gone to hell_"--and
+the other that he had "_gone where potatoes would not freeze_."
+
+It is not wonderful, that, upon such evidence, the daughters of Manchester
+should begin to prophecy, and the young men to see visions, and the old
+men to dream dreams. In the language of one, who has briefly described the
+condition of that village, during this period of intense
+excitement--"_Every house was haunted with the ghost of Colvin_."
+
+At length, a respectable man, a paternal uncle of the Boorns, began to
+dream, in good earnest. The ghost of Colvin appeared to him, and told him,
+upon his honor, that he had been murdered; and indicated the place, with
+unmistakable precision, where his body lay concealed. Like a bill, which
+cannot pass to enactment, until after a third reading, the declarations of
+a ghost are not entitled to the slightest regard, until after a third
+repetition. Every sensible ghost knows this, of course. The ghost of
+Colvin seems to have understood his business perfectly; and he manifested
+a very commendable delicacy, in selecting one of the family, for his
+confidant. Three times, in perfect conformity with acknowledged precedent,
+the ghost of Colvin announced the fact of his murder, and indicated the
+place, where his body was concealed.
+
+To put a slight upon a respectable ghost, in perfectly good standing, who
+had taken all this trouble, was entirely out of the question. Accordingly,
+the uncle of the Boorns summoned his neighbors--announced these
+revelations--gathered a posse--proceeded to dig in the hole, so
+particularly indicated by the ghost--and, after digging to a great depth,
+succeeded completely, in discovering nothing of any human remains. Indeed
+he was as unsuccessful, as our worthy friend, the Warden of the Prison, in
+his recent search for hidden treasure--excepting, that it does not appear,
+that the ghost made the slightest effort to bury him alive.
+
+This movement was productive, nevertheless, of additional testimony,
+against the Boorns. In the hole, were found a jack-knife and a button,
+both which Mrs. Colvin solemnly declared to have belonged to her husband.
+
+In regard to the location of the body, the ghost was certainly mistaken;
+perhaps Mr. Boorn, the uncle, being dull of hearing, might have
+misunderstood the revelation; and perhaps the memory of the ghost was
+treacherous. Evidence, gathered up by piecemeal, was, nevertheless,
+gradually enveloping the fate of these miserable men--evidence of a much
+more substantial material, than dreams are made of.
+
+Thomas Johnson, the witness, above referred to, having purchased the
+field, where the quarrel took place, between Colvin and the Boorns, the
+children of Johnson found, while playing there, an old mouldy hat; which
+Johnson asserted, at the time, and afterwards, at the trial, swore,
+positively, had belonged to Colvin.
+
+Nearly seven years had passed, since the disappearance of Russell Colvin.
+Stephen Boorn had removed from Manchester, about five years after the
+supposed murder; and resided in Denmark, Lewis County, New York; at the
+distance of some two hundred miles. Jesse still continued in Manchester;
+and _neither of these wretched men, upon any occasion, appears to have
+attempted flight, or concealment_.
+
+Stephen Boorn, who, as the sequel will abundantly show, seems not to have
+been entirely deficient, in natural affection, had discovered, after a
+bitter experience of five long years, that the burden of his sins was not
+more intolerable, than the oppressive consciousness of the tenure, by
+which he lived, and moved, and had his being; which tenure was no other,
+than that, by which Cain walked upon the earth, after the murder of Abel.
+Stephen Boorn gathered up the little, that he had, and went into a far
+country--not hastily, nor by night--but openly, and in the light of day.
+
+Jesse, who was, evidently, the weaker brother--the poorer spirit--remained
+behind; deeming it easier, doubtless, to endure the continued suspicion
+and contempt of mankind, than to muster enough of energy, to rise and
+walk.
+
+Well nigh seven years, as I have stated, had passed, since the
+disappearance of Colvin. A discovery was made, at this period, which left
+very little doubt, upon the minds of the good people of Manchester, that
+the Boorns were guilty of the murder of this unhappy man, and of
+attempting to conceal his remains, by cremation.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXX.
+
+
+At this period, about seven years after the disappearance of Russell
+Colvin, a lad, walking near the house of Barney Boorn, was attracted, by
+the movements of a dog, that seemed to have discovered some object of
+interest, near the stump of an ancient tree, upon the banks of the
+Battenkill river. This stump was about sixty rods from the hole, in which,
+upon the suggestion of the ghost, the uncle of the Boorns, and his curious
+neighbors had sought for the body of Colvin. The lad examined the stump,
+and discovered the cavity to be filled with bones!
+
+Had the magnetic been then in operation, the tidings could not have been
+telegraphed more speedily. The affair was definitively settled--the bones
+of Colvin were discovered; and the ghost appeared to have been only sixty
+rods out of the way, after all. Murder will find a tongue. Manchester
+found thousands. The village was on fire. Young men and maidens, old men
+and children came forth, to gaze upon the bones of the murdered Colvin;
+and to praise the Lord, for this providential discovery! Whatever the
+value of it might be--the merit seemed clearly to belong, in equal
+moieties, to the dog and the ghost.
+
+How prone we are--the children of this generation--to reason upon the
+philosophy, before we weigh the fish! This was a case, if there ever was a
+case, for the recognition of the principle, _cuique in sua arte credendum
+est_. Accordingly the medical magi of Manchester and of its highly excited
+neighborhood were summoned, to sit in judgment, upon these bones. The
+question was not--"_can these dry bones live?_"--but are they the bones of
+the murdered Colvin? One, thoughtful practitioner believed there was a
+previous question, entitled to some little consideration--are these bones
+the bones of a man, or of a beast? Never were scruples more entirely out
+of place. Imagine the indignation of the good people of Manchester, at the
+bare suggestion, that they had wasted so much excellent sympathy, upon the
+bones, peradventure, of a horse or a heifer!
+
+The doubter, as might have been expected, stood alone: but he sturdily
+persisted. The regular faculty, with the eyes of their well-persuaded
+patients riveted, encouragingly, upon theirs, expressed their clear
+conviction, that the bones were human bones, and, if human bones,
+whose--aye whose--but the murdered Colvin's! This gave universal
+satisfaction, of course.
+
+It was evident, that some of these bones had been broken and pounded--the
+quantity was small, for an entire skeleton--some few bones had been found,
+beneath a barn, belonging to the father of the Boorns, which had been,
+previously, consumed by fire--and some persons may have supposed, that the
+murderers, having deposited the dead body there, had destroyed the barn,
+to conceal their crime--and, finding a part of the body unconsumed, after
+the conflagration, had deposited that part, in the hollow stump, to be
+disposed of, at some future moment of convenience.
+
+A very plausible theory, beyond all doubt. But the doubting doctor
+continued to turn over these bones, with an air of provoking unbelief; now
+and then, perhaps, holding aloft, in significant silence, the fragment of
+a cranium, of remarkably sheepish proportions.
+
+This was not to be endured. Anatomical knowledge appears not to have made
+uncommon strides, in that region, in 1819; for, when it was finally
+decided to compare these bones with those of the human body, there
+actually seems to have been nothing in that region, which would serve the
+purpose of the faculty, but the leg of a citizen, long before amputated,
+and committed to the earth. I will here adopt the words of the Rev. Mr.
+Haynes--"_A Mr. Salisbury, about four years ago, had his leg amputated,
+which was buried, at the distance of four or five miles. The limb was dug
+up, and, by comparing, it was universally determined that the bones were
+not human._" This was a severe disappointment, undoubtedly; but not
+absolutely total: for two nails, or something, in the image thereof, were
+found, amid the mass, which nails, says Mr. Haynes, "_were human, and so
+appeared to all beholders_."
+
+Let us now turn to the murderers, or rather to Jesse, for Stephen was two
+hundred miles away, entirely unsuspicious of the gathering cloud, which
+was destined, ere long, to burst upon his devoted head.
+
+When the discovery of these bones had excited the feelings and suspicions
+of the people, to the utmost, it was deemed proper to take Jesse into
+custody. An examination took place, on Tuesday, May 27, 1819, and
+continued, till the following Saturday. This examination was conducted, in
+the meeting-house, as it appears, from the testimony of Truman Hill, upon
+the subsequent trial; who says of Jesse, that--"when the knife was
+presented to him, in the meeting-house, and also when the hat was
+presented to him, his feelings were such, as to oblige him to take hold of
+the pew, to steady himself--he appeared to be much agitated--I asked him
+what was the matter--he answered there was matter enough--I asked him to
+state--he said he feared, that Stephen had killed Colvin--that he never
+believed so, till the spring or winter, when he went into William Boorn's
+shop, where were William and Stephen Boorn--at which time he gained a
+knowledge of the manner of Colvin's death; and that he thought he knew,
+within a few rods, where Colvin was buried."
+
+Such was the evidence of Truman Hill, upon the trial; and he related the
+facts, very naturally, at the time, to his neighbors. The statement was
+considered, by the community, as tantamount to a confession. At this time,
+the examination of Jesse Boorn had nearly closed--no ground for detention
+appeared against him--the bones, discovered in the stump, were
+acknowledged to have belonged to some brute animal--it was the general
+opinion, that Jesse should be released; when this declaration of his to
+Truman Hill, turned the tide of popular sentiment entirely; and Jesse
+Boorn was remanded to prison.
+
+Truman Hill was the jailer; or, in his own conservative phraseology, he
+"_kept the keys of the prison_." Jailers are rather apt to look upon their
+prisoners, as great curiosities, in proportion to the crimes, with which
+they are charged, and themselves as showmen. Most men are sufficiently
+willing to be distinguished, for something or other:--to see Jesse
+Boorn--to catechise the wretched man--to set before him the fear of death,
+and the hope of pardon--to beg him to confess--nothing but the truth, of
+course--these were privileges--favors--and Truman Hill had the power of
+granting them. Thus he says--he "_let in_" Mr. Johnson; and, when Mr.
+Johnson came out, he went in himself, and found Jesse "in great
+agitation"--and then he, himself, urged Jesse to confess--the truth of
+course--if he said anything--assuring him, that every falsehood he told,
+would sink him deeper in trouble. It must have been evident to the mind of
+Jesse, that a confession of the murder would be particularly agreeable to
+the public, and that a continued protestation of his innocence would
+disappoint the reasonable expectations of his fellow-citizens.
+
+Jesse confessed to Judge Skinner, that Stephen had, probably, buried
+Colvin's body in the mountain; and that the knife, found with the button,
+in the hole, indicated to his uncle by the ghost, was, doubtless,
+Colvin's; for he had often seen Colvin's mother use it, to cut her
+tobacco. Judge Skinner and Jesse took an edifying walk up the mountain, in
+search of the body--they did not find it, which is very surprising.
+
+About the middle of the month of May, 1819, Mr. Orange Clark, a neighbor
+of Stephen Boorn, in the town of Denmark, some two hundred miles from
+Manchester, entered his dwelling, in the evening. He took a chair, and
+commenced a friendly conversation with Stephen and his wife--for Stephen
+had married a wife--the sharer of all his sorrows--his joys, probably,
+were few, and far between, and not worth the partition. Shortly after, a
+Mr. Hooper, another neighbor, dropped in. He had scarcely taken his seat,
+before another entered the apartment, Mr. Sylvester, the innkeeper, who,
+upon some grave testimony, then recently imported into Denmark, had
+arrived at the solemn conclusion, that there was something rotten there.
+
+Stephen and his helpmate were, doubtless, somewhat surprised, at this
+unusual gathering, in their humble dwelling. Their surprise was greatly
+increased, of course, by the appearance, almost immediately after, of
+Messieurs Anderson and Raymond, worthy men of Manchester. If the ghost of
+Russell Colvin had stalked in, after them, Stephen Boorn could not have
+been more astonished, than he was, when he beheld, closing up the rear of
+all this goodly company--no less a personage, than Captain Truman Hill,
+the jailer of Manchester--the gentleman, I mean, who "_kept the keys of
+the prison_."
+
+To Stephen there must have been something not wholly incomprehensible in
+this. His ill-starred partner was not long left in doubt. The very glances
+of the party were of evil omen. Their business was soon declared. The
+gentleman, that _kept the keys_, kept also the _handcuffs_. They were
+speedily produced. Stephen Boorn must go back to the place, from whence he
+came--and from thence--so opined the men, women and children of
+Manchester--to the place of execution. But, when the process commenced, of
+putting the irons upon that wretched man--the poor woman--the wife of his
+bosom--for he had a bosom, and a human heart therein, full of tenderness,
+as the sequel will demonstrate, for her; however inconceivable to the
+gentleman, that "_kept the keys_"--and to those learned judges, who, in
+the very teeth, and in utter contempt, of the law, so clearly laid down by
+Sir Matthew Hale, of glorious memory, would have hanged this miserable
+man, but for the signal Providence of Almighty God--this poor woman was
+completely overwhelmed with agony.
+
+The estimate of many things, in this nether world, is a vastly relative
+affair. That, which would be in excellent taste, among a people, without
+refinement, however moral, will frequently appear to the enlightened
+portion of mankind, as absolutely barbarous.
+
+The idea of allaying the anguish of a wife, produced by the forcible
+removal of her husband, in chains, on a charge of murder, by _making her
+presents_, hurries one's imagination to the land of the Hottentots, or of
+the Caffres; where the loss of a child is sometimes forgotten, in the
+contemplation of a few glass beads--and no consolation proves so effectual
+for the loss of wife, as a nail or a hatchet.
+
+And yet it is impossible--and it ought to be--to read the short and simple
+statement of that good man, the Rev. Mr. Haynes, without emotion--"_The
+surprise and distress of Mrs. Boorn, on this occasion, are not easily
+described: they excited the compassion of those, who came to take away her
+husband; and they made her some presents_."
+
+"The prisoner," continues Mr. Haynes, "was put in irons, and brought to
+Manchester, on the 15th of May. He peremptorily asserted his innocence,
+and declared he knew nothing about the murder of his brother-in-law. The
+prisoners were kept apart, for a time. They were afterwards confined in
+one room. Stephen denied the evidence, brought against him by Jesse, and
+treated him with severity."
+
+These men, imprisoned in May, 1819, were not tried, until October of that
+year. The _evidence_, upon which they were convicted of murder, in the
+first degree, lies now before me, _certified up to the General Assembly of
+the State of Vermont, upon their request, by Judge Dudley Chace, Nov. 11,
+1819_. Let us now turn from _on dits_, and dreams, and ghosts, and
+doubtful relics, to the _duly certified testimony, upon which these men
+were sentenced to be hung_.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXI.
+
+
+The grand jurors of Bennington County found a bill of indictment, against
+Stephen and Jesse Boorn, September 3, 1819, for the murder of Russell
+Colvin, May 10, 1812, charging Stephen, as principal, in the first count,
+and Jesse, in the second.
+
+The facts, proved, upon the trial, by witnesses, whose testimony was
+unimpeached, and which facts appear, in the minutes of evidence, certified
+by Judge Dudley Chace to the General Assembly, November 11, 1819, were,
+substantially, these. Before the time of the alleged murder, Stephen had
+complained that his brother-in-law, Colvin, was a burden to the family;
+and Stephen had said, if there was no other way of preventing him from
+multiplying children, for his father-in-law, Barney Boorn, to support, he
+would prevent him himself.
+
+At the time of the alleged murder, Stephen and Jesse Boorn had a quarrel
+with Colvin. The affair, in part, was seen and heard, by a neighbor, from
+a distance. Lewis Colvin, then ten years old, the son of Russell, was
+present; and, when seventeen, testified at the trial, that the last time
+he saw his father was, when the quarrel took place, which arose, at the
+time they were all engaged, in picking up stones--that Colvin struck
+Stephen first, with a small stick--that Stephen then struck Colvin, on his
+neck, with a club, and he fell--that Colvin rose and struck Stephen
+again--that Stephen again struck Colvin with the club, and knocked him
+down--whereupon the witness, being frightened, ran away; and was
+afterwards told, by Stephen, that he would kill him, if he ever told of
+what had happened. The witness further stated, that he ran, and told his
+grandmother.
+
+Stephen appears to have been gifted with a lively fancy. It was testified,
+that, before this occurrence, speaking of his sister and her husband, he
+had said he wished Russell and Sal were both dead; and that he would _kick
+them into hell if he burnt his legs off_. This piece of evidence, after
+having produced the usual effect upon the jury, was rejected.
+
+Upon another occasion, four years after the alleged murder, Stephen stated
+to Daniel D. Baldwin, and Eunice, his wife, that Colvin went off very
+strangely; that the last he saw of him was when he, Stephen, and Jesse
+were together, and Colvin went off to the woods; that Lewis, the son of
+Colvin, upon returning with some drink, for which he had been sent, asked
+where his father was, and that he, Stephen, replied, that Colvin had gone
+to hell; and Jesse, that they had put him where potatoes would not freeze;
+and Stephen added, while making this statement to the Baldwins, that it
+was not likely he or Jesse would have said this to the boy, if they had
+killed his father.
+
+When the body was sought for, before the bones were discovered, which were
+mistaken for human remains, a girl said to Stephen, "they are going to dig
+up Colvin for you; aren't they?" He became angry, and said, that Colvin
+often went off and returned--and that, when he went off, the last time, he
+was crazy; and went off without his hat.
+
+About four years after his disappearance, an old mouldy hat was
+discovered, in the field, where the quarrel took place; and was
+identified, positively, as the hat of Colvin, by the witness who had seen
+the quarrel, from a distance, as I have stated.
+
+Stephen denied, to Benjamin Deming, that he, Stephen, was present, when
+Colvin went off, and stated, that he was then, at a distance.
+
+To Joseph Lincoln he said, that he never killed Colvin--that he, and
+Colvin, and Jesse were picking up stones, and that Colvin was crazy, and
+went off into the woods, and that they had not seen nor heard from him
+since.
+
+To William Wyman, Stephen reaeffirmed his statement, made to Benjamin
+Deming--called on Wyman to clear up his statement, that he, Stephen, had
+killed Colvin--asserted, that he knew nothing of what had become of
+Colvin; and that he had never worked with him an hour.
+
+The minutes of the Judge furnish other examples of similar contradiction
+and inconsistency, on the part of Stephen Boorn.
+
+But the reader will bear constantly in mind, that, through a period of
+seven years, during which the suspicion of the vicinage hung over them,
+like an angry cloud, sending forth occasional mutterings of judgment to
+come, and threatening to burst upon their heads, at any moment; _neither
+of these miserable men attempted flight or concealment_. Two years before
+his arrest, Stephen removed from Manchester, as I have related; but, in an
+open manner. There was not the slightest disguise, in regard to his abode;
+and there, when it was thought proper to arrest him, he was readily found,
+in the bosom of his family.
+
+In 1813, Jesse Boorn was asked, by Daniel Jacobs, where Russell Colvin
+was; and replied, that he had enlisted, as a soldier in the army.
+
+Thus far, the evidence, certified by Judge Chace, appears to have
+proceeded from perfectly credible witnesses. Silas Merrill, _in jail, on a
+charge of perjury_, testified to the following confession--that, when
+Jesse returned to prison, after his examination, he told Merrill, that
+"_they_" had encouraged him to confess, _with promise of pardon_, and that
+he, Merrill, had told him, that, perhaps, he had better confess the whole
+truth, and _obtain some favor_. In June, 1819, Jesse's father visited him
+in jail--after he went away, Jesse seemed much afflicted. After falling
+asleep, Jesse awoke, and shook the witness, Merrill--told him that he,
+Jesse, was frightened--had seen a vision--and wished the witness to get
+up, for he had something to tell him. They both arose; and Jesse made the
+following disclosure. He said it was true, that he, and Stephen, and
+Colvin, and Lewis were in the lot, picking stones--that Stephen struck
+Colvin with a club--that the boy, Lewis, ran--that Colvin got up--that
+Stephen struck him again, above the ear, and broke his skull--that his,
+Stephen's father came up, and asked if Colvin was dead; and that he
+repeated this question three times--that all three of them carried Colvin,
+not then dead, to an old cellar, where the father cut Colvin's throat,
+with a small penknife of Stephen's--that they buried him, in the
+cellar--that Stephen wore Colvin's shoes, till he, Jesse, told him it
+would lead to a discovery.
+
+Jesse, as the witness stated, informed him, that he had told his brother
+Stephen, that he had confessed. When Stephen came into the room, witness
+asked him, if he did not take the life of Colvin; to which he replied,
+that "_he did not take the main life of Colvin_." Stephen, as the witness
+stated, said, that Jesse's confession was true; and that he, Stephen, had
+made a confession, which would only make manslaughter of it. The witness,
+Merrill, then proceeded to say, that Jesse further confessed, that,
+eighteen months after they had buried the body, they took it up, and
+placed it under the floor of a barn, that was afterwards burnt--that they
+then pounded the bones, and put them in the river; excepting a few, which
+their father gathered up, and hid in a hollow stump.
+
+At this stage of the trial, the prosecuting officer offered the written
+confession of Stephen Boorn, dated Aug. 27, 1819. The document was
+authenticated. An attempt was made by the prisoners' counsel, to show,
+that this confession was made, under the fear of death and hope and
+prospect of pardon. Samuel C. Raymond testified, that he had often told
+the prisoner to confess, _if guilty_, but not otherwise. Stephen said he
+was _not guilty_. The witness then told him _not to confess_. The witness
+said he had heard Mr. Pratt, and Mr. Sheldon, the prosecuting officer,
+tell Jesse, that, if he would confess, _in case he was guilty_, they would
+petition the legislature in his favor. The witness had made the same
+proposition to Stephen himself, and _always told him he had no doubt of
+his guilt; and that the public mind was against him_.
+
+The court, of course, rejected the _written confession_ of Stephen, made,
+obviously, under the fear of death, and the hope and prospect of pardon.
+William Farnsworth was then produced, to prove the _oral confession_ of
+Stephen, much to the same effect. To this the prisoners' counsel objected,
+very properly, as it occurred after the very statement and proposal, made
+to the prisoner, by Mr. Raymond. _The court, nevertheless, permitted the
+witness to proceed._ Mr. Farnsworth then testified, that, about two weeks
+_after_ the date of the written confession, Stephen confessed, that he
+killed Russell Colvin--that Russell struck at him; and that he struck
+Russell and killed him--hid him in the bushes--buried him--dug him
+up--buried him again, under a barn, that was burnt--threw the unburnt
+bones into the river--scraped up some few remains, and hid them in a
+stump--and that the nails found he knew were Russell Colvin's. The witness
+told him his case looked badly; and, probably, gave him no encouragement.
+Stephen then said they should have done well enough, had it not been for
+Jesse, and wished he "_had back that paper_," meaning the written
+confession.
+
+After Mr. Farnsworth had been, thus absurdly, permitted to testify, there
+was no cause for withholding the written confession; and the prisoners'
+counsel called for its production. This confession embodies little more,
+with the exception of some particulars, as to the manner of burying the
+body; but is entirely inconsistent with the confession of Jesse. It is a
+full confession, that he killed Russell Colvin, and buried his remains.
+But, unlike the confession of Jesse, there is not the slightest
+implication of their father.
+
+The evidence, in behalf of the prisoners, was of very little importance,
+excepting in relation to the fact, that _they were persuaded, by divers
+individuals, that the only chance of escaping the halter was, by an ample
+confession of the murder_. They were told to confess _nothing but the
+truth_--but this was accompanied, by ominous intimations, that their case
+"_looked dark_"--that they were "_gone geese_"--or, by the considerate
+language of _Squire Raymond_--as he is styled in the minutes--that he
+"_had no doubt of their guilt_;" and if they would confess _the
+truth_--that is, _what the Squire had no doubt of_--he would petition the
+legislature in their favor! What atrocious language to a prisoner, under a
+charge of murder!
+
+It would be quite interesting to read the instructions of Judge Dudley
+Chace, while submitting the case of Stephen and Jesse Boorn to the jury;
+that we might be able to comprehend the measure of his respect, for the
+law, touching the inadmissibility of such extra judicial confessions, and
+for the solemn, judicial declaration of Sir Matthew Hale, that _no
+conviction ought ever to take place in trials, for murder or manslaughter,
+until the fact was clearly proven, or the dead body of the person, alleged
+to have been killed, was discovered_.
+
+In "_about an hour_," the jury returned a verdict of guilty, against
+Stephen and Jesse Boorn. And, in "_about an hour_" after, the prisoners
+were brought into court again, and sentenced to be hung, on the
+twenty-eighth day of January, 1820. Judge Chace is said to have been
+"_quite moved_," while passing sentence on Stephen and Jesse Boorn. It
+would have been well, for the cause of humanity, and not amiss, for the
+honor of his judicial station, if he had shed tears of blood, as the
+reader of the sequel will readily admit.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXII.
+
+
+Sentenced, on the last day of October, 1819, to be hung, on the 28th of
+January following, the Boorns were remanded to their prison, and put in
+irons.
+
+From this period, their most authentic and interesting prison history is
+obtained, from the written statement of the clergyman, who appears to have
+performed his sacred functions, in regard to these men, with singular
+fidelity and propriety. This clergyman, the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, belonged
+to that class of human beings, commonly denominated _colored people_--a
+term, to which I have always sturdily objected, because drunkards, who are
+often a highly-colored people, may thus be confounded with temperate and
+respectable men of African descent.
+
+[2]Mr. Haynes was, in part, of African parentage; and the author of the
+narrative, and occasional sermon, to which I have referred, at the
+commencement of these articles. There flourished, in this city, some five
+and thirty years ago, a number of very respectable, negro musicians,
+associated, as a band; and Major Russell, the editor of the Centinel, was
+in the habit of distinguishing the music, by the color of the performers.
+He frequently remarked, in his journal, that the "_black music_" was
+excellent. If this phraseology be allowable, I cannot deny, that the
+black, or colored, narrative of Mr. Haynes is very interesting; and that I
+have seldom read a black or colored discourse, with more satisfaction; and
+that I have read many a white one, with infinitely less.
+
+    [2] The editor of the New York Sun, _under date, Jan. 25, 1850_,
+    says--"Yesterday, we were waited on, by the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, of
+    this city, the person, who, convinced of the innocence of the
+    condemned parties, aided in finding the man, supposed to be
+    murdered."--The Sun must have been under a total eclipse. This very
+    worthy man, the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, who figured, honorably for
+    himself, in the affair of the Boorns, was born July 18, 1753, and died
+    Sept. 28, 1833, at the age of 80--as the gentleman, who conducts the
+    chariot of the Sun, will discover, by turning to Cooley's "Sketches of
+    the life and character of the Rev. Lemuel Haynes, N. Y. 1839," p. 312.
+    Some dark object must have passed before the editor's eye.
+
+Previously to their trial, and after the arrest of Stephen, the Rev. Mr.
+Haynes expressly states, that Jesse, having had an interview with Stephen,
+positively denied his own former statement, that Stephen had admitted he
+killed Colvin. These are the words of Mr. Haynes--"During the interval,
+the writer frequently visited them, in his official capacity; and did not
+discover any symptoms of compunction; but they persisted, in declaring
+their innocence, with appeals to Heaven. Stephen, at times, appeared
+absorbed in passion and impatience. One day, I introduced the example of
+Christ, under sufferings, as a pattern, worthy of imitation: he
+exclaimed--'I am as innocent, as Jesus Christ!' for which extravagant
+expression I reproved him: he replied--'I don't mean I am guiltless, as he
+was, I know I am a great sinner; but I am as innocent of killing Colvin,
+as he was.'"
+
+The condition of the Boorns, immediately after sentence, cannot be more
+forcibly exhibited, than in the language of this worthy clergyman--"None
+can express the confusion and anguish, into which the prisoners were cast,
+on hearing their doom. They requested, by their counsel, liberty to speak,
+which was granted. In sighs and broken accents, they asserted their
+innocence. The convulsion of nature, attending Stephen, at last, was so
+great, as to render him unable to walk, and he was supported to the
+prison."
+
+Compassion was excited, in the hearts of some--doubts, peradventure, in
+the minds of others. A petition was presented to the General Assembly; and
+the punishment of Jesse was changed to imprisonment, for life.
+Ninety-seven deadly noes, against forty-two merciful ayes, decided the
+fate of Stephen.
+
+On the 29th of October, 1819, Jesse bade Stephen a last farewell; and was
+transferred to the State prison, at Windsor.
+
+"I visited him--Stephen"--says Mr. Haynes, "frequently, with sympathy and
+grief; and endeavored to turn his mind upon the things of another world;
+telling him, that, as all human means had failed, he must look to God, as
+the only way of deliverance. I advised him to read the Holy Scriptures; to
+which he consented, if he could be allowed a candle, as his cell was dark.
+This request was granted; and I often found him reading. He was at times
+calm, and again impatient."
+
+Upon another occasion, still nearer the day of the prisoner's doom--"the
+last of earth"--Mr. Haynes remarks, that Stephen addressed him
+thus--"_'Mr. Haynes, I see no way but I must die: everything works against
+me; but I am an innocent man: this you will know, after I am dead.' He
+burst into a flood of tears, and said--'What will become of my poor wife
+and children; they are in needy circumstances; and I love them better than
+life itself.'_--I told him, God would take care of them. He replied--'_I
+don't want to die. I wish they would let me live, even in this situation,
+somewhat longer: perhaps something will take place, that will convince
+people I am innocent._' I was about to leave the prison, when he
+said--'_will you pray with me?_'--He arose with his heavy chains on his
+hands and legs, being also chained down to the floor, and stood on his
+feet, with deep and bitter sighings."
+
+On the 26th day of November, 1819--two brief months before the time,
+appointed, for the execution of Stephen Boorn, the following notice
+appeared in the Rutland Herald--"MURDER.--_Printers of Newspapers,
+throughout the United States, are desired to publish, that Stephen Boorn
+of Manchester, in Vermont, is sentenced to be executed for the murder of
+Russell Colvin, who has been absent about seven years. Any person, who can
+give information of said Colvin, may save the life of the innocent, by
+making immediate communication. Colvin is about five feet five inches
+high, light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, about forty years of age.
+Manchester, Vt., Nov. 26, 1819._"
+
+This notice, published by request of the prisoner, was, doubtless,
+prepared, by one of his counsel:--by whomsoever prepared, it bears, in its
+very structure, unmistakable evidence of the writer's entire confidence,
+in the innocency, of Stephen Boorn, of the _murder_ of Russell Colvin. No
+man, who had a doubt upon his mind, could have put these words together,
+in the very places, where they stand. Had it been otherwise, some little
+hesitancy of expression--some conservative syllable--one little if, _ex
+abundanti cautela_, to shelter the writer from the charge of a most
+miserably weak and merciful credulity, would have characterized this last
+appeal--this short, shrill cry for mercy--as the work of a doubter, and a
+hireling.
+
+There may have been a few, whose strong confidence, in the bloodguiltiness
+of Stephen Boorn, had become slightly paralyzed, by his entire and
+absolute retractation of all his confessions, made before trial. There may
+have been a few, who believe, that they, themselves, might have confessed,
+though innocent, in the same predicament--assured by the _squires_, the
+_magnates_ of the village, whom they supposed powerful to save, that _no
+doubt existed of their guilt_--that they were _gone geese_--and who
+proffered an effort in their favor--to save them from the gallows--if they
+would confess _the truth_, which _truth_ could, of course, be nothing, but
+their _guilt_. If they would confess a crime, though innocent, they might
+still live! If not, they must be deemed liars, and murderers, and die the
+death!
+
+The prisoner, Stephen Boorn, even supposing him to be innocent, but of
+humble station in society, and of ordinary mental powers--oppressed by the
+chains he wore, and, more heavily, by the dread of death--clinging to
+life--not only because it is written, by the finger of God, in the members
+of man, that all a man hath will be given for his life--but because, as
+the statement of Mr. Haynes convincingly shows, poor degraded outcast as
+Stephen was, he was deeply and tenderly attached to his wife and
+children--might well fall under the temptation, so censurably spread
+before him.
+
+There may have been a few, who were compelled to doubt, if Stephen were a
+murderer, upon hearing the simple narrative, spread through the village,
+by the worthy clergyman, of the fervent and awful declaration of Stephen
+Boorn, in a moment of deep and energetic misery--"I am as innocent of the
+murder of Russell Colvin, as Jesus Christ."
+
+But the strong current of popular indignation ran, overwhelmingly, against
+him. By a large number, the brief notice, published in the Rutland Herald,
+was, undoubtedly, accounted a mere personal, or professional attempt, to
+produce an impression of the murderer's innocence, in the hope of
+commutation, or of pardon--and, with many, it certainly tended to confirm
+the prejudice against him. Days of unutterable anguish were succeeded, by
+nights of frightful slumber. The cell was feebly lighted, by the taper
+allowed him--with unpractised fingers, the prisoner turned over the pages
+of God's holy word--but a kind, faithful guide was at his elbow--the voice
+of fervent prayer, amid the occasional clanking of the prisoner's fetters,
+went up to that infallible ear, that is ever ready to hear.--The Judicial
+power had consigned this victim to the gallows--the general sense had
+decided, that Stephen Boorn ought not to live--to prepare him to die was
+the only remaining office, for the man of God.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXIII.
+
+
+In April, 1813, about a year after poor Colvin was murdered, by the
+Boorns, according to the indictment--there came to the house of a Mr.
+Polhamus, in Dover, Monmouth County, New Jersey, a wandering man--he was a
+stranger, and Mr. Polhamus was a good man, and took him in--he was hungry,
+and he fed him--he was ragged, if not absolutely naked, and he clothed
+him. He was a man of mean appearance, rapid utterance, and disordered
+understanding. He was harmless withal, perfectly tractable, capable of
+light service, and grateful for kindness. In the family of Mr. Polhamus,
+this poor vagrant had continued, to the very time, when the Boorns were
+convicted of the murder of Russell Colvin.
+
+Not far from Dover, lies the town of Shrewsbury, near Long Branch, the
+Baiae of the Philadelphians. There dwelt in Shrewsbury, in the year 1819,
+Mr. Taber Chadwick, the brother-in-law of Mr. Polhamus, and familiarly
+acquainted with the domestic affairs of his relative. He also was a man of
+kind and generous feelings. He had accidentally read in the New York
+Evening Post, a paper which he rarely met with, the account of the
+conviction of the Boorns, for the murder of Colvin. The notice in the
+Rutland Herald, he had never seen. He was firmly persuaded, that the
+stranger, who arrived at the house of his brother-in-law, some six years
+before, was Russell Colvin. What reasons he had, for this conviction, the
+reader will gather from a perusal of the following letter, which appeared
+in the Evening Post:--
+
+"SHREWSBURY, Monmouth, N. J., Dec. 6, 1819. To the Editor of the New York
+Evening Post: Sir. Having read in your paper of Nov. 26th last, of the
+conviction and sentence of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, of Manchester,
+Vermont, charged with the murder of Russell Colvin, and from facts, which
+have fallen within my own knowledge, and not knowing what facts may have
+been disclosed on their trial, and wishing to serve the cause of humanity,
+I would state as follows, which may be relied on. Some years past, (I
+think between five and ten), a stranger made his appearance in this
+county: and, upon being inquired of, said his name was Russell Colvin,
+(which name he answers to at this time)--that he came from Manchester,
+Vermont--he appeared to be in a state of mental derangement; but, at
+times, gave considerable account of himself--his connections,
+acquaintances, &c.--He mentions the names of Clarissa, Rufus, &c.--Among
+his relations he has mentioned the Boorns above--Jesse as Judge (I think,)
+&c., &c. He is a man rather small in stature--round favored--speaks very
+fast, and has two scars on his head, and appears to be between thirty and
+forty years of age. There is no doubt but that he came from Vermont, from
+the mention that he has made of a number of places and persons there, and
+probably is the person supposed to have been murdered. He is now living
+here, but so completely insane, as not to be able to give a satisfactory
+account of himself, but the connections of Russell Colvin might know, by
+seeing him. If you think proper to give this a place in your columns, it
+may possibly lead to a discovery, that may save the lives of innocent
+men--if so, you will have the pleasure, as well as myself, of having
+served the cause of humanity. If you give this an insertion in your paper,
+pray be so good as to request the different editors of newspapers, in New
+York, and Vermont, to give it a place in theirs. I am, sir, with
+sentiments of regard, yours, &c.,
+
+TABER CHADWICK."
+
+To render a certain part of this letter intelligible to the reader, it is
+proper to state, that Clarissa and Rufus, as it appeared from the
+evidence, were the names of Colvin's children; and that "_the judge_" was
+a title, or sobriquet, frequently bestowed upon Jesse, by Stephen.
+
+Upon the arrival of a printed copy of Mr. Chadwick's letter, in
+Manchester, it produced little or no effect. Very few of the inhabitants
+gave any credit to the story; and it might have been very reasonably
+supposed, that St. Thomas had begotten a large majority of the population.
+Squire Raymond was certain of Stephen's guilt; and to differ from Squire
+Raymond, was probably accounted, by the villagers, as one of the
+presumptuous sins. Besides, if a doubt of their guilt had existed, would
+not those most learned judges have given the prisoners the full advantage
+of that doubt! How little the good people of Manchester imagined, that,
+upon the trial of the Boorns, the well established rules of evidence had
+been outrageously violated, and a great fundamental principle of criminal
+jurisprudence shamefully disregarded, by the court! Such, however painful
+and disgraceful the admission, was manifestly the fact. Judges, who sit
+thus, in judgment, upon the lives of men, would do well to doff their
+ermine, and assume the robe, commended by Faulconbridge to Austria. To the
+enforcement of this simple truth I shall turn hereafter.
+
+Let us now go to the dungeon, taking with us, of course, the newspaper,
+containing these living lines--these tidings of exceeding great joy. But
+the details of all that occurred within the prison, are related with great
+simplicity and power, by the good clergyman, who stood by Stephen Boorn,
+in his deepest need. Let Mr. Haynes, himself, describe in a few words, the
+effect of this communication, upon the prisoner--"Mr. Chadwick's letter
+was carried to the prison, and read to Stephen. The news was so
+overwhelming, that, to use his own language, nature could scarcely sustain
+the shock; but, as there was some doubt as to the truth of the report, it
+tended to prevent an immediate dissolution. He observed to me, that, if
+Colvin had then made his appearance before him, he believed it would have
+caused immediate death. Even now a faintness was created, that was painful
+to endure."
+
+Not a few very charitable people, who shrink, instinctively, from the very
+thought of giving pain, marvelled at the cruelty of those, who presumed to
+raise the poor prisoner's hopes, upon such frail and improbable grounds.
+
+Soon, intelligence arrived in Manchester, that a Mr. Whelpley, of New
+York, formerly of Manchester, who knew Colvin well, having seen Mr.
+Chadwick's letter, had gone to New Jersey, to settle the question of
+identity. This, according to Mr. Deming's account, was done, at the
+instance of the city authorities of New York.
+
+Doubt fell, fifty per cent., in the market of Manchester, when a brief
+letter, in the well known handwriting of Mr. Whelpley, was received, in
+that village, immediately upon his return to New York, containing these
+vital words--"I HAVE COLVIN WITH ME!" This letter was immediately followed
+by another from a Mr. Rempton, who knew him well, in which he
+says--"_while writing, Russell Colvin is before me_!" The New York
+journals now published the notice, that _Colvin had arrived, and would
+soon proceed to Vermont_. Doubt dies hard, in the bosoms of those, whose
+pride of opinion forbids them to recant. Squire Raymond, and his tail, as
+the Scotch call a great man's followers, could not believe the story.
+Their honors, who sentenced the Boorns to death, in one hour, after the
+verdict had been delivered--were very naturally inclined to take a longer
+time, for consideration, before they sentenced themselves to merited
+reproach, for their rash and unjustifiable conduct. Bets were made, says
+Mr. Haynes, that the man, on his way to Vermont, notwithstanding the
+positive averments of Whelpley and Rempton, was not the true Colvin, but
+an impostor.
+
+Whoever he was, he was soon upon his way. He passed through Albany. The
+streets, says Mr. Deming, were literally crowded to get a glimpse of the
+man, who was dead and alive again. He passed through Troy. The Trojan
+horse could not have produced a greater measure of amazement, in the days
+of Priam. Dec. 22, he arrived with Mr. Whelpley, at Bennington. The court
+then in session, suspended business, to look upon him, for several hours.
+
+Towards evening, upon that memorable day, Dec. 22, 1819, the stage was
+seen, driving into Manchester, and the driving was like the driving of
+Jehu, for it drove furiously. When the dust cleared away, sufficiently, to
+enable the excited population to obtain a clearer view, an unusual signal
+was observed floating above the advancing vehicle. A shout broke forth
+from the crowd--COLVIN HAS COME! Hundreds ran to their houses to
+communicate the tidings--_Colvin has come!_ The stage drove up to the
+tavern door; and a little man, of mean appearance, and wild, disordered
+look, came forth into the middle of the eager multitude. His bewildered
+eyes turned, rapidly and feverishly, in all directions, encountering eyes
+innumerable, that seemed to drink him in, with the strong relish of wonder
+and delight. Hundreds upon hundreds pressed forward, to grasp this poor,
+little, demented creature, by the hand; and enough of sense and memory
+remained, to enable him, feebly, to return the smiles of his former
+neighbors, and to call them, by their names. All was uproar and frantic
+joy. The people of Manchester believed it to be their bounden duty to go
+partially mad; and they did their duty to perfection. Guns were fired,
+amid wild demonstrations of excitement; and Colvin was tumultuously borne
+to the cell of the condemned. The meeting shall be described by Mr.
+Haynes--"_The prison door was unbolted--the news proclaimed to Stephen,
+that Colvin had come! The welcome reception, given it by the joyful
+prisoner, need not be mentioned. The chains, on his arms, were taken off,
+while those on his legs remained. Being impatient of an interview with
+him, who had come to bring salvation, they met. Colvin gazed upon the
+chains, and asked--'What is that for?'--Stephen answered--'Because, they
+say, I murdered you'--'You never hurt me'--replied Colvin._"
+
+Colvin recognized his children; but marvelled how they came in Manchester,
+asserting, that he left them, at the house of his kind benefactor, Mr.
+Polhamus, in New Jersey. Of his wife, who came to see him, he took little
+notice, asserting, that she did not belong to him. There may have been
+enough of method, in his madness, to enable him to appreciate, correctly,
+the value of his marital relation. The breath of Manchester may have blown
+the truth into his ear. An ingenious person may find some little
+resemblance between the wanderings of Ulysses and those of Colvin the
+_Oudeis_ of Manchester--but the testimony, upon the trial, peremptorily
+forbids the slightest comparison, between Penelope and Mrs. Colvin, who
+appears not to have embarrassed her suitors, with the preliminary ordeal
+of the bow.
+
+There is an admirable painting, in the Boston Athenaeum, by Neagle, of
+Patrick Lyon, the blacksmith, who was long imprisoned, in Philadelphia,
+for the robbery of a bank, of which crime he was perfectly innocent, as it
+finally appeared, to the entire satisfaction of the government, by whom he
+was, consequently, discharged. Lyon is represented, at his forge; and he
+desired the artist to introduce the Walnut Street prison in the rear,
+where he had suffered, so unjustly, and so long.
+
+The graphic hand of a master might do something here. I would pay more
+than I can well afford, for a couple of illustrative paintings--I. The
+Judges, with tears in their eyes, sentencing Stephen and Jesse to be
+hanged, for the murder of Colvin--the best books on evidence, before them,
+and open at the pages where it is expressly stated that extra-judicial
+confession, under fear of death, and hope of pardon, shall never be
+received--and the leaf turned down, at the authority of Sir Matthew Hale,
+that no conviction ought ever to take place, upon trials for murder and
+manslaughter, till the fact be clearly proven, or the _dead body_ be
+discovered.
+
+II. The dungeon, Dec. 22, 1819, just thirty-six days, before the time,
+appointed for the execution of Stephen--the murderer and the murdered man,
+standing face to face, in full life--Squire Raymond still avowing his
+conviction of Stephen's guilt, and holding aloft his written
+confession--Judge Chace seen in the distance, burying the "_certified
+minutes of evidence_" in the very hole, pointed out, to Nathaniel Boorn,
+by Colvin's ghost--and Judge Doolittle evidently regretting, that he had
+not done less, in this unhappy transaction, which came so near the
+consummation of judicial murder.
+
+In the succeeding number, I shall endeavor to present a simple version of
+the motives and conduct of the parties--and some brief remarks, upon this
+extraordinary trial.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXIV.
+
+
+After a little reflection, the true explanation of this apparent mystery
+appears to be exceedingly simple. Colvin had become an object of contempt
+and hatred to the Boorns; and especially to Stephen. His mental feebleness
+had produced their contempt--the burdensomeness of himself and his family
+had begotten their hatred. The poor, semi-demented creature happened, in a
+luckless hour, to boast, most absurdly, no doubt, of his great importance
+and usefulness, as a member of this interesting family. This gave a doubly
+keen edge to the animosity of Stephen; and he berated his brother-in-law,
+in terms, almost as vulgar and abusive, as those we daily meet with, in so
+many of our leading political journals, of all denominations.
+
+Forgetful of his inferiority, this miserable worm exemplified the proverb,
+and turned upon his oppressor, in a feeble way. He struck Stephen with "_a
+small riding stick_." This was accounted sufficient provocation by
+Stephen; and, in the language of the witness, "_Stephen then struck
+Russell on his neck with a club, and knocked him down_." He rose, and made
+a slight effort to renew the battle, and then Stephen again knocked him
+down. Upon this, Colvin rambled off, towards the mountain, and was seen in
+that region, no more, till he was brought back, after the expiration of
+seven years, in December, 1819.
+
+He went off without his hat and shoes; whether, in his effort to shake off
+the dust of that city, he unconsciously shook off his shoes, is unknown.
+The discovery of the hat, some years after, formed a part of that wretched
+_rope of sand_, for it is not worthy of being called a _chain of
+evidence_, upon which Stephen and Jesse were sentenced to death. Colvin
+had, doubtless, long been aware, that he was an object of hatred to the
+Boorns. The blows, inflicted upon this occasion, undoubtedly, aggravated
+his insanity; yet enough remained of the instinctive love of life, to
+teach him, that his safety was in flight. How he found his way to that
+part of New Jersey, which lies near the Atlantic Ocean, is of little
+importance. He was, notoriously, a wanderer. It was the spring of the
+year. He moved onward, without plan, camping out, among the bushes, or
+sleeping in barns; the world before him, and Providence his guide. He,
+probably, rambled from Manchester, which is in the southwest corner of
+Vermont, into the State of New York, which lies very near; and, wandering,
+in a southerly direction, along the westerly boundary lines of
+Massachusetts and Connecticut, he would, before many days, have entered
+the northerly part of New Jersey.
+
+Accustomed to his occasional absences, the Boorns, undoubtedly, expected
+his return, for weeks and months, even though the summer had past, and the
+harvest had ended. But, after the snows of winter had come, and covered
+the mountains; and the spring had returned, and melted them away; and
+Colvin came not; then Stephen Boorn, doubtless, began to fear, that he
+had, unintentionally, killed him--that he had wandered away, and died of
+the effects of the blows he had received--and that his bones were
+bleaching, in some unknown part of the mountain, whither he had wandered,
+immediately after the occurrence.
+
+Upon this hypothesis, alone, can we explain one remarkable word, in the
+answer of Stephen to Merrill's question, in the jail, as certified, by
+Judge Chace, in his minutes--"_I asked him, if he did take the life of
+Colvin.--He said he did not take the_ main _life of Colvin. He said no
+more at that time._"
+
+Does any reflecting man inquire--what could have induced these men to
+confess the crime, with such a particular detail of minute, and
+extraordinary, circumstances? The answer has already been given, in
+part.--Stephen, doubtless, believed it to be quite probable, that he had
+been the means of Colvin's death. To explain the motive for confession,
+more fully, it is only necessary to stand, for one moment, in the
+prisoner's shoes. He was assured, by "Squire Raymond," and others, in whom
+he confided, that no doubt was entertained of his guilt--that his case was
+dark--and that his only hope lay in confession.
+
+His mind was brought to the full and settled belief, that he should be
+hung, before many days, _unless he confessed_. If he had confessed the
+simple truth--the quarrel--the blows--the departure of Colvin--all this
+would have availed him nothing. It was not this, of which "Squire
+Raymond," and others, had _no doubt he was guilty_. They had no doubt he
+was guilty of the _murder_ of Colvin. No confession of anything, short of
+_the murder of Colvin_, would satisfy "Squire Raymond," and induce him to
+"petition the legislature in favor" of the prisoner! Stephen well knew,
+that, if he confessed the murder of Colvin, it would be immediately
+asked--where he had buried the body--a puzzling question, it must be
+confessed, for one, who had committed no murder. But it was a delicate
+moment, for Stephen. It was necessary for him to stand, not only _rectus
+in curia_--but _rectus_ with "Squire Raymond," and all his other attentive
+patrons. He therefore, to save his life, and secure the patronage of the
+"Squire," strung together a terrible tissue of lies, too manifestly
+preposterous and improbable, even for the credulous brain of Cotton
+Mather, in 1692. He relieved himself of all embarrassment, in regard to
+the dead body of the _living_ Colvin, by _confessing_, that he first
+buried it, in the earth--then took it up and reburied it, under a
+barn--and, after the barn had been burnt, took up the bones again, and
+cast them into the Battenkill river.
+
+The confession of Jesse was made, when he was aroused from sleep, at
+midnight, under the impression, as he stated, at the time, that
+"_something had come in at the window, and was on the bed beside
+him_"--somewhat extra-judicial, this confession, to be sure. This Jesse
+appears to have been a most unfilial scoundrel; for, instead of
+_confessing_, as Stephen had _confessed_, that Stephen himself killed
+Colvin, single-handed and alone; Jesse catered, more abundantly, to the
+popular appetite for horrors, by _confessing_ that his old father, Barney
+Boorn, "_damned_" his son-in-law, Colvin, very frequently, and "_cut his
+throat with a small penknife_." All this clotted mass of inconsistent
+absurdity, extorted by hope and fear, his honor, Judge Chace, received, as
+legal evidence, and gravely certified up to the General Assembly of
+Vermont.
+
+It is true, Judge Chace, as we have stated, rejected the written
+confession of Stephen, because Raymond swore, as follows--"_I have heard
+Mr. Pratt and Mr. Sheldon tell Jesse Boorn, that if he would confess, in
+case he was guilty, they would petition the legislature for him--I have
+made the same proposition to Stephen myself, and always told him I had no
+doubt of his guilt, and that the public mind was against him._" It is
+needless to expatiate on the gross impropriety of addressing such language
+to a prisoner, under such circumstances.
+
+But the witness, Farnsworth, was then produced to prove Stephen's oral
+confession, that he killed Colvin. It appears, by the minutes, certified
+by Judge Chace, that he put the preliminary questions, and that the
+witness swore, "that neither he nor anybody else, _to his knowledge_, had
+done anything, directly or indirectly, to influence the said Stephen to
+the _talk_ he was about to communicate." In vain, the prisoners' counsel
+protested, that the evidence was inadmissible, because the "_talk_"
+between Stephen and Farnsworth was subsequent to the proposition made to
+Stephen by Raymond. In vain they pressed the consideration, that if, on
+this ground, the written confession had been rejected, the oral confession
+should also be rejected. In vain they offered to prove other proposals and
+promises, made to the prisoners, at other times, _before_ the
+conversation, now offered to be proved. Nothing, however, would stay their
+honors, from gibbetting their judicial reputation, in chains, which no
+time will ever knock off. They suffered Farnsworth to testify; and he
+swore, that Stephen told him, "about two weeks _after_ the written
+confession, that he killed Colvin," &c. This must have been about
+September 10, 1819, and, of course, before the trial, when he was still
+relying on the promises of Squire Raymond, and others.
+
+The prisoners' counsel very judiciously moved, for the reception of the
+written confession, and it was read accordingly. Unable to restrain the
+judicial antics of the Court, it appeared to be the only course, for the
+prisoners' counsel, to throw the whole crude and incongruous mass before
+the jury, and leave its credibility, or rather, its palpable
+incredibility, to their decision. It would be desirable, as a judicial
+curiosity, to possess a copy of Judge Chace's charge. Of his instructions
+to the jury he says nothing, in his certified statement to the General
+Assembly.
+
+Now, apart from the confessions of these men, extorted, so clearly, by the
+fear of death, and the hope of pardon, there was evidence enough to excite
+_suspicion_, and there was no more: but, the law of our country convicts
+no man of murder, or manslaughter, upon _suspicion_. I shall conclude my
+remarks, upon this interesting case, in the following number.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXV.
+
+
+The chains of Stephen Boorn were stricken off, and Jesse was liberated
+from prison. They were men of note. If there were not _giants_, there were
+_lions_, in those days. Colvin soon became weary of standing upon that
+dizzy eminence, where circumstances had placed him. He had a painful
+recollection, no doubt, more or less distinct, of the past: and, after he
+had served the high purpose, for which he had been brought from New
+Jersey, he expressed an earnest wish to return to the home of his
+adoption; where he had found, in the good Mr. Polhamus, a friend, who had
+considered the necessities and distresses of his body and mind; and, who
+had been willing, in return for his feeble services, to give him shelter
+and protection.
+
+The Boorns had, undoubtedly, a fortunate, and, almost a miraculous,
+escape. So had their honors, the Judges, Chace and Doolittle. Their first
+meeting, after the _denouement_, must have been perfectly tragi-comical.
+
+Their escape from an awful precipice may admonish all, who sit, in
+judgment, upon the lives of their fellow-men, to administer the law, with
+extreme caution, and with a high and holy regard, for those
+well-established principles, and rules, which can never be disregarded,
+with impunity. God forbid, that any humble phraseology of mine should, for
+an instant, be perverted, to mislead the meanest understanding--to foster
+those principles, which, for the purpose of extending mercy, undeserved,
+to the murderer, would heap gross injustice and cruelty, upon the whole
+community--to break down the positive law of God, which Jesus Christ
+declared, that he came to confirm; and, in its place and stead, to erect
+the sickly decrees of a society of philandering puppets, whose wires are
+notoriously pulled, by certain professional and political managers.
+
+In the commencement of my remarks, upon this romance of real life, I
+endeavored to forefend, against the suspicion of undervaluing that species
+of evidence, which is called presumptive, or circumstantial. It is
+accounted, by the most able writers, on this branch of jurisprudence, of
+the highest quality. Thus, in his admirable work, on Evidence, vol. i.
+sec. 13, Professor Greenleaf remarks, that, in both civil and criminal
+cases, "_a verdict may well be founded on circumstances alone; and these
+often lead to a conclusion, far more satisfactory than direct evidence can
+produce_."
+
+The errors, committed by the Judges, upon the trial of the Boorns--and
+those errors were egregious--were twofold--the admission of extra-judicial
+confessions, manifestly extorted by hope and fear--and suffering a
+conviction to take place, before the dead body of the person, alleged to
+have been murdered, had been discovered.
+
+The rule, on the subject of confessions, is sufficiently plain.
+"_Deliberate confessions of guilt_," says Mr. Greenleaf, ibid. sec. 215,
+"are among the most effectual proofs in the law." But they should be
+received and weighed with caution; for, as he remarks, sec. 214--"it
+should be recollected, that the mind of the prisoner himself, is oppressed
+by the calamity of his situation, and that he is often influenced by
+motives of hope or fear, to make an untrue confession." Mr. Greenleaf then
+proceeds to say, in a note on this passage--"of this character was the
+remarkable case of the two Boorns," &c., and proceeds to give a summary of
+the case.
+
+"In the United States," says Mr. Greenleaf, ibid. sec. 217, "the
+prisoner's confession, when the _corpus delicti_ is not otherwise proved,
+has been held insufficient, for his conviction; and this opinion,
+certainly, best accords with the humanity of the criminal code, and with
+the great degree of caution, applied in receiving and weighing the
+evidence of confessions, in other cases; and it seems countenanced by
+approved writers, on this branch of the law."
+
+Again, ibid. sec. 219, he remarks--"Before any confession can be received,
+in evidence, in a criminal case, it must be shown, that it was
+_voluntary_. * * * * 'A free and voluntary confession,' said Eyre, C. B.,
+'is deserving of the highest credit, because it is presumed to flow from
+the strongest sense of guilt, and therefore it is admitted as proof of the
+crime, to which it refers; but a confession forced from the mind, by the
+flattery of hope, or by the torture of fear, comes in so questionable a
+shape, when it is to be considered as the evidence of guilt, that no
+credit ought to be given to it; and therefore it is rejected.'"
+Unfortunately, Judges Chace and Doolittle thought otherwise; and brought
+themselves and the condemned, upon the very threshold of a terrible
+catastrophe.
+
+Mr. Greenleaf, in the note, above referred to, alludes to an article, in
+the North American Review, vol. 10, p. 418, in which this case of the
+Boorns is examined. It was from the pen of a gentleman, whose high
+professional prospects were blasted, by an early death. This writer had
+seen nothing, however, but "_a very imperfect report of the trial_." His
+article was published, in April, 1820, about four months after the
+discovery of Colvin. The conclusions, at which he arrives, that the
+confessions ought not to have been admitted, would have gained additional
+strength, had he inspected the _certified minutes_, taken on the trial, by
+the Chief Justice.
+
+Had he seen those certified minutes of the evidence, he would scarcely
+have described the utter inconsistency of the two confessions, by the
+inadequate phrase--"_there are differences between them_:" for Stephen's
+claims the whole act of killing to himself--while Jesse's charges the
+father, who was notoriously not present, with cutting Colvin's throat,
+while he was yet living, and after Stephen had given him a blow.
+
+This writer relies strongly, upon the humane caution of Sir Matthew Hale,
+to which I have alluded, that no conviction in case of murder or
+manslaughter should ever take place, till the fact were proved--or the
+dead body had been discovered.
+
+A perfect horror of induction seems to have settled down, like a dense
+cloud, upon the southwestern corner of Vermont. Judges and jurymen appear
+to have been stupefied, by its power. The important _consequence_, vital
+to the whole, they assumed to be true, without trial or experiment. I have
+looked, attentively, into every document, that I could lay my hands upon,
+connected with this subject; and I cannot discover, that any effort
+whatever was made, by any one, _till after the trial_, to discover the
+_living_ body of Colvin. The interesting ramble of Jesse and Judge
+Skinner, upon the mountain, was in search of Colvin's _dead_ body! But,
+upon the publication of the notice, in the Rutland Herald, Nov. 26, 1819,
+stating the facts, and calling for information, in regard to Colvin, and a
+similar notice, of the same date, in the New York Evening Post--in ten
+days, that is, Dec. 6, the most ample and satisfactory information was
+published, by Mr. Taber Chadwick, in regard to the _living_ body of
+Russell Colvin!
+
+The great caution of Sir Matthew Hale was meant, not less for the
+prisoner, than for the whole community; no one of whom can be sure,
+through a long life, of escaping from the oppressive influence of
+circumstances, accidentally, or purposely, combined against him. His
+_discreet_ humanity spread no mantle of imitation charity or morbid
+philanthropy over the guilty. He was a bold practitioner--too bold, by
+far, occasionally, as in the case of Cullender and Duny. But this great,
+good man, well knew, that prisoners, charged with murder, were entitled to
+all the benefit of _reasonable_ doubt. He well knew, that no judicial
+caution could go farther, to save, than the fierce suspicion of an excited
+community would go, to destroy. He well knew, that, with not a small
+number, the very enormity of the crime seems to supply the want of legal
+evidence; and, that, in many cases, to be suspected is to be condemned. We
+have all heard of the jury, who, having convicted a prisoner of murder,
+in direct opposition to the Judge's instructions, and being questioned and
+reproved--replied, that an enormous crime had been committed, and ought to
+be atoned for; and they saw no good reason, why the prisoner, the only
+person _suspected_, should not be selected, as the victim!
+
+Sir Matthew Hale's forbearance extended to cases of reprieve, after
+conviction, before another judge. Thus in H. P. C., vol. ii. ch. lvi., he
+says--"I have generally observed this rule, that I would never give
+judgment, or award execution, upon a person, reprieved by any other judge
+but myself, because I could not know, upon what ground or reason he
+reprieved him."
+
+Upon this, there is the following pertinent note--"The usefulness of this
+caution may be seen, from what is observed, by Sir John Hawles, in his
+remarks on Cornish's trial, where he relates the case of some persons, who
+had been convicted of the murder of a person absent, barely by inferences
+from foolish words and actions; but the judge, before whom it was tried,
+was so unsatisfied in the matter, because the body of the person, supposed
+to be murdered, was not to be found, that he reprieved the persons
+condemned; yet, in a circuit afterwards, a certain unwary judge, without
+inquiring into the reasons of the reprieve, ordered execution, and the
+persons to be hanged in chains, which was done accordingly; and
+afterwards, to his reproach, the person, supposed to be murdered, appeared
+alive."
+
+The death of the person, alleged to have been murdered, is, manifestly,
+not less a constituent part of the crime, than the malice prepense, or the
+employment of the means. These three things are necessary to constitute
+murder, in the eye of the law. Thus, an acquittal has taken place, where
+the _murder_ was alleged to have been committed, _on the high seas_; and
+the _malice_ and the _blow_ only were proved to have occurred _on the high
+seas_--and the _death_, in the harbor of Cape Francois. Such was the case
+of the U. S. against McGill, reported in Dallas. This extreme
+particularity appears, to some persons, exceedingly ridiculous; but not
+quite as much so, as certain commentaries, upon legal proceedings which we
+sometimes meet with, in the ordinary journals of the day.
+
+Aaron Burr, whom I desire not to quote, too frequently, once shrewdly
+remarked--"_he, who despises forms, knows not what he despises_." To infer
+the death, from the malice, and the employment of the means, in all
+cases, would be absurd. If one man maliciously knocks another into the
+sea, here is, certainly, a violent assault and battery--perhaps an assault
+with intent to kill. But, before we join, in the popular _hutesium et
+clamor_, we have two important points to settle, beyond all _reasonable_
+doubt--first, if the person, knocked overboard, be dead, for he may have
+swum to land, or have been picked up, at sea, alive, in which case, unless
+he die of the blow, within the time prescribed, there can be neither
+murder nor manslaughter. And, secondly, if he be proved to have died of
+the injury within that time, we must duly weigh the previous circumstances
+and the provocation, to ascertain, if the act done be manslaughter or
+murder.
+
+Those, who vociferate, most loudly, against the law, for its hesitancy,
+and demand the immediate descent of the executioner's axe, upon the neck
+of the victim, will be the very first fervently to supplicate, for the
+law's most merciful carefulness of life, should a father, a brother, or a
+son be charged with crime, and involved in the complicated meshes of
+presumptive evidence.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXVI.
+
+
+The transition state, when the confidence of youth begins to give place to
+that wholesome distrust, which is the usual--by no means, the
+invariable--accompaniment of riper years, is often a state of disquietude
+and pain. It is no light matter to look upon the visions of our own
+superiority, and imaginary importance, as they break, like bubbles, one
+after another, and leave us abundantly convinced, that we are of
+yesterday, and know nothing.
+
+The confidence of ignorance, however venial in youth, is not altogether so
+excusable, in full grown men. Its exhibitions, however ridiculous and
+absurd, are daily manifested, by mankind, in relation to those arts and
+sciences, which have little or nothing in common with their own respective
+vocations. The physician, the lawyer, the clergyman, the deeper they
+descend into their respective, professional wells, where truth is
+proverbially said to abide, proceed with increasing caution. Yet it is
+quite amazing, to witness the boldness, with which they dive into the very
+depths, that lie entirely beyond their professional precincts. The
+physician, who proceeds, in the cure of bodies, with the extremest
+caution, seems to be quite at home, in the cure of souls; and has very
+little doubt or difficulty, upon points, which have perplexed the brains
+of Hale and Mansfield. The lawyer, who, in his own department, moves
+warily; weighs evidence with infinite care; and consults authorities, with
+great deliberation--looks upon physic and theology, as rather speculative
+matters, and of easy acquirement. The clergyman frequently practises
+physic gratuitously; and holding the doctrine in perfect contempt, that
+the _viginti studia annorum_ are necessary to make a tolerable lawyer,
+he rather opines, that, as _majus implicat minus_, so his knowledge of the
+Divine law necessarily comprehends a perfect knowledge of mere human
+jurisprudence.
+
+This confidence of ignorance is nowhere more perfectly, or more briefly,
+expressed, than in four oft-repeated lines, in Pope's Essay on Criticism:
+
+  "A _little_ learning is a dangerous thing;
+  Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
+  These shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
+  And drinking largely sobers us again."
+
+The editors of public journals are, in many instances, men of education
+and highly respectable abilities--men of taste and learning--men of
+integrity, and refinement, cherishing a just regard for the rights of
+individuals, and of the community. There is a very different class of men,
+who, however incompetent to improve the minds or the manners of the
+public, have a small smattering of knowledge; hold a reckless, rapid pen;
+and, by the aid of the scavengers, whom they employ, to rake the gutters
+for slander and obscenity, cater, daily, to the foulest appetites of
+mankind. There are some, who descend not thus, to the very nadir of all
+filth and corruption, but whose columns, nevertheless, are ever open, like
+the mouths of so many _cloacae_, for the filthy contributions of every
+dirty depositor; and who are ever on hand, like the Scotch cloak-man, in
+_Auld Reekie_, to serve the occasions of a customer.
+
+The very phraseology of the craft has a tendency to the amplification of
+an editor; and to give confirmation to the confidence of ignorance. The
+broken merchant, the ambitious weaver, the briefless lawyer, the literary
+tailor are speedily sunk, in "_we_," and "_our sheet_," and "_our
+columns_," and "_our-self_."
+
+This confidence of ignorance has rarely been manifested, more extensively,
+upon any occasion, than in connection with the indictment, trial, and
+condemnation of Dr. Webster, for the murder of Dr. George Parkman.
+
+The indictment was no sooner published, than three _religious_ journals
+began to criticise this _legal_ instrument, which had been carefully, and,
+as the decision of the learned Chief Justice and of the Court has decided,
+sufficiently, prepared, by the Attorney General of the Commonwealth. This
+indictment contained several counts, a thing by no means unusual, the
+object of which is well understood, by professional men. "If the crime was
+committed with a knife, or with the fists, how could it be committed with
+a hammer?" It would not be an easy task to convince these worthy ministers
+of the Gospel, how exceedingly ridiculous such commentaries appear, to men
+of any legal knowledge.
+
+Judge, Jurymen, and Counsellors are severely censured, for the parts they
+have borne, in the trial and condemnation of Dr. Webster. By whom? By the
+editors of certain far-away journals, upon the evidence, _as it has
+reached them_. The evidence has been very variously reported. A portion of
+the evidence, however deeply graven upon the hearts, and minds, and
+memories of the highly respectable jury, and of the court, and of the
+multitude, present at the trial, is, from its peculiar nature, not
+transferable. I refer to the appearance, the air, the manner, the voice of
+the prisoner, especially, when, in opposition to the advice of his
+counsel, he fatally opened his mouth, and said precisely nothing, that
+betokened innocence.
+
+I do not believe there was ever, in the United States, a more impartial
+trial, more quietly conducted, than this trial of Dr. Webster. Party
+feeling has had no lot, nor share, in this matter. The whole dealing has
+been calmly and confidingly surrendered to the laws of the land. With
+scarcely an exception, from the moment of arrest to the hour of trial, the
+public journals, in this vicinity, have borne themselves, with great
+forbearance to the prisoner. The family connexions of Dr. Parkman have
+held themselves scrupulously aloof, unless summoned to bear witness to
+facts, within their knowledge.
+
+It has been asserted, in one or more journals, that even the body of Dr.
+Parkman has not been discovered. The reply is short, and germain--the
+coroner's jury, twenty-four grand jurors, and twelve jurors in the Supreme
+Judicial Court have decided, that the mutilated remains were those of the
+late George Parkman; and that John White Webster was his murderer; and the
+Court has gravely pronounced the opinion, that the verdict is a righteous
+verdict, and in accordance with the law and the evidence. This opinion
+appears to meet with a very general, affirmative response, in this
+quarter. The jury--and the members of that panel, one and all, after
+twelve days' concentration of thought, upon this solemn question of life
+and death, appear to have been conscientious men--the jury have not
+recommended the prisoner, as a person entitled to mercy.
+
+In view of all this, the editor of a distant, public journal may be
+supposed to entertain a pretty good opinion of his qualifications, who
+ventures to pronounce his ex-cathedral decree, either that Dr. Webster is
+innocent, or, if guilty, that, on technical grounds, he has been illegally
+convicted. There is something absolutely melancholy in the contemplation
+of such presumption as this. But, under all the circumstances of this
+heart-sickening occurrence, it is impossible to behold, without a smile,
+the extraordinary efforts of some exceedingly benevolent people, in the
+city of New York, who are circulating a petition to the Governor of
+Massachusetts, not merely for a commutation of punishment, but for a
+pardon. This, to speak of it forbearingly, may be safely catalogued among
+the works of supererogation.
+
+If the Governor of Massachusetts needs any guidance from man, upon the
+present occasion, his Council is at hand. The highest judicial tribunal of
+the Commonwealth, entirely approving the verdict of an impartial and
+intelligent jury, has sentenced Dr. Webster to be hung, for a murder, as
+foul and atrocious, as was ever perpetrated, within the borders of New
+England. Talents, education, rank aggravate the criminality of the guilty
+party. "To kill a man, upon sudden and violent resentment, is less penal
+than upon cool deliberate malice."
+
+If there be any substantial reasons, for pardon or commutation of
+punishment--any new matter, which has not been exhibited, before the court
+and jury--those reasons will be duly weighed--that matter will be gravely
+considered, by the Governor and Council. But, if the objections to the
+execution of the sentence, upon the present occasion, rest upon any
+imaginary misdirection, on the part of the Court, or any misunderstanding,
+on the part of the jury, those objections must be unavailing. After a
+careful comparison of the evidence, in the case of Dr. Webster, with the
+evidence, in the case of Jason Fairbanks, who was executed, for the murder
+of Betsy Fales, the _concatena_--the chain of circumstances--seems even
+less perfect in the latter case. Yet, after sentence, in that memorable
+trial, Chief Justice Dana, who sat in judgment, upon that occasion, was
+reported to have said, that he believed Fairbanks to be the murderer, more
+firmly, upon the evidence before the court, than he should have believed
+the very same thing, upon the evidence of his own eyesight, in a cloudy
+day--the first could not have deceived him--the latter might.
+
+If an application, for pardon or commutation, be grounded, on the
+objection to all capital punishment, that objection has been too recently
+disposed of, in the case of Washington Goode. The majesty of the law, the
+peace of society, the decree of Almighty God call for impartial
+justice--WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN'S BLOOD BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED!
+
+With the eye of mercy turned upon all--aye upon all--who have any relation
+to the murderer, the better course is Christian submission to the decrees
+of God and man. What may be the value of a few more years of misery and
+contempt! God's high decree, that the murderer shall die, is merciful and
+just. His judgment upon Cain was far more severe--not that he should
+die--but _that he should live_!--that he should walk the earth, and wear
+the brand of terrible distinction forever--"_And now thou art cursed from
+the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from
+thy hand. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto
+thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth.
+And Cain said unto the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear.
+Behold thou hast driven me out, this day, from the face of the earth; and
+from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in
+the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall
+slay me. And the Lord said unto him, therefore whosoever slayeth Cain,
+vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold. And the Lord set a mark upon
+Cain, lest any one finding him should slay him._"
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXVII.
+
+
+It may be said of a proud, poor man--especially, if he be a fearless,
+godless man, as Dirk Hatteraick said of himself, to Glossin--that he is
+"_dangerous_." It is quite probable, there are men, even in our own
+limited community, of an hundred and thirty thousand souls, who would
+rather die an easy death, than signify abroad their inability to maintain,
+any longer, their expensive relations to the fashionable world.
+
+What will not such a man occasionally do, rather than submit gracefully,
+under such a trial, to the will of God? He will beg, and he will
+borrow--he will lie, and he will steal. Is there a crime, in the
+decalogue, or out of it, which he will not, occasionally, perpetrate, if
+its consummation be likely to save him from a confession of his poverty,
+and from ceasing to fill his accustomed niche, in the _beau monde_? Not
+one--_no, not one_!
+
+Well may we, who profess to be Republicans, adopt the wisdom and the words
+of Montesquieu--"_The less luxury there is in a Republic, the more it is
+perfect. * * * * Republics end with luxury._"
+
+A significant illustration of these remarks will readily occur, to every
+reader of American History, in the conduct and character of Benedict
+Arnold. Among the dead, who, with their own hands, have prepared
+themselves graves of infamy, there are men of elevated rank, who have made
+shipwreck of the fairest hopes, in a similar manner. But, far in advance
+of them all, Arnold is entitled to a terrible preeminence.
+
+The last turn of the screw crushes the victim--it is the last feather, say
+the Bedouins, that breaks the camel's back--and the train, which has been
+in gradual preparation for many years, may be exploded, in an instant, by
+a very little spark, at last.
+
+There are periods, in the lives of certain individuals, when, upon the
+approach of minor troubles--baleful stars, doubtless, but of the third or
+fourth magnitude--it may be said, as Rochefoucault said of the calamities
+of our friends, that there is something in them, not particularly
+disagreeable to us. A man, whose afflictions, especially when
+self-induced, are chafing, at every turn, against his already lacerated
+pride, and who is seeking some apology, for deeds of desperation, often
+discovers, with a morbid satisfaction, in some petty offence, or
+imaginary wrong, ample excuse, for deeds, absolutely damnable.
+
+Such were the influences, at work, in the case of Benedict Arnold. In
+1780, in obedience to the sentence of a court martial, he was reprimanded
+by the Commander-in-Chief; but in terms so highly complimentary, that it
+is impossible to read them, without a doubt, whether this official
+reprimand were a crown of thorns, or a crown of glory. At that very time,
+Arnold's pecuniary embarrassments were overwhelming. Without the rightful
+means of supporting a one-horse chaise, he rattled up and down, in the
+city of Philadelphia, in a chariot and four. The splendid mansion, which
+he occupied, had, in former times, been the residence of the Penns. Here
+he gave a sumptuous repast to the French ambassador, and entertained the
+minister and his suite, for several days.
+
+Hunger, it is said, will break through stone walls; even this is a feeble
+illustration of that force and energy, which characterized Arnold's
+_passion_ for parade. To support his career of unparalleled extravagance
+and folly, he resorted to stratagems, which would have been contemptible,
+in a broker of the lowest grade--petty traffic and huckstering
+speculation--the sale of permits, to do certain things, absolutely
+forbidden--such were among the last, miserable shifts of this "brave,
+wicked" man, when his conscience came between the antagonist muscles of
+poverty and pride. For some of these very offences, he had been condemned,
+by the court martial. Even then, he had secretly become, at heart, a
+scoundrel and a renegade; and, covertly, under a feigned name, had already
+tendered his services to the enemy.
+
+The sentence of the court, sheer justice, but so graciously mingled with
+mercy, as scarcely to wear the aspect of punishment, supplied him with the
+very thing he coveted--a pretence, for complaining of injustice and
+oppression. He sought the French ambassador; and, after a plain allusion
+to his own needy condition, shadowed forth, in language, not to be
+mistaken, his willingness to become the secret servant of France. The
+prompt reply of the French minister is of record, most honorable for
+himself, and sufficiently humiliating to the spirit of the applicant.
+
+The result is before the world--Arnold became a traitor, detested by
+those, whose cause he had forsaken, and utterly despised by those, whose
+cause he affected to espouse--trusted by them, only, because they well
+knew he might safely be employed against an enemy, who would deal with
+him, if captured, not as a prisoner of war, but as a traitor. I have, thus
+briefly, alluded to the career of Arnold, only for the purpose of
+illustration.
+
+No truth is more simple--none more firmly established by experience--none
+more universally disregarded--than, that the growth of luxury must work
+the overthrow of a republic. As the largest masses are made up of the
+smallest particles, so the characteristic luxury of a whole people
+consists of individual extravagance and folly. The ambition to be foremost
+becomes, ere long, the ruling, and almost universal, passion--in still
+stronger language, "_it is all the rage_." In a certain condition of
+society, talent takes precedence of virtue, and men would rather be called
+knaves than fools: and, where luxury abounds, as the poorer and the
+middling classes will imitate the wealthier, there must be a large amount
+of indebtedness, and many men and women of desperate fortunes. We cannot
+strut about, in unpaid-for garments, nor ride about, in unpaid-for
+chariots, nor gather the world together, to admire unpaid-for furniture,
+without an inward sense of personal degradation.
+
+It would be a poor compliment to our race, to deny the truth of this
+assertion. True or false, the argument goes steadily forward--for, if not
+true, then that callous, case-hardened condition of the heart exists,
+which takes off all care for the common weal, and turns it entirely upon
+one's self, and one's own aggrandizement. Nothing can be more destructive
+of that feeling of independence, which ever lies, at the bottom of
+republican virtue.
+
+This condition of things is the very hot-bed of hypocrisy,--and it makes
+the heart a forcing-house, for all the evil and bitter passions, envy,
+hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness. Pastors, of all denominations,
+may well unite, in the chorus of the churchman's prayer, and cry
+aloud--_Good Lord deliver us!_
+
+A very fallacious and mischievous estimate of personal array, equipage,
+and furniture has always given wonderful preeminence to this species of
+emulation. It is perfectly natural withal. Distinction, of some sort, is
+uppermost, in most men's minds. It is comforting to many to know there is
+a _tapis_--"_the field of the cloth of gold_"--on which the wealthy fool
+is more than a match, for the poor, wise man; and, as this world contains
+such an overwhelming majority of the former class, the ayes have it, and
+luxury holds on, _vires acquirens eundo_.
+
+None but an idiot will cavil, because a rich man adorns his mansion, with
+elegance and taste, and receives his friends in a style of liberal
+hospitality. Even if he go beyond the bounds of republican simplicity, and
+waste his substance, it matters not, beyond the circle of his creditors
+and heirs; if the example be not followed by thousands, who are unable, or
+unwilling, to be edified, by AEsop's pleasant fable of the ox and the frog.
+
+But it never can be thus. The machinery is exceedingly simple, in these
+manufactories, from which men of broken fortunes are annually turned out
+upon the world.
+
+When once involved in the whirl of fashion, extrication is difficult and
+painful--the descent is wonderfully easy--_sed revocare gradum_! The
+maniac hugs not his fetters, more forcibly, than the devotee of fashion
+clings, with the assistance, occasionally, of his better half, to his
+_position in society_.
+
+These remarks are, by no means, exclusively applicable to those, who move
+in the higher circles. This is a world of gradation, and there are few so
+humble, as to be entirely without their imitators.
+
+What shall we do to be saved? This anxious inquiry is not always offered,
+I apprehend, in relation to the concerns of a better world. How often, and
+how oppressively, the spirit of this interrogatory has agitated the bosom
+of the impoverished man of fashion! What shall I do to be saved, from the
+terrible disgrace of being exposed, in the court of fashion, as being
+guilty of the awful crime of _poverty_, and disfranchised, as one of the
+_beau monde_? And what will he not do, to work out this species of
+salvation, with fear and trembling? We have seen how readily, under the
+influence of pride and poverty, treason may be committed by men of lofty
+standing. It would be superfluous, therefore, to inquire, if there be any
+crime, which men, heavily oppressed by their embarrassments, and
+restrained thereby, from drinking more deeply of that luxury, with which
+they are already drunk, will hesitate to commit.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXVIII.
+
+
+There is a popular notion, that sumptuary laws are applicable to
+monarchies--not to republics. The very reverse is the truth. Montesquieu
+says, Spirit of Laws, book vii. ch. 4, that "_luxury is extremely proper
+for monarchies, and that, under this government, there should be no
+sumptuary laws_."
+
+Sumptuary laws are looked upon, at present, as the relics of an age gone
+by. These laws, in a strict sense, are designed to restrain pecuniary
+extravagance. It has often been attempted to stigmatize the wholesome,
+prohibitory laws of the several States, in regard to the sale of
+intoxicating liquor, by calling them _sumptuary laws_. The distinction is
+clear--sumptuary laws strike at the root of extravagance--the prohibitory,
+license laws, as they are called, strike, not only at the root of
+extravagance, but at the root of every crime, in the decalogue.
+
+The _leges sumptuariae_ of Rome were numerous. The Locrian law limited the
+number of guests, and the Fannian law the expense, at festivals. The
+Didian law extended the operation of all these laws over Italy.
+
+The laws of the Edwards III., and IV., and of Henry VIII., against shoes
+with long points, short doublets, and long coats, were not repealed, till
+the first year of James I. Camden says, that, "in the time of Henry IV.,
+it was proclaimed, that no man should wear shoes, above six inches broad,
+at the toes." He also states, "that their other garments were so short,
+that it was enacted, 25 Edward IV., that no person, under the condition of
+a lord, should wear any mantle or gown, unless of such length, that,
+standing upright, it might cover his buttocks."
+
+Diodorus Siculus, lib. xii. cap. 20, gives an amusing account of the
+sumptuary laws of Zeleucus, king of the Locrians. His design appears to
+have been to accomplish his object, by casting ridicule upon those
+practices, against which his laws were intended to operate. He decreed,
+that no free woman should have more than one maid to follow her, unless
+she was drunk; nor should she stir out of the city by night, nor wear
+jewels of gold, or an embroidered gown, unless she was a professed
+strumpet. No men, but ruffians, were allowed to wear gold rings, nor to be
+seen, in one of those effeminate vests of the manufacture of Miletum.
+
+The very best code of sumptuary laws is that, which may be found in the
+common sense of an enlightened community. Nothing, that I have ever met
+with, upon this subject, appears more just, than the sentiments of Michael
+De Montaigne, vol. i. ch. 43--"The true way would be to beget in men a
+contempt of silks and gold, as vain and useless; whereas we add honor and
+value to them, which sure is a very improper way to create disgust. For to
+enact, that none but princes shall eat turbot, nor wear velvet or gold
+lace, and interdict these things to the people, what is it, but to bring
+them into greater esteem, and to set every one more agog to eat and wear
+them?"
+
+No truth has been more amply demonstrated, than that a republic has more
+to fear from internal than from external causes--less from foreign foes,
+than from enemies of its own household.
+
+To the ears of those, who have not reflected upon the subject, it may
+sound like the croaking note of some ill boding _ab ilice cornix_--but I
+look upon extravagant parade, and princely furniture of foreign
+manufacture, the introduction of courtly customs, transatlantic servants
+in livery, _et id genus omne nugarum_, as so many premonitory symptoms of
+national evil--as part and parcel of that luxury, which may justly be
+called the gangrene of a republic.
+
+But does any one seriously fear, that an extravagant fandango, now and
+then, will lead to revolution, or produce a change in our political
+institutions? Probably not. But it will provoke a spirit of rivalry--of
+emulation, not unmingled with bitterness, and which will cost many an
+aspirant a great deal more, than he can afford. It will lead the community
+to turn their dwellings into baby houses, and to gather vast assemblies
+together, not for the rational purposes of social intercourse, but for the
+purpose of exhibiting their costly toys and imported baubles. It will tend
+to harden the heart; and render us more and more insensible to the cries
+of the poor; for whose keen occasions we cannot afford one dollar, having,
+just then, perhaps, invested a thousand, in some glittering absurdity. It
+will, ultimately, produce numerous examples of poverty, and fill the
+community with desperate men.
+
+The line of distinction, between the liberality of a patrician and the
+flashy, offensive ostentation of a parvenu, at Rome, or at Athens, was as
+readily perceived, as the difference between the manners of a gentleman,
+and those of a clown.
+
+Every rank of society, like the troubled sea, casts forth upon the strand,
+from year to year, its full proportion of wrecked adventurers--men, who
+have gone beyond their depth; lived beyond their means; and who cherish no
+care, _ne quid detrimenti Respublica caperet_; but, on the contrary, who
+are quite ready for oligarchy, or monarchy; and some of whom would prefer
+even anarchy, to their present condition of obscurity and poverty.
+
+Law and order are of the first importance to every proprietor; for, on
+their preservation, the security of his property depends; but they are of
+no importance to those, who are thus, virtually, denationalized, through
+impoverishment, produced by a career of luxury. Such, if not already the
+component elements of Empire clubs, are always useless, and often
+dangerous men.
+
+It was a well known saying of Jefferson's, that _great cities_ were _great
+sores_. "In proportion," says Montesquieu, "to the populousness of towns,
+the inhabitants are filled with notions of vanity, and actuated by an
+ambition of distinguishing themselves, by trifles. If they are very
+numerous, and most of them strangers to one another, their vanity
+redoubles, because there are greater hopes of success." According to the
+apothegm of Franklin, it is the eyes of others, and not our own, that
+destroy us.
+
+"Every body agrees," says Mandeville in his Fable of the Bees, i. 98,
+"that, as to apparel and manner of living, we ought to behave ourselves
+suitable to our conditions, and follow the example of the most sensible
+and prudent, among our equals in rank and fortune; yet how few, that are
+not either universally covetous, or else proud of singularity, have this
+discretion to boast of? We all look above ourselves, and, as fast as we
+can, strive to imitate those that, some way or other, are superior to us."
+
+"The poorest laborer's wife in the parish, who scorns to wear a strong
+wholesome frize, will half starve herself and her husband, to purchase a
+second-hand gown and petticoat, that cannot do her half the service,
+because, forsooth, it is more genteel. The weaver, the shoemaker, the
+tailor, the barber, has the impudence, with the first money he gets, to
+dress himself like a tradesman of substance; the ordinary retailer, in the
+clothing of his wife, takes pattern from his neighbor, that deals in the
+same commodity by wholesale, and the reason he gives for it is, that,
+twelve years ago, the other had not a bigger shop than himself. The
+druggist, mercer, and draper, can find no difference, between themselves
+and merchants, and therefore dress and live like them. The merchant's
+lady, who cannot bear the assurance of those mechanics, flies for refuge
+to the other end of the town, and scorns to follow any fashion, but what
+she takes from thence. This haughtiness alarms the court--the women of
+quality are frightened to see merchants' wives and daughters dressed like
+themselves. This impudence of the city, they cry, is intolerable;
+mantua-makers are sent for; and the contrivance of fashions becomes all
+their study, that they may have always new modes ready to take up, as soon
+as those saucy cits shall begin to imitate those in being. The same
+emulation is contrived through the several degrees of quality, to an
+incredible expense; till, at last, the prince's great favorites, and those
+of the first rank, having nothing else left, to outstrip some of their
+inferiors, are forced to lay out vast estates in pompous equipages,
+magnificent furniture, sumptuous gardens, and princely palaces."
+
+Like an accommodating almanac, the description of Mandeville is applicable
+to other meridians, than that, for which it was especially designed.
+
+The history of all, that passes in the bosom of a proud man, unrestrained
+by fixed religious and moral principles, during his transition from
+affluence to poverty, must be a very edifying history. With such an
+individual the fear of God is but a pack-thread, against the unrelaxing,
+antagonist muscle of pride. The only _Hades_, of which he has any dread,
+is that abyss of obscurity and poverty, in which a man is condemned to
+abide, who falls from his high estate, among the upper ten thousand. What
+plans, what projects, what infernal stratagems occasionally bubble up, in
+the overheated crucible! Magnanimity, and honor, and humanity, and justice
+are unseen--unfelt. The dust of self-interest has blinded his eyes--the
+pride of life has hardened his heart.
+
+If the energies of such men are not mischievously employed, they are, at
+best, utterly lost to the community.
+
+
+
+
+No. LXXXIX.
+
+
+I noticed, in a late, English paper, a very civil apology from Sheriff
+Calcraft, for not hanging Sarah Thomas, at Bristol, as punctually as he
+ought, on account of a similar engagement, with another lady, at Norwich.
+The hanging business seems to be _looking up_ with us, as the traders say
+of their cotton and molasses; though, in England, it has fallen off
+prodigiously. According to Stowe, seventy-two thousand persons were
+executed there, in one reign, that of Henry VIII. That, however, was a
+long reign, of thirty-eight years. Between 1820 and 1830, there were
+executed, in England alone, seven hundred and ninety-seven convicts. But
+we must remember, for what trifles men were formerly executed _there_,
+which _here_ were at no time, capital offences. According to authentic
+records, the decrease of executions in London, since 1820, is very
+remarkable. Haydn, in his Dictionary of Universal Reference, p. 205, gives
+the ratio of nine years, as follows--1820, 43--1825, 17--1830, 6--1835,
+none--1836, none--1837, 2--1838, none--1839, 2--1840, 1. There is a
+solution for this riddle--a key to this _lock_, which many readers may
+find it rather difficult to pick, without assistance. Before the first
+year, named by Haydn, 1820, Sir Samuel Romilly, who fell, by his own hand,
+in a fit of temporary derangement, in 1818, occasioned by the death of his
+wife, had published--not long before--his admirable pamphlet, urging a
+revision of the criminal code, and a limitation of capital punishment. In
+consequence of his exertions, and of those of Sir James Mackintosh
+afterwards, and more recently of Sir Robert Peel and others, a great
+change had taken place, _in the mode of punishment_. _Crime had not
+diminished_, in London--it was _differently dealt with_. I advise the
+reader, who desires light, upon this highly important and interesting
+subject, to read, with care, the entire article, from which I transcribe
+the following short passage--
+
+"_The enormous number of our transported convicts--five thousand annually,
+for many years past--accompanied, at the same time, with a large increase
+of crime in general, would seem, prima facie, to be no very conclusive
+argument, in favor of the efficiency of the present system._" Ed. Rev., v.
+86, p. 257, 1847. "WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH OUR CRIMINALS?" Such is the
+caption of the able article, to which I refer. Lord Grey, and the most
+eminent statesmen of Great Britain have been terribly perplexed, by this
+awful interrogatory.--Well: _we_ are a very great people.--Dr. Omnibus,
+Squire Farrago, and Mrs. Negoose have no difficulty upon this point; and
+there is some thought in our society, of sending out Mrs. Negoose, in the
+next steamer, to have a conference with Lord Brougham. Lord Grey's plan
+was, after a short penitentiary confinement, to distribute the
+malefactors, among their own colonies, and among such other nations, as
+might be willing to receive them. Sending them to Canada, therefore, would
+be sending them, pretty directly, to the States. Dr. Omnibus is greatly
+surprised, that Lord Grey has never thought of building prisons of
+sufficient capacity to hold them all, since there are no more than five
+thousand transported, per annum, in addition to those, who have become
+tenants of prisons, for crimes, which are yet capital, in England, and for
+crimes, whose penalty is less than transportation.
+
+It seems to be the opinion of the writer in the Edinburgh Review, whom I
+last quoted, that, under the anti-capital punishment system, there has
+been "_a large increase of crime in general_." This he states _as a fact_.
+Facts are stubborn things--so are Mrs. Negoose--Dr. Omnibus--and Squire
+Farrago. They contend, that our habits of life and education, and the
+great difference of our political institutions entirely nullify the
+British example. They show, with great appearance of truth, that the
+perpetrators of murder, rape, and other crimes, in our own country, are
+more religiously brought up, than the perpetrators of similar crimes, in
+Great Britain. The statistics, on this point, are curious and interesting.
+They present an imposing array of educated laymen, physicians, lawyers,
+bishops, priests, deacons, ruling elders, professors, and candidates, in
+the United States, who have been tried, for various crimes, by civil or
+ecclesiastical courts; deposed, or acquitted, on purely technical grounds;
+or sentenced to imprisonment, for a shorter or longer term, or to the
+gallows, and duly executed. Now we contend, that the ignorant felon, and
+such he is apt to be, in all countries, where there is but little
+diffusion of knowledge, and especially of religious knowledge, when again
+let loose upon the community, whether by a full pardon, or by serving out
+his term, returns, commonly, to his evil courses, as surely as the dog to
+his vomit, or the sow to her wallowing in the mire. But we find, that men
+of talent and education, and particularly men, who have figured, as
+preachers, and professors of religion, who commit any crime, in the
+decalogue, or out of it, become objects of incalculably deeper and
+stronger interest, with a certain portion of the community--after they
+repent, of course--which they invariably do, in an inconceivably short
+space of time. Thus, when strong liquor, and lust, and prelatical
+arrogance turn bishops, priests, and deacons, into brutes, and prodigals,
+and sometimes into murderers, they, _invariably_, excite an interest,
+which they never could have excited, by preaching their very best, to the
+end of their lives.
+
+I have sometimes thought, that, in the matter of temperance, for which I
+cherish a cordial respect, a lecturer, as the performer is called, though
+the thing is not precisely an abstract science, cannot do a better thing,
+for himself and the cause, when he finds, that he is wearing out his
+welcome with the public, than to get pretty notoriously drunk. Depend upon
+it, he will come forth, purified from the furnace. He will take a new
+departure, for his temperance voyage. His deep-wrought penitence will
+enlist a very large part of the army of cold-water men, in his favor. A
+small sizzle will be of no use; but the drunker he gets, the more
+marvellous the hand of God will appear, in his restoration.
+
+From these considerations, our Anti-Punishment Society reason onward, to
+the following conclusions: that, whatever the penalty imposed may be,
+deposition, imprisonment, or death, it is all wrong, radically wrong. For,
+thereby, the community is deprived, for a time, or forever, of the
+services of a true penitent. They all become penitent, if a little time be
+allowed, or they are persecuted innocents, which is better still.
+
+Besides, how audacious, for mere mortals to lessen the sum total of joy,
+among the immortals! As religious men, who, when _misguided_, commit rape
+or murder, invariably repent, if there is any prospect of pardon; hanging
+may be supposed, in many cases, to prevent that great joy, which exists in
+Heaven--rather more than ninety-nine per cent.--over one sinner that
+repenteth.
+
+To be convicted of some highly disgraceful or atrocious crime, or to be
+acquitted, upon some technical ground, though logically convicted, in the
+impartial chancel of wise and good men's minds, is not such a terrible
+thing, after all, for a vivacious bishop, priest, or deacon; provided, in
+the former case, he can contrive to escape the penalty. Such an one is
+sometimes more sure of a parish, than a candidate, of superior talents,
+and unspotted reputation. It is manifest, therefore, that a serious injury
+is done to society, by shutting up, for any great length of time, these
+penitent, misguided murderers, ravishers, &c., and, especially, by hanging
+them by the neck, till they are dead.
+
+This phrase, _hanging by the neck, till they are dead_, imports something
+more, than some readers are aware of. It was not uncommon, in former
+times, for culprits to come--_usque ad_--to the gallows, and be there
+pardoned, with the halter about their necks. Occasionally, also, criminals
+were actually hung, the halter having been so mercifully adjusted, as not
+to break their necks, and then cut down, and pardoned. Of thirty-two
+gentlemen, traitors, who were taken, in the reign of Henry VI., 1447,
+after Gloucester's death, five were drawn to Tyburn on a hurdle, hanged,
+cut down alive, marked with a knife for quartering, and then spared, upon
+the exhibition of a pardon. This matter is related, in Rymer's Foedera,
+xi. 178; also by Stowe, and by Rapin, Lond. ed. 1757, iv. 441.
+
+We are a cruel people. Our phraseology has become softened, but our
+practice is merciless, and our lawgivers are Dracos, to a man. When a poor
+fellow, urged by an impulse, which he cannot resist, seizes upon the wife
+or the daughter of some unlucky citizen, commits a rape upon her person,
+and then takes her life to save his own--and what can be more natural, for
+all that a man hath will he give for his life--with great propriety, we
+call this poor fellow a _misguided man_. This is as it should be. He
+certainly committed a mistake. No doubt of it. But are we not all liable
+to mistakes? We call him a _misguided man_, which is a more Christian
+phrase than to say, in the coarser language of the law, that he was
+_instigated by the devil_. But, nevertheless, we hang this _misguided_ man
+by the neck, till he is dead. How absurd! How unjust!
+
+A needy wanderer of the night breaks into the house of some rich, old
+gentleman; robs his dwelling; breaks his skull, _ex abundanti cautela_;
+and sets fire to the tenement; thus combining burglary, murder, and arson.
+He well knew, that ignorance was bliss; and that the neighborhood would be
+happier, in the belief, that accident was at the bottom of it all, than
+that such enormities had been committed, in their midst. Instead of
+calling this individual, by all the hard names in an indictment, we
+charitably style him an _unfortunate person_--provided he is caught and
+convicted--if not, he deems himself a _lucky fellow_, of course. Now, can
+anything be more barbarous, than to hang this _unfortunate person_, upon a
+gallows!
+
+A desperate debtor rouses the indignation of a disappointed creditor, by
+selling to another, as unincumbered, the very property, which had been
+transferred, as collateral security, to himself. Irritated by the
+creditor's reproaches, and alarmed by his menaces of public exposure, the
+debtor decides to escape, from these compound embarrassments, by taking
+the life of his pursuer. He affects to be prepared for payment; and
+summons the creditor, to meet him, at a _convenient_ place, where he is
+_quite at home_, and at a _convenient_ hour, when he is _quite
+alone--bringing with him the evidences of the debt_. He kills this
+troublesome creditor. He is suspected--arrested--charged with
+murder--indicted--tried--defended, as ably as he can be, by honorable men,
+oppressed by the consciousness of their client's guilt--and finally
+convicted. He made no attempt, by inventing a tale of angry words and
+blows, to merge this murder, in a case of manslaughter: for, before his
+arrest, and when he fancied himself beyond the circle of suspicion, he had
+_framed the tale_, and reduced it to writing, in the form of a brief,
+portable memorandum, found upon his person. _He had paid the creditor, who
+hastily grasped the money and departed--returning to perform the unusual
+office of dashing out the debtor's name from a note delivered up, on
+payment, into the debtor's possession!_ Thus he cut short all power to
+fabricate a case of manslaughter.
+
+Why charge such a man with _malice prepense_? Why say, that he was
+_instigated by the devil_? Not so; he was an _unfortunate, misguided,
+unhappy_ man. And yet the judges, with perfect unanimity, have sentenced
+this unhappy man to be hanged! The liberties of the people appear to be in
+danger; and it is deeply to be deplored, that those gentlemen of various
+crafts, who are sufficiently at leisure, to sit in judgment, upon the
+judges themselves, have not appellate jurisdiction, in these high matters,
+with power to invoke the assistance of the Widow's society, or some other
+male, or female, auxiliary _ne sutor ultra crepidam_ society.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Dealings with the Dead, Volume I (of 2), by
+A Sexton of the Old School
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEALINGS WITH THE DEAD, VOL I ***
+
+***** This file should be named 38588.txt or 38588.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/5/8/38588/
+
+Produced by Delphine Lettau, Meredith Bach and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive.)
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/38588.zip b/38588.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cef8ab6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/38588.zip
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa7ba83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #38588 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38588)